title: Priming physiology and proteinase purification from resting jack pine seeds

subject:
Jack pine seeds
Germination
Seeds physiology

abstract:
Pines constitute an important economic species for the lumber and paper
industries in the Boreal region (Galloway, 1986). Current seedling production,
dependent on the availability of high quality seed, may be considered adequate.
However, better understanding of seed biochemistry and physiology may result in the
development of better seed, and consequently healthier, more uniform, and perhaps
stress tolerant seedlings. Based on past efforts (Ackerman and Farrar, 1965; Santon,
1970, Fraser, 1974; Fleming and Lister, 1984), we have undertaken an investigation of
pine seed priming and its effect on several physiological and metabolic parameters of a
single seed-lot. The technique explored may provide a method to decrease germination
time and increase synchrony of those seeds germinating, resulting in more economical
seedling production.
The following is an overview of literature dealing with knowledge pertinent to
the study of seed priming physiology and germination. Pine seeds consist of a thin
seed coat encasing a thick haploid megagametophyte surrounding a small embryo
(Bewley and Black, 1978). Most gymnosperm storage seed cells contain lipid deposits
in addition to protein bodies. The high energy stores needed for initial seedling growth
are found, for the most part, in the parental megagametophyte tissue and the mechanisms involved in their depletion during seedling growth have been of interest to
many researchers, and is discussed below.


title: Efficacy and optimization of molecular techniques for sexing skeletonized human remains

contributor:
Molto, El
Leung, Kam
Hughes, Janice

subject:
Sex determination (Genetic)
Human remains (Archaeology)
Cytological/molecular sex determination
Cellular biology
Ancient DNA

abstract:
Forensic anthropologists and bioarchaeologists are often confronted with the problem of
sex determination in poorly preserved, skeletonized, adult, human remains. This thesis
tests the ability o f newly developed DNA methods to address this problem. Using a blind
research design, four molecular DNA techniques - amelogenin, alphoid repeats, SRY (sex
determining region o f the Y-chromosome) and Y-STRs (short tandem repeats) - are
assessed for their ability to determine the sex o f 19 skeletons with known morphological
and/or documented sex. The skeletons represent both historic and ancient human
remains. The latter are from a Roman cemetery in the Dakhleh Oasis, Egypt (n=13),
while the former are from historic 19^'’ century cemeteries in London, Ontario (n=4) and
Thunder Bay, Ontario (n=l); as well as, an unidentified skeleton fi*om a forensic cold
case (CFS file # A-475-95).
It was hypothesized that the alphoid repeat technique should yield the best results
due to their position near the chromosomal ends and the nature o f DNA degradation. The
results show that although the alphoid repeats typed for all but one sample, the
amelogenin had a superior performance, especially for the historic samples. The SRY
method was very poor, appearing for only two samples, and the Y-STR method did not
yield amplification at all. The latter was unexpected and disappointing, because it YSTRs
have the potential to aid in male individuation in addition to its inherent ability to
identify sex. The implications for both forensic and bioarchaeological research are far
reaching.
Based on the data from this thesis, two important conclusions emerge. The first is
that the results of the amelogenin locus on 100-year-old samples are encouraging. This shows that even in samples with relatively high degradation, the sex o f an individual is
still ascertainable and this is important for forensics, especially where cold cases are
concerned. The second conclusion is that more research is definitely required given the
poor performance o f the alphoid repeat and Y-STR methods. These include studies to
determine more stringent contamination checks, such as mtDNA sequencing o f all
samples yielding results for ancient DNA (aDNA).


title: Impact of anti-racist and ethnocultural policies on the recruitment and retention of visible minority teachers in Ontario school boards

contributor:
Scott, Fentey
Epp, Juanita

subject:
Minority teachers (Ontario)
Race relations in school management
Multicultural and anti-racist education

abstract:
This study examined the development and implementation of anti-racist and
ethnocultural equity policies impact of anti-racist and ethnocultural equity policies in
Ontario school board districts, and the impact these policies have had on the recruitment
and retention of visible minority teachers. The following questions guided this study:
• What process did school boards assume in implementing AEE policies?
• Why did they undertake the development of AEE policies?
• Who was involved in the development of these policies?
• What impact did the implementation of these policies have on the
recruitment and retention of minority teachers?
The data for this study were collected through questionnaires. Data analysis
involved organizing the data into descriptive statistics, and then analysing them as
individual components, as well as providing a composite picture.
From this study’s findings AEE policies have had little impact on the recruitment
and retention of visible minority teachers. This study proposed that the Ministry of
Education and Training lacked leadership in the monitoring, development and
implementation of these policies, it also failed to hold school board districts accountable
for not meeting the objectives of the policy, and did not provide sufficient resources or
funding. These failures as well as the lack of information regarding the number of
employed visible minority teachers in Ontario have resulted in the negative impact of the
policies regarding the recruitment and retention of visible minority teachers.


title: Travelling cable system : apparatus development, system modeling, and vibration control

subject:
Vibration Control
Cables Vibration
Feedback control systems

abstract:
The vibration of axially moving materials with arbitrarily varying length has received
increased attention due to both the interesting behaviours of such systems and the many
applications such as deep mine hoisting systems, high-speed elevator systems and robotic
arms in a prismatic joint. Vibration control is needed for such system; especially when
there are safety, speed, and precision concerns. The model governing vibration of such
systems is time varying. Control of time-varying systems poses many challenges. The
objective of this research is to develop an experimental system to study the dynamics of a
travelling cable with variable length and to test control strategies for vibration
suppression.
In this research, an experimental system is developed, which includes a travelling
cable apparatus, a signal conditioning circuit board, a data acquisition board, a computer
system, and sensors. The mathematical models of the lateral vibration of stationary and
axially moving cables are presented. Computer simulations are performed to understand
the dynamics of the travelling cable. A preliminary testing of the experimental system is
preformed
Boundary control method is used to suppress the vibration of the cable. Two closed-loop
feedback control systems, direct velocity feedback control and observer output
feedback control with optimal feedback gains, are designed to suppress the vibration of
the stationary cable. Both control systems are simulated by computer and tested by
experiment. An observer-based feedback control system with variable optimal feedback
gains is designed to suppress the vibration of the travelling cable. The performance of the
controller is tested using computer simulations.


title: Carboxyalkylated cullulose nanocrystals for novel applications

contributor:
Fatehi, Pedram
Liao, Baoqiang
Qin, Wensheng

subject:
Cellulose nanocrystals (CNC)
Carboxyalkylation of CNC
Kaolinite suspension

abstract:
Cellulose nanocrystals (CNC), rigid rod-like nanoparticles, are derived from cellulose through acid
hydrolysis and are considered as emerging nanomaterials according to their beneficial properties
and commercial availability. In this thesis, the use of CNC derivatives in novel applications was
explored. To make CNC more suitable for these applications, carboxyalkylation has been carried
out to increase the charge density of CNC and induce hairy structure on the surface of CNC.
Since the dispersibility of kaolinite particles are very crucial in their end-use applications ranging
from cosmetics to drilling, carboxymethylated CNC was used as a dispersant to increase the
stability of such suspensions. In the meantime, CNC was produced in different sizes prior to
carboxymethylation to analyze the effect of CNC size on its performance as a dispersant. It was
observed that the larger the modified CNC, the higher the charge density, and thus, the more the
CNC adsorption to kaolinite particles. Hence, with increasing the CNC size, a lower dosage of
modified CNC was observed to be required for attaining better kaolinite stability, which would be
industrially attractive. Another fundamental discovery of this research study was that the
functional groups on the carboxymethylation of CNC was observed to play a more critical role in
the settling affinity of the kaolinite particles than the CNC size.


title: Effect of blocked and random practice schedule variations on acquisition and retention of a pattern drawing task

subject:
Motor learning Testing.
Motor learning
Contextual interference effect

abstract:
The contextual interference (CI) effect refers to the phenomenon that practice
organised according to a random schedule appears to negatively affect acquisition, while
retention performance is facilitated. Previous research has investigated different
combinations of blocked and random practice in order to maximise retention
performance. Shea, Morgan, and Ho (1981) indicated that the total amount of random
trials in acquisition, not where random trials are interpolated into acquisition was the key
to increased retention when performing movement patterns. In contrast, Goode and Wei
(1987) suggested that blocked trials followed by random trials were important to the
facilitation of learning an open motor skill. The purpose of this study was to examine the
effect of blocked and random practice schedule variations on acquisition and retention of
a computer-based pattern drawing task. In the first experiment, 48 right-handed
participants practiced drawing three different movement patterns using a four-button
mouse and a digitising tablet. The participants were given 72 acquisition trials in one of
the four groups: blocked, random, random-blocked, and blocked-random. Following the
acquisition phase, retention tests of 10 minutes and 24 hours were given to all subjects in
a random schedule. The results revealed that although the blocked followed by random
practice schedule did not have a significantly superior retention performance, the
participants performed equally in retention to those in the random-blocked, and random
only groups. The amount of random trials in acquisition did not determine retention
performance for a pattern drawing task as the blocked-random and random-blocked groups had half as many random trials as the random only group, but had equal
retention performance.


title: Care of the chronic, non-acutely ill elderly person in acute hospitals in light of the biomedical science approach

subject: Aged Medical care Ontario Thunder Bay.

