title: Littoral Karren Along the Western Shore of Newfoundland

contributor:
Ford, D.C.
Geography

subject: Geography Geography

abstract: The west coast of Newfoundland, from Port au Port Peninsula north to Pistolet Bay, displays many lower Cambrian to Middle Ordovician carbonate rock formations. These host a wide variety of modern littoral karren in the form of solution pits, pans and grooves. lntrasite karren variation has been studied with respect to tidal range, biological species colonization and basic seawater properties of the tidal pools. An attempt is made to quantify intersite karren variation with respect to variations in lithology and the marine environment. This is the first study of littoral karren in a cold marine environment with seasonal sea ice fast to the coast. Field methods used stratified random sampling because the karren distribution is essentially zonal in nature. Shore-normal, parallel transects were taken across the platforms, with metre square quadrats used to obtain representative samples from each karren zone. Temperature, salinity, conductivity and pH were recorded in inter-, supratidal and backshore rock pools, with more detailed chemical analyses at one selected site. There is a general inrasite tend in karren development with karren diameter and microrelief increasing in size with increasing height above the mean low water mark (MLWM). This produces a corresponding inverse relationship between karren density and height above the MLWM Bioerosion is not a factor in explaining karren variation within the littoral zone, and there were no established relationships between SpC or pH and karren development, although intersite variations in geology and the marine environment may be obscuring the importance of chemical dissolution here. Bivariate and multivariate regressions are performed involving a number of geologic and marine environment variables, in an attempt to quantify intersite karren variations at western Newfoundland. Geologic factors, especially insoluble residue, are more important in determinrng if karren will develop beyond the scale of micropits at a given site, regardless of how exposed that shoreline is to the open marine environment. The marine environment, especially variations in the exposure index (EI), appears to be more important than geolory in explaining intersite karren variation between sites where measurable karren do occur

abstract: Master of Science (MS)


title: Le Projet de société du référendum 1995 - Justification a posteriori d'un Etat national simulacral

contributor:
Bayard, Caroline
French

subject: Other French and Francophone Language and Literature

abstract: Cette étude tâche d'examiner le rapport entre indépendantisme et nationalisme à l'heure du référendum 1995 sur la souveraineté du Québec. En 1995, comme pendant les années 1960 et 1970, le projet souverainiste était censé recéler un projet de société; l'indépendance constituait le moyen de réaliser une société québécoise transformée. Son mon hypothèse, cette relation causale est problématique, à l'époque postmoderne, en raison de la nature du nationalisme québécois et de la mondialisation. D'une part, le concept de souveraineté et le rôle de l'État-nation se voient remis en cause face aux effets de la mondialisation. D'autre part, l'épuisement du rêve néo-nationaliste socialiste/social démocrate des années 60 et 70 traduit une dévalorisation de l'État en ce qui concerne le nationalisme québécois actuel. Phénomènes qui contredisent, selon toute apparence, l'énoncé d'un projet de société qui mise sur un État fort et interventionniste. De mon étude, je conclus que dans le référendum de 1995, le concept du projet de société remplit une fonction justificative vis-à-vis du projet souverainiste. Le Projet de société 1995 donne l'apparence de s'inscrire dans le même espace politique et idéologique que le projet néo-nationaliste afin de légitimer la question nationale institutionnalisée. En d'autres termes, par un renversements de fins et de moyens, l'invocation d'un projet de société devient le moyen de légitimer un État souverain devenu fin.

abstract: Master of Arts (MA)


title: Infant Mortality in An Aboriginal Community: An Historical and Biocultural Analysis

contributor:
Herring, D. Ann
Anthropology

subject: Anthropology Anthropology

abstract: There is little information on secular trends in the infant mortality rate (IMR) among aboriginal populations in Canada. Although the Canadian government began collecting vital statistics for Canadian Indians at the turn of the century, records prior to the 1960s have been deemed inaccurate (Romaniuk and Piche 1972; Latulippe-Sakamoto 1971). This thesis presents an historical study of infant mortality in the Cree community of Fisher River, Manitoba during the period from 1907 to 1939. The two major purposes of this thesis are: 1) to investigate infant mortality and community health conditions at Fisher River during the early twentieth century using parish records from the Methodist mission; and 2) to evaluate microlevel parish record data (as opposed to aggregate statistics used in national studies) as a source of information on historical trends in the IMR among aboriginal Canadians. The infant mortality rate was found to be persistently high during this time period (249 per 1000 live births). The IMR demonstrated a seasonal distribution pattern; high rates were strongly associated with winter, linked to undernutrition and airborne infectious disease. High fertility rates at young maternal ages during this period are thought to have contributed to high IMRs, although the underlying mechanisms are still elusive. There is some indication that a segment of families in the community had lower IMRs due to greater access to resources in the communify. However, it is concluded that high infant mortality reflected the overall health problems of the Fisher River reserve environment during this period. Finding studies, both historical and modern, comparable to these results is a challenge. Parish records, when used judiciously, are adv_ocated as a good source of data for investigating aboriginal health conditions prior to W.W.II. It is suggested that future research on infant mortality in aboriginal populations be community-based.

abstract: Master of Arts (MA)


title: Trinitapoli: a preliminary evaluation of the human skeletal material recovered from a Middle Bronze Age burial site in Southem Italy.

contributor:
Saunders, Shelley R.
Anthropology

subject: Anthropology Anthropology

abstract: The lpogeo degli Avori represents an artificially constructed burial cave of the Middle Italian Bronze Age (1600 to 1350 BCE). The site has received recent attention due to the finding of two ivory statues which bear stylistic similarities to Mycenaean Greek art of the era. The presence of these statues has led some to believe that the site may represent one of the first locations of Greek occupation in southern Italy, though others remain skeptical and suggest rather that the artifacts are merely reflective of trade associations. The current analysis provides a preliminary evaluation of a portion of the human skeletal material recovered from the site with a focus on demographic structure, general population health, and evidence of migration inferred from strontium isotope data. The site appears to consist of the fragmentary remains of at least 3 infants, 10 children, and,12 adults, with both sexes represented. The range of age groups represented, along with the presence of both sexes suggests a settled group. Palaeopathological evaluation suggests a population partaking in significant levels of physical activity, showing lesions suggestive of heavy lifting. Skeletal evidence of nutritional deficiencies was also observed, though alternate explanations were provided for the presence of these lesions. Chemical analysis of six individuals revealed two to be local, and four potentially non-local. The conclusions of this analysis are made in acknowledgement of the limitations associated with commingled burials and with material that is generally in a poor state of preservation, and this study shows that anthropologically relevant information can be obtained from the meticulous evaluation of even heavily fragmented material.

abstract: Master of Arts (MA)


title: The Role of the state in Dependent Capitalist Deveiopment: The Case of Brazil

contributor:
Stein, Michael
Political Science

subject:
Political Science
Political Science

abstract: This thesis explores the utility of Marxist conceptions of the state in examining the relationship between the state and development in Bra.zil. The development of the state form in Brazil is analysed as a factor of dependent development, State-class relations, with respect to the ruling class and the subordinate classes, are examined to determine the logic of state intervention in Brazil's capitalist development. State intervention is seen both in its political context eg. as a coercive apparatus to contain class antagonisms, and in its economic context eg. as the means by which capital accumulation is facilitated. Finally the thesis takes into account the crisis of the state which is the result of the contradictions of dependent development. Through the study of the material conditions of Brazil's development and the role of the state in that process, it becomes evident that Marxist theory has much more to offer than traditional development theories assume.

abstract: Master of Arts (MA)


title: WORKBENCH FOR MODELING AND OPTIMIZATION OF DIVERSE NETWORKS

contributor:
Mahalec, Vladimir
Computing and Software

subject:
Network Modeling
Optimization
Diverse Domain Networks
Chemical Engineering
Computer and Systems Architecture
Chemical Engineering

abstract: This work describes an architecture which enables experiments in optimization of networks that represent systems in diverse application domains, e.g. multi-product food production plants, gasoline blending and shipment, heat exchanger networks in refineries, etc. The prototype implementation is a web-based workbench (NOPT). Design of the workbench enables instantiation of different application domains via attributes describing entities (materials, energy) flowing through network arcs, and via node models relevant to the domain. From data describing the network attributes, NOPT generates a mathematical model described by a set of linear equations and provides a user with abilities to select appropriate solution algorithms. Multi-step composite algorithms, each solving a subnetwork or an entire network for specific time periods can be constructed with input from the user. Some of the steps in the algorithm can be non-linear procedures which compute specific model parameters. Hence, the architecture enables solution of bi linear systems of type “x*y” (e.g. energy balances) by first solving for “x’ (e.g. mass flows) from some other set of equations (e.g. mass balances) and then solve for “y” since “x’ is known. Current architecture of NOPT also supports the inclusion of external node models that helps user to import his customized node models into the workbench via the feature called User Node.

abstract: Master of Computer Science (MCS)


title: NEW TUNER CHARACTERIZATION AND GAIN COMPENSATION TECHNIQUES FOR ON-WAFER MICROWAVE NOISE MEASUREMENT

contributor:
Chen, Chih-Hung
Electrical and Computer Engineering

subject:
noise
measurement accuracy
device characterization
Electrical and Electronics
Electrical and Electronics

abstract:
Accurate characterization of a noisy device starts with an accurate measurement system. Measurement uncertainty and error continues to be a challenging subject as technology advances. The conventional method to noise characterization of on-wafer devices is to determine its noise parameters. To extract the noise parameters of an unpackaged device involves a sophisticated measurement system and calibration procedure. This thesis presents a new automated on-wafer noise measurement system based on Labview 8.5.1 which is used to examine measurement uncertainty for noise parameter extraction. The software program can be used and customized for a wide range of on-wafer noise measurements. This thesis covers the design and operation of the measurement system, which is then used to analyze measurement uncertainty.

