title: ADVANCED ANIONIC DOPANTS FOR POLYPYRROLE BASED ELECTROCHEMICAL SUPERCAPACITORS

type: Book Thesis

contributor:
Zhitomirsky, Igor
Materials Science and Engineering

subject:
polypyrrole
electrochemical supercapacitor
carbon nanotube

abstract:
Electrochemical Supercapacitors (ES), also known as Supercapacitor or Ultracapacitor, has been regarded as an advanced electrical energy storage device for decades. Fabrication of advanced electrode materials is of critical importance for advanced ES. Among various materials used for ES electrode, polypyrrole (PPy) is found to be a promising material due to high specific capacitance, good electrical conductivity, low cost and ease of processing. The use of advanced anionic dopants and addition of multiwall carbon nanotube (MWCNT) have been proved an .effective approach towards advanced PPy based ES with improved electrochemical behaviors.
In this research, chemical polymerization of PPy powders and PPy/MWCNT composite materials have been successfully accomplished in presence of advanced anionic dopants, including chromotrope families, amaranth, pyrocatechol violet, eriochrome cyanine R and acid fuchsin. The influence of polyaromatic dopants with different molecular size, charges and charge to mass ratios on the microstructure and electrochemical characteristics has been discussed. PPy coated MWCNT with uniform microstructures was successfully achieved in simple chemical methods.
The results showed PPy powders with enhanced microstructures and electrochemical behaviors can be obtained by using such advanced anionic dopants. Multi-charged polyaromatic dopants with larger molecular size benefitted PPy powders with smaller particle size, improved specific capacitance, and enhanced cycling stability, at high electrode mass loadings. Moreover, advanced aromatic dispersant and chemical synthesis was proved a simple and effective method for fabrication of PPy/MWCNT composite materials at different PPy/MWCNT mass ratio, among which the powder with PPy/MWCNT mass ratio of 7:3 showed optimum electrochemical performance. Last but not the least, the use of advanced high porosity current collector (Ni foam) allowed high electrode mass loading and good electric conductivity. As a result, advanced PPy/MWCNT composite materials which allows improved electrochemical behaviors, especially at high mass loading, are promising electrode materials for ES.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Applied Science (MASc)


title: Living With HIV/AIDS: a gay man's autoethnography

contributor:
Sinding, Christina
Social Work

subject: HIV/AIDS

abstract: In Canada, queer men (or ‘men who have sex with men’) continue to be disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS, representing at least 50% of all people living with HIV/AIDS (Public Health Agency of Canada, 2012). Every year, thousands of new infections significantly increase the toll that HIV/AIDS takes on queer men and their communities. With this epidemiological reality as context, I set out to explore how my subjectivity (as a gay, HIV-positive man) was and is shaped, specifically with respect to the following HIV/AIDS-related, socio-cultural phenomena: activism, community service, ‘safer’ sex, diagnosis and criminalization. These five phenomena provide focal points (or themes) for the presentation and analysis of my experience of living with HIV/AIDS, both before and after becoming infected. Through insider knowledge, my research examines three decades of personal stories, using critical reflexivity to increase my awareness (as well as my reader’s) of the myriad challenges and complexities of living one’s life in the midst of the ongoing pandemic.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Social Welfare (MSW)


title: WHY IMMIGRANTS WANT TO LEAVE CANADA: THE STRUGGLE OF CANADIAN UNIVERSITY GRADUATE IMMIGRANTS IN THE LABOUR MARKET

contributor:
Baker Collins, Stephanie
Social Work

subject:
skilled immigrants
Canadian labour market
race
discrimination
critical race theory
PCS model

abstract:
The purpose of this paper is to explore the personal, cultural and structural experiences and barriers faced by highly skilled Canadian university graduate immigrants regarding finding a good job related to their qualification in the labour market, and how this struggle has shaped their lives. Data was collected through individuals by semi-structured questionnaires. Interviews were the deep source of skilled immigrants’ experiences and problems they have faced in the labour market. Applying the critical race theory perspective and using the Thompson PCS Model as investigating tool, this study sought to capture the participants’ reality. The findings suggest that immigrants are facing many structural and systemic barriers and racial discrimination in the labour market. It is affecting them not only individually but also affecting their families and because of that these skilled immigrants have a plan to leave Canada for better job opportunities because even after graduating from Canadian universities they were unable to find work according to their field of study and work experience.
Major themes emerging from this research include: why skilled immigrants pursued more education if they were already graduated from their home countries; immigration policies and labour market policies mismatch; non-recognition of immigrants credentials and work experience; inadequate settlement services; racial discrimination in job market; and what difference they feel before and after graduating from Canadian university in finding a job.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Social Work (MSW)


title: Investigation of the activation of innate antiviral signaling and its counteraction by the herpes simplex virus protein ICP0

