title: A Qualitative Study of Ontario Teachers’ Conceptualizations of Reading Fluency

contributor:
Wade-Woolley, Lesly
Education

subject:
Teachers
Reading Fluency

abstract: Thesis (Master, Education) -- Queen's University, 2014-09-24 16:27:05.593

abstract:
Research has identified fluency as a central component of skilled reading and as a skill that should be a driving force in the literacy curricula (Kuhn, Schwanenflugel & Meisinger, 2010). Learning to read, teaching children how to read and researching the best way to teach children to be fluent readers is a multifaceted, elaborate process. The purpose of this study was to explore the ways in which teachers conceptualize reading fluency through interviews. Exploration through a qualitative study provided insights into how seven grade four and grade five Eastern Ontario teachers understand reading fluency. All teachers were found to characterize fluency as primarily reading speed and were found to share the belief that improvement in reading fluency was attributed to the amount of time a reader spent reading a variety of texts. The most prominent finding that emerged from the data was teachers' perception that comprehension should be the instructional focus for junior readers.
Discussions with teachers provided insights into reading fluency that enabled the construction of a more detailed picture of classroom reading fluency and instruction in Ontario. The complex task of teaching reading fluency has not been a central topic in pre- and in-service teacher training in Ontario. This study provides an enhanced picture of classroom reading fluency instruction that may lead to opportunities for future professional development specifically designed around reading fluency instruction and best practice.

abstract: M.Ed.


title: Clear Anti-Smudge Coatings of Diblock Copolymers

contributor:
Liu, Guojun
Chemistry

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

subject: Anti-Smudge Diblock Copolymers Coatings

abstract: Thesis (Master, Chemistry) -- Queen's University, 2014-09-24 17:44:33.18

abstract: Two poly[3-(triisopropyloxysilyl)propyl methacrylate]-block-poly[2-(perfluorooctyl)ethyl methacrylate] (PIPSMA-b-PFOEMA or P1-1/P1-2) samples and one poly(perfluoropropylene oxide)-block-poly-[3-triisopropyloxysilyl)propyl methacrylate] (PFPO-b-PIPSMA, or P2) sample were synthesized, characterized, and used to coat glass plates. The coatings were formed by evaporating a dilute copolymer solution containing an HCl catalyst to facilitate the sol-gel chemistry of the PIPSMA blocks. To minimize polymer consumption, we targeted diblock copolymer unimolecular (brush) layers that consisted of a sol-gelled PIPSMA sub-layer that was anchored onto the glass plates, and a fluorinated surface layer that provided the desired water and oil repellency. A systematic study was performed examining the effect of varying the catalyst amount, the polymer amount, and the block copolymer composition on the structure, morphology, and water- and oil- repellency of the coatings. The amphiphobicity of the coatings improved initially with the amount of grafted polymer, but plateaued once a saturated brush layer was formed. Furthermore, the static contact angles (SCAs) increased as the relative length between the PFOEMA and PIPSMA blocks increased. All of the coatings were optically clear and repelled ink from a permanent Sharpie® marker. The markings that were left behind were the faintest on the P2 coatings as the ink would instantaneously shrink into patches. In addition, the P2 coatings exhibited far better wear-resistance than the P1-1/P1-2 coatings. The anti-smudge properties of the coatings should facilitate their use on touch screens of hand-held electronic devices such as iPads® and iPhones®.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: MAP Decoding of Correlated Sources over Soft-Decision Orthogonal Multiple Access Fading Channels with Memory

contributor:
Alajaji, Fady
Linder, Tamás
Electrical and Computer Engineering

subject:
MAP decoding
correlated Gaussian sources
channels with memory
time-correlated fading channels
Joint source-channel coding
scalar quantization
multiple access channels

abstract: Thesis (Master, Electrical & Computer Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2014-09-24 21:08:11.449

abstract:
We consider the joint source-channel coding (JSCC) problem where the real valued outputs of two correlated memoryless Gaussian sources are scalar quantized, bit assigned, and transmitted, without applying any error correcting code, over a multiple access channel (MAC) which consists of two orthogonal point-to-point time-correlated Rayleigh fading sub-channels with soft-decision demodulation. At the receiver side, a joint sequence maximum a posteriori (MAP) detector is used to exploit the correlation between the two sources as well as the redundancy left in the quantizers' indices, the channel's soft-decision outputs, and noise memory. The MAC's sub-channels are modeled via non-binary Markov noise discrete channels recently shown to effectively represent point-to-point fading channels. Two scenarios are studied. In the first scenario, the sources are memoryless and generated according to a bivariate Gaussian distribution with a given correlation parameter. In the second scenario, the sources have memory captured by a changing correlation parameter governed by a two state first order Markov process.

In each scenario, for the simple case of quantizing the sources with two levels, we establish a necessary and a sufficient condition under which the joint sequence MAP decoder can be reduced to a simple instantaneous symbol-by-symbol decoder. Then, using numerical results obtained by system simulation, the theorems are illustrated and it is also verified that JSCC can harness the correlation between sources, redundancies in the source symbols, and statistics of the channel noise to achieve improved signal-to-distortion ratio (SDR) performance. For example, when the memoryless sources are highly correlated and soft-decision quantization is used, JSCC can profit from high correlation in the channel noise process and provide significant SDR gains of up to 6.3 dB over a fully interleaved channel.

abstract: M.A.Sc.


title: The effect of obesity in self-reported disability, knee pain and isokinetic quadriceps strength in knee osteoarthritis

contributor:
Aiken, Alice
Rehabilitation Science

subject:
Knee pain
Obesity
Quadriceps muscle strength
Knee osteoarthritis
Disability

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Rehabilitation Science) -- Queen's University, 2014-09-25 02:29:43.556

abstract:
Osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee is one of the most common musculoskeletal conditions resulting in disability. The incidence of knee OA increases with age and will likely increase further as the population becomes more obese and less physically active. Therefore, the objectives of this thesis were 1) to observe whether self-reported disability should be obtained before or after performance-based tests, 2) to assess changes in knee pain and observe whether symptoms of depression predict worsening of knee pain, quality of life (QoL) and increased need for surgery and, 3) to examine changes in quadriceps muscle strength and knee pain after isokinetic muscle testing.
In the first study, disability was measured using the WOMAC scores. Results indicated that all WOMAC scores were significantly higher after as compared to before the completion of performance-based tests and a physiologic test (VO2Peak). Obese individuals with knee OA were significantly worse compared to non-obese individuals with knee OA on all WOMAC scores.
In the second study, the WOMAC pain subscale and VAS pain were significantly higher after as compared to before the completion of performance-based tests. The VAS ratings captured a significant increase in pain in both groups, but the WOMAC pain subscale only captured a significant change in the obese OA group. Depressive symptoms and BMI explained a significant proportion of variance in knee pain, quality of life and perceived need for surgery.
The third study indicated that isokinetic quadriceps muscle strength was significantly different between obese and non-obese individuals with knee OA and compared to a healthy control group at all angular velocities of 60°/s, 90°/s and 120°/s, with the obese OA group demonstrating the lowest peak torque at all angular velocities. However, it was only at 60°/s that the isokinetic peak torque showed a statistically significant difference between the obese and the non-obese groups with knee OA. Likewise, knee pain increased from before to after isokinetic muscle strength testing, but only at the angular velocity of 60°/s.
This thesis provides new information regarding the effect of obesity on self-reported disability, knee pain, depressive symptoms and quadriceps muscle strength in knee OA.

abstract: PhD


title: Associations between dietary intake, physical activity and intrahepatic fat.

contributor:
Ross, Robert
Kinesiology and Health Studies

subject:
Intrahepatic fat
Physical activity
Diet

abstract: Thesis (Master, Kinesiology & Health Studies) -- Queen's University, 2014-09-26 10:18:15.968

abstract:
Excess accumulation of intrahepatic fat (IHF) is directly involved in the pathogenesis of insulin resistance and dyslipidemia, which are risk factors for type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. To our knowledge, no prior groups have examined the inter-relationship between diet quantity, macronutrient composition, physical activity (PA), and IHF. The objective of the enclosed thesis is to investigate the associations of simultaneously measured objective PA and dietary intake in relation to IHF.
The Liver Fat Study was conducted on middle-aged, abdominally obese, inactive men (n=4) and women (n=20) between the ages of 40 and 70 years old. Participants were instructed to record their food intake and wear an accelerometer for objective measurement of PA for 7 days. Thereafter, insulin resistance was assessed by HOMA-IR using fasting insulin and glucose, cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) was measured by a graded exercise treadmill test, abdominal adiposity was measured by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), anthropometrics were measured by waist circumference (WC) and BMI, and IHF was measured by proton-magnetic resonance spectroscopy (H-MRS).
While none of the dietary intake (quantity or macronutrient composition) or PA variables were significantly associated with IHF (p>0.05), CRF, WC, visceral adipose tissue (AT), and HOMA-IR were associated with IHF (p<0.05). Additionally, sedentary time, light PA and total PA approached statistical significance with visceral AT, while both light PA and total PA were significantly associated with WC (p<0.05).
The findings from this study suggest that all components of PA, while not directly associated with IHF, are indirectly associated with IHF through its influence on abdominal obesity. This finding emphasizes the importance of PA, separate from the national guidelines, as a treatment target for clinicians.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: An Examination into Bullying in the Adolescent Sport Context

contributor:
Côté, Jean
Kinesiology and Health Studies

subject:
Bullying
Peer Relationships
Sport

abstract: Thesis (Master, Kinesiology & Health Studies) -- Queen's University, 2014-09-25 10:05:50.717

abstract: Bullying is a prominent issue facing youth, as approximately one-fifth of students report being victimized.  The majority of bullying research has been conducted in the academic setting; however, roughly one-third of bullying episodes occur outside of this context, for instance in sport.  Sport is one of the most common activities with which youth participate, and initial evidence suggests that bullying occurs in physical-activity settings.  Literature investigating bullying in the sport context has mainly focused on examining subsets of athletes within sport, for instance, female athletes, without examining differences across genders and other demographic contrasts.  Thus, the present study aimed to identify the frequency of bullying, the demographic differences that exist in sport, and examine the impact that bullying has on an athlete’s development.  Questionnaires were used to examine athletes’ frequency of bully-perpetration and –victimization encounters, athletic competence, global self-worth, connection to coach, and connection to teammates.  The results from the present study suggest that bullying occurred more frequently in male athletes, and for team sport athletes.  In addition, victimization predicts a reduction in global self-worth, connection to coach, and connection to teammates.  These results provide a foundation to further explore demographic differences in sport, and presents initial findings regarding the impact of the bullying experience on adolescent athlete development.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: The Role of Stat3 in Adipocytic Differentiation

