title: The Regulation of Whole Body Protein Metabolism Following Exercise in Children

contributor: Medical Sciences (Division of Physiology/Pharmacology)

subject:
protein metabolism
exercise
children
adolescents

abstract:
General nutritional strategies to promote whole body protein retention, particularly with relation to exercise, have been largely based on adult research that does not consider the dynamic process of growth and often ignores scenarios commonly experienced by children (e.g., exercise in the heat). Therefore, the aim of the experiments outlined in this thesis was to investigate the importance of post-exercise protein quantity and timing in active children, specifically with respect to whole body protein turnover.
	Chapter 4 demonstrated that a whole-food protein-containing beverage can impact whole body protein balance (WBPB) in healthy children following exercise.  Specifically, consuming ~0.40 g·kg-1 of protein in the form of skim milk enhanced whole body nitrogen turnover (Q) and protein synthesis, resulting in a less negative WBPB compared with a carbohydrate electrolyte solution (CES) and water (W) over 16 h.  It was also found that puberty and sex significantly affected WBPB.
	In order to elucidate the specific effects of protein, participants in Chapter 5 were provided with isoenergetic mixed macronutrient beverages containing graded levels of protein (0 g·kg-1, ~0.18 g·kg-1, and ~0.32 g·kg-1) following an acute bout of exercise.  Net protein balance was increased in a dose-dependent manner early in recovery, but in order to sustain a net anabolic environment over an entire 24 h period it appears that larger protein intakes (~0.32 g·kg-1) are required.
	Finally, in Chapter 6 [1-13C]leucine infusion was used to confirm previous conclusions.  Following an acute bout of exercise, graded levels of protein (0 g·kg-1, ~0.12 g·kg-1, ~0.22 g·kg-1and ~0.33 g·kg-1) acutely increased whole body leucine balance in a dose-dependent manner.  However, in order to attain a positive WBPB over 24 h, multiple protein feedings following exercise may be more important than the absolute quantity of protein ingested in the post-exercise period.

abstract: Dissertation

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: A Filter Description for the Homomorphisms of the Algebra of Bounded Analytic Functions on the Unit Disc

contributor:
Banaschewski, B.
Mathematics

subject: filter, homomorphisms, algebra, bounded, analytic, unit disc, complex

abstract: For any filter F defined on the unit disc D, F* is the filter generated by ∈-neighbourhoods of the sets of F, using hyperbolic distance. Any complex homomorphism I of β, the algebra of bounded analytic functions on D, is given by I(g) = lim g(F*) for some maximal closed filter F. The homomorphisms can be classified according to the direction of approach to the boundary of the corresponding filters. For those which are obtained by oricycle or non-tangential approach, the *-filters are in 1-1 correspondence with the homomorphisms; and into these subsets, one can analytically embed discs. On the Silov boundary of β, the above correspondence fails to be 1-1, and smaller filters are considered.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Thallium-Rubidium-Potassium Relationship in Nepheline Syenite

contributor:
Shaw, D. M.
Geology

subject: nepheline, syenite, atomic, absorption, spectrophotometry, plutonics

abstract:
 Nepheline syenite samples were collected from the Bancroft and Blue Mountain areas, Ontario, Canada, and were analysed for K, Rb, and Tl contents by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The results for these elements and the corresponding K/Rb, K/Tl and Rb/Tl ratios were compared with those of nepheline syenites in various localities, and were found to be similar.

 The Tl, Rb, K contents and the K/Rb, K/Tl and Rb/Tl ratios in this study were determined to be 825 ppb, 110 ppm, 3.28%, 298, 4.11x10^4 and 135 respectively for the Bancroft nepheline syenite gneisses, and 574ppb, 93ppm, 3.28%, 353, 5.71x10^4 and 162 respectively for the Blue Mountain nepheline syenites. From these data, the nepheline syenite rocks in this study were probably originated as continental plutonics.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Bachelor of Science (BSc)


title: Late Transition Metal Complexes of Group 13 Lewis Acid-Containing Ambiphilic Ligands

contributor:
Emslie, David J. H.
Chemistry and Chemical Biology

subject:
Inorganic Chemistry
Ambiphilic Ligands

abstract:
The coordination chemistry of a structurally rigid phosphine–thioether–borane ligand, TXPB (TXPB = 2,7-di-tert-butyl-5-diphenylboryl-4-diphenylphosphino-9,9-dimethylthioxanthene), as well as the Group 13 Lewis acid-appended analogues of 1,1'-bis(phosphino)ferrocene, FcPPB (FcPPB = [Fe(η5-C5H4PPh2){η5-C5H4PtBu(C6H4BPh2-o)}]) and FcPPAl (FcPPAl = [Fe(η5-C5H4PPh2){η5-C5H4PtBu(C6H4AlMe2-o)}]) has been explored with a range of transition metal pre-cursors.
Previously reported [Rh(μ-Cl)(CO)(TXPB)] (1) reacted with Me3SiBr, Me3SiI, [NMe4]F, Tl[PF6] and NaBH4 to provide [Rh(μ-Br)(CO)(TXPB)] (2), [RhI(CO)(TXPB)] (3), [Rh(CO)(TXPB-F)] {(4); TXPB-F = {5-(2,7-di-tert-butyl-4-diphenylphosphino-9,9-dimethylthioxanthenyl)}diphenylfluoroborate]}, [Rh(CO)(TXPB)][PF6] (5) and [Rh(μ-H)(CO)(TXPB)] (6), respectively; the rhodium–borane and rhodium–co-ligand–borane coordination modes within these complexes are dependant on the co-ligand bound to rhodium (co-ligand = Cl, Br, I, F, H, or none in the case of cationic 5).
Additionally, previously reported [(TXPB)Rh(μ-CO)2Fe(CO)Cp] (7) reacted with various isonitriles (CNR; R = C6H4Cl-p, 2,6-Me2-C6H3, nBu) to yield the bridging borataaminocarbyne complexes [(TXPB)Rh(μ-CO)(μ-CNR)Fe(CO)Cp] (8–10). The borane-free analogue of (7), [(TXPH)Rh(μ-CO)2Fe(CO)Cp] (11; TXPH = 2,7-di-tert-butyl-4-diphenylphosphino-9,9-dimethylthioxanthene), was synthesized for comparison, and reacted with CNC6H4Cl-p to yield [(TXPH)Rh(CO)(μ-CNC6H4Cl-p)2Fe(CO)Cp] (12), featuring two bridging isonitrile ligands.
The TXPB ligand reacted with [PtMe2(cod)] (cod = 1,5-cyclooctadiene), forming [PtMePh(TXPB')] (13; TXPB' = 2,7-di-tert-butyl-5-methylphenylboryl-4-diphenylphosphino-9,9-dimethylthioxanthene), which exists in equilibrium with zwitterionic [PtMe(TXPB-Me)] (13') in solution. When heated, [PtMePh(TXPB')] (13) was converted to [PtPh2(TXPB'')] (14; TXPB'' = 2,7-di-tert-butyl-5-dimethylboryl-4-diphenylphosphino-9,9-dimethylthioxanthene) as an 86:14 equilibrium mixture with 13. Moreover, [PtMePh(TXPB')] (13) reacted with PPh3 and P(OPh)3 to provide neutral [PtMePh(PR3)(TXPB')] [R = Ph (15), OPh (16)], or with CNXyl to yield zwitterionic [PtMe(CNXyl)2(TXPB-Me)] (17; TXPB-Me = {5-(2,7-di-tert-butyl-4-diphenylphosphino-9,9-dimethylthioxanthenyl)}methyldiphenylborate).
To address several limitations with the TXPB ligand, a new borane-containing ambiphilic ligand, FcPPB (26), was prepared in a seven step convergent synthesis from commercially available ferrocene and 1,2-dibromobenzene. The FcPPB ligand reacted with the Group 10 metal pre-cursors [Ni(cod)2], [Pd2(dba)3] (dba = trans,trans-dibenzylideneacetone) and [Pt(nb)3] (nb = norbornene), yielding co-ligand free [M(FcPPB)] complexes [M = Ni (28), Pd (29), Pt (30)] exhibiting κ2PP- and η3BCC-coordination of the FcPPB ligand. Alternatively, a trisphosphine-analogue of FcPPB, FcPPP (FcPPP = [Fe(η5-C5H4PPh2){η5-C5H4PtBu(C6H4PPh2-o)}]) (25), reacted with [Ni(cod)2] and [Pd2(dba)3] to form [{Ni(FcPPP)}2(μ-N2)] (33) and [Pd(η2-dba)(FcPPP)] (34), respectively.
Platinum complex 30 reacted with CO, CNXyl and H2, providing [Pt(CO)(FcPPB)] (35), [Pt(CNXyl)(FcPPB)] (36) and [PtH(μ-H)(FcPPB)] (37), in which the borane is no longer η3BCC-coordinated; the arylborane in FcPPB is now engaged in η2BC-, η1B- and bridging Pt–H–B coordination, respectively. Moreover, [Pt(FcPPB)] (30) reacted with PhC2H to provide [Pt(C2Ph)(μ-H)(FcPPB)] (38), which rapidly isomerized to the vinylborane complex, [Pt(FcPPB')] (39; FcPPB' = [Fe(η5-C5H4PPh2)(η5-C5H4PtBu{C6H4BPh(CPh=CHPh-Z)-o})]).
The FcPPB ligand also reacted with [Au(PPh3)][GaCl4] to yield [{Au(FcPPB)}2][GaCl4] (40) as a diastereomeric mixture, or with [W(CO)6] and [Ru3(CO)12] under photochemical and thermal conditions, respectively, to yield [W(CO)4(FcPPB*)] (41; FcPPB* = [Fe(η5-C5H4PPh2){η5-C5H3P(tBu)C6H4BPh-o}]) and [Ru3(μ-H)(CO)10(FcPPB**)] (42; FcPPB** = [Fe(η5-C5H4PPh2){η5-C5H3P(tBu)C6H4BPh2-o}]–), respectively. Both [W(CO)4(FcPPB*)] (41) and [Ru3(μ-H)(CO)10(FcPPB**)] (42) are products of intramolecular attack of the borane on the adjacent cyclopentadienyl-ring. Free FcPPB did not undergo any reaction under similar conditions. However, FcPPB reacted with B(C6F5)3 and BF3·OEt2 to yield FcPPB{B(C6F5)3} (43; [Fe(η5-C5H4PPh2{B(C6F5)3}){η5-C5H4PtBu(C6H4BPh2-o)}]) and [FcPPB-Ph][BF4] (44; [Fe(η5-C5H4PPh2){η5-C5H4PtBu(C6H4BPh-o)}]+), respectively; the former is a phosphine–borane adduct, whereas the latter is a bisphosphine-stabilized boronium cation.
The coordination chemistry of a dimethylalane-appended analogue of FcPPB, FcPPAl (27), was also investigated; reaction with [Pt(nb)3] provided [Pt(η2-nb)(FcPPAl)] (45), which readily reacted with C2H4, C2Ph2, H2, and CO to provide [Pt(η2-C2H4)(FcPPAl)] (47), [Pt(η2-C2Ph2)(FcPPAl)] (48), [PtH2(FcPPAl)] (49) and [Pt(CO)(FcPPAl)] (50), respectively. Alternatively, heating a benzene solution of [Pt(η2-nb)(FcPPAl)] (45) yielded co-ligand free [{Pt(FcPPAl)}2] (46). All of the isolated platinum-FcPPAl complexes feature κ3PPAl-coordination of the FcPPAl ligand to platinum, and are the first unambiguous examples of η1Al-coordinated alkylalane complexes.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