contributor:
Mossman, Karen L.
Biochemistry

subject: IRF3

subject: ICP0

subject: Herpes simplex virus

subject: Innate antiviral response

subject: Virus replication

subject: Rac1

subject: Interferon

subject: WDR11

subject: SILAC

subject: Ubiquitin

abstract: The classical description of the innate antiviral response involves the production of type I interferon (IFN) and the subsequent expression of hundreds of interferon stimulated genes (ISGs), which cooperatively repress viral replication and spread. More recently, an IFN-independent antiviral response has also been described, in which the entry of an enveloped virus induces a subset of ISGs without requiring the production of IFN, although the details of this response remain unclear. In this work, multiple approaches were used to further characterize antiviral signaling pathways. Initially, the potential involvement in the IFN-independent response of the small GTPase Rac1, which has been implicated in both viral entry and antiviral signaling, was investigated. Here, Rac1 was shown to have a possible function in the negative regulation of ISG expression, although technical complications prevented definitive conclusions. As an alternative strategy to identify novel aspects of antiviral signaling, the mechanism of action of ICP0, a herpes simplex virus (HSV) protein involved in innate immune evasion, was investigated. Although ICP0 is generally thought to perform its actions in the nucleus, by tagging proteins for proteasome-mediated degradation via the E3 ubiquitin ligase activity of its RING finger domain, here it was shown that not only does cytoplasmic ICP0 have a RING-dependent but proteasome-independent ability to block antiviral signaling, but also that ICP0 has a previously unknown RING-independent function in the promotion of viral replication in the cytoplasm. To further investigate the cytoplasmic activities of ICP0, proteins interacting with ICP0 in the cytoplasm were identified using quantitative mass spectrometry. This revealed several intriguing binding partners for ICP0, including WDR11, a poorly-characterized cellular protein which was shown to undergo a dramatic relocation during HSV infection, although it was not required for viral replication in cultured cells. Therefore, this study has uncovered several new and unexpected insights into ICP0 behavior.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Magnetic Susceptibility Observation of Thickness Driven Spin Reorientation in Ultrathin Fe/Ni(111)/W(110) Films

contributor:
Venus, David
Physics and Astronomy

abstract: Measurements of SMOKE ac magnetic susceptibility of Fe/Ni(111)/W(110) ultrathin films were used to investigate the thickness driven spin reorientation transition. χ_⊥ exhibits a broad peak with an exponential decay at high coverage, which is in agreement with the stripe domain model studied in the temperature driven spin reorientation. A strong χ_([001]) peak, which comes from the perpendicular-canted state transition, suggests a continuous reorientation process. χ_([001]) was measured at T=255K, 300K, 315K, 330K, 360K and 380K. A temperature-thickness phase diagram was constructed and reveals the temperature dependence of the surface anisotropy. The χ_([001]) peak magnitude is attenuated by high temperature and vanishes at T=380K. It suggests a "domain melting" in the perpendicular magnetization state. Another χ_⊥ peak at t≈1.0ML correlates to the film formation. A quantitative model is built to explain the microscopic mechanism behind this peak.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Science (MSc)


title: The Safety and Feasibility of Exercise Training for Youth with Inflammatory Bowel Disease: An Evaluation of Fitness, Function and Perceptions Toward Physical Activity

contributor:
Timmons, Brian W.
Bray, Steven
Phillips, Stuart M.
Kinesiology

subject:
Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Exercise Training
Youth
Body Composition
Muscle Strength
Fitness
Qualitative Methodology
Exercise Physiology

abstract: As of 2012, 233,000 Canadians were reported to be living with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), 2.5% of which were <18 years of age. In Ontario, the incidence of pediatric IBD is ~11.8 per 100,000 population, which is one of the highest rates in the world. Youth with IBD experience numerous health problems secondary to their diagnosis, including poor fitness and lower lean mass. The extent to which youth with IBD can respond to an exercise training program designed to improve fitness remains unknown.  The aim of this thesis was to assess the safety, feasibility and physiological efficacy of an exercise training program for youth in remission from IBD. Additionally, we attempted to understand the barriers and facilitators to physical activity in this population. A total of 104 patients were approached to participate in this study, 18 demonstrated interest and 11 consented to participate. Ten youth (nine males, age: 15.4±1.2 years) with IBD completed the study. Participants trained three times per week (2d in lab, 1d at home) for 16 weeks. Training sessions lasted 30 to 60 minutes, and consisted of a customized combination of aerobic and resistance exercises. Fat mass and lean mass were measured via Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry. Isometric and isokinetic torque of elbow flexion and knee extension were evaluated using an isokinetic dynamometer system. Peak oxygen consumption (VO2peak) and peak mechanical power (Wpeak) were determined using the McMaster All-Out Continuous cycling test. Barriers and facilitators to physical activity were measured via qualitative interviews pre-training. Body composition, muscle strength and aerobic fitness variables were measured at baseline, after 8 weeks, and after 16 weeks of training. Participants completed 89.1±5.2% of lab training sessions and 55.0±26.5% of home training sessions. There were significant increases in whole body lean mass (p<0.001), isokinetic knee extension strength (p<0.05) and Wpeak (p<0.001) over the course of the training program with small, moderate and large effect sizes respectively. All participants were in remission post-training, demonstrated small deviations in features of disease activity and reported no adverse events with training. Participants described similar barriers and facilitators to physical activity, to those of the general public, such as lack of access to facilities and peer support, respectively. Additionally barriers and facilitators unique to individuals with this condition were identified including the physical burden of disease (e.g., episodic abdominal pain) and creating modifications to activities to facilitate accessibility. Our results demonstrate that exercise training in youth in remission from IBD is safe, feasible and has the capacity to counteract a broad range of secondary symptoms such as deficits in lean mass, muscle weakness and aerobic deconditioning. Youth with IBD should be encouraged to exercise on a regular basis. Results from this study will inform the design of a larger, randomized controlled trial.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Science in Kinesiology