abstract:
The purpose of this study was to investigate aspects and
specific events of health care intervention techniques rendered
to chronic, non-acutely ill elderly patients, (henceforth known
as CNIE), while in an acute care hospital. The patients' own
perceptions were sought to ascertain if the care given was
patient-centred or more characteristic with the traditional
biomedical science approach (BMS). This latter approach,
according to many researchers, remains the primary mode of
hospital health care intervention.
The BMS approach is described by sociologists and others as
a health care strategy that is overly cure oriented rather than
care oriented. It is impersonal, objective, and dualistic - the
very opposite of a patient-centred approach. Using a patientcentred
care survey to carry out empirical research, I set out to
ascertain, at a local level, the extent and degree a BMS approach
existed within Thunder Bay's three acute care hospitals.
The sample included 32 participants who were or remain heavy
users of health services. These individuals were either waiting
for placement or recently placed into another care facility. At
the time of the interview, qualified participants were located
either in one of three Thunder Bay acute care hospitals, a
private nursing home, one of two city Homes for the Aged, or in their own home. All shared their perceptions of the care they
received while in hospital.
CNIE patient demographic characteristics - sex, age, marital
status, length of present hospitalization, former occupation,
mother tongue, hospital recently treated at and reason for
hospitalization - were documented. Six care indices were embodied
in the patient-centered survey. These included Communication,
Education, Emotional Support, Patient Needs and Preferences,
Consistency of Quality of Care and Physical Comfort. Descriptive
statistics were used for analysis of the results.
Based on the comments obtained from the CNIE population
sample, findings suggest that, although present or former
patients were satisfied overall with the care they received while
in an acute care hospital, there are particular reported problems
in different domains of the care rendered to them which are
congruent with characteristics/aspects of the traditional
biomedical science approach. Results also suggest that the need
for a paradigm shift - from a solely objective, rational and
impersonal approach (vis a vis a biomedical science orientation)
to a more biopsychosocial-like approach, (a "revolution” in the
Kuhnian sense of the term), may not be as monumental a task as
some researchers would suggest.
Recommendations for further research are made.


title: Effects of creative and noncreative problem-solving on anxiety

subject:
Anxiety
Problem solving
Creative ability

abstract:
This study investigated whether the type of problem
involved in creative performance increases anxiety level
to a greater extent than the type of problem involved in
noncreative performance. Subjects were 9 male and 48
female undergraduate Psychology students, selected from a
voluntary subject pool, and randomly assigned to either a
divergent creative problem-solving (CPS) condition, a
convergent noncreative problem-solving (NCPS) condition,
or a control condition involving a passive neutral problemsolving
(NPS) task. The Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety
Inventory (STAI) was administered to each group before
and after the experimental conditions. The study tested
two opposing hypotheses: (n) "the view held by many
humanistic psychologists that creative activity increases
anxiety and (b) the psychoanalytic prediction that creative
activity decreases anxiety. A subsidiary hypothesis was
that (c) trait anxiety would not change significantly.
The results showed that there was no significant pre to
post increase in state anxiety for the creative divergent
problem-solving group but that the other two groups did
manifest significant increases in state anxiety. Trait
anxiety remained stable throughout the groups. These
results were interpreted in favour of the psychoanalytic hypothesis with the reservation that tasks more challenging
for the student subjects in this study might have produced
more anxiety than the creative divergent task employed.
Suggestions for future research were made.


title: Re-civilizing the land : conservation and postwar reconstruction in Ontario, 1939-1961

subject: Conservation of natural resources Ontario History

subject: Environmental protection Ontario History

abstract: Includes such topics as land use, flooding, rural landscape, fishing, agriculture, family farms, watershed conservation, river basins, flood control, reforestation, woodlot management, underground water supplies, wildlife and recreation.


title: Predictors of geriatric institutionalization : an exploratory comparison of semi-supportive housing and professional home health care

subject: Congregate housing Ontario, Northwestern

subject: Aged Housing Ontario, Northwestern

subject: Home care

subject: Semi-supportive housing

subject: Nursing home care

subject: Long-term care

abstract:
This study examined two distinct types of elderly supportive care for their efficacy in meeting
the overall needs of their clients and reducing the risk of institutionalization. Recipients of (a)
professional home care and (b) residents of a semi-supportive housing unit were assessed
utilizing the Resident Assessment Instrument for Home Care (RAI-HC), Version 2. The groups
were assessed and compared for their baseline measurements on 23 indices o f functional
indicators including; cognitive and physiological functioning, current levels o f Activities o f
Daily Living (ADL) and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL), psychological and
social functioning, and rates of lnstitutional Risk. In addition, institutional admission and
mortality rates were collected at one-year follow-up for the Semi-Supportive Housing group to
identify predictor variables that preceded these two outcomes (institutionalization and mortality).
Baseline measurement results revealed that that Semi-Supportive Housing group evidenced a
lower risk of institutionalization despite being an older population and having more urinary and
behavioral problems than did the Home Care group. The Semi-Supportive Housing group also
reported less difficulty with managing their Activities of Daily Living (ADL's) in comparison to
the Home Care group. Only one predictor variable (of 23) emerged as significant in relation to
the actual outcome of institutionalization As such, semi-supportive housing residents triggering
the Health Promotion variable displayed a reduced risk of subsequent admittance to long-term
nursing home care in comparison to those residents not triggering tins variable.


title: Identifying the mental health burden of firefighters in a Northwestern Ontario professional fire service in context of COVID-19

contributor:
Sinden, Kathryn
Gotwals, John
Mushquash, Aislin
Ravanelli, Nicholas
Sanzo, Paolo

subject:
Mental health
Critical incident exposure
Posttraumatic stress disorder

abstract:
Mental health disorders are among the top five causes of lost-time and workplace
disability claims among Canadian firefighters, along with traumatic injuries, cancer,
cardiovascular disease, and respiratory disease (Ramsden et al., 2018). Critical incidents (CIs)
are work-related trauma experiences that emergency response personnel are commonly exposed
to that adversely impact mental health (Wagner et al., 2020). Among many other factors, CI
exposures can cause detrimental emotional, psychological, and physiological stress, increasing
the risk of developing posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD; Kehl et al., 2014). In a recent study,
91% of firefighters in a local fire service experienced a CI and 86% experienced symptoms of
PTSD (Sinden et al., 2020). Carmassi et al. (2020) identified that the coronavirus disease-2019
(COVID-19) increases the risk for mental health injuries, including PTSD. Other influencing
factors that impact the risk of PTSD include years of service, age, and gender (Del Ben et al.,
2006; Thurnell-Read & Parker, 2008).  [...]


title: Effects of Tai Chi on balance and mobility in older women who are at various risk levels for falls

contributor:
Taylor, Jane
Zerpa, Carlos
Stones, Michael
Thayer, Bob

subject:
Tai chi
Older adults and exercise
Role of exercise in falls prevention

abstract:
Physical activity has been accepted as instrumental in the maintenance of functional ability and
quality of life across the lifespan. Despite the benefits of exercise, Canada's Physical Activity
Guide to Healthy Active Living (1999) reports that 60% of older adults are inactive. One of the
outcomes of this inactivity is functional decline and consequent increased risk for falls. Falling is
one of the most common causes of injury and subsequent death in older adults. Although the
relationship between falls and functional decline is complex, several publications espouse that
these risk factors can be modified through exercise (Galindo-Ciocon, Ciocon, & Galindo, 1995;
Lord, Ward, Williams, & Strudwick, 1995). The purpose of the present study was to examine the
effects of Tai Chi on biomechanical and functional measures of balance and gait in older adults
who are at risk for falls. The participants in the study were 34 women with a mean age of 64
years, ranging in age from 55 to 85, who completed a 10 week program o f 8 forms of Tai Chi.
All participants were assessed on forceplate measures of postural sway and measures of balance,
gait, handgrip strength and falls, prior to and following the intervention period. Tinetti's
Performance Oriented Mobility Assessment (POMA) was used to provide functional measures of
balance and gait. Postural sway variables that were examined included antero-posterior (AP)
sway, area of sway, and path length and were measured during quiet standing with eyes open and
eyes closed as well as during a dynamic balance space task. Following intervention, completion of
a social validation questionnaire provided a medium for expression of participant experiences.
Since 18 of the participants were novices with respect to Tai Chi and 16 had 34.44 hours of
experience, the analyses were conducted by comparing the effect of the intervention on the two
groups.


title: The effects of neurocognitive and physical tasks on breathing and executive functioning in healthy versus concussed Canadian military members

contributor:
Sanzo, Paolo
Newhouse, Ian
Zerpa, Carlos

subject:
Acute concussion
Concussion in the military
Breathing physiology
Concussion & breathing
Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI)

abstract:
When on active-duty, Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members may be exposed to
dangers and repetitive sub-concussive impacts such as explosive devices, loud gunfire, and handto-hand physical combat. These individuals are at constant risk of experiencing a variety of
injuries including concussions. During a concussion, damage may occur to neural and vascular
tissues that can cause physiological changes in the brain. Abnormal breathing patterns may
emerge, if there is damage to the brainstem or middle cerebral artery, which may reduce blood
flow to the thalamus and brainstem and the respiratory control centres. Therefore, the purpose of
this study was to examine differences between healthy and concussed military members when
completing a neurocognitive and physical task on measures of breathing function.
Two groups were recruited including a concussed and a healthy group. Participants
included males and females between the ages of 18-59 years who were active military members.
Healthy military members were required to have been absent of a concussion within the last 24
months. The concussed military members were required to have been diagnosed with at least 1
concussion by a medical professional within the previous 2-12 months. All participants had to
have been absent of any debilitating injury or condition which would prevent them from safely
engaging in physical activity or any other neurological disorder that have may altered their
results and performance. Although a concussion is classified as a neurological disorder, the
participant must not have had any other neurological disorders. All participants were also
required to be absent of any previous existing respiratory disorders. [...]


title: Predictive value of visual attention mechanisms for driving ability / by Marie J. Parkkari.

contributor:
Bedard, Michel
Hayman, Gordon
McAuliffe, Jim

subject:
Automobile driving - Evaluation
Attention Testing

abstract: The increasing population of older adults and their greater risk of involvement in collisions has prompted research into various aspects of driving behaviour. Tests of visual attention have shown promise for predicting safe driving and collision involvement. The present study examined visual attention tests including UFOV, IOR, and the newer Attention Network Test (ANT) to predict driving ability in younger and older adults. Driving ability was evaluated with a road test on a driving simulator. Using a variety of statistical techniques it is shown that performance on a driving simulator can be predicted by visual attention tests however the influence of age is an important factor in performance. The most consistent predictor of driving performance was the ANT and was had high sensitivity and specificity for classifying drivers as pass or fail. Driving simulator adaptation syndrome showed to be a problem in the older adults and potential solutions are discussed. One clinical implication of this study is the potential use of visual attention tests as valuable screening tool to distinguish drivers that are experiencing driving difficulties. In addition, previous research on UFOV indicates that training could influence driving ability and future research should evaluate if ANT training can have similar benefits to driving performance.


