title: Nano-multilayered Self-adaptive Hard PVD Coatings for Dry High Performance Machining

contributor:
Dr. M. Elbestawi and Dr. S. C. Veldhuis
Mechanical Engineering

subject:
Engineering
Mechanical Engineering
Engineering

abstract:
In this research~ quaternary nitride nano-multilayered coatings of the form TiAICrN/MexN were comprehensively characterized. Based on this research principles which can be applied for guiding coating design were developed using the concept of self-adaptability.

Comprehensive studies were performed on the following aspects: the tlibological properties of the coatings at elevated temperatures, tool life, and cutting forces, tribo-oxide formation, wear mechanisms and wear progression, chip characteristics and the mechanisms of chip formation. The techniques applied for comprehensive characterization of the coatings were mainly Scanning Electron MicroscopelEnergy Dispersive Spectrometer (SEMIEDS) and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS).

The concept of self-adaptability as applied in this research is defined as the ability of a system to provide an improved response to an external stimulus such as friction, temperature, stress and strain. Self-adaptability plays a role in the fonnation of tribo-oxides on the tool surface under the elevated temperatures associated with dry high performance machining and the tribo-oxides formed in this case work as either liquid or solid lubricants in the cutting zone depending on their respective melting points. The tribo-ceramics (AI-O, W -0, Nb-O and Cr-O) formed during cutting process, were found to be extremely beneficial for an improvement on tool performance. They provided a synergetic action which served to protect the cutting tool by 1) lubricating the cutting zone to reduce friction, 2) insulating the substrate surface from oxidation as well as thermal attack, and 3) dissipate the energy during friction to reduce cutting edge and surface damage. However, due to high stress generating during high performance machining the liquid tribo-oxide lubricants did not provide any significant improvement in tool life. This was attributed to an inability to retain them in the cutting zone due to high contact pressures. Also these liquid phase formations on the surface were found to cause the spallation of the coating layers.

The adaptability of the coating also affects the chip formation process over the life of the tool. Among the parameters of the chips used to characterize wear behavior of a cutting tool, one of the key factors was the contact length between the chip and the tool rake face. The ability to maintain an optimal contact length was a major factor for achieving a long tool life. Too short of a contact length results in a short tool life because of excessively high stress concentration on the cutting edges. It was found that slight seizure was needed within the running-in stage to obtain a certain contact length and the ability to continuously provide excellent lubricity had a significant contribution to reducing further growth in seizure intensity.

Typically saw-tooth chips were generated except when a new sharp cutting edge with good lubricity was used. In this case continuous chips were observed. The cross-sections of saw-tooth chips revealed four deformation zones, i.e., white layer zone, friction zone, primary shear zone and a less deformed zone as a result of the combined effect of strain hardening, thermal softening, quenching phenomena and saw-tooth chip formation. The chip temperature estimation indicated that the cutting tool experienced a temperature of approximately 850 to 1100°C or above at a cutting speed of 220 mlmin to 300 mlmin. The study of chip formation further confirms that lubricity, ability to dissipate energy and thermal stability are the most important properties for coated tools to achieve a long tool life.

Among the adaptive coatings investigated in this research, the nanomultilayered TiAICrN/NbN coating achieved excellent tool performance due to its enhanced self-adaptive properties under elevated temperatures. The tool life achieved with the TiAICrNlNbN coated tool was increased by more than four times as compared to the best commercial available nano-crystalline coating TiAICrN. The TiAICrNINbN coated tools are able to yield an acceptable tool life even when the cutting speed reached 400 mlmin and hence makes a great contribution to productivity improvement.

A coated tool should be treated together as the coating controls the tool life while both the structure and the properties of the substrate material have a great impact on the performance of the cutting tool as well. A fine-grained substrate material possesses the combined properties of both high toughness and high hardness and had a significant contribution to tool performance especially for the severe cutting conditions under which the substrate was gradually exposed at the cutting edge as wear progressed.

Overall in the on-going effort to improve wear resistance of a hard coating it was found that between the two ways to improve tool performance, i.e. hardness improvement as represented by superhard nano-composite coatings such as a TiAlN/Si3N4 coating and adaptability improvement by adaptive nano-Iaminated TiAICrN/MexN coatings, the latter was more beneficial for tool life enhancement under the proposed cutting conditions.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Indra and Vrtra: A Study of Continuity and Change in the Indian Religious Tradition

contributor:
Whillier, W.
Kinsley, D.
Religious Sciences

subject: Religion Religion

abstract:
It is my contention that the assumption by Vedic scholars of a coherent cosmogonic myth throughout the various strata of the Rgveda °is not warranted. The dissertation, by focusing upon the combat between Indra and Vrtra, sheds light on what this theme meant to those inside the Rgvedic tradition at various times and also indicates the changes that the tradition underwent. In the course of analyzing appropriate references it became apparent that there were several layers within the data, each of which utilized the conflict theme for a particular purpose. The method used in examining the material was the form-critical method as utilized in some areas of Old Testament scholarship. This method, with some small modifications, suits the data and enables one to coherently separate out layers of the tradition and thus pursue the hermeneutical task to a satisfying conclusion. A key to understanding the combat theme is the identification of soma as Amanita muscaria, a hallucinogenic mushroom, particularly since Indra drinks soma-juice more than any other god and it is this juice that empowers him in~is conflict with Vrtra.

The employment of the method brought several factors into I clearer perspective. The epithet vrtrahan is employed throughout the Rgyeda, but not in a consistent manner. The two broadest and most significant usages are found within 1) a context suggesting the ritual ingesting of soma, where vrtrahan is the overcomer of obstacles in the quest for a psycho-pharmacologic vision and 2) a context suggesting the later New Year's festival ritual which surrounds the homology between the king overcoming his enemies and the mythology of the divine warrior overcoming the dragon.

' The word vrtra is also employed throughout the Rgveda in a similar manner. Again one can establish the two broadest and most significant usages as being within 1) a context suggesting the ritual ingestion of scima where v:tr£ may mean either an enemy who has appropriated stma or the physical barriers to be overcome in the receiving of a vision, and 2) a context suggesting both the mythological development of an epic theme of overcoming the dragon and t he tendency to see this struggle in terms of a cosmogony.

Three hymns are examined in some detail (3.30, 5.30, 8.89). The accommodation apparent in 8. 89 (in comparison wi th the other two hymns) demonstrates the disappearance of s~ma ( i .e., Amanita muscaria) as a normative cult experience. Its place appears to be taken by a highly organized ritual centered on Agni. Indeed, it appears certain that (by the time of the composition of 8.89) the Agni sacrificial complex is predominant in the ' minds of those who chanted the hymn (and wished to imitate normative cult experience). Concomitant with this is the fo1ketymology Vrtrahan ergo Vrtra-slayer such as is expressed in 8.24.2. This connection presents the base for the later interpretatioes of the conflict by the Indian Religious Tradition, such as those enumerated in the Nirukta (i.e., the story of the conquest of the dragon or the mythological explanation for rain).

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Plastic Deformation and Work Hardening of Al and AA5754 Al Alloys

contributor:
Niewczas, M.
Materials Engineering

subject:
Materials Science and Engineering
Materials Science and Engineering

abstract: This research has been carried out to understand the relation between work hardening, deformation behaviour, dislocation substructure and crystallographic texture developed during plastic flow in pure Al and continuous cast and direct chill cast AA5754 AI-Mg alloys. Tensile and strain rate sensitivity tests are performed in the temperature range 4.2K-295K; details of the process of dislocation accumulation, the dislocation substructure development and texture evolution are followed using a range of techniques such as TEM, in-situ resistivity measurements and X-ray diffraction. The tensile deformation results show an unprecedented level of strength and unusual work hardening behaviour of AI-alloys at 4.2K. The electrical resistivity data suggest that fracture is initiated by the collapse of the dislocation network at places where dislocations develop a critical spacing for spontaneous annihilation. This spacing is estimated at approximately 8nm at 4.2K for both pure Al and Al alloys and rv12nm at 78K for pure AI. Strain rate sensitivity measurements suggest that deformation of high purity Al is governed by dislocation-dislocation interactions in a broad range of temperatures, whereas Al alloys exhibit a larger thermal component of flow stress due to the presence of solute atoms in the matrix. The texture studies show that, independently of initial texture, the tensile axis of deformed samples rotates to (111) stable end orientation, and the intensity of the (111) peak increases parabolically with the flow stress, also strongly affected by the temperature. The experiments carried out on samples oriented at different angles to the rolling direction indicate that the crystallographic texture is the major factor responsible for the anisotropy of the alloys' mechanical properties. This is attributed to the effect of the operating slip systems activated during tensile deformation. The Visco-Plastic Self Consistent modeling has been carried out to predict mechanical behaviours of AA5754 alloys and to provide insight into operating mechanisms of plastic flow as well as the origin of the anisotropy of mechanical properties. These results indicate that the more effective dislocation storage in the substructure at a low temperature significantly increases the work hardening rate at the later stage of deformation, and the crystallographic texture is the major cause of the anisotropy in the flow stress behaviour.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Alternative Splicing and mRNA Stability: Control of SERCA2 Expression

contributor:
Grover, A. K.
Biology

subject: Biology Biology

abstract:
The overall hypothesis is that sequences in the 3'-region and tissue-specific protein factos contribute to the stability of the sarco/endoplasmic reticulum (SERCA) pump mRNA. Calcium pumps, which sequester calcium ions into the sacroplasmic reticulum in left venticular myocytes (LVM) or stomach smooth muscle cells (SSM), are encoded by the SERCA2 gene. SERCA2 transcripts are alternatively spliced at base 3495, giving mRNA which differ mainly in the 3'-UTR and also encode two proteins (SERCA2a in LVM and SERCA2b in SSM) with small differences in their C-termini. The rate of SERCA2 transcription in LVM and SSM is similar, yet there is 20 to 30-fold more SERCA2 mRNA and 100-fold more SERCA2 protein in LVM than SSM. This thesis relates the differences in the SERCA2 expression level in the two tissues to their 3'-domains via sequences affecting mRNA stability.

