title: Direct Numerical Simulation of Flow and Mass Transfer in Spacer-Filled Channels

contributor:
Pharoah, Jon G.
Beale, Steven B.
Pollard, Andrew
Mechanical and Materials Engineering

subject:
Direct Numerical Simulation
Fluid Dynamics
Mass Transfer
Turbulent Flow
Membrane
Spacer-Filled Channel

abstract: Thesis (Master, Mechanical and Materials Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2010-11-30 11:44:07.479

abstract: Spacer-filled channels are employed in membrane modules in many industrial applications where feed-flow spacers (employed to separate membrane sheets and create flow channels) tend to enhance mass transport characteristics, possibly mitigating fouling and concentration polarization phenomena. In this work direct numerical simulation was performed for the flow in the spacer-filled channels to obtain a better understanding of fluid flow and mass transfer phenomena in these channels. A solute with a Schmidt number of 1 at Reynolds numbers of 300, 500 and 800 (based on the bulk velocity and spacer diameter) was considered. The effect of spacer location was also studied for three different configurations, spacer at the centre of the channel, at off-centre location, and attached to the wall. Instantaneous velocity fields and flow structures such as separation of boundary layer on the walls and on the cylinder, eddies on the walls, recirculation regions and vortex shedding were investigated. A Fourier analysis was carried out on the time series velocity data. Using this analysis the Strouhal number was calculated and the development of the flow towards a broader turbulent state at higher Reynolds number was captured. Other statistical characteristics such as time-averaged velocities and wall shear rates are obtained and discussed.  The average pressure loss which represents the operation cost of membrane modules was calculated for the channels and found to be highest for spacer at the centre of the channel and lowest for spacer attached to the wall. Scalar transport equation is directly solved along with Navier-Stokes equation to get the concentration field. Local Sherwood number is obtained on the walls and the relationship between shear stress, vortex shedding, and mass transfer enhancement was explored. The overall Sherwood number and Stanton number of the channels, which indicate the mass transfer performance of the channels, are obtained. It was observed that as spacer approaches the wall mass transfer rate is decreasing.

abstract: M.A.Sc.


title: Consumer Creativity as a Journey Toward a Moral Destiny: an Investigation of the Free/Open Source Software Community

contributor:
Handelman, Jay
Management

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

subject: Consumer Creativity

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Management) -- Queen's University, 2010-11-30 15:14:49.068

abstract:
Drawing on Berman’s (1972, 1988) political-cultural view of creativity, this thesis contextualizes consumer creativity in the context of a consumer community wrought with paradoxes and conflicts.  Adopting a netnography methodology and empirically examining how individual free/open source software (FOSS) community members interpret their own creative activities, this thesis finds that consumer creativity is a journey toward a moral destiny, with morality arising from the interplay between rationalism and Romanticism and the cultural, historical baggage of these two ideological systems (e.g., sexism in the domains of science and art). Along this journey, individual FOSS community members (i.e., FOSS programmers) co-create and negotiate their common identity—a craftsperson who is a scientist, artist, and moral warrior, an identity embodied by FOSS, their creative product and a form of technology.
This journey is both sweet and bitter and full of paradoxes and conflicts, all of which have rich implications about the power relationships within the community. On the one hand, FOSS programmers recreate a mythologized paradise where they re-merge with the natural world and return to human nature and where they are re-actualizing the moral values of freedom, public interests, and egalitarianism. On the other hand, in this community, sexism against female programmers is rampant; some programmers could perceive that their creativity is constrained and exploited by powerful project owners and thereby feel alienated, frustrated, and trivialized; individual programmers could confront each other due to their different technological preferences and doubt each other’s motivations; and this community’s creative process is infused with politics.
This thesis (1) enriches the marketing literature on consumer creativity which is dominated by an instrumental perspective of creativity by introducing the moral dimension of consumer creativity; (2) contributes to the marketing literature which is dominated by the view that the creative process is enjoyable and harmonious by examining paradoxes and conflicts in the creative process; and (3) enriches the marketing literature on the impact of  technology on human well-being and the natural environment by illustrating a contextualized view that the impact of a technology depends on the moral values of the creator and the user of this technology.

abstract: PhD


title: Matrix-Derived Microcarriers for Adipose Tissue Engineering

contributor:
Flynn, Lauren E.
Chemical Engineering

subject:
Adipose Tissue Engineering
Extracellular Matrix
Decellularized Adipose Tissue
Tissue-Specific Microcarrier
Adipose-Derived Stem Cell
Dynamic Cell Culture
Adipogenesis
Biomaterial

abstract: Thesis (Master, Chemical Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2010-12-01 14:28:14.628

abstract: In vivo, adipose tissue demonstrates only a limited capacity for self-repair, and the long-term treatment of subcutaneous defects remains an unresolved clinical problem. With the goal of regenerating healthy tissues, many tissue-engineering strategies have pointed to the potential of implementing three-dimensional (3-D), cell-seeded scaffolds for soft tissue augmentation and wound healing. In particular, microcarriers have shown promise as both cell expansion substrates and injectable cell-delivery vehicles for these applications. However, limited research has investigated the engineering of tissue-specific microcarriers, designed to closely mimic the native extracellular matrix (ECM) composition. In this work, methods were developed to fabricate microcarriers from decellularized adipose tissue (DAT) via non-cytotoxic protocols. Characterization by microscopy confirmed the efficacy of the fabrication protocols in producing stable beads, as well as the production of a microporous surface topography. The mean bead diameter was 934 ± 51 μm, while the porosity was measured to be 29 ± 4 % using liquid displacement. Stability and swelling behavior over 4 weeks indicated that the DAT-based microcarriers were effectively stabilized with the non-cytotoxic photochemical crosslinking agent rose bengal, with only low levels of protein release measured within a simulated physiological environment. In cell-based studies, the DAT-based microcarriers successfully supported the proliferation and adipogenic differentiation of human adipose-derived stem cells (hASCs) in a dynamic spinner flask system, with a more favorable response observed in terms of adhesion, proliferation, and adipogenesis on the DAT-based microcarriers relative to gelatin control beads. More specifically, dynamically-cultured hASCs on DAT-based microcarriers demonstrated greater lipid loading, as well as higher glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GPDH) activity, a key enzyme involved in triacylglycerol biosynthesis, at 7 days and 14 days in culture in an inductive medium. Overall, the results indicated that the DAT-based microcarriers provided a uniquely supportive environment for adipogenesis. Established microcarrier sterility and injectability further support the broad potential of these tissue-specific microcarriers as a novel, adipogenic, clinically-translatable strategy for soft tissue engineering.

abstract: M.A.Sc.


title: Controlled Radical Polymerization in the Dispersed Phase

contributor:
Cunningham, Michael F.
Chemical Engineering

subject:
controlled radical polymerization
emulsion polymerization

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Chemical Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2010-12-03 13:30:15.346

abstract: Controlled radical polymerization (CRP) has emerged as a powerful method of creating polymers with tailored molecular architectures under mild reaction conditions. However, production of these polymers efficiently at an industrial scale will likely require them to be synthesized in the dispersed phase. Three types of CRP are explored, Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization (ATRP), Nitroxide Mediated Polymerization (NMP) and Catalytic Chain Transfer (CCT) to elucidate the intricacies of creating these novel polymer colloids. Compartmentalization in an ATRP dispersed phase system is explored theoretically to understand the effects of particle size and catalyst concentration on the polymerization. The results suggest that there is an optimal range of particle sizes where the rate of polymerization is greater than that in an equivalent bulk system while maintaining both a lower PDI (polydispersity index) and higher livingness. All three factors are desirable in ATRP but generally cannot be achieved simultaneously in bulk. Compartmentalization manifests itself differently in CCT dispersed phase systems, where the segregation of the CCT agents into different polymer particles leads to multimodal molecular weight distributions. Control over the particle size is notoriously difficult for nitroxide mediated polymerization, as it is challenging to decouple an increase in the particle size with an increase in target molecular weight using a two stage emulsion polymerization approach. This often leads to colloidally unstable latexes for low molecular weight, high solids conditions which are the result of superswelling. We offer several strategies to minimize this problem and create colloidally stable, high solids, n-butyl acrylate latexes by NMP with moderate to high molecular weight targets (>70 kg/mol). Using this synergy between target molecular weight and particle size, high solids (>40 wt.%), high molecular weight (<200 kg/mol) microemulsions (~20 nm) of methyl methacrylate-co-styrene were prepared. Finally, the monomer type and nucleation mechanisms also play a role in determining the particle size distribution in NMP emulsion systems. Using n-butyl methacrylate in emulsion with surfactant concentrations above the critical micelle concentration yields latexes with bimodal particle size distributions. However a surfactant-free approach allows monomodal latexes to be created.

abstract: PhD


title: The Effect of Thermally and Chemically Enhanced Biostimulation on the Hydraulic Properties of a Discrete Fracture Network in a Bedrock Aquifer

contributor:
Novakowski, Kent S.
Civil Engineering

subject: Bioclogging Biostimulation

abstract: Thesis (Master, Civil Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2010-12-03 14:19:33.755

abstract:
The impact of thermally and chemically enhanced biostimulation of indigenous bacteria in a fractured rock aquifer and the resulting changes in hydraulic properties of the discrete fracture network were investigated at the field scale in this study. A field trial was conducted using five 30 m deep vertical boreholes drilled into limestone and granite geological units in a 100 m2 section of a field in Kingston, Ontario. Prior to a 14 day biostimulation experiment, pulse interference tests and tracer experiments were conducted between the various boreholes to characterize the fracture permeability and connections.
Biostimulation methods were applied using a semi-passive injection withdrawal flow field. During periods of injection withdrawal, groundwater was recirculated at 15 ±2 Lpm through an aboveground reservoir (460 L) and gravity drainage system. Recirculating groundwater temperature was raised to 20°C - 25°C and a 4.5 L sodium lactate based nutrient solution was injected once daily. During biostimulation the groundwater temperature, geochemistry, microbiology and fracture hydraulic properties between the recirculating borehole pair were monitored.
Hydraulic testing results showed that borehole transmissivity was reduced by up to 92% (injection borehole) of pre-biostimulation values and transmissivity of multiple borehole connections had been reduced by up to five orders of magnitude. The results of the tracer experiments showed an increase in solute tortuosity and arrival time and a decrease in peak concentration following biostimulation. The changes in transport observed in the tracer experiments are corroborated by heat transport measurements in the recirculation borehole pair. Microbiological and geochemical evidence of biological growth were observed in recirculating groundwater, but absent in the groundwater samples analyzed. Visual observations confirmed the increase in biological growth, although no direct characterization of the microbial community was performed.
This study indicates the semi-passive operation of thermally and chemically enhanced biostimulation can provide a successful method for bioclogging a discrete fracture network. Pulse interference tests and tracer experiments were necessary to effectively evaluate the growth and distribution of the biobarrier, which developed beyond the influence of the injection well. Additional research is required to develop a better understanding of the factors governing biobarrier formation and longevity prior to industrial application.