contributor:
Raptis, Leda
Elliott, Bruce E.
Pathology and Molecular Medicine

subject: Adipogenesis

subject: Stat3

abstract: Thesis (Master, Pathology & Molecular Medicine) -- Queen's University, 2014-09-25 11:10:50.713

abstract: Cellular proliferation is often regulated in conjunction with differentiation.  It is important to investigate the mechanisms underlying cellular differentiation and proliferation, because defects in their control can promote neoplastic transformation.  3T3L1 preadipocytes provide a good cell culture model to study differentiation, since they differentiate into fat pads when injected into nude mice.  Previous data have suggested that Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription-3 (Stat3) is activated during 3T3L1 differentiation, and may be directly promoting adipogenesis.  However, our lab recently demonstrated that engagement of cadherins, as occurs during confluence of cultured cells, triggers a dramatic surge in Stat3 activity, constituting a potent survival signal.  Since confluence-mediated, growth arrest is a prerequisite for adipocytic differentiation, the question arises as to the role of Stat3 in adipocytic differentiation of 3T3L1 cells.  This work has shown that levels of Stat3 activity increase in 3T3L1 cells, with or without the induction of differentiation.  Nevertheless, Stat3 activation was, in fact, higher in differentiating cells compared to control preadipocytes at the same density, and correlated with expression of adipocyte binding protein 2 (aP2), indicating that Stat3 may play a role in differentiation.  3T3L1 cells expressing the constitutively active Stat3C protein displayed moderate increases in differentiation compared to parental 3T3L1 cells.  Inhibition of Stat3 with CPA7 at confluence blocked the onset of differentiation, and caused both control and differentiating cells to undergo apoptosis, while inhibition of Stat3 after differentiation was induced had no distinct effect. These results point to the possibility that besides its potential role in differentiation, Stat3 plays an important role in survival of differentiating 3T3L1 preadipocytes.

abstract: Please restrict this thesis for five years.  Data from this thesis will be used in future publications.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: No Quiet Revolution: Studies in the Sonic History of Montréal 1965-1975

contributor:
McKay, Ian G.
History

subject:
Canadian History
Sound Studies
Cultural Studies
Quebec History

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, History) -- Queen's University, 2014-09-25 14:36:27.48

abstract:
Listening for sound and noise in Montréal during the late 1960s and early 1970s, this dissertation adds a sonic perspective to historical understanding of the later years of Québec’s “Quiet Revolution.” Guided by aurality rather than visuality, and arguing implicitly for the inclusion of sound in historical methodology, this project puts noise and silence – both literal and figurative – at the centre of the question: What does it mean to call the great transformation of Québec from 1965 to 1975 a “Quiet Revolution”?
Exploring the auditory atmosphere of what was a cacophonous and dissonant decade, this thesis analyses Montréal’s urban soundscape, music, language, and acts of silencing. Taking an interdisciplinary approach, the work is informed by theories culled from existing works on sense history, sound studies, and Québec and Canadian historiography. Via the practice of “agile listening,” the dissertation seeks to re-create a sense of Montréal’s sonic environment between 1965 and 1975.

abstract: PhD


title: Equality and Global Justice: Tracing the Scope and Grounds of Egalitarianism

contributor:
Sypnowich, Christine
Philosophy

subject:
distributive justice
global justice
political philosophy
egalitarianism

abstract: Thesis (Master, Philosophy) -- Queen's University, 2014-09-26 11:49:04.45

abstract: In this thesis, I examine the nature of egalitarian theories of distributive justice and their applicability to the global realm. I begin by laying out why it is that equality matters and how it is that we ought to understand egalitarianism as a doctrine. In response to a series of objections to the aim of distributive equality, I maintain that we have strong reasons to value equality above and beyond simply ensuring that people have enough, and that the egalitarian aim properly conceived does not involve perverse consequences. I subsequently extend this understanding of the value of economic equality to the global context, and argue that the objectionable relations of power and domination that exist internationally point to the need to limit global inequalities. Finally, I conclude my discussion by forwarding a more in-depth account of the grounds of egalitarian justice, and by examining two internally egalitarian objections to global egalitarianism. Both of these objections, I argue, are most plausibly understood as entailing an expansion of egalitarian concern to the global realm. Given that the global economic order generates the conditions under which duties of egalitarian justice are triggered, I conclude that the proper scope of egalitarian justice is global.

abstract: M.A.


title: Preparation of CO2-Switchable Poly(Methyl Methacrylate) Latexes by Surfactant-Free Emulsion Polymerization

contributor:
Cunningham, Michael F.
Chemical Engineering

subject:
CO2-Switchable
Surfactant-Free Emulsion Polymerization
Latex

abstract: Thesis (Master, Chemical Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2014-09-25 17:20:56.893

abstract: The work presented herein focused on the preparation of CO2 switchable poly(methyl methacrylate) latexes by surfactant-free emulsion polymerization. N,N-Dimethylaminoethyl Methacrylate (DMAEMA) was chosen as the functional comonomer to act as an in-situ generated surface active agent as well as the CO2 responsive agent. The azo initiator 2,2'-azobis[2-(2-imidazolin-2-yl)propane]dihydrochloride (VA-044) also partially contributed to both the stabilization and the CO2 switchability. DMAEMA was first protonated by HCl during the emulsion polymerization to prevent hydrolysis and enhance DMAEMA partitioning into the water phase. Two switching on/off cycles were conducted to the latex obtained from the surfactant-free emulsion polymerization. The first switching-off cycle was carried out by NaOH neutralization, followed by simple CO2 purging for redispersion. Full recovery of particle size and distribution, solids content and latex stability was achieved within 5 min of applying the triggers. The second switching cycle was carried out by alternating N2/CO2 purging. Sonication was not needed in each switching-on process (a significant and important improvement over previous work in the Cunningham and Jessop groups).  A ratio of VA-044:DMAEMA within the range of 1:8~1:2, a minimum overall N% (NDMAEMA+NVA-044) at 1% and a maximum solids content at 20% were the required conditions in order to make latex successfully recover from two switching cycles. Systematic particle size manipulation was carried out by varying temperature, VA-044:DMAEMA ratio and solids content. A wide size range 170~500 nm was achieved, allowing for multiple potential applications.

abstract: M.A.Sc.


title: The Interactive Effects of Executive Functioning and Relevant Experience on Theory of Mind Development

contributor:
Sabbagh, Mark A.
Psychology

subject:
social cognition
executive functioning
theory of mind
false belief
longitudinal
preschool-aged children
developmental psychology
cognitive development

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Psychology) -- Queen's University, 2014-09-25 17:56:36.814

abstract: This study investigated processes underlying the relation between executive functioning and false belief knowledge in preschool-aged children. The primary goal was to test the theory that executive functioning skills equip children with the cognitive tools necessary for experience-driven social conceptual change. To explore this possibility, 3.5-year-old children were recruited to participate in a longitudinal study that involved two study phases. During the initial phase, children were assessed on their false belief understanding and executive functioning skills, as well as abilities that served as relevant control variables (e.g., vocabulary skills). Two types of naturalistic experiences that relate to false belief development were also measured: parent mental state talk and having child-aged siblings. Six months later, families returned to the lab for the second phase of testing, and all measures were re-administered. Analyses examining concurrent relations among measures showed that at both study phases, there was an interactive effect of executive functioning skills and relevant experience on concurrent false belief task performance. This general pattern of results persisted—albeit in a weaker form—when controlling for consistency in executive functioning skills over time, age, vocabulary skills, and initial theory-of-mind knowledge. Longitudinal analyses revealed that there was an interactive effect of early executive functioning skills and experience on false belief understanding 6 months later, and these effects remained strong and significant when controlling for the relevant variables listed above. Moreover, the reverse longitudinal interactive effect—of later executive functioning and experience on early false belief knowledge—was not significant. Overall, effect sizes associated with the predicted longitudinal interaction were substantially larger than those associated with concurrent interactions. This study’s longitudinal findings offer support for the hypothesis that executive functioning skills influence children’s ability to use relevant experience in the service of false belief concept development. Further, the concurrent pattern of findings suggests that executive functioning skills are also recruited for actively reasoning about other minds in the moment, when children are faced with false-belief-reasoning situations. Alternative theories are discussed, with emphasis placed on taking an integrated theoretical approach to effectively characterize the effects of executive functioning on false-belief reasoning.

abstract: PhD


title: Investigation of Copper Wire-Mediated Controlled/Living Radical Polymerization

contributor:
Cunningham, Michael F.
Champagne, Pascale
Chemical Engineering

subject: SET-LRP

subject: Controlled Living Radical Polymerization

subject: SARA-ATRP

subject: Chain-End Functionality

subject: Copper Wire

subject: Poly(methyl acrylate)

subject: Greener Solvent

subject: Grafting To

subject: Cellulose

abstract: Thesis (Master, Chemical Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2014-09-25 18:34:57.665

abstract:
Copper wire mediated controlled living radical polymerization (CLRP) is a powerful tool that provides numerous opportunities for the development of new materials. It requires low catalyst loading and mild reaction conditions, but does involve use of organic solvents. There is a need for greener solvent systems to replace traditional volatile organic solvents without detrimentally affecting polymerization. The effects of greener solvents on control over polymerization and polymer characteristics were investigated with polyethylene glycol (PEG) and polypropylene glycol (PPG) for copper wire mediated CLRP. Polymerization of low molecular weight poly(methyl acrylate) (PMA) with bromine chain-end functionality was initiated by ethyl 2-bromoisobutyrate (EBiB). Two effective green solvent systems were established, 75-25 PEG-Ethanol and 75-25 PPG-Ethanol. Both provide good control over polymerization, livingness, narrow dispersity (~1.1), high retention of chain-end functionality (>90%), and can be recycled, which should be considered for an industrial scale implementation.
Furthermore, utilization of a bromine chain-end functionality of synthetic homopolymer (PMA) synthesized via copper wire mediated CLRP with EBiB was evaluated for grafting to cellulose substrates, microcrystalline cellulose and cellulose acetate. Cellulose was functionalized with thiol groups using ring opening reaction with ethylene sulfide. The grafting via thio-bromo click reaction was investigated, where grafting of EBiB was performed first to evaluate the reaction and then repeated with PMA. One-pot and two-pot reactions were performed. In one-pot reaction, functionalization of cellulose and grafting were performed in the same reaction solution to avoid exposure of thiols to oxygen. In a two-pot reaction, functionalized cellulose was purified before grafting. Nuclear Magnetic Resonance analysis showed that grafting of EBiB had low degree of substitution (DS) of 0.026 (1 unit per 39 AGU units), whereas grafting of polymer chains to cellulose substrate was not successful.

