title: Le jeu comme outil thérapeutique et la thérapie cognitivo-comportementale : aider les enfants ayant des troubles du comportement

subject:
thérapie par le jeu
thérapie cognitivo-comportementale
enfance
difficultés de comportements
intervention
relation d'aide

abstract: La thérapie par le jeu est une approche qui semble controversée en service social. Malgré, ses nombreux avantages en intervention avec les enfants, plusieurs se demandent si elle est prouvée scientifiquement. Dans ce mémoire, je cherche à montrer comment les outils thérapeutiques en thérapie par le jeu juxtaposé à la thérapie cognitivo-comportementale aident les enfants à surmonter leurs difficultés de comportements relationnels liées à des situations de vie. Afin d’en faire l’expérience, j’ai choisi de faire un stage spécialisé de 450 heures durant lequel j’ai pu faire de l’intervention auprès de sept enfants âgés entre 5 et 12 ans et présentant des difficultés de comportement. Dans cet essai de stage, seulement deux de ces cas sont présentés afin qu’on puisse voir en détail les interventions effectuées et les résultats atteints. Dans ces deux cas, comme d’ailleurs dans les autres situations d’intervention, la thérapie par le jeu et la thérapie cognitivo-comportementale sont une excellente combinaison qui permet à l’enfant de développer divers outils afin de surmonter ses difficultés de comportement et développer un sentiment de confiance et d’appartenance dans le processus de relation d’aide. J’ai pu aussi remarquer l’importance d’impliquer les parents de la première à la dernière session d’intervention. Tous ces éléments augmentent les probabilités de réussite en intervention.

abstract: Maîtrise en Service Social


title: Indigenous (her)oes and their healing work: ending violence against Indigenous women and girls

subject:
Indigenous women
leaders
empowerment
healing
families
culture
art
education
MMIWG

abstract:
This thesis explores strategies thirteen community leaders are implementing to prevent violence
and educate the public on historical and current violence, and to empower Indigenous women
and girls. These strategies that the researcher explores are from programs and events in London
and Sudbury, Ontario. Through qualitative interviews, the researcher brings together the voices
of 13 participants, 11 Indigenous leaders (Anishinaabe and Haudenosaunee), one settler ally, and
two Elders, who implement nine initiatives. Using the framework of the Jingle Dress, the
researcher ensures that the data is inclusive of culture and Indigenous perspective. The collective
strategies were found to have eight main themes: Culture; Education; Oshkabewis: Taking care
of Spirit Through Commemoration; Partnerships; Looking Towards the Future; Families; Art as
a Medium for Healing; and Funding. The target audience of the initiatives were both Indigenous
and non-Indigenous Peoples. This research will help other organizations, grassroots or
government, incorporate Indigenous Peoples’ voices and culture within programming and events,
and can inform allies on how to decolonize their relations to help improve the well-being of all
Indigenous Peoples, as well as improve Indigenous and non-Indigenous relations.

abstract: Master of Indigenous Relations


title: Measuring and modelling human response to foot-transmitted vibration exposure

subject:
foot-transmitted vibration (FTV)
exposure to FTV
white feet
whole-body vibration (WBV)
hand-arm vibration

abstract:
Foot-transmitted vibration (FTV) occurs when a worker is exposed to vibration through the feet
and can occur when operating vibrating equipment such as bolters, jumbo drills, or crushers, or
standing to operate mobile equipment such as locomotives and forklifts. Exposure to FTV has
been linked to the development of vibration-induced white feet, a vascular disorder with reduced
circulation to the toes causing blanching. Vibration research has been focused on whole-body
vibration (WBV) and hand-arm vibration, with FTV being lumped in to standing WBV. This
research includes, but is not limited to, resonant frequency identification, development of
international standards governing safe exposure limits, personal protective equipment design, and
model development. It is the intention of this research to initiate research specifically for FTV.
The first step to preventing harmful exposure is to identify the resonant frequencies at
different anatomical locations on the foot (Objective 1). The resonance of 24 anatomical
locations on the foot was identified for 21 participants, where the most notable differences in the
average peak frequency occurred between the toes (range: 99-147Hz), midfoot (range: 51-84Hz),
and ankle (range: 16-39Hz).
As workers do not normally stand in a completely natural position, it was equally
important to measure how altering the location of the centre of pressure (COP) changes
resonance and the transmissibility of vibration through the foot (Objective 2). The resonance at
the same 24 anatomical locations was identified when the COP was pushed forward (towards
toes) and backward (towards heels). Generally, resonance at the measurement location increased
when the COP was concentrated to a particular portion of the foot.
The third objective of this research was to reduce the measurements at 24 anatomical
locations, from the first two objectives, down to a representative subset (Objective 3). Multiple
correspondence analysis was conducted on the peak transmissibility magnitude in order to assess
structure displacement leading to increases in potential injury risk. Transmissibility results were
analysed based on two magnitude thresholds: at 2.0 indicating 100% amplification of the input
signal, and at 2.5 indicating 150% amplification. Results indicate that transmissibility
measurements at the nail bed of first phalange, head of first metatarsal, head of second
metatarsal, and the lateral malleolus may be sufficient to effectively measure foot-transmitted
vibration when participants changed their COP location from natural, forward and backward.
Then a K-means analysis was conducted to minimize the anatomical locations necessary
to capture the transmissibility response from 10 to 200 Hz, and using the reduced locations, a
lumped-parameter model was designed and validated (Objective 4). Three locations (the nail of
the big toe, the third metatarsal, and the lateral malleolus) were found to be sufficient for
summarizing FTV transmissibility modulus. A three segment, four degrees-of-freedom lumpedparameter model of the foot-ankle system (FAS) was designed to model the transmissibility
response at three locations when exposed to vertical vibration from 10 to 60 Hz. Reasonable
results were found at the ankle, midfoot, and toes in the natural standing position and forward
COP. However, when the COP is backward, the model does not sufficiently capture the
transmissibility response at the ankle.
Determining the resonant frequencies of the FAS is important for the prevention of
vibration-induced injury. Resonance needs to be incorporated into the design of equipment, tools
(e.g. anti-vibration drills, isolated platforms), and personal protective equipment (e.g. antivibration insoles or boots) can be modified to reduce vibration at the frequencies where tissue
resonance occurs. These findings could also inform the development of new international
standards for measuring/reducing exposure to FTV.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Natural Resources Engineering


title: Improving classification performance of microarray analysis by feature selection and feature extraction methods

subject:
Microarray datasets
Feature Extraction
Feature Selection
Principal Component Analysis
Partial Least Square
Quadratic Programming Feature Selection
minimum Redundancy- Maximum Relevant
Support Vector Machine
Random Forest
k-Nearest-Neighbor
Neural Network

abstract:
In this study, we compared two feature extraction methods (PCA, PLS) and seven feature
selection methods (mRMR and its variations, MaxRel, QPFS) on four different classifiers (SVM,
RF, KNN, NN). We use ratio comparison validation for PCA method and 10-folds cross
validation method for both the feature extraction and feature selection methods. We use
Leukemia data set and Colon data set to apply the combinations and measured accuracy as well
as area under ROC. The results illustrated that feature selection and extraction methods can both
somehow improve the performance of classification tasks on microarray data sets. Some
combinations of classifier and feature preprocessing method can greatly improve the accuracy as
well as the AUC value are given in this study.

abstract: Master of Science (MSc) in Computational Sciences


title: Population distribution and seasonal resource selection by elk (Cervus Elaphus) in Central Ontario

publisher:
Laurentian University of Sudbury
Laurentian University of Sudbury

subject:
Elk (Cervus elaphus)
wildlife management
wildlife conservation
Ontario

abstract: Understanding population structure and resource selection are essential for wildlife management and conservation. I assessed the population structure and resource selection of elk (Cervus elaphus) in central Ontario. I used fuzzy and hierarchical cluster analyses to elucidate elk population structure based on spatial data collected from 41 radio-collared elk. I assessed impacts of habitat quality on space use using the minimum convex polygon (MCP) and fixed kernel methods. I evaluated resource selection by elk in winter, spring, summer, and fall, from December 2011 to August 2013, using resource selection functions (RSF’s). I used a generalized linear mixed model (GLMM) to evaluate resource selection functions and used Akaike information criterion (AICc ) to select the best model of 20 candidate models constructed a priori. Models included parameters representing resources known to be important to elk: elevation, aspect, slope, distance to roads and water, and habitat. Both fuzzy and hard clustering indicated that elk in Central Ontario occur in a metapopulation that includes 5 subpopulations. The largest cluster consisted of a core group of 22 radio-collared elk located in Burwash with several satellite subpopulations spread along a 50km long north-south axis and a small subpopulation to the west located in Worthington. Survival rates among subpopulations were similar ranging from 0.71 to 0.83; however, anthropogenic causes of mortality were predominant only in the Burwash subpopulation. Space use and density of elk differed between core and satellite subpopulations. Resource selection by elk differed by time of day and season. In all seasons, elk selected open habitats at night and more forested areas during the day. Elk avoided areas close to roads in spring, but selected them in winter at night. Elk selected higher elevations in winter and for south facing slopes in spring and fall. Elk displayed strong crepuscular activity patterns in all seasons; however, movements were limited in winter. Understanding population structure is important in order to develop appropriate management plans. My results support the conclusion that population structure can be reliably assessed using spatial data. Resource selection is a dynamic process that changes with seasons, as well as animal activity across the diel period. Resource selection should include time of day in order to obtain a complete picture of resources important to a particular species and to support the conservation of habitats used for various animal activities.