abstract: M.A.Sc.


title: Synthesis, Redox Chemistry and Antioxidant Activity of Sulfenic Acids

contributor:
Pratt, Derek A.
Chemistry

subject:
Organic Synthesis
Sulfenic Acids

abstract: Thesis (Master, Chemistry) -- Queen's University, 2010-12-03 17:33:02.142

abstract:
Sulfenic acids figure prominently in biological and natural products chemistry as important intermediates. For example, cysteine derived sulfenic acids are key intermediates in cell signaling and play both catalytic and structural roles in enzymes. Due to the ubiquitous nature of protein sulfenic acids in cells, methods have been developed to detect and quantitate them. Although they can be detected, the mechanisms by which they form and react remain unclear.
In addition, sulfenic acids are important enzymatic intermediates in Allium chemistry. Garlic, a member of the Allium genus, is known to have powerful antioxidant activity and this has recently been attributed to allyl sulfenic acid. Allicin, the thisolufinate that gives garlic its characteristic odor and flavor, decomposes to yield allyl sulfenic acid, which is believed to trap chain-carrying peroxyl radicals by readily donating a hydrogen atom, thus inhibiting autoxidations of hydrocarbons.
Despite their important biological roles, little is known of the physicochemical properties of sulfenic acids. This is primarily due to their instability in air and high reactivity as both electrophiles and nucleophiles, giving them the tendency to self-condense and form thiosulfinates. Few persistent sulfenic acids, stabilized by alkyl steric protecting groups surrounding the sulfenic acid functional group, have been reported in the literature. Herein we report our synthetic efforts toward two such sulfenic acids, 9-triptycene sulfenic acid, and trans-9-decalinsulfenic acid, which were expected to be appropriate models for cysteine-derived and allyl sulfenic acids. Using 9-triptycene sulfenic acid, we were able to provide insight into the thermodynamics (O-H BDE) and kinetics (kinh) of the reactions of sulfenic acids with peroxyl radicals, which provide a clear connection between the antioxidant activity in garlic and sulfenic acids. We also preliminarily characterized the electrochemical behaviour of this compound, as well as determined its pKa.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Changes in Autonomic Tone Resulting from Circumferential Pulmonary Vein Isolation

contributor:
Redfearn, Damian P.
Computing

subject:
Ablation of Atrial Arrhythmias
Heart Rate Variability

abstract: Thesis (Master, Computing) -- Queen's University, 2010-12-07 08:32:15.066

abstract:
In patients with normal hearts, increased vagal tone is associated with the onset of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF). Vagal denervation of the atria renders AF less inducible. Circumferential pulmonary vein ablation (CPVA), with or without isolation (CPVI), is effective for treating paroxysmal AF, and has been shown to impact HRV indices, in turn reflecting vagal denervation.
We examined the impact of CPVI on HRV indices over time, and evaluated the relationship between vagal modification and rate of recurrence of AF. High resolution ECG recordings were collected from 64 patients (49 male, 15 female, mean age 57.1±9.7) undergoing CPVI for paroxysmal (n=46) or persistent (n=18) AF. Recordings were made pre-procedure, and at intervals up to 12 months. Success was defined as no recurrence.
After CPVI, 27 patients presented recurrence. Pre-procedure HRV variables did not differ from controls in patients with a subsequent successful procedure. However, patients with recurrence demonstrated significantly-reduced pre-procedure HRV compared both with controls, and with patients having successful procedures (39.6±23.4 & 33.7±19.2 vs 21.8±11.8, P =0.01 & P=0.04). Following the procedure, HRV was reduced vs pre-procedure in patients with successful procedures (33.7±19.2 vs 18.6±15.8, P=0.01), and did not differ from unsuccessful procedures over a 12 month FU. Both groups were reduced compared with a control value. There was no significant difference in HRV between patients who experienced recurring AF (n=9), and those who experienced AT or flutter (n=18).
Our data suggests that patients experiencing recurrence after one procedure have reduced HRV that is not changed by CPVI; whereas patients with a successful single procedure experience a change in HRV variables that is sustained over a long period, but is no different post-procedure from patients experiencing recurrence. These data suggest that denervation associated with CPVI may benefit patients with normal vagal tone prior to the procedure, but that sustained denervation is not a critical factor in successful outcome after CPVI.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Imagen y pliegue: en torno a una teoría de la cultura en "Paradiso" de José Lezama Lima

contributor:
Sevillano, Ana Belén Martín
Spanish

subject:
José Lezama Lima
Paradiso

abstract: Thesis (Master, Spanish) -- Queen's University, 2010-12-07 14:27:25.79

abstract: Estudio de la teoría de la cultura en la novela Paradiso (1966) del escritor José Lezama Lima en relación a las menciones a obras de pintura, escultura, arte-objeto, arquitectura y música, así como a los aspectos claves que la constituyen. La metodología utilizada se basa en la teoría del pliegue desarrollada en los postulados culturales y estético-filosóficos de Gilles Deleuze. La tesis consta de los siguientes capítulos: Introducción: El peso de lo irreal: Imagen, cultura, poética. I, Paradiso: La maison baroque. II, Galería de coral: Estudio libre de pintura y escultura. III, Arquitectura de la Imagen. IV, Sinfonía de la Imagen: con la música por dentro. El último capítulo realiza la interpretación y conclusión general, centrándose en las tres nociones que sustentan la teoría cultural del escritor: lo barroco como expresión cultural del ser americano, la imagen como clave cultural y el mito como espacio de la cultura.

abstract: M.A.


title: The Near-Infrared Imaging of the Andromeda Galaxy

subject: astronomy near-infrared M31 extragalactic

abstract: Thesis (Master, Physics, Engineering Physics and Astronomy) -- Queen's University, 2010-12-07 15:34:00.279

abstract: The Andromeda Galaxy (M31) is an ideal target for detailed studies of galaxy structure and tests of stellar population models. This thesis presents deep Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope WIRCam near-infrared J- and Ks-band photometric maps of M31. These near-infrared data alleviate the age-metallicity-dust degeneracy that plagues stellar population analysis of optical-only maps. For the sake of calibrating stellar population models, a detailed reconstruction of the M31 near-infrared surface brightness and a study of sky subtraction uncertainties is needed. The analysis of our 2007 and 2009 WIRCam data has revealed unexpected spatial variations in the sky background shapes over the width of the WIRCam fields. In order to solve for the offset caused by such fluctuations, we have used couplings between images. Scalar sky offsets are optimized to produce a mosaic that is seamless within 0.02% of the sky background. These offsets are solved hierarchically, to reduce the dimensionality of optimizations, and an adaptation of the Nelder Mead downhill simplex ensures a globally optimal solution. Variations in sky shape are well-characterised in median sky images built by nodding to a random ring of sky fields every 1.2 minutes. Sky shape appears consistent across the 3˚ ring of sky fields, while levels do change by ~2%, suggesting that the dominant sky structures extend beyond the M31 survey region. Planar sky offset optimization was tested and promises to significantly improve continuity across the outer disk of M31. Our near-infrared data are part of an effort to assemble a multi-wavelength data set for M31 to study a broad suite of topics in stellar and galaxy evolution.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: The Burden of Obesity and Physical Inactivity Across the Lifespan, with a Focus on Health-Related Quality of Life

contributor:
Rosenberg, Mark W.
Tschakovsky, Michael E.
Kinesiology and Health Studies

subject:
Obesity
Physical activity
Children
Adolescence
Tracking
Quality of life
Self-Rated health
Activity limitation
Disability days
Population health
Weight status
Risk factors

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Kinesiology & Health Studies) -- Queen's University, 2010-12-08 18:00:44.214

abstract:
Obesity and physical inactivity are major risk factors for numerous chronic diseases, conditions, and early mortality.  Healthy body weight and physical activity (PA) are also positively associated with health-related quality of life (HRQL).  However, obesity and physical inactivity levels in Canadian youth and adults are high.  This thesis comprises five studies exploring the burden of obesity and physical inactivity, focusing on HRQL.
	The first study assessed PA research productivity in Canada from 1990-2005.  Canada produced approximately 5% of global PA research, 50% originating from Ontario, the biomedical and clinical areas accounting for 40% each; however, research in population health and health services was lacking.
	The second study used data from the Physical Activity Longitudinal Study (PALS), the 22-year follow-up of the 1981 Canada Fitness Survey, to assess PA and obesity tracking from youth to adulthood.  Over 80% of overweight/obese youth became overweight/obese adults, while the majority of overweight/obese adults had not been overweight/obese youth; almost all healthy weight adults had been healthy weight youth.  PA did not track over 22 years.
	The third study used the PALS data to examine the long-term effect of youth BMI and PA on adult HRQL (SF-36), using dichotomized outcomes based on Canadian norms.  Contrary to expectations, overweight youth were more likely than healthy weight youth to score at/above the norm in adult HRQL, especially in the mental health domains.  Youth PA was not associated with adult HRQL.
	The fourth study used the same data to explore the youth BMI-adult HRQL relationship using continuous outcomes, by sex.  Youth BMI was positively associated with mental HRQL in adult females only; no negative impacts emerged.
	The fifth study used the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) Cycle 3.1 data to investigate the combined association of PA and BMI to HRQL among Canadian adults, including self-rated health, participation/activity limitation, and total disability days, by age and sex.  Inactive individuals had increased odds of adverse HRQL, regardless of weight status; underweight, overweight, and obesity were of little consequence for active individuals.
	Collectively, these results help to better understand the health burdens created by the current epidemics of obesity and physical inactivity in Canadians throughout their lifespans.