title: ANALYTICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL ASSESSMENT OF REINFORCED CONCRETE BLOCK STRUCTURAL WALLS RESPONSE TO BLAST LOADS

contributor:
ElDakhakhni, Wael
Tait, Michael
Civil Engineering

subject:
Blast loads
Blast scaling
Experimental tests
Out-of-plane resistance
Probabilistic risk assessment
Reinforced concrete masonry
Risk
Site planning
Structural walls
Uncertainty

abstract:
The current thesis focuses on estimating the damage levels and evaluating the out-of-plane behavior of fully-grouted reinforced masonry (RM) structural walls under blast loading, a load that they are typically not designed to resist. Twelve third-scale RM walls were constructed and tested under free-field blast tests. Three different reinforcement ratios and three different charge weights have been used on the walls, with scaled distances down to 1.7 m/kg1/3 and two different boundary conditions, to evaluate the walls’ performances. In general, the results show that the walls are capable of withstanding substantial blast load levels with different extents of damage depending on their vertical reinforcement ratio and scaled distance.
It worth mention that the current definitions of damage states, specified in ASCE/SEI 59-11 (ASCE 2011) and CAN/CSA S850-12 (CSA 2012) standards, involve global response limits such as the component support rotations that are relatively simple to calculate. However, these quantitative damage state descriptors can be less relevant for cost–benefit analysis. Moreover, the reported experimental results showed that the use of quantitative versus qualitative damage descriptors specified by North American blast standards [ASCE 59-11 (ASCE 2011) and CSA S850-12 (CSA 2012)] can result in inconstancies in terms of damage state categorization. Therefore, revised damage states that are more suitable for a cost–benefit analysis, including repair technique and building downtime, were presented. These damage states are currently considered more meaningful and have been used to quantify the post-earthquake performance of buildings.
In addition, a nonlinear single-degree-of-freedom (SDOF) model is developed to predict the out-of-plane behavior of RM structural walls under blast loading. The proposed SDOF model is first verified using quasi-static and free-field blast tests and then subsequently used to extend the results of the reported experimental test results with different design parameters such as threat level, reinforcement ratio, available block width, wall height, and material characteristics. In general, brittle behavior was observed in the walls with a reinforcement ratio higher than 0.6%. This is attributed to the fact that seismically detailed structural masonry walls designed to respond in a ductile manner under in-plane loads might develop brittle failure under out-of-plane loads because of their reduced reinforcement moment arm. In addition, increased ductility can be achieved by using two reinforcement layers instead of a single layer, even if the reinforcement ratio is reduced. Also, it is recommended to consider the use of larger concrete masonry blocks for the construction of RM structural walls that are expected to experience blast loads in order to reduce the slenderness ratio and for the placement of two reinforcement layers.
Finally, a probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) framework is proposed in order to develop design basis threat (DBT) fragility curves for reinforced concrete block shear wall buildings, which can be utilized to meet different probabilities of failure targets. To illustrate the proposed methodology, an application is presented involving a medium–rise reinforced masonry building, under different DBT levels. The DBT fragility curves are obtained via Monte Carlo sampling of the random variables and are used to infer the locations, within the building premises, that are most suitable for the erection of barriers for blast hardening.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Stress Response in Individuals Diagnosed with Hoarding Disorder

contributor:
McCabe, Randi
Neuroscience

subject:
Hoarding Disorder
Stress response
Cortisol
Negative Affect
Trier social stress test

abstract: Hoarding disorder (HD) is characterized by (a) the acquisition of and inability to discard a large number of possessions; (b) clutter that interferes with the use of appliances and general living areas in the home; and (c) clinically significant distress or impairment in functioning. Although previous studies have reported that individuals with HD exhibit emotional dysregulation when discarding personal items, this investigation is the first to examine the biological indices of distress. The current study aimed to examine whether individuals with HD differed from healthy controls in their psychological and biological responses to a general psychosocial stressor and to investigate whether individual differences in stress response relate to differences in symptom severity and impairment. Twenty-one individuals with HD and 22 healthy controls (CTLs) completed the Trier Social Stress Task and self-reported affect and salivary cortisol responses to the stressor were assessed. Individuals with HD did not significantly differ compared to CTLs in their salivary cortisol levels in relation to the stressor. However, individuals with HD significant-ly differed compared to CTLs in their subjective levels of distress in relation to the stressor. Contrary to our hypotheses, responses to stress were not significantly correlated with measures of symptom severity and impairment due to hoarding. The current findings indicate that individuals with HD exhibit a greater self-reported emotional response to a general stressor. The implications of these findings are discussed.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Science (MS)


title: The effects of surface tension and entanglements in polymer films: Capillary driven flows, The Marangoni effect and crazing

contributor:
Dalnoki-Veress, Kari
Physics and Astronomy

subject:
Physics
Polymers
Soft Matter
Fluids

abstract:
This is a 'sandwich thesis' consisting of four publications I contributed to during my M.Sc. work. These papers are the results of three types of experiments.