abstract: Ambiphilic ligands are defined as ligands which contain both conventional Lewis basic donors and unconventional Lewis acidic moieties, and the focus of this thesis is to expand the transition metal chemistry of Group 13 Lewis acid-containing ambiphilic ligands. This work expands the knowledge base of fundamental coordination and organometallic chemistry by exploring the effects of ambiphilic ligands on the structures, stability and reactivity of the resulting late transition metal complexes. Three different ambiphilic ligand systems have been employed in this research (TXPB, FcPPB and FcPPAl), which vary either by the structural rigidity of the ligand backbone (TXPB = thioxanthene; FcPPB and FcPPAl = ferrocene), the donor groups available to bind to the metal centre (TXPB = phosphine/thioether; FcPPB and FcPPAl = phosphine/phosphine), or the identity of the appended Lewis acid (TXPB and FcPPB = aryldiphenylborane; FcPPAl = aryldimethylalane). These ligands have provided access to a wide variety of metal–Lewis acid and metal–co-ligand–Lewis acid bonding interactions and novel reaction pathways with small molecules, some of which are relevant to the future development of unique cooperative and catalytic reactivity.


title: Continued Fractions and Newton's Algorithm

contributor:
Davison, T. M. K.
Mathematics

subject: continued, fractions, Newton's Algorithm, integers, approximation

abstract: This thesis examines continued fraction expansions of the square root of nonsquare positive integers of periods one to six, and shows their relationships with Newton's method of approximation. It also contains known results concerning continued fractions.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Science (MSc)


title: Localization in Non-Noetherian Rings

contributor:
Mueller, B. J.
Mathematics

subject: localization, rings, non-noetherian, reversibility, sets

abstract:
 P. Gabriel constructed rings of quotients by inverting elements of multiplicative sets which satisfy the Ore and the reversibility conditions. We employ this technique in our study of localizations of non-noetherian rings at Goldie semiprime ideals. The three types of clans developed in this thesis enable us to decompose in a unique fashion (weakly) classical sets of prime ideals into (weak) clans which, in essence, are minimal localizable sets of prime ideals, satisfying certain properties. We further show that these (weak) clans are mutually disjoint sets. The different types of rings, brought into consideration, exhibit many interesting properties in the context of our localization theory.

 We characterize the AR-property for the Jacobson radical of a semilocal ring by considering finitely generated modules. In the study of rings which are module-finite over their centres, we describe expressly the injective hull of the semilocal ring modulo its Jacobson radical. These two facts enable us to establish an interrelationship between the (strongly) classical semiprime ideals of the ring and those of its central subring. Furthermore, we show that under certain conditions the Q-sets are precisely all the minimal localizable sets of prime ideals of the ring. In the case of group rings, the flatness condition can be lifted without jeopardizing the validity of the assertion.

 Lastly, we apply localization technique to characterize the group theoretic notion of q-nilpotency.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Using STPA in an ISO 26262 compliant process

contributor:
Lawford, Mark
Wassyng, Alan
Computing and Software

abstract: Hazard analysis is an essential activity in the development lifecycle of any safety-critical system. Different industries have their own standards to regulate and standardize their development practices. The introduction of automotive standard ISO 26262 has garnered a lot of interest and the industry is moving towards following ISO 26262 compliant processes. Although the standard suggests using traditional hazard analysis techniques to identify hazards and to perform safety analyses, a literature review shows the limitations of these techniques to handle the increased complexity of modern vehicles, caused by the growing number of features added to them. STPA, a relatively novel hazard analysis technique, promises to overcome some of these limitations. However, STPA is not referred to in ISO 26262. In this thesis, we analyze how STPA can help satisfy the requirements of hazard analysis and risk assessment defined in Part 3 of ISO 26262. We also provide an excerpt of our approach of applying STPA as per the concept phase of ISO 26262 on an automotive subsystem, a Battery Management System. One of the main challenges faced by manufacturers is the difference in the terminologies used in the techniques and the standard. To combat this, we provide a detailed comparison of the primary terms used in STPA and ISO 26262, and also compare their foundations. Since most users are familiar with traditional hazard analysis techniques, we also provide a high-level mapping between the outputs of the automotive version of FMEA, Seven Failure Modes FMEA (a variant of FMEA), and STPA. In conclusion, we determined that STPA can be used in an ISO 26262 compliant manner and also provided guidelines to fulfill any gaps identified. It is important to note that we did not have to modify STPA but only augment it to achieve this.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Applied Science (MASc)


title: Isolating Stage-Specific Mechanisms of Desirable Difficulty in Learning

contributor:
Watter, Scott
Psychology

subject:
Cognition
Desirable Difficulty

abstract: According to the theory of desirable difficulty, conflict during practice can elicit a greater degree of processing and result in a later memory benefit (Bjork & Bjork, 1994). The present paper extends the work by Thomson et al. (in prep) that there may be a stage-specific mechanism involved. They found a desirable difficulty effect when directing a conflict towards the categorization stage through classifying names by gender. However, no such effect was seen when classifying words by size. They provided evidence that gender classification is more semantically central than categorizing items by size, which tends to be relative and depend on context. We took the same stimuli used in the Thomson et al. (in prep) but had participants make animacy judgments (animal or “thing”) on words. A subsequent memory test revealed a desirable difficulty effect for incongruent words compared to congruent. Interestingly, animal words were better remembered overall compared to “thing” words. A second experiment directed a conflict towards the categorization and response processing stages through classifying names as male and female with semantic (male/female) and response selection (left/right) primes. A subsequent memory test revealed a desirable difficulty pattern of results (although non-significant) where incongruent compared to congruent words were better remembered for the sematic primes and congruent compared to incongruent words were better remembered for response primes. These results suggest to-be-remembered material needs to be the focus of attention and increasing difficulty to any stage of processing does not give you a guaranteed desirable effect.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Science (MSc)


title: Ordered Non-Desarguesian Affine Hjelmslev Planes

contributor:
Lane, N. D.
Mathematics

subject:
affine Hjelmslev plane
biternary ring
Desarguesian
ordering

abstract: The first two chapters provide the necessary prerequisites. In the third and fourth chapters we demonstrate than an affine Hjelmslev plane (or A. H. plane) is coordinatized by a biternary ring; and that given a biternary ring, one can construct an affine Hjelmslev plane. In the fifth and sixth chapters we introduce the notions of an ordering of an A. H. plane and an ordering of a biternary ring. In the seventh chapter we show that an ordering of an A. H. plane H induces an ordering on the coordinate biternary ring. In the eighth chapter we show that a given ordering of a biternary ring M induces an ordering on the A.H. plane constructed over M. In the remaining chapters we examine the associated ordinary affine plane of an A. H. plane, the case where an A. H. plane is Desarguesian, and give an example of an ordered non-Desarguesian A. H. plane.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Science (MSc)


title: Measurement of Diffusion Coefficients of Binary Liquid Systems: The Moiré Pattern Method

contributor:
Hamielec, A. E.
Johnson, A. I.
Chemical Engineering

subject:
diffusion cell
"shearing type"
diffusivity
liquid phase
convection

abstract:
 A diffusion cell of the "shearing type" was used to diminish the effect of convection which is always present when two liquid phases are brought into contact with each other in a diffusion cell. Also a special optical arrangement was used to photograph the refractive index distribution of the system. For those systems with refractive index changing linearly with concentration, the concentration profiles were obtained and diffusion coefficients were calculated at different concentrations.

 This optical method gave only fair reproducibility- the deviation among diffusivities found for systems investigated varying from 3 to 10%- however, it permitted rapid analysis and on this basis is recommended for situations where speed is essential and high accuracy is not required.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Engineering (ME)


title: Luminescence of Benzonitrile, Monodeuterobenzonitriles, and Perdeuterobenzoitrile at 77°K in Solid Matrices

contributor:
Laposa, Joseph D.
Chemistry

subject:
benzonitrile
monodeuterobenzonitrile
perdeuterobenzonitrile
solid matrix
luminescence
vibration
molecular geometry
molecular spectroscopy

abstract:
An abstract is not provided.
Thesis
Master of Science (MSc)


title: BOURDON Tube Studies

subject:
BOURDON tube
thin-walled
thick-walled
elastic shell-theory formulation

abstract: The objective of this study is to elucidate as much as possible the theory and analysis of BOURDON tubes. Both thick-walled and thin-walled tubes are considered. Three papers, representative of the state-of-the-art of BOURDON tube analysis, are reviewed (References 1, 2, and 6): <p> 1. Wuest, W. "Theory of High-Pressure BOURDON Tubes". </p><p> 2. Andreeva, L. E>, "Elastic Elements of Instruments" </p> <p> 3. Dressler, R., "Elastic Shell-Theory Formulation for BOURDON Tubes" </p><p> Reanalysis of (3) above, with a different approach (Appendix A) checked and completed the general formulation by Dressler. The final forms of all necessary equations, boundary conditions, etc. to the solution of the three governing equations of the BOURDON tube with an elliptical cross-section are given. </p><p> Comparison of results of Andreeva's sensitivity equation with test data of Kardos, Mason and Exline (References 3, 4 and 5) using a qualitative approach as set out by Kardos (References 3 and 17) showed good correlation. </p><p> The study concludes with recommendations for the approach of future research and preliminary design procedures for BOURDON tubes. </p>