abstract: M.A.Sc.


title: Genetic Analysis and Post Translational Modifications of Type IV pili in Methanococcus Maripaludis

contributor:
Jarrell, Ken F.
Microbiology and Immunology

subject:
Methanococcus Maripaludis
Type IV pili

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Microbiology & Immunology) -- Queen's University, 2014-09-25 23:28:47.124

abstract: Methanococcus maripaludis has two different surface appendages that are considered to be type IV pili-like structures: the well-studied archaella as well as type IV pili. Though prevalent among various archaea, studies on type IV pili in any archaeon are extremely limited. In this thesis, many novel essential components necessary for type IV pili formation in M. maripaludis have been identified by gene deletion analysis coupled with electron microscopy. Several of these essential components were found in a previously identified eleven gene locus (mmp0231-mmp0241) containing three previously identified pilin-like genes and a prepilin peptidase. The genes in this locus were shown in this work, by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction experiments, to be arranged in a single operon. The remaining unstudied genes, except for mmp0231, were deleted and, with the exception of mmp0235 and mmp0238, found to be essential for piliation. Outside this locus, the conserved assembly ATPase (mmp0040; epdL) and, unusually, two tandem versions of the conserved type IV pilus platform protein (mmp0038 and mmp0039; epdJ and epdK) were identified. All three were shown to be essential for piliation. Furthermore, the gene encoding the major pilin structural protein (mmp1685; epdE) was identified at a separate locus. In addition, six other pilin-like genes (mmp0528, mmp0600, mmp0601, mmp0709, mmp0903, mmp1283) scattered around the genome were targeted for deletion, with electron microscopy of the individual deletion strains revealing that normal piliation was only affected when mmp1283 (epdD) was missing, suggesting it was a fourth minor pilin. Lastly, studies were conducted to examine the order of the two posttranslational modifications of pilins and archaellins. While it was determined that signal peptide cleavage and N-linked glycosylation of archaellins could occur independently of each other, this was not the case for pilins. Detection of epitope-tagged pilins expressed in various mutant backgrounds unable to carry out one, the other, or both posttranslational modifications, strongly suggested that pilins cannot be N-glycosylated unless the signal peptide is first removed. These studies reveal that the type IV pili of M. maripaludis are more complex than those of other studied archaea and also raise questions about how the cell is able to distinguish between the two types of type IV-pilin-like proteins, archaellins and pilins.

abstract: Chapter 5 in the thesis is an unpublished article.

abstract: PhD


title: The Myth of Participatory Art: An Analysis of the Contradictions Present in Marina Abramović’s The Artist is Present and Hélio Oiticica’s Parangolés

contributor:
Lord, Susan
Art History

subject:
Marina Abramović
Collective Art
Hélio Oiticica
Claire Bishop
Participatory Art
Paradox
Relational Aesthetics

abstract: Thesis (Master, Art History) -- Queen's University, 2014-09-26 13:08:24.169

abstract:
Participatory artworks, despite the efforts of artists and theorists alike, remain commodifiable, highly profitable, and ultimately support the conception of the artist as a singular genius. These works must negotiate the paradoxes and contradictions that are inherent to their production, exhibition and dissemination. I believe that artists, participants, critics, curators and historians will be in a better position to negotiate the contradiction of participatory art once a critical intervention in the discourse has occurred—an intervention that would illuminate the fact of paradoxes, analyze the content of these paradoxes, and recognize the conditions from which such paradoxes necessarily emerge.
       The aim of this thesis is to provide evidence of specific paradoxes that exist within the conception, display, marketing, and dissemination of participatory art with the hope of shedding light on the ways that participatory art is mythologized and typically represented within a narrow set of art historical paradigms. Ultimately this thesis suggests tactics for the presentation and discussion of participatory art that will acknowledge these paradoxes and provide an accurate presentation of participatory art’s processes.
       My analysis rests on two case studies: Marina Abramović’s The Artist is Present, 2010, and Hélio Oiticica’s Parangolés, 1965. Abramović’s The Artist is Present consisted of Abramović sitting at a table for 8 hours a day at the New York Museum of Modern Art, from March 14 until May 31, 2010. Hélio Oiticica’s Parangolés, is a series of colourful capes and costumes that were inspired and worn by the samba dancers of the Rio de Janeiro shantytown of Mangueira, as a means of freeing colour from the plane of the canvas.
	This thesis articulates the ways in which art historians and theorists construct Abramović’s biography to support the notion of a singular artistic genius, while maintaining Abramović’s connection to collaborative art practices. It addresses the meaning of objects that are the byproduct of participatory works; the profitability of participatory art; the ways in which participatory art is historicized and subsumed by art institutions; and the apparent incongruity of Parangolés being attributed to a single author, despite the many types of labour required in its creation.

abstract: M.A.


title: Against the Odds: Towards Sustainable Public Schooling

contributor:
Upitis, Rena
Education

subject: Place-based education, sustainability education, public schooling

abstract: Thesis (Master, Education) -- Queen's University, 2014-09-26 09:25:52.221

abstract:
Abstract
	Currently 7 billion humans rely on the Earth’s depleting natural resources, and the Earth’s population is projected to increase to 9 billion by 2045 (UN Population predictions, 2010). We are now a human race that is predominately urban. Our human-centric behaviours and patterns of living are having a major impact on the natural world; in response, educational and environmental researchers have called for a reorganization in education to better reflect our urban age and the changing cultural and environmental mosaic. Educating for sustainability is of increasing importance as we become more aware that we are facing an urgent need to repair our fractured relationship with the earth and with one another. Sustainable models of education are related to place and how our way of life can support human activity. In a sustainable school, the campus and community are extensions of the classroom.
	This study is guided by three questions: (a) How does a public school curriculum that extends beyond the classroom foster a deep love and knowledge of place in children’s education and prepare students to meet contemporary challenges? (b) How do teachers enact sustainability education in public education, amid a standards-based curriculum? (c) What enduring and systemic structures enable publicly funded schools to participate in a curricular process that engages students and the community? Data were collected from in-depth, semi-structured interviews with five teachers and two administrators, from three successful, publicly funded schools. Other forms of data included onsite and virtual observations, via website webcams, artifact analysis using schools blogs, Facebook posts, school newsletters, student work and teaching materials; as well, photographs were used to support observations and field notes. This study describes how sustainability education and place-based programs can be successfully developed in the standards-based era. The findings highlight important themes related to curriculum as process, real-world learning, student agency, community partnerships, and collaborative leadership.

abstract: M.Ed.


title: Cardiorespiratory fitness adaptations to exercise in sedentary men

subject:
Exercise
Exercise Tolerance
Individual Variation
Cardiorespiratory fitness

abstract: Thesis (Master, Kinesiology & Health Studies) -- Queen's University, 2014-09-26 09:51:10.383

abstract:
Cardiorespiratory Fitness (CRF) classically measured by maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max), is a strong predictor of morbidity and mortality. However, there is substantial inter-individual variation in CRF response with exercise training. Several lines of evidence suggest that the measurement of CRF using VO2peak alone may be masking some of the submaximal cardiorespiratory adaptations, such as exercise tolerance, that occur as a result of regular physical activity. Our goal is to assess the relationship between changes in CRF and exercise tolerance in inactive men of varying age.
We studied 25 inactive men between the ages of 30 and 60 years ([mean (SD)] age = 44.3 (9.1)) from Kingston, Canada. Participants completed 4 weeks of moderate intensity exercise in accordance with the Canadian Physical Activity Guidelines. All measurements were obtained at baseline and post exercise. CRF was assessed using a maximal, graded treadmill test.  Exercise tolerance was assessed using a 12 minute time trial on a treadmill, where participants were instructed to cover as much distance as possible through self-selection of speed.  Twenty four hour physical activity data was obtained at baseline and during the final week of exercise using accelerometry. In a secondary analysis, we compared the changes in exercise tolerance between responders and non-responders of CRF.
Both CRF and exercise tolerance improved significantly over the intervention. There was no association between absolute CRF values and exercise tolerance at baseline or post exercise. Relative CRF showed a strong association with exercise tolerance at baseline and post exercise, r = 0.85 and r = 0.75, respectively (p<0.05).  However, there was no association between changes in CRF and exercise tolerance (p >0.05).  Furthermore, there was no difference in change in exercise tolerance when comparing responders to non-responders of CRF (p > 0.05).
Alternative measures of fitness such as exercise tolerance may capture cardiovascular and muscle metabolic adaptations not seen when CRF alone is measured. As such, these alternative measures may be of clinical relevance in assessing changes in fitness in conjunction with CRF, which has been well-established as a key risk factor of all-cause morbidity and mortality.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Hydrothermal Processing of Barium Strontium Titanate Composites on Printed Circuit Board for Thin Film Varactor Applications

contributor:
Freundorfer, Alois P.
Sayer, Michael
Electrical and Computer Engineering

subject: Engineering Electrical

abstract: Thesis (Master, Electrical & Computer Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2014-09-26 11:20:10.529

abstract: Thin film Ba0.7Sr0.3TiO3 has been deposited onto printed circuit boards at low temperatures for low and high frequency applications. The fabrication method involves spin coating sol-gel composites (a mixture of BST powder suspended in an amorphous BST sol), and treating the resultant films at 175°C. The treatment is done in an autoclave in an aqueous environment comprised of barium hydroxide, strontium hydroxide, and water, and is carried out at elevated temperature and pressure. This causes the amorphous BST sol to recrystallize, forming bridges that link the BST powders together, creating a dense network, leading to a higher dielectric constant. Three different types of powders have been explored for the composite. They are low-temperature derived, ceramic derived, and sol-gel derived powder. Low-temperature derived powders are the smallest in size, in the nanometer range. Due to such small sizes, the ferroelectric properties are lost, leading to no tunability and very low dielectric constant. The permittivity ranges from 30 to 55. Sol-gel derived powders are very reactive to the hydrothermal process. The resultant film permittivity is the highest, ranging from 200 to 260, but with a limited tunability of 1%. Ceramic derived powders are compatible with the process. The permittivity is less than that of sol-gel derived, with values from 130 to 140, but the tunability ranges from 4 to 8% at low frequencies (500 kHz to 20 MHz). For high frequency characterization (45 MHz to 1.15 GHz), films containing ceramic derived powder are deposited onto grounded coplanar waveguide capacitors. The dielectric constant significantly reduced, reaching as low as 18, but tunability increased to 18%.