Using primary cell cultures of LVM and SSM, transcription was inhibited and the half life of SERCA2 mRNA was determined. The half-life of SERCA2 mRNA in LVM was 27 ± 3 h while in SSM it was 13 ± 0.5 h. Thus, SERCA2 mRNA is more stable in LVM than in SSM.

The abundance of SERCA2 and control RNA in isolated nuclear and cytoplasmic fractions was compared to determine whether the difference in the SERCA2 mRNA abundance originates in the nucleus or the cytoplasm. SERCA2a is already 20-fold more abundant than SERCA2b in the nucleus suggesting a nuclear mechanism of decay or differences in export rates.

Since SERCA2a and 2b mRNA differ in their 3'regions, the decay rates of the 3'-region mRNA (starting from 3446) from SERCA2a and 2b was examined in nuclear and cytoplasmic extracts of both tissues. In all extracts, except SSM cytoplasm, the 3'-region mRNA of SERCA2a was significantly more stable than that of SERCA 2b with the biggest difference being oberseved in LVM nuclear extracts. In vitro decay experiements using poly A+ RNA isolated from the two tissues also showed that, in the presence of LVM nuclear protein extracts, the SERCA2a mRNA was more stable than the SERCA2b. Thus cis-acting elements (RNA sequences) in the 3'-region may play a role in SERCA2 mRNA stability.

To identify possible cis-acting elements of SERCA2a and 2b, individual decay rates of large overlapping fragments that spanned the length of their 3'-regions were examined. In SERCA2a, this fragment respresents the last 108 bases of the mRNA sequence (2A6). In SERCA2b, serveral unstable regions were indentified but the most unstable fragment is within the first 300 bases after the splice site (2B1). Experiments using hybrid fragments with 2A6 and 2B1, however, showed that the effects of these sequences on RNA decay may be context dependent.

The cis-acting elements function by binding to trans-acting factors (RNA-binding proteins). The ability of the large overlapping 3'-region fragments from SERCA2a and 2b to bind proteins was determined using electrophoretic mobility shift assays. Only one fragment within SERCA2a did not bind to at least one protein while all the SERCA2b fragments were able to bind proteins. Using small RNA oligonucleotides to compete for protein binding with 2A6, we showed that hairpin loops in this region may be involved in protein binding. In contrast, the GC-rich coding region sequence from 3521-3555 appears to contain the key cis-acting element in SERCA2b (2B1). As several fragments downstream of 2B1 were also unstable, this cis-acting element may act in conjunction with other downstream sequences.

In summary, the 3'-region plays a role in the predominantly nuclear decay of SERCA2a and 2b in LVM and SSM via specific cis-acting elements and trans-acting factors. This decay may be important in development and disease.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: A Diagnosis by Ideology: Ideological Perspectives on the Formation of Pension Policy in Canada

contributor:
Matthews, R.
Sociology

subject: Sociology Sociology

abstract: This study introduces a methodology designed to evaluate the extent to which liberal-democratic and marxistcritical ideological values are reflected in the development and formulation of public old age pensions in Canada. Two taxonomies based on the values of equality, freedom, and justice were constructed. The first provides a model of features one would expect to find in a pension system based on the liberal-democratic assumptions. The other provides features one would expect to find if the marxist-critical challenges were valid. The empirical historical factors claimed by the liberal-democratic model to be associated with the introduction of old age pensions in 1927, universal pensions in 1951, and contributory pensions in 1965 were analyzed and the extent to which they reflected the appropriate values determined. The analysis was extended to the pension debate which emerged in the 1980s and culminated with the report issued by the Parliamentary Task Force on Pension Reform in December of 1983. It was concluded that public pensions in Canada reflected some of the values of the first ideology. However the liberal-democratic model failed to explain at least three further aspects of pension legislation. First, there was reason to believe that not all possible factors associated with pension legislation had been considered. Second, the framework could not explain why some values received greater priority at different historical periods. Third, there was no logical explanation for the persistence of poverty among specific groups of elderly. These issues were examined to determine the extent to which they reflected the challenges offered by the marxist-critical ideology. From the two analyses it was concluded that the development of pensions in Canada did reflect both the assumptions of the liberal-democratic ideology and the challenges of the marxist-critical. In general it was concluded that a comprehensive analysis of public pensions in Canada can be achieved only when both ideological models have been utilized.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: A Study of the Song Thinker Zhang Jiucheng

contributor:
Shinohara, Koichi
Religious Studies

subject: Religion Religion

abstract:
The primary purpose of this t he s is is to undertake a preliminary assessment of the Song thinker Zhang Jiucheng.

Zhang was an important and controversial figure in Song thought. He was one of the few early Song thinkers who systematically commented on all the major Confucian Classics; he was also an advocate for the teaching of "Mind is Principle" and was deeply involved i n the Neo-Confucian movement reconciliating Chan Buddhist philosophy with the Confucian tradition.

The task for this thesis is t o take a full-scale discussion of Zhang. I will study on the major aspects of Zhang including his biography, his teachers, and the characteristics of his philosophy respectively, and will make a clarification of some of the previous confusions and misrepresentat ions.

This t hesis does not aim at drawing a final conclusion on Zhang, nor does it intend to solve all the disagreements about his teaching among scholars. By giving a preliminary introduction to and discussion of Zhang, this thesis functions only as a starting point for further study of Zhang's teaching and his role i n the development of the Song Neo-Confucianism.

abstract: Master of Arts (MA)


title: Native Fishing Conflicts on the Saugeen-Bruce Peninsula: Perspectives on Resource Relations Past and Present

contributor:
Warry, Wayne
Anthropology

subject: Anthropology Anthropology

abstract: In this study I examine current native fishing conflicts on Ontario's Saugeen-Bruce Peninsula in order to provide insights that can inform the negotiation of a shared-management agreement. I use literature sources and ethnographic data gathered among the peninsula's two First Nations communities. This study builds on various approaches within ecological anthropology, drawing especially on historical ecology, ethnoecology, and political ecology, all of which encourage recognition of social and political aspects of resource relations. This recognition broadens the typical focus of earlier ecological anthropology and allows an adequate framework for examining the complexity of resource conflicts. The insights I provide through this comprehensive examination of the conflicts demonstrate the relevance of a broadly focused ecological anthropology. I point out how essentialized perceptions of groups and their resource relations play a role in perpetuating the fishing conflicts. Resolving many of the conflict issues will depend on a willingness to revise these essentialized notions.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Three Essays on Saving Before and After Retirement: A Study of Canadian Couples, 1969 - 1992

contributor:
Burbidge, J.B.
Browning, Martin
Magee, Lonnie
Veall, Michael
Economics

subject:
Economics
household saving

abstract:
The conventional life-cycle model predicts that households save prior to retirement and use their savings to finance consumption during retirement. Thus whether households dissave after retirement or at older ages is critical to the validity of life-cycle theory. This question is also of concern to policy makers as aggregate saving and investment, in Canada and elsewhere, may fall as the population ages. Many studies based on aggregate data for a cross-section of OECD countries provide support for the life-cycle hypothesis, since the data suggest that countries with a greater proportion of elderly people have lower household saving rates. On the other hand, most empirical research directed at household consumption and saving behaviour based on household data has found little evidence that supports the life-cycle hypothesis.

The three essays comprising this thesis attempt to establish and explain the micro evidence on saving behaviour of older households, and also try to overcome some of the usual barriers to using cross-section survey data in empirical research in the field. All three essays employ Canadian FAMEX data from 1969 to 1992.

Like much other research in the field, the empirical work reported in Essay 1 in this thesis provides evidence against the prediction of life-cycle theory that households dissave at older ages. It is found that the median saving rate for older households exhibits a distinct age pattern: it drops sharply at retirement age, but then rises, thereby forming a saving dip. The most important contribution of Essay 1 is to address two wellknown problems, cohort bias and differential mortality bias, arising from using crosssection survey data. Cohort bias is dealt with by forming a synthetic longitudinal sample from repeated cross-section data, and a new method is developed to correct the differential mortality for the age profile of the saving rate. However, the puzzle in the saving pattern of the elderly still remains after the corrections; the median saving rates are positive and rising with age after retirement.

Essay 2 focuses on the estimation of the saving rate as a function of various income sources as well as age. During the transition from work to retirement, households experience a dramatic change in composition as well as in the level of their income. Following the permanent income hypothesis, if consumers have different perceptions of the permanence of different income sources, they would react differently to income changes, depending on which income component changed. The main finding of the essay is that, in the after-retirement period, the "pure" aging effect is solely responsible for the rising trend of the saving rate. However, for a given level of total income, higher pension income is associated with a higher saving rate, while higher transfer income is associated with higher consumption.

Essay 3 examines the change in the composition of consumption demands as households age, and how the effects of three factors - age, total expenditure and retirement - contribute to this change. It is found that the "savings puzzle" comes largely because reductions in food consumption at home, private transportation expenditure and perhaps tobacco/alcohol spending due to age alone are larger than the offsetting age effect associated with an increase in gifts to other households by the elderly. On the other hand, for some reason, older households largely "obey" the cross-section income elasticities in reducing their consumption of most goods as their incomes fall with age.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


contributor:
Coleman, Daniel
English and Cultural Studies

subject:
English Language and Literature
English Language and Literature

abstract:
"Caught Up: Indigenous Re/presentations of Colonial Captivity" examines the circulation and cultural function of what I call contact captivity narratives-written and visual accounts of interracial newcomer-native abduction and confinement in the (neo-)colonial period or contact zone. This project, the first sustained study of contact captivity in Canada, illuminates the extent to which Aboriginal peoples have been (and continue to be) subjected to technologies of capture and the degree to which Euro-Canadian freedom has been predicated upon Aboriginal confinement; it uncatalogus Indigenous response and resistance to such captures.

