title: IS KIN RECOGNITION IN CAKILE EDENTULA AFFECTED BY NUTRIENT AVAILABILITY?

contributor:
Dudley, Susan
Cameron, Robin
Bais, Harsh
Biology

subject:
Cakile edentula
Kin recognition
phenotypic plasticity
plant
root secretion
root architecture
Plant Biology
Plant Biology

abstract:
ABSTRACT

As plants are sessile organisms, detecting the presence of neighboring plants and exhibiting competitive behavior to acquire limiting resources is crucial. One of the ways plants respond to belowground competition is by allocation to fine roots in order to acquire the limited resources. However, this phenotypic plasticity can be costly as it assigns resources away from reproduction. Being able to recognize the relatedness of one′s neighbours and preferentially compete with strangers is a beneficial trait that can minimize the costs of competition with relatives and increases inclusive fitness. Many studies have looked at the association between resource availability and competition in plants while others have observed kin recognition in several plants species. However, no one has yet studied the effect of resource availability on kin recognition in plants. Here, I looked at root architecture to test if there is an association between kin recognition and nutrient availability in Cakile edentula.

I found that the root system architecture is highly plastic and complex, showing variable responses to neighbour identity signals and resource availability. The results from the four experiments demonstrate that the responses of C. edentula to neighbour relatedness are dependent on nutrient availability. Additionally, this study also indicates that kin recognition in C. edentula does not require root contact; instead it occurs through a signal found in soluble compounds excreted from plants, possibly root exudates, as observed in Arabidopsis thaliana (Biedrzycki et al. 2010).

In conclusion, this study provides novel findings regarding the dynamics of root behavior in response to nutrient availability and the relatedness of neighbours.

abstract: Master of Science (MSc)


title: The Effects of Acute and Chronic Hypoxia on Muscle Metabolism in Mice

contributor:
McClelland, Grant
Biology

subject:
Hypoxia
Muscle Metabolism
Acclimation
Exercise
Comparative and Evolutionary Physiology
Exercise Physiology
Comparative and Evolutionary Physiology

abstract:
Under hypoxia mammals face many challenges, especially in terms of energy production. To conserve O2, mammals may enter a hypometabolic state or rely more heavily on anaerobic metabolism. However, the latter strategy is not a viable option during chronic hypoxia and other cellular changes are needed. Under chronic hypoxia, mammals have been predicted to alter their metabolic machinery in an attempt to increase the efficiency of ATP production to reduce the amount of O2 used by the mitochondria. One way efficiency is believed to increase is through a change in the composition of cytochrome c oxidase (COX). Cell culture experiments have shown a decrease in the COX4-1 isoform and an increase in the COX4-2 isoform under hypoxia, leading to an increase in the reaction efficiency of COX. In the present study, I observed an increase in the mRNA levels of COX4-2 after 24hrs of hypoxia. However, this change was not mirrored by corresponding changes at the protein level. Further, I examined the phosphorylation state of pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) as an indicator of PDH activity. Under chronic hypoxia resting mice exhibited a significant rise in PDH phosphorylation. This increase may represent a decrease in PDH activity and a decreased reliance on carbohydrate derived acetyl-CoA.

I also explored the effects plastic changes in muscle during chronic hypoxia had on muscle metabolism during acute exercise. In hypoxic post-exercise mice, a significant increase in muscle lactate levels was observed compared to rest. This rise was not present in control mice, suggesting that acclimated mice were relying more heavily on anaerobic metabolism. However, there were no significant changes in PDH phosphorylation in post-exercise mice which could help to explain elevated muscle lactate levels.

abstract: Master of Science (MSc)


title: ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENTS AND IMPACT BENEFITS AGREEMENTS: THE PARTICIPATION OF ABORIGINAL WOMEN AT VOISEY’S BAY MINE

contributor:
Mills, Suzanne
Work and Society

subject:
Gender
Mining
Work, Economy and Organizations
Work, Economy and Organizations

abstract: Resource extraction projects in the North are governed by negotiated agreements developed between industry, the state and Aboriginal governments and institutions. This thesis examines the role played by women in the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Impact Benefit Agreement (IBA) processes leading up to Voisey’s Bay mine in northern Labrador and whether women’s involvement in resource governance improves the participation and retention of women in non-traditional jobs at the mine. Using a qualitative methodology of semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis, this thesis found that the participation of Aboriginal women was unable to significantly improve the work experiences of women at the mine. The concerns of Aboriginal women were identified by analyzing submissions made to the EIA panel by women’s groups. These concerns were then compared with the perceptions of work by women who worked in either construction or the operations phase of the mine. The confidentiality of IBA negotiations and documents are offered as one reason that Aboriginal women did not have the concerns they raised during the EIA process mitigated. The unfinished IBA was referred to by VBNC, and accepted by the panel, as a way to mitigate women’s concerns despite confidentiality preventing the contents of the IBA from ever being known. While women received prioritization in the IBA, Aboriginal women demanded quotas and targets for the training and hiring of women for the construction and operations phase. The thesis ends with a discussion of ways to alleviate the conflict between IBA and EIA processes.

abstract: Master of Arts (MA)


title: Predicting Customer Satisfaction from Dental Implants Perception Data

contributor:
Viveros-Aguilera, Rom ́an
Statistics

subject:
Customer Satisfaction
Dental Implants
Classification Trees
Regression Trees
PLSR
Market Research
Applied Statistics
Applied Statistics

abstract:
In recent years, measuring customer satisfaction has become one of the key concerns of market research studies. One of the basic features of leading companies is their success in fulfilling their customers’ demands. For that reason, companies attempt to find out what essential factors dominate their customers’ purchasing habits.

Millennium Research Group (MRG) - a global authority on medical tech- nology market intelligence - uses a web-based survey tool to collect informa- tion about customers’ level of satisfaction. One of their surveys is designed to gather information about the practitioner’s level of satisfaction on different brands of dental implants. The Dental Implants dataset obtained from the survey tool has thirty-four attributes, and practitioners were asked to rank or specify their level of satisfaction by assigning a score to each attribute.

The basic question asked by the company was whether the attributes were useful to make customer behavior predictions. The aim of this study is to assess the reliability and accuracy of these measures and to build a model for future predictions, then, determine the attributes that are most influential

in the practitioners’ purchasing decisions. Classification and regression trees (CART) and Partial least squares regression (PLSR) are the two statistical approaches used in this study to build a prediction model for the Dental Implants dataset.

The prediction models generated, using both of the techniques, have rel- atively small prediction powers; which may be perceived as an indication of deficiency in the dataset. However, getting a small prediction power is gener- ally expected in market research studies. The research then attempts to find ways to improve the power of these models to get more accurate results. The model generated by CART analysis tends to have better prediction power and is more suitable for future predictions. Although PLSR provides extremely small prediction power, it helps finding out the most important attributes that influence the practitioners’ purchasing decisions. Improvements in pre- diction are sought by restricting the cases in the data to subsets that show better alignment between predictors and customer purchasing behaviour.

abstract: Master of Science (MSc)


title: IMMIGRANT SELF-EMPLOYMENT: THE IMPACT OF RESIDENTIAL AND ENTREPRENEURIAL CONCENTRATION, AND EDUCATION ON IMMIGRANT SELF-EMPLOYMENT OUTCOMES

contributor:
Fox, John
Satzewich, Victor
Davies, Scott
Sociology

subject:
immigrant entrepreneurship
immigrant self-employment
ethnic resources
class resources
reactive ethnicity
self-employment income and propensity
Race and Ethnicity
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Work, Economy and Organizations
Race and Ethnicity

abstract: This dissertation investigates the effects of ethnic resources generated by an immigrant group’s concentration in self-employment and a geographic area, and class resources—education in particular—on the self-employment outcomes of immigrant business, which has been a lasting interest from the early days of immigrant entrepreneurship research. To examine the effects of immigrants’ concentration and education, ordinary least squares regression and hierarchical linear regression for cross-classified random effects models are fit to each of the 26 minority and white immigrant groups in the 33 Canadian CMA’s (Census Metropolitan Areas). Using the 2006 Census, the dissertation examines (1) the effects of immigrants’ REC (Residential and Entrepreneurial Concentration) in CMA’s; (2) the interactions between REC and reactive ethnicity—an enhanced awareness of one’s ethnicity due to disadvantage in the host society; and (3) the effects of education on self-employment propensity and income. Unlike previous studies which examined one or a few immigrant or minority groups in one or a few locales, the dissertation provides empirical evidence on the effects of REC and education on self-employment outcomes, based on a wide range of immigrant groups in Canadian CMA’s. The findings indicate that positive effects of REC as well as education on self-employment outcomes exist, but are limited to increasing the self-employment propensity of some immigrant groups. The effects of REC and education on self-employment income, however, are found to be generally insignificant. The study also provides the first empirical evidence that the positive effects of some types of REC become more positive as the reactive ethnicity of an immigrant group increases, as reactive ethnicity theory predicts.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Kidney conditions associated with hypertension in pregnancy

contributor:
Garg, Amit X
Lehana Thabane, Sarah McDonald
Health Research Methodology

subject:
Hypertension
gestational hypertension
preeclampsia
eclampsia
chronic kidney disease
kidney infections
kidney donation
Clinical Epidemiology
Epidemiology
Health Services Research
Maternal and Child Health
Public Health Education and Promotion
Clinical Epidemiology