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Engineering (ME)


title: Design and Modeling of Schottky Barrier Photodiodes

contributor:
Marton, J.P.
Engineering Physics

subject: analysis, PiN photodiodes, Schottky, barrier, risetime

subject: T.B. Remple, Thermionic-diffusion theory

abstract:
The computer program developed by T.B. Remple for the analysis of PiN photodiodes has been modified to handle Schottky barrier cases. The fundamental physics involved in the original model is summarized and the theories for a metal-semiconductor interface are presented. The boundary values for n, p, and ψ  are then defined in such a way that ψ (x) would be in agreement with the thermionic-diffusion theory. An equivalent circuit approach is used to determine the RC response of the photodetector. While the modified version of the computer model provides very detailed analysis of the device, it is also very expensive to run. A simplified model is therefore employed for the design process. The objective is to design an Au-nGe photodiode with a risetime less than 50 psecs. The set of optimum design parameters obtained with the simplified model is then taken as the input to the modified version of Remple's program
for further analysis. The theoretical risetime of the optimum design is found to be about 45 psecs.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Engineering (ME)


title: Simultaneous Oscillations at Two Unrelated Frequencies

contributor:
Gladwin, A.S.
Electrical Engineering

subject: feedback, oscillator,single non-linear element, waves, frequencies, amplitude

abstract: This thesis is principally concerned with the conditions under which a feedback oscillator with a single non-linear element can support two component waves, These component waves are required to have unrelated frequencies. A theory is produced to predict the oscillation frequencies and amplitudes and examine their stability. The conclusions reached in this thesis are then compared with those reached by previous workers in the same field. The concluding parts of the thesis contain an examination of the possible approximations which can be made in order to represent various non-linear elements mathematically and also a demonstration of a system for examining frequency relationships without recourse to direct numerical measurement.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Engineering (ME)


title: Formulation of Transitional Elements and Applications to Linear Elastic Fracture Mechanics

contributor: Civil Engineering and Engineering Mechanics

subject: formulation, transitional, linear, elastic, mechanics, element

abstract:
 Mixed transitional finite elements, which enable the simultaneous use of the three-node triangular mixed and eight-node isoparametric displacement finite elements, are developed to reduce the amount of computer storage required in the mixed finite element method. Numerical testing of the simultaneous use of the above mixed, mixed transitional and displacement finite elements are also carried out to investigate numerical instability, orientation problems and convergence in the energy sense. The examples of a plane stress cantilever subjected to parabolically varying end shear and a plane strain, square plate with a circular hole in the middle are analyzed and the results obtained are found to be in very good agreement with those reported in the literature.

 The three-element scheme above is then applied to problems in linear elastic fracture mechanics. The energy release rate approach using the direct derivative method is incorporated to compute the Mode I stress intensity factor KI. Two plane stress isotropic rectangular plates with symmetric edge cracks and a central crack, respectively, and a plane stress orthotropic square plate with a central crack are analyzed. The stress intensity factors obtained are in excellent agreement with the available numerical results, and with significant reduction in computer storage requirements compared to that of the mixed finite element method alone.

 Mixed mode linear elastic fracture problems are also considered. In this case, Ishikawa's scheme of decomposing the near crack tip stress and displacement fields is used along with the direct derivative method to compute the mixed mode stress intensity factors KI and KII. The stress intensity factors KI and KII obtained for a deep cantilever with an edge crack subjected to end shear are within 0.62 and 3.74 percent of the numerical results reported in the literature. The prediction of the branching angles for crack extensions are examined and the criterion of maximum energy release rate is used along with Ishikawa's scheme to calculate the angles of crack branching for a plane stress square plate with an oblique crack, subject to uniaxial tension. Good agreement with the results using the maximum stress criterion is observed.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Engineering (MEngr)


title: EVALUATION OF THE NEW OPTION B+ PREGNANT MOTHER TO CHILD TRANSMISSION (PMTCT) PROGRAM FOR HIV INFECTED WOMEN AT HOSPITAL FACILITIES:  CASE STUDY AT THE RAHIMA MOOSA MOTHER AND CHILD HOSPITAL, JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA.

contributor:
Birch, Stephen
Coovadia, Ashraf
Wilson, Michael G.
Mbuagbaw, Lawrence
Global Health

subject: Option B+

subject: programme evaluation

subject: PMTCT (pregnant mother to child transmission)

subject: (WHO) World Health Organization

subject: HIV/AIDS

subject: South Africa, Johannesburg

subject: Coronationville

subject: policy implementation

subject: Rahima Moosa Mother and Child Hospital

subject: qualitative research

subject: convenience sampling

subject: phenomological approach

subject: adaptability

subject: accessibility

subject: affordability

subject: acceptability

subject: McIntyre Access Framework

abstract:
Study Objective
	The objectives of this study are:
(1) to explore the impact of the national consolidated guidelines for Option B+ PMTCT on the work of healthcare professionals at both clinical and management levels (including nurses, physicians and management)
 (2) to understand pregnant HIV-positive women views and experiences with 	ART for life, as a way to better manage the Option B+ PMTCT programme within state hospitals
Research Questions
	The following research questions will be used to explore both perceptions of healthcare professionals and patients:
1.How have the national consolidated guidelines for Option B+ PMTCT affected the work of healthcare professionals?
2.What are pregnant HIV-positive women’s views and experiences about going on lifetime treatment with ARVs?

abstract:
ABSTRACT
Background. South Africa’s National Department of Health has adopted World Health Organization’s (WHO) 2013 consolidated guidelines on the use of ARVs for treatment and prevention of HIV infection. The guidelines include changes for prevention of mother to child transmission (PMTCT) through Option B+. Option B+ aims to reduce the HIV prevalence rate amongst these women by placing them on ART for life, no matter their CD4 count. As a result, in January 2015, these guidelines were implemented for the PMTCT programme at RMMCH. Little is known about the impact of these new guidelines on the work of healthcare professionals in state hospitals. Most importantly, no research has focused on how these changes have affected adherence for the patients.
Purpose. The purpose of this research project is (1) to explore the impact of the Option B+ PMTCT programme on the work of healthcare professionals, and (2) to understand pregnant HIV-positive women views and experiences with ART for life, as a way to better manage the Option B+ PMTCT programme.
Methods. A qualitative study design is used with a phenomenological approach. The methodology uses demographic questionnaires and semi-structured interviews with healthcare professionals and patients. The study is situated in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Findings. The findings demonstrate that work has changed and become difficult to manage for all healthcare professionals because of (1) the need for strengthening indicators for tracking to decrease loss to follow-up (LTFU); (2) inconsistency in delivery of counseling and support services and the need for communication across clinical departments; and (3) the lack of compassion and understanding by service providers. The difficult healthcare environment has affected overall views and experiences of pregnant HIV-positive women going on ART for life. All 55 patient participants responded that they chose to take the fixed-dose combination (FDC) for life to protect the health of the baby and felt ART for life can be stopped after giving birth.
Conclusion. Implications for future research include the need to address changes within the healthcare system at both clinical and management levels. It is crucial to incorporate the perspective of patients in policy implementation; uptake and adherence are key indicators in informing whether the Option B+ PMTCT programme is being adapted into state hospitals effectively. There needs to be extensive research on how to strengthen indicators for long term scalability and sustainability of the programme. Future evaluations need to address, will interdisciplinary collaboration within hospitals improve the management and understanding of Option B+?

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Science (MSc)


title: The Effects of Neck Posture and Head Load on  the Cervical Spine and Upper Extremities

contributor:
Potvin, Jim
Biomechanics

subject:
Neck
Cervical spine
Head load
Posture
Nerve impingement
Discomfort
Biomechanics
Ergonomics

abstract: Neck pain and injuries remain prevalent in many occupational categories. Risk factors include non-neutral neck postures and head loads. Most ergonomic tools do not account for the changes associated with these risk factors, or the effects that head position and load can have on the upper extremities. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of different neck postures and head loads on cervical discomfort and upper extremity functional integrity. Participants maintained flexed, extended, protracted, and neutral neck postures for a total of 4 minutes each. These trials were done both with and without a 3.68 kg head load. After each trial, measures of cervical discomfort, changes in hand sensation, hand and pinch grip strength, and holding forces were recorded. Cervical discomfort was found to increase in non-neutral postures and with the addition of a head load. Extension resulted in the greatest levels of discomfort, followed by flexion and protraction, with similar levels of discomfort, and neutral, which caused the least discomfort. Sternocleidomastoid activity increased in a loaded, non-neutral posture compared to an unloaded, neutral posture. These data could be implemented into current ergonomic tools to more comprehensively assess task demands and reduce the risk of injury.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Science in Kinesiology


title: PHOSPHORYLATION OF HUNTINGTIN N17 DOMAIN IS CELL CYCLE REGULATED AND BECOMES DYSREGULATED IN HUNTINGTON’S DISEASE

contributor:
Truant, Ray
Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences

abstract: Huntington’s disease (HD) is a genetic disorder caused by a polyglutamine tract expansion in the huntingtin protein.  This unstable expansion causes degeneration of cortical and striatal neurons thus emphasizing studies of post-mitotic neurons.  In addition to neurological symptoms, HD is also known to affect peripheral areas of the body which makes studying the developmental aspect necessary for a thorough understanding of the disease.  Huntingtin is required for proper mitotic spindle formation and orientation.  Our group has previously shown that phosphorylation at critical serine residues, 13 and 16 of huntingtin causes localization to various mitotic structures such as centrosomes, spindle microtubules, and the cleavage furrow suggesting that post-translational modifications of huntingtin play a role in the cell cycle.  Here we use biophotonic and biochemical techniques to observe the role of phosphorylated huntingtin in the cell cycle.  In mouse striatal cells, we observed phosphorylated huntingtin in different stages of mitosis and saw increased phosphorylation and differential localization of huntingtin as mitosis progressed.  We also observed an increase in phosphorylation levels as the cell cycle progressed with immunoblotting assays.  These findings can be used to identify huntingtin dependant phases of the cycle which may have relevance to the role of huntingtin during development.  Furthermore, the role of huntingtin at the mitotic spindle may translate to other microtubule-related functions with relevance to DNA integrity checkpoints.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Science (MSc)


title: Halogen Cations

contributor:
Gillespie, R. J.
Chemistry

subject: halogen, cations, acids, force, magnetic

abstract:
 In an investigation on the formation of halogen cations, the I4 2+, Br3+, Br2+ and Cℓ3+
cations have been identified by conductivity, cryoscopy, ultraviolet and visible spectrophotometry, Raman spectroscopy and magnetic susceptibility measurements in strong acids. Bromine trifluorosulphate has been shown to ionise in the SbF5:3SO3/HSO3F system to give the Br(SO3F)2+ ion, and Raman bands of bromine fluorosulphates, CℓSO3F and S2O6F2 have been listed. No evidence has been found for the Cℓ2+ or CℓF+ ions in solution, and the assignment of observed ESR spectra to these cations is criticised.