abstract: M.A.Sc.


title: Carbohydrate Recognition by Large Multi-Modular Glycoside Hydrolases in Clostridium perfringens

contributor:
Smith, Steven P.
Biochemistry

subject:
carbohydrate degradation
Clostridium perfringens
host-pathogen interactions
glycoside hydrolases

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Biochemistry) -- Queen's University, 2014-09-26 13:56:48.67

abstract:
Clostridium perfringens is an anaerobic bacterium found ubiquitously in Nature, including as a member of the human gut microbiome, that under normal conditions asymptomatically colonizes the distal gut. However, it is also an opportunistic pathogen, and is the principal cause of gas gangrene and necrotic enteritis, and represents a leading cause of foodborne illnesses. C. perfringens produces a battery of secreted carbohydrate-active enzymes called glycoside hydrolases whose activities suggest that their substrates are complex eukaryotic glycans, such as those found in the mucosal layer of the gut. A striking feature of these enzymes is their large size and extensive modularity. The additional functions conferred by their non-catalytic ancillary modules, which include family 32 carbohydrate binding modules (CBM32), are thought to increase catalytic activity and as such are proposed to play a critical role in glycan degradation. Two of the largest and most architecturally complex of these enzymes in C. perfringens are GH31 and GH84A, which contain multiple CBM32s and several other ancillary modules. Very little structural or functional information is know regarding these enzymes, particularly with respect to glycan recognition, the role of ancillary modules, and overall structural topology. We have employed a multi-disciplinary “dissect-and-build” approach to characterize the molecular determinants of carbohydrate binding by CBM32s, and global glycan recognition by full-length C. perfringens glycoside hydrolases.
Various X-ray and NMR structures of CpGH31 and CpGH84A CBM32s, both in apo form and in complex with galactose and N-acetylgalactosamine, reveal several novel modes of recognition of common mucin O-glycan monosaccharides by these modules. These results highlight that the prediction of CBM32 binding partners based primarily on sequence is insufficient, as important residue conformations required for substrate specificity cannot be predicted based solely on amino acid sequence.
The full-length solution structure of CpGH84A was determined using SAXS-based techniques. CpGH84A adopts an elongated conformation spanning 320 Å in length, and contains a single central hinge region that facilitates conformational heterogeneity of this enzyme in solution. These results
iii
provide unprecedented insights into the three-dimensional arrangement of the catalytic and ancillary modules, the latter of which contribute several functions, including carbohydrate recognition and glycan degradation.

abstract: Contains unpublished work to be submitted for publication at a later time in a high-impact peer-reviewed journal.

abstract: PhD


title: Eight Novice PHE Teachers' Perceptions of Engaging Adolescent Girls in Their Classrooms

contributor:
Freeman, John G.
Education

subject:
Self-determination theory
Physical education
Gender-blindness
Single-sex education
Pre-service teacher education
Physical education teachers
Teaching practices
Physical activity
Adolescent girls
Motivation

abstract: Thesis (Master, Education) -- Queen's University, 2014-09-29 08:25:10.815

abstract: This qualitative study aimed to understand how new secondary school teachers (in years 0-5) approach the teaching of adolescent females in their physical education classes. As there is a significantly greater decline in the enrollment of adolescent females participating in physical education compared to males once the choice to participate becomes elective, Physical and Health Education (PHE) teachers are challenged in their teaching and assessment practice to motivate adolescent girls. Eight PHE teachers (four female, four male) were interviewed about their approaches in physical education classes with a particular emphasis on their interactions with adolescent girls. These teachers relied largely on their cumulative life experiences prior to entering teacher education to structure their classrooms. While these PHE teachers had some understanding about adolescent girl behaviour within their classrooms, they were not deliberate in their teaching and assessment practices for this population. They tended to view their practices through a gender-neutral lens (“gender blindness”), while holding gender stereotypes about motivations of girls and boys. The findings from the study highlight the complexity of addressing the needs of adolescent girls in PHE, and the importance of developing intervention strategies so that research may be disseminated to new PHE teachers and implemented in their classes to effect change.

abstract: M.Ed.


title: Empirical Studies of the Distribution and Feedback Mechanisms of Mobile App Stores

contributor:
Hassan, Ahmed E.
Computing

subject: analytics multi-labelling apps mobile

abstract: Thesis (Master, Computing) -- Queen's University, 2014-09-26 16:23:44.388

abstract:
Mobile app stores are online stores where users can purchase and download mobile apps. The marketplace for apps has exploded over recent years with hundreds of thousands of apps, millions of dollars in revenue and millions of users. Mobile app stores offer unique distribution and feedback mechanisms. The distribution mechanism of app stores acts as a central repository for all apps with an option to automatically update apps on user's devices. The feedback mechanism of app stores is a central rating and review system for all apps in a store. Consequently, there is a need for research to explore such unique mechanisms. In this thesis, we analyze over 10,000 of the top free apps across all the app categories in the Google Play Store. We first examine the distribution mechanisms of app stores and its impact on the release speed of apps. We then study the feedback mechanism of app stores to observe how it allows for a large influx of reviews and the benefits of responding to reviews. Finally, we propose an approach to automatically label reviews to help cope with the large influx of reviews by summarizing them.

In regards to the unique distribution mechanism, we observe that a subset of apps release very frequently - more than one release per week. Almost half of these apps do not provide users with a rationale for a new release. Developers are leveraging the distribution mechanism by choosing to rapidly release new versions of their app.

In regards to the unique feedback mechanism, we find that most apps do not receive many reviews, however, approximately 1% of apps receive over 500 reviews per day. We find that responding to reviews can lead to a positive increase in the rating of the app. The feedback mechanism enables users to give rapid and rich feedback.

Finally, we propose an approach to label user reviews automatically using 14 different labels that capture the user's perceived quality of an app. We demonstrate the usefulness of our labelling approach through three different analytics use case scenarios: competitive analysis, app store overview and anomaly detection.

abstract: Work in the thesis has yet to be published but currently in submission in journals. We wish to keep the thesis restricted until until the work has been published.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Forensic Outlier Detection and Penalty Analysis To Regulate Cognitive Radio Network

contributor:
Gazor, Saeed
Electrical and Computer Engineering

subject:
Forensic Analysis
Cognitive Radio

abstract: Thesis (Master, Electrical & Computer Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2014-09-26 21:39:14.262

abstract:
Cognitive Radio Network (CRN) has emerged as a promising solution to the pseudo scarcity of the spectral congestion problem. In a CRN, the new/Secondary Users (SUs), are allowed to access the spectrum in such a way that the existing/Primary Users (PUs) experience limited interference. As such, SUs cooperatively sense the PU signal and share the spectrum only when the PU is absent. However, such cooperation raises new concerns for security and reliability. This is because abuser SUs may report unreliable/falsified sensing data to influence the cooperative decision for personal gain (e.g., gaining unfair access to the spectrum or inflicting interference). To date, most of the CRN research has mainly focused on developing efficient cooperative sensing algorithms. Much less attention has been paid to information security issues associated with the sensing. Sufficient scientific input is required to develop proper spectrum security policy, otherwise entirely new security threats will impact CRNs' ability to become a long-term commercially-viable concept.

In this thesis, we consider a CRN wherein SUs report their sensing decisions to a fusion center for cooperative spectrum sensing. We consider the presence of an abuser SU in the CRN and adopt forensic analysis of the reports for outlier identification. We first assume that the behavioral category of the outlier is known and propose optimal and suboptimal detectors specific to each category. The proposed detectors significantly outperform the state-of-the art detectors and are robust against system parameter variation. Then we consider a CRN where the presence as well as behavioral category of the outlier is unknown. We propose practical algorithms that identify outlier SU's behavioral category. In addition, to regulate the outlier SUs, we introduce the concept of penalizing the outliers proportionally to the crime. Then we propose an algorithm that calculates the punishment (upon identification of an outlier) according to its type and forces it to behave legitimately. The proposed algorithms are robust against variations in system parameters. The proposed detectors and algorithms can be used by government agencies for forensic testing in policy control methodology to regulate CRN abusers.

abstract: M.A.Sc.


title: RÊVE/CAUCHEMAR: Allende‘s Chile and the Polarization of the Québec Left, 1968-1974

subject:
Québec
Claude Morin
Marxism-Leninism
Chile
liberation theology
imperialism
Parti québécois
Transnational history
René Lévesque

abstract: Thesis (Master, History) -- Queen's University, 2014-09-30 18:48:42.528

abstract: Chile’s ill-fated attempt to build a democratic socialism (1970-1973) was a defining moment for the global New Left. Nowhere was this truer than in Québec. During the Allende years and after, Chile exercised a decisive influence on the political imagination of Québécois radicals, as they searched for a path to socialisme et indépendance. Prior to the 11 September 1973 coup d’état, countless activists travelled to the South American nation to witness – and to learn from – the “Chilean road to socialism.” Arguments about Allende’s socialist government and the subsequent U.S.-backed coup that overthrew him were woven into left political discourse in the province, influencing labour movement debates over the formation of a parti des travailleurs, colouring campaign rhetoric during the October 1973 provincial elections, and serving as a trump card in post-election struggles within the Parti québécois (PQ) over the strategy of étapisme. Allende’s fate even lingered on in the minds of René Lévesque and many other party leaders after the election of the first PQ government in 1976. The Québec left’s deep engagement with Chile was a major factor in the rise of the Marxist-Leninist movement, convincing many activists that attaining socialism by parliamentary means was impossible in a U.S.-dominated world. Allende’s rise and tragic fall was key to the process of polarization that occurred on the Québec left from 1968 to 1974. As this thesis demonstrates, our understanding of Québec’s politics in these years is enriched greatly through a combined transnational and imperial approach.