abstract: We defined hypertension in pregnancy as a composite of gestational hypertension, preeclampsia and eclampsia. The etiology of hypertension in pregnancy remains controversial. The three chapters of this thesis explore the risk of hypertension in pregnancy from various kidney conditions. Chapter 1 introduces the reader to the thesis. Chapter 2 is a systematic review that studied the risk of developing hypertension in pregnant women with chronic kidney disease but not on dialysis. We found that women with chronic kidney disease had at least a twofold higher relative risk of developing hypertension during pregnancy compared with women having no chronic kidney disease. Chapter 3 is a retrospective study looking at the risk of developing gestational hypertension and preeclampsia in women who had symptomatic gastroenteritis after drinking water infected with E. coli O157:H7 during the Walkerton outbreak in May 2000. We conducted this study using linked datasets at the Institute of Evaluative Sciences (ICES) Toronto, Ontario. We observed that there was no increased risk of developing gestational hypertension or preeclampsia among the symptomatic women compared with women from the neighbouring towns who were asymptomatic or did not drink the water. Chapter 4 is a protocol of a prospective cohort study recruiting female kidney donors and healthy non-donors as the comparative group to study pregnancy outcomes in these individuals. This is a multicentre study involving 12 transplant centres throughout Canada. There are 59 participants in this study to date (Feb 28, 2013) of which seven have been pregnant so far. Data collection for this study is ongoing.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: A Molecular Orbital Theory of Polymers

contributor:
Santry, D.P.
Chemistry

subject: Chemistry Chemistry

abstract:
The molecular orbital method and the underlying approximations are reviewed. A molecular orbital method appropriate to the study of polymers is then developed in the Complete Neglect of Differential Overlap approximation. The resulting equations, which are discussed in some detail, are used to study a number of real and model polymers which have regular structures. The model systems are chosen to represent a wide range of physical characteristics. A discussion of the results of these calculations which show that the method gives physically responsible results is presented. Some problems specific to the theory of polymers are identified, discussed, and, in a number of cases, resolved.

The limitations on the method imposed by the assumption that the structure of the polymer is regular are discussed. A method, based on self-consistent perturbation theory, is proposed which permits the calculation of the effects of small irregularities on the electronic structure of polymers. The characteristics of the method are discussed using an examples calculations on small molecules. A formalism appropriate to the study of polymers is then developed. Model calculations on a chain of hydrogen molecules are used to demonstrate the effectiveness and potential uses of the method. The linear chain of equally-spaced hydrogen molecules is shown to be stable with respect to distortions along the axis of the chain.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: The Synthetic and Bioinorganic Chemistry of Carboranes

contributor:
Valliant, John Fitzmaurice
Chemistry

subject: Chemistry Chemistry

abstract:
Dicarba-closo-dodecaboranes, otherwise known as carboranes, are attractive synthons for the development of inorganic pharmaceuticals and biological probes because of their unique chemical and physical properties. This thesis describes the synthesis and characterization of carborane derivatives as novel pharmaceuticals, radiopharmaceuticals and boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) agents. Two general strategies were undertaken to prepare such compounds.

The first strategy, discussed in chapter 2, involved incorporating a carborane within the backbone of a known anti-cancer agent. To this end, a stereoselective synthetic methodology for incorporating a carborane into the structure of tamoxifen was developed. The reported synthetic approach yielded the desitred carborane derivative possessing a nido-carborance in place of on eof the aromatic rings of tamoxifen. The nido-carborane 2.28 showed modest affinity to the estrogen receptor (ER) which suggests that the inclusion of a carborane into the basic core of tamoxifen is a viable strategy for developing new antiestrogens and BNCT agents.

Having established the synthetic methodology for the nido-carborane analogue of tamoxifen 2.28, subsequent research efforts focused on attatching a metal center to the open face of the carborane cage. The [Re(CO)3]+ core was attached to the open face of 2.28 as a test toward the feasibility of this approach. While the reaction did yield some of the target complex 2.31, the yield was low and accompanied by the formation of a significant quantity of Re(CO)3 clusters, leaving mostly unreacted starting material as the major reaction component. The detection of 2.31 demonstrates that the 99mTc analogue can be prepared and potentially used as a novel imaging agent.

In parallel to the work involving tamoxifen, chapters 4 and 5 discuss novel synthetic methodologies developed to facilitate the synthesis of metal-based BNCT agents. Two homoleptic Re(I) [Re(L6)]+ (L = ortho or para-carborane isonitrile) complexes of ortho and para-carborane isocyanide ligands were prepared. These compounds are designed to serve as a new class of BNCT agent whose distribution can be evaluated using standard radioimaging techniques. These complexes are attractive agents for neutron capture therapy because of their exceptionally high boron content, the ease with which they can be targeted to specific receptors, and the fact that the biodistribution can be determined non-invasively using radioimaging techniques.

The synthesis and coordination chemistry of both the ortho- and para-carborane isocyanide complexes were examined through the reaction of [Re2(O2CPh)4Cl2] and [Re2(OAc)4Cl2] with 3-isocyano-1,2-dicarba-closo-dodecaborane and a unique para-carborane azetidine derivative respectively. This research revealed some unexpected differences between the chemistry of ortho- and para-carboranes.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: ELUCIDATING THE ROLE OF THE YJEQ AND RBGA GTPASES IN THE ASSEMBLY OF THE BACTERIAL RIBOSOME

contributor:
Ortega, Joaquin
Brown, Eric
Nodwell, Justin
Biochemistry

subject:
ribosome assembly
immature ribosomal subunits
ribosome-associated assembly factors
Biochemistry
Biophysics
Structural Biology
Biochemistry

abstract:
Ribosome assembly is a complex process, facilitated by more than 20 protein factors in bacteria. GTPases and ATPases represent the energy driving force of these factors. In my research as a PhD student, I studied the function of two GTPases, YjeQ and RbgA, involved in the assembly of the small and the large ribosomal subunits, respectively.

We isolated and characterized in-vivo assembled immature small (30S) and large (50S) subunits using a perturbation in the genes coding for these proteins. We observed that both subunits contained an incomplete ribosomal protein content, mainly lacking late-binding r-proteins. Additionally, we observed distortions in the functional core of the immature ribosomal subunit, particularly in the mRNA decoding center of the 30S subunit, the peptidyltransferase center of the 50S subunit, and tRNA binding sites.

Additionally, we have determined that the YjeQ protein interacts with the 30S subunit through its N-terminal OB-fold domain, and C-terminal Zn-finger motif. The binding site of YjeQ on the 30S subunit prevents the interaction with tRNAs, translation factors, and the 50S subunit.

Finally, we uncovered a novel functional interplay between RbgA and the ribosomal protein L16 during late stages of ribosomal assembly. We proposed that recruitment of L16 to the assembling 50S subunit would induce a conformational rearrangement that would ultimately promote the GTP-dependent release of RbgA.

The function of the assembly factors associated with the process of in-vivo ribosome assembly is not known, and thus a framework on how ribosomes are built is still elusive. I believe the research presented in this thesis provides novel insights into the role of YjeQ and RbgA in the assembly of ribosomes

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Surface Modification of Polydimethylsiloxane with a Covalent Antithrombin-Heparin Complex for Blood Contacting Applications

contributor:
Brash, J.L.
Chan, Anthony K.C.
Jones, Kim
Biomedical Engineering

subject:
Protein adsorption
polymeric biomaterials
silicone
thrombosis
immobilization
blood compatibility
Biomaterials
Biomaterials

abstract:
Medical devices used for diagnosis and treatment often involve the exposure of the patient’s blood to biomaterials that are foreign to the body, and blood-material contact may trigger coagulation and lead to thrombotic complications. Therefore, the risk of thrombosis and the issue of blood compatibility are limitations in the development of biomaterials for blood-contacting applications. The objective of this research was to develop a dual strategy for surface modification of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) to prevent thrombosis by (1) grafting polyethylene glycol (PEG) to inhibit non-specific protein adsorption, and (2) covalently attaching an antithrombin-heparin (ATH) covalent complex to the distal end of the PEG chains to inhibit coagulation at the surface.

Surface characterization via contact angle measurements confirmed reductions in hydrophobicity for the modified surfaces and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) indicated that heparin and ATH were present. The predisposition of PDMS to induce blood coagulation was investigated, and advantages of ATH over heparin in inhibiting coagulation on PDMS were demonstrated. Studies of protein interactions using radiolabelling and Western blotting demonstrated the ability of PEG-modified surfaces to resist non-specific protein adsorption, and the ability of ATH- and heparin-modified surfaces to specifically bind AT present in plasma, thereby providing anticoagulant activity. Through specific interactions with the pentasaccharide sequence on the heparin moiety, the ATH-modified surfaces bound AT more efficiently than the heparin-modified surfaces. Thromboelastography (TEG) was used to evaluate further the anticoagulant potential of the ATH-modified surfaces. It was found that coagulation occurred at a slower rate on the ATH-modified surfaces compared to unmodified PDMS, and the resulting clot was mechanically weaker. By creating a surface with bioinert and bioactive properties, non-specific protein adsorption was reduced and anticoagulation at the surface through specific protein binding was promoted. This dual PEO/ATH modification strategy may therefore offer an improved approach for the minimization of thrombosis on PDMS and biomaterial surfaces more generally.