 Raman spectra of the adducts AsF5 2CℓF and BF3 2CℓF have shown that they contain the CℓCℓF+ cation and not the CℓFCℓ+ cation. The bending frequency of the CℓF2+ cation has been reassigned, and force constants have been calculated for the CℓF2+ and Cℓ3+ cations.

 Resonance Raman spectra of the I2+ and Br2+ cations have been observed,
and, as few examples of this effect are known, the variation in fundamental and overtone intensities with exciting wavelength have been investigated.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Synapsin II Reductions and Schizophrenia: The Effects of Antisense Knockdown and Other Confounds on Disease Manifestation

title: Efficacy of Synapsin II Antisense Sequences

contributor:
Mishra, Ram K.
Neuroscience

subject:
Synapsin II
Antisense oligonucleotides
Schizophrenia

abstract:
The complex heterogeneity of schizophrenia has proved difficult to replicate in preclinical animal models. Of the many molecular targets implicated with schizophrenia, this thesis focuses on synapsin II - a pre-synaptic protein critical for neurotransmission and synaptogenesis; and parvalbumin - a calcium-binding protein found in interneurons of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and the striatum (STR).
Patients with schizophrenia display reduced levels of synapsin II mRNA in the DLPFC, while decreased activation of parvalbumin neurons in the same region has resulted in schizophrenia-like cognitive deficits. Knockdown of synapsin II in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) of neonate and adult rats has previously induced schizophrenia-like alterations. However, there are concerns that must be addressed before novel animal models of schizophrenia can be developed using reductions in synapsin II.
This thesis was designed to 1) eliminate maternal separation (MS) between post-natal days (PD) 14-23, which correlates with a neurodevelopmental synapsin II model, as a means of inducing schizophrenia-like behaviours; 2) reassess the use of fully and partially phosphorothioated first-generation antisense oligonucleotides to reduce synapsin II levels, and 3) evaluate parvalbumin expression in the STR following synapsin II knockdown.
Results from this study indicate 1) a 36 hour MS regimen during PD 14-23 did not cause behavioural changes bearing resemblance to schizophrenia; 2) oligonucleotide sequences stabilized completely with phosphorothioate bonds were insufficient in reducing synapsin II levels and caused localized necrosis, while partially modified sequences induced a slight knockdown effect without cell death; and 3) levels of striatal parvalbumin expression were decreased in rats receiving the partially, but not fully, modified antisense sequences.
The findings strengthen the face validity and safety profile of the synapsin II knockdown model. Novel evidence has also been provided for the role of parvalbumin in the striatum and suggests its influence on cognitive dysfunction in schizophrenia.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Science (MSc)


title: The Charge Dependent and Charge Symmetry Breaking Effects of the γ-π-Exchange Process in N-N and λ-N Interactions

contributor:
Nogami, Y.
Physics

subject: charge, symmetry, potentials, interactions, asymmetric, N-N

abstract:
 Experimental and theoretical investigations on charge dependence and charge asymmetry in N-N and λ-N interactions are reviewed. The γ-π-exchange N-N and
λ-N potentials are derived and calculated in the static limit. The γ-π-exchange charge dependent component of the N-N potential is found to be larger than the charge
dependent part of OPEP due to pion mass difference up to 3 fm and is of opposite sign, making the explanation of the splitting between p-n and p-p scattering lengths more difficult than was previously thought. Except at very short distances, this potential is of the order of
only a few percent of the OPEP. In the light of this result, it is concluded that the very large charge-dependent correction at large distances required by Noyes' phenomenological analysis on the splitting of rpn and rpp is inexplicable as an electromagnetic correction. The
γ-π exchange charge asymmetric components of both N-N and λ-N interactions are found to be much weaker than the charge dependent one for the N-N case.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Studies on N-(Purin-6-Ylcarbamoyl) Threonine

subject: Threonine, nucleoside, synthetic, cell, RNA, carboxyl

abstract:
 N-[(9-β-D-ribofuranosyl-9H-purin-6-yl)carbamoyl]- threonine, a hypermodified nucleoside found in transfer RNA represents the archetype structure of a group of synthetic ureidopurines which promote cell division in plants. L-threonine was shown to be incorporated into this nucleoside in Tobacco tissue and Rhizopogon roseolus transfer RNA. Also, this nucleoside was isolated as a free molecule in Rhizopogon roseolus growth medium.

 Chromatographic analysis of an enzymic hydrolysate of 3 g of yeast transfer RNA failed to indicate the presence of a lipophilic derivative of PCT riboside. It is concluded that PCT riboside occurs in transfer RNA with a free carboxyl group.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Science (MSc)


title: Nuclear Waste Disposal and Decommissioning:  Are Costs Too High?

contributor:
Lonergan, S. C.
Geography

subject: nuclear, waster, costs, decommissioning, power, water

abstract: The great controversy surrounding the use of nuclear power as an electrical source has been further augmented by the problems associated with nuclear waste disposal and nuclear plant decommissioning. This paper focuses on the aspects and estimated costs of waste disposal and decommissioning. Comparison of cost estimates done by independent studies with those done by Ontario Hydro indicate that Hydro is grossly underestimating the costs of waste disposal and decommissioning. This result leads to the conclusion that Ontario Hydro is undervaluing the costs of nuclear waste disposal and decommissioning to justify its use of nuclear power in Ontario. Wide variations in cost estimates for decommissioning, and a lack of cost estimates for nuclear waste disposal, indicate that extensive research is needed in the discipline of cost estimation for waste disposal and decommissioning.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Candidate in Philosophy


title: Heat Transfer in Vertical Tubes With Coiled Wire Turbulence Promotors

contributor:
Judd, R. L.
Mechanical Engineering

subject: heat, transfer, vertical, coiled wire, turbulence, friction

abstract:
 An experimental study of forced convection heat transfer and friction in water flowing in a vertical tube is reported in this thesis. The study investigates the effect of coiled wire turbulence promotors of various pitch to diameter ratios (ranging from 1.00 to 5.50) upon the Nusselt Prandtl modulus Nu/Pr^1/3 and Fanning friction factor f. The investigation is carried out for three different wire sizes, 0.052 in., 0.063 in., 0.072 in. respectively.

 Analysis of the various dimensionless numbers computed from the measurements of the present study indicates that the heat transfer increases by as much as 250% for low values of pitch to diameter ratio, though at the cost of a much larger increase in pressure drop.
Consequently, the tubes using coiled wire turbulence promotors can be employed with advantage for cases where pumping power is not the dominating factor and reduction in weight and size of the equipment are more important.

 The experimental data are empirically correlated in terms of the ratio of Nusselt numbers for the tubes with turbulence promoters to the empty tube as a function of Reynolds number and pitch to diameter ratio.  Nu/Nuo = K(Re)^a (H/D)^-0.3

  To evaluate the net effect of coiled wire turbulence promotors, the ratio     j/f = [Nu/RePr^1/3]/f     is plotted against Reynolds number. The curves for the coiled wire turbulence promotors fell below the theoretical curve for the empty tube indicating that coiled wire turbulence promotors are not advantageous in terms of heat transfer per unit pressure drop.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Engineering (MEngr)


title: Melt Fracture of Polystyrene

contributor:
Vlachopoulos, J.
Chemical Engineering

subject: melt, fracture, polystyrene, molecular, shear stress

abstract: A high-pressure nitrogen-driven viscometer has been used to study the melt fracture of polystyrene. The polystyrene samples used differed in molecular weight and molecular weight distribution. The weight average molecular weight (Mw) ranged from 97,200 to 1.8 x 10^6 and the distribution breadth (Mw/Mn) from 1.06 to 9.21. Results obtained indicate that the critical shear stress varies linearly with 1/Mw, increases slightly with temperature and is independent of the polydispersity of polymers. This type of behaviour is satisfactorily explained in terms of Graessley's entanglement theory.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Engineering (MEngr)


title: Crystal Structures and Phase Transformations of Sodium Pyrophosphate and Sodium Diarsenate

contributor:
Calvo, Crispin
Physics

subject: crystal, structures, phase, transformations, sodium

abstract:
 An X-ray study of the various phases of anhydrous sodium pyrophosphate has been carried out. The system began with an ordered structure in orthorhombic space group P212121 and ended with a completely disordered structure in hexagonal space group P63/mmc, All the intermediate phases were partially disordered.

 The crystal structure of the first two phases of the system were determined while the rest were only partially solved due to the complexity of the disorder involved. A discussion on the symmetry aspects of the phase transformations was given and a model for the disorder of the hexagonal phase was proposed.