title: Residual damage in mixed hardwood stands after mechanized logging

subject:
Forest harvesting operations
Careful logging practices
Wound damage (forestry)
Mechanized logging

abstract:
Research and data collection on the issues surrounding mechanized harvesting in mixed
hardwood stands was gathered within the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence forest region. The
silviculture prescription for the stands studied was single tree selection. Harvesting was
done by two different systems; 1) Timbco T-425c feller buncher with motor manual
delimbing and one 240 Timberjack cable skidder and 2) harvested by motor manual
chainsaw with motor manual delimbing and 225 Timberjack cable skidder. The
objective of the study is to assess residual damage as a result of certain harvesting
methods, equipment choices and seasonal harvest periods. Issues regarding logging
damage done by different types of machinery used on stands with high-value timber
needs to be recognized. The results of the study prove to show high significance in
promoting careful logging practices that will lower the rate of logging damage on
Southern Ontario stands.


title: Building bridges in indigenizing education: digital narratives as a means of shifting non-Indigenous teacher horizons towards relationality

subject: Indigenous education

subject: Non-Indigenous teachers

subject: Disconnect between Indigenous & Western worldviews

subject: Digital technologies & Indigenous student voice

abstract:
This thesis was developed in response to the pressing need to find methods for non-Indigenous
teachers to actively teach for Indigenous student resilience, and to center Indigenous students and
their families in an education system which consistently marginalizes and silences them
(Canadian Council on Learning 2009; Dion, 2009). Digital narratives are explored as a means to
address this need. Through the use of teacher research and photovoice I answer two research
questions: How can non-Indigenous teachers use multimedia expression to shift their
horizons in order to better understand and support the resilient identities and academic
potential of Indigenous youth? And, what can these youth teach these educators about
Indigenous identity and self-determination in school and Canadian society? Analysis of a
variety of data sources, which included in-service and pre-service teacher interviews,
autoethnographic journals, and Indigenous students’ digital narratives (iMovies), revealed six
thematic ways in which students’ digital narratives, and the process of creating them, shifted
teachers towards a more relational stance with their students and centered student voice in the
classroom. In theorizing the outcomes of this study I interpret these themes as bridges. These
pathways facilitate dialogue and encourage relationship to be built between Indigenous students
and non-Indigenous. These bridges include 1) intrinsically valuing technology as a teaching tool,
2) reciprocation and authentic relationship, 3) collaboration, 4) student self–representation, 5)
student demonstration of knowledge, and, 6) record of student strengths. The findings of this
thesis provide a rich example of how digital narratives can be used in the classroom to move
towards an indigenized approach in education, support Indigenous students’ self-determination
in schools and encourage relationality, a stance of acknowledging and moving towards better
relations by recognizing a shard humanity and future (Donald, 2012), between settler-Canadian
teachers and Indigenous students.


title: Study of host pathogen interactions using a model of Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection of lung epithelial cells / by Rebecca Barnes.

contributor:
Ulanova, Marina
Schraft, Heidi
Leung, Kam

subject:
Bacteria
Epithelial cells
Pseudomonas aeruginosa

abstract:
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic pulmonary pathogen that can cause acute, life-threatening pneumonia in immunocompromised individuals, it is a common cause of high-mortality ventilator associated pneumonia, and frequently colonizes the lungs of cystic fibrosis patients. As an opportunist, P. aeruginosa uses multiple strategies to exploit host cells during pulmonary infections, and many of these mechanisms are not completely understood. The goal of this study was to develop and optimize a set of experimental methods that would allow us to explore the host-pathogen interactions between P. aeruginosa and lung epithelial cells, and to use these methods to specifically investigate the role of lung epithelial integrin receptors in P. aeruginosa pathogenesis.  We labelled a strain of P. aeruginosa PAK with green fluorescent protein (gfp) gene and optimized conditions using this strain to measure its interaction with A549  lung epithelial cells using flow cytometry, a plate reader based assay and fluorescence microscopy. We then used these methods to investigate the importance of integrin inhibitory peptides or antibodies and integrin ECM ligands for PAKgfp interactions with A549 cells. In addition, we measured the effect of inhibiting the functional involvement of integrins using
siRNA against integrin linked kinase (ILK) on A549 cellular responses (cytokine release) to PAK. Finally, isogenic PAK mutants and clinical isolates of P. aeruginosa were used to determine the importance of various bacterial virulence factors in activation A549 cells. We found that P. aeruginosa PAK preferentially binds the [alpha]5[beta]1 integrin ligand fibronectin which can increase PAKgfp association with A549 cells, and that ILK mediated signaling is necessary for the maximal cytokine response of A549 to P. aeruginosa infection. In addition, infection with PAK mutants lacking flagella or LPS, and all studied P. aeruginosa clinical isolates resulted in decreased cytokine release by A549 cells compared to PAK WT. We conclude that P. aeruginosa is able to exploit integrins, particularly aSpi, to activate cellular signaling events in host airway epithelial cells during infection, and that the ability of the bacterium to elicit such responses can vary depending on the phenotype and virulence of the particular P. aeruginosa strain.


title: Spider diversity over time at Hogarth Plantation using pitfall traps

subject: Araneae

subject: Biodiversity

subject: Bioindicators

subject: Boreal forest

subject: Forest ecosystem

subject: Spiders (Araneae) taxonomy and systematics

subject: Pitfall trap

abstract:
Biodiversity assessments are conducted using various methods featuring diverse
assemblages of biota and whose results have seemingly endless important applications. In this
assessment pitfall traps were used to research diversity of spider families over time for a boreal
forest ecosite in northwestern Ontario. Applications of the resulting data discussed include
delineating ecoregions, evaluating sampling techniques, assessing sustainability of forest
management practices, and furthering taxonomic and systematic research. Lab identification
methodologies were used to catalogue individual spiders collected during the study period into
their associated families. The resulting family compositions were analyzed and compared to
knowledge on the families biology to assess the significance of the data. From which,
conclusions were formed on the study sites.


title: Participants' views on constraints and opportunities in the development of diamond tourism in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories

contributor:
Johnston, Margaret
Koster, Rhonda
Lemelin, Harvey
Twynam, David

subject:
Diamond mines and mining
Northwest Territories
Yellowknife
Tourism

abstract: Diamond tourism is an experience that is currently being developed in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada. Ideally, diamond tourism engages tourists in an educational experience about the diamond mining process, starting with extraction of the rough diamond through to the cutting, the polishing, and, finally, the purchasing stage.


title: Small-business owners' attitudes towards tourism and capacity for innovation: a case study in rural northwestern ontario

contributor:
Koster, Rhonda
Lemelin, Harvey
Zahaf, Medhi

subject:
Small-business owners
Tourism attitudes
Networking
Innovation
Rural tourism

abstract:
Rural communities in much of the developed world have turned to tourism as a possible means to assist with the decline of traditional extractive industries (such as forestry and mining) and the resulting negative impacts on the economy and population (Petrzelka et al, 2005; Beshiri, 2005a, 2005b; Fuller-Love, 2008; Byrd et al, 2009; Harril, 2004; Long et al, 1990). In northern Ontario many communities remain reliant on the traditional primary sectors (Ministry of Northern Development, Mines and Forestry, 2009). There is an increasing reliance on the private sector, specifically the small-business sector to provide product and service development for tourism in rural communities including accommodation options, restaurants, attractions, entertainment and retail opportunities (Frederick, 1993; Siemens, 2007; Ioannides, 1995).These rural small-business owners face the dual pressures of providing everyday products not only to their community but also to tourists that come throughout the year.
A qualitative case study analysis was conducted in northwestern Ontario, Canada in the Top of the Superior region on small-business owners (n=17) involved in tourism (directly and indirectly) specifically examining their attitudes towards tourism and the opportunities for innovation at the firm and network levels. The study took place in the communities of Dorion, Red Rock, and Nipigon, as this is a region identified as in need of tourism product development. In the last decade this region has experienced change in its economic and social structure due to the decline of the forest industry which served as the primary economic foundation.


title: An Assessment of organizational infrastructure gaps, barriers and enablers to developing formal palliative care programs in LTC homes : a comparative case study of two long term care homes in Northern Ontario

subject:
Palliative care
Ontario, Northern
Long-term care facilities
Long-term care of the sick

abstract:
This research paper is a sub-study of a five year Social Sciences and Humanities
Research Counci l of Canada (SSHRC) funded Community-University Research Alliance project: Improving Quality ofLife for People Dying in Long-Term Care Homes, in progress from 2009 to 2013. This sub-study uses a comparative case study design and the Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association' s (CHPCA) model of practice as a framework to understand how the organizational infrastructure of two long-term care (LTC) homes affects their capacity to develop and deliver formal palliative care programs. The three main goals of this sub-study were: 1 ) to identifY resources and functions within the two LTC homes that serve as enablers to support palliative care development and delivery; 2) to identify current gaps and barriers that influence the development and delivery of formal palliative care programs within these two care homes ; and 3 ) t o determine a list of priorities for change a t the organizational level i n e fforts t o make
the LTC homes more successful during the development and delivery their own formalized
palliative care programs.