abstract: Master of Applied Science (MASc)


title: RETROFIT OF STRUCTURAL STEEL COLUMNS USING FRP-CONCRETE COMPOSITE SYSTEMS

contributor:
Tait, M.J.
Razavi, S.N.
Civil Engineering

subject:
Civil Engineering
Civil Engineering

abstract: Fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) - confined concrete-steel composite columns have been recently introduced as a retrofit technique for structural steel columns. This technique involves placing an FRP tube around an in situ steel column and subsequently filling the void between the steel section and the FRP tube with concrete to create a composite column. The composite action occurs due to the concrete encasing the steel section and the FRP confining the concrete. An experimental investigation has been undertaken to evaluate: the effect of adding a steel W section to confined concrete; the effect of using a split tube system as a practical application technique; and the effect of shrinkage reducing admixture in confined concrete. A total of eighteen stub columns, consisting of six different column types were tested to meet these objectives. It was found that the load-displacement response of confined concrete that includes a steel W section is similar to the response of confined concrete plus the elastic-perfectly plastic steel contribution. Experimental findings demonstrate the enhanced performance of the proposed split tube retrofit technique. An analytical model was used to predict the response of the different column types. A method is proposed to incorporate the increased stiffness of the FRP jacket in the split tube system and is shown to be an improvement on the original model. A parametric study was also performed on the revised model.

abstract: Master of Applied Science (MASc)


title: FEASABILITY OF NICKEL SULPHIDE AS A CATHODE IN A GALVANIC COUPLED ANODIC PROTECTION SYSTEM FOR USE IN CONCENTRATED SULPHURIC ACID SYSTEMS

contributor:
Provatas, Nikolas
Kish, Joesph
Hoyt, Jeff
Materials Engineering

subject:
Corrosion
Anodic Protection
Sulphuric Acid
Stainless Steel
Nickel Sulphide
Other Materials Science and Engineering
Other Materials Science and Engineering

abstract: Anodic protection has shown to be a viable method for reducing corrosion rates of stainless steels over a wide range of temperatures and is used to protect equipment in H2SO4 manufacturing. While effective at controlling corrosion in H2SO4 manufacturing, Impressed Current Anodic Protection (ICAP) systems have shown to have a number of issues. They require a constant source of current to ensure reliable corrosion protection; are relatively complex systems and expensive to install; improper potential control can lead to loss of corrosion protection; and some issues with cathode fouling and erosion have been reported. Galvanic Coupled Anodic Protection (GCAP) systems have not been widely utilized in industry, but offer some solutions to these issues. GCAP systems have been developed using Pt and Au as the cathode materials for use in H2SO4. Previous work on the oscillatory behaviour of austenitic stainless steels indicates that nickel sulphide (NiS) could be used as cathode material in a GCAP system in concentrated H2SO4 to protect stainless steel. The objective of this study was to develop a better understanding of the behaviour of NiS when galvanically coupled to Type 430 stainless steel to determine whether it can be used in a GCAP system. NiS and NiS(Ni) electrodes are able to provide the Icrit needed to passivate Type 430 at anode/cathode ratios of 10:1, while NiS(Ni) electrodes were able to provide the Icrit needed to passivate the Type 430 stainless steel at a ratio of 20:1. In addition it was shown that the NiS(Ni) electrode was able to maintain passivity of the Type 430 stainless steel array using an anode/cathode surface area ratio of 100:1. NiS was shown not to be inert in concentrated H2SO4 and corrosion rate calculated via Tafel extrapolation and shown to be 0.014 mm/yr at room temperature and 0.128 mm/yr at 60 ºC.

abstract: Master of Applied Science (MASc)


title: SEMICONTINUOUS SEPARATION OF DIMETHYL ETHER FROM BIOMASS

contributor:
II, Thomas Adams
Chemical Engineering

subject:
Semicontinuous
Dimethyl Ether
Biomass
Process Control and Systems
Process Control and Systems

abstract:
Environmental concerns about greenhouse gas emissions and energy security are the main drivers for the production of alternative fuels from bio-based feedstock. Dimethyl ether has attracted interest of many researches and is touted as “A fuel for the 21st century” due to its versatility. However, the production of DME from biomass is dependent on the overall economics of its production.

This thesis considers the application of semicontinuous distillation to improve the economics of the separation section in a biomass-to-DME facility. Semicontinuous distillation systems operate in a forced cycle to effect multiple separations using a single distillation column integrated with a middle vessel. The control system plays an integral role in the driving the forced cycle behaviour of the process in which no steady state exists.

The separation section consists of a series of flash drums followed by a distillation train consisting of three (3) columns. In the first phase of this work, a semicontinuous system was developed to achieve the separation of the second and third distillation columns in the separation section. Rigorous models were used to simulate the semicontinuous system in which several control configurations were evaluated. The final control structure based on classic PI control was shown to achieve the specification objectives of the system and handle disturbances while avoiding weeping and flooding conditions. Optimization followed by an economic analysis showed that the semicontinuous system was economically preferable to the traditional continuous process for a range of DME production rates.

Next, a semicontinuous system was developed to achieve the separation of the first and second distillation columns in the separation section. In this phase the application of semicontinuous distillation was extended to partial condenser configurations and the separation of biphasic mixtures. The control structure developed was effective in handling disturbance, attaining specification objectives while remaining with operational limits. An economic analysis, however, showed the traditional continuous configuration to be more economical for all DME production rates. Findings show that the operating cost is highly depending on the middle vessel purity so while uneconomical for this process it could result in favourable economics for less stringent purity specifications.

abstract: Master of Applied Science (MASc)


title: Characterization of Drosophila Menin Protein Interactions and a Potential Role for Menin in the Insulin Signalling Pathway

contributor:
Bedard, Andre
Campos, Ana R.
Jacobs, Roger
Biology

subject:
Drosophila melanogaster
menin
trithorax
dFADD
insulin signalling
Biology
Life Sciences
Biology

abstract: Menin is a tumour suppressor protein associated with the MEN1 hereditary cancer syndrome. Numerous protein interactions have been identified for menin but its specific function in tumour suppression remains enigmatic. Since the protein is well conserved, the Drosophila model system was used to study menin protein interactions in hopes of further elucidating menin function. In this study, two menin protein interactions were examined; the first was a novel interaction with Drosophila fas-associated death domain (dFADD), an important protein in innate immune signalling and the second was a conserved interaction with Trithorax (Trx), a histone methyltransferase important for activation of gene expression. Both these interactions were confirmed through co-immunoprecipitation in Drosophila S2 cells. Unlike dFADD mutants that are highly susceptible to bacterial infection, Mnn1 mutants display normal resistance, suggesting that menin does not play an essential role in innate immune signalling. Moreover, dFADD mutants do not display a heat shock sensitivity phenotype, as previously reported for Mnn1 mutants. The importance of the menin-Trx interaction in the regulation of heat shock gene expression was examined since both proteins were independently shown to be necessary for proper expression of hsp70. Chromatin immunoprecipitation analyses demonstrate that menin and Trx co-localize in the coding region of hsp70. Heat shock results in a loss of menin and an increase in Trx localization at hsp70 and the proteins fail to co-immunoprecipitate with prolonged heat stress, suggesting a complex regulation of the interaction. Due to the recently identified interactions between mammalian menin and proteins of the insulin signalling pathway, a potential role for Drosophila menin in this pathway was examined. Mnn1 mutants display increased desiccation and starvation resistance, similar to other positive regulators of insulin signalling. Overall, this thesis describes a novel interaction between menin and dFADD and a conserved interaction with Trx and also proposes a potential role for menin in the Drosophila insulin signalling pathway.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: OXIDATIVE STRESS AND METABOLIC RESPONSES OF ACUTE WATERBORNE COPPER EXPOSURE IN KILLIFISH, FUNDULUS HETEROCLITUS

contributor:
MCCLELLAND, GRANT
Biology

subject:
Copper
Toxicity
Hypoxia
Oxidative stress
Metabolic responses
Salinity
Biology
Other Physiology
Biology

abstract:
Copper (Cu) is an essential trace metal, but many aspects of its toxicity remain unclear, particularly in seawater (SW) and little is known regarding the interaction effects of Cu and hypoxia. Few studies have examined the effects of excessive waterborne metals, like Cu, on fish species under saline environment conditions and in combination with other natural stressors, like hypoxia. I first examined the acute effects of sublethal waterborne Cu and hypoxia on the oxidative stress response in freshwater (FW)-acclimated adult killifish (Fundulus heteroclitus), a model euryhaline teleost, which highlighted the need to investigate metabolic responses including oxygen consumption rates (MO2). I found that hypoxia had no effect on Cu accumulation and that Cu induced antioxidant protection pathways and reduced oxidative capacity in a tissue-specific manner. I found that hypoxia may have an antagonistic effect on Cu-induced lipid peroxidation, although this pattern was not observed in all tissues.