abstract: PhD


title: The Beloved and Other Monsters: Biopolitics and the Rhetoric of Reconciliation in Post-1994 South African Literature

contributor:
Bongie, Christopher
English

subject:
Biopolitics and Literature
South African Literature

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, English) -- Queen's University, 2010-12-09 09:38:05.718

abstract:
This dissertation examines the use of inter-racial relationships as emblems of political reconciliation in South African fiction from and about the transition from apartheid to democracy.  Positive representations of the relationships that apartheid prohibited would seem to constitute a rejection of apartheid itself, but through an analysis of novels by Lewis DeSoto, Elleke Boehmer, Zoë Wicomb, Marlene van Niekerk, Ivan Vladislavić, and J.M. Coetzee, I argue that the trope of the redemptive inter-racial relationship in fact reinscribes what Foucault would designate a biopolitical obsession with race as a foundational construct of the nation.
Chapter 2 examines an attempt to write against the legacy of apartheid by repurposing the quintessentially South African genre of the plaasroman, but Lewis DeSoto’s A Blade of Grass (2003) fails to reverse the narrative effects created by the plaasroman structure, implicated as the plaasroman is and has been in a biopolitical framework.
	Chapter 3 examines Elleke Boehmer’s rewriting of South African history to insist on the genealogical “truth” of the racial mixing of the country and its inhabitants, but Bloodlines (2000) yet retains the obsession with racial constructs that it seeks to dispute.  Zoë Wicomb’s Playing in the Light (2006), meanwhile, invokes genealogical “truth” as a corrective to apartheid constructions of race, but ultimately disallows the possibility of genealogical and historical narratives as correctives rather than continuations of apartheid.
	Chapter 4 discusses the structure of Marlene van Niekerk’s Triomf (published in Afrikaans in 1994; English translation 1999) as a collage of Afrikaner nationalist narratives, narratives of trauma, and narratives of inter-racial reconciliation that is able to put powerful local tropes on display while simultaneously preventing their reinscription.
Chapter 5 argues for a turn away from the bonds of affect symbolized by the inter-racial relationship as the basis of the nation in favour of an attention to justice.  Readings of Ivan Vladislavić’s The Restless Supermarket (2001) and J. M. Coetzee’s Disgrace (1999) substitute for the romance of the inter-racial relationship the exigencies of the South African philosophy of ubuntu and of the duty to justice posed by the figure of the monstrous neighbour.

abstract: PhD


title: An Empirical Study of the Causes and Consequences of Mergers in the Canadian Cable Television Industry

contributor:
Imai, Susumu
Ferrall, Christopher
Economics

subject:
Cable television
Consolidation
Mergers and acquisitions
Price discrimination
Simulated Maximum Likelihood
Simulated Method of Moments
Economics of Scale
Agglomeration

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Economics) -- Queen's University, 2010-12-09 14:39:15.431

abstract: This dissertation consists of three essays that study mergers and consolidation in the Canadian cable television industry. The first essay provides a historical overview of regulatory and technical change in the industry, and presents the dataset that I constructed for this study. The basic pattern of interest in the data is regional consolidation, where dominant cable companies grow over time by acquiring the cablesystems of small cable operators. I perform a reduced-form empirical analysis that formally studies the determinants of mergers, and the effect that acquisitions have on cable bundles offered to consumers. The remaining essays develop and estimate structural econometric models to further study the determinants and welfare consequences of mergers in the industry. The second essay estimates an empirical analogue of the Farrell and Scotchmer (1988) coalition- formation game. I use the estimated model to measure the equilibrium impact that economies of scale and agglomeration has on firms’ acquisition incentives. I also study the impact entry and merger subsidies have on consolidation and long-run market structure. The final chapter estimates a variant of the Rochet and Stole (2002) model of multi-product monopoly with endogenous quality and prices. Using the estimated model I compute the impact mergers have on welfare. I find that both consumer and producer surplus rise with acquisitions. I also show that accounting for changes both in prices and products (i.e., cable bundle quality) is important for measuring the welfare impact of mergers.

abstract: PhD


title: A High-Speed Reconfigurable System for Ultrasound Research

subject: Ultrasound Beamformer FPGA Hardware

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Physics, Engineering Physics and Astronomy) -- Queen's University, 2010-12-10 11:23:01.961

abstract:
Many opportunities exist in medical ultrasound research for experimenting with novel designs, both of transducers and of signal processing techniques. However any experiment must have a reliable platform on which to develop these techniques. In my thesis work, I have designed, built, and tested a high-speed reconfigurable ultrasound beamforming platform.
The complete receive beamformer system described in this thesis consists of hardware, firmware, and software components. All of these components work together to provide a platform for beamforming that is expandable, high-speed, and robust. The complexity of the operations being performed is hidden from the user by a simple to use and accessible software interface.
Existing beamformer hardware is usually designed for real-time 2D image formation often using serial processing. The platform I built uses parallel processing in order to process ultrasound images 100 times faster than conventional systems. Conventional hardware is locked to a single or small number of similar transducers, while my design can be on-the-fly reprogrammed to work with nearly any transducer type. The system is also expandable to handle any size of device, while conventional systems can only handle a fixed number of device channels. The software I have created interfaces with the hardware and firmware components to provide an easy way to make use of the system’s reconfigurability. It also delivers a platform that can be simply expanded to host post-processing or signal analysis software to further fulfill a researcher’s needs.

abstract: PhD


title: Physical and Chemical Aging Behavior of Asphalt Cements From Two Northern Ontario Pavement Trials

contributor:
Hesp, Simon
Chemistry

subject:
Asphalt Cements
Road Cracking
Physical Aging
Chemical Aging

abstract: Thesis (Master, Chemistry) -- Queen's University, 2010-12-13 11:25:17.522

abstract:
This thesis documents and discusses the analysis of material properties and pavement performance for Highway 17 and Highway 655 pavement trial sections located in northern Ontario. The object of this work was to compare laboratory-aged material with recovered asphalt cement and to develop an improved chemical aging method that provides asphalt cement that more closely reflects properties after 8-10 years of service. Physical testing of the asphalt cements was done using a bending beam rheometer (BBR) and double-edge-notched tension (DENT) test for laboratory aged material as well as recovered material from the road. The comparison of the regular BBR, extended BBR and elastic recovery test in BBR is also done for the laboratory-aged and recovered material.
Two simple modifications to the regular pressure aging vessel (PAV) aging protocol were investigated as possible ways to improve the correlation between field and laboratory material properties. The length of the PAV aging was doubled to 40 hours and the weight for each pan was halved to 25 grams. It was observed that the presently used RTFO/PAV aging protocol does not produce sufficient aging. Hence, the conditions chosen were more severe and therefore are likely to bring the laboratory aging closer to the field aged condition. It was found that both the increase in time and the reduction in weight were able to accomplish the stated objective for most but not all asphalt cements.
A separate investigation involved the infrared (IR) analysis of asphalt cements recovered from a large number of contracts in eastern and northeastern Ontario. This study indicated that those asphalts with a largely paraffinic structure (low aromatics index) showed excessive and premature cracking even at lower levels of oxidation (carbonyl index). In contrast, those pavements that were largely spared of thermal distress were constructed with asphalt cements that contained more aromatics (high IR aromatics indices). Aromatics allow the largely aromatic asphaltenes that are formed upon oxidation to remain well peptized rather than flocculated. Peptized asphaltenes allow for good stress relaxation during winter and spring thaw and thus such materials show a reduced tendency for cracking.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Comparison of Ethylene Terpolymer, Styrene Butadiene, and Polyphosphoric Acid Type Modifiers for Asphalt Cement

subject:
Asphalt Cement
Modifiers
Ethylene Terpolymer
Styrene Butadiene
Polyphosphoric Acid

abstract: Thesis (Master, Chemistry) -- Queen's University, 2010-12-13 13:29:45.173

abstract:
The objective of this study was to compare different modifiers in two asphalt cements, namely Cold Lake 80/100 obtained from the Edmonton, Alberta refinery of Imperial Oil Limited and a PG 58-28 obtained from a now closed refinery in the Montreal, Quebec area. The modifiers investigated were polyphosphoric acid (PPA), styrene-butadiene-styrene (SBS), and reactive ethylene terpolymer (Elvaloy® RET). The comparisons were done based on both unaged and laboratory-aged materials.
The investigation covers high temperature grading using a dynamic shear rheometer (DSR), low temperature grading using a bending beam rheometer (BBR), ductile strain tolerance as measured in the double-edge-notched tension (DENT) test and percentage recovered strain using multiple shear creep recovery (MSCR) test.
The Superpave® performance grade span was increased for all modifiers with substantial increases in the high temperature rutting parameter G*/sin while the BBR parameters, T(S = 300 MPa) and T(m = 0.3), remained largely unchanged. In the PG 58-28 base asphalt, Elvaloy® modifiers were able to reduce the intermediate Superpave® grade temperature by significant amounts.
All polymer modifiers were good at improving the ductile strain tolerance as measured in the DENT test. In contrast, PPA alone reduces the strain tolerance due to the formation of extra asphaltenes and the likely gelation of the asphaltene-rich phase.
Nearly all the modified samples passed the MSCR test except those with poor compatibility (i.e. SBS blended with Cold Lake without sulfur, Elvaloy® systems without acid catalyst, and pure PPA modified systems) or no modifier, which did not reach the required elastic recovery at high levels of non-recoverable compliance.
In the BBR test done at low temperatures, all modified systems showed similar elastic recovery and viscous (non-recoverable) compliance. However, in the ductile-to-brittle range the Elvaloy® RET-modified binders showed a definite advantage of a few degrees over the unmodified base asphalts.
Finally, chemical aging tendencies, as measured by weight gain and carbonyl formation, turned out to be very similar for all the investigated compositions.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Assessment of Photocatalytic Performance of Aluminium-Supported Titanium Dioxide Thin Films Produced by Flame Assisted Chemical Vapour Deposition

contributor:
Ramsay, Juliana A.
Docoslis, Aristides
Chemical Engineering

subject: Titanium Dioxide Film

subject: Photocatalysis

subject: Bioaerosol

subject: Electrophoretic Deposition

subject: Aluminum

abstract: Thesis (Master, Chemical Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2010-12-13 12:41:13.509

abstract: Titanium dioxide films were deposited on aluminum by flame assisted chemical vapour deposition.  The photocatalytic performance of these films when the air flow rate to the flame and thickness of silicon oxides under-layer were varied, was compared against a film of electrophoretically deposited Degussa P25, a titanium dioxide powder.  At a high air flow rate, only powder was deposited on the substrate and the films had no measurable photocatalytic activity.  When the air flow rate was lower, and the flame cooler, titanium dioxide was successfully deposited.  Samples with a silicon oxides under-layer had more titanium dioxide deposited than with no undercoating, but titanium dioxide content did not increase as the layer of silicon oxides thickness increased.  Films deposited at a low air flow rate, and with a silicon oxides under-layer, were shown to act as self-cleaning surfaces through the mineralization of a stearic acid film, successfully removed organic compounds from water through the oxidation of methylene blue as a model compound, and effectively inactivated Vibrio fischeri in water.  However, in all cases the performance was found to be moderate when compared to Degussa P25 films.  The successful use of films produced under these conditions in various applications suggests that they may also be effective in an air sterilization unit.   An air sterilization reactor system was designed with considerations to reactor geometry, relative humidity and air flow rate.  Bioaerosol generation and capture experiments were performed while varying pressure supplied to a Collison Nebulizer, the nebulizer optical density of Bacillus subtilis, and the sample period using a modified AGI-4 impinger.  A model was developed to correlate these parameters to expected bacterial capture.  Different methods of assessing cell viability in the capture solution were examined, and the use of the Live/Dead assay was recommended over traditional plate counts because of lower associated error.