 As an integral part of the study the room-temperature phase of sodium diarsenate was also investigated.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: The Crystal Structure and Crystal Chemistry of Scapolites

contributor:
Burley, B. J.
Geology

subject:
scapolite
x-ray single-crysal diffractometer
crystal structure
space group problem
reflection
order-disorder
structural variation
stoichiometry

abstract: The systematic investigation of the x-ray diffraction symmetry of scapolites covering the whole range of solid solution show that all scapolites possess space group P4(2)/n, except the pure end-members, marialite and meionite, which will possess space group I4/m, if they exist. The intensity of the weak superlattice reflections violating the body-centred symmetry, continuously increases from zero at the marialite end-member as Me% increases, reaches a maximum around 37%+/-2% Me then approximately symmetrically decreases to 75% Me followed by a slower decrease to zero at the meionite end-member. Hence, all the intermediate scapolites of the marialite-meionite series actually have a pseudosymmetric structure, i. e., a pseudobody-centred structure, and as the chemical composition approaches both end-members, the scapolite structure approaches the structure with a body-centred lattice. The weak super-lattice reflections are directly related to the following two correlated factors: (1) the relative order-disorder of A1 and Si distribution in the tetrahedral framework, and (2) the structural distortion from the body-centred symmetry. Accompanied with the above facts is the systematic deviation of cell dimensions from the linear regression in such a way that the further the structure deviates from the body-centred symmetry, the smaller the cell volume and the a(o) become relative to the evaluated one from the linear regression. Scapolites are regarded as a continuous, perfect solid solution with a long-range disordering, and unlikely to be composed of submicroscopic twins or different domains. The structural analyses and refinements of three scapolites (ON8, 20% Me; XL, 52% Me; ON45, 93% Me) have been carried out by using 3-dimensional intensity data collected by integrated precession film techniques (ON8, ON45) and an automated single-crystal diffractometer (XL), and using the full-matrix least0squares method. The result has clarified the ambiguities arising from the previous studies and showed that the crystal structure is essentially continuous along the marialite-meionite series, with a slight structural variation as a function of chemical composition and ordering of Al, Si. Several important quantitative relationships regarding the crystal structure and crystal chemistry of the scapolite solid solution series have been established, namely, (1) the relationship between the superlattice intensity r(ΣI(h+k+l=2n+1)/ΣI(h+k+l=2n)) and the chemical index % Me. (2) the exponential relationship between the superlattice intensity ration r and the atomic displacement from the mirror plane consistent with the space group I4/m. (3) The linear relationship between the superlattice intensity ratio r and the difference of Al occupancy between T2 and T3 sites. (4) The Al occupancy (%) of tetrahedral sites as a function of the chemical composition of scapolites.                      The ordering of Al-Si, the c-axis displacement of (Ca, Na), the tilting of CO3 and the relative amount of CO3 and Cl in the same scapolite are all inter-related. The mechanism to cause all such related structural phenomena and even the abnormal stoichiometry of scapolite can all be interpreted in terms of the internal strain created by the two greatly different anions, Cl- and CO3-,sharing the same set of equivalent sites.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Community Attitude to Citizen Participation: The North Pickering Public Participation Experiment

contributor:
Dear, M. J.
Geography

subject: community

subject: citizen participation

subject: North Pickering

abstract:
The primary purposes of the study are to explain the essentials of citizen participation and see how the community has reacted to an actual example of citizen participation, the North Pickering Public Participation Program.
Citizen participation emerges as a consequence of both the planners' and the people's consciousness. It means different things to different people, but few cases represent true participation. In the study, an implicit comparison is made between an officially initiated public participation process and a community-preferred one.
Urbanization and suburbanization have brought about intense growth in the existing urban centres and tremendous loss of agricultural land in Southern Ontario. The choice of North Pickering as the site for a new town is claimed to be an answer to the growth objective of decentralization and deconcentration. Its planning process has proceeded with a large-scale citizen participation program. "Information and consultation" are the official strategies from which "decision-making is to be a shared one". Most people are not happy with the participation process for they have not been truly consulted and their opinions have not been considered, although official sources say the final plan for North Pickering reflects public inputs. The community prefers a process in which they are given some power over the bargaining process.It is suggested that the North Pickering Participation Process represents some degree of tokenism. The officials have the intent, but not the proper way, of involving the people. Thus frustrations arise on both sides. This probably explains why a similar process will not go with the planning of Townsend, another new town to be built in Southen1 Ontario.
Though not satisfactory, citizen participation in North Pickering is a worthwhile experience. It should be a start rather than an end in itself.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Bachelor of Arts (BA)


title: Part A: Digital F. M. Demodulation Using Frequency Counting Techniques ; Part B: Resistivity- Temperature Behaviour of SnO(2):B:Sb Resistor Species

contributor:
Elliott, A. R.
Marton, J. P.
Engineering Physics

subject:
F. M. signal
frequency counting
T. T. L. integrated circuit technology
demodulation
SnO(2):B:Sb semiconductor species
electrical resistivity
stable thin film scattering phenomena
temperature
doping

abstract: This thesis contains 2 parts (Part A and B) to fulfill the requirements for the degree of Master of Engineering. Part A: McMaster (on-campus) project. Part B: McMaster (industrial) project.

abstract:
Part A abstract:
The demodulation of analogue F.M. signals using frequency counting techniques is examined and implemented through the use of modern high speed T.T.L. integrated circuit technology. The entire demodulation unit was derived from exclusively digital components particularly compatible to frequency counting methods. The device was tested with carrier frequencies up to 2MHz and signal frequencies over the entire audio range with varying degrees of modulation. The main limitations appear to lay not in the hardware but in the actual counting technique itself which required quite large frequency deviations to resolve the higher audio frequency signals employed.

Part B abstract:
Investigation of SnO(2):B:Sb semiconductor species over the temperature range -60°C to +175°C reveals that electrical resistivity in this region is determined by the complex superposition of stable thin film scattering phenomena. Transient effects due to lattice imperfections inherent in the fabrication process start to "anneal” out at temperatures greater than 50°c and can be characterized by an activation energy of the order of .013 eV. Uncompensated samples doped heavily with boron illustrate a trend toward ionized impurity scattering at lower temperatures but mainly the species exhibits a complicated interplay of acoustical and optical phonon scattering modulated by doping level in such a manner as to lower T.C.R. An empirical expression relating resistivity-temperature behaviour to doping is developed.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Engineering (ME)


title: Hydrogenolysis of Some Small Paraffinic Hydrocarbons Over Supported Ruthenium

contributor:
Anderson, R. B.
Chemical Engineering

subject: hydrogenolysis, paraffinic, ruthenium, hydrocarbons, energies, reactions

abstract:
 The hydrogenolysis reactions of a series of small paraffinic hydrocarbons (propane, n-butane, isobutane, isopentane, and neopentane) were examined using a continuous stirred-tank catalytic reactor. The catalyst was 0.5 weight percent ruthenium scipported on γ-alumina.

 The reaction orders with respect to hydrocarbon and hydrogen and the activation energies were determined for the reaction of each hydrocarbon. The order of reactivity was also examined.

 The product distributions from each hydrocarbon were measured over a wide range of conversion (5 to 80%) and several temperatures. Reaction networks proposing reversible adsorption-desorption of the hydrocarbons and irreversible rupture of the carbon-carbon bonds in the surface species were applied to these data.

 Some conclusions were made concerning the mechanism of hydrogenolysis and the rate-limiting step.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Some Mapping and Homological Properties of g-Functions

contributor:
Lintz, R. G.
Mathematics

subject: mapping, homological, g-functions

abstract:
 It is shown that under suitable conditions a g-function determines a continuous function.
Relationships between these are examined. In particular, under sufficiently strong conditions, both induce the same homomorphism of Cech homology groups. A realisation theorem giving conditions under which a homomorphism of Cech homology groups is induced by a continuous function is proved.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: The Doctrine of "Skill in Means" in Early Buddhism

contributor:
Jan, Y-h
Religion

subject: doctrine, buddhism, skill in means

abstract:
Abstract Not Provided.
Thesis
Master of Arts (MA)


title: A Descriptive Analysis of the Morphology of Prairie Mounds in Southern Alberta

contributor:
Straw, Allan
McCann, S, B.
Geography

subject: Prairie, mounds, Cypress Hills, Alberta, altitude

subject: contour interval, Gravenor

abstract: <p> Prairie mounds from the general area of Foremost-Cypress Hills, Alberta, have been described. Various morphometric parameters, including relative and absolute altitude of the mounds, depth of their central depressions, orientation of breaches in their rims, angle of the bounding slopes, and distribution of surficial stones were measured. Several characteristics of the mounds were found to be widespread. Firstly, the mounds occur in elongate fields that correspond roughly to the 3,000 ft. contour interval. Secondly, surficial stones invariably have their greatest concentration on the rims of the mounds. Also the mounds are frequently separated by interrupted drainage channels. The bounding slopes of the mounds are asymmetrical, with west and north-west slopes being least steep. Interpretation of these morphological observations and a consideration of the various hypotheses of formation proposed in the literature leads to the conclusion that prairie mounds most likely originated by the differential melting of a stagnant ice mass in a manner proposed by Gravenor in 1955, and have subsequently been modified by mass-wasting processes.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Arts (MA)


title: A MIXED METHODS INQUIRY INTO INFLUENCES ON IMMIGRANT WOMEN’S POSTPARTUM MENTAL HEALTH AND ACCESS TO SERVICES

contributor:
Sword, Wendy
Nursing

subject:
Postpartum depression
Immigrant women
Health service accessibility
Health inequities

abstract:
Immigrant women are at greater risk for postpartum depression (PPD) compared
to non-immigrant women and experience multiple barriers to accessing health
services to address their needs. This mixed method study explored the multi-level
factors that contribute to the postpartum mental health of immigrant women in
Canada and their ability to access requisite health services. In the quantitative
phase, data from a longitudinal prospective cohort survey of women were used to
examine predictors of PPD over the first postpartum year for a sample of women
who delivered at two hospitals in Toronto, Ontario. In the qualitative phase, an
interpretive descriptive design shaped by an integrated knowledge translation
approach was used to understand the factors immigrant women living in
Scarborough, Ontario (a region of Toronto) perceive as contributing to their
postpartum emotional health and the factors immigrant women and care
providers perceive as influencing access to health services. Across quantitative
and qualitative findings, factors contributing to PPD among immigrant women
included a lack of social support, individual and community-level challenges
faced in terms of the social health determinants, physical health status, and
client-provider relationships. Factors contributing to reduced access to health
services included: lack of system knowledge, social health determinants,
organizational and system barriers, limited access to treatment, and a need for
service integration and system navigation support. Immigrant women in Canada
experience numerous health inequities that increase their risk for PPD and
v
prevent them from accessing service supports to address PPD concerns. The
Canadian health care system needs to be responsive to individual needs in order
to facilitate equitable access and address the health needs of Canadian
immigrant women and their families. The diversity and proportion of immigrants in
Canada calls for a linguistically and culturally supportive health care system with
a strategic approach to enhancing accessibility to address health inequities.

abstract: Dissertation

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

abstract:
Immigrant women have a 2-3 times higher risk for postpartum depression (PPD)
than native-born women. This study explored the factors that contribute to PPD
among immigrant women in Canada and how health services can help them get
the care they need, from the perspective of immigrant women and care providers.
This study found increased PPD risk when women lacked social support, had
physical health issues, and faced challenges such as low income and lack of
English language skills. Working with care providers could help address these
challenges or make it more difficult to get care. Immigrant women had more
difficulty getting services when they lacked knowledge about the health care
system, faced social, financial, and language-based barriers to care, and
experienced barriers when using available services. The findings from this
research can inform the design and delivery of health care to best meet the
needs of immigrant women with PPD.


title: Incremental Collapse of Reinforced Concrete Continuous Beams

contributor:
Korol, R. M.
Drysdale, R. G.

subject: collapse, reinforced, concrete, beams, structures

abstract: Page 190 was not included in the thesis.

abstract:
 A research program is presented for assessing the plastic collapse load and shake-down load of reinforced concrete continuous beams. This investigation attempts to establish a range of validity of simple plastic theory when applied to the under-reinforced concrete beams and to determine the sensitivity of such structures to variable repeated loading. In attempt for more accurate prediction of the behaviour of reinforced concrete beams when subjected to variable repeated loading, the numerical beam analysis was developed.