I then examined the acute effects of sublethal waterborne Cu on oxidative stress and metabolic responses in FW- and SW-acclimated adult killifish. I found that the oxidative stress and metabolic responses induced by Cu in killifish acclimated to SW differed only slightly from those in FW. I found that Cu had no effect on oxygen consumption rates after 96-h exposure in both FW and SW-acclimated fish, however Cu greatly reduced opercular frequency. In addition, we found that Cu-induced antioxidant protection pathways, although the response differed depending on the specific enzyme. This thesis has advanced our understanding of Cu toxicology in terms of oxidative stress and metabolic responses in freshwater and marine environments and emphasized the importance of utilizing multiple physiological endpoints. Hopefully, this work will contribute to the future development of Cu water quality criteria and building more accurate predictive and regulatory models.

abstract: Master of Science (MSc)


title: A SURVEY OF IONOREGULATORY RESPONSES TO EXTENDED EXERCISE AND ACUTE HYPOXIA IN FRESHWATER AMAZONIAN AND SOUTHERN ONTARIAN TELEOSTS: INVESTIGATING THE OSMORESPIRATORY COMPROMISE

contributor:
Wood, C.M.
Scott, G.R.
Biology

subject:
osmorespiratory compromise
rio negro
hypoxia
exercise
swimming
pcrit
Aquaculture and Fisheries
Biology
Marine Biology
Aquaculture and Fisheries

abstract:
The osmorespiratory compromise is the trade-off between high gill permeability for oxygen uptake and low gill permeability for conservation of ions in fish. The fundamental purpose of this study was to examine facets of the osmorespiratory compromise in freshwater fish under conditions of extended exercise and acute hypoxia, in light of previous research identifying very different gill morphometric and ionoregulatory modifications in the hypoxia-tolerant Amazonian oscar (Astronotus ocellatus) and the hypoxia-intolerant rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). A technique using [3H]polyethylene-4000 ([3H]PEG-4000) for branchial paracellular permeability measurement was developed, and then applied to investigate the osmorespiratory compromise during extended swimming. Methods were developed to overcome the challenges of renal [3H]PEG-4000 loss, respirometer surface adsorption, and freshwater drinking of the chemical. In both trout and oscar, corrections were employed for these sources of error – leading to findings that in both species, branchial [3H]PEG-4000 permeability was not rectified and freshwater drinking was quite high. In both species, during an 8-h swim (1.2BL/s), oxygen consumption rate increased by 75-90%; drinking rate remained high but did not increase. Branchial paracellular permeability increased by 61% during exercise in trout but remained constant in oscar. The methods developed here can be widely applied to future studies of branchial paracellular permeability.

Unidirectional fluxes (by 22Na) of sodium, and net fluxes of potassium, ammonia, and urea were observed during a 2-h nomoxia:2-h hypoxia (30% O2 saturation):2-h normoxic recovery protocol – to identify adaptive trends across phylogenies and/or environments in North and South American teleosts. Strategies for coping with hypoxia appeared to be environmentally, rather than phylogenetically linked, since both the oscar (perciform) and the tambaqui (Colossoma macropomum – characiform) displayed characteristic permeability reduction (of apparent transcellular origin); both frequently encounter severe hypoxia in their natural habitat. Two North American perciforms, pumpkinseed (Lepomis gibbosus) and bluegill sunfish (Lepomis macrochirus) which live in less hypoxic environments, increased branchial ion leakage as in the hypoxia-intolerant trout. Four Amazonian tetra species (all characiformes: Paracheirodon axelrodi, Hemigrammus rhodostomus, Moenkausia diktyota, Hyphessobrycon bentosi rosaceus) which experience intermediate hypoxia in their native Rio Negro presented variable responses. Finally, during a 4-h swim at1.2BL/s, branchial ion fluxes were not reduced but elevated in oscar, indicating that ionoregulation in this species occurs primarily transcellularly, and that adaptive strategies to one manifestation of the osmorespiratory compromise (hypoxia) may not apply to another (exercise).

abstract: Master of Science (MSc)


title: The Role of Minimization and Facilitation of Learner Involvement During Acquisition in the Learning of a Motor Task

contributor:
Lee, Timothy D.
Kinesiology

subject:
self-controlled practice
errorless learning
dual-task
retention
transfer
Kinesiology
Kinesiology

abstract:
When learning a new motor skill, how we choose to go about the learning process can influence how quickly and how well we learn the task. In particular, the role of learner involvement during the acquisition period can be manipulated through how practice is scheduled. Two separate sets of literature (progression of task difficulty and self-controlled practice) which discuss learner involvement during acquisition were reviewed. The motivation behind this thesis is to examine the effects of progressive and self-controlled practice on measures of retention, transfer and dual-task performance as well as to attempt to determine the underlying factors responsible for any benefits of each of these schedules. We examined the influence of practice scheduling during acquisition of a fine-motor skill within the context of the minimization and facilitation of learner involvement through a series of four experiments and one review paper.

The findings of the four experiments suggest that an easy-to difficult progression through versions of a task, whether prescribed or chosen, does not always induce implicit learning processes and is also not always beneficial to performance under a secondary task load. The only manipulation that was found to have an effect on dual-task performance was, not the minimization of learner involvement but the proximity of the version of the task first practiced in acquisition to the tested version of the task. Participants that began practice using versions of the task most similar to the test version performed a novel task well under dual-task conditions and maintained this performance over time.

The overall difficulty of versions of a task practiced in acquisition appears to have an influence on participants’ ability to perform well on immediate transfer tests and to maintain that performance on delayed transfer tests. These results suggest that learner involvement can be beneficial to performance on transfer tests.

The possible benefit of cognitive involvement for learning of motor tasks found in the studies that examined the progression of task difficulty is consistent with one of the main explanations of the benefits of self-controlled learning summarized in the review paper. Interesting motivational implications found in study four, where motivational factors may have overridden the cognitive effort involved are also consistent with the findings summarized in the review paper from the perspective of the self-determination theory.

The results and information presented in this thesis present implications for anyone responsible for organizing a practice of motor skills. The most beneficial organization of versions of a practiced task is dependent upon the goals of the testing context.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Karst processes on Cayman Brac, a small oceanic carbonate island

creator: Tarhule-Lips, Frederike Antoinette Rozemarijn

contributor:
Ford, D.C.
Schwarcz, H.P.
Geography

subject: Geography Geography

abstract:
Cayman Brac is a good example of a small oceanic carbonate island which has undergone several periods ofsubmergence and emergence since the Tertiary, resulting in the geological formations being well karstified. This study investigated several karst phenomena on the island including the occurrence and morphology of caves, the water chemistry and microclimate inside the caves, periods ofspeleothem growth and dissolution, and bell holes.

Caves occur throughout the island at various elevations above sea level. Using elevation as a criterion, the caves were divided into Notch caves, located at, or one - two metres above, the Sangamon Notch, and Upper caves, located at varying elevations above the Notch. Analysis ofthe morphology, age and the relative abundance of speleothem in the caves further supports this division.

The close proximity of the Notch and the Notch caves is coincidental: speleothem dating by U-series methods shows that the caves predate the Notch. They are believed to have formed between 1400 and 400 ka, whereas a late Tertiary to Early Quaternary age is assigned to the Upper caves.

Speleothem on the island has suffered minor, moderate and major dissolution. Minor dissolution is due to a change in the degree of saturation of the drip water feeding the speleothem, whereas the last two are caused by flooding or condensation corrosion. Many of the speleothems in fact experienced several episodes ofdissolution followed by regrowth. The latest episode appears to be caused by condensation corrosion rather than flooding. Eleven speleothems containing growth hiatuses were dated by U-series methods. The results indicate that growth cessation did not occur synchronously. Furthermore, the timing of the hiatuses during the Quaternary is not restricted to glacial or interglacial periods.

Oxygen and carbon stable isotope analyses ofseven ofthe samples reveal an apparent shift towards a drier and walmer climate around 120 ka. However, more data and further collaborative evidence is desirable. Of six samples with hiatuses, five show a bi-modal distribution of stable isotope values: before and after the hiatus.

Oxygen isotope analyses of modern drip water found inter-sample variations of over 2 %. This is due to cave environmental factors such as evaporation, infiltration velocity and roof thickness. Inside the caves δ¹⁸O of drip water decreases with increasing distance from the entrance and thus decreasing external climatic influence. This distance-climatic effect is also reflected in the δ¹⁸O calculated for modem calcite: -5.3, -6.5 and -7.6 % VPDB at 3, 10 and 20 m respectively.

The morphology of bell holes, found only in certain Notch caves, was studied in detail. It is proposed that the bell holes are formed by condensation corrosion, probably enhanced by microbiological activity.

The study represents a comprehensive and thorough analyses of karst features on a small oceanic island, and provides information useful for climatic reconstruction during the Quaternary.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Computer Simulation of Cam System Dynamics and Sensitivity Studies

contributor:
Newcombe, W.R.
Mechanical Engineering

subject:
Engineering
Mechanical Engineering
Engineering

abstract:
This thesis deals with the dynamics of can systems, and stems from the need to integrate the dynamic design with the quality of manufacture of the cam profile. The objective is to provide a better insight into the high-speed dynamic performance of the system, and generate more refined qualitative and quantitative information for the dynamic design and the manufacturing of cams. A simulation approach has been used, and a stochastic model has been proposed for the generation of the input signal, which comprises the desired life and the life error due to manufacturing errors in the cam profile. The stochastic model employs the techniques of random number generation and spline smoothing. The input signal is integrated with the seven degrees-of-freedom dynamic model considered for the common cam-follower system.

A comprehensive study of the popular cam motions has been conducted to investigate their high-speed performance. In particular, the effects of cam profile manufacturing errors on the dynamic behaviour of the cam-follower system are examined. Sensitivity studies have been performed to investigate the effects of critical system parameters on the system behavior. The study has demonstrated that for semi-rigid follower cam systems, the combined effects of system flexibility and cam profile errors are significantly greater than that of flexibility alone, and that the effects of profile errors are dominating. The dynamic response is critically dependent on the waviness of the life error. It has been established that at high speeds, it is not the vibrational response, but the jump behaviour which determines the dynamic performance. The Modified-Sine, Simple Harmonic, and 3-4-5 Polynomial motions have been shown to exhibit superior high-speed performance to that of the popular Cycloidal and Modified-Trapezoidal motions. It has also been demonstrated that, for the flexible follower system, the dynamic effects of cam profile errors are small. This is probably the reason why previous investigators have neglected the affects of cam profile errors in their modelling. This thesis makes a significant contribution in the field of design of cam-follower systems and the manufacture of cams. A versatile, user-oriented software system - COSCAD has been developed which can be a very useful tool for the cam designer to search for the best cam motion, the system parameters, and the production quality of cams to achieve optimum dynamic performance. Using this program, the system behaviour can be predicted during the design development stage without setting up a complex experimental rig.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Participation as Social Science Method and Theory: Indigenous Response in the Mackenzie Delta

contributor:
Preston, Richard J.
Anthropology

subject: Anthropology Anthropology

abstract:
The thesis has two primary components. The first is a theoretical overview of the standards of conduct for the participant-observation method in social science. It is argued that these "rules" for the method are predicated upon a set of epistemological and ontological assumptions about the process of knowing and the nature of cultural knowledge. Both monist and dualist approaches to knowledge are examined in relation to participant-observation, and it is; argued in the thesis that both confuse ontology with epistemology. This involves a self-contradicting set of expectations about how a researcher can know another culture and about how objective knowledge can be reconciled with relative knowledge. An alternate framework, adapted from monistic traditions, is proposed for understanding the epistemology of participant-observation. This framework suggests that the intersubjectivity of dialogue in locating and evaluating cultural "texts" be utilized in methods of participation.