An understanding of the colonial project as an attempt to capture Indigenous populations on a continental scale has been impeded by the canonical literary genre of the "Indian captivity narrative," with its untenable exclusion of non-white experiences of capture and its trade in racialized types. I propose a new set of classificatory labels: the contact, the colonialist, and the Indigenous captivity narrative. My dissertation studies the cases of five celebrated white women captives (in Australia, America, and Canada) to theorize sensationalized colonialist captivity tales as narratives of absolution strategically mobilized to mask contemporaneous captures of local Indigenous populations.

One such instance of competing captivity narratives occurred during Canada's Northwest Rebellion in 1885 when the national focus on two 'captive' settler women and their autobiography, Two Months in the Camp of Big Bear, obscured or overwrote the Canadian internment of the western Cree on reserves and in jails and residential schools. I look to three generations of acimisowina (personal life stories) by mistahi-maskwa's (Big Bear's) descendents to grasp the implications of this massive capture and the often spiritual means of recuperating from it. The project concludes by considering how a selection of contemporary First Nations writing and painting imaginatively stages the repatriation of those once captured and how artistic self-definition is correlated to the self-determination inherent to First Nations sovereignty.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Fear, Antagonism, and Continuity in the Catapatha Brahmana.

contributor: Dr. Wayne Whillier (Supervisor), Dr. Graeme MacQueen, Dr . Paul Younger

abstract: The specific issue which prompted this study is the current controversy over the relationship between two adjacent components of Vedic Literature, namely, the brahmamas and the upanisads. Traditional Western Vedic scholarship, specifically that of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, vehemently insisted that the ideas found in the upanisads expressed a complete rejection of the Brahrnamic sacrificial system, which had been the dominant subject of Vedic Literature for centuries prior to the composition of the earliest upani 9ads. However, a recent study by Herman W. Tull on the Vedic origins of the Upanisadic karma doctrine has called this opinion of traditional Western Vedic scholarship into question, arguing for a large degree of continuity between the brahmanas and the upanisads . By comparing a Brahmanic discussion of a single Vedic sacrifice (i.e. the Darcapurnamaseti), with a single upanisad (i.e. the BFhadarasyaka Upanisad), this study provides evidence which furthers Tull's argument for continuity between the brahmanas and the upanisads, specifically with respect to the related issues of "fear" and "antagonism".

abstract: Master of Arts (MA)


title: Molecular mechanisms of sex-based differences in substrate utilization during endurance exercise in human skeletal muscle

contributor:
Tarnopolsky, Mark A
Kinesiology

subject: Kinesiology Kinesiology

abstract: Introduction: A higher rate of fat and lower rates of carbohydrate and protein oxidation are often observed during endurance exercise in women vs. men at the same relative workload. 17~-estradiol (E2) supplementation increases the oxidation of lipid, and reduces the oxidation of carbohydrate and amino acids in men. Women have a higher area percentage (%) of type I skeletal muscle fibers as compared with men. Consequently, we hypothesized that (i) sex, menstrual cycle phase and E2 would influence basal and exercise induced mRNA content for genes involved in substrate metabolism in human skeletal muscle; and (ii) sex would influence the basal mRNA content for genes involved in the determination of muscle fiber type. Methods: For studies concerning substrate selective utilization, 12 men and 12 women had muscle biopsies taken from their vastus lateralis before and after a 90 min bout of cycle exercise at 65 % V02peak. In a repeated measures design, men were randomly allocated to both E2 and placebo. Women were studied in the mid-follicular (FOL) and mid-luteal (LUT) phases ('" 2 wk apart). For studies concerning muscle fiber determination, a total of 24 women and 22 men had muscle biopsies taken from their vastus lateralis at rest. Twelve of the women were studied in mid-LUT, and 12 were studied in both the mid-FOL and mid-LUT, phases of the menstrual cycle. mRNA content was determined using TaqMan® real-time RT-PCR. Muscle fiber composition in 12 men and 12 women was determined from ATPase staining. Results: Exercise increased (P < 0.05) the mRNA content of peroxisome proliferator activated receptor gamma coactivator-1 alpha (PGC- 1a) (men, LUT) , cytosol fatty acid binding protein (FABPc) (men, FOL, LUT), carntine palmitoyltransferase I (CPTI) (men, LUT), long chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (LCAD) (LUT), hexokinase II (HKIl), asparatate aminotransferase (AST) and glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) (men and women). Women had a higher (P ~ 0.05) mRNA content of membrane bound fatty acid transport protein 1 (F ATm), F ABPc, sterol regulatory element - binding protein 1 c (SREBP-l c) and mitochondrial glycerol phosphate acyltransferase (mtGPAT) (FOL, LUT), peroxisome proliferator activated receptor alpha (PPARa) (FOL), CPTI (FOL), LCAD (FOL), trifunctional protein alpha subunit (TFPa) (LUT), HKIl (FOL) and branched-chain 2-oxo acid dehydrogenase kinas (BCOADK) (FOL, LUT) pre- and post- exercise, peroxisome proliferator activated receptor delta (PPAR8) (FOL) and GLUT4 (FOL) at rest, and PPARa ( LUT) and LCAD (LUT) after exercise, and lower mRNA content for phosphofructokinase (PFK) (LUT) pre- and postexercise, than men. FOL women had a higher (P < 0.05) PPAR8, LeAD and glycogen phosphorylase and lower glycogenin mRNA content pre- and post- exercise, and tended to have higher GLUT4 mRNA content (P = 0.056) at rest, vs. LUT women. Postexercise FABPc mRNA content increased to a greater extent in LUT vs. FOL phase (P = 0.0001). E2 increased mRNA content of PPARa, CPTI, SREBP-lc, mtGPAT, LCAD, TFP-a, GLUT4 and GS-l (P < 0.05) in men at rest and during exercise, and PPAR8 at rest (P < 0.05). E2 attenuated the exercise induced increase in PGC-la mRNA content (P < 0.05). Women had lower mean area of individual fibers for type Ila and type Ilx, and a higher area % of type I fibers and lower area % of type II fibers vs. men (P < 0.05). Women had higher mRNA content for myosin heavy chain I (MHCI) (FOL, LUT, P ~ 0.05) and PPAR8 (FOL, P < 0.05), and a similar mRNA content of myosin heavy chain Ila (MHCIla), myosin heavy chain Ilx (MHCIlx), peroxisome proliferator activated receptor gamma coactivator-l alpha (PGC-l a), myostatin and PP AR8 (LUT), vs. men at rest. FOL women had a higher mRNA content of PPAR8 than LUT women (P = 0.0007). Menstrual cycle phase did not significantly alter the mRNA content of MHCI, PGC-l a or myostatin. Conclusions and Significance: We have comprehensively evaluated the effect of sex, acute endurance exercise, menstrual cycle and E2 on the content of mRNA species involved in substrate turnover in human skeletal muscle and found these changes directionally support a higher fat oxidation and lower protein oxidation in women vs. men. We have also evaluated the sex influences on the mRNA content of the genes involved in muscle fiber determination and found the change in PPAR8 mRNA content supports a greater area % of type I fibers in women than men.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Matthew's Shepherd Molif and its Socio-Religious Implications

contributor:
Rlmesson, Anders
Religious Studies

subject: Psychology Psychology

abstract: How, when, where and why did the Jewi_sh Jesus movement develop into a largely non-Jewish religion separate from Judaism? An increasing mmlber of scholars have come to recognize that the complexity of the so-called "Parting(s) of the Ways" question is comprised largely of smaller questions revolving around individual communities and their texts. The Gospel of Matthew represents one text {hat has been at or I!ear the centre of this debate for quite some time. Despite being recognized as the most Jewish Gospel, many commentators argue That it was penned by someone who sought to dist~l1ce himself from jews and Judaism. Scholars have used diverse approaches for determining the relationship between Matthew and the variegated Judaism of the first century, but few recognize the important piece that the Evangelist's Christology brings to the puzzle of his socia-religious orientation. Of Matthevv's various Christological stTands, his Shepherd Christology offers significant potential for exploring this issue. The present investigation contends that there are distinctive tendencies in usage in the shepherd metaphor's appropriation by non-Christ-believing Jewish, non-Christ-believing Roman, and Christbelieving authors approximately contemporary with Matthew, tendencies which reflect distinct patterns ofthought. By comparing Matthew's depioyment of the shepherd metaphor with its appropriation by these groups of authors, clues to the Evangelist's socio-religious orientation may be discerned. In examining Matihew's frequently overlooked shepherd motif, this study determines its contribution to the overall theological framework of the Gospel, specifically, its Christology and soterioiogy. Moreover, it employs the motif (i.e., the patterns of thought exhibited by it) to ascertain Matthew's socio-religious orientation, and thus, its implications for the "Partings" debate.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy Studies Characterizing Diffusion and Photophysical Properties of Proteins

contributor:
Fradin, Cecile
Physics and Astronomy

subject:
Astrophysics and Astronomy
Physical Processes
Astrophysics and Astronomy

abstract: The primary focus of the research presented here is the characterization of diffusion using Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy (FCS). To understand the nature of the anomalous diffusion observed in living systems, we characterized diffusion in complex in vitro systems including the diffusion of proteins. random-coil polymers. or dyes in crowded random-coil polymer solutions and the diffusion of polymer beads in agarose gels. Anomalous diffusion is defined where the mean-square-displacement follows a power law in time,

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Topics in Development, Income Inequality and Health

contributor:
David Feeny, Lonnie Magee
Economics

subject: Economics Economics

abstract:
The purpose of this study is to contribute to the existing knowledge on determinants of child health status. Such knowledge may assist in formulating policy in a number of areas especially with regard to child care and development.