title: Gender differences in adolescent self-efficacy in sport

contributor:
Farrell, Joey
McAuliffe, Jim
Crossman, Jane

subject:
Self-efficacy
Adolescent psychology
Sports Psychological aspects

abstract:
The purpose o f this study was to examine the effect of gender on sport self-efficacy
in adolescents. The effect of age and sport participation on sport self-efficacy were also
examined. Self-efficacy was assessed with two measures; self-efficacy to succeed in sport,
and self-efficacy to initiate participation in sports. The sample was enlisted from three
Thunder Bay, Ontario, high schools (n = 292) from two age groups: grade 9 and grade 12.
Sport participation levels were assessed with a self-report measure of average weekly
participation in sports. Self-efficacy to succeed was measured with a 9-point Likert scale
using a modified Trait Sport-Confidence Inventory (Vealey, 1986), and a self-efficacy to
initiate participation in sport tool. Written responses to several questions were also
requested from sport nonparticipants for qualitative analysis. Quantitative results were
analyzed using MANOVA. Findings identified a gender effect on self-efficacy to succeed in
sport with males (x = 7.17) demonstrating higher levels than females (x = 6.75).
Participation level had a main effect on both measures of self-efficacy. Age group was
found to have no effect on any variables. The role of sport participation in the development
of self-efficacy is discussed, including the influence of gender. Results are described in
terms of self-efficacy theory as conceptualized by Bandura (1977).


title: Pastoral and the theme of character education in As you like it, The winter's tale and The tempest

subject: Shakespeare pastoral


title: Accommodating Students on Classroom and Large-scale Assessments: Teachers’ Perspectives and Validity Issues

contributor:
van Barneveld, Christina
Kaefer, Tanya

subject:
Classroom accommodation
Educational testing
Educational assessment data
EQAO accommodation policy

abstract:
The objective of this research was to examine teacher perspectives of accommodation practices
in the classroom, on large-scale assessments, and their effect on the validity of large-scale
assessment data in Ontario schools. The problem was that students without IEPs may benefit from accommodations in their classrooms but would not be eligible for accommodations on large-scale assessments, including those administered by the EQAO.  This study answers three questions:  (1)
Would grade 3 and 6 teachers in Northern Ontario provide large-scale assessment accommodations consistent with the students’ classroom accommodations? (2) What proportion of teachers would not follow the EQAO accommodation policy? (3) In the opinion of grades 3 and 6 teachers in Northern Ontario, what are the validity issues of large-scale assessments for students without IEPs who are receiving accommodations in the classroom? Data was collected in collaboration with the Northwest professional network centre (PNC) of the Managing Information for Student Achievement (MISA). Using a mixed-methods analysis I examined responses from 37 teachers in grades 3 or 6 throughout Northern Ontario. I found that, in general, students without IEPs would not receive accommodations on the EQAO that were consistent with their classroom accommodations. Further, more than half of all teachers would not follow the EQAO accommodation policies. Finally, inconsistency in accommodations between the classroom and the EQAO Primary and Junior Assessments is possibly a significant concern for validity of the interpretations of the EQAO assessments and should be further examined on a province-wide scale.


title: Older men's conceptions of masculinity, aging, and the body / by Stephanie Anderson Chesser.

contributor:
Wiersma, Elaine C.
Wakewich, Pamela
Tranter, David
Caissie, Linda

subject:
Aging - Psychological aspects
Older men - Psychology
Body image

abstract: While much gerontology research has focused on the female gendered experience of aging, little attention has been paid to the ways in which older men conceptualize their own masculinity. The objectives of this constructivist study were to explore (i) how older men conceptualize masculinity as they age, (ii) how older age is a gendered experience for men, (iii) how masculinity in older age affects men's lives, and (iv) how conceptions of masculinity stay the same/change with age. Transcripts from one-on-one, semi-structured interviews conducted with 14 retired men (aged 59 to 84) in a small northwestern Ontario city were analyzed using constructivist methodology. Interview questions focused on participants' experiences throughout the life course (i.e. marriage, retirement, illness) in addition to their perceptions of masculinity and gender roles. Early on in the analysis process, the body was identified as a common thread that connected men's masculine self-perceptions and their ages.


title: Sino-Canadian parents' perceptions of their children's Chinese literacy development

contributor:
Courtland, Mary Clare
Russell, Connie
O'Meara, John

subject: Chinese Canadian children (Ontario, Northwestern)

subject: Language attrition

subject: Language, literacy and culture

subject: First and second language acquisition

subject: Home environment and literacy development

abstract:
This qualitative study was conducted in a Northwestern Ontario urban community where
the population of Sino-Canadian people is approximately 300 members. The purpose of
the study was to describe Sino-Canadian parents’ perceptions of Chinese language
maintenance, factors which influence their children’s Chinese literacy development, and
the strategies they used to maintain their children’s family literacy. Data were collected
from interviews with six Chinese parents who had school aged children. Three themes
emerged from the analysis of the data: general perceptions of language maintenance,
family literacy practices, and concerns and issues. The children, parents, and the literacy
and language environment of children all play an important role in achieving Chinese
language maintenance. Family literacy is a vehicle for promoting Chinese language and
culture.


title: Simveillance in hyperreal Las Vegas

subject: Electronic surveillance Social aspects Nevada Las Vegas

subject: Electronic surveillance Nevada Las Vegas Psychological aspects

subject: Casinos Nevada Las Vegas Security measures

abstract:
On a Thursday afternoon, an average Canadian leaves her office, and goes to a
nearby bank machine to get a cash advance on one of her credit cards. She uses the
money to buy lunch at a mall food court, then wanders into various shops purchasing
clothing and compact discs with her Interac-equipped bank card. Returning to her
office, she logs on to the internet, and checks her email. She then goes back to her
assigned task of data entry. An ordinary day for millions of Canadians, but what is
extraordinary is how well-documented this banal trip was. The woman’s face has been
photographed, videotaped, and time-coded. Records of her purchases have been
distributed to her, the stores, and her bank. Her employer knows that she has checked
her email. Were she to go missing, investigators would be able to put together a fairly
comprehensive itinerary of her day, and there would be plenty of up-to-date images for
the evening news. But it should be noted, It is possible that at no time during her day
was she actually being watched by a pair of human eyes.
It is not an overstatement to claim that surveillance permeates many aspects of
North American life. There is no shortage of sociological theory to help illuminate the
situation; sociologists have been keenly aware of the importance of surveillance for
decades. However, at the dawn of the 21®' century, it is questionable whether the
theories that have dominated surveillance discourse for the last twenty-five years can
still provide insight. Technology has certainly advanced in that time, both in capability
and in frequency. The average person now takes for granted technology that would
have been unthinkable a quarter of a century ago. Along with the technological
envelopment has come an immersion in simulation, as people find themselves operating in a virtual world of computers and videoscreens. The question is whether
this has simply intensified conventional surveillance in North American society, or
produced a new kind of creature entirely. This thesis will argue that the articulation of
the two forces has produced a hybrid; for lack of a better word, this hybrid can be called
simveillance. Simveillance can not be encompassed by the classic concepts of
surveillance that dominate current discourse.


title: Understanding the fertility desires and intentions among HIV-positive men living in Ontario: survey instrument development and validation

contributor:
Schiff, Rebecca
Antoniou, Tony
Kristman, Vicki

subject: Fertility desires and HIV

subject: HIV and parenting

subject: Men living with HIV

subject: Fertility and fatherhood for men who are HIV-positive

abstract:
Fathers living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection play a pivotal role in
shaping the lives of their families and children. However, women living with HIV have
received disproportionally more attention in studies of parenting and the importance of
having children, with men frequently left out of the picture. In addition, there is a gap in the
literature, however, as no instrument specific to the measurement of the fertility desires and
intentions among men living with HIV has been validated for use for all men including,
heterosexuals (straights), gays, bisexuals and others. The problem addressed by this study is
the need for a well substantiated tool with multiple items which demonstrates reliable and
valid assessments of fertility desires and intentions for all men living with HIV. Therefore,
this study was designed to develop and validate a survey instrument. The instrument will be
used by clinicians or service providers to gather information about fertility desires and
intentions for men living with HIV and developing appropriate services.
The scale was developed in four phases. During the first phase, the instrument questions
were developed by adapting questions from previous surveys. In phases two and three, the
questions were collated and reviewed by experts and then by community members in a focus
group for further evaluation in a pilot study. Specifically, content validity was maximized by
undertaking a thorough literature review and consulting with experts in the fields of HIV and
parenting. Face validity was evaluated via focus group of men living with HIV. Construct
validity was verified for many of the questionnaire sections using confirmatory factor
analysis (CFA). The test-retest reliability was assessed using Spearman’s rho correlation,
internal consistency was determined using Cronbach's alpha and concurrent validity was
assessed. The number of agreements across items were used to assess concurrent vality.
Ordinal logistic regression was used to assess the associations between fertility
desire/intention and independent variables.
The draft questionnaire consisted of 14 constructs. Content validation suggested removal of
seven items. Focus group participants suggested that the overall flow of the survey was
smooth. In addition, they recommended 18 new items to be added. Construct analysis
confirmed the predetermined model. Cronbach’s alpha was above 0.70 for most of the
constructs. Test-retest statistic showed a stability of the responses Spearman’s rho
correlation >0.70. The results showed the proportion of individuals who desire /intend to becoming a father correspond to those of previously established measurements for the same
constructs confirming evidence for good concurrent validity. In this study, sexual orientation
and age were demonstrated to be associated with fertility desire and intention. In conclusion,
an instrument was developed for determining the fertility desires and intentions of men
living with HIV.


title: Chicago reprise in the Champagne Years' of Canadian sociology, 1935-1964 / by Thomas Palantzas.

subject: Chicago sociology Canada History.

subject: Sociology Study and teaching Quebec (Province) Montreal.

subject: Sociology Canada History 20th century.