Measurement uncertainty can be due to various sources from environmental surroundings to instrument settings and the components of the system itself. In many scenarios, inaccuracies are random and cannot be completely resolved. In this thesis, a new tuner characterization technique that improves source tuner characterization is presented. Additionally, a new gain compensation technique is applied to measured noise powers that attempt to improve noise parameter extraction accuracy is proposed. The tuner characterization technique is evaluated against a current industry solution and the affects of the gain compensation technique is evaluated using a newly developed figure of merit. This research work concludes that a direct noise power correction is valid and necessary to further improve noise parameter accuracy. However, the proposed technique when applied resulted in minimal change to the overall noise parameter data. It is found that that source termination selection and total points used for fitting continue to be the major source of uncertainty for noise parameter accuracy.

abstract: Master of Applied Science (MASc)


title: System xc- Mediated Glutamate Transport Inhibition in Cancer-Induced Bone Pain

contributor: Medical Sciences (Division of Physiology/Pharmacology)

subject:
cancer
bone
pain
glutamate
system xc-
sulfasalazine
Medical Pathology
Medical Pathology

abstract: Breast cancers are the most common source of metastases to bone of which cancer-induced bone pain is a frequent pathological feature. Cancer-induced bone pain is a unique pain state with a multiplicity of determinants that remains to be well understood and managed. Current standard treatments are limited by dose-dependent side effects that can depress the quality of life of patients. Glutamate is a neurotransmitter and bone cell-signalling molecule that has been found to be released via the system xC-cystine/glutamate antiporter on cancer cells of types that frequently metastasize to bone, including breast cancers. This project examines the hypothesis that limiting glutamate release from cancer cells metastasized to bone will reduce bone tissue disruption and cancer-induced bone pain. A mouse model of cancer-induced bone pain was established with intrafemoral human breast cancer cells (MDA-MB-231), and behavioural measurements were taken for weight bearing and induced paw withdrawal thresholds. The system xC- inhibitors sulfasalazine and (S)-4-carboxyphenylglycine both attenuated glutamate release from cancer cells in a dose-dependent manner in vitro. Treatment with sulfasalazine induced a moderate delay in the onset of behavioural indicators of pain in mouse models, and treatment with (S)-4-carboxyphenylglycine had no apparent results. This data suggests that the limitation of extracellular glutamate released from cancers in bone with sulfasalazine may provide some alleviation of the often severe and intractable pain associated with bone metastases.

abstract: Master of Science (MSc)


title: Antithrombogenic Biomaterials: Surface Modification with an Antithrombin-Heparin Covalent Complex

contributor:
Brash, J.L.
C., Anthony K.
Filipe, Carlos
Biomedical Engineering

subject:
antithrombin
heparin
polyethylene oxide
anticoagulation
gold
polyurethane
Biomaterials
Biomaterials

abstract:
Surface-induced thrombosis is a continuing issue in the development of biomaterials for blood contacting applications. Protein adsorption is a key factor in thrombosis since it occurs rapidly upon contact of a material with blood, initiating coagulation and other adverse reactions including platelet adhesion. The research presented in this thesis explores the use of a unique antithrombin-heparin covalent complex (ATH) for surface modification to provide antithrombogenicity. ATH was tethered to surfaces by various methods. Polyethylene oxide (PEO) was investigated as a linker-spacer molecule for surface attachment of ATH as well as for its antifouling properties.

In the first phase of the work gold was used as a model substrate. ATH was attached by three different methods: direct attachment, attachment via a short chain linker, and attachment via PEO. Analogous heparin-modified surfaces were prepared for comparison. Surfaces were characterized using contact angle measurements, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), ellipsometry and quartz-crystal microbalance (QCM). The data suggested that the heparin moiety of ATH was directed away from the surface, in an orientation allowing ready interaction with blood components. The ATH-modified surfaces showed greater antithrombin binding than the heparin-modified surfaces as measured by radioactive labelling and Western blotting analysis. Antithrombin binding was found to occur predominantly through the active pentasaccharide sequence of the heparin moiety of ATH, demonstrating the potential of the ATH for catalytic anticoagulant function. From measurements of the ratio of total heparin to active heparin (anti-factor Xa assay), ATH-modified surfaces were shown to have greater bioactivity than heparin-modified surfaces. The adhesion of platelets to gold and modified gold surfaces was measured from flowing whole blood in vitro using a cone-and-plate device and was lower on all of the modified surfaces compared to bare gold. PEO-ATH surfaces were also shown to prolong plasma clotting times compared to control and heparinized surfaces.

In subsequent work, surface modification methods were developed for polyurethane (PU) substrates. Isocyanate groups were introduced into the PU surface for attachment of PEO and ATH was attached to the “distal” end of the PEO. Surfaces using PEO of varying molecular weight and end group were investigated to determine conditions for maximum anticoagulant activity and minimum non-specific protein adsorption. Surfaces were characterized using contact angle measurements and XPS, and protein interactions were studied using radiolabelling. The optimum balance of bioactivity and protein resistance was found to occur with PEO of low to mid range MW (ie. MW 300-600). These PU-PEO-ATH surfaces showed low fibrinogen adsorption and high selectivity for antithrombin. Consistent with results using gold substrates, platelet adhesion remained low when ATH was attached to polyurethane surfaces grafted with PEO. A hetero-bifunctional amino-carboxy-PEO (PEO-COOH surface) was compared with a “conventional” homo-bifunctional dihydroxy-PEO (PEO-OH surface) with respect to their effectiveness as linkers for attachment of ATH. The PEO-COOH-ATH surface was shown to bind slightly greater amounts of antithrombin, indicating higher catalytic anticoagulant activity. Thrombin binding was measured to determine whether the surfaces could provide direct anticoagulant activity. The PEO-OH-ATH surface bound high amounts of thrombin, indicating potential for direct thrombin inhibition. It is hypothesized that the PEO properties (MW and functional end group) may have an effect on the orientation of ATH on the surface thus influencing its "preference" for catalytic vs. direct anticoagulant function.

This thesis provides new information regarding the interactions of proteins and platelets with ATH immobilized on biomaterials. ATH-modified surfaces were superior to analogous heparin-modified surfaces with respect to antithrombin binding and catalytic anticoagulant ability. Immobilized ATH was also shown to bind thrombin, suggesting potential for direct anticoagulant activity. It can thus be seen as a unique surface modifier with dual functioning anticoagulant activity. The modification of polyurethane with ATH using PEO as a protein resistant linker-spacer, may provide a material of improved antithrombogenicity for the construction of blood contacting devices.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: THE DEVELOPMENT OF A MODEL SYSTEM FOR THE CHARACTERIZATION OF CANCER STEM CELL PROPERTIES IN BRAIN METASTASES FROM THE LUNG

contributor:
Singh, Sheila K.
Biochemistry

subject:
brain metastasis
metastatic lung cancer
cancer stem cell
tumour-initiating cell
Cancer Biology
Cancer Biology

abstract:
Brain metastases are most common in adults suffering from lung cancer, predicting uniformly poor patient outcome and short survival time. Despite their frequency and severity, very little is known about the tumorigenesis of brain metastases. Previously developed primary brain tumour-initiating cell (BTIC) models were used to determine the presence of a stem-like population in brain metastases from the lung. Use of clinical samples and the NCI-H1915 cell line allowed for the development of useful strategies for study of brain metastasis.

The sphere formation capacity and expression of known BTIC markers in brain metastases was suggestive of a self-renewing population. Differentiation studies demonstrated that neither clinical samples nor NCI-H1915 cells had neural lineage potential. Intracranial xenotransplant of clinical samples and NCI-H1915 cells into NOD-SCID mice led to formation of multiple focal masses throughout the ventricles; the tumours were also serially transplantable, further implicating a TIC population. Of known BTIC markers, only CD15 expression levels and patterns were similar enough in clinical samples and NCI-H1915 cells to warrant prospective sorting experiments in the cell line. Use of CD15 failed to identify a CSC or TIC population in NCI-H1915 cells.

These findings suggest that a TIC population is present in brain metastases; however, this remains to be identified. It is recommended that due to the limitations of cell surface markers, the study of brain metastasis should use a selective gene expression approach, in order to target genes and pathways essential to metastasis. It was shown that NCI-H1915 cells could be useful for such an approach, studying the effects on proliferation, sphere formation, and tumour formation capacity of brain metastases from the lung. Further study using this model could ultimately lead to the disruption of pathways essential to the metastatic process, transforming a uniformly fatal disease into a more localized and treatable one.

abstract: Master of Science (MSc)


title: "Am'rous Causes": A Study of the Love-Melancholy Tradition and its Role in the Early Works (1700-1714) of Alexander Pope

contributor:
King, James
English

subject:
English Language and Literature
English Language and Literature

abstract:
A study in the history of one idea, this thesis traces the development of the medical and literary concept of love-melancholy and its role in the early works of Alexander Pope. Although my ultimate purpose is to shed new light on The Rape of the Lock, a direct application of the idea of love-melancholy to a reading of the poem cannot be attempted before determining the historical milieu of the malady itself. This background must be defined in order to place in their proper context Restoration and early Augustan treatments of the disease. By so doing the necessary critical perspective will have been established. It is within this perspective that the significance of Pope's achievement may be more fully understood.

The study begins with an extended introduction dealing with the historical concept of love-melancholy. Attention is given to Classical, Medieval, Renaissance, and early Restoration treatments. Although I focus primarily on the medical writers (Galen, Avicenna, Bernardus, Burton, and Harvey ), I develop my argument through allusions to contemporary literary adaptions (Ovid, de Lorris, Chaucer, and Donne). As this chapter makes clear, melancholic love is not to be confused with the sweet sadness brought on by unrequited love; it was regarded, rather, as a real and dangerous disease affecting the victim's body, mind, and soul. The concept was easily adapted by artists for purposes of satiric characterization and soon became a familiar tradition complete with an elaborate system of causes, symptoms, prognoses, and cures.

By the early eighteenth century love-melancholy had been long regarded as an emblem of human frailty, folly, and delusion. Its sexual basis, moreover, lent itself to satirical and scatological treatments. Chapter II argues that while many of the more graphic pieces of the period may appear the product of the vulgar imagination, such works reflect a calculated and deliberate working within the love-melancholy tradition. Emphasis is placed on selected numbers of the Tatler and Spectator, poems by Gay and Swift, and certain episodes from the Memoirs...of Martinus Scriblerus.