abstract: Master's Theses


title: Evaluation of liposomal bismuth-ethanedithiol-tobramycin for treatment of cystic fibrosis pulmonary pseudomonas aeruginosa infection

subject:
Cystic fibrosis
Liposomes
Aminoglycosides
Bacteria

abstract: The effectiveness of liposomes incorporating bismuth-ethanedithiol and loaded with tobramycin (LipoBiEDT-TOB) at sub-inhibitory concentrations to inhibit the production of quorum sensing signaling molecules and virulence factors induced by P. aeruginosa was evaluated in vitro. In addition, we evaluated the efficacy and safety of free and encapsulated tobramycin in liposomal formulations administered intratracheally to rats chronically infected with P. aeruginosa. LipoBiEDT-TOB significantly reduced the production of quorum sensing signaling molecules and virulence factor secretion compared to free tobramycin. The LipoBiEDT-TOB formulation significantly reduced the bacterial count in lungs, modulated the IL-8 level in blood and minimized the nephrotoxicity that is associated with aminoglycoside treatment. These results support the hypothesis that aerosolization of liposomal aminoglycosides may enhance the management of chronic lung infections caused by resistant P. aeruginosa in patients with cystic fibrosis.

abstract: Master of Science (MSc) in Chemical Sciences


title: Planting the seeds: envisioning an academic pathway for Indigenous students in rural Northern Ontario

subject: quantitative Indigenous research methodology

subject: Indigenous academic education

subject: early outreach

subject: Northern Ontario

subject: Laurentian University

subject: envisioning

subject: Indigenous student success

subject: community

subject: relationships

subject: Indigenous educational pathways

abstract:
My research examined how Indigenous students chose their post-secondary educational
academic pathway, specifically the timing, type and amount information Indigenous students had
prior to being enrolled in undergraduate and graduate programs at Laurentian University,
Sudbury, Ontario. This study utilized an Indigenous research methodology and quantitative
method with a few qualitative questions using REDCap online survey. The research found that
while current Laurentian Indigenous students had multiple pathways prior to enrollment at the
university level, the results also found that earlier outreach might one of the strategies to closing
the educational attainment gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous students at the postsecondary level. The study also revealed a need for Laurentian University to form close
relationships with Indigenous communities in Northern Ontario to allow potential future students
a way of envisioning the benefits and opportunities of their education pathway.

abstract: Master of Indigenous Relations (M.I.R.)


title: Dextromethorphan and its matabolites in rat bone tissues by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis following differential microclimate decomposition

subject:
Blood
Decomposed bone
Dextromethorphan
Dextrorphan
Forensic toxicology
GC/MS
Microclimate
MAE
SPE

abstract: The effect of microclimate on dextromethorphan (DXM) and dextrorphan (DXT) responses in skeletonized rat remains was examined. Animals (n=10) received dextromethorphan at 75 mg/kg by i.p. injection for comparison against drug-free controls (n=4), and across different decomposition sites. Rats were divided equally into two groups and placed at different sites for decomposition immediately following euthanasia (30 minutes post dose). Rats at Site A decomposed in a shaded forest microenvironment on a grass-covered soil substrate. Site B animals rested on rock and gravel substrate exposed to open air and direct sunlight. Site A and Site B are approximately 600 m apart. Ambient temperature and relative humidity measurements recorded by data loggers mounted 3 cm above rats at each site established microclimate differences. Bone elements (vertebrae, ribs, pelvic girdles, femora, tibiae, humeri and scapulae) were harvested, cleaned and pulverized for Microwave Assisted Extraction in methanol. Drug and metabolite extractions were isolated by solid phase extraction prior to GC/MS analyses. Mass normalized DXM and DXT levels and metabolite/drug ratios were compared across different bone elements (within and between animals) and microclimate sites. Concentrations calculated from drug responses and standard curve plots gave estimated concentrations of 399 to 10,474 ng/g for DXM and 132 to 3,668 ng/g for DXT. Max/min values across animals and bone elements examined response variation. No significant differences in DXT levels or metabolite/parent ratios were observed between sites or across different bone elements. The only significant difference for DXM levels were found in femurs compared across microclimate sites. Microclimate showed no significant influence on observed DXM or DXT values, indicating bone as a drug reservoir may behave uniformly for certain drugs across different environments of decomposition. The results of this study show limited agreement with previous work from our laboratory on drug recoveries from decomposed bone tissues.


title: Interactions between metal and drought stressors on plant water relationships and their effects at ecosystem level

subject:
heavy metals
drought
plant-water relationships
trees

abstract:
Heavy metals influence plant traits that are relevant to its internal water status.
Therefore, knowledge of metal effects on a plant’s ability to tolerate other stresses such
as drought is important to ensure sustainability of restoration efforts in contaminated
landscapes, often prone to drought. The aim of this thesis was to gain understanding how
heavy metal contamination influences plant-water relationships and how this interacts
with effects of a simultaneous drought. Levels ranging from organs to ecosystem
processes were investigated. Chapter 1 briefly reviews published studies on interactions
between metal and drought stress and highlights potential gaps in literature. Chapter 2
presents results of a 2-year outdoor lysimeter study on the effects of Cu-Ni toxicity on
plant-water relationships using saplings of Acer rubrum, Betula papyrifera, and Quercus
rubra. The study shows that under elevated metal levels the plants use less water but suffer
drought symptoms even if there is water available. Chapter 3 investigates, using B.
papyrifera, whether such metal effects on water use are a result of short-term exposure of
roots on their water uptake capacity, or due to long-term structural damage e.g. on
hydraulic architecture. Both effects were found, but were smaller than hypothesized. In
Chapter 4 influence of metals on plant’s vulnerability to xylem embolisms in Acer
rubrum saplings is found to be higher in the metal contaminated region of Sudbury,
Ontario, compared to surrounding uncontaminated regions. Chapter 5 establishes
guidelines and limitations for transporting leaves from field to laboratory when
measuring leaf relative water content, a method that is important for studying plant water
relations in the field. Finally, I conclude with a general overall summary of results and
proposed suggestions for reclamation projects.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Boreal Ecology


title: The state of indigenous research in Canada: a review of canadian university graduate and post-graduate theses 2010-2015

subject:
Community-based participatory research
Indigenous research priorities
Indigenous research paradigm shift

abstract: There is currently a lot of academic work being conducted in the area of Indigenous studies by Canadian scholars. In particular, attention has been given to the paradigm shift in Indigenous studies where the participatory focus is on benefiting Indigenous communities, versus mere academic exercise. Amongst all of the attention given to the paradigm shift in Indigenous methodology, it can be difficult to get an understanding of what themes of research have been under-explored and how a researcher could best support the research field. This thesis sets out to identify priority areas of Indigenous research, research themes that are under-researched, and the state of Indigenous research conducted by the academic community in Canadian Universities. This qualitative study examines a representative sample of graduate and post-graduate theses on Indigenous studies between the periods of 2010 to 2015 and qualifies them according to the 25 themes identified as priority, by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC). The results from this research show that the categories ranked as top priority are Indigenous justice, urban issues, Indigenous identities, Indigenous languages and traditions, economies and labour studies, governance and sovereignty, Indigenous humanities and culture and lands and environment. This study shows when comparing sampled theses to priority themes, with the exception of research pertaining to land, and Indigenous humanities, ongoing research in these categories is still required. It is determined that the acknowledgement of the paradigm shift in Indigenous research has been successful in the production of Indigenous study themes that are in line with the determined priorities and methodologies.


title: Human health and environmental risk assessments: politics or science?

subject: Community Based Human Health and Environmental Risk Assessment

subject: grounded theory

subject: Strauss and Anselm

subject: site-specific standard

subject: lowest observable effects level

subject: National Pollution Release Inventory

subject: Port Colborne class action lawsuit

subject: Environmental Commissioner of Ontario

subject: Environmental Bill of Rights

subject: Inco

subject: Falconbridge

subject: Xstrata

subject: Glencore

subject: cancer incidence

subject: cancer mortality

subject: Local Health Integration Network

subject: Sudbury and District Health Unit

subject: Ontario Ministry of the Environment

subject: Environment Canada

subject: Belledune, New Brunswick

subject: Port Colborne, Ontario

subject: Sudbury, Ontario

subject: Chernobyl

subject: Fukushima

subject: Spanish River Harbour

abstract:
Human Health and Environmental Risk Assessments are being used by both governments and
industries to determine whether or not existing and/or proposed pollution levels are safe for
human populations and/or the natural environment. My personal experiences with a “Community
Based Risk Assessment” in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, left me rather doubtful as to the validity
of both the science involved and the level of community involvement in the process. After
meeting other people who had participated in the same kind of process in other communities, I
came to the conclusion that these three risk assessments needed to be analyzed and chronicled,
not only for historical purposes, but as a reference to how the process was carried out in the three
communities in question: Sudbury and Port Colborne, Ontario, and Belledune, New Brunswick.
The risk assessment in Sudbury, Ontario, resulted in the highest permissible levels of ambient
nickel air pollution in the province to become the norm only for Sudbury. Of note, extensive
water pollution of multiple heavy metals was left out, at the insistence of the mining industry
polluters, who not only funded the process, but were allowed to be involved. The Government of
Canada would later charge one of the polluters, Vale, for allowing exactly this kind of pollution
to occur. Areas of the Belledune fishery are now unfit for human consumption after being
subjected to “risk free” pollution; however, rather than close the lobster fishery, all lobsters
caught within a 4-mile radius of the smelter in Belledune, are bought by the polluter, and then
incinerated, rather than face the public relations fallout of having to close the fishery. Another
case in point concerning contamination levels being increased to match local levels, as opposed
to recognized standards, is the case of the nuclear accident in Fukushima, Japan. The accident
occurred while research into the three CBRAs mentioned was being carried out. These cases
clearly indicate human health and environmental risk assessments are a political process, not a
scientific one, and meant to match whatever form and level of local contamination was
occurring, in order to keep corporate profits and government tax revenues flowing, despite the
very real risks to human health and the environment

abstract: Master of Arts (MA) in Sociology


title: Positive attitudes towards older adults: characteristics of prospective partners in care

subject:
older adults
personality
attitudes
Indigenous

abstract:
With the increase in the aging population it is becoming all the more important to
determine who has positive attitudes towards older adults in order to identify those who are best
suited to work in geriatrics. The purpose of the current study was to determine which personal
characteristics are indicative of positive attitudes towards older adults by using the Cattell 16
Personality Factor Questionnaire and the Kogan’s Attitudes Towards Old People scale.
Characteristics that were examined included ethnicity, age, gender, and level of education and
personality. Caucasian and Indigenous participants were recruited around Sudbury Ontario,
ranging from 18 to 50 years of age. The results suggest that gender and personality factors
warmth, reasoning, vigilance, privateness and openness to change, are predictive of positive
attitudes towards older adults. These results have implications for identifying individuals who
are best suited to work in geriatrics and possibly encouraging those to join the field.