title: Synthesis and Electrochemical Studies of Titanium Dioxide Based Nanostructured Catalysts for Environmental Applications

contributor:
Chen, Aicheng
Liao, Baoqiang
Gallagher, Mark

subject: Nanotechnology

subject: Nanomaterials

subject: TiO2 nanostructured materials

subject: Nanotechnology in environmental applications

subject: Noble metal atoms for fuel cell applications

abstract:
Nanomaterials are playing an increasingly important role toward addressing emerging environmental challenges. Heterogeneous catalysis is the best option available for the elimination of environmentally incompatible compounds that reside within contaminated water sources. Among all investigated nanomaterials, TiO2 has proven itself as optimal for various applications such as photocatalysis, electrochromic devices, dye sensitized solar cells, hydrogen production, and sensing. TiO2 is impressive due to its low cost, non-toxicity, chemical inertness, and high efficiency. In spite of having all these excellent properties, the efficient utilization of TiO2 for various applications is limited by its inability to absorb visible light. Due to large band gap, only UV light may be absorbed by TiO2, thus making it minimally efficient when exposed to sunlight, which contains only about 4% in the UV spectrum. An enormous amount of research has been focused on decreasing the band gap of TiO2 in order to increase its efficiency under sunlight. The present research is focused on the development of new techniques to increase the conductivity of TiO2 nanomaterials as well as to decrease its band gap to make it an efficient photoelectrocatalyst.
During my PhD study, TiO2 nanostructured materials were fabricated using a facile anodization method. TiO2 nanotubes were synthesized by employing DMSO + 2% HF as an electrolyte. An electrochemical (EC) reduction method was employed to reduce the TiO2 nanotubes, which were subsequently employed as a novel and efficient catalyst for the oxidation of salicylic acid (SA) for the first time. The effects of the cathodic current and reduction time on the electrocatalytic activity of the reduced TiO2 were investigated, and the results revealed that the optimal electrochemical treatment conditions were −5 mA cm−2 for 10 min. The electrochemically treated TiO2 nanotubes possessed a much higher overpotential for oxygen evolution than a commercial Pt electrode, and exhibited a high electrocatalytic activity in the oxidation of SA. When compared with a Pt electrode, the electrochemically treated TiO2 nanotubes exhibited ca. 6 times higher activity toward the oxidation of SA. The high electrocatalytic activity and stability of the treated TiO2 nanotubes enabled by the facile electrochemical reduction may be attributed to the decrease of Ti(IV), the increase of Ti(II) and Ti(III), and the increase of oxygen vacancies, as well as a significant improvement in the donor density.
The effects of TiO2 nanotube length on its activity in the electrocatalytic oxidation of lignin were also studied. The TiO2 nanotubes were grown in a DMSO and 2% HF solution, where a constant potential was applied for different time intervals. A very uniform increase in the lengths of the nanotubes was observed when the anodization time interval was increased. The increase in the nanotube length had a very significant effect on the electrochemical oxidation of lignin. The rate of lignin oxidation continued to increase until an optimal length was achieved. Impedance studies revealed that there was an optimal length of nanotube that demonstrated the least charge transfer resistance; if longer nanotubes were grown a higher resistant was obtained. The fabricated electrode also showed a very high level of stability.
Nanoporous TiO2 was directly grown employing a three-step electrochemical anodization process in ethylene glycol + 0.3 wt% NH4F + 2 wt% H2O. A significant enhancement in the photocatalytic activity of nanoporous TiO2 was achieved via a facile electrochemical reduction. Subsequently, the treated nanoporous TiO2 was investigated as a catalyst for photoelectrochemical water splitting and the photoelectrochemical oxidation of Rhodamine B (Rh B), which is an organic dye pollutant. Due to the presence of higher degree of ordering and a larger surface area, the nanoporous TiO2 electrode showed a much higher photocurrent under UV light in contrast to TiO2 nanotubes. The photocurrent of the as-prepared nanoporous TiO2 was 7.70 mA cm−2 at 1.5 V, and it was significantly increased to 46.23 mA cm−2 following additional electrochemical treatment. The electron donor density of the electrochemically treated nanoporous TiO2 was four orders of magnitude higher than that of the untreated nanoporous TiO2. The treated nanoporous TiO2 also demonstrated six times more rapid photoelectrochemical degradation of Rh B, as well as remarkable stability.
The high surface area of electrochemically reduced nanoporous TiO2 may be used as a substrate to synthesize a Pt and Pb co-deposited bifunctional electrode (PtPb/EC-TiO2) to enable photo-assisted methanol oxidation in a direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC). Photochemical deposition was employed to introduce Pt and Pb onto the nanoporous TiO2 surface at an equimolar ratio. Mott-Shottky plots and Nyquist plots revealed that the PtPb/EC-TiO2 bifunctional electrode showed a higher electron donor density and a much lower charge transfer resistance as compared to the Pt/EC-TiO2, whether in the dark or under solar light irradiation. PtPb/EC-TiO2 exhibited a further enhancement in activity when solar light irradiation is applied to the electrode thus making it an efficient bifunctional electrode. III
The simplicity and efficacy of the novel electrochemical reduction approach developed in this study facilitates the integration of TiO2 nanostructured materials into the design of high-performance energy harvesting and water purification technologies.


title: Unpasteurized milk : a growing public health issue

subject: Raw milk Health aspects Canada

abstract:
The sale and distribution of unpasteurized/raw milk is illegal in Canada. Canadian federal and
provincial legislation prohibit the sale and distribution of raw milk based on scientific evidence
that unpasteurized milk poses a human health risk. The official position of the Canadian
government is supported by domestic and foreign government agencies, public health
professionals, and faculty at post-secondary educational institutions as well as physicians and
veterinarian. The arguments made by groups that support pasteurization are further bolstered by
studies published in peer-reviewed journals which cite epidemiological evidence and laboratory
findings that unpasteurized milk is a vehicle for food-borne illness.
Some Canadian milk producers have found means of circumventing and contravening the
current legislation in order to meet an increasing public demand for raw milk. Groups supporting
consumption of unpasteurized milk often reinforce the statements made by other raw milk
advocates; however their claims surrounding the purported benefits of unpasteurized milk and
the alleged dangers of pasteurization have not been scientifically proven. Furthermore, the claims
made by raw milk advocates are often contradicted by information provided by the previously
mentioned groups who warn against the consumption of raw milk. Based on the credentials of
the authors, and the scientific evidence provided to support their claims, the author has
concluded that the argument supporting pasteurization and the ongoing ban on the sale and
distribution of unpasteurized milk is the more persuasive.
Raw milk advocates argue that it is the right of the individual to decide what they
consume in their quest for maintaining and improving their health and that the government does
not have the right to infringe upon the private affairs of citizens. Autonomy is the basis for western culture, and an integral component of a democratic society, however, autonomy must be
exercised within the parameters of the law.
Many other countries support Canada’s position and have also made the sale and
distribution of unpasteurized milk illegal due to the potential for the product to carry pathogenic
organisms. Some countries however, have legalized the sale and distribution of unpasteurized
milk. These countries have implemented restrictions and precautions as a means of balancing the
consumer’s right to choose what they consume with reduction of the risk that consumption of the
product poses.
Even though the claims made by raw milk advocates regarding the superiority of
unpasteurized milk have not been scientifically proven, recent scientific studies have identified
that early consumption of unpasteurized farm milk may reduce a child’s risk of developing
allergic disorders. Increased research is needed in order to determine what components of raw
milk provide a protective effect on the development of allergic disorders in farm children. Once
these components are identified, further research is needed in order to determine how to preserve
these factors, while maintaining a pathogen-free product. While this research is being conducted,
public health efforts should focus on the development and delivery of targeted educational
campaigns that better inform farmers and the public of the risks of consuming raw milk and the
scientific evidence surrounding pasteurized and unpasteurized milk.


title: Geochemistry and Au mineralization within the Kakagi-Rowan Lakes greenstone belt : a study of the Angel Hill Gold Zone

subject:
Geochemistry
Ontario, Northwestern
Geology
Gold ores
Mineralogy

abstract:
The Angel Hill Gold Zone of the West Cedartree Gold Project has been exposed over 300
meters along the internal contact of ultramafic and gabbroic rocks within the Kakagi Sill. The sill lies within the Kakagi-Rowan Lakes greenstone belt and has intruded the mafic metavolcanic rocks of the Snake Bay Formation and the felsic to intermediate etavolcanic rocks of the Emm Bay Formation. The Snake Bay Formation consists of pillowed and massive basalts and fine-grained tuffs. The Emm Bay Formation stratigraphically overlies the Snake Bay Formation and consists of tuffs and tuff breccias. Trace element geochemistry and primitive mantle normalised plots suggest that both the rocks of the Kakagi Sill and the Snake Bay F ormation are comprised of metasomatsed island arc tholeiite basalts whereas the rocks of the Emm Bay Formation are characterised of a back island arc affinity. The Angel Hill Gold Zone occurs as extensive carbonate and quartz flooding within a zone of brittle deformation termed the master fault. A distinguishing feature of the gold zone is the presence of extensive fuchsite alteration forming large mats up to 20 meters wide. Mineralization in the Angel Hill Gold Zone consists of free gold and sylvanite occurring as inclusions within and rimming pyrite grains, as well as precipitated along small fractures in quartz. Associated mineralization includes pyrite as well as galena and sphalerite. Textural relationships and stable isotope analyses of carbonate (o1 80 1 3 .6 to 1 7 .9 %o), quartz (o 1 80 8.8 to 1 3. 1 %o), pyrite (o34S -0.8 to 1 .0 %o), sphalerite (o34S 1 .3 to 5.4 %o), and galena (o34S 5 .9 to 7.3
%o) suggest multiple episodes of brittle deformation and fluid influx within a protracted lode gold system. The combination alteration assemblages and stable isotope characteristics suggest that the Angel Hill Gold Zone formed as a result of listwanite metasomatism with input of fluids from both magmatic and metamorphic sources. These fluids propagated as a result of the brittle faulting that occurred due to a competency contrast between the ultramafic footwall and the gabbro hangingwall during regional deformation.