abstract: M.A.Sc.


title: Genetic Feature Selection Using Dimensionality Reduction Approaches: a Comparative Study

contributor:
Mousavi, Parvin
Computing

subject:
SNP Selection
Fast Orthogonal Search
Independent Component Analysis
Genetic Data Analysis

abstract: Thesis (Master, Computing) -- Queen's University, 2010-12-15 18:03:00.208

abstract:
The recent decade has witnessed great advances in microarray and genotyping technologies which allow genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) data to be captured on a single chip. As a consequence, genome-wide association studies require the development of algorithms capable of manipulating ultra-large-scale SNP datasets. Towards this goal, this thesis proposes two SNP selection methods; the first using Independent Component Analysis (ICA) and the second based on a modified version of Fast Orthogonal Search.
The first proposed technique, based on ICA, is a filtering technique; it reduces the number of SNPs in a dataset, without the need for any class labels. The second proposed technique, orthogonal search based SNP selection, is a multivariate regression approach; it selects the most informative features in SNP data to accurately model the entire dataset.
The proposed methods are evaluated by applying them to publicly available gene SNP datasets, and comparing the accuracies of each method in reconstructing the datasets. In addition, the selection results are compared with those of another SNP selection method based on Principal Component Analysis (PCA), which was also applied to the same datasets.
The results demonstrate the ability of orthogonal search to capture a higher amount of information than ICA SNP selection approach, all while using a smaller number of SNPs. Furthermore, SNP reconstruction accuracies using the proposed ICA methodology demonstrated the ability to summarize a greater or equivalent amount of information in comparison with the amount of information captured by the PCA-based technique reported in the literature.
The execution time of the second developed methodology, mFOS, has paved the way for its application to large-scale genome wide datasets.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Ecological land classification and soil moisture modelling in the boreal forest using LiDAR remote sensing

contributor:
Treitz, Paul
Scott, Neal
Geography

subject:
LiDAR
ecological land classification
remote sensing
boreal forest
soil moisture
terrain index

abstract: Thesis (Master, Geography) -- Queen's University, 2010-12-16 18:52:04.81

abstract: Ecological land classification (ELC) is used to classify forest types in Ontario based on ecological gradients of soil moisture and nutrient fertility determined in the field.  If ELC could be automated using terrain surfaces generated from airborne Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) remote sensing, it would enhance our ability to carry out forest ecosite classification and inventory over large areas.  The focus of this thesis was to determine if LiDAR-derived terrain surfaces could be used to accurately quantify soil moisture in the boreal forest at a study site near Timmins, Ontario for use in ELC systems.  Analysis was performed in three parts: (1) ecological land classification was applied to classify the forest plots based on soil texture, moisture regime and dominant vegetation; (2) terrain indices were generated at four different spatial resolutions and evaluated using regression techniques to determine which resolution best estimated soil moisture; and (3) ordination techniques were applied to separate the forest types based on biophysical field measurements of soil moisture and nutrient availability.  The results of this research revealed that no single biophysical measurement alone could completely separate forest types; furthermore, the best LiDAR-derived terrain variables explained only 36.5% of the variation in the soil moisture in this study area.  These conclusions suggest that species abundance data (i.e., indicator species) should be examined in tandem with biophysical field measurements and LiDAR data to improve classification accuracy.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Development of a Questionnaire for Measuring the Quality of Personal Care in Patients Undergoing Radiotherapy for Prostate Cancer

contributor:
Mackillop, William J.
Feldman-Stewart, Deb
Community Health and Epidemiology

subject:
Quality of Care
Questionnaire
Prostate Cancer

abstract: Thesis (Master, Community Health & Epidemiology) -- Queen's University, 2010-12-17 07:41:09.823

abstract:
Background: Quality of patient care includes both technical and non-technical elements of care, referred to as personal care. Previous work has focused on assessing the quality of technical care in prostate cancer radiotherapy, but little work has been done to assess the quality of personal care.

Purpose: The purpose of this project was to create a self-administered questionnaire to measure the quality of personal care for patients undergoing radiotherapy for early-stage prostate cancer.

Methods: Dimensions and candidate indicators of the quality of personal care were identified through a comprehensive literature search. The indicators were assigned to dimensions and then arranged into steps in the radiotherapy care continuum. A questionnaire was constructed using the indicators to assess patients’ views about the quality of their care as well as the importance of each indicator. Cognitive interviews were conducted with four health care professionals and eight patients to determine the clarity, comprehensiveness and appropriateness of the questionnaire. The questionnaire was then pilot tested on patients undergoing radiotherapy for early-stage prostate cancer.

Results: A total of 176 indicators of the quality of personal care were initially identified representing 10 dimensions of care. Cognitive interviews identified problems with the questionnaire primarily related to the clarity and redundancy of the indicators and the appropriateness of the response categories. To reduce burden, the questionnaire was divided into three modules, corresponding to appropriate steps in the continuum of care. Each module was pilot tested on at least 10 patients with an overall response rate of 84%. Most patients responded to all indicators on the questionnaire without difficulty and without distress; however patterns of missing responses indicate a few particular indicators need revision. The results suggest that the design of the questionnaire is appropriate since patients seem to be using the range of response options that are offered.

Conclusions: The results suggest that this questionnaire is feasible to administer in a clinic setting and that it does not place a large burden on patients.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: The interaction between the Sco protein from Bacillus subtilis and copper

contributor:
Hill, Bruce C.
Biochemistry

subject:
Protein folding
Metal stabilization

abstract: Thesis (Master, Biochemistry) -- Queen's University, 2010-12-17 17:24:09.598

abstract: Members of the Sco protein family have been proposed to function in the assembly of cytochrome c oxidase in the respiratory chain of all aerobic life forms. The Sco protein in Bacillus subtilis, BsSco, is characterized for its folding/unfolding behavior in the presence or absence of Cu(II) in this study. The folding/unfolding of apo-BsSco is investigated by CD and fluorescence spectroscopies. BsSco follows an apparent two-state mechanism in both folding and unfolding processes. The two apo forms of BsSco, reduced and oxidized, exhibit similar equilibrium stabilities suggesting that the formation of an intramolecular disulfide in oxidized apo-BsSco does not add to BsSco’s overall stability. In contrast, Cu(II) binding to reduced apo-BsSco results in extreme stabilization and resistance to unfolding in urea. However, when Cu(II) is present with unfolded, reduced apo-BsSco, the protein is rapidly oxidized. Another widely used denaturant, GdnHCl, is able to unfold Cu(II)-BsSco by allowing the loss of Cu(II) from the  metal/protein complex. When the presence of Cu(II)-BsSco complex and the protein’s folded state are monitored simultaneously, the unfolding of Cu(II)-bound BsSco occurs coincidently with Cu(II) dissociation. We suggest that the loss of Cu(II) binding and the loss of BsSco’s native conformation are coincident, which leads to the conclusion that Cu(II)-BsSco does not unfold until it forfeits Cu(II). The kinetics of folding/unfolding of reduced, oxidized and Cu(II) bound BsSco are explored by stopped-flow fluorescence spectroscopy. The rate constants at which the two apo forms of BsSco fold and unfold are measured and plotted versus denaturant concentration. Reduced and oxidized forms of apo-BsSco are similar in folding and unfolding kinetics. Cu(II)-involved refolding kinetics of BsSco show that Cu(II) is able to accelerate the rate of refolding. However, the involvement of Cu(II) in the refolding process results in two competing processes: oxidation and Cu(II) binding. Which process predominates depends on the refolding rate which further depends on the denaturant concentration. This study has provided direct evidence for metal-involved stabilization of BsSco which is beneficial to efficiently fulfill its copper trafficking duty in a cellular environment.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: The effects of observed and experimental climate change and permafrost disturbance on tundra vegetation in the western Canadian High Arctic

contributor:
Lamoureux, Scott F.
Geography

subject:
Arctic
Climate change
Vegetation
Ecology

abstract: Thesis (Master, Geography) -- Queen's University, 2011-01-04 20:53:31.689