abstract: Master of Arts (M.A.) in Applied Psychology


title: Viral and bacterial sepsis: identification and characterization of cytokine profiles and cell death pathways

subject:
sepsis
inflammatory cytokines
H1N1 influenza A
viral pneumonia
apoptosis,
immunopathology

abstract:
Sepsis and septic shock are the leading causes of death in intensive care units in North America.
Approximately 800,000 cases of sepsis are reported every year in the USA and 215,000 will
succumb to the disease despite aggressive antibiotic and supportive care [1-7]. The incidence of
sepsis is increasing at a rate of 9% per year even with advances in the understanding of the
pathophysiology of the disease [1]. Sepsis is commonly induced by bacterial and viral infections.
Influenza A is the virus that causes the flu. The most recent pandemic caused by Influenza A
(H1N1) demonstrated the potential of this virus to cause severe complications (viral induced
sepsis characterized by pneumonia, acute respiratory distress and acute lung injury). This study
investigated the inflammatory mediators of sepsis in H1N1 infected adults and from adults with
bacterial induced sepsis. For H1N1 infections lung tissue and sera samples were characterized.
Lung tissue showed hemorrhage, and interstitial congestion. Cytokine staining of these tissues revealed the presence of TNF-α, IFN-γ and IL-1β primarily from the recruited leukocytes. In
addition TUNEL assay revealed apoptosis occurring in these same cell populations. ELISA
quantification of sera from H1N1 infected adults also demonstrated high levels of TNF-α, IFN-γ
and IL-1β at 113 pg/mL, 49 pg/mL and 26 pg/mL respectively. The sera also were able to induce
apoptosis in cultured fibroblasts that was mediated through STAT1 signalling. The sera from
bacterial induced sepsis were characterized for the presence of other cytokines and chemokines.
TNF-α was consistently detected in all septic samples. Chemokine expression was more variable
across the septic samples. The identification of different mediators of inflammation during sepsis
will not only increase the basic knowledge about the progression of sepsis but would allow for
the development of biomarkers that could better predict the progression of sepsis to more severe
or fatal forms and allow for earlier intervention and treatment of these cases.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Biomolecular Sciences


title: New opportunities for innovative student engagement

subject:
YouthREX’s
building relationships
learning opportunities
young people
group work with youth
empowering youth
betterment of their community
advocates in their community
Youth Research and Evaluation Exchange

abstract:
This report is based on an advanced practicum placement which was completed with
YouthREX’s New Opportunities for Student Engagement Program. This program is designed to
create learning opportunities about research and social change for young people through a
strengths-based approach, which supports youth in building relationships and preparations for
post-secondary education. The program teaches young people the power of research using
hands-on experiential learning. Ultimately this program focuses on empowering youth to
become advocates in their community for the betterment of their community. In completing this
placement, I set out to acquire skills and knowledge about group work with youth. Within this
report, how to implement group work with youth is expanded on through knowledge gleaned
from the literature as well as on my experience of this placement. I also desired to further
develop my clinical skills by critically reflecting upon the implementation of group work during
my practicum. Finally, through this placement, I observed youth learn and grow as they
developed projects designed to address the social issues faced by their community

abstract: Master of Social Work (MSW)


title: « C’est sur le terrain que ça se passe » : étude de la couverture du football féminin par les médias digitaux en France

subject:
Football
soccer
France
Foucault
médias digitaux
féminisme

abstract: Le manque de visibilité médiatique des athlètes féminines par les médias non traditionnels est un phénomène qui a été critiqué depuis plusieurs années. L’objectif de l’étude est d’examiner la façon dont le football (soccer) féminin est couvert par les médias digitaux en France, à savoir s’ils soutiennent ou non les stéréotypes traditionnels. Le contenu de deux sites web portant uniquement sur le football féminin a été soumis à une analyse de discours foucaldienne féministe. Malgré la présence de quelques discours qui minimisent les accomplissements des joueuses, les résultats primaires suggèrent qu’il est possible de trouver une couverture du football féminin qui est tout simplement axée sur le sport et qui représente le football féminin comme un sport excitant, sérieux et légitime. Les sources de médias digitaux peuvent alors être considérées comme une des meilleures façons d’augmenter la qualité et la quantité de la couverture médiatique des sports féminins aujourd’hui

abstract: Maîtrise en kinésie humaine (MKH)


title: An evaluation of several measures of attention and inhibition in ten year old children

subject:
Attention
Inhibition
Attention measures
Inhibition measures.

abstract:
Due to numerous definitions for attention and inhibition, it is very difficult to
operationalize and measure these constructs (Barkley, 1996). The primary purpose of
this study was to determine whether there is evidence for independence between attention
and inhibition constructs using measures from the TEA-ch, Gordon CPT, Stroop Task,
WISC- Digit Span and Go-No-Go Tasks and tasks of inhibition. Each of 140 students
were evaluated on all measures and scores were correlated. In addition, Teacher Ratings
and scores from the OLSAT were also correlated with attention and inhibition scores.
Gender differences between all scores were also examined.
Overall, measures did not correlate as expected. Results showed that there were
significant but weak correlations among the sustained and selective attention variables.
Similarly, when all inhibition variables were correlated only four significant but weak
correlations were found. The lack of convergent validity and low correlations among
these measures suggest that attention and inhibition constructs may be multi-dimensional.
Intercorrelations between attention and inhibition variables were also weak.
Relationships between OLSAT scores, Teachers Ratings and attention and
inhibition variables showed that as scores that reflect reasoning skills and Teacher
Ratings increased, the ability to attend and inhibit also increased. Gender differences in
attention and inhibition scores were also examined and showed that girls were better at
paying attention to stimuli and inhibiting impulsive responses than boys.

abstract: Master of Arts in Human Development


title: Tracing paths: the social historical organization of mental illness in Ontario.

subject:
Mental health
Mental illness
Madness
Mad knowledge
Consumers
Survivors
Psychiatry
Ontario
Critical ethnography
Social history
Anti-psychiatry
Governmentality

abstract: This thesis employs a critical ethnographic and social historical lens to make visible the experiences of people from within Ontario’s mental health system. Social historical analysis of texts that governed Ontario’s psychiatric hospital system from the end of the nineteenth century to the present mental health system provide context to 30 ethnographic interviews with 15 people who identified as consumers/survivors and 15 people who identified as stakeholders or service provider/caregivers in northern Ontario. Contextualized from below and within and from the past to the present, this interrogation of the mental health and psychiatric system adds to the body of literature on mental illness by adding voices of knowledge and experiences of mental illness. It raises important questions about the shifting landscape of the mad subject. The thesis focuses in particular on the ways in which present mental health consumers, survivors, service/providers, caregivers and stakeholders navigate through the system. It concludes with a discussion of the absence and necessity of first person accounts of madness and the mental health system.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Human Studies


title: Cobalt-doped zinc oxide thin films as model Fischer-Tropsch nano-catalysts grown by pulsed electron beam ablation

subject:
thin film form
zinc oxide
nano-catalyst
Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FTS)
Pulsed electron beam ablation (PEBA)
Co:ZnO thin films

abstract:
The production of materials in thin film form with unique properties is of growing
scientific and technological interest. Zinc oxide is a low cost, and environmentally benign wide
band gap semiconductor, which makes it an excellent supporting material for nanoparticles with
a plethora of potential applications. Upon doping with Co and other transition metals, ZnO
exhibits room temperature ferromagnetic properties with enhanced performance and new
functionalities when used in thin film devices. Zinc oxide-supported cobalt nano-composites are
promising materials with desirable catalytic properties making it an interesting material for use
as an efficient nano-catalyst in many important reactive processes such as Fischer-Tropsch
synthesis (FTS), photocatalysis, hydrogen production and steam reforming.
 Pulsed electron beam ablation (PEBA) has recently emerged as a potential technique for the
fabrication of superior quality thin films. The production of well controlled nano-sized
particulates is a characteristic feature of PEBA, which has a strong bearing on the surface
morphology of the deposited films. In the current work, the potential of PEBA in the deposition
of Co-doped ZnO thin films has been assessed and the critical process conditions that affect the
growth of the thin films on different substrates have been thoroughly investigated. The main
objective of the current work is to deposit Co-doped ZnO thin films via PEBA, and assess the
potential of the deposited films as model nano-structured catalysts for the synthesis of green
liquid fuels from syngas. PEBA has several advantages including modest requirements for
vacuum, control of film thickness, easy set-up, low capital cost, reduced operation and
maintenance costs, small footprint, enhanced efficiency, and relative safety (no toxic gases as in
pulsed laser ablation or potential noxious by-products as in solvo-thermal routes) over other film preparation techniques.  In this project, Co:ZnO thin films have been synthesized from a single target on various
substrates. Numerous process parameters have been assessed such as substrate material,
deposition temperature, electron beam voltage, beam pulse frequency. Targets of varying cobalt
loads viz., 5 w%, 10 w%, and 20 w% have been investigated as well. The effects of pre and post
annealing on the physico-chemical properties of the thin films have also been studied. The
deposited films have been characterized using complementary analytical techniques such as xray
diffraction (XRD), x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy
(SEM), energy dispersive x-ray (EDX), visible reflectance spectroscopy (VRS), and atomic force
microscopy (AFM). Such comprehensive analyses have helped in assessing the quality of the
films and in guiding the experimental strategy in the quest to find the optimal process conditions.
Finally, the films have been evaluated for their potential as model nano-catalysts for FischerTropsch
synthesis in a 3-phase continuously-stirred tank slurry reactor (3-φ-CSTSR) using a
Robinson-Mahoney stationary basket (RMSB). The results have been described in terms of
activity and selectivity of the thin film nano-catalysts.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Natural Resources Engineering