abstract: M.A.


title: Using Trait Self-Distancing to Predict Affective States

contributor:
Fekken, G. Cynthia
Psychology

subject: Personality Psychology

abstract: Thesis (Master, Psychology) -- Queen's University, 2014-09-27 20:30:10.891

abstract: Research has shown that prompting individuals to examine their experiences while assuming the perspective of a third-person, which is called self-distancing, buffers against negative emotional changes. Self-distancing and its conceptual opposite, self-immersion, have been previously studied as induced and spontaneously occurring states. I argue that the perspective that one takes when engaging in self-focus can be understood as a personality trait. Two studies are reported where I construct and evaluate the Self-Distancing Scale (SDS), which is a self-report measure of trait self-distancing. In Study 1 I found that evidence for construct validity of the SDS was poor. I further found that, contrary to expectations, exploratory factor analysis of the draft pool of SDS items revealed two unrelated factors corresponding to self-distancing and self-immersion, rather than a single bipolar factor. Study 2 examined if the SDS could be used to prospectively predict emotional change under standardized laboratory conditions, but contrary to what is suggested by prior research, the SDS was not found to be significantly related to emotional change. A post hoc confirmatory factor analysis identified methodological sources of variance as the cause of the SDS’s two factor structure. I offer suggestions for future research that could further investigate trait self-distancing without the limitations of the current studies.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Perceptual Intuitionism Without Ethical Perception

contributor:
Bakhurst, David
Philosophy

subject: Intuitionism Metaethics McDowell Ethics Particularism

abstract: Thesis (Master, Philosophy) -- Queen's University, 2014-09-30 11:43:34.489

abstract: In recent years, there has been a renewed interest in Perceptual Intuitionism. A significant portion of the literature on the topic has focused on the ethical perception defense, the supposition seeming to be that one must defend Perceptual Intuitionism by showing that one can have ethical experiences which immediately and non-inferentially justify one’s beliefs about the rightness or wrongness of particular actions. This thesis rejects this thought by proposing an alternative defense of Perceptual Intuitionism which employs the Wittgensteinian concept of criteria and an understanding of principles of prima facie duties as “grammatical propositions”.

abstract: M.A.


title: Chief Information Officer (CIO) Stereotyping: Content, Bias, and Impact.

contributor:
McKeen, James D.
Management

subject:
CIO stereotypes
IT-Business gap
Information Systems

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Management) -- Queen's University, 2014-09-28 15:54:57.822

abstract:
Since the origin of the IT executive role in organizations, IS researchers have attempted to understand the barriers that Chief Information Officers (CIOs) face in their efforts to realize IT business value. One such challenge is the apparent disconnect between the growing importance of information technology to the success of organizations and the relegation of CIOs to tactical rather than strategic roles in their organizations, thereby hindering the transformative power of IT as a competitive advantage. This dissertation tackles this disconnect suggesting that CIOs are caught up within a widely-shared and entrenched stereotype of IT professionals that views them as lacking leadership competencies. Specifically, this dissertation puts forward the claim that CIOs may face a glass ceiling (similar to minority groups) and that stereotypical beliefs limit (if not deny) them the opportunity to drive the organization forward in the use of IT.
Four studies examined the content of these beliefs held by perceivers outside the IT profession and identified the contexts within which these beliefs can cause biased decision-making concerning the role of CIOs. Taken as a whole, this dissertation empirically tests the long-held anecdotal assumption of a CIO stereotype and identifies biases that can cause inequality perceptions at strategic levels of the organization; specifically, the perception of CIOs as "the last among equals" or as unequal members of the C-suite appears to limit their strategic involvement in corporate decision-making. This research contributes to the study of IT leadership and advances our understanding of the persistent 'perception gap' that has intrigued (and plagued) IS researchers and practitioners for a long time.

abstract: PhD


title: Analysis of parameters of haemostasis in pre-eclamptic, normotensive pregnant and non-pregnant women.

contributor:
Graham, Charles H.
Othman, Maha
Anatomy and Cell Biology

subject: Pre-Eclampsia Haemostasis

abstract: Thesis (Master, Anatomy & Cell Biology) -- Queen's University, 2014-09-29 04:48:00.309

abstract: Pregnancy is characterized by a state of heightened coagulation, which is exacerbated in pathological conditions such as pre-eclampsia (PET). PET is further associated with abnormal maternal inflammation and increased circulating microparticles (MP); however, a mechanistic link between these pathological features has never been established. It is proposed in this thesis that abnormal maternal inflammation is causally linked to pro-coagulant trophoblast MP shedding via a mechanism mediated by the pro-inflammatory cytokine tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF), thereby contributing to maternal coagulopathies associated with PET. Using thromboelastography (TEG) and standard laboratory tests, haemostatic function was evaluated in PET and normotensive subjects at delivery and post-partum. Furthermore, the effects of the menstrual cycle and oral contraceptive (OC) use on haemostatic function were assessed in non-pregnant subjects in order to understand their influence on post-partum haemostasis. Plasma TNF and pro-coagulant MP levels were evaluated in the pregnant subjects. Using chorionic villi explants from human term placentas, MPs were quantified after TNF administration. The pro-coagulant potential of placental MPs was evaluated by TEG by spiking whole-blood with medium containing MPs from chorionic villi. TEG identified increased whole-blood coagulability in PET subjects at delivery, demonstrating its increased sensitivity over standard laboratory tests at identifying haemostatic alterations associated with PET. Haemostatic alterations were normalized by six weeks post-partum. TEG also identified cyclic haemostatic variations associated with OC use. Chorionic villi treated with TNF (1 ng/ml) shed significantly more MPs than untreated placentas. MPs from chorionic villi increased the coagulability of whole-blood. Together, results provide evidence supporting the concept that abnormal maternal inflammation is causally linked to the development of maternal coagulopathies in pregnancy complications. Moreover, TEG may be superior to standard laboratory tests in evaluating haemostasis in pregnant and non-pregnant subjects.

abstract: Data is being prepared for submission as a paper to a journal.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Sulfur and reactive nitrogen deposited in the alpine of the Southern Canadian Rockies: quantification and assessment of the main factors influencing deposition

contributor:
Lafrenière, Melissa J.
Geography

subject:
sulfur
Rocky Mountains
Canada
snow
stable isotopes
precipitation
deposition
nitrogen

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Geography) -- Queen's University, 2014-09-29 08:58:08.978

abstract:
Sulfur (S) and reactive nitrogen (Nr = nitrate + ammonium) deposited at alpine sites in the Front Range of the Southern Canadian Rocky Mountains were evaluated by analyzing ion concentrations and stable isotope ratios in glacial snowpack and summer bulk precipitation samples. Deposition was 0.74 ± 0.18 kg S ha-1yr-1 (mean ± standard deviation among 3 sites) and 1.10 ± 0.18 kg Nr ha-1 yr-1. Seasonal contributions were disproportionate with summer rain, which represented 24 ± 8 % of annual precipitation, bringing 41- 46% of annual S and Nr loads. Conditions at the highest elevation site represented regional background S deposition (0.9 kg S ha-1 yr-1) and N deposition (1.3 kg Nr ha-1yr-1). The orographic influence on snow accumulation gave increasing snowpack S and Nr loads with rising elevation, with deposition mainly from distant sources. Summer S deposition was also dominantly from distant sources, while local to regional pollutants strongly enhanced Nr deposition. Distinct differences in deposition were seen between the NNW facing Robertson Valley and the opposing SE facing Haig Valley. Preferential transport and deposition to the Robertson Valley from local to regional pollution during NW-upslope synoptic conditions was probably the main factor for enhanced deposition in the Robertson Valley. The deposition rates measured here indicate that N-saturation is an ecologic concern for high alpine ecosystems in the region.
δ34S-SO42- values in summer precipitation indicated three isotopically distinct sources: two regional to local anthropogenic sources having a similar isotope composition (A δ34S-SO42- ≥ +9 ‰, and C δ34S-SO42- ~ +8 ‰) that mixed with relatively clean air (B) with a δ34S-SO42- value ~ +4 ‰. Snowpack δ34S-SO42- values also indicated three isotopically distinct sources with the dominant source having a δ34S-SO42- value ~+2‰. Evidence suggests a seasonal difference in the relative magnitude of pathways of SO2 to SO42- oxidation is responsible for the rain vs. snowpack difference of ≥ 7 ‰. In the summer, homogeneous oxidation by OH and heterogeneous oxidation by H2O2 were most important, while oxidation by O2 catalysed by transition metal ions in a radical chain reaction pathway (TMI) was substantially more significant in the winter.