The aggregate analysis is based on purchasing power parity adjusted per capita real gross domestic product at 1985 prices (per capita RGDP) and its distribution, and their relationship to life expectancy at birth and infant mortality rate. We find quantitatively important and statistically significant relationships between life expectancy and infant mortality rates and per capita RGDP. The relationship is well represented by a quadratic spline model that shows a diminishing contribution of income to health status as per capita income grows. We further incorporate selected socio-economic indicators and show that literacy levels have significant impacts on infant mortality and life expectancy. Overall, income distribution did not seem to matter controlling for the nonlinear effect of per capita income on health. The potential importance of the non-linear effect is illustrated by simulation exercises that show that redistributing income may improve overall health status especially in the middle income, but has little effect at lower and higher per capita income ranges.

The micro-economic (household) analysis utilizes demographic and health survey data sets for Kenya. Using the log it model we estimate the probability of child survival conditional on certain household, parental and socioeconomic factors. Results show that mother's age and education, presence of other young siblings in the household, presence of other wives, marital status and breast-feeding have quantitatively important and statistically significant impacts on the child's survival. Policy implications are discussed.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: The Evolution of Ideas About the Relationship Between Housing and Economic Development: Ghanaian Policy in an International Context, 1945-2000

contributor:
Harris, Richard S.
Geography and Geology

subject:
Geography
Physical and Environmental Geography
Geography

abstract:
The significance of housing as a tool of economIC development is often underestimated. Whereas many policy-makers, economic development analysts, and international agencies have for a long time recognized the social importance of housing, few have typically recognized the utility of the sector in promoting and achieving economic development goals. And yet, the housing sector is a major force in the process of economic development. Investment in housing activities generates employment and income. Good housing helps raise output of labour and thereby expand productivity. An effective housing finance system also contributes to savings and to mobilization of financial resources in any economy.

The nature of these effects, and allocation of resources to the sector, have been debated by academics, international agencies, and national policy-makers since the mid- 1940s. The views expressed on the subject have evolved and changed to reflect shifts in development theory, in values, and in the global economic environment. However, little research has been conducted to systematically trace the relationship between housing policy and economic development within a historical context. Through a study of international agencies - namely, the United Nations and the World Bank - and a case study of Ghana, the current study addresses this neglect.

The study draws on a wide range of sources. The principal sources of data used for international agencies include published and unpublished working papers, annual reports, and development reports. The case study of Ghana is based on key policy documents, newspaper articles, legislative debates, and interviews with selected public officials and private individuals. Overall, the research demonstrates that the ways in which housing is conceptualized in the development process have changed significantly over the past five decades. Nevertheless, the research also shows a number of discrepancies between rhetoric and practical actions, especially discrepancies pertaining to allocation of investment resources.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Agribusiness and Hired Farm Labour in the Ontario Tomato Industry

contributor:
Richardson, R. J.
Sociology

subject:
Ontario
tomato industry
agriculture
business
labour
Sociology
Work, Economy and Organizations
Sociology

abstract:
Using the Ontario processed tomato industry as a case study, this dissertation examines how the situation facing hired labour in Ontario agriculture is influenced by the growth of agribusiness. The trend to mechanize harvest operations symbolizes the development of agribusiness. Explanations for changes in labour markets, labour process, and control and organization of work activity that accompany mechanization are explained with reference to established models for change in contemporary agricultural structure. The utility of these models, which include evolutionist, integrationist, and historicist perspectives, is tested with original data. In general, the evolutionist model is found to be the most satisfactory.

Data were gathered during 1988-1989 by various methods: historical research, interviews, and participant and non-participant observation. This study concludes that, with mechanization, the farm labour market changes and takes on features similar to the labour market for work classified as unskilled and low status in non-farm industries. It is also evident that hired agricultural workers (and many of the growers who employ them) lose control over work activity and conditions when tomatoes are machine harvested. The primary benefactors from such changes are the major processing firms whose influence continues to dominate the agro-food industry.

This investigation into hired farm labour and agribusiness is significant because it is among the first to address the situation facing hired agricultural workers in Ontario. As well, it not only adds new material to scholarly debates about changes in agricultural structure, but also contributes to Canadian political economy studies.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Earliest Israelite Religion: a Study of the Song of the Sea (Exodus 15.1-18)

contributor:
Combs, A. E.
Religion

subject:
Israelite religion
Exodus
god
history
Philosophy
Philosophy

abstract: The subject matter of this dissertation is a study of the earliest Israelite religion; it is based on a careful examination of the Song of the Sea, which is one of the oldest extant sources for this period in the Old Testament. The evidence was valuable in showing the monolithic character of the concept of god, the nature of the people of go god, and the concept of the activity of god in the sphere of history at this early stage in Israelite religion. The view that early Israelite religion was at a gorminal stage of development in the early period was shown to be insufficient; the Song gives evidence of a highly creative period in Israelite religious thought.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Spectral Stability of Nonlinear Waves in Dynamical Systems

contributor:
Pelinovsky, Dmitry
Mathematics

subject:
energy conservation
Hamiltonian system
Dynamical Systems
Mathematics
Dynamical Systems

abstract: Pages 8, 38, 70, 116 and 120 have no body of text in the hardcopy. All are end pages of sections with a title at the top.

abstract: Many symbols could not be replicated using the Special Characters list. Please download thesis to read abstract.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Long-term Home Visiting with Vulnerable, Young Mothers: Impacts on Public Health Nurses

contributor:
Jack, Susan
Wahoush, Olive
Ballantyne, Marilyn
Nursing

subject: Public health nursing

subject: home visiting

subject: early intervention

subject: Nurse-Family Partnership

subject: vulnerable mothers

subject: compassion fatigue

subject: Maternal, Child Health and Neonatal Nursing

subject: Public Health and Community Nursing

abstract: The Nurse-Family Partnership (NFP) is a targeted, nurse home visitation program for young, low-income, first time mothers. While the effectiveness of the NFP has been established in the context of the US, and is currently being evaluated in the Canadian public health care system, little has been done to document how work of this nature influences or impacts public health nurses (PHNs), an essential component of this program delivery model, on both professional and personal levels. This qualitative interpretive descriptive study explored PHNs’ experiences of long-term home visiting a targeted population of young, vulnerable mothers in a Canadian NFP program. The study was conducted in two phases beginning with a secondary analysis of five focus groups conducted with public health nurses (N = 6) who delivered the NFP intervention as part of the feasibility and acceptability pilot in Hamilton, Ontario. This was followed by further exploration of identified themes and a practice, problem and needs analysis through individual, semi-structured interviews with the original focus group participants and all PHNs who have since delivered the NFP (N =10). Relationships formed with clients, the NFP program and support of NFP colleagues were rewarding factors while workload and workplace factors were significant contributors to stress. The study findings have implications for the identification of strategies to minimize staff turnover, PHN burnout, secondary traumatic stress and compassion fatigue, and improve program delivery.

abstract: Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)


title: Vedic Myth and Ritual in the Mahābhārata: A Critical Study of the Mahāprasthānika- and Svargārohaṇa- Parvans

contributor:
Dhand, Arti
Religious Studies

subject:
Great Epic of India
Vedic ritual and myth
hermeneutical approach
Religion
Religion

abstract: Pages 22 and 156 have no text in the original hard copy other than the title at the top and the page number.

abstract: This dissertation undertakes an analysis of the two concluding books of the Sanskrit Mahābhārata or "Great Epic of India." Although the Mahābhārata is traditionally understood as a smrti or "remembered" work in contradistinction to the Vedic corpus of "heard" (śruti) scripture, I argue in this thesis that we can best understand the content and configuration of the Māhābhārata's two final books by reading them against a background of Vedic ritual and myth. Adopting this hermeneutical approach, I treat the two key narrative issues which we find developed at the Mahābhārata's conclusion: the manner in which the poem's principal characters die (chapters two and three of the thesis), and the account of their afterlife fates (chapter four of the thesis). In chapter two I argue that a Vedic ritual called the yātsattra helped to shape the substance and sequence of the narrative account of the epic heroes' deaths. In chapter three I pursue this issue further, arguing that, as elsewhere in the Mahābhārata, the yātsuttra in Books 17 and 18 is tied to the later ritual institution of circumambulatory pilgrimage or tīrthayātrā, a rite also figuring in the account of the characters' deaths. In treating the second narrative issue in chapter four, I examine the backdrop of Vedic myth which underlies the narrative of the entire Mahābhārata, and which is restated at the conclusion of the poem. As in chapters two and three, I argue that in order to understand the Muhābhāratu's final scenes, we must appreciate the extent to which the poem has been fashioned against the paradigm of the Veda and its ritual and mythic world.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Hebrew Christianity and Messianic Judaism on the Church-Sect Continuum

contributor:
Greenspan, Louis
Religious Studies

subject:
Christianity
Messianic
Jewish
Rodney Stark
William Sims Bainbridge
Christian Denominations and Sects
Christianity
Religion
Christian Denominations and Sects

abstract: This thesis places Hebrew Christianity and Messianic Judaism on the church-sect continuum devised by Rodney Stark and William Sims Bainbridge (1979, 1980). According to an axis indicating low to high tension with the environment, Hebrew Christianity is placed on the para-church node, between the denomination and the sect. Messianic Judaism, in general, is placed on the high tension, sect end of the continuum. It is recognized, however, that individual organizations which comprise the movements may vary widely in their relationships to t he environment. Since the organizations as well as the movements may oscillate on the church-sect continuum, social movement propositions are introduced that can explain how and under what conditions these changes occur. A study of one Hebrew Christian organization, which contains both a low and a high tension group, shows, on the one hand, that a single organization can occupy two different . points on the church-sect continuum simultaneously. It shows, on the other hand, that this is made possible through the skillful use of leadership functions, which in turn is buttressed by the symbolic value of a Jewish leader. Finally, the peculiar situation of the HFOI is seen as reflective of the larger trends in the Hebrew Christian and Messianic Jewish movements, in general, and the different "agendas" of the Jewish and the Gentile followers, in particular.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: An Exploration of Social Support Considerations for Substance Use Affected Ontario Works Recipients - Starting to Define the Backdrop

contributor:
Schormans, Ann Fudge
Collins, Stephanie Baker
Dumbrill, Gary
Social Work

subject:
social supports
substance use
Ontario Works
Social Work
Social Work

abstract:
Social support is generally viewed in the addiction field as an important consideration in assessment and a potentially valuable component of a comprehensive treatment plan. The literature would suggest that strong social support can benefit individuals during many stages of the recovery process, including both active recovery and longer term maintenance. Less is known about social considerations in the initial stages of seeking support to begin recovery.