In the second component of the thesis, a case study of research in the Mackenzie Delta, NWT, is presented. This is based upon participant-observation fieldwork in two Delta communities in 1981. Native and non-Native residents (long-term and transient) were asked about their responses to the methods of research and participation used by 20th century investigators in the region. Both the methods used by social science researchers and the responses tCl them are presented, with an emphasis upon how local expectations of conduct and reciprocity shaped the application of method and the images held of social science researchers. The nature of conduct and response is presented within a broader context of research sponsorship and ethics for northern social research, as it was determined that the nature of northern response to research, as well as methods themselves, were in turn shaped by the methodological and practical expectations of primary sponsors: universities, government, and Native organizations. The case study research fills a gap in understanding how host communities contribute to the creation of cultural texts, and how this contribution is in fact influenced by social and political factors outside the community itself. It is concluded that, by using the proposed alternate theoretical framework, the active role of the hosts and their political expectations in bounding, contextualizing, and validating cultural knowledge can be recognized. This role can also be acknowledged through the development of research ethics codes which recognize the responsibilities of both hosts and visitors to account for the learning process.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: An FPTAS for Total Weighted Earliness Tardiness Problem with Constant Number of Distinct Due Dates and Polynomially Related Weights

contributor:
Karakostas, George
Computer Science

subject:
Scheduling Problem
TWET
FPTAS
Computer and Systems Architecture
Computer and Systems Architecture

abstract:
We are given a sequence of jobs on a single machine, and each job has a weight, processing time and a due date. A job is early when it finishes before or on its due date and its earliness is the amount of time between its completion time and its due date. A job is tardy when it finishes after its due date and its tardiness is the amount of time between its due date and its completion time. The TWET problem is to find a schedule which minimizes the total weighted earliness and tardiness. We are focusing on the TWET problem with a constant number of distinct due dates and polynomially related weights. This problem has been proven to be NP-hard. In this thesis, we present a dynamic programming algorithm for our TWET problem first and then convert it into an FPTAS by adopting a rounding scheme.

There are several important points in our algorithm: we observe the importance of the straddlers and guess them at the beginning through exhaustive enumeration, and insert them back at the very end by solving a linear problem; we know a series of structural properties of the optimal schedule to shrink the state space of the DP; we increase each due date to get a new problem and adopt a rounding scheme of the DP for the new problem to avoid preemption. Finally we move the due dates back to get the final schedule for the original TWET problem without changing the objective value much.

abstract: Master of Science (MSc)


title: Economic Change in the Palaeoeskimo Prehistory of the Foxe Basin, N.W.T

contributor:
Cannon, Aubrey
Anthropology

subject:
Anthropology
economic change
arctic

abstract:
This thesis is a study of economic change in the Palaeoeskimo period (3200 B. P. to 1000 B. P.) at Igloolik Island, in the Foxe Basin, eastern Canadian Arctic. Evidence derived from the analysis of settlement, zooarchaeological and artefactual data was used to in fer changes in settlement, subsistence and social organization between early PreDorset (3200 B. P.) and Late Dorset (1000 B. P.). The primary economic unit during early PreDorset was probably the nuclear fanlily and at Igloolik the major subsistence activity was ringed seal hunting. PreDorset settlement was short-term and groups appear to have been highly mobile, moving away from Igloolik to exploit other resources on a seasonal basis. In contrast Dorset groups were less mobile. spending a greater proportion of the year at Igloolik and exploiting a wider range of resources. The Early Dorset period was characterized by the development of new technology, communal walrus hunting, storage practices and the appearance of larger economic and social units. In Late Dorset, this basic pattern remained the sanle, although subsistence strategies continued to broaden.

The development of communal walrus hunting storage and the widening of the subsistence base combined to produce relative subsistence security in Dorset as compared to PreDorset. This relative security seems to have been expressed in the elaboration of material culture, particularly walrus hunting harpoon heads. and it may have resulted some socio-economic differentiation between Dorset groups in the Foxe Basin region and those in the central and high Arctic.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: SHAPE OPTIMIZATION OF ELLIPTIC PDE PROBLEMS ON COMPLEX DOMAINS

contributor:
Protas, Bartosz
Mathematics and Statistics

subject:
shape calculus
optimization
elliptic PDEs
boundary integral equations
spectral methods
heat transfer
Applied Mathematics
Applied Mathematics

abstract: This investigation is motivated by the problem of optimal design of cooling elements in modern battery systems. We consider a simple model of two-dimensional steady state heat conduction described by elliptic partial differential equations (PDEs) and involving a one dimensional cooling element represented by an open contour. The problem consists in finding an optimal shape of the cooling element which will ensure that the solution in a given region is close (in the least square sense) to some prescribed target distribution. We formulate this problem as PDE-constrained optimization and the locally optimal contour shapes are found using the conjugate gradient algorithm in which the Sobolev shape gradients are obtained using methods of the shape-differential calculus combined with adjoint analysis. The main novelty of this work is an accurate and efficient approach to the evaluation of the shape gradients based on a boundary integral formulation. A number of computational aspects of the proposed approach is discussed and optimization results obtained in several test problems are presented.

abstract: Master of Science (MSc)


title: The Development of Methodologies and a Novel Test Facility for the Characterisation of Thermoelectric Generators

contributor:
Cotton, J. S.
Mechanical Engineering

subject: Thermoelectrics Power Generation Characterisation TEG

subject: Energy Systems

subject: Heat Transfer, Combustion

subject: Energy Systems

abstract:
With the rising prices of energy and the harmful environmental effects many of conventional energy generation techniques the world is pushing for new, cleaner, more efficient and more environmental renewable energy sources. Thermoelectric generators are one of the potential solutions to these problems of unclean and expensive energy. Thermoelectric generators are solid state devices that convert thermal energy into useful electrical energy.

Over the last ten years the progress in materials science have led to advancements in thermoelectrics. However as of yet no standardised method of testing thermoelectric generators has been established and as such data provided for thermoelectric generators is regarded as questionable. This thesis deals with two commercial thermoelectric generator models, TEG1 12610-5.1 AND TEG1B 12610-5.1, and quantifies the deviation of the manufacturer’s specifications to what is experimentally achieved by the generators as 147% and 22% respectively. The variance of the outputs between thermoelectric generators was measured by comparing the maximum power output for the models in question over a sample size of four, it was found to be as much as 20% and 8% respectively.

A full characterisation of the thermoelectric generators is performed on the two generator models to obtain the data as to their power output and thermal conductivity for the purpose of design of a waste energy harvesting device. The full characterisation was also used to validate the testing apparatus as a device capable for the use as a standardised method of characterising the performance of thermoelectric generation modules.

A mechanistic model is created using the experimental characterisation data. This mechanistic model has the ability to accurately predict the voltage and current output of the thermoelectric generator models under any given temperatures and electrical loading condition with a minimum R-squared value of 0.94. The thermal conductivity is also found to be predictable using an established equation modified with an empirical constant.

abstract: Master of Applied Science (MASc)


title: Carving Self-Identity: Hopi Katsina Dolls as Contemporary Cultural Expression

subject: Anthropology Anthropology

abstract: This dissertation examines self-identity as expressed through contemporary Hopi katsina doll carving, an enduring Pueblo tradition and innovative art form. Although katsina dolls are produced by all Pueblo groups, only the Hopi, and to a much lesser extent the Zuni. produce figures for commercial sale. Consequently, this research focuses specifically on contemporary commercial Hopi katsina doll carvings. Within this dissertation, contemporary Hopi carving is considered as a highly expressive vehicle of representation in which carvers act as creative agents of cultural ideology. Following recent transcultured arts models, I argue for a linkage between the art of katsina doll carving, both process and product, and Hopi self-identity, asserting that new trends in carving articulate contemporary concerns regarding cultural continuity, survival and self-determination in a modem world. In addition to exploring this thesis, my case study of commercial Hopi katsina doll carving also approaches several broader theoretical themes and pertinent issues, including discussions of: the processes of transcultural exchange and commodification embodied in acculturated art; the social agency of art consumers in the Western market; and, notions of authenticity and the social production of value associated with art objects.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Consumption and work hours in life cycle models with uncertain lifetimes: an individual analysis and an equillibrium analysis with overlapping generations

contributor:
Browning, Martin
Burbidge, J.B.
Robb, A.L.
Economics

subject: Economics Economics

abstract:
This thesis consists of two parts. In the first part, life cycle patterns of consumption, work hours, savings and assets of an individual under uncertain lifetimes with actuarially fair life insurance and annuities are studied and the effects on consumption and work hours of changes in survival probabilities, the age specific wage rates and the rate at interest are analyzed.