title: Physical and chemical changes in planarian and non-living aqueous systems from exposure to temporally patterned magnetic fields

subject:
Planarian
Aquesous systems
spring water
magnetic field

abstract: Planarian maintained in spring water and exposed for two hours to temporally patterned, weak (1 to 5 μT) magnetic field in the dark displayed diminished mobility that simulated the effects of morphine and enhanced this effect at concentrations associated with receptor subtypes. A single (5 hr) exposure to this same pattern following several days of exposure to a very complex patterned field in darkness dissolved the planarian and was associated with an expansion of their volume. Spectral power density analyses of direct measurements of the spring water only following exposure to this field in darkness showed emission spectra that were displayed from control conditions by ~10 nm and associated with an energy increment of ~10-20 J. This value is an intrinsic solution for the physical properties of the water molecule. “Shielding” the exposed water with plastic, aluminum foil or copper foil indicated that only the latter eliminated a powerful spike in photon emission around 280 nm. Continuous measurement of pH indicated that the slow shift towards alkalinity over 12 hours of exposure was associated with enhanced transient pH shifts of .02 units with typical durations between 20 and 40 ms. These results indicate that the appropriately patterned and amplitude of magnetic field that affects water directly could mediate some of the powerful effects displayed by biological aquatic systems.

abstract: Master's Theses


title: The impact of perceptual fluency manipulations on processing speed and ratings of relatedness for gender role schemas using the IAT

subject:
schema violation
gender roles
perceptual fluency
Implicit Association Test

abstract: The purpose of the current study was to combine research on schema violations and perceptual fluency to determine the impact of perceptual fluency manipulations on ratings of relatedness for gender role schemas through the use of an Implicit Association Test (IAT). The goal of this study was to gain a better understanding of the cognitive impact of processing manipulations. It was hypothesized that congruent blocks would have faster response times than incongruent blocks in the IAT. It was also hypothesized that perceptual fluency could be strategically manipulated to counteract the slowdown effect associated with schema-incongruent information. In addition, it was predicted that ratings of relatedness would be correlated with response times in that perceptually fluent blocks would be rated as more related than perceptually disfluent blocks. The results showed a main effect of congruency on response times and ratings of relatedness. It was found that the slowdown effect could successfully be eliminated through the use of perceptual fluency manipulations. However, perceptual fluency manipulations did not have a significant impact on ratings of relatedness. Future studies should utilize other methods to manipulate perceptual fluency, as well as investigate how changes in response times can influence different types of attribute ratings.


title: Enzymatic and immunological comparison of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and a clinical isolate of streptomyces.

subject:
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Streptomyces
Vaccine
enzymatic and immunological profiling
Streptomyces albus

abstract:
Tuberculosis is a bacterial infection that affects one-third of the global population. The pathogen responsible for the vast majority of these cases is Mycobacterium tuberculosis and the current vaccines are insufficiently effective. The current vaccine against Tuberculosis is the live bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine with efficacy varying between 0% and 60% depending on the population demographics. DNA, cellular fractions of the pathogen, and subunit vaccines failed to provide protection beyond what the BCG vaccine can provide. Streptomyces, phylogenetic relatives of the mycobacteria, have been suggested as heterologous systems to formulate new vaccines against Tuberculosis. The main research objective of this study is to establish a functional relationship between M. tuberculosis and a clinical isolate of streptomyces using enzymatic and immunological profiling. This clinical isolate was confirmed to be related to Streptomyces albus. Enzymatic profiling of the culture filtrate showed that out of a total of 19 enzyme activities investigated, eight were common between S. albus and M. tuberculosis. These were: alkaline phosphatase, esterase lipases (C8), lipase (C14), leucine arylamidase, valine arylamidase, acid phosphatase, naphthol-ASBI-
phosphohydrolase, and B-glucosidase. Highest levels of acid phosphatase activity was
found in the culture filtrate protein (CFP) fraction of S. albus cultured in media containing glycine as a nitrogen source but was highest in the cytoplasmic fractions of cells grown with nitrate as a nitrogen source. The opposite was true for alkaline phosphatase where the highest activity was detected in the media with asparagine as a nitrogen source. Alanine dehydrogenase, alcohol dehydrogenase, and catalase/peroxidase showed highest levels in the CFP fraction of the media supplemented with nitrate as the nitrogen source whereas it was highest in the cytoplasmic fraction of cells harvested from media with glycine as the nitrogen source. Gelatinase zymography showed that the cytoplasmic fraction of cells grown in Sauton’s media with ammonium chloride and nitrate as nitrogen sources contained the highest activities. The zymograms showed two distinct bands corresponding to approximately 120 kDa and 70 kDa and two minor bands at 48 kDa and 20 kDa. In the CFP
fraction, one minor band was visible only in the medium with nitrate as a nitrogen source,
corresponding to approximately 50 kDa in size. Additionally, seven monoclonal antibodies specific for seven distinct antigens of M. tuberculosis were used to screen for cross reactivity with the secretory fractions of S. albus. Of the seven antibodies, only one (F181-ID3-2) gave
a positive reaction. This is a monoclonal antibody directed at a specific internal amino acid sequence in the secreted acid phosphatase of mycobacteria (SapM). This protein has a size of about 28kDa and is implicated in the pathogenesis of M. tuberculosis.

abstract: Master's Theses


title: Characterizing long non‐coding RNA at the DBF4 gene locus

subject:
cell cycle
DBF4 locus
RNA polymerase
replication origins

abstract:
Proper regulation of the cell cycle is essential for genetic stability and function. Mutations resulting in deregulation of the cell cycle are attributable to the development of diseases such as cancer. A large portion of the proteins responsible for regulating the cell cycle are found at DNA replication origins making replication origins an attractive target of research. Our lab has previously characterized a replication origin found in the promoter region of the human DBF4 locus which contains two zones at which two Origin Recognition Complexes bind and initiate replication in opposite directions in a specific manner termed Asymmetrical Bidirectional Replication. Within these same zones, our lab has also discovered the presence of transcription start sites for long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) transcripts. We’ve found that these non-coding transcripts are differentially transcribed from their neighboring genes and are resistant to RNA polymerase I, II and III inhibition. Results from these studies unexpectedly indicate the possibility of the mitochondrial RNA polymerase acting in the nucleus to transcribe the lncRNAs at the DBF4 locus. These transcripts are also cyclically more stably expressed than the DBF4 gene while retaining a relatively short half-life.
In an attempt to achieve a broader understanding of the replication process, the work in this thesis presents an effort to characterize and identify these lncRNAs initiating in the DBF4 promoter region and provide new insights into their behavior.

abstract: Master of Science (MSc.) in Biology


title: New computational approaches for the transportation models

subject:
Linear Transportation problem
Unbalanced Transportation problem
Transshipment problem
Vogel Approximation Method

abstract:
The Transportation model (TP) is one of the oldest practical problems in mathematical programing.
This model and its relevant extensions play important roles in Operations Research for finding the
optimal solutions for several planning problems in Business and Industry. Several methods have
been developed to solve these models, the most known is Vogels Approximation Method (VAM).
A modified version of VAM is proposed to obtain near optimal solutions or the optimum in some
defined cases. Modified Vogel Method (MVM) consists iteratively in constructing a reduced cost
matrix before applying VAM. Beside to MVM, another approach has been developed, namely the
Zero Case Penalty, which represents different penalty computational aspects. Through the research,
the results of methods-comparison studies and comparative analysis are presented. Furthermore,
special classes, the Unbalanced TP and the Transshipment models, were studied and solved with
different approaches. Additionally, we provide an application of MVM to Traveling Salesman
Problem.

abstract: Master of Science (M.Sc.) in Computational Science


title: The impact of the CATCH early childhood program on young children’s physical activity, nutrition, and food behaviour

subject: early childhood

subject: healthy child development

subject: nutrition behaviours

subject: food knowledge

subject: physical activity

abstract:
Initially funded in 1988, the CATCH (Coordinated Approach To Child Health)
program is a school-based health promotion and childhood obesity prevention program. It
was designed to improve physical activity (PA) and healthy food choices in school-aged
children. The program has since expanded to include the CATCH Early Childhood
(CEC) program, developed for preschool-aged children (ages 3-5 years). The CEC
program incorporates preschool-based enhanced PA, nutrition, family educational
components, and staff learning materials in a health promotion program aimed at young
children. The program is one of the few interventions that includes nutrition, PA, and
family/staff components targeting young children (e.g. < 5 years). This thesis evaluated
the impact of CEC programming on young children’s nutrition behaviours, food
knowledge, and PA levels before and after implementation of the CEC program.
Registered Early Childhood Educators (RECEs) were trained and implemented the
program for 6-months. Our results demonstrated some significant findings relevant to
preschooler program development, but do not directly support the implementation of the
CEC program specifically. This study adds to the current body of literature around early
intervention programs within daycare settings, but further research is needed to quantify
whether all components of the CEC program can positively impact health outcomes (e.g.
nutritional choices and PA behaviours) among this cohort.