This report seeks to explore social support considerations for a specific population, Ontario Works recipients who have identified substance use as a barrier to employment, and to do so in a hopefully reciprocal manner which values understanding context from those with lived experience. This qualitative study is informed by the principles of grounded theory in a general manner, began with no specific hypothesis, and allowed participants flexibility in their responses. Previously documented barriers facing this population were generally reflected by the circumstances revealed by this study’s participants.

The principle findings outlined the lack of social supports currently in place for participants and their struggle to seek help. Seeking help appeared to require an emotional low point and a recognition that overcoming the substance use concern would not be realistic without additional help. Support seeking appears to be encouraged by specific nurturing characteristics of supporters. From a practice perspective the findings illustrated the need for increased focus on clinician/client engagement and a greater focus on practitioner’s appreciating the unique challenges facing this population and utilizing creative approaches to address them.

abstract: Master of Social Work (MSW)


title: Formal Proof of the Fundamental Theorem of Decorated Interval Arithmetic

creator:
Zheng, Bingzhou
Zheng, Bingzhou

contributor: Wolfram Kahl, William Farmer, Spencer Smith, Emil Sekerinski

subject:
FTDIA
IEEE-P1788
Formal Verification
Fomalized Mathematics
Theorem Prover
Coq
Other Computer Engineering
Other Computer Engineering

abstract:
Interval arithmetic is used to enclose roundoff, truncation, and modeling errors in interval methods, thus obtaining numerical methods with automatic verification of the results. The Fundamental Theorem of Interval Arithmetic (FTIA) shows that, when evaluating an expression using interval arithmetic, the computed result contains the mathematically correct value of the expression.

Decorations were introduced in the IEEE P1788 working group for standardizing interval arithmetic. Their role is to help track properties of interval evaluations. That is, we wish to say if a function is defined, undefined, or continuous in its inputs. Moreover, decorations act as local exception flags and do not lead to interruption of the computations. The FTIA plus the decoration system is expanded into the Fundamental Theorem of Decorated Interval Arithmetic (FTDIA).

Several versions of this theorem are formulated and proved by J. Pryce. This thesis formalizes and proves the core of this theorem (version 3.0 of the IEEE-P1788 proposal) using the theorem prover Coq. Namely, we prove it for the common case where all the inputs to a function are non-empty intervals.

There are two distinctive features of our formalization and proof. First, we define the semantics of an interval as a set of real numbers (including the empty set), and we do not impose any other restrictions on such a set, except that models of this interval can decide if the set is empty or not. For example, an interval need not be closed and bounded, as in traditional interval arithmetic. Second, our formalization and proof do not rely on specific interval operations: it works with any interval operation that satisfies the requirements for decorated interval library operations.

As the FTDIA is central to the IEEE-P1788 proposal, the correctness of the FTDIA is crucial. Our mechanized proof can give the research community in interval computations much confidence in its correctness. The current version of the FTDIA (in P1788 version 8.0) is slightly different from the theorem proved here. Modifying our proof to reflect this is left as future work.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Social Induction of Ethanol Consumption in Adolescent Rats, Rattus Norvegicus

contributor:
Galef, B. G.
Psychology

subject: Psychology Psychology

abstract:
Based on results of human and animal studies, it has been suggested that exposure to ethanol during early development leads to an increased likelihood of ethanol consumption by exposed individuals. Unfortunately, those results are sometimes conflicting and often incomparable due to subtantial differences in methodology. Additionally, it is difficult to determine whether there is a critical period or mechanism for the development of affinity for ethanol. In both human and animal studies, social exposure to ethanol has been confounded with other forms of exposure. In sum, no systematic evaluation of effects of exposure to ethanol during early development on subsequent ethanol affinity has been conducted to date.

This thesis represents such a systematic evaluation, using a rodent model. In a series of seven experiments I assessed the relative and interactive effects of exposure to moderate doses of ethanol during three developmental stages (gestation, lactation and weaning) on subsequent voluntary ethanol consumption in adolescent Long-Evans rats. Results of experiments described in this thesis indicate: (1) Exposure to ethanol throughout gestation and lactation does not enhance voluntary ethanol consumption by adolescents unless such passive exposure is followed by opportunity to ingest ethanol during weaning. (2) Social exposure to an ethanol-consuming adult female during weaning is sufficient to enhance voluntary ethanol consumption by adolescent rates. (3) Neither direct access to ethanol during weaning nor access to ethanol in mother's milk is necessary for enhand ethanol consumption by adolescents after social exposure during weaning. (4) Any ethanol-consuming adult female can induce enhanced affinity for ethanol in adolescent rats, but weanling rats are more affected by cues from their dam than from another adult female when both are present. In summary, social exposure to an ethanol-consuming female during the weaning period is a sufficient condition for induction of ethanol consumption by adolescent rats.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Optimization and Control of an Energy Management System for Microgrids

contributor:
Emadi, Ali
Sirouspour, Shahin
Chen, Chih-Hung
Electrical and Computer Engineering

subject:
microgrid
MILP
energy management system
optimization
smart grid
power system
Power and Energy
Power and Energy

abstract:
An increasing concern over environmental impacts of fossil fuels and sustainability of energy resources is leading to significant changes in the electric power systems. Decentralized power generation, in particular, is emerging as one of the most effective and promising tools in addressing these concerns.

Microgrids are small-scale electricity grids with elements of load, generation and storage. Microgrids have emerged as an essential building block of a future smart grid, and an enabling technology for distributed power generation and control. This thesis presents an optimization-based approach for the design and control of energy management systems (EMS) for electric microgrids. A linear programming formulation of power/energy management is proposed to minimize energy cost for a microgrid with energy storage and renewable energy generation, by taking advantage of time-of-use (TOU) pricing. The thesis also addresses the issue of sizing of the battery storage and solar power generation capacity by formulating and solving a mixed integer linear programming (MILP) problem. The aim of the optimization is to minimize the combined capital and electricity usage cost subject to applicable physical constraints. Several case scenarios are analyzed for grid-connected microgrids in residential, commercial and industrial settings, as well as a case of an islanded microgrid intended for a remote community.

Finally, the thesis investigates circuit level control of a microgrid with EMS. A finite state machine based control logic is proposed that enables outage ride through and smooth transition between islanded and grid connected operation. Simulation results are provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed controller under various possible scenarios.

abstract: Master of Applied Science (MASc)


title: Behavior Based Access Control for Distributed Healthcare Environment

contributor:
Down, Douglas
Sartipi, Kamran
Computing and Software

subject: Computing and Software

abstract: Sensitivity of clinical data and strict rules regarding data sharing have caused privacy and security to be critical requirements for using patient profiles in distributed healthcare environments. The amalgamation of new information technology with traditional healthcare workflows for sharing patient profiles has made the whole system vulnerable to privacy and security breaches. Standardization organizations are developing specifications to satisfy the required privacy and security requirements. In this thesis we present a novel access control model based on a framework designed for data and service interoperability in the healthcare domain. The proposed model for customizable access control captures the dynamic behavior of the user and determines access rights accordingly. The model is generic and flexible in the sense that an access control engine dynamically receives security effective factors from the subject user, and identifies the privilege level in accessing data using different specialized components within the engine. Standard data representation formats and ontologies are used to make the model compatible with different healthcare environments. The access control engine employs an approach to follow the user's behavior and navigates between engine components to provide the user 's privilege to access a resource. A simulation environment is implemented to evaluate and test the proposed model.

abstract: Master of Science (MSc)


title: Model-Based Tissue Quantification from Simulated Partial k-Space MRI Data

contributor:
Anand, Christopher
Computing and Software

subject: Computing and Software

abstract: Pixel values in MR images are linear combinations of contributions from multiple tissue fractions. The tissue fractions can be recovered using the Moore-Penrose pseudo-inverse if the tissue parameters are known, or can be deduced using machine learning. Acquiring sufficiently many source images may be too time consuming for some applications. In this thesis, we show how tissue fractions can be recovered from partial k-space data, collected in a fraction of the time required for a full set of experiments. The key to reaching significant sample reductions is the use of regularization. As an additional benefit, regularizing the inverse problem for tissue fractions also reduces the sensitivity to measurement noise. Numerical simulations are presented showing the effectiveness of the method, showing three tissue types. Clinically, this corresponds to liver imaging, in which normal liver, fatty liver and blood would need to be included in a model, in order to get an accurate fatty liver ratio, because all three overlap in liver pixels (via partial voluming).

abstract: Master of Science (MSc)


title: Computing Winning Strategies for Poset Games

contributor:
Soltys, Michael
Computing and Software

subject: Computing and Software

abstract:
The problem of computing winning strategies in games has yielded many important results with applications in fields such as computer science, economics, and mathematics. For example, "Online" games, where the input is received on the fly are used to model process scheduling and paging algorithms. The concept of Nash Equilibrium has implications in economic theory, and Ehrenfeuct-Frass games are used to check whether two structures are isomorphic.