Chapter III is an analysis of Pope's knowledge, understanding, and use of this tradition in the early imitations, juvenalia, and translations. I then turn to the Pastorals themselves, Pope's first "independent" adaptation of the love-melancholy concept. In Chapter IV I deal exclusively with The Rape of the Lock. Aspects of the disorder are here shown to form an integral aspect of Pope's overall satiric design.

Although the love-melancholy tradition varies drastically at points (compare, for example, Swift's "Strephon and Chloe" with Gay's The Fan), in each case it provides a storehouse of images, paradigms, metaphors, even plots, all perfectly adaptable to the purposes of Augustan moral satire. By re-viewing certain eighteenth century works in light of traditional writings on this disease I believe we may better understand some of the techniques and meanings that have hitherto been misconstrued. And by so doing, we may better note the inner workings of a vital and fascinating tradition.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Extending Service Oriented Architecture Using Generic Service Representatives

contributor:
Archer, Norman P.
Tom Maibaum, Rolf Sebaldt
Computing and Software

subject:
Service Oriented Architecture
Web Services
Client-Side Web Services
Task Services
Generic Service Representative
Software Agents
Computer and Systems Architecture
Other Computer Engineering
Computer and Systems Architecture

abstract:
Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) focuses on dividing the enterprise application layer of an enterprise system into components (as services) that have direct relationships with the business functionality of the enterprise. Web services, which are based on message exchanges, are the most widely adopted SOA technology. Web services provide web-accessible programs and devices that have been widely promoted for cloud computing environments. However, different types of web services are required to model actual services in the business domain. Particularly, enterprises (business providers such as banks, health care, and insurance companies) usually send their agents or other personnel (e.g., representatives, installers, maintainers, and trainers) to client sides to perform required services. An enterprise agent can be modeled as a software agent - a computer program that cannot be transmitted efficiently by communication messages. Lacking an efficient way to model the transmission of enterprise agents in traditional message based technologies restricts the application and usage of service-oriented architectures. The central problem addressed in this thesis is the need to develop an efficient SOA model for enterprise agents that will enable service providers to process client data locally at the client side.

To address the research problem, the thesis proposes to model enterprise agents in SOA with a generic software agent called the Service Representative. This is a generic software agent which stays at the client side and can be customized by different service providers to process client data locally. Moreover, to employ a service representative, the thesis proposes a new type of web services called Task Services. While a traditional web service, called Data Service, processes client data completely at the server side, a task service is a web service with the capability of processing client data and resources partially or completely at the client side, using a Service Representative. Each task service assigns a task with three components to the generic service representative: task model, task knowledge, and task data. The task components are mapped to business components such as business process models, business rules and actions, and business data, where they can be efficiently transmitted by service messages.

The combination of a service representative and task services provides an executable platform for service providers at the client side. Moreover, the client does not need to reveal its data, and hence privacy and security are maintained. Large volume client data is processed locally, causing less network traffic. Finally, real-time and event-triggered web services can be developed, based on the proposed approach.

The main contributions and novelty of this research are: i) a domain independent computational model of enterprise agents in SOA to support a wide variety of client-processing tasks, ii) client- side web services which are compatible with typical server-side web services and comparable to other client-side processing technologies, iii) extensions of the SOA architecture by adding novel generic components including the service representative, the competition desk, and the service composition certifier, iv) provision of a formal model of client-side and server-side web services based on their construction of business components, v) empirical evaluations of the web service model in a number of different applications, using a prototype system, and vi) the application of the developed model to a number of target domains including the healthcare field. Furthermore, because client-side and server-side web services are complementary, a decision support model is provided that will assist service developers to decide upon the best service type for a web service.

abstract: Doctor of Science  (PhD)


title: On Using Programmable Delay Tuning Elements To Improve Performance, Reliability, and Testing of Digital ICs

contributor:
Nicolici, Nicola
Electrical and Computer Engineering

subject:
Post-silicon
performance maximization
reliability
test
clock tuning elements
performance degradation
Digital Circuits
Digital Circuits

abstract:
The number of speed-limiting paths in modern digital integrated circuits (ICs) is in the range of millions. Due to un-modelled electrical effects and process variations in advanced fabrication technologies, it is difficult for pre-silicon timing analysis tools to provide accurate delay estimates. Hence, programmable delay elements are commonly inserted in high-performance circuits in order to provide a tuning mechanism at the post-silicon phase. Due to the large number of such tuning elements, finding the appropriate configuration bits for each element mandates an automated approach.

In this thesis we present three contributions to the field of digital IC design automation that leverage the presence of programmable delay tuning elements. These new automated approaches are geared toward three distinct objectives. The first one is to maximize the circuit performance using a scalable algorithmic framework. The second objective is to combat the lifetime performance degradation caused by circuit aging. The final objective is to improve the timing of the scan enable signal during the at-speed testing of digital ICs.

As the programmable delay tuning elements will become prevalent in the future generations of digital ICs, the contributions from this thesis will help improve the design methodologies that are expected to evolve in order to address at runtime the timing problems introduced by the increased fabrication process variability.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Metaphorical Angst: The Influence of the Theological Aesthetic on the Metaphors of Robert Southwell and John Donne

contributor:
Silcox, Mary
Gough, Melinda
Grisé, Cathy
English and Cultural Studies

subject:
Aesthetics
Figurative Language
Early Modern England
Reformation
Eucharist
Biblical Interpretation
Literature in English, British Isles
Literature in English, British Isles

abstract:
This thesis examines the metaphorical expressions of Robert Southwell and John Donne in light of the instability created in metaphorical thought by Reformational debates. I argue that the theological doctrines regarding the Eucharist and Biblical interpretation had associated consequences for figurative thought and that the violence with which these doctrines were interrogated in early modern England created a crisis of figurative representation that contributed to the elaborate experimentation of metaphor (layerings, argued conceits, rapid transitions between tropes, etc.) found within the poetry of Southwell and Donne.

My first chapter traces the theological landscape of early modern England, noting the continental Catholic and Protestant positions which defined the Reformational debates, as well as roughly locating the position of the English Church in the centre of these debates. While each of these doctrinal positions contains certain understandings about metaphorical thought, this chapter argues that it is the general uncertainty and the society-wide fluctuations between these ideas that defines my concept of the “theological aesthetic.” In my final two chapters I look at specific metaphors in the works of Robert Southwell (“Saint Peter’s Complaint,” “Christ’s bloody sweat,” and “The prodigal childs soule wracke”) and John Donne (“The Cross,” “Holy Sonnet 10: Batter my heart, three- personed God,” and “Holy Sonnet 2: I am a little world made cunningly”). Close analysis of these poems reveals that Southwell’s poetry often combines imagery and tropes in complicated ways to form multifaceted metaphors, while Donne’s poetry often functions as a meditation upon the possibilities of figurative language to create meaning.

This thesis does not attempt to form a comprehensive theory of early modern metaphor, but rather examines how the theological debates of the Reformation questioned the representational efficacy of figurative language, allowing metaphor to be redefined by the experiments of early modern poets like Southwell and Donne.

abstract: Master of English


title: THE ROLE OF INTERFERON REGULATORY FACTOR 3 IN THE INNATE ANTIVIRAL RESPONSE

contributor: Medical Sciences (Molecular Virology and Immunology Program)

subject:
innate immunity
virology
signalling
cell biology
molecular biology
cytokines
Medical Cell Biology
Medical Cell Biology

abstract: The transcription factor interferon (IFN) regulatory factor 3 (IRF-3) plays a central role in the innate immune response to viral stimulation. IRF-3 participates in both the type I IFN-dependent and -independent signalling pathways that result in the induction of an antiviral state. The work presented in this thesis characterizes the central role of IRF-3 in the IFN-independent response to virus particle entry. In addition, novel splice variants of human IRF-3 are identified and characterized, implying a role for splice-mediated regulation of IRF-3-mediated antiviral signalling. Finally, a role for reactive oxygen species in the activation of IRF-3 following virus particle entry is described, with virus particle entry inducing danger associated molecular patterns associated with IRF-3 activation and IFN-independent antiviral gene expression. Taken together, this thesis characterizes the role of IRF-3 in the innate antiviral signalling pathways activated following viral stimulation, and highlight the importance of danger-associated molecular patterns as important mediators of antiviral signalling.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Installation of a New Electron Cyclotron Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapour Deposition (ECR-PECVD) Reactor and a Preliminary Study ofThin Film Depositions

contributor:
Mascher, Peter
Engineering Physics

subject:
ECR-PECVD
Chemical Vapor Deposition
Silicon Photonics
Thin Films
Cerium
Aluminum
Condensed Matter Physics
Engineering Physics
Nanoscience and Nanotechnology
Other Engineering
Other Physics
Plasma and Beam Physics
Semiconductor and Optical Materials
Condensed Matter Physics

abstract: A new electron cyclotron plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition (ECR-PECVD) reactor has been installed and tested at McMaster University. The focus of this project was the installation of the reactor and the growth of silicon oxide, silicon oxynitride, cerium doped silicon oxynitride and aluminium doped silicon oxide films to test the capabilities of the reactor. Silicon oxide films were prepared with near-stoichiometric compositions and silicon rich compositions. Good repeatability of the growths was seen. An increase in deposition temperature showed stable refractive index and a decrease in the growth rates. Silicon oxynitride films of varying compositions were prepared, and showed a non-uniformity of ~1% and growth rates of ~3.5 nm/min. Films prepared with a low oxygen flow were seen to be nitrogen rich. Although the depositions using Ce(TMHD)4 showed significant cerium incorporation, there was also high carbon contamination. One likely cause of this is the high sublimator temperature used during depositions or a thermal shock to the precursor during initial system calibration. A definitive cause of the carbon contamination has not been established. The cerium films showed strong blue luminescence after post-deposition annealing in N2 above 900° C. A drop in the luminescence was observed at 1100° C and a return of the luminescence at 1200° C. Generally, high cerium incorporation was associated with higher total luminescence. Al(THMD)3 was evaluated as an aluminium precursor for Al-doped silicon oxide films. The films showed aluminium content up to 6% demonstrating the viability of using Al(THMD)3 as a Al doping precursor.

abstract: Master of Applied Science (MASc)


title: Fables of Regeneration: Modernism, Biopolitics, Reproduction

contributor:
Szeman, Imre
O`Connor, Mary
Searls-Giroux, Susan
English and Cultural Studies

subject:
Other English Language and Literature
Other English Language and Literature

abstract:
This dissertation investigates a turn in the modernist period towards organicist and life-science frameworks to explain political conflicts. How is it, I ask, that organic form comes to be a leading aesthetic ideology in a period in which the reproduction of social relations was in crisis? In my introduction, I frame a historical argument that the remainder of the dissertation draws out in detail: modernism is best understood as a response to the failure of nineteenth-century liberalism's organization of social relations, and a politics of life in different guises—decadence, vitalism, organicism, and everyday life—is modernism's way of conceptualizing alternative modes of social reproduction under new, transnational conditions and pressures.