abstract:
The response of vegetation to climate change and permafrost disturbance was studied at the Cape Bounty Arctic Watershed Observatory (CBAWO) on Melville Island, Nunavut.  Climate change is expected to alter the terrestrial ecosystem of this area and cause non-linear responses.  This study focussed on two predicted outcomes of climate change in the western Canadian High Arctic: the occurrence of a permafrost disturbance termed active layer detachments (ALDs), and increased air temperature and precipitation.
To study the effects of ALD formation twenty 1 m2 plots were established within two ALDs.  One ALD (ALD05) was formed in July 2007 and represented the initial impact of slope failure caused by an exceptionally warm year.  The other (ALD04) was formed at least sixty years ago and represented the long-term impact of slope failure.  Physical soil measurements and vegetation surveys were completed in both disturbances.
ALD formation creates depressions on the landscape that increase snow accumulation.  Snow accumulation was greater in the more recent ALD than in the older one and this resulted in greater changes to the physical environment.  Vegetation was not significantly impacted by disturbance, although phenology was delayed due to snowcover retention.
To study the effects of increased air temperature and precipitation an International Tundra Experiment (ITEX) site was established at CBAWO in July 2008.  Snow fences and open-top chambers (OTC) were erected to increase snow accumulation and air temperature.  Physical soil measurements and vegetation surveys were completed through the summer of 2009.  Soil temperature and active layer depth were affected by snow and phenology was delayed in plots with snow enhancement.  Experimental warming also had some effects on the parameters measured but only in conjunction with snow enhancement.  This study found that in the first year of experimentation snow enhancement has a greater effect than increased air temperature.
	These studies represent the beginning of two long-term projects at CBAWO and the results from this study represent baseline data for future research.  Continued monitoring will show the evolution of vegetation in the ALDs and the potential long-term effects of temperature and snow manipulation.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: The Art of Writing a Life: Heimatsuche and Bohemianism in the Poetry of Lasker-Schüler

contributor:
Scott, Jill
German

subject:
Else Lasker-Schüler
Poetry
German
Heimatsuche
Bohemianism
Metapoetic

abstract: Thesis (Master, German) -- Queen's University, 2010-12-22 16:45:41.154

abstract:
This study explores how the poetry of Else Lasker-Schüler (1869-1945) creates a personal space—a Heimat—through the poetic process. Through close readings of a selection of the poet’s works, I demonstrate the paradoxical relationship between physical structures and emotional or psychic freedom. I show how this association between form and fluidity reflects the poetic genre itself, while also drawing parallels to Lasker-Schüler’s biography and her relationships with the Berliner Bohème.
 Lasker-Schüler’s work has been viewed through many different lenses: Expressionism, Judaism, and feminism. Such interpretations can be problematic, as they impose limitations on the poet’s work and are thereby contradictory to the fluid qualities conveyed in her poems. Through close analysis of the formal and aesthetic aspects of Lasker-Schüler’s poetry, I illuminate this often neglected, but most important aspect of the fluctuating, creative space.
 Lasker-Schüler’s life circumstances forced her to live an unsettled life, but poetry seems to have functioned as a means of accessing the internal Heimat or Seelenlandschaft. The lyrical “I” of Lasker-Schüler’s poetry wanders throughout the poet’s collective works, her voice undergoing metamorphoses, leaving the reader to question this elusive poetic identity. The bohemians, who offered Lasker-Schüler an inspiring creative community, mirror this internal poetic world externally, as they embraced art and performance to create their chameleon-like identities. In turn, the bohemian mentality is reflected in the poet’s work; this constant movement and state of flux creates a poetic space, the very transience of which is what allows it to become a personal utopia, a Heimat, for the homeless soul.

abstract: M.A.


title: End Frasnian calcimicrobial-stromatoporoid carbonate reefs, Western Canada Sedimentary Basin

contributor: Geological Sciences and Geological Engineering

subject:
Carbonate geology
Calcimicrobial deposits
Late Devonian
Western Canada

abstract: Thesis (Master, Geological Sciences & Geological Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2010-12-21 12:24:17.569

abstract: The Late Devonian was a significant period in Phanerozoic reef evolution.  Reef complexes reached their acme in the Middle Devonian and then declined in numbers and complexity thereafter.  This change was accompanied by a shift in reef composition characterized by an increase in calcified microbes in the reef milieu.  Late Devonian Nisku Formation reefs in the Cynthia Basin at Meekwap, Alberta are composed of calcimicrobes (Renalcis, Epiphyton, Girvanella, Rothpletzella, and Wetheredella), stromatoporoids, and corals.  Accessory organisms include brachiopods, benthic foraminifera, molluscs, sponges, bryozoans, and crinoids.  Calcimicrobes generate dorsal or ventral crusts on stromatoporoids, and form oncolites in open marine facies.  Dorsal crusts are either Girvanella and Rothpletzella, or non-calcimicrobial, spongiostromate or cemented calcisilt encrustations.  Ventral crusts are cryptic and composed of Renalcis and Epiphyton.  Oncolites comprise layers of Girvanella and Rothpletzella and occur in lagoon and upper-foreslope facies.  Girvanella and Rothpletzella are thought to have been photosynthetic because of their preference for interpreted well-lit settings (oncolites and dorsal surfaces) and possible competition for light as expressed by alternating layers of Girvanella and Rothpletzella as well as domal, accretionary growths of either Girvanella or Rothpletzella in oncolites.  Renalcis and Epiphyton are viewed as non-photosynthetic or light sensitive because they are rare on upper surfaces and are instead found in cryptic environments.  The abundance of calcimicrobes in Meekwap limestones is interpreted to have reflected elevated nutrient levels.  Nutrients were likely terrestrially sourced and brought onto the shelf via fluvial runoff and submarine groundwater discharge.  Geometry of the Cynthia Basin, as well as the presence of local nutrient sources at Meekwap is thought to have enhanced more regional nutrification via ocean upwelling.  The change in the composition of reefs throughout the Late Devonian is attributed to paleoenvironmental changes, such as a colder climate and falling ocean temperatures, as well as increasing nutrient levels, prior to the Late Devonian mass extinction.

abstract: M.A.Sc.


title: Living/Controlled Radical Polymerization in a Continuous Tubular Reactor

contributor:
Cunningham, Michael F.
Chemical Engineering

subject: Living Controlled Radical Polymerization

subject: Continuous Tubular Reactor

subject: Nitroxide Mediated

subject: SFRP

subject: NMP

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Chemical Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2010-12-20 12:00:37.974

abstract:
Significant advances have been made in the understanding of living/controlled radical polymerization processes since their discovery in the early 1990’s.  These processes enable an unprecedented degree of control over polymer architecture that was previously not possible using conventional radical polymerization processes, and this has made possible the synthesis of many new and interesting materials.  However, there has been only limited success in commercializing these new methods.
Recently there has been increased focus on the development of more industrially viable processes.  Dispersed aqueous phase reactions have received much attention because these water-based processes have several technical, economic, and environmental benefits over the more common solution and bulk reactions that were originally developed.  Likewise, there has been some investigation of using continuous reactors that have potential technical and economic benefits over the more commonly employed batch reactors.
This thesis presents an in-depth study that combines the three aforementioned technologies: living/controlled radical polymerization, dispersed phase aqueous reactions, and continuous reactors.  Specifically, the system of interest is a nitroxide-mediated miniemulsion polymerization reaction in a continuous tubular reactor to produce polymer latex.
Design of the continuous tubular reactor is discussed in some detail with a focus on specific technical challenges that were faced in building a functional apparatus for this system.  Scoping experiments are described which identified a significant effect of temperature ramping rate that is critical to understand when moving to larger scale reactors for this system.  The unexpected phenomenon of room temperature polymerization initiated by ascorbic acid is also described.  There is demonstration for the first time that bulk and miniemulsion polymers can be produced in a tubular reactor under controlled nitroxide-mediated polymerization conditions, and copolymers can be produced.  A detailed residence time distribution study for the tubular reactor is also shown, and several interesting phenomena are discussed that have implications on the practical operating conditions of the tubular reactor.  This particular study makes it clear that one should experimentally verify the residence time distribution within a continuous system with the reactants of interest, and that model systems may not give an accurate picture of the real system.

abstract: PhD


title: Radon Background Reduction in DEAP-1 and DEAP-3600

subject: dark matter

abstract: Thesis (Master, Physics, Engineering Physics and Astronomy) -- Queen's University, 2011-01-10 10:27:19.303

abstract:
The Dark Matter Experiment with Liquid Argon Using Pulse Shape Discrim-
ination (DEAP) is a dark matter experiment based in the SNOLAB facility in
Sudbury, Ontario. Its aim is to detect WIMPs, Weakly Interacting Massive Par-
ticles, that may make up the missing component of the matter in our universe by
the scintillation of liquid argon from nuclear recoils. A 7 kg prototype, DEAP-1,
is currently in operation with work underway to scale up to a 1 tonne detector,
DEAP-3600, by 2012.  For DEAP-3600 to be a competitive dark matter search,
a limit of 0.2 fiducial surface alpha events is required in the energy region of interest for three years of run time,
 or 150 total surface events. Of particular concern to the DEAP experiment is 222Rn and its daughter prod-
ucts, as the alpha decays of these isotopes may create events in the detector that
mimic a WIMP signature. The ﬁrst half of this thesis concerns the testing and suc-
cessful use of an activated carbon trap to eliminate 222Rn from the argon gas source
in DEAP-1. The Carbo-Act F2/F3 grain activated carbon brand was tested as a
potential ultra-low activity candidate for a DEAP-3600 ﬁltration system and was
found to have an upper limit for its 222Rn emanation rate of 284 atoms/day/kg.
A temperature swing system is proposed. If operated at 110 K, an upper limit of
ﬁve atoms of 222Rn can be expected to enter the detector from the trap.
An indirect relationship between the number of low energy nuclear recoil events
in the DEAP WIMP region of interest and the number of radon alpha decays was
found. The ratio between the low energy events in the WIMP region of interest and
the high energy alphas was found to be 0.18 ± 0.03 in the detector.
From this, the upper limit of the contribution from the proposed radon trap to the WIMP
background in DEAP-3600 will be be ten events for three years of run time, which
is within acceptable limits.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Nourishing Communities: Exploring the Relationships Between Local-Food-System Development and Community Capital

contributor:
Webster, Jane
Cumming, Brian F.
Environmental Studies

subject:
Local Food
Community Capital
Social Capital
Sustainability
Food Systems
Community Development

abstract: Thesis (Master, Environmental Studies) -- Queen's University, 2010-12-22 10:27:57.831

abstract:
Consumer concerns regarding food safety and quality, a crippling farm crisis across North America, and growing criticisms of the environmental consequences of intensive agricultural practices are leading to increased scrutiny of the dominant, industrialized food system.  Faced with uncertainty, many communities are pioneering new, decentralized models of food production, with a view to designing systems that are more economically, ecologically and socially sustainable. At their essence, these local food systems appear to embody a new form of ‘capitalism’, one that values, depends upon, and seeks to strengthen or preserve all stocks of community capital: natural, human, social, and economic.
Employing a case study approach, this research explores ways in which a local food system’s development depends upon the interplay of a community’s capital stocks, as well as ways in which a local food system may serve as a site for the creation or strengthening of these capital stocks, with a particular focus on social capital. The two communities studied are: Kingston, Ontario and Hardwick, Vermont.  Both communities have been actively pursuing local-food system development through various initiatives. Face-to-face interviews, participant observations, and a review of written information served as the main sources of data for this study. A conceptual framework was also developed and served to guide the research, including the analysis of findings.
	Case study findings revealed the interdependent nature of community capital stocks, highlighting the importance of maintaining or enhancing all capital stocks over time.  Social capital proved to be particularly integral to development efforts, with social networks sourcing economic and human capital for local-food system initiatives. Notably, many of the local-food initiatives carried out served to strengthen social and human capital, highlighting the potential for a restorative system. Overall, findings suggest that a more all-encompassing valuation of capital stocks is necessary to capture the ways in which a local-food system can contribute to community betterment and sustainability.  It is anticipated that the case studies of Kingston and Hardwick will provide practitioners and scholars with insight regarding how community capital stocks are deployed and created through local-food initiatives.