In this thesis we are concerned with Partially-Ordered Set (Poset) games. We present two new methods for proving that computing winning strategies for the game of Chomp is in PSPACE. \Ne also present the idea of "Game Completeness", and give an overview of efforts to translate any poset game into an equivalent configuration of Chomp. Finally, we show how Skelley's bounded arithmetic theory W11 can be applied to Chomp, and the consequences of expressing the existence of a winning strategy for the first player in Chomp in simpler arithmetic theories. In short, the contributions of this thesis are as follows:

1. A new method for showing poset games in PSPACE, via a polynomial-time (logarithmic-space) reduction to the game of Geography.

2. Attempts at a reduction from Geography to poset games, and implications to whether poset games are PSPACE-complete.

3. A bounded-arithmetic formulation of the existence of a winning strategy for the first player in Chomp.

4. A definition of the concept of Game Completeness, and a translation from treelike poset games to a modified version of Chomp.

abstract: Master of Applied Science (MASc)


title: Molecular epidemiology of Cryptococcus neoformans variety grubii

contributor:
Xu, Jianping
Biology

subject: Biology Biology

abstract: The basidiomycete yeast Cryptococcus neoformans is a cause of significant morbidity and mortality in immunocompromised hosts throughout the world. The sporadic nature of the infection and the limited empirical evidence for direct human-tohuman transmission have led to the belief that infections in humans are predominantly caused by the inhalation of basidiospores from environmental sources. Therefore, analyzing the structure of environmental populations of C. neoformans can significantly increase our understanding of its ecology, evolution, and epidemiology. Decaying wood is a rich source of organic and inorganic compounds and is known to be a suitable ecological niche for many microorganisms, including C. neoformans. However, relatively little is known about the population structure of C. neoformans sampled from decaying wood. In this study, we analyzed samples of C. neoformans var. grubii colonizing decaying wood in tree hollows of nine tree species in five geographical locations (Delhi, Bulandshahar, Hathras, Amritsar and Arnrouli) in northwestern India. Multilocus sequence typing was conducted using five gene fragments for each of seventy-eight isolates. All isolates belonged to mating type a. Population genetic analyses identified no evidence for significant differentiation among populations belonging to either different geographic areas or different host tree species. Interestingly, despite the lack of mating type a strains in our survey, we found unambiguous evidence for recombination in our population analyses. Our results are consistent with the hypotheses of long distance dispersal and recombination in environmental populations of this species in India.

abstract: Master of Science (MSc)


title: Tragedy and Affirmation

contributor:
Ajzenstat, S.
Philosophy

subject: Philosophy Philosophy

abstract: This thesis offers an interpretation of a passage from section 18 of Nietzsche's The Birth of Tragedy. In the passage, Nietzsche makes two puzzling claims which have generated interest in the recent secondary literature: (1) he says that the effect of tragedy is an illusion, and (2) he equates tragic culture with Buddhism. Some commentators have argued that these two claims contradict the book's central theses. I canvass two such readings: Maudemarie Clark's "standard interpretation" and Paul de Man's "postmodernist interpretation." I examine and reject both readings on the grounds that they fail to interpret some of Nietzsche's key terminology correctly. In opposition to these interpretations, I then formulate a more positive reading of section 18 which establishes that both claims are actually consistent with the rest of the text.

abstract: Master of Arts (MA)


title: Wavelet Analysis of Time Series and its Application to Epidemiological Data

contributor:
Kevlahan, Nicholas
Mathematics

subject: Mathematics Mathematics

abstract: Wavelets offer many unique tools for data analysis. The first part of this thesis is an exposition of wavelet transforms and many of the associated tools for the analysis of time series. Specifically, wavelet denoising, wavelet power spectra and the detection of singularities are examined in detail. The second half of the thesis consists of a wavelet perspective on epidemiological time series. Focus is placed on analysing the incidence of infection of measles in Ontario, Canada. Other incidence data sets are also considered: chicken pox, rubella, and whooping cough. We show that wavelet analysis can be used to evaluate mathematical models in epidemiology by testing them against observed data, as well as to characterize the fine scale structure of the data. With some serendipity, it is also shown that distinct data sets for the same disease are characterized by a similar multifractal signature.

abstract: Master of Science (MSc)


title: Game Theoretical Analysis for Selfish Routing with Oblivious Users

contributor:
Karakostas, George
Computing and Software

subject: Computing and Software

abstract: We extend the original selfish routing setting by introducing users who are oblivious to congestion. Selfish routing captures only the behavior of selfish users, who choose the cheapest route based on the current traffic congestion without caring about the effects of their routing on their fellow users. However, it is more likely that a certain number of network users will be oblivious to congestion. For example, data from low-level QoS services will be routed on predefined routes with no adaptability to network congestion, while data from high-level QoS services will be routed on the fastest paths available. Networks with selfish users may lead to a stable state or Nash equilibrium, where no selfish users can decrease his or her travel time by changing his or her route unilaterally. Traffic equilibria refer to Nash equilibria in networks only with selfish users, and oblivious equilibria refer to Nash equilibria in networks with both oblivious users and selfish users. We study the performance degradation of networks at oblivious equilibrium with respect to the optimal performance. Our model has a fraction a of oblivious users, who choose predefined shortest paths on the network, and the remaining are selfish users. Considering networks with linear latency functions, first we study parallel links networks with two nodes, and then general topologies. We provide two tight upper bounds of the price of anarchy, which is the ratio of the worst total cost experienced by both oblivious users and selfish users, over the optimal total cost when all users are centrally coordinated. Our bounds depend on network parameters such as a, the total demand, the latency functions, the total cost of a traffic equilibrium flow, and the total cost of an optimal flow. The dependency of our bounds on network parameters seems to be inevitable considering the fact that the price of anarchy can be arbitrary large depending on network parameters as oblivious users may choose an arbitrarily expensive path.

abstract: Master of Science (MSc)


title: Pattern of Fruit and Vegetable Intake and Its Association with Long-term Diseases in Different Ethnic Groups of Canada

contributor:
Akhtar-Danesh, Noori
Statistics

subject:
Statistics and Probability
Statistics and Probability

abstract: This ethnicity-based research based on Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) 2.2 demonstrates that majority people of all ethnic groups in Canada do not consume adequate times/servings of fruit and vegetables per day which might pose a potential risk factor for long-term diseases. The term 'ethnicity' is defined in this analysis with 'common cultural traits' instead of 'common gene pool'. Hence, Canadian diverse population has been decomposed into 14 explicit cultural/racial groups in CCHS 2.2. Significant differences in the consumption of 5 or more times/servings of fruit and vegetables per day exist among Canadian ethnic groups. Southeast Asian, Aboriginal people of North America, West Asian, Korean, Japanese and Chinese ethnic groups tend to exhibit the lowest intake of 5 or more times/servings of fruit and vegetables per day. As CCHS 2.2 is a complex survey, logistic regressions with bootstrap weights have been run to delineate the association between fruit & vegetables, race/ethnicity, and long-term diseases. Ethnic people with lower intake of total fruit and vegetables, fruit, and green salad have reported themselves to be more susceptible to long-term health conditions and chronic conditions. Low consumption of carrot and other vegetables are found to be responsible for bowel disorder and intestinal ulcers along with the long-term and chronic health conditions. Aboriginal people of North America has the highest propensity to contract most of the long-term diseases among all ethnic groups as opposed to the While ethnic group which may have an strong association with their lowest Fruit and vegetables intake.

abstract: Master of Science (MSc)


title: Opportunistic Link Scheduling for Multihop Ad Hoc Wireless Networks

contributor:
Zhao, Dongmei
Electrical and Computer Engineering

subject:
Electrical and Computer Engineering
Electrical and Computer Engineering

abstract: This thesis studies throughput improvement for TCP traffic in IEEE 802.11-based multihop ad hoc wireless networks. Due to the Incompatibility between TCP and the IEEE 802.11 distributed coordination function (DCF) protocols, the reaction of TCP in case of packet losses can significantly reduce TCP end-to-end throughput. In this thesis, we propose an opportunistic link scheduling (OL8), which is a simple enhancement to the IEEE 802.11 DCF protocol and intends to improve the compatibility between TCP and MAC layer protocols in multihop ad hoc networks. With OL8, a link with a good channel condition is allowed to transmit multiple packets consecutively as a burst, while the burst size depends on both physical channel fading and MAC layer collisions. The protocol also includes a mechanism to prevent starvation of nodes with poor channel conditions. An analytical model is developed for a four-hop chain to study the effect of the burst size and TCP congestion window size on the end-to-end transmission throughput in opportunistic link scheduling. Our results show that OL8 can significantly improve the end-to-end transmission throughput, while keeping reasonably low transmission delay. The protocol is easy to implement, and requires slight modifications to the IEEE 802.11 protocol.