In the first half of the dissertation, I outline how the historical avant-garde's revolutionary aim to merge art with everyday life presumes that life can offer a new foundation for social organization beyond liberalism’s institutional forms. Turning to the Futurists in Italy, I argue for a more complex understanding of how intertwined discourses of national organicism and a revolutionary vitalism resulted in their self-contradicting political program for anti-liberalist and, occasionally, anti-colonial revolution that frequently exceeded its own self-imposed national limits. The dissertation’s second half shows how modernism’s politics of life were eventually recuperated to a liberal consensus in the twentieth century, first in William James’s figure of a new social body traversed by overwhelming and destabilizing sensations, which required better systems of self-management, and which, I argue, anticipates the regulated national space of mid-century welfare state liberalism. Meanwhile, D. W. Griffith's compulsive return to scenes of rebirth in two films, Birth of a Nation (1915) and Intolerance (1916), expresses an ideology of imperial rebirth that rearticulates liberalism as the management of sensations and populations in America’s turn of the century, transnational moment.

Focusing on two national contexts in which migration and imperialist expansion were transforming domestic politics, this study extends a recent turn towards transnational articulations of modernity, by reconsidering how the cultural forms emerging in these sites are marked by a biopolitical discourse that reimagines how social reproduction can take place.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: DEVELOPMENT AND APPLICATION OF TIME-RESOLVED FLUORESCENCE SPECTROSCOPY ANALYSIS WITH SPECIMENS OF THE UPPER GI TRACT

contributor:
Fang, Qiyin
Tse, Frances
Hayward, Joseph
Biomedical Engineering

subject:
Time-Resolved
Fluorescence
Gastrointestinal
Deconvolution
Spectroscopy
biophysics
Bioimaging and biomedical optics
Bioimaging and biomedical optics

abstract:
Current gold standard practices for the diagnosis of tissue disease involve invasive tissue biopsies subjected to a time consuming histopathological examination process. An optical biopsy can offer a non-invasive diagnostic alternative by exploiting the properties of naturally occurring light-tissue interactions. A time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy instrument (355 nm excitation) has previously been developed by our lab to capture the fluorescence response of gastrointestinal tissue (370-550 nm in 5 nm increments, 25 ns at 1000 ps/pt). Measurements were conducted ex-vivo during routine upper gastrointestinal tract biopsies on duodenum, antrum, stomach body, and esophageal tissue. The work currently presented is focused on protocol development for tissue handling, measurement collection, clinical data management, fluorescent decay modeling using Laguerre based deconvolution, instrument performance evaluation, and k-means based classification.

Descriptive parameters derived from spectral (total signal intensity) and temporal (lifetime and Laguerre polynomial coefficients) analysis were used to evaluate the data. It was found that data were only compromised when the total signal intensity for the peak wavelength 455 nm fell blow 19.5 V·ns. The data did not exhibit any signs of photobleaching or pulse width broadening that would have otherwise distorted the lifetime from its true fluorescence response. Data for diseased tissue were limited so the clinical diagnosis was used to classify normal duodenum tissue from normal esophageal tissue. Over 400 pairs of parameters demonstrated k-means can identify duodenum tissue with 87.5 % sensitivity and 87.5 % specificity or better. With some dimensional axis transformations these results could be improved. The lifetimes are not factors here but the relative intensity and decay shape were. Protocols can be applied to diseased or other tissue types with little adaptation. Just a single set of parameters may hold the key to help surgeons choose optimum locations for traditional biopsies or perhaps one day replace them altogether.

abstract: Master of Applied Science (MASc)


title: LARGE DEFORMATION BEHAVIOR OF CAST A356 ALUMINUM ALLOY UNDER UNIAXIAL TENSION, COMPRESSION AND V-BENDING

contributor:
Jain, Mukesh
Shankar, Sumanth
McDermid, Joe
Mechanical Engineering

subject:
A356
Strain Localization
Damage
Particle Cracking
Mechanical Testing
Mechanical Engineering
Mechanical Engineering

abstract: This work is an experimental approach to understand the effect of the microstructure on large strain deformation behavior of A356 alloy (with various additions of titanium and strontium) under uniaxial tensile, compressive and V-bend loading conditions. The studies were carried out on unmodified and Sr-modified A356 Al alloy, where Sr was added to refine the morphology of the eutectic Si phase particles. The two variants were then used to study the effect of size and shape distributions of Si eutectic phase particles within the material on the deformation behavior under uniaxial tension, compression and V-bending conditions. The alloy with a modified and refined eutectic Si phase particles showed significant improvement in ductility and bendability, whereas the differences in compression were not appreciable. In addition to Sr addition, Ti was also added as a grain refiner to the alloys at three different levels to obtain microstructures with different grain sizes. The results in the form of full field strain maps show that the larger grained alloy exhibits extensive strain inhomogeneity, whereas the grain refined alloy shows a more homogenous loading pattern.

abstract: Master of Applied Science (MASc)


title: PERCEPTIONS OF ONTARIO’S FIRST UPCOMING DRUG INFORMATION SYSTEM (DIS): NARRATING THE STORY OF CONSUMERS, PRESCRIBERS AND DISPENSERS

contributor:
McKibbon, Ann
eHealth

subject:
Drug Information System
ePrescribing
eDispending
two-way electronic order systems
Health and Medical Administration
Health Services Research
Knowledge Translation
Health and Medical Administration

abstract:
Introduction: eHealth Ontario and the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care (MOHLTC), with funding from Canada Health Infoway, are considering introducing a Drug Information System (DIS). This system will introduce and integrate ePrescribing, eDispensing and electronic data interchange (two-way electronic order communication between physicians via electronic medical records (EMR) systems and pharmacists via pharmacy management systems (PMS) regarding medications).

Objectives: To gather perceptions of family physicians, community pharmacists and patients on the DIS being implemented in Ontario. Before such an expensive large-scale system is implemented, areas of concerns should be identified to maximize utilization of the system.

Study Design: Three different group-specific electronic and paper questionnaires

Setting: Family physicians, community pharmacists and patients. The aim was to receive 35 questionnaire responses from each group from Waterloo, Hamilton, Guelph and the Greater Toronto Area in Ontario.

Methods: A Literature search was conducted to study the current two-way electronic order communication systems and perceptions of prescribers, dispensers and patients on ePrescribing or eDispensing within primary care. Group-specific questionnaires, used with consent from a Scottish study, were altered and tailored for Ontarians, and distributed to all 3 groups via convenience and snowball sampling. Study findings were compared to the same Scottish study.

Results: The ‘adjusted’ response rates were 82% (patients), 72% (community pharmacists) and 60% (family physicians). All three groups were in favour of DIS being implemented in Ontario. Generally only the pharmacist group had any knowledge of DIS before this survey. Most respondents agreed that patient care would improve with the implementation of DIS.

Conclusion: Implementation of the DIS in Ontario is perceived as a good idea amongst all pharmacists, family physicians and patients. However, eHealth Ontario and MOHLTC need to increase awareness amongst all three, but mostly consumer and prescriber groups of the potential benefits of the DIS in order for them to accept and adapt to this new system.

abstract: Master of Science (MSc)


title: THE EFFECT OF PB, ZN, CU AND NI ON THE EMBRYONIC AND LARVAL STAGES OF S. PURPURATUS

contributor:
Wood, Chris M.
Biology

subject:
toxicity
sea urchin
development
lead
zinc
copper
nickel
Cell and Developmental Biology
Environmental Health
Life Sciences
Marine Biology
Toxicology
Cell and Developmental Biology

abstract:
In light of the paucity of information on the toxicity of lead (Pb), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu) and nickel (Ni) in the marine environment, the aim of this thesis was to generate data on the mechanisms of toxicity of Pb, Zn, Cu and Ni in the early life stages of a very sensitive marine organism, the purple sea urchin (Strongylocentrotus purpuratus). Previous studies in other systems indicated that these metals can impact ionoregulation, especially calcium homeostasis, so an initial study focused on ionoregulatory changes during the first 96h of development under control conditions in embryonic and larval stages of S. purpuratus. Control tests showed that patterns of Ca, K, Na and Mg had an interesting pattern of accumulation over 96 h development and that the most pronounced changes were observed during the gastrulation stage. A variety of biological endpoints were subsequently utilized to examine potential mechanisms of toxicity. Toxicity tests were performed to determine median toxicity threshold values (i.e. EC50: median effective concentration and LA50: median lethal accumulation) for Zn and Pb. Growth, unidirectional Ca uptake rates, whole body ion concentrations (Na, K, Ca, Mg), and Ca ATPase activity were also monitored every 12 h over the first 84 or 96 h of early development to investigate the mechanisms of toxicity during acute and chronic exposures to lethal and sublethal concentrations of Pb, Zn, Cu and Ni in 100% sea water.

Sea urchin embryos were very sensitive to Zn with an EC50 of 2.3 µmol/L (95% C.I. = 1.97–2.71 μmol/L) and LA50 of 4.8 (2.16-11.33) μmol/kg. Embryos displayed even higher sensitivity to Pb with an EC50 of 0.36 (0.25-0.49) µmol/L and LA50 of 1.92 (1.67-2.78) μmol/kg. The toxic effects of these metals were increased when tested in combination with extracts of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) from marine and freshwater sources.