 An experimental program was conducted on 10 reinforced concrete continuous beams. Deflections and strains of these specimens of nearly prototype size were measured and compared with predicted values at critical cross-sections. Resulting conclusions and recommendations for further research are made.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Engineering (MEngr)


title: The Transient Behavior of an Ethane Dehydrogenation Furnace

contributor:
Johnson, A. I.
Chemical Engineering

subject:
ethane dehydrogenation furnace
preheating convection
radiant-heated
pressure drop
fractional carbon deposition
furnace

abstract: This report deals with the mathematical model of the transient behaviour of an existing ethane dehydrogenation furnace which is composed of two main sections: a preheating convection section and a radiant-heated section. The correlation of pressure drop with time has been found from the available data. The fractional carbon deposition and the multiplier coefficient of a pressure drop equation have been determined by the direct search optimization technique of Hooke and Jeeves. An optimal policy for the cyclic operation of the furnace was determined by considering plant temperature profile and hydrocarbon/ steam ration as parameters for maximizing average ethylene produced per day. The effect of temperature profile on the distribution of carbon deposited along the reactor was also predicted and discussed.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Engineering (ME)


title: Petrology and Geochemistry of the Heron Lake Stock, Superior Province, Wabigoon Subprovince, Northwestern Ontario

contributor:
McNutt, R. H.
Geology

subject:
Heron Lake
Heron Lake Stock
petrology
geochemistry
Wabigoon
Northwestern Ontario
trondhjemitic

abstract: The Heron Lake Stock is a lenticular shaped, pretectonic granitoid complex intruding the Jutten metavolcanics of the Savant Lake Greenstone Belt, Wabigoon Subprovince, Superior Province. Mapping, petrography, and chemical analyses have revealed that the stock is essentially trondhjemitic, with minor quartz diorite, granodiorite and quartz monzonite. The trondhjemites have undergone a high degree of sericitization and saussuritization. The grandiorite unit is characterized by secondary K-feldspar and the quartz monzonites are characterized by perthite formation as a result of K-autometasomation is the late stage potash-rich fluids. Late faulting has imposed a secondary foliation along the stock's southern boundary. K/Rb ratios suggest partial melting of lower crust/ upper mantle material producing a trondhjemitic magma. Chemical variation diagrams suggest a process of magmatic differentiation and fractional crystallization.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Bachelor of Science (BSc)


title: The Township of Puslinch: A geographic enquiry

contributor:
Ford, D. C.
Geography

subject:
Puslinch
Township of Puslinch
geography
culture

abstract:
An abstract is not provided.
Thesis
Bachelor of Arts (BA)


title: Optimum Design of High-Rise Office Buildings

contributor:
Barnard, P. R.
Heidebrecht, A. E.
Drysdale, R. G.

subject: optimum, design, office, high-rise

abstract: Page V not included in the thesis.

abstract:
 This project report includes classification of a design of high-rise buildings. Then the survey of recent optimisation techniques is made. The optimum design of one-way flab, beam and girder slab is presented. Also optimum design of flat plate is presented as both problems are part of overall optimum design of high-rise buildings.

 The project report also describes the development of the computer programs for optimum design of one-way slab and flat plate. The behaviour of cost function in vicinity of optimum solution is presented and comparison of conventional versus optimized design method is made.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Engineering (MEngr)


title: Analysis of Ruthenium and Osmium Abundances in Sulfide Minerals from the Sudbury Ores, Ontario

contributor:
Crocket, J. H.
Geology

subject: ruthenium, osmium, sulfide minerals, neutron, metals, ores

abstract: Page 20 missing from the thesis.

abstract: This work was undertaken to evaluate neutron activation analysis as a technique for simultaneous determination of Ru and Os in sulfide minerals by counting the γ radiation of 97Ru and 103Ru, and the β^-radiation of 191Os and 193Os. The samples studied were collected from the Strathcona and Frood-Stobie Cu-Ni sulfide deposits of Sudbury. Sulfide minerals, including pyrrhotite, chalcopyrite, pentlandite and cubanite were separated from samples including representatives of both ore grade and non-commercial material. The minerals were analysed for Ru and Os to determine their concentration ranges in these sulfides, the degree of geochemical coherence of the metals in sulfides from both high grade ore zones and weakly mineralized rocks and their distribution between coexisting sulfides.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Science (MSc)


title: Simulation of Two-Phase Pressure Drops in Heated Channels and Heat Transfer in a Heated Fuel Rod (Part B)

contributor:
Hadaller, G. I.
Engineering Physics

subject: simulation, heat-transfer, pressure drops, channels, fuel rod

abstract: Page iii was not included in the thesis.

abstract: Abstract Not Provided.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Engineering (MEngr)


title: Study of Upset Protrusion Joining Process for Joining a Cast Magnesium Component to Other Sheet Materials

contributor:
Jain, Mukesh
Mechanical Engineering

subject:
Upset Protrusion Joining
Bonding
Magnesium

abstract:
Magnesium alloys are being increasing considered for many automotive applications due their low density and high strength to weight ratio. However, joining of these materials by welding and especially to dissimilar materials such as aluminum or steel or mechanically by riveting at room temperature have faced many challenges. Research presented in thesis explores a new hot joining process referred to as Upset Protrusion Joining (or UPJ) as a means of mechanically joining cast magnesium alloy to other similar or dissimilar sheet materials. UPJ is being developed as a rapid and reliable joining method to be implemented in the automotive industry for weight and manufacturing cost reduction. It involves a cylindrical protrusion emanating perpendicular to the flat surface of a cast plate-like magnesium component that is fitted through a hole in another plate or sheet material. The two components are then clamped together, electrically heated and compressed perpendicular to the axis of the protrusion. During this process, the protrusion expands circumferentially to fill the hole as well as the region above the hole thus entrapping the sheet metal between the mushroomed head and the casting.
The effect of different UPJ process parameters such as applied current, current duration, compression loading rate and compression distance were studied through experimentation that involved a newly developed computer-controlled experimental UPJ setup. The studies involved two cast magnesium alloys of interest to automotive industry, AM60 and AZ91, with protrusions of 11 mm diameter and 14 mm height on a 2 mm thick plate. Studies of the material properties and UPJ process parameters were performed to find optimal process parameters to achieve satisfactory quality of the joint in terms of post-UPJ joint strength with appearance. Also, microstructural studies, temperature measurements in the protrusion region, and electrical resistivity measurements were performed for the two alloys to fundamentally understand their roles in promoting temperature dependent material flow, strain localization, and fracture in the UPJ process. Lastly, materials specific process window for UPJ process was identified based on the experimental work for creation of robust UPJ joints with acceptable joint strengths in tensile shear mode of failure.
This new hot joining method was shown as an industrially viable joining method for cast magnesium component. UPJ is a rapid joining method and provides good joint-strength depending upon joint specifications. This method can be implemented in automotive and other industrial manufacturing environment for joining cast component to a similar or dissimilar wrought sheet component.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Applied Science (MASc)


title: Kinetics of Free Radical Polymerization of Styrene to Complete Conversion

contributor:
Hamielec, A. E.
Chemical Engineering

subject: polymerization, kinetics, styrene, conversion, catalyst, reaction, monomer,

abstract:
 Polymerization of bulk styrene initiated thermally as well as with di-tertiary-butyl peroxide was studied in isothermal batch reactors. Thermal polymerization was carried out at 100, 140, 170 and 200°C while polymerization with di-tertiary butyl peroxide was at 100 and 140°C. A kinetic model was derived therefrom accounting for initiation reactions from a first order decomposition of catalyst and a second order reaction between two monomer
molecules to form two monoradicals, propagation, chain transfer to monomer and termination by combination only. Gel effect was allowed by the variation of rate constants with conversion. Both the thermal initiation rate constant and the first order decomposition rate constant of di-tertiary butyl peroxide were found to agree with literature values with the present values slightly higher. The initial rate constants for propagation, chain transfer to monomer, and termination were extrapolated to the range, 100-200°C using literature data. This kinetic model was used in the simulation of polymer reactor systems studying the effect of recycle and operating conditions on the molecular weight distribution and rate of production of polymer products.

 The main body of this thesis reports the polymerization study and the development of the kinetic model. The details of the kinetic equations and methods of solution, experimental techniques involved, and the simulation
of polymer reactor systems are reported in the Appendices.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Modeling and Optimization of Bubble Memory Field Access Propagation Circuits

contributor:
Della Torre, Edward
Electrical Engineering

subject: optimization, bubble memory, circuits, field access

abstract: Page 104 was not included in the thesis.

abstract:
 The work presented in this thesis relates to one of the most important problems in the design of high-density, high-speed bubble memory systems. A new approach for the analysis, design and optimization of bubble circuits is developed. This formulation is suited to computer-aided methods of solution.

 A micromagnetic approach to the modeling of permalloy bubble circuits is examined. Basic to the approach is the discretization of the circuit into very small regions to simulate the ferromagnetic essence of the permalloy. This method of analysis is very useful in studying submicron bubble circuits. However, the numerical difficulties as well as the excessive computer time required for such analysis led to careful consideration of possible approximations. A continuum model for analyzing field access bubble circuits has, thus, been developed and used to characterize arbitrary shaped permalloy structures. Various propagation circuits, including gap tolerant circuits, and bubble replicators are analyzed and the results compared to experimentally available data.

 A model for studying bubble size and position fluctuations is introduced. The model assumes that the bubble domain is circular. However, with slight modifications it can accept general elliptical shapes. For various propagation circuits, the model results are in excellent agreement with experimental measurements in the literature.