abstract: M.E.S.


title: Reduction of Tertiary Benzamides to Benzaldehydes by an in situ-Generated Schwartz Reagent (Cp2Zr(H)Cl); Formal Synthesis of Lysergic Acid  2. Ru-Catalyzed Amide-Directed Aryl C-H, C-N and C-O Bond Functionalizations: C-B Formation, C-C Suzuki Cross Coupling and Hydrodemethoxylation

contributor:
Snieckus, Victor A.
Chemistry

subject: reduction; Schwartz reagent; amide; aldehyde;

subject: ruthenium; ester; C-H activation; C-N activation; C-O activation; cross coupling

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Chemistry) -- Queen's University, 2010-12-21 11:12:35.564

abstract:
Chapter 2 of the thesis describes a highly efficient in situ method for the reduction of amides to aldehydes and aryl O-carbamates to phenols and other transformations involving hydrozirconations. The method, as a three-component-type reaction, involves in situ generation of the Schwartz reagent (Cp2Zr(H)Cl) from Cp2ZrCl2 and the reductant, LiAlH(O-t-Bu)3, and immediate reaction with a substrate. Substrates include aliphatic and aromatic tertiary amides which are reduced to aldehydes, aryl O-carbamates which are reduced to phenols, and alkynes which undergo other transformations via hydrozirconation. Compared to prior methods, this method has advantage in that reagents are inexpensive and stable, reaction times are short, and reaction temperatures are generally conveniently at room temperature. The use of the in situ method described herein instead of the requirement for the synthesis of the commercially available Schwartz reagent is estimated to provide more than 50% reduction in cost.
Chapter 3 of the thesis describes the discovery and development of efficient and regioselective Ru-catalyzed amide-directed C-H, C-N, C-O activation/C-C bond forming reactions, ester-directed C-O activation/C-C bond forming reaction, and amide-directed C-O activation/hydrodemethoxylation reactions under a simple RuH2(CO)(PPh3)3/toluene catalytic system. Of these, the amide-directed C-H activation/cross coupling reaction proceeds well but uniquely on furan 3-amide substrates while the ester-directed C-O activation is effective on the 2-MeO-1-naphthoic acid methyl ester. On the other hand, the amide-directed C-N and C-O activation/coupling reactions are broadly applicable on benzamides and naphthamides. All of these achievements of directed C-H, C-N, C-O activation/coupling reactions complement and may supercede the DoM (directed ortho metalation)-cross coupling strategy, and establish the catalytic base-free DoM-cross coupling process at non-cryogenic temperature as a convenient, economical and green alternative. The new catalytic amide-directed ortho-hydrodemethoxylation reaction has potential value in links to aromatic electrophilic substitution and DoM chemistries. Furthermore, a new borylation reaction via Ru-catalyzed amide-directed C-H activation/C-B bond forming process is also reported herein.

abstract: The reason for this request is that efforts are being undertaken to commercialize the ideas described in my thesis.  A patent application is planned to be filed in the near future.  It is important for the success of these endeavours that my thesis not be published at this time.

abstract: PhD


title: The role of primate superior colliculus in naturalistic visual search behavior

contributor:
Paré, Martin
Neuroscience Studies

subject:
superior colliculus
visual search
non-human primate
visual behavior
cognition

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Neuroscience Studies) -- Queen's University, 2010-12-22 09:52:20.143

abstract: Primates, including humans, explore their visual environment with sequences of gaze fixations interrupted by saccadic eye movements that re-orient the fovea to objects of interest. This visual behavior is thought to involve two separate processes. First, the current foveal image is analyzed and the next object of interest is selected as a saccade target. Second, previously examined objects are retained to prevent their re-examination. Visual behavior has been studied successfully using the visual search paradigm, in which subjects locate a unique target stimulus from amongst multiple distracting stimuli. Models of visual search posit that the process of saccade target selection is guided by a visual salience map. This map receives both stimulus-driven and goal-directed inputs to form representations of visual objects, and a competition between those representations is played out to determine the next saccade target. Neurophysiological studies using nonhuman primates have suggested that the salience map is distributed across a network of brain areas that includes the midbrain superior colliculus (SC). These studies, however, have not ruled out the possibility that selective activity for a saccade target may instead be related to the preparation of the saccade. Moreover, not much is known about the selection of a saccade target beyond the first in a sequence of gaze fixations. Finally, the mechanisms underlying the process of saccade target retention are not well understood. In this thesis, I will investigate the role of the primate SC in visual behavior by recording the activity of single neurons while monkeys perform visual search tasks. The major findings will describe 1) how SC sensory-motor neurons instantiate the visual salience map; 2) how this salience map is dynamically updated so that saccade targets are retained; and 3) how multiple representations on this salience map are processed in parallel for saccade target selection. Given SC’s role in the control of visual behavior and its position within the network involved in cognitive processes, these findings have important implications for our understanding of the neural basis of human cognition and of its dysfunctions in disease states.

abstract: PhD


title: Recipe Improvement and Mathematical Modelling of Polymer Gel Dosimeters

contributor:
Schreiner, John L.
McAuley, Kimberly B.
Chemical Engineering

subject:
Modelling
Polymer gel dosimetry
Radiation

abstract: Thesis (Master, Chemical Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2010-12-21 18:10:28.37

abstract:
A mathematical model for polymer gel dosimeters was extended to simulate the effects of radiation depth doses of various radiation beams on the mass of polymer formed.  The influences of monomer diffusion and temperature variation were investigated and predicted by the model.  Simulation results indicate that both diffusion and temperature effects are most noticeable at the depth of maximum dose.  Diffusion effects are larger for steep depth-dose curves with large dose gradients, while temperature effects are larger for extensive depth-dose curves that deliver high doses of radiation to a greater depth.  Based on simulation results, involving a maximum dose of 5 Gy, the amount of additional polymer formed due to diffusion is small, ranging from 0.1 % for 15 MV x-ray photons to 2.6 % for Co60 γ-radiation.  This small amount of additional polymer should not cause significant problems for the accuracy of depth-dose calibration curves, particularly if the depth of maximum dose is avoided.  Inaccuracies caused by temperature effects are expected to be smaller than those caused by diffusion.
Experimental studies were undertaken to improve the radiation dose response using x-ray Computed Tomography (CT).  A new polymer gel dosimeter recipe with enhanced dose response was achieved by using a large quantity of N-isopropyl acrylamide (NIPAM) (15 wt%) to help dissolve the N,N’-methylene bisacrylamide (Bis) crosslinker.  The solubility of Bis was substantially increased, allowing for large quantities of dissolved NIPAM and Bis in the system.  The new dosimeter exhibits an enhanced dose sensitivity and dose resolution for x-ray CT imaging, which holds promise for clinical applications.  The dose resolution of approximately 0.1 Gy, for up to absorbed doses of 50 Gy, for the new recipe is superior to that for previous dosimeter formulations developed for x-ray CT.

abstract: M.A.Sc.


title: Paleolimnological assessment of environmental changes occurring on Pim Island, Nunavut, High Arctic Canada

contributor:
Smol, John P.
Douglas, Marianne S. V.
Biology

subject: Paleolimnology

subject: Arctic

subject: Diatoms

subject: Visible-near-infrared-spectroscopy (VNIRS)

subject: Climatic change

subject: Holocene

abstract: Thesis (Master, Biology) -- Queen's University, 2010-12-22 19:53:45.03

abstract: Despite the documented sensitivity of polar environments, long-term monitoring data are especially sparse in these regions. Diatom-based paleolimnology has contributed significantly to understanding the response of Arctic lakes to climate change, but most studies have been conducted in regions with relatively high lakewater buffering capacity. As such, Pim Island (Nunavut, Canada) is a region of limnological interest because, due to the local geology, its surface waters are of relatively lower pH and previous research suggests that such softwater lakes may be especially responsive to climate fluctuations and therefore provide the best paleoclimate records. This thesis has two separate but related chapters, as well as an exploratory study included in appendix. First, a novel approach using visible-near-infrared spectroscopy (VNIRS) was used to infer lakewater dissolved organic carbon (DOC), from a 160-lake calibration set from the Canadian Arctic. Historically sound and similar trends were reconstructed when compared against a Canadian diatom-based DOC and Swedish VNIRS-based total organic carbon (TOC) model on Arctic Holocene sediment records. Second, a diatom and spectroscopically-based multi-proxy approach was utilized on Holocene sedimentary records from two lakes on Pim Island to assess long-term environmental change from this region. Benthic and epiphytic diatom taxa dominated the pre-19th century assemblages, although marked shifts in dominant species were recorded during the mid-Holocene. The mid-Holocene diatom assemblages underwent an abrupt ecological shift from alkaliphilous Fragilaria sensu lato to slightly acidophilous Achnanthes and Navicula. The post-19th century was characterized by an increase in the planktonic species (Cyclotella radiosa), indicating marked lakeice reductions. Third, the limnological properties and modern diatom assemblages of ponds and lakes surveyed from 1979 to 2009 on Pim Island were examined as part of an exploratory study. The ponds and lakes displayed typical characteristics observed in high Arctic lacustrine environments (i.e. oligotrophic, very dilute) but with overall relatively low alkalinity. Poorly-buffered sites had diatom assemblages that were distinct from well-buffered lakes elsewhere in the High Arctic. Our findings contribute to an improved understanding of the interactions between local environments and limnological changes, and also provide insight on the biological responses of lakes to Holocene environmental change and allow us to compare responses to those in more alkaline sites.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Finish...Whatever it Takes" Exploring Pain and Pleasure in the Ironman Triathlon: A Socio-Cultural Analysis