abstract: Master of Applied Science (MASc)


title: Theory of Librational Motion in the α Phase of Nitrogen

contributor:
Goodings, D.A.
Physics

subject: Physics Physics

abstract: Librational motion in the α phase of solid nitrogen is studied theoretically, assuming the crystal structure to belong to the space group Pa3 and ignoring the translational motions entirely. A general expansion is written down for an arbitrary nonsingular potential function of the positions of two nitrogen molecules, and methods are presented for obtaining the expansion coefficients for some particular potential model. The crystal Hamiltonian is written down and the mean field approximation is briefly discussed. The eigenstates of the mean-field Hamiltonian, the oblate spheroidal wave functions, are shown to correspond formally to the eigenstates of the two-dimensional isotropic harmonic oscillator, and this correspondence is exploited to define boson creation and annihilation operators for excitations of a single molecule. The crystal Hamiltonian is second-quantized in terms of these operators, and the bilinear terms which result are diagonalized by an RPA treatment which is an extension of one given by Raich and Etters. The uniqueness of the present diagonalization scheme is established and explicit expressions are developed for the three-operator terms in the Hamiltonian, which are essential for the later consideration of spin-lattice relaxation. Numerical calculations of the Raman frequencies show that the potential models proposed by Kohin and by Raich and Mills do not exhibit the correct anisotropic behaviour, the computed Raman frequencies being 57% to 103% too high in the first case and 28% to 53% too high in the second. Without taking account of libron-libron interactions, it is possible to obtain temperature-dependent Raman frequencies, but this dependence is negligibly weak. The temperature dependence of the nuclear quadrupole resonance frequency is not well reproduced by the theory, although a potential which is constructed to fit the Raman frequencies is more successful than an a priori potential. Using an approach due originally to Van Kranendonk and Walker, an a priori theory of quadrupolar spin-lattice relaxation is developed. The direct and first-order Raman processes, and a process involving a three-libron vertex, are shown not to contribute to relaxation. The anharmonic Raman process is considered, using first-order perturbation theory and the expressions for the three-operator terms. The relaxation time is found to be in fair agreement with experiment above about 10 K, and it is argued that a direct process involving phonons would be the dominant relaxation mechanism at low temperatures.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Exploratory Analysis to Determine Prevalences and Predictors of Central Venous Line Related Thromoboembolism and Infection in Children with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

contributor:
Thabane, Lehana
Statistics

abstract:
Children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) are at high risk for getting thromboembolism (TE), which is a serious complication leading to morbidity and mortality. As treatment protocols have been developed achieving the cure rates as high as 80% [39], study efforts need to turning to evaluating the risk and management of associated TE. Published studies in this field have been mostly exploratory and have had different results in terms of screening TE risk factors predisposing to TE.

Based on the records of 150 ALL children treated with central venous line (CVL) from 1995 to 2005 at McMaster Children's Hospital, this study was conducted to evaluate the prevalence ofTE, to explore the association between TE and infection, and to screen TE and Infection risk factors disposing children with ALL for TE and for Infection. The prevalence ofTE was estimated as 15 .07% (9.27%, 20.87%). Logistic regressions, Bayesian approaches, in combination with multiple imputation techniques, were employed to estimate predictors' odds ratios and their 95% confidence (credibility) intervals. The study suggested two significant factors, CVL functionality and ANC category for infection, and no significant factors for TE.

As a comparative and supplementary tool to the traditional parametric analyses, we conducted Classification and Regression Trees (CART) modeling, by using three software packages, with intention to visualize predictors of TE and Infection by level of importance. SAS EM 5.0, SPSS 14.0 and S-Plus 6.1 were compared in their tree misclassifications based on our data and their features of tree growth algorithms, validation techniques, missing data handling, model pruning / recovering, output setting, tool tabs transparency, and advantages. SPSS 14.0 and SAS EM 5.0 are recommended based on our experience, though the strengths and weaknesses of each package should be weighted according to the users and the problem natures.

The limitations of this exploratory study such as small sample size, missing values, imbalance between data categories, the lack of information about the timing of treatment and the lack of cross-validation techniques in some CART modeling packages led biases to our results. Large prospective cohort studies with few missing values are critical to achieve more accurate results.

abstract: Master of Science (MSc)


title: Adjoint Sensitivity Analysis of Time-Domain Responses Exploiting Time-Domain Transmission Line Modeling Method

contributor:
Bakr, Mohamed H.
Electrical and Computer Engineering

abstract:
The traditional approach for estimating sensitivities utilizes finite difference (FD) approximations which are time-intensive even for simple problems. This involves perturbing each design parameter in the forward and/or backward directions and simulating the perturbed structures. For a problem with N optimizable parameters, this approach requires at least N+1 simulations. If N is large, this approach may easily become impractical due to the intensive simulation time.

The Adjoint Variable Method (A VM) aims at obtaining the response sensitivities using at most one extra simulation regardless of the number of designable parameters. The field information is stored at specific points related to each parameter in both the original and adjoint simulations. This approach was applied to sensitivity analysis of scalar objective functions and frequency domain responses.

This thesis addresses a new A VM algorithm for estimating time domain response sensitivities using time domain transmission-line modeling (TD-TLM) method. Our algorithm obtains the sensitivities of any electromagnetic time domain response over the whole simulation time with respect to all parameters using only one extra time domain simulation. A very good match is obtained between our sensitivity estimates and those obtained through the accurate and time-intensive central difference approximation.

One of the motivations for sensitivity analysis is gradient-based optimization. The optimization process speeds up by using our A VM algorithm for gradient estimation. In this literature, we will implement gradient-based optimization using our AVM through different applications including microwave imaging problem. The results show good match between the sensitivities obtained using our A VM approach and those obtained using the more expensive finite difference approximation.

abstract: Master of Applied Science (MASc)


title: Some Results On The Subalgebra Intersection Property Arising From Polin Algebras

contributor:
Valeriote, Matthew A.
Mathematics

subject: Mathematics Mathematics

abstract: To help answer some questions regarding the complexity classifications of constraint satisfaction problems, Valeriote developed the notion of intersection properties of powers of algebras. Valeriote showed some connections between these intersection properties and the tame congruence theory types of the algebras that satisfy or fail them. This paper uses Polin algebras to refute a conjecture of Valeriote and to motivate further investigation into the connection between intersection properties, tame congruence theory and congruence distributivity.

abstract: Master of Science (MSc)


title: Portable Magnetic Tracking Systems Exploiting Neural Networks and Space Mapping Modeling

contributor:
Bakr, Mohamed H.
Deen, Jamal
Electrical and Computer Engineering

abstract:
The traditional approach of Magnetic Tracking Systems (MTS) utilizes approximate models and Parameter Extraction (PE) for Position and Orientation (P&O) determination. The approximate models give inaccurate P&O information outside the "constrained region". PE is an iterative, intensive process for P&O calculations, which limits the speed of the tracking process.

Our MTS approach aims at accurate real-time P&O tracking. We utilize Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) with PE functionality to carry out the computational task for real-time P&O tracking. We apply Space Mapping (SM) modeling afterwards for system calibration to improve the accuracy of P&0 determination

This thesis addresses a different approach for P&O determination. The main motivation of this work is to determine the P&O in a fast and accurate manner. It this work, we mathematically develop and experimentally implement our MTS for both 2-D and 3-D examples. The results show good match between our extracted P&O based on our MTS approach and the actual P&0 measured values.

abstract: Master of Applied Science (MASc)


title: Infinite Exchange Systems

contributor:
O.Sabidussi, G.
Mathematics

subject: Mathematics Mathematics

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Technical Improvements in Quantitative Susceptibility Mapping

contributor: Nicholas Bock, Qiyin Fang, Maureen MacDonald, Michael Noseworthy

subject: Quantitative susceptibility mapping

subject: phase imaging

subject: background field removal

subject: inverse problem

subject: tSWI

subject: magnetic moment

subject: Biomedical Engineering and Bioengineering

abstract: Quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM) is a promising technique to study tissue properties and function in vivo. The presence of a susceptibility source will lead to a non-local field variation which manifests as a non-local behavior in magnetic resonance phase images. QSM is an ill-posed inverse problem that maps the phase back to the susceptibility source. In practice, the phase images are usually contaminated by background field inhomogeneities. In this thesis, several technical advances in QSM have been made which accelerate the data processing and improve the accuracy of this ill-posed problem. For background field removal, the local spherical mean value filtering (LSMV) is proposed, in which the global phase unwrapping is bypassed. This algorithm improves the time-efficiency and robustness of background field removal. For solving the inverse problem, an improved version of the k-space/image domain iterative algorithm is demonstrated using multi-level thresholding to account for the variation in the susceptibilities of different structures in the brain. The susceptibility maps could be used to generate orientation independent weighting masks, to form a new type of susceptibility weighted image (SWI), referred to here as true-SWI (tSWI). The tSWI data show improved contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) of the veins and reduced blooming artefacts of the microbleeds. Finally, it is shown that the effective magnetic moment, being the product of the apparent volume and the measured susceptibility of the small object, is constant. This can be used to improve the susceptibility quantification, if a priori information of the volume is available.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Substrates Manipulation and Epitaxial Growth of Gallium Nitride Thin Films

contributor:
Kitai, Adrian H.
Ray LaPierre, Marek Niewczas
Materials Science and Engineering

subject:
GaN Thin Films
SiC
Alignment
Epitaxial Growth
Semiconductor and Optical Materials
Semiconductor and Optical Materials

abstract:
Light emitting diode (LED)-based solid state displays (SSD) have attracted growing interest due to their advantages in terms of contrast ratio, brightness, viewing angle, and response time compared to liquid crystal displays. GaN based III-nitride thin film materials are suitable materials for SSD due to their wide and tunable bandgaps. However, the large size and costly manufacturing process of commercially available GaN-based LED chips limit the potential uses of LEDs as the pixels of SSD.