From studying larvae chronically exposed to Pb (60 µg/L), Zn (139 µg/L), Cu (6 µg/L) and Ni (47 µg/L) it was apparent that these metals rendered their toxic effects, at least in part, through disruption of Ca homeostasis. Unidirectional Ca uptake rates as well as Ca ATPase activity were significantly inhibited at various time points over development, in larvae in these metal exposures. This resulted in significantly lower levels of Ca accumulated in the larvae. Interestingly, larvae showed some capacity for recovery as Ca uptake rates and internal Ca levels returned to control values periodically over development. Also metal initially accumulated in the larvae often returned to control levels at 72 h of development with the exception of Pb, which was the only non essential metal out of the four tested. Metal effects on the whole body levels of three other ions (Na, K, Mg) as well as larval weight were modest. Surprisingly, acute exposure to much higher levels of these same metals at various stages during development had negligible inhibitory effects on unidirectional Ca uptake rate, suggesting a mechanism other than direct competition for the Ca uptake sites. We propose studying the toxicity of contaminants periodically over development as an effective way to detect sub-lethal effects, which may not be displayed at the traditional endpoint of 72 h.

abstract: Master of Science (MS)


title: Equivariant Principal Bundles over the 2-Sphere

contributor:
Hambleton, Ian
Mathematics and Statistics

subject: Equivariant principal bundles over $2$ sphere

subject: Geometry and Topology

subject: Mathematics

subject: Geometry and Topology

abstract: Isotropy representations provide powerful tools for understanding the classification of equivariant principal bundles over the $2$-sphere. We consider a $\Gamma$-equivariant principal $G$-bundle over $S^2$ with structural group $G$ a compact connected Lie group, and $\Gamma \subset SO(3)$ a finite group acting linearly on $S^2.$ Let $X$ be a topological space and $\Gamma$ be a group acting on $X.$ An isotropy subgroup is defined by $\Gamma_x = \{\gamma \in \Gamma \lvert \gamma x=x\}.$ Assume $X$ is a $\Gamma$-space and $A$ is the orbit space of $X$. Let $\varphi: A\rightarrow X$ be a continuous map with $\pi \circ \varphi = 1_A$. An isotropy groupoid is defined by $\mathfrak{I} = \{(\gamma,a) \in \Gamma\times A \lvert \ \gamma \in \Gamma_{\varphi(a)}\}.$ An isotropy representation of $\mathfrak{I}$ is a continuous map $\iota : \mathfrak{I} \rightarrow G$ such that the restriction map $\mathfrak{I}_a \rightarrow G$ is a group homomorphism. $\Gamma$- equivariant principal $G$-bundles are studied in two steps; \begin{enumerate} [1)] \item the restriction of an equivariant bundle to the $\Gamma$ equivariant 1-skeleton $X \subset S^2$ where $\mathfrak{I}$ is isotropy representation of $X$ over singular set of the $\Gamma$-sets in $S^2$ \item the underlying $G$-bundle $\xi$ over $S^2$ determined by $c(\xi)\in \pi_2(BG).$ \end{enumerate}

abstract: Master of Science (MSc)


title: Justification of a nonlinear Schrödinger model for polymers

contributor:
Pelinovsky, Dmitry
Mathematics and Statistics

subject:
justification analysis
photopolymers
NLS equation
wave-Maxwell system
Optics
Partial Differential Equations
Polymer Chemistry
Optics

abstract: A model with nonlinear Schrödinger (NLS) equation used for describing pulse propagations in photopolymers is considered. We focus on a case in which change of refractive index is proportional to the square of amplitude of the electric field and consider 2-dimensional spatial domain. After formal derivation of the NLS approximation from the wave-Maxwell equation, we establish well-posedness and perform rigorous justification analysis to show smallness of error terms for appropriately small time intervals. We conclude by numerical simulation to illustrate the results in one-dimensional case.

abstract: Master of Science (MSc)


title: Attitudinal and Linguistic Outcomes of Second Language Instruction in South Sulawesi, Indonesia and in Ontario, Canada

contributor:
Beattie, Catherine
Lepicq, Dominique
Teaching

subject: Teaching

subject: Education

subject: Special Education and Teaching

subject: Teacher Education and Professional Development

subject: Education

abstract: Canada and Indonesia are multilingual and multicultural countries. Canadian official bilingualism has been accompanied by feelings of divisiveness. In Indonesia, one official language facilitates interethnic contact. Second-language programs were established to meet economic and social communication needs in both countries. This project examines the background and linguistic and attitudinal outcomes of such programs. Aspects of second-language instruction in Ontario, Canada and South Sulawesi, Indonesia are compared, including history of the interethnic contact, status of the languages involved, teachers, classroom conditions and resources, curriculum guidelines, instructional methodology, and factors in the community. A Likert scale of orientational motivation and a social distance scale were used to assess attitudinal consequences of second-language instruction in South Sulawesi. Grade six examinations were examined to assess linguistic consequences in South Sulawesi. The results of the study suggest that Ontario methods of second-language instruction more effectively teach French than methods in South Sulawesi teach Indonesian. Successful students of Indonesian integrate frequently with members of other ethnic groups; Ontario students of French do not. In both provinces, knowledge of the new language is more important in developing attitudes than whether it was gained formally or non-formally, and knowledge was associated with perception of low social distance from outgroups. Strategies are recommended for adapting teaching methodology from Ontario for South Sulawesi. Additional components for the Ontario French as a second-language curriculum are suggested to improve attitudes.

abstract: Master of Arts (MA)


title: Trois théories d'enseignement des langues étrangerès: méthode traditionnelle, approche naturelle et approche « Fonctionnelle-Notionnelle»

contributor:
Kliffer, Michael
French

subject: French

subject: French and Francophone Language and Literature

abstract: Ce travail représente la description des trois théories d' enseignement des langues étrangères: la méthode traditionnelle, l'approche Naturelle et l'approche Fonctionnelle Notionnelle. Notre étude des travaux de Germain (1993), de Krashen (1983) et de Finocchiaro et Brumfit (1983) permet de préciser les objectifs de la méthode traditionnelle et des deux approches naturelle et fonctionnelle-notionnelle. Les travaux de White, de Roulet, de Lightbown, de Gaonac'h, de Cook et d'autres servent de base pour l'analyse et pour la critique de la méthode traditionnelle et des deux approches. L'objectif de notre étude est de déterminer à quel type d'apprenants chacune convient le mieux, selon selon leur âge et leur niveau d' apprentissage.

abstract: Master of Arts (MA)


title: The Theme of Alienation in Paul Scott's Quintet of Novels: A Study of Ronald Merrick

contributor:
Dale, James
English

subject:
English
English Language and Literature
English Language and Literature

abstract:
If a man does not understand his mistakes, he is doomed to repeat them. Scott saw that this was the case in colonial India where the English, in their myopia, constantly repeated their mistakes over centuries and so alienated the Indian population. However, these same English) in their insularity, also alienated those people from their own country who did not meet the standards of their self-imposed mores, those who were not quite pukka. More than in any other modern novels Paul Scott explores in his quintet of novels, The Jewel in the Crown, The Day of the Scorpion, The Towers of Silence, A Division of the Spoils, and Staying On, this theme of alienation and its tragic results.

As none of the characters is more alienated or tragic than Ronald Merrick, I examine in the following pages how and why this happens to him historically, socially and psychologically. Scott's attitude is explored as are the techniques he uses to emphasise his theme of alienation.

abstract: Master of Arts (MA)


title: Fetal Origin of Chronic Immune Disease: Role of Prenatal Stress Challenge

contributor:
Arck, Petra
Ashkar, Ali
Khalil Karimi, Mark Larché
Medical Sciences

subject: Fetal Programming

subject: Progesterone

subject: Immune Ontogeny

subject: Regulatory T Cells

subject: Hematopoietic Stem Cells

subject: Allergy and Immunology

subject: Biological Phenomena, Cell Phenomena, and Immunity

subject: Hemic and Immune Systems

subject: Immune System Diseases

subject: Maternal and Child Health

subject: Medical Immunology

subject: Other Immunology and Infectious Disease

subject: Allergy and Immunology

abstract:
NB: I had another committee member, Dr. Mark Larché; and would like to have his name included in the document.

Thank you.

abstract: Introduction: Increasing incidence of chronic immune diseases are mirrored by changing disease risk factors, which include maternal stress during pregnancy. To date, no studies have investigated the impact of prenatal stress challenge (PNS) on the fetal immune system. Fetal liver and bone marrow represent major sources of hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) at mid gestation, which differentiate and mature in the thymus. Disturbance of immune development may cause immune impairment in later life. Further, progesterone is recognized as a critical part of feto-maternal interaction. This study aimed to determine if PNS interferes with normal fetal immune development in mice and the impact of progesterone supplementation on stress effects. Methods: DBA/2J-mated BALB/c dams were sorted into three groups: control, PNS (gestation days (GDs) 12.5 and 14.5) and PNS plus progesterone supplementation (DHD). Fetal tissue was collected on GDs 16.5 and 18.5. Flow cytometric analysis examined frequency and phenotype of fetal immune cell populations: HSC in fetal liver and bone marrow, and different stages of T cell maturation and regulatory T (Treg) cells in the thymus. Fetal tails were collected to determine fetal sex by PCR analysis. Results: PNS induced a decrease in organ size on GD16.5, which was not seen on GD18.5 and was reversed by DHD treatment. PNS altered the percentage and absolute number of HSC within the liver and bone marrow populations, on GD16.5 and 18.5. There was a significant lag in T cell maturation as demonstrated by the altered expression of CD3 and skewed CD3-:CD3+ ratio. There was a significant decrease in Treg cells within CD3+ thymic cells in response to PNS. PNS effects in the thymus were ameliorated by DHD treatment. There was no PNS-induced sex bias. Conclusions: These results indicate that PNS compromises the developing fetal immune system, which could account for impaired immune responses in adults with chronic immune disease, and provide evidence for a therapeutic role of progesterone supplementation.

abstract: Master of Science (MSc)


title: Oligonucleotide Probe Design for Large Genomes using Multiple Spaced Seeds

contributor:
Smyth, William F.
Golding, Brian G.
Ilie, Lucian
Computer Science

abstract:
An oligonucleotide is a small fragment of DNA or RNA that is designed to hybridize with a unique piece in a target sequence. Oligonucleotides have a wide range of applications in molecular biology and medicine. They can be used as probes to screen for diseases and viral infections in medicine as well as DNA microarray design, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplication, and gene identication in molecular biology.