title: Luminescent response of phosphors and scintillators to ions with energies in the 0-100 KeV range

subject: Luminescence Phosphors

abstract:
A survey of the ionoluminescence of a large number of ion-phosphor
combinations under uniform conditions has been made.
Powdered phosphors and scintillation crystals with different
activators, different methods of surface treatment and different
particle size were studied in the energy range from 3—100 KeV.
L, the ratio of integrated photomultiplier output to incident ion
current, was found to be a sensitive function of ion energy. It
increased with increasing ion energy and decreased with increasing
ion mass. A nonlinear relationship between L and E, the ion energy,
was observed for heavier ions, the nonlinearity increasing with ion
mass. Comparisons of L values obtained in ZnS, YV04 and in Zn2Si04:Mn
phosphors of different particle size and with different activators
were made. The results indicated that the light output may depend on
the mechanism of luminescence, the crystal structure and the activaactivators,
as well as the surface conditions of the samples. By taking
into consideration the non-radiative surface recombination of electron
hole pairs and assuming that the rate of generation of carrier pairs
along the path of a particle is proportional to the specific energy
loss in electron collision (dE/dR)e, a formula was obtained to predict
the nonlinear dependence of L at low energies.


title: Roadside floristic patterns and revegetation by using native plants in Terra Nova National Park, Newfoundland, Canada

subject: Revegetation (Newfoundland and Labrador Terra Nova National Park)

subject: Botany

abstract:
This thesis reports on a study of roadside floristic patterns and revegetation
(cultural methods) of newly constructed roadsides by using native plants along Trans
Canada Highway (TCH) in Terra Nova National Park (TNNP), Newfoundland.
Recognizing the need for developing natural and self-sustained roadside
vegetation cover to mitigate road effects, the first chapter of this thesis examines two
aspects of the roadside floristic patterns: a) the nature of plant community composition
across the roadside habitats with respect to microtopographic features, substrate
properties and maintenance disturbances and b) the nature of above and below ground
architectural characteristics and biomass allocation patterns of selected dominant plants
across roadside microhabitats. The combined knowledge about floristic patterns and
autecological attributes of roadside plants should help in selecting desirable native plants
for roadside revegetation in order to mitigate road effects. The vegetation survey and soil
sampling were conducted across the right-of-way along 10-15 years old section of the
Trans Canada Highway (TCH) in Terra Nova National Park (TNNP), Newfoundland.
The Multi-response Permutation Procedure (MRPP) confirmed the zonation of plant
community across the right-of-way by distinguishing four plant communities occurring
on four roadside microhabitats, such as shoulder, side slope, ditch and hack slope. The
Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) showed that the composition of roadside
plant communities in different microhabitats was related to soil moisture content, bulk
density, organic, matter depth and pH.


title: Petrology of the Crystal Lake Gabbro and the Mount Mollie Dyke, Midcontinent Rift, Northwest Ontario

contributor:
Hollings, Peter
Miller, Jim

subject:
Animikie basin
Midcontinent Rift
Whole-rock geochemistry
Geochemistry

abstract:
The Crystal Lake Gabbro (CLG) is a Y-shaped, up to 750 m wide, layered mafic intrusion with a 5 km long northern limb and a 2.75 km long southern limb, with localized Cu-Ni and Cr mineralization. The Mount Mollie Dyke (MMD) is an arcuate, 60 to 350 m wide, macrodyke that lies on trend east of the CLG and extends for 35 km toward Lake Superior. Both intrusions are part of the 1.1 Ga Midcontinent Rift (MCR) and were emplaced into the Paleoproterozoic Rove Formation of the Logan Basin, approximately 50 km south of Thunder Bay. Current U-Pb age determination implies a ~10 m.y. age difference with CLG being formed at ~1100 Ma and the MMD being formed at ~1109 Ma. However, this age difference is at odds with both intrusions being normally polarized (an attribute of MCR rocks younger than 1102 Ma) and their being on trend with each other. This study seeks to determine whether the two intrusions may be petrogenetically linked by evaluating the petrography, geochemistry, mineral composition, and sulphur isotopes of samples collected from drill core.
The CLG profiled in a drill core from its southern limb can be broadly divided into Upper, Main, and Lower Zones with further subdivisions of the Main and Lower Zones based largely on geochemistry. The Lower Zone occurs between two xenoliths of an early MCR (~1115 Ma) plagioclase porphyritic Logan Sill diabase. The Lower Zone consists of subophitic to ophitic troctolite, augite troctolite, and olivine gabbro and can be subdivided into an upper and basal marginal subzone as well as an interior subzone. Both marginal subzones host disseminated sulphides with the basal margin also containing Cr-spinel seams. An overall bottom-up-directed fractional crystallization of the Lower Zone is suggested by the progressive decrease in Fo content of olivine, Mg# of clinopyroxene, and whole-rock MgO upsection. Above the upper Logan Sill xenolith, the Main Zone similarly consists of subophitic to ophitic troctolite, augite troctolite, olivine gabbro, and gabbro. Petrography, lithogeochemistry, and mineral composition was used to subdivide the Main Zone into five subzones: a basal marginal subzone, upper margin subzone, and three interior cycles that display cryptic variations indicative of fractional crystallization and magma recharge events. Like the margins of the Lower Zone, the Upper Zone as well and the basal marginal subzone of the Main Zone contain disseminated sulphides and Cr-spinel, and are characterized by relatively high Fo content olivine and low incompatible trace element concentrations. These mineralized zones are interpreted to have crystallized from the same initial pulse of magma into the CLG, which was sulfide- and Cr-spinel-saturated. Cyclical cryptic variations in the internal subzone of the Main Zone are interpreted to indicate upward directed fractional crystallization, interrupted by emplacement of additional magma pulses into the core of the intrusion. All rocks of the Main Zone are olivine and plagioclase orthocumulates indicating that fractional crystallization was not particularly efficient (i.e., did not experience a strong segregation of cumulus minerals from the parental magma). The lack of Cr-spinel in the interior and upper marginal subzones of the Main Zone further indicates that subsequent magma pulses either were more evolved than the original parental magma or were volumetrically subordinate to the evolved magmas that resided in the chamber.


title: Serious heart disease and cancer and the multidimensional health locus of control

subject:
Control (Psychology)
Heart Diseases Patients
Cardiovascular system Diseases Patients

abstract:
The present research attempted to determine whether or
not individuals' perceptions of serious heart disease and
cancer would differentially affect health locus of control
beliefs, as measured by the Multidimensional Health Locus of
Control (MHLC) scales. Study 1, a within-subjects design,
assessed the health locus of control beliefs of 33 introductory
psychology students under three separate sets of
instructions - no special instructions, "imagine having suffered
a heart attack" instructions, and "imagine having
cancer" instructions. As predicted, serious heart disease
was seen to result in greater internal health locus of control
beliefs, than cancer. Cancer was seen as resulting in
greater chance health locus of control beliefs than serious
heart disease. Both of these life-threatening illnesses
were perceived as resulting in greater involvement of powerful
others when compared to non life-threatening illnesses.
Study 2, a between subjects design, was then conducted using
94 introductory psychology students. The results from this
study generally confirmed the findings of Study 1, with the
exception of the nonsignificant differences found between
the chance health locus of control beliefs of these three
groups. Study 3, a between-subjects design, was conducted
using a clinical population of 20 "worried well" patients,
20 "serious heart disease" patients, and 20 "cancer" patients.
The results from this study were again consistent with the findings of the previous two studies. These
results appear to suggest that individuals' beliefs and
attitudes about different life-threatening illnesses affect
their health locus of control beliefs. Treatment implications
are offered as well as suggestions for further
research.


title: Speed sensorless and MPPT control of IPM synchronous generator for wind energy conversion system

contributor:
Uddin, Mohammad
Natarajan, Krishnamoorthy
Alexandrov, Dimiter

subject:
Wind power generation
Wind energy conversion systems
Sensorless control
Power extraction strategies

abstract:
The popularity of renewable energy has experienced significant growth recently due to
the foreseeable exhaustion of conventional fossil fuel power generation methods and increasing realization of the adverse effects that conventional fossil fuel power generation has on the environment. Among the renewable energy sources, wind power generation is rapidly becoming competitive with conventional fossil fuel sources. The wind turbines in the market have a variety of innovative concepts, with proven technology for both generators and power electronics interfaces. Recently, variable-speed permanent magnet synchronous generator (PMSG) based wind energy conversion systems (WECS) is becoming more attractive in comparison to the fixed-speed WECS. In the variable-speed generation system, the wind turbine can be operated at maximum power operating points over a wide speed range by adjusting the shaft speed optimally.
This thesis presents both wind and rotor speed sensorless control for the direct-drive interior permanent magnet synchronous generator (IPMSG) with maximum power point tracking (MPPT) algorithm. The proposed method, without requiring the knowledge of wind speed, air density or turbine parameters, generates optimum speed command for speed control loop of vector controlled machine side converter. The MPPT algorithm based on perturbation and observation uses only estimated active power as its input to track peak output power points in accordance with wind speed change and incorporates proposed sensorless control to transfer maximum dc-link power from generator.              In this work for the IPMSG, the rotor position and speed are estimated based on model
reference adaptive system. Additionally, it incorporates flux weakening controller (FWC) for wide operating speed range at various wind speed and other disturbances. Matlab/Simulink based simulation model of the proposed sensorless MPPT control of IPMSG based WECS is built to verify the effectiveness of the system. The MPPT controller has been tested for variable wind speed conditions. The performance of the proposed WECS is also compared with the conventional control of WECS system. The proposed IPMSG based WECS incorporating the MPPT and sensorless algorithms is successfully implemented in real-time using the digital signal processor (DSP) board DS1104 for a laboratory 5 hp machine. A 5 hp DC motor is used as wind turbine to drive the IPMSG. The speed tracking performance and maximum power transfer capability of the proposed WECS are verified by both simulation and experimental results at
different speed conditions.