abstract: PhD


title: Designing Switchable-Hydrophilicity Solvents and Modelling Their Behaviour

contributor:
Jessop, Philip G.
Chemistry

subject:
Green chemistry
SHS

abstract: Thesis (Master, Chemistry) -- Queen's University, 2014-09-29 08:40:13.167

abstract: Switchable-hydrophilicity solvents (SHSs) are solvents that in one state forms a biphasic mixture with water but can be reversibly switched to another state that is miscible with water.  In theory, this switch can be triggered in a number of ways, however we focus on dissolved CO2 as the switchable trigger.  The most practical use of an SHS is for extraction of a water-immiscible liquid product from a solvent in which it is dissolved (as demonstrated by the extraction of bitumen from the oil sands, bio-oil from algae, etc).  This technology provides a more environmentally-friendly means of extraction over current popular processes such as distillation.  Since their discovery in 2010, more than 25 nitrogen-based SHSs have been reported in the literature.  The SHS behaviour seems to be strongly correlated with hydrophilicity and basicity, not surprisingly.  Indeed, amine solvents which demonstrate SHS behaviour are contained within a specific hydrophilicity and basicity range.  This range can be predicted based on fundamental acid-dissociation and partitioning equations which, once developed, reveal other tuneable parameters.  These parameters are intrinsic (molecular weight and density) as well as extrinsic (CO2 pressure and water:SHS volume ratio).  The extrinsic parameters enable the switchable range to expand - enabling less basic and more hydrophobic solvents to act as SHSs.  This is of interest since one of the goals of SHS technology is to replace volatile, smog-forming and bio-accumulating solvents with environmentally benign ones.  Having a greater range to choose SHSs from increases the chances of finding more environmentally benign solvents.  The other goal of SHS technology is to be as effective, if not more, than conventional solvents for extractions.  Equipped with a mathematical description of the SHS process, it is a simple matter of optimizing the resulting equations in terms of the extrinsic parameters.  Increasing the pressure of CO2 as well as the water:SHS volume ratio increases the amount of SHS that is extracted from the liquid product.  This is true for the two-liquid system (composed of water and SHS) as well as the three-liquid system (composed of water, SHS, and a water-immisible organic liquid), though their mathematical descriptions are different.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Studies on the Optimization of Buchwald-Hartwig Amination of Aryl Halides

contributor:
Baird, Michael C.
Chemistry

subject:
Buchwald-Hartwig Amination
Catalysis
Organometallics

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Chemistry) -- Queen's University, 2014-09-29 08:57:00.965

abstract:
Developing new catalyst systems for cross-coupling reactions such as Buchwald-Hartwig aminations has been one of the remarkable topics in the palladium-catalyzed, cross-coupling reaction research area.
In this thesis, the use of the easily synthesized and handled Pd(η3-1-Ph-C3H4)(η5-C5H5) (I) as a catalyst precursor for Buchwald-Hartwig amination of aryl halides was investigated utilizing various phosphines (PtBu3, Xphos and Mor-Dalphos), different phosphine (L) to Pd ratios (L:Pd = 2:1 and 1:1) and different procedures; in situ generation of PdLn prior to addition of other reactants (Method A) and in situ generation of PdLn in the presence of aryl halide but prior to the addition of other reactants (Method B). The reaction profiles are monitored by gas chromatography (GC) and the effect of each of the mentioned parameters on the reaction rate is determined. The reaction profiles of I with various phosphines are also compared with those of other precursors, Pd2(dba)3, Pd(OAc)2 and [Pd(η3-1-Ph-C3H4)Cl]2 (IV).
In spite of a large number of studies involving modification of Buchwald-Hartwig amination reactions by developing new precursors and phosphines, fewer studies have been carried out on catalytic mechanisms and there is still ambiguity about the catalytically active species in these palladium-catalyzed reactions. This study on a representative Buchwald-Hartwig amination finds that, in Buchwald-Hartwig aminations, various species might be participating as the catalytically active species via various mechanisms, utilizing different catalyst systems. This finding is contrary to the observations for other cross-coupling reactions such as Suzuki-Miyaura and Mizoroki-Heck in which the efficient formation of putative PdL2 from Pd(η3-1-Ph-C3H4)(η5-C5H5) (I) resulted in higher initial rates and higher conversions under mild reaction conditions, than other common precatalysts (Pd(OAc)2, Pd(PPh3)4, Pd2dba3, etc.) containing a variety of phosphine ligands. Therefore, to further our studies, the solution chemistry of I and IV with PtBu3, XPhos and Mor-DalPhos has been studied by 1H NMR and 31P NMR spectroscopy. All intermediates observed were characterized by NMR spectroscopy.

abstract: PhD


title: High Risk Environments and Agricultural Injuries in Children, Youth, and Young Adults

contributor:
Pickett, William
Lawson, Joshua
Community Health and Epidemiology

subject:
Epidemiology
Occupational Injury
Trauma (Wounds and Injuries)
Injury
Agriculture
Farming

abstract: Thesis (Master, Community Health & Epidemiology) -- Queen's University, 2014-09-30 20:22:56.771

abstract:
Background: Children who live on farms experience high rates of fatality, morbidity, and disability when compared to children from the general population. There is an existing body of research describing injury rates and common patterns of agricultural injuries in pediatric populations in Canada; however, these studies are dated. Few contemporary studies have focused on the etiology of pediatric agricultural injury, particularly in a Canadian context.
Objectives: This study provides updated epidemiological information on agricultural injury in Canadian children and youth and investigates relationships between high-risk farm activities and the occurrence of agricultural injuries in youth and young adults on farms.
Methods: Manuscript 1 describes the incidence and patterns of pediatric agricultural fatalities and hospitalizations in the provinces of Ontario and Saskatchewan using surveillance data from the Canadian Agriculture Injury Reporting System. Manuscript 2 involved performance of cross-sectional analyses of written questionnaire data from 1135 youth and young adults from the Saskatchewan Farm Injury Cohort, an on-going study of active farm populations.
Results: In manuscript 1, the overall age-adjusted annual rates of agricultural injuries per 100,000 persons were: 7.8 (95%CI: 6.2-10.0) for Saskatchewan fatalities, 6.9 (95%CI: 5.6-8.5) for Ontario fatalities, 80.2 (95%CI: 73.9-87.1) for Saskatchewan hospitalizations, and 74.5 (95%CI: 69.9-79.4) for Ontario hospitalizations. Leading mechanisms of injury in both provinces were: falls from heights, animal-related mechanisms, machine entanglements, machine runovers and rollovers, and drowning. In manuscript 2, the prevalence of farm injury was estimated at 4.9%/year (95%CI: 3.7-6.2). After adjustment for important covariates relative to baseline (<10 hours/week), duration of farm work was strongly associated with the occurrence of injury [RR 8.0 (95%CI: 1.7-36.7) for 10-34 hours/week vs. baseline; RR 10.3 (95%CI: 2.2-47.5) for those working 35+ hours/week]. Tractor maintenance, tractor operation, chores with large animals, herd maintenance activities, and veterinary activities were identified as risk factors.
Conclusions: Together, these manuscripts demonstrate that there is a considerable burden of agricultural injury among children, youth, and young adults on farms and that experiences of injury are related to the amounts and type of exposure to farm work and related occupational hazards.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Extending Concepts and Practice of State of the Environment Reporting to Biosphere Reserves

contributor:
Whitelaw, Graham S.
Danby, Ryan K.
Environmental Studies

subject:
Biosphere Reserves
State of the Environment Reporting
Indicator reporting

abstract: Thesis (Master, Environmental Studies) -- Queen's University, 2014-09-29 13:32:16.322

abstract: Sustainable development initiatives necessitate actions at local and regional scales that can inform meaningful, context-specific, decision-making for mitigating global unsustainability. State of the Environment (SOE) Reporting is a method used in adaptive management strategies for sustainable development whereby a series of social, environmental, cultural and economic variables are selected and analyzed and act as indicators of the state of a particular region. The reports are utilized to educate stakeholders, organizations, and government about the various trends occurring in a region in order to inform decision-making processes and inspire action towards sustainability. SOE Reporting takes place on many different spatial and temporal scales, but an emphasis has been placed on the importance of multi-level approaches to sustainability as a means to achieve smaller successes that contribute to the global circumstance. This research employed a case study of the Frontenac Arch Biosphere Reserve (FAB), located in eastern Ontario, to extend a practical application of SOE Reporting methodology in the context of Biosphere Reserves. This research took advantage of a University-Biosphere Reserve collaboration to develop a SOE Report for the FAB using an adaptive management lens, the pressure-state-response framework for classifying indicators, student-based indicator analysis, and community-based participatory approaches to assess, compile, and communicate a set of indicators for the region. The findings contribute to the current practical knowledge of SOE Reporting in the context of Biosphere Reserves, and discussions center on the use and limitations of the pressure-state-response framework, the importance of community-based consultative processes, the notions of scoring indicator results, the use of partnering with educational institutions, and the potential implications of the SOE Report in the region. We propose an extension of the theory of adaptive management to adaptive facilitation for application of indicator reporting initiatives in BRs, given the lack of jurisdiction that is held by BR practitioners, and the role of indicators as a tool for knowledge empowerment.

abstract: M.E.S.


title: National Defence Budgets: The Importance of External Threats

contributor:
Lloyd-Ellis, Huw
Economics

subject:
Royal Canadian Navy
External Threats
Spatial Econometrics
Base Security
Defence Spending
World War II

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Economics) -- Queen's University, 2014-09-29 10:26:23.788

abstract:
In this thesis I study and provide insight into how national defence budgets are determined.  This is accomplished through the use of both theoretical modeling and empirical analysis.  A main theme running through the thesis is that a primary determinant of domestic levels of defence spending is the defence spending level of other nations.  By conditioning on these global interactions in a structured way, I am able to provide meaningful estimates of the impact of various factors on national defence spending.

In Chapter 2, I examine the costs and benefits of maintaining domestic arms manufacturers during peace time.  A model is developed that examines under which circumstances a country would wish to maintain domestic arms industries.  The predictions of this model are tested using the historical example of Canada's lack of advanced shipbuilding facilities during World War II.  By comparing the performance of corvettes and destroyers during convoy escort, I quantify the superiority of the latter over the former.  A counterfactual scenario then examines the savings in terms of ships and lives that could have resulted from having invested in domestic arms industries in peace time.

Chapter 3 examines more generally how national defence budgets interact with each other in a spatial econometric framework.  By creating a series of weighting matrices that qualitatively represent how countries are likely to interact militarily, I quantify the extent to which a country's relative location impacts its level of defence spending.  I find that relative location is a significant determinant of defence spending, and furthermore, I am able to identify regions of both high and low defence spending spillovers.