Paper 1 studies the formation of non-uniform spin-cast polymer films. Spincoating is widely used to prepare thin polymer films of reproducible thickness. Typically spincoating produces highly uniform films, however in certain circumstances the process results in films with non-uniform surface topographies. The origin of such topographies is not fully understood and the formation of non-uniform films represents a practical problem in both research laboratories and industrial settings. In Paper 1 we find that the formation of non-uniform films is dependent on temperature. Furthermore, our results indicate that surface instabilities form as a result of the Marangoni effect. Finally, we demonstrate that non-uniformities in spin-cast films can be avoided simply by spincoating at lower temperatures.

In Papers 2 and 3 we study the capillary driven levelling of polymer films with non-uniform surface geometries and compare our results to the theoretical predictions of the two-dimensional capillary-driven thin film equation. In Paper 2 we prepare polymer films with small surface perturbations and track their evolution above $T_g$ as the surface flattens. We find that all perturbations approach a universal self-similar attractor at long times, as predicted by theory. Our results also show that the time taken for the perturbations to convergence to the attractor depends on the initial volume of the perturbation. In Paper 3 we prepare samples with a rectangular trench geometry and follow their evolution above $T_g$ as surface forces cause the trench to fill in. At long times we observe a change in the levelling dynamics that is associated with a change in the boundary conditions governing the flow. In Paper 4 we use crazing experiments to probe two types of non-equilibrium entanglement networks. First, we study spincast polymer films and find that chains are stretched compared to equilibrium Gaussian chains. Furthermore, we find that the entanglement network relaxes on timescale on the order of one reptation time. Next, we stack two films in the glassy state to create a bilayer. Chains on either side of the mid-plane of the bilayer suffer a loss of entropy because of their restricted conformations. In the melt, the interface heals. We find it takes less than one reptation time for the bilayer film to become indistinguishable from a single film.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Science (MSc)


title: FUNCTIONAL GROUP INFLUENCE ON UPTAKE AND TUMOUR TO NON-TARGET RATIOS FOR IODINATED MELANOMA IMAGING AND THERAPY AGENTS

contributor:
Valliant, John F.
Chemistry

abstract:
This thesis describes the synthesis, characterization, and biological testing of iodinated probes derived from halogenated triazoles, and the effect of substituents on the clearance and tumour to non-target ratios in murine models of melanoma. Following the preparation of a small library of stannylated candidates biodistribution studies for the corresponding radioiodinated probes were performed in C57Bl/6 mice bearing B16F1tumours. Among the compounds tested an iodinated triazole containing a piperidine and phenyl moiety, 125I-7g, showed the most promising results with high tumour to liver and eye to liver ratios (27 and 81 respectively) at 24 hours. SPECT/CT imaging was consistent and showed excellent tumour visualization with a very high signal to noise ratio, which was attributed to effective clearance of the 1,4 triazole core. As the most promising candidate 125I-7g offers a platform from which to develop melanin specific radiopharmaceutical with optimal clearance and tumour to non-target ratios.
Using the results from the SAR study, the lead constructs were the basis for preparing second generation agents using antibody recruiting, bioorthogonal targeting and dendrimer platforms. A small molecule, antibody recruiting agent was synthesized, specific to melanoma, a scaffold previously shown successful with prostate cancer. A one pot click reaction was performed between an azide functionalized with the targeting vector, and an alkyne fuctionalized with a PEG-dinitrophenyl moiety. The reaction produced an iodinated triazole in 50% yield, which was used as a non-radioactive standard. The corresponding 125I derivative was also synthesized through a one pot click
reaction, and isolated in 36% radiochemical yield with greater than 95% radiochemical purity. Unfortunately biodistribution studies showed limited uptake in the tumour (<1 %ID/g) at 24 hours.
As an alternative to active targeting of melanoma, the BZA core was functionalized with a trans-cyclooctene (TCO) group, which is known to undergo a bioorthogonal click reaction with tetrazines in vivo. The TCO derivative was synthesized in 60% overall yield and administered to C57Bl/6 animal model prior to injection of a previously reported iodinated tetrazine. The data showed higher uptake in the tumour and the eyes, 0.7 and 6%ID/g respectively, when compared to the control group, 0.1 and 0.8 %ID/g respectively. These initial results indicate that the pretargeting approach holds significant promise in developing an effective approach to imaging and treating melanoma using medical isotopes.
In an attempt to improve tumour uptake an aminobenzyl piperidine targeting vector, which was used to prepare compound 7g, was linked to a poly (2,2-bis(hydroxymethyl)-propanoic acid) (PMPA) generation one dendrimer through carbamate linkages. The product was isolated in 28% percent yield, and subsequently deprotected and combined with a stannylated triazole in 27% yield. The stannylated derivative was treated with Na125I and iodogen to give the radiolabelled compound in 19% RCY. Unfortunately biodistribution studies showed limited uptake in the tumour (<1 %ID/g) at 24 hours. Two more functionalized dendrimers were synthesized, however due to time constraints the molecules were not evaluated in vivo.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Science (MSc)