The major computational challenge for designing oligonucleotide probes is finding the optimal probe for each target sequence. Each probe must be specific to its target sequence, must be sensitive in order to detect the target sequence, and the set of oligonucleotides must be uniform under the same experimental conditions. Many algorithms and software programs have been created for this problem, however, none is able to solve it very well.

We introduce a new method for oligonucleotide design that employs sensitive multiple spaced seeds, and show that our algorithm computes unique and more efficient oligonucleotides as well as executing orders of magnitude faster than the other algorithms that have been proposed for the same task.

abstract: Master of Science (MSc)


title: VOID EVOLUTION AND DEFECT INTERACTIONS IN SILICON AND SILICON GERMANIUM

contributor:
Haddara, Yaser M.
Knights, Andrew P.
Electrical and Computer Engineering

subject: void

subject: modeling

subject: silicon

subject: silicon germanium

subject: helium

subject: ion implantation

subject: Electrical and Electronics

subject: Electronic Devices and Semiconductor Manufacturing

subject: Other Electrical and Computer Engineering

subject: Electrical and Electronics

abstract:
We propose a physically based model that describes the density and size of voids in silicon introduced via high dose helium ion implantation and subsequent annealing. The model takes into account interactions between vacancies, interstitials, small vacancy clusters, and voids. Void evolution in silicon occurs mainly by a migration and coalescence process. Various factors such as implantation energy and dose, anneal temperature, atmospheric pressure, and impurity level in silicon can influence the migration and coalescence mechanism and thus play a role in the void evolution process. Values for model parameters are consistent with known values for point defect parameters and assumed diffusion limited reaction rates. A single “fitting parameter” represents the rate of bubble migration and coalescence and is therefore related to surface diffusion of adatoms. Results obtained from simulations based upon the model were compared to our experimental results and to previously reported experimental results obtained over a wide range of conditions.

Our own experiments involved the implantation of silicon samples and samples with a thin Si1-xGex (x = 0.05, 0.09) epilayer on silicon with 30 keV, 5×1016 cm-2 helium. Anneals were done in the range 960-1110°C for 15-30 minutes in nitrogen and dry oxygen. Void size distributions were measured from transmission electron microscopy images. Average void diameter and void density values and void size distribution did not show any significant differences between the samples annealed in nitrogen and dry oxygen. However, the presence of Si1-xGex epilayer on silicon resulted in increased average void diameter and reduced average void density when compared with Si samples as well as more selective void size distribution.

Data from the literature included experiments with helium ion implantation energies in the range 30 - 300 keV, doses of 1×1016 - 1×1017 cm-2, subsequent annealing temperatures in the range 700 - 1200°C, and annealing duration in the range 15 minutes - 2 hours. Excellent agreement is found between the simulated results and those from reported experiments. The extracted migration and coalescence rate parameter shows an activation energy consistent with surface diffusivity of silicon. It shows a linear dependence on helium dose, and increases with decreased implantation energy, decreased ambient pressure, decreased substrate impurities, increased temperature ramp rate, or increased Ge fraction in cavity layer, all consistent with the proposed physical mechanism. Our mathematical model specifically ignores the long time saturation in void size, although we propose a simple explanation consistent with the physical picture. Similarly, we give physical reasons for a threshold implant dose resulting in the formation of small vacancy clusters during implant. But in modeling void growth we simply show that when such clusters exist voids will evolve according to our model.

In our experiments, the presence of a Si0.95Ge0.05 epilayer on silicon resulted in retarded B diffusion when compared with Si samples. This phenomenon is correlated to the role of the Si0.95Ge0.05 epilayer on silicon in the void evolution mechanism and both are attributed to Ge interdiffusing from the epilayer into the Si bulk. The B diffusion data also allows us to predict conditions for the SiGe epilayer to modify the injection of interstitials from surface during dry oxidizing anneal.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: EVALUATION OF HOLISTIC FACE PROCESSING

contributor:
Sekuler, Allison B.
Bennett, Patrick J.
Goldreich, Daniel
Psychology

subject:
Holistic processing
Conposite Face Effect
Whole-Part Effect
Inversion Effect
piece-meal processing
Cognition and Perception
Cognition and Perception

abstract: Holistic processing has been deemed a crucial part of human face processing. There are three tasks that are indexes of holistic processing and each is used by many researchers for the purposes of demonstrating that either their participants have intact holistic processing or that holistic processing is impaired or missing. The tasks that demonstrate holistic processing are the face inversion, composite face, and the whole-part tasks. In this dissertation, I evaluate the hypothesis that holistic processing is important for face identification. A secondary hypothesis that is evaluated is whether the three indexes of holistic processing are related and whether they are tapping the same underlying process. Chapter 2 tests the first hypothesis in a large group of young adults and shows that the composite face effect (an index of holistic processing) is not related to accuracy on two identification tasks. Chapter 3 tested both hypotheses and showed that none of the holistic indexes are related to one another and they are unrelated to face identification accuracy. In Chapter 4, a large group of older adults are tested on the composite face task and a face identification task, similar to Experiment 2 from Chapter 2. Unlike the results for young adults, older adults show a significant positive correlation between the composite face effect and identification accuracy even though older adults perform worse on the identification task.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: The Role of Attitudes, Subjective Norms, Percieved Behavioural Control and Context in Nurses's Behavioural Intentions

contributor:
Dobbins, Maureen
Hackett, Rick
McKey, Colleen
Clinical Health Sciences (Nursing)

subject:
Context
Behvioural Intention
Knowledge Translation
Implementation
Nursing
Knowledge Translation
Knowledge Translation

abstract:
Background: Hospitalization is stressful, and anxiety is a common experience among hospital inpatients. Nurses who use a standardized patient anxiety assessment tool can improve their recognition of patient anxiety and its management. Implementing evidence-informed practice changes among nurses is a challenge, and there is little compelling evidence on how best to proceed with such implementations. Two theoretical frameworks that have shown promise for designing effective interventions among nurses are the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB), which focuses on individual determinants of behaviour, and Promoting Action on Research in Health Services (PARiHS), which focuses on the nature of the evidence, the context in which change is to take place, and the type of facilitation used to induce change. The current study attempts to fill a gap in our understanding of the relationship between the context of practice and nurses’ intention to adopt evidence-informed practices.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate whether adding context among those variables derived from the TPB enhances prediction of nurses’ behavioural intentions to adopt an evidence-informed practice change.

Methods: Following an educational intervention aimed at teaching nurses the use of a tool for assessing patient anxiety, 174 participants (70% of those attending the educational classes) completed a survey measuring (1) attitude, ( 2) subjective norm, (3) perceived behavioural control, (4) context, and (5) intention to perform anxiety assessments.

Results: Intention to perform anxiety assessments on patients was greater for nurses who (a) perceived that they had control over performing anxiety assessments, (b) had a positive attitude toward providing such assessments, and (c) perceived their work context to be positive.

Conclusion: This study adds to our understanding of the variables influencing nurses’ adoption of evidence-informed practices. Context, defined in terms of leadership, culture, and evaluation, appears to influence individual adoption of evidence-based practices. These results suggest that the success of attempts to encourage health professionals to adopt evidence-based practices will be enhanced when contextual variables important to the success of the change intervention are put into place. Future research can build on the current study by seeking to replicate the findings reported here and expanding the list of contextual variables investigated.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Face Perception and Memory in the Three-Month-Old Infant

contributor:
Maurer, Daphne
Psychology

subject: Psychology Psychology

abstract:
This thesis examined the ability of the three-month-old infant to recognize and discriminate photographs of faces and facial expressions, and what information he perceives and processes when he is exposed to a face. It also investigated the effects of previous experience with 1 three-dimensional face and whether or not infants would generalize their knowledge of the real face of the mother to a photograph of the same face. Two experimental techniques, the visual preference and the habituation paradigms, were used. With the visual preference paradigm (Experiments 1 and 6), infants showed evidence of discriminating a photograph of the mother's face and a photograph of another female's face. These results imply that infants generalized what they knew about the real face of the mother to a picture of the same face.

After the visual preference test of Experiment 1, each infant was habituated to the photograph of his mother's face and then tested with photographs of the habituated face and a new face. Infants again showed evidence of discrimination. However, whereas in the visual preference test infants looked longer at the photograph of the mother than at that of a novel stranger, after habituation to the mother's photograph they looked longer at the photograph of a novel stranger. This change suggests that a preference for a novel stimulus may develop only after extensive experience with the familiar stimulus and thus involve a finer process of recognition than that involved in a preference for a familiar stimulus.

Although previous studies have not found discrimination of photographs of strangers before four and a half months of age, the author suspects that infants may show this discrimination at an earlier age if they were provided with extensive experience with a photograph of a stranger in the Laboratory. After infants were habituated to a photograph of a stranger they were given a recognition test. Infants showed evidence of discriminating between dissimilar strangers (Experiment 2) and between similar strangers (Experiment 3).

The discrimination of facial expressions posed by the same persons was tested next. The only other study which has found some evidence of discrimination of facial expressions at three months of age used expression posed by a male stranger. However, given the results of Experiments 1 to 3 one would expect that three-month-olds could discriminate facial expressions more readily on a familiar face--the mother's--than on a stranger's. Infants were habituated to either a frowning expression or a smiling expression, posed by the mother (Experiment 4) or by a female stranger (Experiment 5), and subsequently tested with the habituated and novel expressions. Infants showed evidence of discriminating the expressions regardless of whether they were posed by the mother or by a stranger. Yet, a greater number of infants showed the discrimination when the expressions were posed by the mother than by the stranger. These data thus indicate that three-month-olds can recognize a frowning or a smiling face after they are exposed to either for a period of time, especially when those expressions are posed by a familiar face like the mother's.