abstract: Master of Human Kinetics (MHK)


title: Comparison of multiple drug and metabolite levels recovered from skeletonized remains following standard passive extraction, microwave-assisted extraction and ultrasonic solvent extraction and GC-MS or UPLC-DAD

subject:
Forensic toxicology
microwave-assisted-extraction
ultrasonic-solvent extraction
GC-MS

abstract: Master of Science (MSc) in Chemical Sciences


title: Incorporating cut-off grade optimization and stockpiling into oil sands production scheduling and waste management.

subject: Oil sands mining

subject: Scheduling optimization

subject: Waste management

abstract:
In achieving maximum benefit in oil sands mining, the long-term production schedule should
have the time and sequence of removing ore, dyke material and waste from the final pit limit. An
optimum cut-off grade profile and stockpiling will ensure the segregation between these
materials meet economic and regulatory requirements. In-pit waste management strategy for oil
sands mining requires dyke construction to occur simultaneously with the advancement of
mining operations. This research seeks to determine: 1) the optimum life of mine cut-off grade
profile and its corresponding tonnages; 2) the time and sequence for removal of ore, dyke
material and waste to maximize NPV; 3) the dyke material schedule for dyke construction to
minimize construction costs; and 4) the associated impacts of stockpiling and stockpile
reclamation with limited time duration. Cut-off grade optimization was used to generate an optimum grade schedule which specifies the
cut-off grade, duration of mining of the grade and tonnage mined during the mine life. A
heuristic framework, referred to as the Integrated Cut-Off Grade Optimization (ICOGO) model
was developed in this research. It generates an optimum cut-off grade policy and a schedule for
mining ore and waste, as well as overburden, interburden and tailings coarse sand dyke material
for long-term production planning. Subsequently, a mathematical programming framework
based on Mixed Integer Linear Goal Programming (MILGP) model was developed to generate a
detailed production schedule for removal of ore, waste and dyke materials from the final pit
limit. Stockpiling scenarios investigated during the study include: i) no stockpiling; ii)
stockpiling and reclaiming at the end of mine life; and iii) stockpiling for one year or two years prior to reclamation. The developed models were applied to two oil sands case studies to maximize the Net Present
Value (NPV) of the operations. In both case studies, the NPV generated by the ICOGO model
for one year stockpiling scenario was higher than other stockpiling scenarios. For the MILGP the
NPV generated for the two year stockpiling scenario was higher than the one year stockpiling
scenario. In comparison, whereas the ICOGO model solved the optimization problem faster, the
MILGP model results provide detailed mining-cut extraction sequencing for mining.

abstract: Master of Science (MSc) in Natural Resources Engineering


title: Social network development of the Stay on Your Feet (SOYF) implementation in the Greater Sudbury Region: A case study

subject:
older adult
falls prevention
social network analysis
integration
collaboration

abstract:
The aging of the Canadian population is a serious concern. There are calls for innovation,
integration, and collaboration among health and social systems to address older adult care needs.
The rate of falls among older adults is high and will increase as the older adult population
expands and progresses through the later life course. Stay on Your Feet (SOYF), an evidencebased falls prevention initiative, has been implemented in northeastern Ontario. Social Network
Analysis (SNA) and semi-structured interviews were used to examine the implementation of
SOYF in the Greater Sudbury region. The network was consisted predominantly of informal
collaborations among health-related organizations, had low density and high centrality.
Furthering community recognition and engagement of older adults were indicated as necessary to
achieve sustainability of SOYF. The SOYF implementation network could use more
collaboration among health and social organizations.

abstract: Master of Arts (MA) in Interdisciplinary Health


title: Understanding the characteristics and consequences of the Toxic Sports Staff Member (TSSM) through the stories of male soccer players

subject:
elite-level
soccer
toxic sports staff member
arts-based method

abstract:
The current study examined the characteristics and consequences of the toxic sports staff
member (TSSM) through the stories of elite-level male soccer players. The stories of seven
participants were collected through a conversational interview that followed an art-based activity
(i.e., mandala drawings) and were analyzed using an inductive thematic analysis. Six themes
related to the characteristics of the TSSM were introduced, they were: passionate, insecure,
controlling, rigid to own viewpoints, poor communicator, and selfish. Further, six consequences
of the TSSM were introduced, they were: increased negative and decreased positive affective
states, lack of player development, creation of a destructive environment, increased team unity,
decreased performance, and loss of players. Understanding the characteristics and consequences
of the TSSM provides a starting point for understanding negative staff roles within sports.
Further, sporting organizations may use the results as a way of identifying and controlling for
negative roles within their team.

abstract: Master of Human Kinetics (MHK)


title: Evaluating the effectiveness of headstarting for wood turtle (glyptemys insculpta) population recovery

subject:
headstarting
conservation
recovery
species-at-risk
endangered
population modelling
population viability analyses
zoo conservation
long-term research
population demography
population dynamics
intervention ecology
turtles
VORTEX

abstract:
Headstarting is a conservation strategy that assumes raising hatchling turtles to larger body sizes
increases their survivorship compared to wild non-headstarted turtles. This increased
survivorship should increase population growth rate relative to wild recruitment. There are,
however, few published results of long-term population recovery using headstarting. The lack of
demographic assessment of population recovery has led to an overall lack of quantitative
assessment of the effectiveness of headstarting as a conservation action. Headstarting needs to be
efficient and effective as a poorly executed headstarting project can result in species extinction
given it is often used with critically endangered species. We released 3 cohorts of headstarted
Wood Turtles (Glyptemys insculpta) with varying degrees of headstarting to determine if
headstarting increases survivorship. I showed that headstarting turtles to a larger body size
confers a survival advantage, and this survival advantage should increase population growth rate
relative to wild recruitment. I then quantitatively assessed the effectiveness of a 15-year Wood
Turtle headstarting program by modeling population-specific demographic parameters to
evaluate recovery efforts, and determine the next phase of recovery. I found some evidence of
population recovery, but also identified challenges and make several management
recommendations that should enhance the success of the headstarting program. Overall, I have
provided support for headstarting as an effective conservation strategy, with the caveat that all
headstarting projects must be paired with management plans that maintain high adult and
juvenile survival.

abstract: Master of Science (MSc) in Biology


title: Utilization of industrial waste heat for the cultivation and harvesting of microalgae

subject:
microalgae
waste heat
off-gas
biodiesel
cold climates
harvesting
flotation

abstract:
Microalgae sourced lipids that can be transesterified into biodiesel are a promising source
of biofuels that can be produced while mitigating industrial carbon dioxide (CO2) in offgasses.
There are many advantages to microalgae compared to other bio-feedstocks,
including their rapid growth rate, their ability to accumulate significant amounts of lipid,
and the possibility of year-round production. However, there are significant limitations to
achieving wide spread and economic microalgae mass cultivation and two of these are
addressed in this research program.  Microalgae cultivation is currently generally limited to climatic zones where
temperatures remain above 15°C, which effectively restricts mass cultivation to tropical
or sub-tropical regions thereby eliminating the use of a number of worldwide industrial
CO2 sources. However, many of these sources also produce significant amounts of waste
heat. The capture and repurposing of waste heat to maintain culture temperature and
provide an alterative method for harvesting was explored. A dynamic model was
developed to determine the potential of waste streams from a nickel smelter to maintain
year-round growth in a cold climate. From this model, it was determined that there is
more than enough heat to maintain cultivation temperatures even when the ambient
temperature drops well below freezing.  Harvesting of microalgae prior to lipid extraction is, with current approaches, often cited as an area where costs need to be significantly reduced. As a wholly novel approach, the capture of this waste heat was also explored for the use as a pretreatment for harvesting
by flotation. It was determined to be highly effective and crucially avoids the addition
and costs of chemical coagulants, which contaminate and restrict the use of the remaining
biomass after lipid extraction.


title: Establishing user immersion of consumer virtual reality products through qualitative measurement

subject:
Immersion
simulation
head-mounted displays
3DTV

abstract:
New consumer technologies such as the Oculus Rift and other head-mounted displays
(HMDs) in the field of virtual reality (VR) have introduced another method of
experiencing immersive content. The effectiveness of these new mediums can be compared
to more traditional products that are currently in use; such as televisions, desktop
monitors, and variations which include 3D display capabilities. This raises the question of
whether there is a notable difference between the immersive experiences each medium can
offer. This study hypothesized that a significant difference in immersion could be
identified between consumer devices. Also, using qualitative analysis, an attempt to identify
what consumers believe comprises immersion could be devised. Data from 30 participants
indicated that the immersive potential of consumer devices can be differentiated and
compared. In addition the understanding of the term “immersion” is not clearly
understood or shared by consumers.

abstract: Master of Science (MSc) in Computational Science


title: The analysis of eye-movements in the judgment of enjoyment  and non-enjoyment smiles in people with schizophrenia

subject: schizophrenia impairments smile emotions

abstract: Research has consistently shown that people with schizophrenia have impairments in emotional facial recognition. This deficit has been associated with irregular visual scanning patterns of the face. Since people have the ability to control the expression of emotion that they display, the communication process becomes more complex. In fact, in addition to processing the emotion expressed, decoders must pay attention to the subtle details about the sincerity of the expression. The goal of the current study was to conduct a systematic examination of the ability and perceptual-attentional mechanisms used in distinguishing enjoyment and non-enjoyment smiles in individuals with schizophrenia. More specifically, the activation of the orbicularis oculi muscle and symmetry was examined. Sixteen individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia and sixteen control (no diagnosis of schizophrenia) were asked to judge the sincerity of smiles while their eye movements were recorded. Individuals with schizophrenia were less accurate than controls in judging the no-cheek smile as a non-enjoyment smile. This difficulty could be explained by their bias towards the mouth. Furthermore, like their healthy counterparts, individuals with schizophrenia showed difficulty with the judgement of asymmetric smiles. However, while perceptual processing can be ruled out as an explanation for the difficulty suggesting interpretation problems in control individuals, the former explanation cannot be discredited for individuals with schizophrenia.