A substitutability relation between consumption and leisure and the availability of actuarially fair annuities can explain the lack of decumulation even after retirement.

The marginal saving rate out of anticipated labour income is positive. Under certain conditions, the marginal consumption rate could also be positive. Thus the Keynesian absolute Income hypothesis may be fully supported in the life cycle context.

A general increase in survival rates creates only a wealth effect by changing the actuarially fair rates of interest. The resulting intertemporal substitution effect is offset by a change in discount factors applied to the utility function due to life uncertainty. On the other hand, an increase in survival probabilities for one individual only, creates an interrtemporal substitution effect.

An evolutionary increase in wage rates creates an intertemporal allocation effect by changing the relative price of expenditure (on consumption and leisure) at different ages and an intratemporal substitution effect by increasing the price of leisure relative to consumption. On the other hand, a parametric increase in wage rates creates a wealth effect, an intertemporal reallocation effect and an intratemporal substitution effect. The compensated effect of a parametric wage increase, consisting of the intratemporal substitution effect and the intertemporal reallocation effect, on work hours (consumption) is smaller (greater) than the effects of an equal evolutionary wage Increase.

In the second part, a dynamic general equilibrium model based on the Samuelson-Diamond overlapping generations framework, is developed. The model is based on the standard continuous time life cycle model under life uncertainty and incorporates all the demographic aspects of overlappiog generations.

The implications of morality changes for aggregate economic behaviour are discussed. A mortality change carries a reallocation effect by affecting the lifetime decision of individuals, an age redistribution effect by changing the relative size of different cohorts, and a demographic effect by changing the growth rate of population. An increase in survival rates at the young or middle (old) age will reduce (increase) the capital-labour ratio and the wage rate and increase (decrease) the rate of interest.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Toward a Philosophy of Good Life in Tirukkuṟaḷ (An Analysis of the concept of Aṟam and Its Relation to other asp ects of Good Life)

contributor:
Sivaraman, K.
Religious Sciences

subject:
Religious Sciences
Religion
Religion

abstract:
The present work is concerned with the explication of a philosophy of good life that could possibly be discerned in the ancient Tamil classic, Tirukkuṟaḷ. Though the Classic itself does not go into the details of 'definitions' and analysis of 'rival views', on a careful study of the text and the commentaries - both classical and modern -- we find that the Classic incorporates a philosophy of good life which is at once reflective of the Indian view-point and is also suggestive of newer approaches and perspectives.

The argument of the thesis is that the philosophy of good life found in the Kuṟaḷ is directly derivable from the philosophy of religion inherent in it. The method adopted by the author of the Kuṟaḷ to get at the essence of religion, we have argued, is not by referring abstractly to religion per se but by accepting certain aspects and rejecting certain other aspects of the religions current in the Indian scene during his time. The methodology adopted by Tiruvaḷḷuvar, the author of the Tamil classic, when investigated, reveals that it is not possible to label the Classic either as a Brahmanical Hindu work or as a Jaina work or as a Buddhist work. Hence, after indicating our own methodology study in chapter 1, we have examined the relationship between Tirukkuṟaḷ on the one hand and the three Indian traditions on the other, in chapter 2. We have arrived at the conclusion that the Kuṟaḷ, without rejecting in toto, Brahmanical Hindu ideas, Jaina ideas and the Buddhist ideas, accepts aspects of them which do not smack of a sectarian character, and makes subtle but significant modifications in them all to arrive at the essence of religion. Tiruvaḷḷuvar seems to imply that the essence of religion consists in aiming at and realizing the Good.

The good life, from this point of view is seen to stand for a transcendent goal inherent in human life which, all the same cannot be realized in a sphere distinct from or outside of life in society. In its barest outlines: our argument is that the qualitative improvements to life in society that a prime moral principle effectuates, when adhered to, indicates aspects of the good life. We have suggested that both the ultimate Ideal and the idealizations of inter-personal relations in society help the individual in realizing the Good. In more specific terms: the realization of the ultimate Ideal itself is synonymous with realizing ideal perfectibility in the 'more immediate' spheres of life in society. Such a philosophy of Good life, characteristic of the Tamil classic has been responsible for its exhorting an activistic, this-worldly ethics, without belittling the value of or disregarding the importance of 'ultimate realization', we have maintained. The cue for our interpretation has been that even though the Kuṟaḷ refers to Aṟam, poruḷ and iṉpam (the three values) in three different sections, the thrust of the whole work is to maintain the supremacy of Aṟam. This is the basis of our considering poruḷ and iṉpam as extensions of Aṟam and not as independent values. In sum we have argued that the Kuraḷ' s philosophy of good life is illustratively evident from the way in which it treats of Aṟam as underlying every aspect of human life. Chapters 3,4 and 5 are respectively devoted for Aṟam and its 'extensions'. In chapter 6"we have drawn the strings of our argument together and summarized the results of our investigation.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Statistical Decision Theory Models of Sequential Multiple Observations by Human Observers

contributor:
Kinchla, R.A.
Psychology

subject: Psychology Psychology

abstract:
Kinchla (1969 ) has proposed a general model for multiple observation tasks which assumes that humam observers respond in such tasks on the basis of the sum of the sensory information available to them. In this thesis Kinchla's simple sum model is compared to a model which assumes that observers respond on the basis of the weighted sum of the sensory information available to them.

Three experiments were carried out. The major findings were that in a two interval sequential multiple observation task:

1) Stimulus Frequency within an interval does not induce weighting.

2) Instructions to concentrate on one interval induce weighting.

3) False information feedback about one interval induces weighting.

The relevance of the results to theories of "attention" is discussed.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: The Syntheses, Structures and Dynamic Behaviour of Sterically Crowded Organic and Organometallic Complexes

contributor:
McGlinchey, Michael J.
Chemistry

subject: Chemistry Chemistry

abstract:
The chemistry of crowded organic and organometallic complexes has been explored by the incorporation of bulky substituents into cyclopentadienone and benzene architectures, with the ultimate goal of creating a system that exhibits correlated rotation of peripheral groups.

The inclusion of naphthyl groups into η4-(2,3,4,5-tetraaryl)cyclopentadienone rhodium acetylacetonate derivatives increases the steric hindrance of the propeller blades, as observed by the generation of numerous rotamers at low-temperature. By using the 31P NMR signal of the triphenylephosphine moiety, the barrier to rotation of the naphthyl substituents was determined to be 8.2 kcal mol-1. In hexa-β-naphthylbenzene, the barrier to rotation is approximately 17 kcal mol-1, which is comparable to that of a meta-substituted phenyl group. The presence of numerous proximal/distal naphthyl rotational isomers is evident in the structure of penta-β-naphthylferrocenylbenzene, in which the substituents experience significant steric interplay and offer the potential for the observation of correlated rotation.

The influence of an organometallic unit on the stabilization of positive charge in a sterically crowded cyclopentadienyl cation has also been explored. In the absence of the metal moiety, the cation formed by the protonation of 2,3,4,5-tetraphenylcyclopentadienone (1.26) undergoes extensive rearrangement to give 5-H benzo[a]fluorene-5-one (4.38), whereas 3-ferrocenyl-2,4,5-triphenylcyclopentadienone (1.27) is stabilized by metal participation, as evidenced by the barrier to rotation of the resulting hydroxy-fulvalene cation; these results have been rationalized using DFT calculations.

Furthermore, the potential for control over the barrier to rotation has been investigated for the first time by the examination of indenyl and fluorenyl groups as peripheral substituents. The synthesis and dynamic behaviour of an indenyl-triptycene complex revealed the severe degree of interaction between the blades of the triptycene and the indenyl unit. The attempted incorporation of a metal fragment onto the indene yields instead addition to one of the triptycene blades, thus preventing the possibility of utilizing haptotropic shifts to alter the barrier to triptycene rotation.

Finally, the attempted synthesis of pentaphenylfluorenyl benzene was thwarted by the formation and reaction of fluorenyl radicals. The result was the unanticipated preparation of a Gomberg dimer, as well as substituted naphthacene molecules.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: The Constitution of Normative Understanding in Earliest Christianity, Especially as Evidenced in Pauline, Lucan-Synoptic, and Johannine Writings

contributor:
Sanders, E.P.
Religion

subject: Religion Religion

abstract:
The problem of orthodoxy and heresy in earliest Christianity, perennially interesting to historians of theology, has recently received a new wave of interest on the occasion of the revival of Walter Bauer's Rechtglaubigkeit and Ketzerei in gltesten Christentum. Part of the new interest is dedicated to assimilating Bauer's conclusions, which were not thoroughly absorbed at the time of the book's original publication: there was no "orthodoxy" in earliest Christianity, but only a variety of doctrinal positions; and "heresy" as a corruption of pure and uniform early doctrine is an anachronistic invention by partisans of the doctrine which eventually managed to acquire sufficient political strength to constitute itself as "orthodoxy." Another part of the interest in these questions derives from the difficulties raised for theology by critical history: the discrediting of earlier assumptions raises serious question about how theology is now to be validated. Its interest in its own authenticity motivates theology to look to the question of earliest normative belief.

The most advanced modern scholarship now tends to accept Bauer's conclusions, and to assume that there could have been no orthodoxy in earliest Christianity because there was not yet a court of appeal through which orthodoxy could be distinguished from heterodoxy. But the latter assumption, although common among contemporary scholars, appears never to have been really tested. Granted that there was no procedure as clear and definitive as eventually came about in later times, it is wrong to suppose that there was none at all. The purpose of this study is to discover how earliest Christianity understood the constitution of its own thought. What was the early Christian sense of the way in which questions of normative understanding should be properly dealt with? How did earliest Christians think the Christian mind was made up?