In this work, tiny single crystal beta-phase (111) oriented SiC whiskers 2 microns in diameter and 18 microns in length are proposed as the substrates for GaN growth due to their small lattice constant mismatch (3%) with GaN, their conductive nature and their small size for potential use in SSD pixels. Aligned SiC whiskers with (111) planes exposed in an alumina matrix prepared by a precise manipulation and alignment method of SiC whiskers including a series of steps was developed in this work. The alignment degree of whiskers achieved in this work is higher than conventional extrusion methods, and a sintering approach capable of forming an aligned alumina/SiC composite was developed and understood using a self-limiting oxidation reaction mechanism.

To take advantage of the potential versatility, scalability and cost effectiveness of sputtering for SSD manufacturing, a reactive sputtering system was built for a detailed investigation of GaN thin film growth nucleation and subsequent growth behavior on SiC. 6H-SiC single crystal substrates were chosen as a reference substrate for SiC whiskers. An XRRC indicates that a high quality single crystalline GaN thin film was successfully grown epitaxially on 6H-SiC by sputtering. Two-dimensional X-ray diffraction and scanning transmission electron microscopy results demonstrated that the epitaxial growth of GaN thin films relies on the short range order and/or crystalline area of the native oxide layer in GaN/SiC interface for the first time.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Some Aspects of Proline Metabolism During Germination in Zea Mays

contributor:
Oaks, A.
Biology

subject: proline metabolism

subject: germination

subject: Zea mays

subject: Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Structural Biology

subject: Biology

abstract: Master of Science (MSc)


title: Characteristics of Emerging Healthy Multicultural Churches

subject:
PhD. Ministry
Multicultural
Chruch
Emerging
Religion
Religion

abstract:
This thesis is concerned with a new generation of churches in Canada trying to respond to the significant changes being felt in communities across the country as a result of the federal government policies over the last 30 years dealing with immigration, refugees and multiculturalism.

There is a growing awareness that churches will need to become more intentionally multicultural to accommodate the emerging generation. Many pastors are not equipped to minister cross-culturally and churches are often unwillingly to change to adjust to the changing communities in which they are located.

A number of sociological and theological influences will be reviewed to determine their impact on Canadian churches. There will be a response to the issues raised by those who advocate an emerging postmodern worldview in search of genuine community. Theological observations on the possibilities of the diversity of a heterogeneous multicultural church model being a valid response to the pluralism of contemporary Canadian life will be developed.

The research presented will be dealing with three emerging multicultural Canadian churches. These three churches are located in either Vancouver or Toronto and are representative of many other churches in Canada today. There will be a discussion on the current ministries and plans of these three churches and some common characteristics identified. An integration of the models presented, and the research observations will lead to a proposal for moving towards becoming a more intentional healthy multicultural church to meet the needs of the next generation.

abstract: Doctor of Ministry (DMin)


title: Advanced Topics in Estimation and Information Theory

contributor:
Reilly, James P.
Shirani, Shahram
Electrical and Computer Engineering

subject:
non linear state space
Bayesian filters
distributed estimation
Electrical and Computer Engineering
Engineering
Electrical and Computer Engineering

abstract:
The main theme of this dissertation is statistical estimation and information theory. There are three related topics including "distributed estimation", "an information geometric approach to ML estimation with incomplete data" and "joint identification and estimation in non-linear state space using Bayesian filters". The expectationmaximization (EM) algorithm, as an iterative estimation technique for dealing with incomplete data is the common bond that binds these three topics together.

1. Distributed estimation

Distributed estimation involves the study of estimation theory in an information theoretic framework. This field concerns the following question: "What if the purpose of communications in a distributed environment is parameter estimation rather than source reconstruction?" The first part of this thesis is dedicated to designing low-complexity iterative algorithms for distributed estimation. The algorithm design, in this case, involves transmission of statistics via communication systems. Therefore, the first question raised is "whether the code rates in distributed estimation are different from those in conventional communications?" Surprisingly, under certain conditions, the answer is found to be negative. It is shown that for fixed parameters, the achievable rates coincide with rates in conventional distributed coding of correlated sources (i.e. Slepian-Wolf region). In order to prove the main theorem, we also devise a novel distributed binning scheme and a new theorem in Large deviation theory that are used for proving our distributed coding theorem. The proof of the converse is implemented by a generalized Fano's inequality for distributed estimation.

Determination of the region of achievable rates for efficient estimation of a general source is an extremely difficult problem. This fact is the motivation for proving a theorem that provides a method for determining the region of achievable rates for a large class of sources with a convex mutual information with respect to the unknown parameters.

With a given set of rates, an efficient implementation of universal coding schemes for distributed estimation based on the expectation maximization (EM) technique is presented. Since the correlation channel between the sources is assumed to be unknown at the joint decoder, previously proposed distributed coding schemes are not useful for this purpose. Therefore, LDPC-based coset-coding schemes are extended to the case where the correlation channel is unknown at the decoder. The basic idea is to implement a low-complexity version of the EM algorithm on a factor~graph that includes an LDPC decoding mechanism.

2. Information geometric approach to ML estimation with incomplete data

The stochastic maximum likelihood estimation of parameters with incomplete data is cast in an information geometric framework. In this vein we develop the information geometric identification (IGID) algorithm, that provides an alternative iterative solution to the incomplete-data estimation problem. The algorithm consists of iterative alternating projections on two sets of probability distributions (PD); i.e., likelihood PD's and data empirical distributions. A Gaussian assumption on the source distribution permits a closed form lowcomplexity solution for these projections. The method is applicable to a wide range of problems; however the emphasis is on semi-blind identification of unknown parameters in a multi-input multi-output (MIMO) communications system.

3. Joint identification and estimation in non-linear state space using Bayesian filters

There are situations in estimation where nonlinear state-space models where the model parameters or the model structure itself are not known a priori or are known only partially. In these scenarios, standard estimation algorithms like the extended Kalman Filter (EKF), which assume perfect knowledge of the model parameters, are not accurate. The nonlinear state estimation problem with possibly non-Gaussian noise in the presence of measurement model uncertainty is modeled as a special case of maximum likelihood estimation with incomplete data. The EM algorithm is used to solve the problem. The expectation (E) step is implemented by a particle filter that is initialized by a Monte-Carlo Markov chain algorithm. In the maximization (M) step, a nonlinear regression method, here using a mixture of Gaussians (MoG), is used to approximate (identify) the uncertain model equations. The proposed procedure is used to solve a highly nonlinear bearing-only tracking problem, as well as the sensor registration problem in a multi-sensor fusion scenario.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: The physiology of Haemostasis and Blood Coagulation

contributor:
Nace, Paul F.
Biology

subject: Biology

abstract: Master of Science (MSc)


title: Mediation and System; Reinhold's 1789 Attempt to Re-write the 'Critique of Pure Reason'

contributor:
Radner, M.
Philosophy

subject:
1789
Karl Leonhard Reinhold
consciousness
critical philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy

abstract:
In 1789 Karl Leonhard Reinhold published a book entitled Versuch einer Neuen Theorie Menscblichen Vorstellungsvermögen. With it he intended to show that the position taken by Immanuel Kant in the Critique of Pure Reason was without a ground. That is to say, Kant's work lacked a principle which would enable it to be presented as a system. By focusing on representation and its preconditions, Reinhold intended to provide such a ground through an exhaustive yet unified description of the contents of consciousness. He will begin with a universal and self-evident first principle that will set Kant's results beyond doubt. In this way, Reinhold's Elementarphilosophie becomes the ground of the critical philosophy and together they constitute the only possible system of knowledge.

Through a detailed exposition of his book and its relation to Kant's, and by drawing on the reaction of Schulze, Maimon and Fichte to the aforementioned first principle, we want to suggest that Reinhold fails in his attempt to 're-write the Critique of Reason'.

abstract: Master of Arts (MA)


title: Performance Assessment and Design of Lead Rubber Seismic Isolators Using A Bilinear Spectrum Method

contributor:
Wilson, John C.
Civil Engineering

subject:
earthquakes
seismic isolation
lead rubber bearing
Civil and Environmental Engineering
Civil Engineering
Engineering
Civil and Environmental Engineering

abstract:
Seismic isolation has been widely adopted for structural protection. This technique, which introduces a flexible layer between the structure and the support, isolates the structure from earthquake ground motions by lengthening the structural period. The lead rubber bearing (LRB) is one of the most commonly used seismic isolators. The sizes of the rubber bearing and the lead core determine its stiffness and damping characteristics. The parameters, which characterize the seismic performance of a LRB, are the elastic stiffness (k1), post-elastic stiffness (k2), yield strength (Fy) and the total weight (w) of the isolated structure. In this study, an assessment of the nonlinear performance of LRB isolators is carried out using a series of spectra, which are referred to as bilinear spectra, as they are based on the bilinear behaviour of LRBs. The LRB parameters are non-dimensionalized using post-to-pre elastic stiffness ratio (n=k2/k1) and yield strength to weight ratio (r=Fy/w) to construct the bilinear spectra. Feasible ranges of n and r have been considered according to design code recommendations. The spectra are constructed from statistical analyses of LRB responses due to sets of real earthquake ground motions. These spectra plot the displacement and the shear force response of isolated structures for various combinations of n and r, vs. the elastic period.

The results of the study show that displacement decreases as the lead content increases, as expected. However, the corresponding shear forces fluctuate over different isolated periods. An increase in the rubber bearing size increases only the shear response, but has negligible influence on the displacement. It is also found that earthquakes with a lower ratio of PGA/PGV tend to result in higher displacement and shear force responses of the LRB compared to ground motions with higher PGA/PGV ratios.

A new chart-based method (referred to as the Chart Method) is developed by using a regression-based bilinear spectrum for estimating the LRB isolator displacement and shear force responses. The design capability of the Chart Method is compared to a more conventional method for designing LRBs, by solving several examples. The study concludes that the Chart Method has improved accuracy and versatility and can be used to evaluate the design suitability of commonly available LRB sizes.

abstract: Master of Applied Science (MASc)