Sex differences were found when infants were habituated to the mother's expressions (Experiment 4) and when the tests involved discriminating the mother's face from a stranger's (Experiments 1 and 6), i.e., whenever the face of the mother was the stimulus or one of the stimuli. Hence, the author proposes that these sex differences may be the result of differences in the way mothers interacts with male and female infants.

Finally, in Experiment 7 three-month-old infants were presented with a life-size photograph of a face to determine what features they would fixate. Infants looked longer at the area of the eyes than at any other area of the face, even though they scanned the entire face. The discrimination data from Experiments 4 and 5 and the scanning data of Experiment 7 suggest that by three months of age infants perceive and process same internal features of the face.

The most general implication of the findings of this dissertation is that at least by three-months of age the areas of the brain responsible for processing and integrating complex arrays, like faces, are functioning and that some memory for such arrays is already present.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Simulating Landscape and National Scale Carbon Fluxes in Canada’s Terrestrial Ecosystems Using C-CLASS Model

contributor:
Arain, M. Altaf
Chen, Jing
Waddington, Mike
Geography and Earth Sciences

subject:
carbon cycle
landscape
national-scale
carbon fluxes
Other Earth Sciences
Other Earth Sciences

abstract:
Landscape-level understanding of forest carbon (C) dynamics is required to quantify the net contribution of forest biomes to the global C cycle and to help forest managers to understand the impacts of forest management activities to the C sequestration in forests. Landscape-level estimation of C exchanges in various ecosystems is also crucial for the validation of the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) derived Gross Primary Productivity (GPP) which may help in improving MODIS GPP algorithm and the estimation of national-scale C budget to meet Canada’s international greenhouse gas inventory reporting obligations.

In this study, Carbon version of Canadian Land Surface Scheme (C-CLASS) was used to simulate historic C dynamics of a 2500 ha temperate Douglas fir forest landscape in Oyster River area of Vancouver Island in British Columbia from 1920 to 2005 and a 6275 ha boreal black spruce forest landscape at Chibougamau, Quebec from 1928 to 2005. The impacts of disturbance history and the climate variability on the landscape-level C stocks and fluxes were also investigated. The disturbance matrix of the Carbon Budget Model of the Canadian Forest Sector v3 (CBM-CFS3) was incorporated into C-CLASS to account for the removal of the C stocks by disturbance events. Study results indicate that GPP and autotrophic respiration (Ra) in the temperate Douglas fir forest landscape are sensitive to the air temperature variability. Stand replacing disturbance events can remove large amounts of C in the disturbed year, however, it takes a long period of time for the recovery of landscape-level total ecosystem carbon (TEC) to the initial state, which depends on forest age and the effects of historic climate variability. Our analysis further showed that in undisturbed forest landscape, simulated annual net ecosystem productivity (NEP) deviations were positively related to daily minimum and maximum temperatures in spring, while they were not sensitive to summer temperatures. Study results also showed that simulated landscape-level NEP is less sensitive to the changes in air temperature compared to other simulated C fluxes such as GPP, Ra and and heterotrophic respiration (Rh). Simulated landscape-level C stocks (aboveground biomass, belowground biomass, dead organic matter and soil organic matter) are sensitive to the changes in air temperature. This work suggests that the C-CLASS model can be used to investigate the impacts of climate variability and disturbance events on the historic C dynamics of forest landscapes. This study has also made it possible to analyze the importance of climate drivers and the development of methods for including climate sensitivity into inventory-based models.

In addition, C-CLASS simulated GPP overCanada’s landmass (at 1-km resolution) in 2003 and its comparison with the MODIS GPP product (MOD17) indicated overestimation of MODIS GPP compared to the C-CLASS upscaled GPP overCanada’s landmass. This overestimation was attributed to the limitations in the components of MODIS GPP algorithm. It further suggests that the parameterization of light use efficiency in MODIS GPP algorithm is amenable to improvement based on observations of light use efficiency at eddy covariance flux tower sites or the photochemical reflectance index derived from satellite remote sensing data.

This study would be helpful in calculating Canada’s national terrestrial ecosystem C budget which is important for making environmental policies and ecosystem management for enhancing the terrestrial C sink.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Periodic Travelling Waves in Diatomic Granular Crystals

contributor:
Pelinovsky, Dmitry
Mathematics

subject: physics

subject: granular chains

subject: applied mathematics

subject: travelling waves

subject: lattice

subject: Non-linear Dynamics

subject: Ordinary Differential Equations and Applied Dynamics

subject: Other Physics

subject: Non-linear Dynamics

abstract: We study bifurcations of periodic travelling waves in granular dimer chains from the anti-continuum limit, when the mass ratio between the light and heavy beads tends to zero. We show that every limiting periodic wave is uniquely continued with respect to the mass ratio parameter and the periodic waves with the wavelength larger than a certain critical value are spectrally stable. Numerical computations are developed to study how this solution family is continued to the limit of equal mass ratio between the beads, where periodic travelling waves of granular monomer chains exist.

abstract: Master of Science (MSc)


title: A Practical Coding Scheme For Broadcast Channel

contributor:
Chen, Jun
Zhang, J.K.
Dumitrescu, S.
Electrical and Computer Engineering

subject:
Broadcast Channel
Channel Coding
Superposition Coding
Multilevel Coding
Electrical and Computer Engineering
Electrical and Computer Engineering

abstract: In this thesis, a practical superposition coding scheme based on multilevel low-density parity-check (LDPC) codes is proposed for discrete memoryless broadcast channels. The simulation results show that the performance of the proposed scheme approaches the information-theoretic limits. We also propose a method for optimizing the degree distribution of multilevel LDPC codes based on the analysis of EXIT functions.

abstract: Master of Applied Science (MASc)


title: Properties of Two Enzymes Involved in the Phosphoinositide Cycle – Diacylglycerol Kinase and Phosphatidylinositol 4-Phosphate 5-Kinase

contributor:
Epand, R.M.
Biochemistry

subject:
phosphoinositide cycle
diacylglycerol kinase
acyl chain specificity
Biochemistry
Biochemistry

abstract: The two lipid kinases, diacylglycerol kinase (DGK) and phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate 5-kinase (PIP5K), are vital players of the phosphatidylinositol cycle. DGK regulates the intracellular balance between two important lipid signaling molecules, diacylglycerol and phosphatidic acid. PIP5K produces another key signal messenger, phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate. We studied several fundamental aspects of DGK and PIP5K properties. We investigated the topology of the hydrophobic segment of FLAG-tagged DGK epsilon, and showed that a single amino acid mutation P32A caused the hydrophobic segment to favor a transmembrane orientation. We demonstrated that DGKε is localized in both the plasma membrane and endoplasmic reticulum. Our work helped to better elucidate the substrate specificity of DGKε and PIP5K isoforms, and it lead us to discover the motif that is common for several enzymes that exhibit specificity for substrates containing polyunsaturated fatty acids. We studied the organ distribution of murine DGK isoforms, and also expanded our knowledge of DGK expression in diabetic animals, showing that the expression profiles of several DGK isoforms are altered in adipocytes isolated from diabetic mice. Moreover, DGK expression profiles change dramatically during adipocyte differentiation. Taken together, our findings contribute to the growing knowledge about two enzymes, DGK and PIP5K, by providing the fundamental information about the structural and functional properties of these lipid kinases. Both PIP5K and DGK enzymes have a strong potential for use as drug targets. Although at present their clinical importance has not been completely assessed, we believe that their significance as drug targets will be recognized in the nearest future.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: BROADCASTING CORRELATED GAUSSIANS

contributor:
Chen, Jun
Sorina Dumitrescu; Jianking Zhang
Electrical and Computer Engineering

subject:
Information theory
broadcasting correlated Gaussians
joint source-channel coding
hybrid digital analog coding
analog coding
separate source channel coding
Signal Processing
Systems and Communications
Signal Processing

abstract:
Broadcasting correlated Gaussians is one of the cases where separate source-channel coding is suboptimal. In this dissertation, we will study the distortion region of sending correlated Gaussian sources over an AWGN-BC using hybrid digital-analog coding approach, where each receiver wishes to reconstruct one source component subject to the mean squared error distortion constraint.

First of all, the problem of transmitting m independent Gaussian source components over an AWGN-BC is studied. We show this problem setup is closely related to broadcasting correlated Gaussian sources with genie-aided receivers. Moreover, the separate source-channel coding approach is proven to be optimal in these setups.

Second, we consider two new scenarios and find the achievable distortion regions for both cases, where three Gaussian source components are sent to three receivers. The difference is that for the first scenario, the first two source components are correlated and they are independent of the third one while for the second scenario, the last two source components are correlated and they are independent of the first one. Inner bounds based on hybrid analog-digital coding and outer bounds based on genie-aided arguments are proposed for both cases and the optimality is proven.

Finally, we study two cases where side information is presented at one receiver. Hybrid analog-digital coding schemes are used and the optimality is proven.

abstract: Master of Applied Science (MASc)


title: Symbolic Generation of Parallel Solvers for Unconstrained Optimization

contributor:
Anand, Christopher
Smith, Spencer W.
Computer Science

subject:
symbolic code generation
parallelization
MRI
optimization
Bioimaging and biomedical optics
Computer and Systems Architecture
Other Computer Engineering
Bioimaging and biomedical optics

abstract:
In this thesis we consider the need to generate efficient solvers for inverse imaging problems in a way that supports both quality and performance in software, as well as flexibility in the underlying mathematical models. Many problem domains involve large data sizes and rates, and changes in mathematical modelling are limited only by researcher ingenuity and driven by the value of the application. We use a problem in Magnetic Resonance Imaging to illustrate this situation, motivate the need for better software tools and test the tools we develop. The problem is the determination of velocity profiles, think blood-flow patterns, using Phase Contrast Angiography. Despite the name, this method is completely noninvasive, not requiring the injection of contrast agents, but it is too time-consuming with present imaging and computing technology.