abstract: Master's Theses


title: Correlates of rape myth acceptance, pornography use, and personality traits in undergraduate students

subject:
personality
pornography
rape myth
sexual assault

abstract: The purpose of this investigation was to examine the relationship between personality and pornography use in predicting rape myth acceptance. Rape myth acceptance was measured using The Illinois Rape Myth Acceptance Scale (1999); pornography use was measured the Pornography Use Measure (2014) as well as a direct question asking participants if they watch pornography (yes/no); personality was measured using Cattell’s 16PF, 5th Edition. A total of 67 participants (40 females, 27 males) were used in the analysis. Overall, rape myth acceptance was found higher in males than females overall, but was lower in males who knew a victim of sexual assault, particularly on the rape-myth subset “rape is a trivial event”. The global personality factors for Independence and Extraversion correlated negatively with rape myth acceptance in males; the global factor for Self Control correlated positively with rape myth acceptance for males. The global personality factor for Tough-Mindedness correlated positively in both males and females. No significant findings were found for pornography use.


title: Modelling radio imaging method data using electric dipoles in a homogenous whole space

subject:
Conductivity
cross borehole
radio imaging method
electromagnetics
electric dipole
tomography

abstract: Information as to how the signal of the Radio Imaging Method (RIM) changes when the system parameters change or the rock properties change is not well documented. Having a better understanding of the impact of these changes would assist in the design of surveys and the interpretations of RIM data. To quantify the impacts, a modelling program was created by representing the transmitter as an electric dipole. It outputs the amplitude and phase of the electric field in a homogeneous whole space. The system parameters were varied to investigate their effects on the measured signal. It was found that increasing the conductivity or the magnetic permeability resulted in amplitude attenuation and sharper anomalies, while increasing the dielectric permittivity resulted in increased amplitude and broader anomalies. A case study was performed using data from Drury Township, near Sudbury, Ontario, Canada. The mostly homogeneous section of field data was fit with synthetic data whose conductivity values ranged in the 10-3 S/m magnitude. A better fit was found using a conductivity of 3*10-4 S/m, by increasing the relative dielectric permittivity from 1 to between 18 and 20. It was concluded that the program was effective at fitting homogeneous sections of field data, and was developed into RIM forward model software for easy use.

abstract: Master's Theses


title: Examining the effects of eye-tracking strategies and gender on multitask performance and eye movements during sleep deprivation

subject:
eye-tracking  strategies
computerized  multitasking simulator
sleep deprivation.
gender differences
cognitive performance
dwell time on tasks

abstract: The current study implemented eye-tracking strategies on a computerized multitasking simulator in order to examine its effects on cognitive performance and dwell time on tasks during sleep deprivation. The study also looked at gender differences on multitask performance and dwell time on tasks before and after sleep deprivation. There were training trials before being sleep deprived and a testing trial after being sleep deprived for control and experimental groups. The experimental group had the eye-tracking strategies implemented on the multitasking simulator while the control group did not. It was hypothesised that eye-tracking strategies provided on the multitasking simulator would help individuals score better and equally distribute dwell time on tasks after being sleep deprived. It was also hypothesized that both genders would have similar scores and dwell times. Results showed that regardless of the eye-tracking strategies being provided or not, individuals performed better after being sleep deprived. Dwell times decreased for most of the tasks from training to testing and were not equally distributed. No conclusions in terms of gender differences were made due to limitations of unequal distribution of males and females on experimental and control groups. Results suggested that one night of sleep deprivation may not be enough for cognitive impairment to occur in the population examined. Future studies should look at implementing eye-tracking strategies when there is certainty that cognitive impairment due to sleep deprivation is occurring.


title: Predicting players’ performance in the game of cricket using machine learning

subject:
cricket
One Day International (ODI)
supervised learning
Naïve Bayes
Random Forest
multiclass SVM
decision trees
oversampling

abstract:
Player selection is one of the most important tasks for any sport and cricket is no exception.
The performance of the players depends on various factors such as the opposition team, the
venue, his current form etc. The team management, the coach and the captain select eleven
players for each match from a squad of 15 to 20 players. They analyze different characteristics
and the statistics of the players to select the best playing 11 for each match. Each batsman
contributes by scoring maximum runs possible and each bowler contributes by taking
maximum wickets and conceding minimum runs. This thesis attempts to predict the
performance of players as how many runs each batsman will score and how many wickets each
bowler will take for both teams in one-day international cricket matches. Both the problems
are targeted as classification problems where number of runs and number of wickets are
classified in different ranges. We used Naïve Bayes, Random Forest, multiclass SVM and
Decision Tree classifiers to generate the prediction models for both the problems. Random
Forest classifier was found to be the most accurate for both problems.

abstract: Master of Science (MSc) in Computational Sciences


title: Developing social work practice skills within a mental health context

subject:
Mental health
Social work

abstract:
This report explores my experiences and desire to develop my clinical skills while
completing an advanced practicum with the Mood and Anxiety Program through Health Sciences
North. The Mood and Anxiety Program works with individuals that had been diagnosed with a
mental illness and wanted to seek therapeutic assistance to learn how to manage symptoms and
challenges of their mental illness. In this instance, mental illness is a health condition that is
distinguished by considerable dysfunction in a person’s cognition, emotions, or behaviours that
could often reveal a disturbance in the psychological, biological, or developmental processes,
which could have underlying mental functioning.
Through this practicum, and as shown throughout this report, I was able to create and
achieve several goals that I felt would assist me in developing my clinical skills. I planned to
refine my skills by working as part of a multidisciplinary team; continuously reflecting on my
practice with the use of a journal and clinical supervision; completing assessments and cofacilitating
group therapy sessions; and, integrating theory into practice. I was also able to
critically reflect upon the theories that I used during my practicum; develop and improve my
self-awareness; enhance my therapeutic presence; and develop an understanding of how stigma
is present in the mental health field and could it acts as a barrier for people with a mental illness.

abstract: Master of Social Work Program


title: Personality and cognition of pornographic offenders; a comparison to sexual and general offenders

subject: pornographic offenders

subject: cognitive characteristics

subject: unique personality

subject: sexual offenders

subject: general offenders

abstract: The purpose of the current study is to determine if there are unique personality or cognitive characteristics to help distinguish pornographic offenders from other sexual and general offenders. The participants consist of 45 male offenders, over the age of 18, who have been convicted of viewing child pornography (9), sexual assault (16) or general assault (20). Each of the offenders was also classified by whether they were first time offenders or had prior offenses. Each offender had previously been administered the following two psychometric tests: The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory and The Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence. The results of this study aim to determine if pornographic offenders have exclusive traits to help create proper treatment and preventative programs.

abstract: Honours Essay


title: Testing technosols over an ultramafic gradient for rehabilitation of diamond mine wastes in a subarctic region

subject:
serpentine
processed kimberlite
primary succession
mine reclamation
microorganisms

abstract:
Subarctic regions are recognized as one of the largest remaining pristine landscapes on earth, but are currently experiencing progressive degradation due to human activity. Mining and site rehabilitation in northern regions can be challenging largely due to the remote location of these developments. Rehabilitation is often restricted to using local mine waste materials to construct technosols. This study focused on how mines in northern regions, specifically the isolated De Beers Victor Diamond Mine, can use local mineral mine waste material to manufacture successful soil covers. Specifically, our research focused on examining the performance and success of technosols across a gradient increasing in serpentine characteristics. The objectives of the study were to, (1) determine how technosols increasing in serpentine characteristics influence vegetation establishment and microbial activity, (2) determine how the quantity of peat influences vegetation establishment and microbial activity, and (3) determine how early physical and chemical characteristics, and early plant colonization on our technosols compare to a local natural environment undergoing primary succession. We constructed a factorial experiment on two areas of mine waste at the Victor Mine, the waste rock dumpsite, and a processed kimberlite storage facility. Three test blocks were constructed on each site comprising a total of 48 5 m x 5 m experimental plots with four mineral substrate mixtures, and two levels of peat application. Mixtures consisted of various combinations of coarse and fine processed kimberlite, a silty loam marine overburden, and 20% or 40% peat, creating a gradient with ultramafic, serpentine characteristics. Each plot was fertilized at a rate of 12.5 g m-2 (NPK 8-32-16), inoculated with a microbial inoculation ‘tea’ mixture, and seeded with a variety of native vegetation. Various early physical,
iv
chemical and biological characteristics were examined, including early plant colonization and microbial activity. To measure microbial activity, a 7-day aerobic soil incubation experiment was preformed in growth chambers, with and without the addition of glucose, where CO2 respiration rate was the only parameter examined. The results indicated that mixtures increasing in serpentine characteristics resulted in decreased vegetation establishment and microbial activity in the short-term, while the mixtures that were non-serpentine (100% overburden-peat) were the most successful for vegetation establishment and potentially short-term microbial activity. However, most differences between our mixtures were minor. Differences in quantity of peat were minor between our experimental mixtures, causing them to have no influence on the vegetation establishment between our mixtures, and only minor differences in microbial activity between our mixtures. Our technosols shared similar physical and chemical aspects with the early successional Attawapiskat River floodplain environment, and also shared similarities with a peat-overburden mixture currently being used to rehabilitate a stockpile at the Victor Mine. These early similarities could show their potential for success during mine rehabilitation. Our research provides insight into challenges associated with rehabilitation of subarctic environments and, in general, mine waste substrates. This research will provide the De Beers Victor Mine with suggestions for rehabilitation upon closure, and will provide them with information on challenges they may face if incorporating processed kimberlite into technosols.