title: An Application of Multiple Time Series Methods to Canadian Economic Data

contributor:
MacGregor, J.F.
Statistics

subject: series analysis, data, autoregressive integrated model,

abstract:
This work outlines several aspects of multiple time series analysis, which are then demonstrated on a large set of data.
After introducing the general autoregressive integrated moving average model, discussion is restricted to a canonical form: the pure autoregressive process of order p (AR(p)).
Methods for identifying and fitting the AR(p) process using quasi-partial correlation matrices and Akaike's AIC criterion are discussed.
The AR model can then be used to make forecasts by taking conditional expectations at the origin time. Probability limits on the forecasts are also defined.
A method for canonical analysis of AR processes is described which can indicate possible reductions in the dimensionality of the problem.
Using computer programs developed for this project, the above methods are applied to an 11-dimensional set of Canadian economic data and the results are discussed.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Science (MSc)


title: Classification of Copper Deposits Using Copper, Gold, Silver Ratios

contributor:
Crocket, J.H.
Kirkham, R.V.

subject: classify, copper deposits, gold, silver, ratio, neutron activation,

abstract:
An attempt was made in this study to classify copper deposits using the ratio of copper, gold and silver in the deposits. Data were accumulated from a literature search and neutron activation analysis of samples. Triangular diagrams were plotted and fields for each type of deposit were defined. Porphyry, volcanogenic, and sedimentary fields were most easily defined due to the amount and quality of data available for these deposits. It is found that the size of the field for any type of deposit is a function of its mineralogy. This is illustrated by the data spread for the copper and lead-zinc zones in volcanogenic deposits.
A clear separation of deposit types could not be obtained due to a partial overlap of the data fields; however, it is suggested that further work using more metals might yield a clear separation of deposits.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Bachelor of Science (BSc)


title: Modulation of Tumour Burden in Mouse Lungs by Oncostatin M

contributor:
Richards, Carl
Medical Sciences

abstract:
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related mortality, resulting in more deaths than breast, colorectal, and pancreatic cancers combined in North America. As such, research regarding the underlying mechanisms and pathogenesis of the disease is critical. Inflammation induced by inflammatory cytokines, such as gp130 cytokines, has been implicated in chronic lung diseases, and more recently in the development of lung cancer. The roles of gp130 cytokines IL-6 and Oncostatin M (OSM) in lung cancer has yet to be fully elucidated, although these cytokines have been noted to contribute to the pro-tumour cytokine environment as well as the growth and survival of certain tumour cells. Based on previous findings that overexpression of OSM increased tumour burden in a mouse model of lung cancer, it is hypothesized that OSM is a key player in the establishment and progression of pulmonary tumours in mice, and depletion or elevation of OSM activity modulates tumour burden in the B16F10 mouse melanoma model, as well as the induced mutant K-ras mouse model of lung cancer, independently of direct action on tumour cells.
	Findings presented in this thesis demonstrate that pulmonary OSM overexpression enhances tumour burden in the B16 pulmonary melanoma metastases mouse model of lung cancer, whereas pulmonary overexpression of IL-6 did not. In addition, although OSM overexpression resulted in increased lung IL-6 and eosinophil recruitment in this model, neither IL-6 nor eosinophils were required in the induction of increased tumour burden, as assessed in IL-6 deficient (IL-6 -/-) or eosinophil deficient (GATA-1 -/-) mice. While preliminary experiments suggested accelerated tumour burden due to OSM overexpression in the inducible oncogenic K-ras mouse model, experiments in mutant K-ras +/- transgenic OSMRβ -/- mice determined that OSMRβ was not required for the development of tumours in this model.
In studies completed to examine the mechanisms underlying the effects of OSM  on tumour burden, direct stimulation of K-ras tumour cell lines LLC and LKR-13 with OSM in vitro did not alter tumour cell proliferation. Furthermore, conditioned media from mouse lung fibroblasts (MLFs) treated with OSM, as well as co-cultures with MLFs treated with OSM, did not alter LLC or B16F10 cell proliferation. This suggests that direct stimulation of tumour cells or indirect stimulation through fibroblasts may not contribute to mechanisms by which OSM stimulates increased tumour burden in vivo. Co-cultures of tumour cells and cells collected in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid from mice treated with AdDel70 or AdOSM in vivo caused an increase in tumour cell proliferation, however adherent macrophage populations did not. The in vitro work suggests other mechanisms or multiple cell types are required in addition to macrophages or fibroblasts. Collectively, the work presented in this thesis supports a pro-tumorigenic role of Oncostatin M in mouse models of tumour growth in lungs, through an IL-6 and eosinophil independent mechanism.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Science (MSc)


title: Effects of Connected Vehicle Technology on Mobility and Mode Choice

contributor:
Razavi, Saiedeh
Civil Engineering

subject:
Connected Vehicle
vehicle-to-vehicle
mode choice
traffic assignment
mobility
dynamic route guidance