Some countries have large domestic arms industries, whereas others largely import their military hardward.  In Chapter 4, I examine, both theoretically and empirically, how this distinction and the resulting arms trade influences defence spending behaviour.  I also examine the impact that a base level of security, measured by geographic and socioeconomic factors has on the choice of defence budget.  Consistent with the theory, I find that there are significant differences between arms producers and importers in the way they respond to exogenous factors.

abstract: PhD


title: The Methodology of Modelling the Milky Way with Stellar Streams

subject:
Milky Way
Astrophysics

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Physics, Engineering Physics and Astronomy) -- Queen's University, 2014-10-01 10:37:30.203

abstract:
In this thesis we examine the methodology of modelling the Milky Way using stellar streams.  Using the orbit-fitting method we show that combining constraints from the Sagittarius stream with a suite of other photometric and kinematic observations of the Milky Way suggests a triaxial dark matter halo with axis ratios $3.3\pm 0.7$ and $2.7\pm 0.4$ where the short axis is pointed near the Sun-Galactic center
line and the intermediate axis is perpendicular to the disk.  Additionally, this combination of constraints reduces the uncertainty in the spherically averaged mass profile by a factor of two. Through the use of mock data we show that the combination of stellar streams with suites of other, non-stream, observations is necessary to obtain the best constraints on Galactic parameters.  Suites of constraints that do not include streams lead to degeneracies in the inferred halo parameters, which the addition of a GD-1-like stream reduces.  Promisingly ,the combination of two streams provides similar improvements in the inferred halo parameters as a single long stream.  In addition to these studies we explore the orbit-fitting and the streakline
methods of modelling stellar streams.  We find that the difference between streams and
the orbit of the progenitor causes the orbit-fitting method to fail to recover the generative model in most test cases.
The streakline method of citet{Varghese2011} and \citet{Kupper2012} is a great improvement on the orbit-fitting method, but it also fails to recover quantities like the local circular speed for streams generated from particularly massive progenitors.  Based on these results, we develop a modification of the streakline method
called the distribution method.  This method accounts for the stripping of stream stars
at the approximate location of the inner and outer Lagrange points with different Galactic velocities than the progenitor.  It provides a marginal improvement on the streakline method and consistently recovers the circular speed at the location of the observer.  The distribution method holds a great deal of promise for future studies of the Milky Way involving stellar streams.

abstract: PhD


title: The Role of Abnormal Maternal Inflammation in the Pathogenesis of Pregnancy Complications

contributor:
Graham, Charles H.
Anatomy and Cell Biology

subject:
Tumour Necrosis Factor
Pregnancy Complications
Pre-Eclampsia
Utero-Placental Perfusion
Spiral Artery Remodelling
Fetal Growth Restriction
Trophoblast Invasion
Nitric Oxide
Pregnancy
Nitroglycerin
Thromboelastrography
Fetal Death
Hemostasis
Rat
Placenta
Coagulopathy
Inflammation

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Anatomy & Cell Biology) -- Queen's University, 2014-09-30 12:45:52.773

abstract: Pre-eclampsia (PE), fetal growth restriction (FGR) and fetal death are common complications associated with human pregnancy. A hallmark of these adverse pregnancy outcomes is reduced utero-placental perfusion, which is believed to arise as a consequence of deficient trophoblast-mediated spiral artery remodelling. Other common features of PE, FGR and fetal demise include reduced nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability, alterations in maternal hemostasis and an abnormal maternal inflammatory response. Despite all that is known, the causative factors leading to the development of these adverse pregnancy outcomes remain unidentified. The results of this thesis identify aberrant maternal inflammation as key to the pathogenesis of PE, FGR and fetal loss using a rat model in which pregnant rats are injected with low-dose lipopolysaccharide (LPS). In particular, our in vivo animal studies revealed a causal role for tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF) in the development of FGR, features of PE and the development of maternal coagulopathies associated with fetal death. Our work also revealed a pregnancy-specific effect whereby the deleterious effects of LPS administration to pregnant rats (i.e. cytokine release, glomerular pathology, elevated white blood cell counts) did not occur to the same magnitude when LPS was administered to non-pregnant animals. Gross examination of placentas from saline and LPS-treated animals revealed that inflammation altered placental morphometrics resulting in reduced placental weight and area. Importantly, we discovered that activation of NO signalling via the administration of the NO mimetic glyceryl trinitrate (GTN) attenuated features of LPS-induced inflammation (i.e. elevated white blood cell counts) and prevented inflammation-induced FGR, features of PE, maternal coagulopathies and fetal loss. Our in vitro studies revealed that low-dose GTN exerts immunomodulatory functions given that GTN treatment prevented TNF release from LPS-stimulated THP-1 macrophage cells. Collectively, the data presented in this thesis reveal that abnormal maternal inflammation in pregnancy is casually linked to the development of FGR, features of PE and fetal loss in a rat model. Our data also provide a rationale to study the role of novel immunomodulators, including GTN, in the treatment and prevention of inflammation-induced complications of pregnancy.

abstract: We are in the process of submitting some data from this thesis for publication and therefore would like the thesis restricted until the work has been published.

abstract: PhD


title: Posture and Lifting Exposure of Daycare Workers: A Pilot Field Study

contributor:
Dumas, Geneviève A.
Mechanical and Materials Engineering

subject: Daycare Posture Lifting Ergonomics Dosimeter 3DSSPP

abstract: Thesis (Master, Mechanical and Materials Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2014-09-29 11:16:13.472

abstract: Daycare workers are a specific population that may experience elevated risk of injury due to the tasks performed during normal work. Within daycares, workers are exposed to bent postures, job specific lifting conditions and high exposure to stress. The objectives of the study were to collect up to date data on daycare workers, compare worker groups involving different child ages (Infant, Toddler and Pre School) and attempt to identify the most difficult tasks. Data were collected from 24 workers, in five daycares, using: questionnaire sampling, three dimensional postural tracking and video recording. Questionnaires showed that 81% of workers who completed the survey experience pain in the low back. Additionally, the average Oswestry Disability Index was found to be 17%, showing a minimal pain effect overall.  In terms of absolute posture, workers experienced deep flexion greater than 55º for 10% of the shift and flexion greater 70º for 5% of the shift. Compared to paper assessment tools, workers fell in a moderate to severe posture exposure range. Furthermore, on average, workers lifted at frequencies of 0.25 lifts/minute, lifted a total weight of 501 kg (over ~3.3 hours) and experienced compression and shear forces at L4/L5 of approximately 2064N and 199N, respectively. Group comparison showed significant differences for the relative forward flexion and the lifting frequency demonstrating higher exposure for the Infant and Toddler groups as well as a significantly higher total weight lifted for the Toddler group, compared to the Pre School group. Finally, the EVAs revealed the most difficult tasks, in terms of posture and duration, to be the Activity, Nap and Supervision tasks, whereas the questionnaire identified Outdoor Preparation, Diaper Changing, Cleaning and Playing as the most difficult tasks. Comparing to various tolerance limits (lifting, frequency, etc.) the results showed daycare workers experience elevated risk of injury and require more work guidelines, specific to the conditions within daycares. Future work should include larger scale studies, in lab testing (lifting) and more specific analyses on the individual tasks being performed within the daycare.

abstract: M.A.Sc.


title: The Application of Monte Carlo Combined Methods For Modeling of Polymerization Kinetics

contributor:
Hutchinson, Robin A.
Chemical Engineering

subject: Polymerization Modeling

abstract: Thesis (Master, Chemical Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2014-09-29 12:23:27.676

abstract:
The advantages and disadvantages of the two major categories of numerical methods, deterministic and stochastic approaches, in polymer reaction engineering are discussed. Combinations of methods are suggested in order to take advantage of both techniques. A hybrid deterministic/stochastic approach and a combined stochastic/stochastic method are developed to represent two polymerization systems of interest.
The distribution of functional groups in polymer chains produced in radical copolymerization by starved-feed semibatch operation is simulated using three different methodologies.  A deterministic model is formulated to separately track the homopolymer chains that are produced without the desired functionality, a Monte Carlo (MC) model is written to represent the system, and a hybrid deterministic/MC approach is taken using new capabilities within the software package PREDICI.
Two Monte Carlo algorithms (dynamic and static) are combined in order to model and simulate the branch distribution and topology of polymer chains synthesized in hyper-branched polymerization of polyethylene with Pd-diimine catalysts. A sensitivity analysis is conducted in order to investigate the impact of kinetic and stochastic parameters on the branch distribution as well as average chain length. Simulated results show excellent agreement with experimental observations.

abstract: M.A.Sc.


title: Hearing Danto Out: A Critique of the "End of Art" Thesis Through Music

contributor:
Knight, Deborah
Philosophy

subject:
Danto, Arthur
Philosophy of Art

abstract: Thesis (Master, Philosophy) -- Queen's University, 2014-09-29 12:45:14.203

abstract: Arthur Danto’s “end of art” thesis contends that art followed a progressive historical narrative from about 1300 until 1964 AD, when Danto realized that Andy Warhol’s Brillo Boxes demonstrates that an artwork can look like anything without thereby losing its status as art. I critique Danto’s revelation that an artwork can look like anything by showing how what Danto really and quite rightly means is that an art object can now look like anything. Making the art object/artwork distinction clear shows how Danto axiomatically excludes important perceptible qualities of artworks from his scope of perception which might provide outlets to the future changes to the definition of art, and thus the continuation of art history. I work up to this criticism by first addressing an apparent blind spot in Danto’s oeuvre: while Danto depicts the history of art as progressing and culminating within the realm of the visual arts, he is explicit that its implications apply to all artforms. It is a prima facie interesting question whether music can rightly be subsumed under Danto’s grand claims, since Danto’s history of art centers upon painting’s representational properties, which I argue that music lacks. Despite these differences however, music was, like painting, drawn into a Modernist search for its own essence that resulted in John Cage’s 4’33”, a piece which showed that music could sound like anything just as much as visual artworks could look like anything. However, 4’33” is unlike Brillo Boxes in that any two instances of the former can sound completely different from each other, while Brillo Boxes must always look like Brillo boxes. With reference and reverence to George Dickie, I explain how what I call “institutional cues”, which are devised, implemented, debated and changed within the “artworld”, are needed to perceive art as art in some cases, and especially in the case of 4’33”. These institutional cues are what allow art objects to be perceived as artworks, and present opportunities for innovation that Danto’s arbitrarily limited account of what is perceived when perceiving an artwork obscured from him.

abstract: M.A.