abstract: Master of Science (MSc.) in Biology


title: Synthesis and characterization of oligo/polythiophenes bearing stable radicals

subject:
radicals
stable radicals

abstract:
Two categories of verdazyl radical functionalized oligothiophenes have been prepared:
1,5-diisopropyl-6-oxoverdazyl radical directly linked to terthiophene (2.6), and 1,5-
diisopropyl-6-oxoverdazyl radical attached to terthiophene through a π system bridge,
e.g., pyridine (2.11).
Compound radical 2.6 was prepared by a two step process starting with the condensation
of terthiophene carboxaldehyde and 2,4-diisopropylcarbonhydrazide bis-hydrochloride to
give the tetrazane 2.5, which was subsequently oxidized chemically to give the
corresponding verdazyl radical grafted at the 3’ position of the terthiophene moiety. The
latter displays excellent stability toward organic solvents and moisture.
The electropolymerization of radical 2.6 resulted in the formation of its polymer
(poly(2.6)), which was characterized by cyclic voltammetry and infrared spectroscopy.
The electrochemical oxidation of the tetrazane, 2.5, yielded surprisingly a
poly(terthiophene) bearing verdazyl radical, with similar electrochemical and infrared
properties of those found for the polymer produced in the electro-oxidation of the
terthiophene bearing verdazyl radical (poly(2.6)). Moreover, the electrochemical
oxidation of 2.5 (beyond its oxidation potential of the tetrazane motif) affords the radical
2.6.
A similar strategy has been used for the synthesis and the characterization of tetrazane
2.10 and its corresponding verdazyl 2.11.

abstract: Master's Theses


title: Oneiric architecture: a filmic exploration of the subjective dream experience

subject:
Bethel Lake
Sudbury, Ontario
oneiric architecture
mind's ability
landscapes
complex structures

abstract:
The mind’s ability to fill void space with elaborate landscapes and complex structures is
truly extraordinary. As humans we have an innate ability to create spaces, sometimes
entirely new, sometimes variations of places we know, drawing from elements that we
encounter in our conscious lives. This thesis explores this phenomenon of dreaming from
an architectural perspective. This research considers the history of dreams as cultural and
artistic phenomena and their subsequent representation amongst a vast array of media.
Film is identified as the most appropriate medium to represent the temporal qualities
of dreams, and as such, is suggested as a potential tool for developing an architectural
design strategy. In response to an increasingly objective architectural landscape, the
hypothesis suggested herein uses filmic devices to design spaces that mimic aspects
of the subjective dream experience. This thesis has culminated in the proposal of a
“dreamatorium” development on Bethel Lake in Sudbury, Ontario. The project is a public
park that explores oneiric space through a series of pathways and pavilions.

abstract: Master of Architecture


title: Deformation history and gold mineralization of the Cadillac Group north of the Larder Lake-Cadillac deformation zone, southern Abitibi greenstone belt, Quebec

subject:
Larder Lake–Cadillac deformation zone
Malartic segment
structural evolution,
Piché Group
deformation
gold mineralization

abstract:
The Cadillac Group is located immediately north of the Larder Lake–Cadillac deformation zone
(LLCDZ) along the southern margin of the Abitibi greenstone belt in the Archean Superior
Province, Quebec. The LLCDZ is a major 250 km long structure known for hosting several gold
deposits. It is generally east-trending over a distance of 170 km, and then it swings to the southeast
over a distance of 35 km along the so-called Malartic segment, before resuming its easterly trend
for another 45 km. With its thick sequence of <2687 Ma turbiditic sandstone interlayered with
mudstone and polymictic conglomerate, the Cadillac Group provides favourable rocks for studying
the structural history of the Malartic segment which, due to its unique trend, is important for
understanding the overall tectonic evolution of the LLCDZ. Deformation of the Cadillac Group
began with large-scale isoclinal folding and the formation of a regional cleavage parallel to the
trend of the Malartic segment (D1 event). These structures overprint a 2675.5 ± 2 Ma quartzfeldspar-phyric (QFP) intrusion providing a maximum age for the D1 event and a minimum age for
the deposition of the Cadillac sequence. The deformation of the Cadillac Group resumed with
bedding-parallel sinistral shearing and the emplacement of gold-bearing extensional quartz veins
(D2 event), and continued with bedding-parallel dextral shearing, Z-shaped folding, the formation
of a cleavage oriented oblique (anticlockwise) to the trend of the Malartic segment, and by the
rotation and segmentation of the gold-bearing veins (D3 event). Contrary to previous interpretations
of the Malartic segment as an early pre-D1 accretionary structure, it is interpreted as the short limb
of a broad Z-shaped flexure that formed during D3 folding of the LLCDZ and that postdates the
emplacement of gold-bearing veins in the Cadillac Group. Mineralized veins at the nearby worldclass Canadian Malartic deposit were emplaced during the same D2 event but they differ in
alteration mineralogy and geochemistry to the Cadillac veins suggesting different sources for the
mineralizing fluids. Mineralization at the Lapa deposit is similar in sulphide mineralogy and metal
association to the Cadillac veins but was emplaced earlier during the deformation history of the
LLCDZ.

abstract: Master of Science (MSc) in Geology


title: The current university focus: an emphasis on providing customer service over engagement?

subject:
Customer service
Work design
Co-creation of value
Engagement
Student satisfaction
Institutional commitment
Personal growth

abstract:
Given the economic constraints placed on many higher education institutions, some
universities have started to implement customer service orientation strategies in their
marketing activities in order to solidify value exchange perceptions, differentiate
themselves from their competitors and improve retention rates. However, the student as a
‘customer’ model can cause universities to start viewing students as sources of revenue,
treat faculty as providers of a service and students can be cast in the role of consumer
with students taking on many customer behaviours. If students are to get the most out of
their academic experiences, they need to become meaningfully and psychologically
involved in their studies.
Using multiple steps and different statistical techniques, this thesis investigated the
dangers of institutions of higher education viewing students as “customers” and the
importance of getting students more involved in the co-creation of their university
experiences through the use of two phases of research. The findings from Phase One
offered new insight into some key areas that are emerging as meaningful such as: college
transfer students’ problems with transitioning to university, the impact of helicopter
parenting practices, students not finding their classes intellectually stimulating and issues
created by not severing ties to prior support systems, among others. While the ensuing
conceptual Student Engagement Work Design Model (SEWDM) and the empirical
findings discovered as a result of the Phase Two testing provides a roadmap of how the
engagement elements of autonomy, feedback, skill variety, task identity and customer
services can be utilized by universities when attempting to predict institutional
commitment and personal growth needs.These findings are important as information about which factors help to predict postsecondary
student institutional commitment and personal growth needs can assist with
the development of targeted student recruitment strategies and the development of
support systems. Being able to assess these outcomes could help to reduce funding
outlays to lower impact areas so synergies can be encouraged and resources can be
concentrated on critical factors.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Human Studies


title: Foot-transmitted vibration: exposure characteristics and the biodynamic response of the foot

subject:
foot-transmitted vibration (FTV)
Miners
underground mining equipment

abstract:
Research shows miners can be exposed to foot-transmitted vibration (FTV) when
operating various pieces of underground mining equipment, and case reports suggest
workers are experiencing symptoms similar to those of hand-arm vibration syndrome in
their feet. A field study was conducted to measure and document FTV exposure
associated with operating underground mining equipment, and probable health risks were
determined based on both ISO 2631-1 (1997) for WBV and ISO 5349-1 (2004) for HAV.
Seventeen participating operator’s also reported musculoskeletal discomfort. Seventeen
male participants ranging between 24-61 years of age, with an average height and mass of
175.0cm and 88.2kg volunteered for the study. Seventeen pieces of equipment were
tested; 1 locomotive, 1 crusher, 9 bolter drills (4 scissor platforms, 2 Maclean, 2
Boart/basket, and 1 RDH), and 6 jumbo drills.
Including all seventeen pieces of underground mining equipment, the vibration
acceleration ranged from 0.13-1.35m/s2 with dominant frequencies between 1.25-250Hz
according to ISO 2631-1. According to ISO 5349-1 vibration acceleration ranged from
0.14-3.61m/s2 with dominant frequencies between 6.3-250Hz. Furthermore, the
magnitude of FTV measured on the jumbo drills with grated platforms (#5 and #6) was
less than FTV measured from the jumbo drills with, solid metal surfaces. Additionally,
twelve of the seventeen equipment operators indicated a complaint of discomfort in their
lower body (specifically at the level of the knee or lower). The health risk analysis based
on ISO 2631-1 indicated that one operator (bolter drill #9) was exposed to vibration
above the criterion value, while the health risk analysis based on ISO 5349-1 indicated
iv
that two operators (jumbo drill #1 and bolter drill #1) were exposed to vibration above the
criterion value. Operators reported very severe or severe discomfort; however, the same
operators were not the operators of the equipment with FTV exposure levels above the
ISO standards, leaving evidence to suggest that the standards are not properly assessing
injury risk to vibration exposure via the feet. Future research is needed to develop a
standard specific for FTV and to determine the link between early musculoskeletal injury
reporting and the onset of vibration white foot. To do so, a better understanding of the
biodynamic response of the foot to FTV is needed.
A laboratory study was conducted to 1) measure and document transmissibility of FTV
from (a) floor-to-ankle (lateral malleolus), and (b) floor-to-metatarsal, during exposure to
six levels of vibration (25Hz, 30Hz, 35Hz, 40Hz, 45Hz, and 50Hz) while standing, and 2)
to determine whether independent variables (vibration exposure frequency, mass, arch
type) influence transmissibility (dependent variable) through the foot. A two-way
repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) was conducted. There was a
significant interaction between transmissibility location and exposure frequency (λ =
0.246, F (5,25) = 15.365, p = 0.0001). There were significant differences in mean
transmissibility between the ankle and metatarsal at 40Hz [t(29) = 4.116, p = 0.00029],
45Hz [t(29) = 6.599, p = 0.00000031], and 50Hz [t(29) = 8.828, p = 0.000000001]. The
greatest transmissibility at the metatarsal occurred at 50Hz and at the ankle (lateral
malleolus) transmissibility was highest from 25-30Hz, indicating the formation of a local
resonance at each location.
v
Future research should focus on identifying resonance frequencies at different locations
on the feet. This information is needed to develop an exposure guideline to help protect
workers from exposure to FTV, and to develop personal protective equipment capable of
attenuating harmful FTV exposure frequencies.