abstract: Connected vehicle is a fully connected transportation system in which vehicles, infrastructure, and mobile devices are enabled to exchange information in real-time to bring advancements in transportation operations. It is important to incorporate the new characteristics of the connected vehicle in the transportation planning process. Also, it is vital for planning and road agencies to better understand the impacts of connected vehicle on transportation networks, system demand, and travel behavior of road users in order to properly prepare for them. In addition, developers of connected vehicle systems can gain insight into how their systems will impact road users and network performance. When a change in performance of a transportation network occurs it can potentially cause users to change travel modes, known as mode choice. In this research, the change in mode choice, due to the change in network performance by introduction of connected vehicle is studied. This provides a more accurate depiction of the performance of the network and indicates how connected vehicles could change travellers’ preference in travel mode. The effect of this technology is explored on the performance of the Toronto waterfront, in a microsimulation environment. The results show that average travel time increases for high market penetrations when a dynamic route guidance algorithm is implemented, a phenomenon that occurs in dense, and complex traffic networks. Analysis of mode choice shows a loss in the auto mode share, for high market penetrations, due to the increased auto travel times. This loss in the auto mode share is compensated by increases in the other modes.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Applied Science (MASc)


title: MAKU: A Code Generator for Bullet Hell Games

contributor:
Carette, Jacques
Computer Science

abstract:
In each genre of video-game, there are always commonalities that bind different titles to each other. In classifying these similarities, a game can be thought of its base genre-specific features and its further elaborations, to this set of commonalities. Specifying a game in this way allows the developer to focus on these elaborations, while ensuring conformity to preexisting genres and player biases.

This thesis describes MAKU as a fully customizable system for generating HTML5 Canvas browser based games belonging to the Bullet Hell genre of video game. It consists of a domain specific language that encapsulates the core features and this functionality of this genre of video game along with an intelligent code generator, that interprets MAKU language game specifications and generates specialized source code.

MAKU is equally accessible to domain-novices and domain-experts, and allows for the generation of games with variable sophistication. It shows that genres are indeed specifiable and well suited to code-generation.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Applied Science (MASc)


title: Assessing vulnerability to water-associated disease: an ecosystem approach to health

contributor:
Schuster-Wallace, Corinne
Geography and Earth Sciences

subject:
water-related disease
dengue
vulnerability
Participatory GIS
water-associated disease
global environmental change

abstract: Water-associated diseases are a significant cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide and are a barrier to sustainable development in many regions. Human pressures on the environment resulting in large-scale changes to land and water resources have been implicated in these health challenges. In this context, developing sustainable interventions requires a more integrative understanding of the complexity and relationships between these processes, as well as policy-relevant research that supports decision-makers. By applying a vulnerability framework to water-associated disease, this dissertation explored social and ecological determinants that mediate transmission at different scales. Vulnerability was conceptualized as the propensity of a system to be adversely impacted by a water-associated disease, described by dimensions of exposure, susceptibility and resilience. Based on this framework, a water-associated disease index (WADI) and mapping approach was developed, and applied to the case of dengue at a national level in Malaysia. The findings identified heterogeneous patterns of vulnerability, including regions experiencing consistently low and high vulnerability, as well as areas with changing conditions due to strong seasonal exposure. The WADI was further applied to assess the dynamic nature of vulnerability to water-associated disease in northeastern Brazil. Changes across the region due to short-term seasonal trends as well as long-term trends between time periods 2000 and 2010 were identified. These findings illustrated the importance of long-term global environmental changes such as land use intensification and growing urban population density, as well as short-term seasonal changes. In addition to the WADI analysis, qualitative research at a local level was conducted to investigate spatial perceptions of vulnerable places within a community.  Findings illustrated different understanding of mosquito breeding sites among residents in the study areas, suggesting potential differences in susceptibility to dengue despite similar levels of exposure on a large scale. Overall, this dissertation highlights the need for a comprehensive understanding of vulnerability to water-associated disease, achieved by considering complex spatiotemporal relationships as well as local perspectives.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Optimizing the D-dimer Threshold Used to Exclude Venous Thromboembolism

contributor: Clinical Health Sciences (Health Research Methodology)

subject:
Venous thromboembolism
Diagnosis
D-dimer

abstract:
Background: A D-dimer threshold <500ug/L has high negative predictive value (NPV) for venous thromboembolism (VTE), but is non-specific. Two strategies increase the specificity and utility (defined as the proportion of patients with a negative test) of D-dimer testing: 1) using a higher D-dimer threshold with increasing age (IAIT Strategy); and 2) using a high threshold in low clinical pretest probability (CPTP) patients and the standard threshold in moderate CPTP patients (CPTP Strategy). It is unknown whether the gain in specificity of the IAIT Strategy is simply due to using a higher threshold in some patients and whether the CPTP Strategy has better diagnostic accuracy than the IAIT Strategy.
Methods: In a retrospective analysis of 1649 outpatients with suspected VTE, I compared the diagnostic accuracy of the IAIT Strategy to 1) its opposite: using a higher D-dimer threshold with decreasing age (DAIT strategy); 2) using a higher D-dimer threshold in all patients (Median Age Strategy); and 3) the CPTP Strategy.
Results: The NPV of both the IAIT and DAIT Strategies was 99.6% and the NPV of the Median Age Strategy was 99.7%. The utility was almost identical in the IAIT and DAIT Strategies (50.9% vs. 50.6%) and greater in the Median Age Strategy (53.9%, p<0.001). The NPV of the CPTP and IAIT Strategies were 99.6% and 99.7%, respectively. The utility was higher in the CPTP Strategy than the IAIT Strategy (56.1% vs. 50.9%, p<0.001).
Conclusions: The NPV and utility of using a higher D-dimer threshold in older patients (IAIT Strategy) is the same as using a higher D-dimer threshold in younger patients. The CPTP Strategy had the greatest utility while maintaining a high NPV and therefore appeared to be the optimal strategy of D-dimer interpretation.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Health Sciences (MSc)