 An algorithm for bubble circuit optimization is developed and discussed in detail. The problem is formulated as a constrained minimax objective which is suited to nonlinear programming methods of solution. Typical examples of T-I propagation circuits are furnished to illustrate the approach.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: On the role of horizontal structure in human face identification

contributor:
Sekuler, Allison
Bennett, Patrick
Psychology

subject:
Face identification
Face inversion effect
Face perception
Horizontal selectivity
Perceptual learning

abstract: The human visual system must quickly and accurately deploy task-and-object-specific processing to successfully navigate the environment, which suggests several interesting research questions: What is the nature of these strategies? Are they flexible? To what extent is this behaviour optimal given the natural statistics of the environment? In this thesis, I explored these questions using human faces, a complex and dynamic source of socially relevant information that we encounter throughout our lives. Specifically, I conducted several experiments examining the role of horizontally-oriented spatial frequency components in face identification. In Chapter 2, I use computational modelling to demonstrate that the structure conveyed by these components is maximally diagnostic for face identity, and show that selective processing of this structure predicts both face identification performance and the face inversion effect. In Chapter 3, I quantify the bandwidth utilized by human observers and relate this sampling strategy to the information structure of face stimuli. In Chapter 4, I show that the selective sampling described in Chapters 2 and 3 is driven by information from the eyes. Finally, in Chapter 5, I show that the impaired horizontal selectivity associated with face inversion is enhanced by practice identifying inverted faces. Together, these experiments characterize a stimulus with differentially diagnostic information sources that, through experience, becomes selectively processed in a manner associated with task performance. These results contribute to our understanding of expert object processing and may have implications for observers experiencing face perception deficits.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Topological Groups, Fields and Rings

contributor:
Müller, B. J. W.
Mathematics

subject: topological, fields, rings, groups

abstract:
Abstract Not Provided.
Thesis
Master of Science (MSc)


title: Mass Spectrometric Studies of the Stable Cadmium Isotopes in the Thermal-Neutron Fission of 233U and 235U

contributor:
Tomlinson, R. H.
Chemistry

subject: mass spectrometric, stable, cadmium, isotopes, thermal-neutron, symmetric

abstract:
 An attempt was made to measure the yields of the stable cadmium isotopes produced in the thermal-neutron fission of 233U and 235U using a solid-source mass spectrometer. The results for 235U fission indicate that there is structure in the mass-yield curve for the region studied which takes the form of a depression around masses 112-114. The origin of this structure is discussed in terms of the various mechanisms which have been proposed to explain the nature of the mass distribution in the symmetric region.

 The 233U study was unsuccessful because of the experimental difficulties encountered, primarily the interference from terrestrial cadmium and the low recovery of the fission products.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Science (MSc)


title: A Computing Memory: Design and Applications wih Special Reference to Correlation

contributor:
Kitai, R
Electrical Engineering

subject: philosophy, parallel, memory array, autonomous, arithmetic, logical processor

abstract: The philosophy of parallel processing within computers is discussed and a word-organized memory array is described in which each word location includes an independent, autonomous, arithmetic and logical processor. Several examples of computations within the memory are suggested and application in the solution of potential field problems is discussed. The concept of the arithmetic memory cell is introduced and applied in a design outline for a digital instrument capable of measuring correlation functions and mean values of fluctuating voltages.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Engineering (ME)


title: 6,6-Diaryl Fulvenes. Reduction to Benzhydryl Cyclopentadiene by Amide Bases

subject: diaryl fulvenes, amide bases, synthesizing, alkylated

abstract:
 This work was started to investigate new methods of synthesizing certain fulvenes. It was hoped that nucleophilic aromatic substitution of chlorine on 6,6-bis-(p-chlorophenyl) fulvene would provide an alternate route for the preparation of para-substituted 6,6-diphenyl fulvenes which had previously been prepared through the appropriately para-substituted benzophenone and cyclo-pentadienide (1,2). Attempts to prepare these substituted 6,6-diphenylfulvenes were unsuccessful.

 Secondly, a method of alkylating certain fulvenes in the cyclopentadiene ring was studied. With this in mind, 6,6-diphenylfulvene was treated with various nucleophiles which should give the relatively stable cyclopentadienide intermediate if the base adds to the exocyclic carbon atom. Alkylation of this anion, followed by expulsion of the nucleophilic group and a proton should then generate a new fulvene alkylated in the cyclopentadiene ring. In no case was any alkylated fulvene isolated. The major reaction products were two isomers of benzhydryl cyclopentadiene, rather than the expected alkylated fulvenes. The benzhydryl cyclopentadiene (mixture of two isomers) appears to have resulted from a reduction reaction.

 Since fulvenes of the type under study are generally unstable, an attempt was made to trap these alkylated fulvenes, if these were present, as their Diels-Alder adducts with tetracyanoethylene (TCNE). This attempt gave the adduct from one of the isomers of benzhydryl cyclopentadiene. The adducts from the other two possible isomers of benzhydryl cyclopentadiene were not detected. This result is an indication of the different reactivities of these isomers to TCNE.

 From the absence of TCNE adducts of the expected alkylated fulvenes, it was concluded that these fulvenes had not materialized in the attempted alkylation.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Science (MSc)


title: Angular Correlations in Mg24

contributor:
Kuehner, J. A.
Physics

subject: angular, correlations, nuclear, energy, magnesium

abstract: A method is described by which spins of nuclear energy levels might be determined, which is a combination of coincidence experiments with Sodium Iodide detectors and angular distribution measurements with high resolution solid state detectors. The method is applied to the 8.87 MeV level in Mg24.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Science (MSc)


title: Prehistoric Settlement Patterns on the Central Coast of British Columbia

contributor:
Cannon, Aubrey
Anthropology

subject:
Archaeology
Prehistory
Geographic Information Systems
Canada

abstract: Over the past half century, archaeologists have been interested in how the environmental variation of the Central Coast has affected settlement patterns. Archaeologists relied on ethnography and subsistence models to explain settlement distribution but were unable to analytically demonstrate influencing factors. The objectives of this thesis were to investigate: (1) the spatial arrangement of sites to examine the types of locations people utilized; and (2) test if the occupational history of a site is reflected by its geographic locations. In this project, site dimension was used as a relative indicator of settlement occupational intensity, and over twenty environmental attributes were tested. Analysis was systematically conducted at multiple spatial scales using GIS. In the first stage the location of shell middens (n=351) were compared against an environmental baseline, derived from a sample of random points. For the second stage, small and large shell middens were compared to test if their locations significantly differed. It was found that shell middens do show an association with certain environmental settings. For some attributes, there was an observable difference in the location of large and small shell middens. However, immense variability was identified and the environmental context of sites greatly determined whether locational preferences could be empirically demonstrated. Overall, large middens, more so than small middens, are located in areas with higher resource diversity. These conclusions support other studies that indicate the relevance of multiple determinants and emphasizes the local nuances of settlement patterning affected by environmental and cultural factors. My results oppose the simplistic and static notion about a prehistoric annual cycle of sedentary winter villages and seasonal resource-specific camps. Improvements to an understanding of settlement distribution can aid in contextualizing specific sites within their regional setting and contribute to our knowledge regarding larger cultural practices such as subsistence and land use practices.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Arts (MA)


title: Modeling of solution and surface–initiated atom transfer radical polymerization

contributor:
Zhu, Shiping
Chemical Engineering

subject: Atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP)

subject: Kinetic modeling

subject: Monte Carlo simulation

subject: Bond-fluctuation method

subject: Surface-initiated polymerization

subject: SI-ATRP

subject: Graft polymerization

subject: Molecular weight distribution

subject: Chain length distribution

subject: Polydispersity index

subject: Dispersity

subject: Radical termination

subject: Controlled radical polymerization

abstract:
Controlled radical polymerization (CRP) can be viewed as the middle ground between living anionic polymerization (LAP) and conventional free radical polymerization (FRP). It combines the precise control over polymer structure offered by LAP, under a tolerant reaction condition similar to FRP. One of the most studied CRP is atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP), with over 10,000 papers published since its introduction in 1995. Despite the numerous studies, knowledge on its fundamental mechanism is still lacking, as evident from the lack of expression for full MWD and polydispersity that account for termination reaction. Since termination is unavoidable in ATRP, the existing expressions give inaccurate predictions as dead chains accumulate. In this study, we derived expressions for full MWD at low conversion and for polydispersity. These expressions allow us to quantify and gain better understanding on the contribution of termination. In addition, the resulting polydispersity expression shows better agreement than the existing equation when correlated with experiment data.

In addition to the aforementioned questions, there are also controversies regarding the kinetics of surface-initiated ATRP, with researchers divided into two schools of theories. We evaluated the validity of these theories by comparing their predictions to experimental trends. Both theories were found to be inadequate in explaining all the experimental observations, thus triggering an investigation of the graft density. Graft density is an important determining property for polymer brushes, yet little is known about what affects its final value. Through simulations, we investigated the effect of experiment factors on the grafting density. A decrease in the amount of deactivator is found to decrease the grafting density, which could be explained by an increase in the number of monomers added per activation cycle. This knowledge allows us to explain the conflicting experiment observations regarding the growth trends of polymer layers reported in the literatures.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

abstract: Polymer materials are used almost everywhere in our daily life from clothing to water bottle. This wide range of applications owes to the nearly infinite possible properties that polymer can possess. Different polymerization processes to synthesize polymers have their own weaknesses and strengths. Herein we investigated the fundamental mechanism of one of the currently most attractive polymerization systems, atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). This process allows the synthesis of polymers with precisely tailored chain microstructures, making it possible to create polymer with sophisticated properties. Using modeling approaches, we derived explicit expressions for determining chain properties, allowing detailed investigation of how various factors affect these properties. Through these investigations, we obtained better understanding on the mechanism of ATRP in solution and on surface. This knowledge is crucial in providing insight and guiding experimental designs for better control over the material properties.