Our approach is to separate the specification, the mathematical model, from the implementation details required for performance, using a custom language. The Domain Specific Language (DSL) provided to scientists allows for a complete abstraction from the highly optimized generated code. The mathematical DSL is converted to an internal representation we refer to as the Coconut Expression Library. Our expression library uses the directed acyclic graphs as an underlying data structure, which lends itself nicely to our automatic simplifications, differentiation and subexpression elimination. We show how parallelization and other optimizations are encoded as rules which are applied automatically rather than schemes that need to be implemented by the programmer in the low-level implementation. Finally, we present results, both in terms of numerical results and computational performance.

abstract: Master of Science (MSc)


title: MINIMALLY INVASIVE COPOLYMERS FOR POSTERIOR SEGMENT OCULAR THERAPEUTICS

contributor:
Sheardown, Heather
Biomedical Engineering

subject:
Ophthalmic materials
biomaterials
N-isopropylacrylamide
PNIPAAm
drug delivery
cell delivery
Biomaterials
Biomaterials

abstract: Efficient delivery of therapeutic cell and pharmaceutical suspensions to the posterior segment of the eye remains an elusive goal. Delivery is made difficult by blood ocular barriers that separate the eye from systemic circulation, the compartmentalized structure of the eye that limits diffusion across the globe, and effective clearance mechanisms that result in short drug residence times. The work presented in this thesis focuses on the design, synthesis, evolution and refinement of novel biomaterial scaffolds ultimately intended to facilitate the minimally invasive delivery of therapeutic payloads into the posterior segment of the eye. The first generation materials presented in this work (Chapter 2) consist of linear chains of temperature-sensitive amine-terminated poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm) grafted onto the backbone of type I collagen. Second generation materials (Chapter 3) saw the inclusion of the lubricious polysaccharide, hyaluronic acid (HA), and replacement of the bulky collagen backbone, which was observed to impede scaffold gelation, with small cell adhesive RGD peptide sequences. The introduction of degradability was the emphasis of third generation copolymers (Chapter 4) and was achieved through copolymerization with dimethyl-γ-butyrolactone acrylate (DBA). The DBA lactone side group was found to undergo a hydrolysis dependent ring opening, which raises copolymer LCST above physiologic temperature, triggering the gelled scaffold to solubilize and be excreted from the body via renal filtration without the liberation of any degradation by-products. Degradation was found to occur slowly, which is favourable for long-term release scaffolds intended to decrease the frequency of injections required to maintain therapeutically relevant concentrations within the vitreous. Finally, the design of a fourth generation material is discussed (Chapter 5), in which optical transparency is achieved through copolymerization of third generation materials with polyethylene glycol (PEG) monomers of varying molecular weight. Synthesis, design and characterization of the various copolymers is described herein.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: THE INFLUENCE OF HYDRODYNAMIC FORCES ON THE TRANSPORT AND RETENTION OF COLLOIDS IN SINGLE, SATURATED, DOLOMITIC LIMESTONE FRACTURES

contributor:
Dickson, Sarah
Civil Engineering

subject:
fracture
bedrock
groundwater
colloid
hydrodynamics
Environmental Health and Protection
Hydrology
Other Environmental Sciences
Water Resource Management
Environmental Health and Protection

abstract:
Approximately 30% of Canadians and 50% of Americans rely on groundwater for their domestic water supplies. A significant portion of this groundwater originates from fractured rock aquifers, as they are ubiquitous throughout North America. In comparison to unconsolidated porous media aquifers, relatively little is understood about biocolloid transport in fractures. A mechanistic understanding of the transport and retention of biocolloids in fractures is important towards determining the risk of biocolloid contamination to these sources, which can have a significant impact on human health. It has been well documented in the interfacial science literature that micro-scale hydrodynamics play a significant role in the transport of particles greater than approximately one micron in diameter, but do not significantly affect the transport of smaller particles. This phenomenon, however, has never been investigated in fractures,where the larger-scale hydrodynamics are complex, and must also be considered. To bridge this knowledge gap, this research was conducted to elucidate the effects of hydrodynamics on the transport and retention of E. coli RS2GFP and carboxylate modified yellow-green polystyrene (CMP) microspheres (0.05 μm diameter) in single, saturated, fractures at the laboratory scale.

To achieve this goal, dolomitic limestone samples were acquired from a quarry in Guelph, Ontario, and were fractured under a uniaxial force. The hydrologic properties of each fracture sample were characterized using hydraulic and solute tracer tests. Using a factorial design approach, a known number of either E. coli RS2-GFP or CMP microspheres was released into the fracture under a range of specific discharges (30, 10 and 5 m/day). The resulting effluent concentration profiles were compared to isolate the effects of hydrodynamics on particle transport.

Comparing and contrasting the effluent concentration profiles from these experiments revealed that hydrodynamic forces strongly influence the retention of particles larger than 1 μm in diameter in saturated, fractured media. Additionally, the mechanisms that dominate transport and retention are dependent on, and therefore vary with both specific discharge and particle size.

abstract: Master of Applied Science (MASc)


title: Weighted Density Approximations for Kohn-Sham Density Functional Theory

contributor:
Ayers, Paul W.
Chemistry and Chemical Biology

subject: Weighted Density Approximation. Density Functional Theory

subject: Other Chemistry

subject: Other Chemistry

abstract:
Approximating the exchange-correlation energy in density functional theory (DFT) is a crucial task. As the only missing element in the Kohn-Sham DFT, the search for better exchange-correlation functionals has been an active field of research for fifty years. Many models and approximations are known and they can be summarized in what is known as the Jacob’s ladder. All the functionals in that ladder are local in the sense that they rely on the information of only one electronic coordinate. That is, even though the exchange-correlation hole, the cornerstone in density functional theory, is a two-electron coordinate quantity, one of the coordinates is averaged over in “Jacob’s ladder functionals.” This makes the calculations considerably more efficient. On the other hand, some of the important constraints on the form of the exchange-correlation functional become inaccessible in the one-point forms. The violation of these constraints leads to functionals plagued by systematic errors, leading to qualitatively incorrect descriptions of some chemical and physical processes.

In this thesis the idea of a weighted density approximation (WDA) is explored. More specifically, a symmetric and normalized two-point functional is proposed for the exchange-correlation energy functional. The functional is based entirely on the hole for the uniform electron gas. By construction, these functionals fulfill two of the most important constraints: the normalization of the exchange-correlation hole and the uniform electron gas limit. The findings suggest that we should pursue a whole new generation of “new Jacob’s ladder” functionals.

A further step was considered. Given the relevance of the long-range behavior of the exchange-correlation hole, a study of the electronic direct correlation function was performed. The idea was to build up the long-range character of the hole as convoluted pieces of the simple and short-ranged direct correlation function. This direct correlation function provides better results, at least for the correlation energy in the spin-polarized uniform electron gas.

The advantage of one-point functionals is their computational efficiency. We therefore attempted to develop new methods that mitigate the relative computational inefficiency of two-point functionals. This led to new methods for evaluating the six-dimensional integrals that are inherent to the exchange-correlation energy.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: "By public language graced": The Tragedy of Mariam and the Woman Question Debate

contributor:
Silcox, Mary V.
English

abstract: At the heart of Elizabeth Cary's play The Tragedy of Mariam are the intertwined issues of feminine virtue, authority and voice. Throughout the play the characters debate these issues with each other and to themselves filling the play with conflicting and uncertain voices regarding these central issues. Since the recent resurrection of Cary's tragedy, twentieth-century critics have discussed and attempted to discern with which of these voices the play's ultimate sentiments lie. This paper brings to that discussion a new perspective which results in a radically different conclusion than has been considered by critics thus far. This paper examines the relationship of The Tragedy of Mariam to a public debate - the "woman question" debate - which was being waged in print during the same time that Cary composed her play and examines the same central issues of feminine virtue, authority and voice. A comparison of these two forums - the play and the debate - reveals that Mariam echoes with innumerable allusions to the opinions expressed within the debate. These allusions draw the Early Modern debate itself into the play to the end of ultimately undermining the underlying assumptions on which the woman question debate (and much of the Renaissance's image of woman) were founded. By viewing the play against the context of the debate, it is also possible to see the original perspective which Cary brought to these issues by engaging them within the genre of drama, a genre which allowed her to overcome the limitations encountered by other women writers who responded within the confines of the debate. This approach to Cary's play reveals that rather than participating in the woman question debate and allying with any particular side, The Tragedy of Mariam is a harsh critique on the debate itself and the assumptions about woman embedded within it.

abstract: Master of Arts (MA)


title: Land Settlement in Northeast Brazil A Study of Seven Projects

contributor:
Wood, H.A.
Geography

subject: Geography Geography

abstract:
Agricultural colonization through the establishment of planned land settlement projects is one of the principal methods chosen by the Government of Brazil for carrying out the national program of land redistribution and agrarian reform.

This study examines seven major colonization projects in one of the country's "agrarian reform priority areas", the coastal region of the Northeast. The purpose of the study is to inquire into the principal causes of the success and failures of the projects studied, and to provide a basis for the formulation of more reliable planning criteria and implementation procedures for future colonization activities to be carried out in this region.

A model is established which embodies the principal government objectives for planned land settlement, and which provides the common terms of reference against which projects are assessed. The achievement of an annual minimum income of U.S.$1,503 per settler family is considered basic to the realization of all other objectives. Seven projects are considered. Camaratuba, in the State of Paraiba; Cabo, Vitoria, Tiriri, and Rio Bonito, in the State of Pernambuco; Pindorama, in the State of Alagoas; and Treze, in the State of Sergipe. Data were obtained from interviews of a total sample of 152 settler families and from interviews with administrative personnel and from other sources. Each colony is treated descriptively, giving consideration to its history and development, and to the conditions and economic opportunities existing at the time of the survey. The field survey was conducted during the early part of 1970.

The study concludes that although there is some evidence of modest progress toward the achievement of basic settlement objectives, projects have fallen considerably short of expectations. The majority of settlers are unable to attain the income target implied by the investments made on their behalf. Basic constraints are identified, showing that higher levels of achievement are prevented by the persistence within projects of largely traditional agricultural conditions.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)