title: Intravital Microscopy of the Parietal Peritoneum Microcirculation and the Role of Syndecan-1 in Staphylococcus aureus Infection in Peritoneal Dialysis

title: Role of Syndecan-1 in Peritoneal Dialysis and Peritonitis

contributor: Medical Sciences (Molecular Virology and Immunology Program)

subject:
peritoneal dialysis
proteoglycans
leukocytes
chemokines
adhesion molecules
endothelium

abstract:
Chronic peritonitis contributes to technique failure in peritoneal dialysis (PD), an effective replacement therapy for chronic kidney failure. Staphylococcus aureus infection is one of the most common causes of peritonitis in PD. Interestingly, mice deficient in the cell surface heparan sulfate proteoglycan, syndecan-1, were reported to clear S. aureus corneal infection more effectively than wild-type mice. The objectives of this study were to examine the protein expression and role of syndecan-1 in leukocyte recruitment, chemokine presentation and S. aureus infection in the microcirculation underlying the parietal peritoneum in wild-type and syndecan-1-/- mice.
Immunofluorescence intravital microscopy (IVM) of the parietal peritoneum microcirculation revealed that syndecan-1 was localized to the subendothelial region of venules and the mesothelial layer but does not regulate leukocyte recruitment and is not necessary for presentation of the chemokine MIP-2 in peritoneal venules. IVM was also used to study the effects of a conventional PD solution injected through a peritoneal catheter in a mouse PD model. After 6 weeks of dialysis, the peritoneal catheter implant increased leukocyte rolling and extravasation, fibrosis and angiogenesis in the parietal peritoneum independently from the dialysis solution treatment. Furthermore, the role of syndecan-1 was examined using a 4 week PD model. Four hours after infection with S. aureus through the dialysis catheter or intraperitoneal injection, the dialyzed syndecan-1-/- mice were more susceptible to S. aureus infection than undialyzed syndecan-1-/- controls and wild-type animals. IVM showed that in S. aureus infection, syndecan-1 was removed from the subendothelial surface of peritoneal venules but syndecan-1 deficiency did not affect leukocyte recruitment during S. aureus infection.
This study indicates that syndecan-1 in the peritoneum and microcirculation is not a regulator of inflammatory responses but is crucial for providing a barrier to S. aureus infection, which may have important implications for susceptibility to S. aureus infections in PD.

abstract: Dissertation

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (Medical Science)


title: THE ROLE OF AP-2α AND AP-2β IN HORIZONTAL CELL DEVELOPMENT AND AMACRINE CELL PATTERNING

contributor:
West-Mays, Judith
Medical Sciences

subject:
AP-2
vision
development
horizontal cells
retina
amacrine cells

abstract: Previous studies from our lab have shown that the Activating Protein- 2 (AP-2) transcription factors, AP-2α and AP-2β, are important in retinal development. It was discovered that these are co-expressed in developing horizontal cells and postmitotic amacrine cells. To understand their role in retinogenesis, and the impact of their deletion on the adult retina, a double mutant mouse model was created, AP-2αKI/flox/AP-2β-/flox.  The neural retina of the AP-2αKI/flox/AP-2β-/flox mice was examined in the current study using histological, immunofluorescent and electron microscopy (EM) techniques at embryonic, post-natal and adult stages. These double mutants displayed a variety of abnormalities in the inner retina. Loss of AP-2α and AP-2β at E10.5 led to a complete absence of developing and mature horizontal cells. This loss was associated with changes in the outer plexiform layer, which diminished from two to four months of age. There were also defects with photoreceptor ribbons in which triad synapses failed to form, and instead led to rudimentary, spherical-shaped ribbons. There was also significant retraction of photoreceptor axons. Furthermore, this study was able to infer a role of AP-2α and AP-2β as acting upstream of the Onecut-1 protein, which targets Lim1 and Prox1 to direct horizontal cell genesis. Examining amacrine cells of the double mutants shows evidence that AP-2α and AP-2β are involved in the mosaic arrangement pattern of amacrine cell bodies and axons. Previous work on embryonic double mutants displayed clustering of amacrine cells. This study observed abnormalities in the dendrites of the inner plexiform layer, which consists of amacrine cell processes. Taken together, the work presented in this thesis implicates the redundant requirement of both AP-2α and AP-2β in development of horizontal cells and patterning of amacrine cells in the neural retina.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Health Sciences (MSc)


title: EXECUTIVE FUNCTION PERFORMANCE FOLLOWING EXPOSURE TO CARDIOVASCULAR EXERCISE AT DIFFERENT INTENSITIES

contributor:
Bray, Steven
Kinesiology

subject:
cardiovascular exercise
executive function
high-intensity interval training