title: Small-Scale Farming in Saint Ann, Jamaica: A Cross-Section Analysis of Gross Cash Income on a Selected Number of Farms

contributor:
Wood, H. A.
Geography

subject: farming, cross-section, gross cash, income

abstract: This study appraises the significance of a selected number of variables - economic demographic, and physical - in explaining the inter-farm variation in gross cash income on a sample of small-scale multiple enterprize farms, Jamaica, West Indies. Chapter I outlines the purpose and methodology of the analysis, while Chapter II describes the physical geography and farming systems of the area. A review of literature germane to the main body of the study is covered in Chapter III. Specifying a model that traces out the relative significance of those variables which are hypothesized as influences on the inter-farm variation in gross cash income is the focus of Chapter IV. The final chapter summarizes and interprets the main findings of the study.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Arts (MA)


title: Casualties of War?  An Ethnographic Epidemiology of the 1918 Influenza Pandemic Among Soldiers in Canada

contributor:
Herring, D. Ann
Anthropology

subject: 1918 influenza, soldiers, vulnerability, social circumstances

abstract:
This thesis is a biocultural analysis of the 1918 influenza pandemic among soldiers in the Polish army and the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) training in Canada.  Using an ethnographic epidemiological method and a variety of archival sources, I explore the 1918 influenza pandemic and focus on the first two pandemic waves which occurred between 1 January and 31 December 1918.  This research examines the impact of influenza at the Polish army camp at Niagara-on-the-Lake, on soldiers treated in military hospitals across Ontario, and among recruits on troopships bound for Europe.  The primary questions behind this thesis are: in what ways did the war effort intersect with pandemic influenza to affect soldiers in the Polish army camp at Niagara-on-the-Lake, across Ontario, and on troopships bound for Europe?  What patterns of morbidity and mortality characterize the first two waves of the pandemic in Ontario’s military hospitals?  Were all soldiers equally vulnerable to infection and death from influenza?  These questions are addressed in this ‘sandwich thesis’ in three papers which are either published or have been submitted for publication.
Pandemic influenza and the war effort in Canada were intimately linked.  At the Polish army camp, crowding was prevalent in all aspects of the soldiers’ lives and facilitated the spread of airborne infectious diseases, including influenza.  Soldiers continued to be sent to Canada from infected cities in the U.S. throughout the fall wave of the pandemic.  Similar events played out on troopships bound for Europe in the summer of 1918 where epidemics of influenza occurred on board, in spite of regulations established in the summer of 1918 to prevent troopships from transporting soldiers sick with influenza.  These findings support Humphries’s (2005, 2012) assertion that the war effort took precedence over the health of individual soldiers and the surrounding community.  On the other hand, military authorities put the Polish army camp under quarantine in the fall of 1918 and great efforts were made to ensure that sick soldiers were cared for during the epidemic.  This close examination of the epidemic in a particular location suggests that military management of the influenza pandemic was complicated and was mediated by a variety of local factors.
Previous experience with the influenza virus, and the overarching social perceptions of the disease, also tempered the way in which military authorities managed the pandemic.  I compare the way in which military doctors treated CEF soldiers hospitalized with influenza to those hospitalized with venereal disease.  I argue that whereas influenza was understood to be a ‘normal’ or ‘everyday’ infection that rarely killed young people in the prime of life (being most deadly to the very young and old), other infectious diseases, such as venereal diseases, were treated with lengthy stays in hospital in spite of the need for soldiers overseas.  This highlights the way the social perception of disease affected the ways in which the military handled sick soldiers.
This research also confirms the presence of the first wave of influenza among soldiers of the CEF in the spring and summer of 1918.  The Admission and Discharge (A&D) records for military hospitals confirm that the first wave of pandemic influenza circulated among soldiers training in Ontario’s military camps between March and May of 1918.  The second wave occurred between September and December that year.  Mortality during the second wave was more severe, with a case fatality rate of 4.7% among hospitalized soldiers, more than double the rate of 2.3% from March to May. However, not all soldiers were equally vulnerable to the 1918 influenza pandemic.  Morbidity and mortality were concentrated in the military district headquarters, and during the second wave, new recruits were more vulnerable to both infection and death than seasoned soldiers.  I hypothesize that this is the result of cross-protection between successive waves of the pandemic, whereby seasoned soldiers were less vulnerable during the fall wave by virtue of exposure to the first wave of the pandemic in the military.  Since new recruits were most likely conscripts, this is another way in which the war effort in Canada was linked to soldier morbidity and mortality.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: METHODOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS FOR THE GEOCHEMICAL ANALYSIS OF OCHRE FROM ARCHAEOLOGICAL CONTEXTS: CASE STUDIES FROM BRITISH COLUMBIA AND ONTARIO, CANADA

subject: hunter-gatherer archaeology; ochre; trade and exchange; geochemical characterization

abstract:
Ochre is a culturally significant material that is commonly recovered from archaeological sites. However, despite its ubiquity it has yet to realize its full interpretive potential as an artifact of archaeological inquiry, specifically in the context of geochemical characterization studies. Studies of this type, often referred to as ‘sourcing’ studies, involve the application of techniques in radiation physics to determine the elemental composition of artifacts and raw materials. These data are then used interpret patterns of behaviour in the procurement, movement, and trade of different artifact classes such as obsidian, chert, or ceramic. By comparison, geochemical characterization studies centred on ochre-related activities are fewer in number.

	This thesis consists of three case studies that developed methodological foundations for the geochemical study of ochre in regions of British Columbia and Ontario, Canada, respectively. Using instrumental neutron activation analysis and X-ray fluorescence, ochre from geologic outcrops and archaeological sites were analysed to determine their elemental composition. Multivariate statistical tests, including principal components and canonical discriminant analyses, were conducted to explore patterns and variability in ochre geochemistries. The results described in the following papers demonstrate the challenges and limitations for characterization studies of ochre, and present considerations for expanded research in these geographic regions. This thesis offers contributions to broader topics of discussion in archaeological sciences, such as the accurate and precise acquisition of geochemical data, the role of geologic scales and diagenetic processes on the chemistries of iron oxides, how to identify and interpret patterns in elemental data sets, and the utility and limitations of portable analytical technologies.

	This research has established important methodological foundations for the study of ochre in British Columbia and Ontario, and has demonstrated the potential for expanded analysis of materials from additional archaeological sites and geologic outcrops. This will enable the future interpretation and regional synthesis of patterns and networks of ochre-related activities, including quarrying and procurement, trade and exchange, and variability in use contexts.

abstract: Dissertation

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: The Development of a Transparent Poly(vinyl alcohol) Radiochromic Cryogel Dosimeter and Optical Detection Methods

contributor:
Diamond, Kevin
Medical Physics

subject:
Gel Dosimetry
Radiation Dosimetry
Radiochromic Dosimeter
Radiotherapy
Poly(vinyl Alcohol)PVA
Cryogel

abstract:
In radiation therapy, gel dosimetry is used to measure radiation doses for treatment verification. Gel dosimeters have the ability to record dose information in three dimensions. The objective of this thesis was to fabricate a transparent cryogel radiochromic dosimeter with poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) as the gelling agent. A transparent dosimeter may be analyzed using an optical read out technique, which is desirable. PVA cryogels can be made transparent by adding dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO).
Measurements of dose response were performed and various parameters were adjusted, including: numbers of freeze-thaw cycles (FTCs); concentrations of PVA; DMSO concentration. The measured absorption coefficient increased linearly with dose up to approximately 10 Gy. The sensitivity was increased for higher PVA concentrations, larger numbers of FTCs, and less DMSO. The resulting dosimeter was stable and showed no significant dose rate or photon energy dependence.
The cryogels were later formed into 5 mm thick films and used as a tool for performing in vivo dosimetry. The dose response of the radiochromic bolus was characterized by irradiating it on a flat surface at different gantry angles. The dose measured in the bolus was approximately 0.80 of the dose measured by Gafchromic film at the skin surface, taking the obliquity into account. IMRT treatments were delivered to a RANDO phantom. The radiochromic bolus was used to measure skin surface dose in two dimensions at various locations. The 0.80 factor was used to calibrate the bolus, which was then compared to an accompanying film measurement. Good agreement was observed between the measurements (>95% gamma pass rate), suggesting the radiochromic bolus may be suitable for in vivo applications.
The radiochromic bolus was then used to evaluate errors associated with the breath hold technique often used with left chest wall tangential irradiation. Treatment plan incorporating the radiochromic bolus was delivered at the planned position and shifted anterior-posteriorly (A/P) up to 5 mm. Large discrepancies from the planned two dimensional skin surface distribution were observed for shifts as small as 3 mm in the A/P direction. The study demonstrated that the cryogel was sensitive to small positioning uncertainties for chest wall irradiations, potentially allowing for the detection of clinically relevant errors.
Other potential formulations of PVA-based radiochromic cryogels are discussed briefly as avenues to future research projects.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: ROLE OF AUTOPHAGY AND THE NRF2/KEAP1 PATHWAY IN THE GLIA DURING OXIDATIVE STRESS IN THE DOSOPHILA BRAIN

contributor:
Campos, Ana
Biology

abstract: Excessive levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) damage cellular components and leads to oxidative stress (Finkel & Holbrook, 2000). Oxidative stress is a major cause of aging, neurodegenerative disease, cardiovascular disease and cancer (Finkel & Holbrook, 2000). Two stress response pathways that help cells cope with oxidative stress are the NRF2/Keap1 pathway, involved in the direct regulation of antioxidants, and the autophagy pathway, the recycling pathway of the cell (Essick & Sam, 2010; Singh et al., 2010). Although autophagy can clean up damage in cells during oxidative stress, it can cause autophagic cell death, especially during highly stressful conditions (Maiuri et al., 2007). In this thesis, the roles of autophagy and the NRF2/Keap1 pathway were examined in the glia during acute oxidative stress,  and the role of autophagy was examined during thermal stress and aging. It was hypothesized that down regulation of autophagy and activation of the NRF2/Keap1 pathway in the glia would provide protection of the Drosophila brain from these forms of stress. The results show that down regulation of autophagy provides protection of survival and locomotor ability but there were inconclusive results regarding the protection of dopaminergic neurons after exposure to oxidative stress. Activation of the NRF2/Keap1 Pathway in the glia did not provide any protection to survival or locomotor ability of flies. Furthermore, down regulation of autophagy in the glia did not provide protection from thermal stress nor did it provide extension of the lifespan or delay in age-dependent decline of locomotor ability. In conclusion, only the down regulation of autophagy in the glia provides some protection of the Drosophila brain from oxidative stress.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Science (MSc)


title: Improved Machining Stability of Thin-Walled Aluminum Parts through Eddy Current Damping

title: Improved Machining Stability through Eddy Current Damping

contributor:
Veldhuis, Stephen
Mechanical Engineering

abstract: Higher efficiency can be achieved during machining of thin-walled parts while maintaining quality of surface finish by damping part vibrations, thereby increasing the maximum chatter-free depth of cut over a range of spindle speeds. Models exist both to characterize the effect of damping in machining and to quantify the result of incorporating eddy current damping on a simple vibrating cantilever beam. Impact testing was performed on undamped and magnetically damped cantilever beams to quantify the amount of damping introduced by the magnet configuration being used. Machining tests were carried out on thin-floored compliant parts with and without magnetic damping. The use of magnets during machining resulted in cutting forces reduced by a factor of 10 and surface Ra being reduced by a factor of 25.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Applied Science (MASc)