title: Distinguishing Between Dual Roles: a Mixed-Methods Examination of the Perceptions and Behaviours of Coaches Working in Recreational and Competitive Synchronized Swimming Environments

contributor:
Côté, Jean
Kinesiology and Health Studies

subject:
Youth Sport Environment
Recreational
Competitive
Mixed-Methods

abstract: Thesis (Master, Kinesiology & Health Studies) -- Queen's University, 2014-09-29 13:33:31.833

abstract: The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions and behaviours of coaches within recreational and competitive youth sport programs.  Using a mixed-methods convergent parallel design (Creswell & Plano Clark, 2011) this thesis examined the experiences of coaches who were working or had worked with both recreational- and competitive-level synchronized swimmers.  Eighteen female coaches participated in semi-structured interviews.  In addition, a sub-sample of five coaches from this group were observed six times over the course of the sport season (three sessions in the recreational setting and three sessions in the competitive setting).  Results from the coaches’ qualitative interview responses revealed key distinctions between competitive and recreational environments which were placed into themes across three dimensions: (1) coaches’ and athletes’ level of experience: novice vs expert, (2) training structure: experimentation vs commitment, and (3) program structure: participation vs performance.  Although systematic observations revealed differences on specific behaviours (e.g., levels of positive modeling, instruction, and questioning) related to these distinctions, coaching patterns as a whole were relatively consistent across the recreational and competitive environments.  These findings suggest that coaches may use certain behaviours more often during certain practice activities but that the overall structure of recreational and competitive practice activities may not be as different as coaches perceive them to be.  It may be that differences in coach behaviour are more nuanced than the literature would suggest, and that changes occur more so at the level of intonation rather than overt behaviour.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Evaluating and Explaining the Success of Science: a Historical Perspective

contributor:
Sismondo, Sergio
Philosophy

subject:
Scientific Realism
Explanation
Scientific Knowledge
Pessimistic Meta-Induction

abstract: Thesis (Master, Philosophy) -- Queen's University, 2014-09-29 14:01:25.319

abstract: The recent literature surrounding the realist/anti-realist debates in the philosophy of science has focused its attention towards the role that history plays in explaining why science is successful and thus approximately true. This has been caused, in large part, by the Pessimistic Meta-Induction (PMI), which has challenged attempted explanations by turning our attention towards the large amount of scientific theories that have been abandoned but were still empirically successful. There will be two primary goals of this paper. The first will be to explore the PMI more deeply than it traditionally has been. This will involve demonstrating how the PMI is more malleable than it is normally given credit for as well as how meta-inductions can and have been used in practice. The second goal will be to discuss the implications of this more robust form of the PMI for explanationist realism, or the thesis that scientific realism provides the best answer as to why science is successful. I will argue that explanationist realism, after being cornered by the malleability of the PMI, turns out to be either a trivial or false thesis. Given this demise of explanationist realism as a substantive thesis, I will argue that the strength of scientific realism truly lies in its critical abilities or its ability to normatively assess scientific theories and the way we ought to practice science.

abstract: M.A.


title: Personal Choices, Institutions, and Justice: Defending Cohen's Position from Tan's Critique

contributor:
Sypnowich, Christine
Philosophy

subject:
Tan
philosophy
subject of justice
site of justice
political philosophy
personal prerogative
value pluralism
Cohen

abstract: Thesis (Master, Philosophy) -- Queen's University, 2014-09-29 14:26:02.684

abstract: This essay will defend, in light of Kok-Chor Tan's critique, G. A. Cohen's position that justice should be conceived as an extensive project, whose purview includes personal choices as well as institutional structures, and that its content should be expressed not just in rules or laws, but in a culture or ethos which would guide society’s interpersonal interactions. This is primarily achieved by clarifying various aspects of Cohen's position, proving it more attractive than Tan characterizes it as being.

abstract: M.A.


title: The Evolution of Star Formation Activity in Cluster Galaxies Over 0.15 < z < 1.5

subject:
Galaxies
Astronomy
Elliptical galaxies
High-redshift
Astrophysics
Galaxy evolution
Galaxy clusters

abstract: Thesis (Master, Physics, Engineering Physics and Astronomy) -- Queen's University, 2014-09-29 14:38:05.088

abstract: In this thesis, we explore 7.5 billion years of evolution in cluster galaxy star formation activity using a sample of 11 high-redshift (1 < z < 1.5) clusters from the IRAC Shallow Cluster Survey, and 25 low-redshift (0.15 < z < 1) clusters from The Cluster Lensing And Supernova survey with Hubble. We compare cluster galaxy star formation to that of the field over 0.15 < z < 1.5 using ~8000 galaxies from the UltraVISTA survey. Mid-infrared star formation rates are measured using Spitzer 24 μm data for isolated high-redshift galaxies. We calculate rest-frame ultraviolet star formation rates for low-redshift cluster members using Hubble Space Telescope observations. Using publically available mid-infrared and ultraviolet data for our field sample, we empirically derive scaling relations to adjust low-redshift cluster galaxy ultraviolet star formation rates to mid-infrared levels. We classify cluster galaxy morphology by visual inspection, and use quantitatively measured morphologies for field galaxies. Cluster late-type galaxies at z > 1 show enhanced star formation activity relative to the field, and account for nearly 90% of the overall star formation activity in high-redshift clusters. While high-redshift early-type galaxies are substantially quenched relative to cluster late-types, they still contribute ~13% of the total cluster star formation activity. With early-type fractions increasing from 34 to 56% from z ~ 1.5 → 1.16, we find that new cluster early-type galaxies are likely being formed around z ~ 1.4. The fraction of early-type galaxies that are star-forming drops from 29 to 11% over this period, yet their specific star formation rates are roughly constant. These factors suggest that the events that created these new galaxies, possibly mergers, were both recent and gas-rich. With typical coverages of 50% of z < 1 cluster virial radii, we can only probe the cores of low-redshift clusters. We find that in this regime, the star formation activity of cluster galaxies is quenched relative to the field. We compare the mean star formation rate of cluster galaxies to the results of Alberts et al. (2014), who fit the mean star formation rate evolution over 0.3 < z < 1.5, and measured star formation rates by stacking 250 μm Herschel images. We find excellent agreement between the Herschel-based fit and both our Spitzer-derived and ultraviolet → infrared star formation rates.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: The Case of a Knowledge Mobilization Intermediary, Connections for Students, in an Education Practice Setting: Connecting Policy to Practice

contributor:
Cooper, Amanda
Education

subject:
Knowledge Mobilization (KMb)
Knowledge Exchange
Education Policy
Policy to Practice Interactions
Education K-12

abstract: Thesis (Master, Education) -- Queen's University, 2014-09-29 16:35:29.924

abstract:
This study is an attempt to understand knowledge mobilization (KMb) efforts using a KMb intermediary, Connections (multidisciplinary transition teams to support students with Autism Spectrum Disorders), in real practice settings.  This study explores the experiences of six teachers, specifically, their awareness and implementation of a research-embedded education policy (Policy Program Memorandum No 140), their perceptions of three KMb strategies (networks, products, and events), and their perceptions of enablers and barriers to KMb efforts within Connections.
I conducted a qualitative multi-case study (n=6) that allowed me to organize the data by specific information-rich cases for an in-depth study of the interactions among policy, KMb efforts, and practice.  Because the KMb intermediaries occurred across multiple school sites, these cases allowed me to explore the similarities and differences in KMb efforts.  Each intermediary consisted of a multidisciplinary team (7-10 participants from different disciplines with a variety of expertise).
Teachers cited several factors influencing implementation of PPM 140 into practice: the role of parents, the availability of time and human resources to implement the policy, and the perception that this policy is implemented with a targeted group of students at the possible expense of other students.  Teachers identified three main enablers (leadership, the availability of multidisciplinary expertise, and the availability of resources) and three main barriers (relationships, misunderstanding of roles and contexts, and inequity of PPM 140) to KMb efforts.  The development of relationships was the most powerful enabler and the lack of relationships was the most powerful barrier to all other activities that occurred within the intermediary.
Despite the availability of knowledge mobilization frameworks, there are still very few empirical studies of how knowledge is actually mobilized in education practice settings.  This study adds to the KMb literature in three ways.  First, it adds to the limited research on KMb intermediary efforts to facilitate implementation of a research-embedded education policy.  Second, this study adds to the literature on how knowledge is mobilized in practice settings through the use of three specific KMb strategies (networks, products, and events).  Third, it establishes a more comprehensive understanding of enablers and barriers of research-policy-practice interactions by examining how the KMb process unfolded in real practice settings.  This study can provide an example of ways in which efforts can be intentionally planned at system, organizational, and individual levels for more effective KMb.

abstract: M.Ed.


title: Characterization of Pd nanoparticles and of silica-supported Pd-catalysts for the Suzuki-Miyaura reaction.

contributor:
Horton, J. Hugh
Chemistry

subject:
Pd nanoparticles
hetrogeneous catalyst
Model palladium catalysts
NHC-Pd-NPs
Chemistry

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Chemistry) -- Queen's University, 2014-09-29 17:10:37.481

abstract:
The importance of palladium (Pd) as a catalyst in organic coupling reactions is undeniable. Mesoporous silica is widely used as the support of Pd catalysts. But the porous structure of the mesoporous silica limits complete characterization. As a result, heterogeneous Pd catalysts are not fully understood.
Model Suzuki-Miyaura reaction catalysts have been made by immobilizing Pd on a mercaptopropyltrimethoxysilane (MPTMS) functionalized Si substrate. Two types of Pd species were found on the fresh catalysts that may be attributed to a S-bound Pd (II) species and Pd nanoparticles.  A sulfur species that has not been previously reported on this class of catalysts has also been observed. A systematic study of various palladium/sulfur complexes using XPS was carried out to identify this species, which may be assigned to high oxidation state sulfur formed by oxidation of thiol during the reduction of the Pd(OAc)2 used to load the catalyst with Pd.  Shifts in binding energy observed for both Pd and S spectra of the used catalysts were examined in order to probe the change of electronic environment of reactive palladium center and the thiol ligand during the reaction. Electron and atomic force microscopic imaging of the surfaces demonstrates the formation of Pd nanoparticles on fresh catalysts and subsequent size reduction of the Pd nano-particles following reaction.
Nanoparticles have gained increased attention due to their unique properties different from the bulk materials. Polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) and dodecyl sulfide stabilized palladium nanoparticles have been synthesized with a size range of 3 to 10 nm and 2 to 5 nm respectively. XPS confirmed the conversion of Pd (II) to Pd (0) and presence of stabilizing agent on nanoparticles surface by observing Pd 3d, N1s (for PVP stabilized) and S 2p (for dodecyl sulfide stabilized) high resolution spectra. Dispersion and size of the nanoparticles were measured by TEM. It was observed that the shift of binding energy of the nanoparticles is strongly size dependent. Finally, the ability of N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) to substitute the stabilizing agent of Pd nanoparticles was investigated. The XPS studies suggest the substitution of dodecyl sulfide from the Pd nanoparticles by NHCs.

abstract: PhD