contributor:
Adams, Mary Louise
Kinesiology and Health Studies

subject:
Pain
Pleasure
Sport
Fitness
Discourse Analysis
Reflexive Ethnography

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Kinesiology & Health Studies) -- Queen's University, 2010-12-22 11:37:39.876

abstract:
The Ironman triathlon began in 1978, according to popular accounts the result of an argument among a group of athletes about who was the fittest. Thirty years later, participation in the Ironman has grown exponentially despite the physical and mental demands of the sport. In my dissertation I examine the ways different types of pain and pleasure function in the production of bodies and selves within this sporting practice and how these understandings of pain and pleasure intersect with neoliberal discourses. My study adds to an important body of literature in the sociology of sport that has explored pain and injury. This literature has revealed the normalization of pain and injury in sport, at the expense of athletes’ short and long-term health. Exploring pain and pleasure in a recreational sport and fitness practice and in light of neoliberal governmentality offers new insights.
I conducted semi-structured interviews with 19 recreational Ironman triathletes and incorporated my own Ironman experiences into the project. Mediated representations of the sport helped to contextualize the interview and autobiographical materials. I subjected the information that I gathered to a critical discourse analysis informed by the theoretical perspectives of Michel Foucault.
My findings reveal that there are multiple ways that people construct their experiences of pain and pleasure in the Ironman context. Athletes strive to negotiate “positive” and “negative” kinds of pain in an effort to produce skilled, disciplined bodies, capable of finishing the event and claiming an “Ironman identity.” Pleasure in this sport seems mostly connected to ideas of challenge, achievement, rewards, and recognition. The constructions of pain and pleasure largely reify dominant sport and exercise discourses which promote discipline, toughness, and achievement. Considering the Ironman in light of neoliberalism, it was evident that values of health, self-esteem, the use of pain, and the primary use of non-work/leisure time for training and racing were intricately connected to ideas about individual responsibility. I argue that as the “Ironman identity” becomes more normalized, our understandings of bodies and health shift in problematic way. This reinforces neoliberal ideologies of self-responsibility and makes diminished State responsibility for citizens more insidious than it is already.

abstract: PhD


title: Hard Rocks Under High Strain-Rate Loading

contributor:
Katsabanis, Panagiotis (Takis) D.
Mining Engineering

subject:
RHT Model
Hydrocodes
Constitutive Models
Rock Blasting
Rock Damage

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Mining Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2010-12-22 17:54:05.887

abstract:
Understanding the behavior of geomaterials under explosive loading is essential for several applications in the mining and oil industry. To date, the design of these applications is based almost solely on empirical equations and tabulated data. Optimal designs require accurate and complete knowledge of rock behavior under various loading conditions.
The vast majority of the properties available in the literature have been gathered by deforming the specimen slowly. These properties have been used to establish constitutive models which describe the behavior of rocks under static and quasi-static loading conditions. However, the dynamic properties and material constitutive models describing the behavior of geomaterials under high strain-rate loading conditions are essential for a better understanding and enhanced designs of dynamic applications.
Some attempts have been made to measure dynamic properties of rocks. Also, some trials have been made to devise material models which describe the behavior of rocks and the evolution of damage in the rock under dynamic loading. Published models were successful in predicting tensile damage and spalling in rocks. However, there are no established models capable of predicting compressional damage in rocks due to dynamic loading.
A recently-developed model, the RHT model, was formulated to describe the behavior of concrete over the static and dynamic ranges. The model was also formulated to predict compressional damage based on the strain rate at which the material is subjected to. The RHT model has been used successfully in several applications.
The purpose of this research was to characterize one rock type as an example of a hard brittle rock. The physical properties of the rock as well as the static and dynamic mechanical properties were investigated. These properties were used to calibrate the RHT model and investigate its potentials to predict compressional damage in brittle materials.
The calibrated model showed good precision reproducing the amplitude of the strain signals generated by explosive loading. It was also capable of predicting compressional damage with acceptable accuracy. Unfortunately, due to implementation restrictions, tensile and spall damage could not be captured by the model. The duration and shape of the strain pulse were also poorly modeled.

abstract: PhD


title: The Old Chieftain's New Image: Shaping the Public Memory of Sir John A. Macdonald in Ontario and Quebec, 1891-1967

contributor:
Caron, Caroline-Isabelle
History

subject:
Sir John A. Macdonald
public memory

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, History) -- Queen's University, 2010-12-22 15:44:13.807

abstract: Sir John A. Macdonald has been a political figure frequently referenced in Canadian history. Yet no study has explored the evolution of his public memory. This study provides a focused examination of the attempts by Canada’s federal political parties to shape Macdonald’s public memory. The period of study began immediately following the death of Sir John A. Macdonald on June 6, 1891 and continued until the Centennial Celebrations of Confederation in 1967. The study first aims to identify and analyze events and activities organized or supported by Canada’s federal political class which allowed them opportunities to shape Macdonald’s public memory. The study then explores through the lens of official memory their motivation to engage in his commemoration and to shape his memory in specific ways. The objective of this study is to answer two specific research questions. The first asked if Canada’ federal political leaders were interested and successful in shaping Macdonald’s public memory during the period of study to allow the emergence of a seemingly national hegemonic figure acceptable to both political parties. The second asked if the federal political parties’ attempts to depict Macdonald as a unifying national symbol were picked up in the media in Ontario and Quebec and in both official languages, thereby reinforcing his hegemonic status for the federal political class. The study argues that Macdonald became on a single occasion a seemingly national hegemonic figure acceptable to both political parties and to the media in both official language communities in Ontario and Quebec.

abstract: PhD


title: The Man in the Mirror: An Examination of the Constitution of Megamusculinity

contributor:
Beamish, Rob
Sociology

subject:
Masculinity
Health
Sociology of the Body
Michel Foucault
Anthony Giddens

abstract: Thesis (Master, Sociology) -- Queen's University, 2010-12-22 20:42:33.636

abstract:
The inextricable link between muscularity and masculinity has been increasingly accentuated over the past fourty years, resulting in behaviours that can become unhealthy from a variety of perspectives. Gender is often enacted through manipulating and altering morphologies which can ultimately affect the way one perceives her or his own body. This thesis introduces the term megamusculinity, embodying the links between corporality, muscularity and masculinity. Primarily affecting men, megamusculinity is an exemplar of gender performance where one follows strict dietary and exercise regimens in the pursuit of (gross)muscularity. Much of the academic discussion of gender and body perception focuses primarily upon body size. Shifting the emphasis from body size to regimes of the self, this analysis posits megamusculinity and eating disorders as parallel pursuits, not antithetical realms of extreme morphologies.
          Foucauldian logic will be blended with Anthony Giddens’ structuration theory to examine megamusculinity as gender performativity with a multitude of social underpinnings. In a world where rules and resources (following Giddens’ articulation of structures) shape everything individuals do, what is occurring in the case of megamusculinity is individuals are actively creating a hypertrophied reality by negotiating their way through the disciplinary constraints of various social structures. This thesis builds upon the psychological construction of muscle dysmorphia as a clinical disorder and introduces megamusculinity, situated not as a “personal trouble of milieu” but a “public issue of social structure” (Mills 1959: 8). In doing so, this thesis will demonstrate that the body perception disturbances of certain men are influenced by experiences with particular social factors/institutions, and positions megamusculinity parallel to eating disorders by focusing upon the regimes of the self involved in altering one’s morphology.

abstract: M.A.


title: Sedimentology of the Miocene Nullarbor Limestone; Southern Australia

subject:
subtropical limestone
temperate limestone
foraminifera
Miocene
Eucla Basin
Leeuwin Current
bivalve
gastropod
coral
coralline algae
rhodolith
seagrass
epeiric platform
epeiric deposit

abstract: Thesis (Master, Geological Sciences & Geological Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2010-12-23 16:05:47.981

abstract:
The Miocene Nullarbor Limestone is the most recent formation in the Cenozoic Eucla Group and was deposited in the Eucla Basin, southern Australia, at ~38°S paleolatitude during the early to middle Miocene.  The rocks form the modern surface of the vast, karsted Nullarbor Plain.  Older Eucla Group marine carbonates (Eocene-earliest Miocene) are cool-water in nature and dominated by bryozoans and echinoderms.  The Nullarbor Limestone is subtropical in composition and rich in coralline algae (rhodoliths and articulated types), large and small benthic foraminifera and molluscs.  Diverse zooxanthellate corals are also present but not numerous.  Deposition is interpreted to have taken place in three main paleoenvironments: rhodolith gravels, seagrass banks, and open seafloors.
	The Southern Ocean extended inboard ~450 km from the shelf edge during Nullarbor Limestone deposition.  Interpreted paleodepths ranged from the top to the base of the photic zone, implying a small slope over a wide shelf.  The Miocene Eucla platform is therefore interpreted to have been epeiric in nature. Paleoenvironment distribution is explained using epeiric platform sedimentation patterns and comparisons with modern environments.  Open seafloor environments, the deepest settings, are thought to have been below fair-weather wave base.  Rhodolith gravels accumulated at intermediate depths, where waves frequently swept the seafloor.  Seagrass banks developed in the shallowest waters farthest inboard, where wave energy had been largely dissipated.
	Diverse corals, large benthic foraminifera and micrite envelopes inboard and in the western part of the basin support the notion of paleotemperatures generally above 20°C, the upper limit of subtropical carbonate accumulation.  Although deposition occurred during the Miocene Climatic Optimum, a simple overall temperature increase cannot completely account for the subtropical nature of these sediments at mid-latitudes.  Tropical components decrease from west to east, implying a temperature gradient, probably due to the warm proto-Leeuwin Current.  Thus, these subtropical carbonates were deposited at mid-latitudes and their presence did not simply reflect a change in global climate.

abstract: M.A.Sc.