title: Enhanced hydrolysis of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastics by ozone and ultrasound pretreatment

subject:
Enzymatic hydrolysis
Chemical hydrolysis
Polyethylene terephthalate (PET)
Plastic pollution
Plastic degradation
Plastic biodegradation
Ultrasound assisted hydrolysis

abstract:
The rapidly accumulating post-consumer polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastics
pose a great threat to our environment as they constitute one of the most used products in
our day-to-day life. As a result, degradation of PET and recycling has become the focus of
considerable interest in the last decade. Hydrolysis of PET is very challenging as they are
extremely resistant to both biotic and abiotic degradation. A technically and economically
feasible approach to degrade PET waste from the environment is highly desirable.
Physicochemical pre-treatment can play an important role in making PET more degradable
by changing their surface properties. Direct recycling of segregated PET has problems of
contamination of additives and components used in various PET products. PET hydrolysis
however can lead to recovery of the monomers terephthalic acid (TPA) and ethylene glycol
(EG) as well as the dimers bis(2-hydroxyethyl) terephthalate (BHET) and mono(2-
hydroxyethyl) terephthalate (MHET) which can be reused for making new PETs. This can
potentially solve the difficulties associated with PET recycling and lead to a circular
economy. The present study reports the effect of ozone and ultrasound pretreatment on
both enzymatic and chemical hydrolysis of PET. The results showed that combination of
ozone pretreatment followed by ultra-sonication during enzymatic hydrolysis using HiC
cutinase enzyme resulted in almost 9-fold increase in TPA and EG recovery compared to
enzymatic hydrolysis of untreated PET. However, the long reaction time in enzymatic
hydrolysis prompted us to investigate chemical hydrolysis. Although, chemical hydrolysis
of pretreated PET films using methanolic sodium hydroxide as solvent resulted in 80%
weight loss (at 50C, atmospheric pressure), the recovery of monomers was relatively not
as efficient as enzymatic hydrolysis. Size reduction of the PET films followed by chemical
hydrolysis gave the highest (90%) breakdown, but it is a very energy intensive process.


title: Effects of Photoperiod, Soil Moisture and Soil Temperature on the Northward Migration Potential of Jack Pine under the Scenario of Doubled Atmospheric CO2 Concentration

subject:
Jack pine
Photoperiod
Soil temperature
Soil moisture
Jack pine seedlings

abstract:
Climate envelope models predict that boreal trees can potentially migrate northward by as much as 10º by 2100 as a consequence of the predicted climate change associated with the doubling of atmospheric CO2 concentration, which might expose them to a new set of environmental conditions. The ability of the migrating trees to acclimate to the new set of environmental conditions may be critical for the actual scope and success of their migration or seed transfer. The changes in photoperiod, soil temperature and soil moisture associated with the migration will likely affect tree’s ecophysiological traits. Furthermore, the combined effects of several environmental factors may be substantially different from the total of their individual effects. In this study, I investigated the interactive effects of (1) photoperiod and soil temperature and (2) photoperiod and soil moisture on the ecophysiological responses of jack pine (Pinus banksiana Lamb.) seedlings to elevated [CO2].
In the first set of experiments, jack pine seedlings were exposed to two [CO2] (400 and 950 μmol mol-1), two soil temperatures (soil temperature at seed origin and 5º C warmer) and three photoperiod regimes (photoperiod at seed origin, 5o and 10o north of the seed origin). It was found that the photoperiod regime associated with a 10º northward migration advanced the timing of budburst by 10 days under the doubled [CO2] and current soil temperature at the seed origin. Also the photoperiod regimes at higher latitudes prolonged the process of bud setting. Photoperiod regimes at latitudes higher than the seed origin increased seedling height growth but did not have significant impact on seedling biomass. The elevated [CO2] increased the total leaf area per seedling, but reduced shoot to root ratio. Elevated [CO2] also increased the photosynthetic rate and photosynthetic water use efficiency (WUE). The maximum rate of carboxylation (Vcmax) and triose phosphate utilization (TPU) were affected by interactions involving CO2 and photoperiod but no meaningful pattern could be discerned. Both CO2 elevation and soil warming reduced the cold hardiness of jack pine seedlings as indicated by the injury index tested at -15 and -30º C testing temperatures. The lack of photoperiod effects on cold hardiness suggests that jack pine may be plastic enough to acclimate to the new photoperiod regime associated with climate change induced northward migration. However, advanced budburst associated with long distance migration (e.g. 10º north) will likely expose the species to late-spring frost damage.
In the second set of experiments, seedlings were exposed to two [CO2] (400 and 950 μmol mol-1), two soil moistures (60–70% and 30–40% of field capacity) and three photoperiod regimes (photoperiod at seed origin, 5o and 10o north of the seed origin). The results suggest that the responses of jack pine to climate change will become complicated under the interactive effects of the longer growing season photoperiod and faster rate of change in day length at higher latitudes, and soil moisture stress under elevated [CO2]. Longer photoperiods at higher latitudes advanced budburst at both high and low soil moisture regime, which will likely increase the risk of late spring frosts damage prior to and during budburst. Longer summer photoperiods with northward migration increased the WUE under elevated [CO2] and low soil moisture regime. However, the significant 2- and 3-way interactions suggest that drought and longer photoperiods associated with northward migration will limit the positive effects of elevated [CO2] on growth and physiological processes in the species. Hydraulic conductivity in jack pine seedlings was significantly increased under elevated [CO2] while it was reduced at low soil moisture regime. The interactions of [CO2] and photoperiod had significant effects on the stem xylem vulnerability to cavitation. Tendency to embolize was significantly greater in the seedlings grown under elevated [CO2] with the photoperiod regime 10º north of the seed origin compared to those grown under ambient [CO2] with photoperiod 10º north of the seed origin and elevated [CO2] at the photoperiod regime of the seed origin. This result suggests that 10º northward migration under elevated CO2 will affect the hydraulic behavior of the species and make it vulnerable to xylem cavitation.


title: Design and testing of a permeable reactive barrier system for treatment of sulphate rich waters at the former steep rock iron mine, Atikokan, Ontario

subject:
Acid mine drainage and pit lakes
Permeable reactive barriers
Sulphate reducing bacteria
Flow-through reactor methods and design

abstract:
Acid mine drainage (AMD) is one of the greatest challenges facing the mining industry globally. Methods for addressing this issue have been widely studied; however, few studies have addressed sites with a less common water quality problem resulting from AMD: neutral pH, metal-poor, and sulphate-rich water. The Steep Rock Iron Mine site in Atikokan, Ontario is utilized as a case study where AMD-affected waters have acidity neutralized by carbonate rocks, and metals precipitate out of solution as the pH rises. This process alleviates major environmental hazards associated with acidic waters and toxic metal concentrations; however, sulphate is not removed and presents toxic conditions for aquatic fauna. These sites are also a risk to human health, and can potentially contaminate drinking water supplies. Funding for the remediation of abandoned mine sites is limited, and innovative solutions utilizing passive treatment mechanisms are needed in order to deliver efficient and effective remediation. The goals of this project were: 1) to assess the capability of a permeable reactive barrier (PRB) system to remediate sulphate-rich, pH neutral, metal-poor water, 2) to assess nutrient balance within the system to ensure the availability of nutrients is not a rate-limiting factor for sulphate reduction, and 3) to improve reactive substrate selection procedures by determining which assessment tools are most useful in selecting substrates effective at stimulating sulphate reducing bacteria (SRB).
Candidate reactive substrates including cow, horse, poultry, rabbit, and sheep manures, as well as leaf compost and hay, were assessed according to their concentrations of vital nutrients for SRB, including carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorous. Additionally, their relative degradability was tested via a procedure known as easily available substances (EAS). This testing determined how readily a given substrate could be broken down by bacteria, as well as the change in concentration of desired nutrients in the substrate before and after EAS testing, which gives an indication as to the availability of those specific nutrients. Plant and manure substrates were tested, with one of each type used in each reactive mixture. Based on this testing, poultry and sheep manures were selected as the most likely manure substrates to provide effective nutrition for SRB. In contrast, there was no significant difference found between hay and leaf compost. Poultry consistently performed the best in each test, with a C:N ratio of 11, a C:N:P ratio of 1772:160:1, and an EAS mass loss of 71%.
Eight flow-through reactors were constructed and operated for a period of 23 weeks. Six of these reactors contained organic materials to stimulate SRB, while two were controls. Of the six reactors using organic materials, three mixtures were used, each containing a different combination of the four substrates. One control reactor assessed the impact of zero-valent iron which was also added to all of the organic reactors, while an additional control simulated the natural environment and contained only creek sediment and silica sand. Reactors 3 and 7 were the most effective at sustaining high rates of sulphate removal, with >80% sulphate removal maintained for the first 14 weeks. These reactors utilized a mixture of poultry manure and hay, validating the measures which indicated poultry manure as the most effective manure-based substrate. However, poultry manure was also used in reactors 1 and 5 in combination with leaf compost, and were not as effective for sulphate removal. These results indicate that hay was a more effective substrate than leaf compost. Comparing this finding against the original substrate testing presents two differences between hay and leaf compost; the C:N:P ratio and the availability of phosphorus in EAS testing both had stronger results for hay. This result indicates that phosphorus is a critical nutrient for SRB, and that tests considering phosphorus should be an integral part of reactive substrate selection procedures in systems attempting to stimulate SRB. The control reactors found that the addition of only zero valent iron did not have a significant impact on sulphate removal, as performance in this reactor was similar to the natural aquifer conditions control reactor. Eh/pH conditions supported the activity of SRB; but did not support the stability of sulphide produced by SRB, and it is unclear of SRB were in fact active within the flow-through reactors.
Significantly reduced sulphate concentrations in reactor effluent initially appeared to indicate the sulphate reduction was occurred as intended. However, in post-experiment analysis there was no evidence of iron sulphide formation that would confirm sulphide production by SRB, and Eh/pH conditions were not supportive of sulphide stability. Furthermore, saturation index calculations using PHREEQC determined that iron sulphides were highly under saturated in effluent waters. In contrast, sulphate minerals including barite, gypsum, and jarosite were slightly oversaturated, and present a viable sink for the sulphate removed from solution. Following experiment completion it was found that the reactors with the greatest sulphate removal also had the most significant declines in nutrient concentration, with 52-64% C, 45-58% N, and 24-62% P losses in reactors 3 and 7. This is strong evidence of a bacterially driven process for sulphate mineral precipitation. The reduced availability of these nutrients may have played a role in the decline of sulphate removal over time.