abstract: Master of Human Kinetics (MHK)


title: The design and evaluation of Novel prototypes to visualize web browsing history

subject:
Web browsers
History tool

abstract: Mainstream Web browsers support users in revisiting Web Pages by providing them with a history tool. Research shows that this history tool is severely underutilized. One possible reason is the manner in which the pages are displayed: a linear list of textual links. This thesis investigates the redesign of the history tool by introducing visualization to display the visited Web pages. Three distinct visual prototypes were designed ranging from a traditional scientific visualization method to a concrete visualization that incorporates a metaphor and knowledge transfer from the real-world. The low-fidelity prototypes were evaluated by participants and the best performing design was implemented as a high-fidelity prototype. Further evaluation with participants was conducted and the results were compared against the performance of participants using the traditional history tool of linear textual links.

abstract: Master's Theses


title: Epigenetic rooted architecture: a typology for obstetrical programming

subject:
algorithms
architecture
cognitive
endocrine system
epigenetics
limbic system
maternal environment
medical
midwifery
new typology
obstetric
parturition
pregnancy
short-term residence
survival-of-the-fittest
women’s health
well-being

abstract:
Western medicine has involved studies of environmental, social, and
dietary stress that leads to the diagnosis of hereditary disorders. Even
with pharmaceutical treatments, these disorders have risen. This
short-term response does not benefit the long-term health of future
generations. By refocusing with theories of “survival of the fittest,”
adaptation starts when an individual perceives and responds to their
built environment. Personal senses (vision, smell, touch, taste, etc.)
gather information on a specific space and are subsequently expressed
through an emotional response. This internal process, called the
limbic system, is done through hormones that respond to sensory/
emotional information and give function to cells through the body.
Disorders arise when there is too much or too little of a hormone
that damages how the body reads the DNA within a cell, known as
an epigenetic modification. The misreading and re-interpretation of
epigenetic patterns are most crucial during exponential cell growth
during in utero. Therefore, the architectural reading of an expecting
mother may hinder or benefit the unborn child’s future health. How
can we use the built environment to promote human’s fitness within the
timeframe of in utero?
Architecture can display multiplicities of emotional responses.
Theories in biophilic design and cognitive architecture have listed
multiple architectural elements and their spectrum of emotions.
This information can be used at its full capacity when starting at
the micro responses of cells due to macro atmospheric qualities.
When imposing a new typology for pregnant women, their health
and programmatic requirements connect to architectural elements,
emotions, and senses that start to inform a design toolkit. This
will assist in the design and development of a short-term
residence for pregnant and post-partum women who require a
secure and stimulating architecture. This new typology will
investigate the use of data as a means to generate a building
that is self-aware of these interactions; creating a relationship
between architecture and mother that is not one-sided but
continuously responding to her changing needs.

abstract: Master of Architecture (M.Arch)


title: Keeping girls in the gym : an examination of the reasons why females choose not to participate in high school physical education

subject:
physical education classes
participation
female population
body image
athletic abilities
curriculum and teaching styles

abstract:
With the changes of removal of mandatory participation in physical education
(PE) classes and topics taught in these classes, there has been a decline in the
participation rate across the board, but most specifically in the female population (Dwyer
et al., 2006). With concerns of obesity, inactivity, and mental health issues on the rise, it
is necessary to look at why these individuals are not participating. The purpose of this
paper is to understand why female high school students do not enroll in senior elective
PE classes. An extensive review of current PE literature, combined with a survey/focus
group pilot project in Sudbury, Ontario was completed to help determine these reasons.
The results of this paper indicate that there are three overarching themes as to why
females are not continuing after the mandatory grade 9 class: 1) body image, 2)
confidence in athletic abilities, and 3) curriculum and teaching styles. Within these
themes, female students feel they should be comfortable and confident with themselves
before immersing themselves into PE classes. Additionally, students believe that the
content of classes should be adapted to suit current needs of students and promote lifelong
health and activity participation. Students are not necessarily finding satisfaction
and usefulness in the basketball, soccer and volleyball based gym classes, so it is
important that schools consider implementing more individual and everyday activities
such as hiking, yoga, swimming, etc. These may be the very activities that allow students
to feel successful in the classroom and develop habits for necessary participation as they
leave high school and move towards adulthood.

abstract: Master of Arts (MA) in Interdisciplinary Health


title: Le rôle du raisonnement contrefactuel dans la compréhension de la dissimulation des émotions chez les enfants d’âge scolaire

subject:
Émotion
Raisonnement contrefactuel
Compréhension
Dissimulation
Enfants d’âge scolaire

abstract:
L’objectif de ce projet est d’étudier la compréhension de la dissimulation des enfants
d’âge scolaire et le rôle du raisonnement contrefactuel dans cette compréhension. De façon
secondaire, l’effet de la valence de l’émotion et du sexe a été examiné. Le niveau de langage
réceptif a aussi été pris en considération dans les analyses. Sur le plan méthodologique, des
histoires dans lesquelles un personnage dissimule une émotion sont lues aux enfants et ils
doivent ensuite identifier l’émotion du personnage et répondre à une série de questions. Les
résultats indiquent qu’il n’y a pas de différence significative entre les deux groupes d’âges. En
somme, dès l’âge de 6 ans les enfants sont capable de raisonner de façon contrefactuelle par
rapport à la dissimulation et cette compréhension n’est pas influencée par le sexe de l’enfant ou
la valence de l’émotion qui est dissimulée.

abstract: Maîtrise des Arts en Développement humain


title: The effect of nigella sativa on the murine melanoma cell line, B16-BL6

subject:
Nigella sativa
B16-BL6 cells
Apoptosis
Caspases

abstract:
Nigella sativa, commonly known as black seed, belongs to the botanical family of
Ranunculaceae. Over recent years, there has been a growing interest in natural products
including N. sativa due to their promising as anti-cancer effects. Several in vitro studies
to determine the effect of N. sativa on the growth of the malignant melanoma cell line,
B16-BL6, and non-malignant cell lines were performed. We have shown that treatment of
cells with a 70% ethanol extract of N. sativa can significantly inhibit proliferation of both
malignant and non-malignant cells. Treatment with an aqueous extract of N. sativa can
reduce the growth of malignant cell proliferation while having a lesser effect on non-
malignant cell proliferation. Ethanol extracts of N. sativa can induce apoptosis in treated
B16-BL6 cells as confirmed using the Acridine Orange/Ethidium Bromide staining assay,
Tunel assay, and Caspase activity assay. Some studies revealed that Thymoquinone is an
important bioactive component of N. sativa and has anti-cancer effect. However, we aim
to further investigate the active components of N. sativa using High-Performance Liquid
Chromatography (HPLC) to identify the components that may be more effective in
inhibiting cancer cell proliferation.

abstract: Master's Theses


title: The influence of social determinants of health on child physical health in Greater Sudbury neighbourhoods

subject:
social determinants of health
health equity
child physical health
neighbourhood

abstract:
There is increasing awareness that social determinants of health are associated with growing health
inequities, or avoidable differences, among many populations. The City of Greater Sudbury is
experiencing these health inequities, including inequities in child physical health and wellbeing. This
study will examine the relationship between specific social determinants of health and child physical
health and wellbeing in Greater Sudbury neighbourhoods. The goals of this research are 1) to explore
the relationships between specific social determinants of health and child physical health and wellbeing
in Greater Sudbury neighbourhoods, 2) explore the collective influence of social determinants of health
on child physical health and wellbeing, and 3) examine unique relationships that may exist between the
social determinants of health and children physical health in neighbourhoods for the City of Greater
Sudbury.
The complexity, nature, and interactions of the social determinants of health within society
makes observing them quantitatively difficult. This requires many different social determinants of health
to be studied separately from one another, as well as together, in order to understand how they
influence child physical health and wellbeing. In order to better understand these interactions, the social
ecological model of health promotion presents an ideal theoretical framework for examining multiple
variables and their correlations and, therefore, is used in this study. This study is an ecological crosssectional
study using secondary data analysis of the 2011 National Household Survey (Statistics Canada)
and the Early Development Instrument which was developed by the Offord Centre for Child Studies.
This study involves a multi-variate analysis with the dependent variable of child physical health
being represented by a composite measure of child physical health and wellbeing, and multiple
independent variables including different measures of neighbourhood income, education,
unemployment, lone-parent families and poverty. Child physical health and wellbeing is represented by
the Early Development Instrument (EDI) - a questionnaire completed by the teacher or an Early Child
Educator (ECE) when the child is in senior kindergarten. The EDI is a comprehensive measure of child
physical health and wellbeing because it includes gross/fine motor skills, physical readiness for the
school day, and physical independence. The social determinants of health are represented by the
National Household Survey – a voluntary sample survey using a random sample collected by Statistics
Canada, which the federal government uses to collect social and economic data about the Canadian
population (Statistics Canada, 2011).
IV
Descriptive statistics address the assumptions of linear regression as well as examine the nature and
normalcy of the independent and dependent variables. Then the presence of outliers are tested using
univariate, bivariate, and multivariate detection methods. Linear and multiple regression tests are then
used to analyze the influences of the social determinants of health on child physical health and
wellbeing. The results of this study demonstrate the challenges of exploring geographical differences in
the health of a population, and how those differences in health may be socially produced. Furthermore,
this study provides insight into better understanding how child physical health and wellbeing in Greater
Sudbury neighbourhoods may be influenced by socially produced health disparities.

abstract: Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Health.