The main body of evidence by which these questions can be investigated consists in the documents gathered into the New Testament--particularly, on account of their size, scope, and historical importance, the Pauline letters, the works of Luke (and of his fellow synoptic evangelists), and the Fourth Gospel. The additional epistles of the Pauline and Johannine schools provide a further supplement to what is disclosed in these more substantive documents, and the other books of the New Testament (and the works of the Apostolic Fathers) reveal other parts of the early Christian spectrum. A careful consideration of these documents, searching for their authors' senses of what might be the constitution governing Christian thought (and their authors' senses of their addressees' suppositions) establishes the degree to which there was in fact a court of appeal implicit in early Christian understanding, the extent of agreement about where it was to be found, and the sense of how much it mattered. The study concludes with reflections on the implications of its results for both the historical and the theological fronts.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: An Examination of the Link Between Social Roles and Dental Health: A Study Among Three Ontario Iroquoian Populations

contributor:
Saunders, Shelley R.
Anthropology

subject: Anthropology Anthropology

abstract:
Learning about the individual in a past society can be an interesting and important yet often difficult endeavour. Although the many different classes of artifacts recovered from archaeological sites provide varying lines of evidence. the skeletal remains of the people themselves teach us the most about pre-contact health and nutrition. The focus of this study was to examine individuals from three Ontario Iroquoian ossuaries and evaluate their dental disease. Comparisons between individuals were based upon each person' s sex status and age category. in order to determine whether or not adult females and males in these populations differed in their dental health. Mandibles and maxillae were examined from 158 adults interred at the Uxbridge (BbGs-3 ). Kleinburg (AIGv-l ) and Syers (no Borden designation) ossuaries. These people lived during the Late Ontario lroquoian period (circa AD 1350-1600). subsisting primarily on maize. beans and squash cultigens.

As expected for their subsistence economy, most individuals exhibited high levels ofdental disease. ascertained by caries. pulp exposures. antemortem tooth loss and abscesses. Results for the Observed Caries Rate. the Diseased Missing Index and the Corrected Caries Rate did, in some cases, difter between the male and female adults, although a common pattern in these differences was not evident when the three distinct ossuary populations were compared with one another.

Variations in dental disease may have been caused by the chemistry. texture and amounts of foods eaten. and the frequency and duration of meals. The ethnohistoric. ethnographic and archaeological records \vere consulted to determine whether or not the adult males and females in these lroquoian communities may have eaten differently on a regular basis. It is probable that their daily activities determined access to certain types of foods and the number of meals eaten. lroquoian women may have been inadvertently placed at a higher risk for long-term dental disease which would have influenced their overall health. Research of this nature yields much about the lives of past peoples and illustrates the importance of studying skeletal remains and interpreting the results by utilizing the ethnohistoric and archaeological records.

abstract: Master of Arts (MA)


title: Training for Power in Older Adults Effects on Functional Abillities

contributor:
Hicks, Audrey L
Kinesiology

subject: Kinesiology Kinesiology

abstract: Master of Science (MSc)


title: The Development of a Model for Culture Change at MGT Family Church (2001-2006)

contributor:
Steinacher, Mark
Divinity College

subject:
Divinity College
Christianity
Practical Theology
Religion
Christianity

abstract:
A congregation is as strong as its mission and vision. The Canadian evangelical church is in the process of considering its effectiveness particularly in terms of it missionality. This question has caused MGT Family Church leadership to step outside its current traditions and praxis to consider the necessary elements for a biblical and engaging church. The problem of this research project was to identify a model of culture change that would serve church leadership as they sought to implement congregational renewal.

This five-year project began with the articulation of ecclesiological considerations and was closely followed by a study concerning the missional expectations of the local church. The role of the local church has been synthesized into three values as expressed in corporate church activity and in the lives of church members and known by the acronym 'SAM.' (Spiritual Formation, Authentic/Accountable Relationships and Missional Activity)

The scriptures speak of the expectation of spiritual growth and maturity in terms of one's relationship with God. Church leadership must endeavor to establish a church that facilitates spiritual formation in the lives of the congregation irrespective of where each person is in their spiritual journey.

Second, a believer grows when he or she is in relationship with another person or a group of people. The church is a catalyst for the development of small communities that regularly meet together for mutual support and spiritual growth. Additionally, a believer is missionally effective when he or she is in relationship with a seeker.

Third, the Kingdom of God grows when believers are missionally engaged. Corporate congregational activities must be conducive to missionality and supporting instruction for the individual must be available.

Culture change implementation is largely the responsibility of church leadership. Today's pastor must be equipped to lead his or her congregation in the direction of Kingdom effectiveness. The way in which he or she chooses to lead will determine the effectiveness of the proposed culture change.

Portico, formerly MGT Family Church, a Pentecostal church in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada has been the subject of a culture change during the period from 2000 to 2005. The leadership team consisted of men and women who were cognizant of the church's history and its successes and failures, its strengths and its weaknesses. Over the period of two years church leaders conducted an intense study to determine the nature and extent of a proposed culture change. This was followed by the implementation of measured changes between 2000 and 2004. In early 2005 the culture change was fully and forcefully implemented with Sunday services totally dedicated to Revolution Sunday, a full articulation of the new church culture.

In early 2006 the author conducted a survey among Portico congregants. Seventy-nine people responded and the results were tabulated through the use of SPSS version 8.0 data management system. Participants volunteered their responses concerning the church culture change.

Research shows that organizational culture renewal is best facilitated through an informed and carefully designed process which is adjusted to meet new challenges over the course of time. As local church leadership teams begin to consider the potential of a renewed church culture and grapple with the associated challenges the Canadian Pentecostal church will increase in its missional effectiveness.

abstract: Doctor of Ministry (DMin)


title: Social Criticism After Rawls: An Analysis of Interpretation and Justification

contributor:
Simpson, Evan
Philosophy

subject: Philosophy Philosophy

abstract:
Rawls's notion of reflective equilibrium is a useful framework for interpreting the relationships among the claims of social critics rather than a new method for political argument. Reflective equilibrium should be understood in a nonideal (or practical) way that allows for variations in the appropriate justification of criticism. Given contemporary conditions of argument, there are at least three feasible practices of criticism rather than one right procedure. I assess patterns of critical argument on the understanding that a coherence approach to justification is more reasonable than the alternatives.

Nonideal reflective equilibrium breaks down into three separate practices of justification that tend to emphasize one element at the expense of others. There can be appeals to principles (rationalistic criticism), appeals to background theories (background theory criticism), and appeals to our considered judgments (connected criticism), criticize implausible versions of these practices, and propose that the three remaining "stances" are compatible and constitute a larger practice that I call post-Rawlsian pluralism.

Inappropriate rationalism (Alan Gewirth, R.M. Hare) differs from the rationalistic stance (Brian Barry, Ronald Dworkin). Unfeasible universalism (Jurgen Habermas, Thomas Pogge) contrasts with the background theory stance (Norman Daniels, Onora 0' Neill, Gerald Doppelt, Kai Nielsen). Unacceptable ethnocentrism (Stanley Fish) is not the same as the connected stance (Michael Walzer, Richard Rorty, Stuart Hampshire, Barbara Ehrenreich).

I defend post-Rawlsian pluralism by considering a spectrum of problems: impartiality versus commitment; political pluralism versus perspectival pluralism; cultural relativism versus international criticism; and conservatism versus radicalism. I conclude by arguing for a cooperative practice of many particularized critics characterized by different interests. My ultimate aim is to reconceive the theory of criticism as based upon the experience and standpoints of practicing critics rather than as requiring an ideal theory conceived prior to historical situations and then adapted to our needs and purposes.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: The Analysis of Cooperation in Collective Action Games: Experimental Evidence

contributor:
Mestelman, S.
Feeny, D.
Magee, L.
Economics

subject: Economics Economics

abstract:
Economics is often considered a science advanced in theory but lacking in observation. The recent development of the field of experimental economics has permitted economists to test their theories in relatively controlled environments. Economic behaviour is induced by paying subjects based upon their decisions, and assuming that subjects prefer more money to less. If a theory does not predict well under simple conditions, then it should certainly be questioned in more complex, less controlled environments.

Experiments cost money -- often a fair amount. Thus, observations are generally limited relative to the data available from the natural economy. The null distribution of many test statistics relies on asymptotic normal results. With small samples, these results are not necessarily accurate. The exact randomization technique was proposed as a method of dealing with small data sets in the natural sciences. To date, it has received little attention from economists.

I analyze the properties of the exact randomization test for difference in means and compare them to standard tests experimentalists use to test hypotheses. The exact randomization technique performs well under a variety of assumptions about the distribution of errors, when compared to the t-test and the Mann-Whitney V-test for difference in distributions. By testing the exact randomization technique, this work adds a new tool for data analysis which is particularly suited to analyzing economic data generated in the lab. In addition to the standard tests, I use the exact randomization technique in the analysis of two different collective action games.

Collective action games reveal an interesting dichotomy in economic theory. If people in these environments act in a self-interested manner they will do worse than if they cooperate as a group. Economic theory assumes people act in their own self-interest, but a basic axiom of utility theory is that people prefer more to less. By studying subjects' actions in collective action games we gain insight into the motivations behind economic behaviour.