title: Mobile ontology-based reasoning and feedback health monitoring system

subject:
Semantic web
Telemedicine
Ubiquitous computing
Medical telematics

abstract: As medical technology has developed over the past few decades, the average human life-span has increased and as a side effect, chronic illness has become more prevalent. Many patients now require constant, everyday monitoring of their vitals to ensure their health conditions don't deteriorate. Such monitoring is often carried out in a hospital or hospital-like environment when it need not be. In more recent years, many research efforts have been made to develop robust health monitoring systems.


title: Mindful leader development of undergraduate students

contributor:
Agbo, Seth
Epp, Juanita
Woloshyn, Vera

subject:
Self-awareness
Mindfulness
Leader development
Contemplative education
Leadership education
Scholarship of teaching and learning
Social Change Model
Intrapersonal development

abstract:
This case study examined a six-week mindfulness intervention in a higher education leadership
course. Higher education has a critical role to play in preparing students to navigate this worldwide
terrain with success by nurturing self-awareness (foundational for leader development) that past clinical
research has shown can help students deal more effectively with challenges, and achieve academic and
career success. Since the impact of contemplative approaches on undergraduate students was sparse, this
intrinsic single-case study aimed to understand the mindfulness experiences of thirteen undergraduate
students enrolled in a higher education leadership course, along with two faculty members. Intrinsic case
studies arise from the investigator’s inherent curiosity in a classroom-level practical inquiry that
integrated a new pedagogy (i.e. mindfulness) into teaching methods to learn, develop and refine this
contemplative practice. Mindfulness is a competency required for effective leader development that was
used as a five-minute opening, using the Headspace guided meditation, every class for a period of six weeks.
The Social Change Model (SCM) guided this case study using qualitative methods (focus group,
semi-structured interviews, post-survey, personal journals, observation/field notes, course artifacts, audiovisual
recordings, meditation records via the Insight Timer) to evaluate the impact of mindfulness on
undergraduate intrapersonal development. SCM focuses on intrapersonal development within the
cognitive, affective and behavioural dimensions of the individual domain, and was used to evaluate the
impact of mindfulness. Seventy-five percent of participants reported greater self-awareness, and also
expressed the following themes: deep honesty, self-understanding, focus, open-mind (clarity and
optimism), relaxed and calm, problem-solving internal conflict, empathy, genuine congruence,
confidence, creativity, accountability, and self-improvement. Some participants perceived that
mindfulness and leadership were integral and intertwined, and motivated them to become better leaders.
The findings suggest that this intertwining was helpful and strengthened the intrapersonal development of
undergraduate students.


title: Experience and influence : student and parent perspectives of an alternative school

contributor:
Kerr, Donald
Berger, Paul

subject:
Elementary schools
Ontario
School children
Alternative education

abstract:
Traditionally, education and schooling have been developed by and implemented through the adult perspective. An increasing number of educators and researchers focus on alternatives to mainstream education and this study adds to the growing body of research in this area. Specifically, it gives voice to children and parents at an alternative school. What are the experiences of children? What influences these? How do parents play a role?
Semi-structured interviews with three students and four parents at a publicly funded alternative elementary school in Ontario provide a window into understanding student experiences and influences thereupon. Three main themes merge: trust, environment and community. Together, these components provide students with some freedom to direct their own learning. Adults, who have been willing to step outside of the traditional perspective of education, are key. The community influences the directions taken at the school according to the needs of students and an increasingly diverse population; however, influences over which they have little or no control can be cause for concern.


title: Knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs about HIV/AIDS among males and females aged 15 to 49 in Cameroon, Africa / by Emmanuel Ngwakongnwi.

subject:
Cameroon
AIDS (Disease) - Public opinion
AIDS (Disease) - Prevention

abstract:
Levels of knowledge about AIDS are widely believed to be high in Cameroon, a country with low prevalence rates compared to other countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. However, not much effort has been made to evaluate these levels because HIV/AIDS prevention campaigns emphasize condom use, abstinence, and fidelity, not the attitudes and behaviors of the Cameroon population. The purpose of this study was to explore AIDS knowledge and attitudes among the sexually active population, review current literature on best practices regarding AIDS prevention and treatment, and propose recommendations for action. Data from the (2004) demographic and health survey (DHS) in Cameroon were collected from 10 provinces and 2 cities. The sample consisted of 10,656 females and 5,280 males for the DHS questionnaire, and 12,065 males and females for HIV testing.
As with previous studies in Sub-Saharan Africa, the findings of this study showed an overall high level of awareness about AIDS, but it also revealed important deficiencies among the age groups, with knowledge levels higher for males than females and decreasing with age for both genders. Results also showed that females are more likely than males to contract HTV, and the likelihood of contracting the vims was far greater in urban areas and/or areas around the oil pipeline rather than rural areas. People with a higher level of education were more likely to engage in risky sexual behaviours. Low levels of knowledge and use of the voluntary HIV testing and counseling centre were reported. More education, screening, and counseling are required to mitigate the effect of the HIV/AIDS epidemic on the population.


title: Narcissism predicts facial muscle reactivity during a body comparison threat: the role of personality in shaping affiliative behaviour

contributor:
Davis, Ron
Hart, Clair
Visser, Beth
Hayman, Gordon

subject:
Facial feedback hypothesis
Narcissism
Narcissism and body dissatisfaction

abstract:
The facial feedback hypothesis suggests that individuals automatically activate facial
muscles that are congruent with an expresser’s facial display, which in turn results in a congruent
emotional experience within oneself. Although such congruency facilitates empathy and social
bonding, susceptibility to facial feedback may depend on one’s motivation to differentiate
themselves from others who pose a threat to their well-being. Such motivation may be influenced
by narcissism, a personality dimension whereby individuals experience emotion dysregulation
when faced with a threat to their identity. Body image is one aspect of identity that has
implications for the study of threat given that individuals experience negative emotionality when
comparing their body to that of another person. The purpose of the program of research was to
investigate whether narcissistic tendencies influence one’s susceptibility to facial feedback
during a body comparison threat. Study 1 first developed novel emotive videos that elicited a
congruent subjective emotional experience in viewers. Utilizing the novel stimuli, Study 2
traditionally investigated whether facial feedback could be physically modulated by activating
incongruent facial muscles. Study 3 subsequently investigated whether the effect could be
modulated cognitively by way of narcissism and body comparison. Although facial feedback was
not evidenced in the program, unique facets of narcissism (grandiosity, vulnerability)
differentially interacted with body comparison to predict congruent facial muscle activity in
response to happy and sad facial expressions. The findings challenge the longstanding claim that
narcissists lack empathy and suggest that such individuals are capable of affiliating with others
emotionally under specific social and emotional contexts. Implications for future research into
facial feedback and narcissism are discussed in terms of motivational theories.


title: HyperCEST MR studies of Xenon-129 (129Xe) biosensors and MRI detection of 129Xe in the brain

contributor:
Albert, Mitchell
Hane, Francis
Reznik, Alla
Kinrade, Stephen

subject:
Nuclear Magnetic Resonance
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Hyperpolarized Noble Gas MRI
HyperCEST
Xenon-129


title: Is the customer always right? An examination of neoliberal ideology and its influence on parent-teacher interactions

contributor:
Walton, Gerald
Melville, Wayne

format: application/pdf application/pdf

subject:
Neoliberal ideology
Elementary education
Parent-teacher conflict
Parent-teacher interactions

abstract:
This study explores how treating education as a private commodity may affect parent-teacher
relationships, including the ways that parents perceive they are treated. The effects of
neoliberal ideology on education transform schooling into a commodity and positions students
and parents as clients. This research helps to inform both parents as well as teachers about the
broader forces that may influence their interactions. Marketplace values shape educational acts
and legislation through, for example, the imposition of standardised tests, management of teacher
performance, and an increasingly higher-level of accountability. Such policies and procedures
entail a shift towards teachers regarding parents more as clients to please or pander to, rather
than as partners working together for the good of the children. Through one-on-one interviews
with parents, the research question focuses on the examination of how neoliberal ideology might
shape parent-teacher interactions and parents' self-perceived role in the schools of their
children. Overall, the parents I interviewed did not view education as a commodity and teachers
as service providers, but as my literature review demonstrated, there are many parents who do
and will continue to make demands of teachers.


Thoreau's quest for immortality


title: Predicting the utilization of child health programs / services by a cohort of Northern Ontario mothers and children

subject: Child health services Ontario, Northern

subject: Children Health and hygiene Ontario, Northern

abstract:
The identification of individuals using health services, from a socio-demographic
viewpoint, plays an important role in the effective planning and provision of health
services. The purpose of the present study was to explore public health service utilization
within a cohort of mothers of children six years of age and younger through the use of
verified measures of primary healthcare utilization, such as characteristics of the child,
mother, and household, in an attempt to predict public health or physician service use.
Bivariate logistic regression was applied to data collected through the Northern Ontario
Perinatal and Child Health Survey to examine the use of selected health services. The
results of the analyses indicate that factors affecting an individual’s decision to use a
health service differ according to the service. The age of the child, and location of the
household (in a rural or urban setting) were common predictors of both the use of
physician services and the majority of the selected public health services in this study.
Utilization models for all health services encompassed by this study are presented,
however further exploration of the reliability and validity of these models is warranted.


title: Electron-photon interactions in quantum dots : coupled oscillators

type: Thesis Dissertation

subject:
Harmonic oscillators
Semiconductors
Quantum electrodynamics

abstract:
A coupled oscillator model is developed for the far infra-red response
of a quantum dot, and this model is used to predict the vacuum-held
Rabi splittings of a dot-cavity system.