title: Genetic Noninvasive Capture-Recapture Techniques to Manage Polar Bears: a Pilot Study

contributor:
Boag, Peter T.
Biology

subject:
Polar Bears
Genetics
Noninvasive Survey
Genetic Survey

abstract: Thesis (Master, Biology) -- Queen's University, 2010-12-23 15:35:50.16

abstract: Global polar bear (Ursus maritimus) population numbers are expected to decline steadily over the next 50 years. A noninvasive genetic survey of polar bear numbers may be a useful addition to traditional aerial capture mark recapture (CMR) surveys undertaken throughout the Canadian polar bear population. We attempted a pilot study of noninvasive genetic survey techniques in M’Clintock Channel between May-June 2006-2009. Throughout the survey, we compared our values to the most recent (CMR) survey, conducted by Taylor et al. (2006) between March-June 1998-2000 where 133 cubs, sub-adults and adults were tagged. A total population size of 300 bears was estimated from this aerial CMR survey (Taylor et al. 2006). We found noninvasive sampling stations are sufficient for the capture of a large amount of data on individual bears in an area. Across 4 years, we collected a total of 300 hair samples, and found between 59 and 82 individual bears entered our sampling stations, depending on the stringency of our identification parameters. We estimated genotyping error from duplicated samples, and found this was low (range: 0%-6%), but large enough to not be ignored. There appeared to be a discrepancy between the capture ratio of male adult bears; the CMR survey (1998-2000) captured 25% male bears, while we estimated approximately 64% of our captured bears were male. We felt the most likely explanation of this result is that our traps have a sex bias. However, further research is required to confirm this hypothesis. On the whole, our methods are very important for the management of polar bears, but more research must be done before it can be fully implemented.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Hamiltonian Systems of Hydrodynamic Type

contributor:
Bogoyavlenskij, Oleg I.
Mathematics and Statistics

subject:
Applied mathematics
Hydrodynamics
Hamiltonian systems
Differential geometry

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Mathematics & Statistics) -- Queen's University, 2010-12-23 11:35:41.976

abstract: We study the Hamiltonian structure of an important class of nonlinear partial differential equations: the so-called systems of hydrodynamic type, which are first-order in tempo-spatial variables, and quasi-linear.  Chapters 1 and 2 constitute a review of background material, while Chapters 3, 4, 5 contain new results, with additional review sections as necessary.  In Chapter 3 we demonstrate, via the Nijenhuis tensor, the integrability of a system of hydrodynamic type derived from the classical Volterra system.  In Chapter 4, families of Hamiltonian structures of hydrodynamic type are constructed, as well as a gauge transform acting on Hamiltonian structures of hydrodynamic type.  In Chapter 5, we present necessary and sufficient criteria for a three-component system of hydrodynamic type to be Hamiltonian, and classify the Lie-algebraic structures induced by a Hamiltonian structure for four-component systems of hydrodynamic type.

abstract: PhD


title: A Colonial Print Ascendancy: The Domestic Press, Sociability and Elite Formation in Eighteenth-Century Halifax and Québec City

contributor:
Errington, E. Jane
McNairn, Jeffrey L.
History

subject:
Print Culture
Eighteenth-Century
Halifax
Québec City
Sociability
Enlightenment

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, History) -- Queen's University, 2010-12-23 13:19:47.178

abstract: From the mid eighteenth-century introduction of printing presses in Halifax (1751) and Québec City (1764), printers, readers and print contributors informally coalesced around the newspapers and magazines produced in the British American capitals.  This group was an eclectic mix of close friends, acquaintances and complete strangers of varied education, backgrounds and professions.  Whether they realized it or not, print drew these individuals together, uniting them in their literacy and a shared belief in the power of the press to shape opinion, regulate behaviour and inspire action.  The individuals who were drawn to the domestic press in the two colonial capitals can be considered as comprising a colonial print ascendancy.   As we will see, some of the most active members of this print ascendancy appealed to the colonial press — and the British traditions it communicated — to create a cohesive vision of privileged, English-speaking conduct.  Indeed, in both colonial capitals, those who envisaged and aspired to this elite conflated British gentility, literature and elevated sociability with civility and modernity.  Print was not only used by some as a means of privileged sociability, it was also used to debate or promote the objectives of other select fora such as the theatre, coffee houses, clubs and societies.  The domestic press forged social networks that lay claim to erudition and refined sociability believed requisite to colonial advancement.

abstract: PhD


title: Characterization of Antimony Species Using Micro-Analytical Synchrotron Techniques on Household Dust Samples From Ottawa, Canada

contributor:
Jamieson, Heather E.
Rasmussen, Pat
Environmental Studies

subject:
Synchrotron
Household Dust
Antimony

abstract: Thesis (Master, Environmental Studies) -- Queen's University, 2010-12-24 14:37:03.016

abstract:
Rasmussen et al. (2001) observed that Sb concentrations were enriched in household dust relative to outdoor garden soil samples and suspected the enrichment may be due to anthropogenic internal sources. Antimony trioxide (Sb2O3) is commonly found in various halogen flame-retardants and is a suspected carcinogen (IARC, 1989). North Americans spend a significant proportion of their time indoors, and are frequently exposed to dust. Therefore, characterizing potentially harmful metal(loid)s (i.e. Sb2O3) has become of increasing priority to various governmental agencies.
A combination of micro-analytical synchrotron techniques (micro X-ray fluorescence (µXRF), micro X-ray diffraction (µXRD), micro X-ray absorption near-edge spectroscopy (µXANES)) and environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM) were used to characterize five archived samples provided by Health Canada. Two samples were in the 90th percentile for Sb content in household dust from a suite of 50 houses studied by Rasmussen et al. (2001). The corresponding garden soils of these houses were also analysed. The fifth sample was a children’s bedroom from a house studied in detail by Walker et al. (2010).
Synchrotron microanalysis of Sb presents many challenges, given its high absorption energy (31 KeV), and the relatively low concentrations and small particles in house dust. An appropriate experimental set-up was optimized after several trials. Antimony within household dust is currently not of toxicological concern (EU, 2008). Micro-XRF maps of household dust samples and corresponding garden soils from sample to sample displayed distinct element correlations of Sb with other elements. This suggests that Sb species present within homes are not restricted to a single source. Potential sources are Pb based or Sb containing pigments (Naples Yellow), metal alloys and possibly flame-retardants. The lack of correlation between Sb hot spots in the garden soil sample compared to the household dust suggests the source of interior Sb may not be external.
A collaborative project with another student in the Environmental Studies Masters program was conducted to examine the potential for interdisciplinary work. Effective communication was the greatest barrier but there was success in the creation of a forum where people could critically think about the various nuances of household dust.

abstract: M.E.S.


title: Comparison of Microwave Drying and Conventional Drying of Coal

contributor:
Kelebek, Sadan
Pickles, Christopher
Mining Engineering

subject:
Microwave Drying & Coal
Conventional Drying & Drying Model

abstract: Thesis (Master, Mining Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2010-12-23 22:56:04.119

abstract: The moisture contents of the final coal products from processing plants are often too high and do not meet the requirements of the client. In many cases, drying becomes a necessary step to control the moisture content. Conventional thermal drying is inefficient and is not environmentally friendly. This study investigates the application of microwaves as an alternative heat source for drying coal. The rate of drying was determined by the thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) technique. Several variables that have significant effects on the drying kinetics were investigated, including incident microwave power, initial moisture content and the sample mass. Microwave drying tests were performed under various conditions and the mass change was monitored continuously. The percentage mass loss, moisture fraction and drying rate were obtained for each experimental condition. The final temperature was measured and drying efficiencies were calculated. For comparison purposes, some conventional thermal drying tests were also carried out at temperatures ranging from 130 to 220oC and with coal masses ranging from 10g to 100g. The TGA results show that microwave drying has distinct advantages over conventional drying such as reducing the overall required time and increasing the drying efficiency. A multiple-regression analytical method was used for both microwave and conventional drying to find the best fit model among eleven different types. Finally, the sample mass, which proved to be the most dominant factor in microwave drying, was incorporated into the equation of the best fit model.

abstract: M.A.Sc.


title: Simulation and Optimization of Hybrid Photovoltaic (PV) and Combined Cooling, Heating, and Power (CCHP) Systems Using Multiobjective Genetic Algorithms

contributor:
Pearce, Joshua M.
Mechanical and Materials Engineering

subject:
Cogen
Cogeneration
CHP
Combined Heat and Power
CCHP
Combined Cooling, Heating, and Power
Energy
Energy Conservation
Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Emission Reductions
Optimization
Photovoltaic
Solar Photovoltaic
Solar Penetration Level
Solar Energy
Trigeneration
Renewable Energy
Hybrid PV-CHP

abstract: Thesis (Master, Mechanical and Materials Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2010-12-24 20:53:05.425

abstract: Two identified strategies to reduce GHG emissions that threaten the global climate stability include 1)the utilization of renewable sources of energy such as solar electricity from photovoltaic (PV) devices and 2)more efficient use of fossil fuels. While electricity production through PV is considerably less harmful than conventional sources of electricity, its intermittency and frequent mismatch between peak production and peak loads has proven to be a major obstacle to wide-scale implementation. As such, coupling PV with more reliable base load electricity production technologies such as combined heat and power (CHP) has been proposed to have a significant positive impact on increasing utilization and penetration levels. To test this theory, first the simulation and optimization platform was developed to utilize these strategies for a hybrid PV and combined cooling, heating, and power (CCHP) systems aimed at both reducing life cycle costs (LCC) and emissions using multi-objective genetic algorithms. The developed platform was focused on Canada‘s residential end-use energy sector and was created as a stepping stone for larger decentralized communal residential, commercial/institutional, and industrial applications. Simulations run with the platform found that the optimization of the PV-CCHP system led to a fuel energy utilization of 83%, compared to a theoretical upper limit of 85%. These values can be compared to 68% for PV+CHP systems that did not account for cooling loads, which show the technical superiority of CCHP systems hybridized to PV. In addition, these results showed that photovoltaic grid penetration can be increased to 24% with the implementation of a distributed network of hybrid PV-CCHP systems. Furthermore, the optimized systems demonstrated significantly lower emission intensities when compared to centralized and residential scale electricity plants and residential heating equipment. While implementation of these systems provide the highest benefits in emission-intensive grids such as Alberta and Halifax, their use in hydro-intensive provinces (ie. Quebec and British Columbia) was found to have potentially rewarding environmental benefits as well depending on fuel types and efficiencies of heating systems.

abstract: M.A.Sc.