In the first experiment, subjects contribute to a public good. Although subjects tend to give more than economic theory predicts, their actions may be better described as strategically motivated than motivated by a warm-glow from the act of giving. In the second, a common-pool resource (CPR) environment is examined. In one treatment, subjects are permitted to monitor the actions of others, while in another, they are also able to levy sanctions against those they catch cheating on some agreement. Costly monitoring increases the appropriation of the CPR, but when sanctioning is permitted, CPR appropriation is constrained. The results from these two experiments suggest that warm-glow does not seem to characterize human economic behaviour, and that policy should focus upon developing governance devices that enable individuals to pursue cooperative endeavours.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: The Ramakrishna Movement and the vJest

contributor:
Younger, Paul
Religion

subject: Religion Religion

abstract:
In defining the Ramakrishna Movement as a "satellite", the writer's purpose throughout is twofold: 1) to investigate those themes from the Indian religious tradition from which the Movement drew its inspiration and authentication, and 2) to study the Western influences which both gave to the Movement its larger mission, beyond the subcontinent, and provided models for social service and organization within it. Its" satellite" character is evidenced in its having emerged, then, from the soil of India with a message for other climes. It has also received from this trans-cultural encounter, however. The message which it proclaims and which it relays back to India is significantly altered by this factor of exchange.

The validity of the tradition itself was affirmed through the paradigmatic pilgrimage of Ramakrishna himself. The normative interpretation given him was that he had personally established the spiritual truth of the rich and varied paths offered by the tradition. This he did in virtual isolation from direct Western influence. His chief disciple, Vivekananda, brought his master's model into confrontation with the West in vivid and colourful fashion . He convincingly demon - strated to many that Vedanta, or Hinduism universalized, was not only a viable religion among others, but that it constituted the essential basis of all religion. Attention is given to the manner in which the heroic audacity of this claim gave strength to nationalist aspirations in India, in addition to its more specifically religious appeal.

Methodologically, the thesis in the first part deals historically with the background of the British presence and the Indian response, and then, successively, with the examples of Ramakrishna and Vivekananda. Particular attention, with the latter, is devoted to formative and reactive elements in India and the West which, beyond Vivekananda's own forceful personality, helped to shape the Movement's directions. The personalities of Vivekananda's Western disciples and those of his successors in the West from India, also receive attention. These emerge with more clarity through the inclusion of previously unpublished materials, chiefly letters, to which the writer had access through the courtesy of the Vedanta Society of Southern California.

In addition to the historical material, Part II of the thesis attempts an analysis of the Movement, in its relation to the Indian religious tradition, its emphasis on social service and nationalism, and its intellectual contribution, primarily with reference to universalist themes. With respect to the tradition, the judgment is made that the Movement's primary models were, 1) heroism and strength from the Vedic period, 2) a stress on renunciation and intellectual zeal from Shaivism and Buddhism, 3) and social service and a missionary component, also from Buddhism. While the implications of these models were largely drawn for the purpose of establishing the vocation of the monastic community, the heroism, in particular, made a visible contribution to rising nationalist expressions among the larger populace. Social service, an important part of the Movement's work in India, was wholly absent in the Western centers, for reasons which are explored. Neither in the West or in India, interestingly, was social reform a significant objective; reform was conceived in more narrowly religious terms.

The Western presence may be understood as the catalyst for the vigorous stress on social service and universalism adopted by the Movement. In conscious reaction to Protestant efforts in education and social service, the Movement sought to establish that the Indian tradition, properly understood, also sanctioned such efforts. While Western organizational models were often utilized for these purposes, Vedanta's understanding of its universalist message was in partial contrast to that of Christian missionaries. It was asserted that it was less dogmatic and thus more tolerant, and capable, also, of reconciliation with modern scientific philosophy. The thesis concludes with an examination of alternative ways in which the Movement has voiced its universalist claim.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Speaking Through the Body: Leukorrhea as a Bodily Idiom of Communication in Garhwal, India

contributor:
Glanville, E.V.
Anthropology

subject: Anthropology Anthropology

abstract: Among women in South Asia, the complaint of vaginal discharge (often called leukorrhea) is extraordinarily common. Genital secretions, according to Ayurvedic concepts of the body, are considered a highly purified form of"dhatu", or bodily substance, and loss of this precious substance is thought to result in progressive weakness or even death. Women suffering from "dhatu loss" complain of vaginal discharge as well as somatic symptoms such as dizziness, backache and weakness. The link between unexplained gynecological symptoms and mental health concerns has been explored by both psychiatrists and anthropologists in South Asia Cross-cultural psychiatrists have suggested that leukorrhea and its associated symptoms may represent a somatic idiom for depression. In this research report, I explore a more broad construction for leukorrhea as a "bodily idiom of communication", in which the woman's body serves as a template for the expression of deep emotion. I suggest that leukorrhea may represent a discourse of distress; of resistance to social oppression; a discourse about sexuality; a way of reflecting upon a rapidly changing society. Leukorrhea has entirely different meanings in the dominant biomedical discourse, where it has come to represent reproductive tract infection (RTI). Early biomedical studies suggested that RTI was prevalent in South Asia, although these studies were limited in scope and flawed in methodology. Women suffering from sexually transmitted infection are at higher risk for the transmission of human immunodeficiency virus, an issue ofincreasing concern in South Asia A public health program entitled "the syndromic approach to the management of STIs" has been launched in South Asia to treat women presumptively for STI based on the reported symptom of vaginal discharge. Despite evidence that the approach is resulting in significant over-treatment ofwomen with antibiotics, the program continues. I explore the way in which the polysemic symptom ofleukorrhea has been medicalized, and comment on the negative effects ofthis construction ofthe South Asian woman's body. I conclude with a discussion ofthe interface between ways ofknowing, and the role of the anthropologist who works at this interface, which is invariably fraught with political and ideological tensions.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Normative Christianity and the Gospel of John

contributor:
Meyer, B. F.
Religious Studies

subject:
Religious Studies
Religion
Religion

abstract:
The present study is an attempt to contribute to two areas of inquiry in New Testament studies. The first is the debate on orthodoxy and heresy in early Christianity. The second is the interpretation of the Fourth Gospel.

With reference to the orthodoxy/heresy theme, the effort of the dissertation is to propose and justify a question new to the contemporary debate; namely, whether, and in what terms, a Christian theologian of the New Testament era consciously intended to make his work cohere with Divine Revelation conceived as truth. In the present study the theologian in question is "the decisive redactor" of the Fourth Gospel. The dissertation argues that in elaborating themes such as those bearing on the "Spirit of truth" and "the disciple whom Jesus loved" the Evangelist has rooted a deep and pervasive concern for orthodoxy in the thematic core of Johannine theology: especially in the themes of "truth" and of Jesus as himself the truth (In. 14:6).

The main thrust of the study is exegetical. But, although limited to the understanding of one universe of discourse Johannine theology -- it has wider implications and belongs ultimately to a larger context: the understanding of early Christianity and its commitment to truth.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: The Influence of Sherwood Anderson on Morley Callaghan

contributor:
Shrive, F.N.
English

subject:
English Language and Literature
English Language and Literature

abstract: Master of Arts (MA)


title: A Regional Analysis of Employment Changes in Canadian Agriculture

contributor:
Webber, M.J.
Reeds, L.G.
Geography

subject: Geography Geography

abstract:
The study investigates changes in the size and composition of the farm labour force in the regions of Canada over the period 1946 to 1973. The analysis of changes in farm employment is based upon an econometric model of the market for agriculture labour. The study departs from previous econometric analyses of the farm labour market in several respects. The model is disaggregated into three submodels, each pertaining to a distinct component of the farm workforce. Unlike other disaggregated models, the fundamental processes that determine levels of employment are not assumed to be the same for all types of farm labour. Instead, the submodels for farm operator employment, unpaid family employment, and hired farm labour have different conceptual bases and different structural forms, thus incorporating important elements of the heterogeneity of the farm labour force within the model. The derivation procedures also result in particular interdependence being specified among the components, a further extension of previous models.

Empirical estimation of the farm employment model is undertaken at both the national and regional levels, and regional differences in the parameter estimates are analyzed using covariance procedures. This investigation of regional variation in the estimated employment relationships represents a notable development in the analysis of the market for agricultural labour.

The results attest to the efficacy of using econometric models to analyze changes in farm employment, and demonstrate that such models also lend themselves to statistical examination of regional variation in the determinants of employment changes. The regional analysis shows that the effects of changes in economic variables on farm employment differ significantly among the regions of Canada. However, these differences are most frequently differences in the magnitude and speed of employment responses to changing economic stimuli, and several of the empirical relationships are relatively consistent among groups of regions.

Changes in farm operator numbers are shown to be related to changes in agriculture technology and nonfarm income opportunities, though changes in the relative price of farm products seem to have little effect on operator employment in agriculture. In all regions, the number of unpaid family workers in agriculture is related to the number of farmers, but in Quebec, Ontario and the Prairies, unpaid family employment also varies with changes in the cost of hired labour. In these regions, the results imply that increases in farm wage rates encourage farm operators to employ available members of their families on the farm rather than hire additional paid labour. The results also indicate that in Quebec, Ontario, and the Prairies, the supply of hired farm workers would increase if returns of hired labour in agriculture were raised, as long as operators are willing and able to offer such increases. In these regions also, employment in all components of the farm workforce are shown to be related to wage levels and the availability of jobs in the nonfarm sector. In periods when the nonfarm economy is depressed, agriculture tends to retain surplus labour.

It is suggested that the regional differences in the parameter estimates might reflect differences in the structure of agriculture, especially the relative importance of commercial family farms, or they may be related to differences in the degree of urban-industrial development among the regions. In any event, the farm employment model generally fits the data well in Ontario, has minor limitations in the Prairie regions and Quebec, but performs poorly in the Atlantic region and British Columbia.

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)