abstract:
Although there is an abundance of research investigating the effects of exercise on cognitive function, few studies have investigated acute effects of exercise on performance of tasks involving executive function.  Furthermore, the effects of different exercise intensities on multiple tests of executive function have received little attention.  The purpose of this study was to examine the acute effects of 20-minutes of stationary cycling exercise at varying exercise intensities on executive function performance and to determine these acute effects immediately following exercise as well as after 10 and 30-minute delays following exercise.  University students (N = 88) completed baseline measures of executive function (stop-signal task [SST] and Stroop task [ST]) and a graded cardiovascular exercise test on Visit 1.  On Visit 2, participants were stratified by gender and fitness level and randomized to one of four conditions: high-intensity interval training (HIT), high, moderate or low-intensity steady-state exercise performed on a cycle ergometer.  The ST and SST were performed immediately following exercise and again at 10- and 30-minutes post-exercise.
Immediately following exercise, ST response times were significantly different (p < .05), demonstrating faster response times for the high and moderate intensity exercise (p < .05), while improvements in SST response inhibition were revealed for the HIT (p < .01) condition.  At 10-minutes post-exercise, moderate and low-intensity conditions revealed improvements in ST response times (p <.05), with enhanced SST response inhibition evident in the HIT, moderate and low-intensity conditions (p < .05).  At 30-minutes post-exercise, ST response times continued to show improvements from baseline for the moderate and low-intensity conditions (p < .05), while SST response inhibition trended back towards baseline levels (p > .05).
The present outcomes demonstrate beneficial effects of exercise, regardless of intensity, for up to 38 minutes post-exercise.  Future research should focus on mechanisms that would account for these effects and factors that support enhanced executive function performance with exercise training.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Science (MSc)


title: Optimal Energy Management in Microgrids with Integrated Multi-zone Heating/Cooling Control

contributor:
Sirouspour, Shahin
Emadi, Ali
Electrical and Computer Engineering

abstract:
There is a growing need for technologies that can help integrate distributed renewable energy and storage capacity into the electricity grid and increase the efficiency of its operation. Microgrids provide an effective framework for achieving these objectives. The energy consumed in buildings accounts for a significant part of the total energy demand. Space conditioning, which includes heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC), is the largest contributor to the building energy consumption. Therefore, combined management of heat and power in microgrids can potentially yield substantial energy and cost savings.
    This thesis presents an integrated approach to energy/power management and control of a HVAC system in a grid-connected microgrid with energy storage. The control strategy is based on an on-line optimal model predictive control philosophy. An optimization problem is formulated and solved over a rolling horizon using a model of the system and predicted microgrid load and outside temperature to obtain optimal control decisions, i.e. the energy storage charge/discharge power and HVAC control commands. The overall problem is formulated as a constrained optimization in the form of a mixed integer linear program (MILP), with the objective of minimizing energy cost subject to model and operational constraints.
    First, a single temperature zone configuration is presented where only one temperature variable is controlled throughout the building. The controller maintains the building temperature within user-defined upper and lower limits, which may also be determined based on occupancy. By employing auxiliary on-off controllable fans in the temperature zones, a multi-zone control strategy is also proposed to independently regulate the zone temperatures within their corresponding comfort limits. Several strategies for reducing real-time computations of the controller are also proposed. Simulations have been carried out under different scenarios including single-zone and multi-zone cases that demonstrate significant efficiency gains from the application of the proposed controller for energy management and HVAC control in a microgrid system. Sensitivity of the system performance with respect to modeling errors and uncertainty is examined in a number of simulations. The results demonstrate a robust behavior due to an inherent feedback mechanism in the proposed rolling horizon model predictive controller.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Applied Science (MASc)


title: Directly Differentiable Arcs

contributor:
Lane, N.D.
Mathematics

subject: arcs, real projective, point of view, linear differentiability,

abstract:
Abstract Not Provided
Thesis
Master of Science (MSc)


title: Reconstruction of Concentration-Dependent Material Properties in Electrochemical Systems

contributor:
Protas, Bartosz
Computational Engineering and Science

subject:
Material Propeties
Inverse Modeling
Li-ion Battery
Electrolytes

abstract: In this study we develop a computational approach to the solution of an inverse modelling problem concerning the material properties of electrolytes used in Lithium-ion batteries. The dependence of the diffusion coefficient and the transference number on the concentration of Lithium ions is reconstructed based on the concentration data obtained from an in-situ NMR imaging experiment. This experiment is modelled by a 1D time-dependent PDE describing the evolution of the concentration of Lithium ions with prescribed initial concentration and fluxes at the boundary. The material properties that appear in this model are reconstructed by solving a variational optimization problem in which the least-square error between the experimental and simulated concentration values is minimized. This optimization problem is solved using an innovative gradient-based method in which the gradients are obtained with adjoint analysis. In the thesis we develop and validate a computational framework for this reconstruction problem. Reconstructed material properties are presented for a lab-manufactured and a commercial battery electrolyte providing insights which complement available experimental results.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Science (MSc)


title: Tree Encoding of Analog Data Sources

contributor:
Haykin, S.S.
Anderson, J.B.
Electrical Engineering

subject: tree coding, rate-distortion theory, analog signals, digital channels, speech waveforms

abstract:
Concepts of tree coding and of rate-distortion theory are applied to the problem of the transmission of analog signals over digital channels.
Coding schemes are developed which yield improvements of up to six dB in signal-to-noise ratio over conventional techniques for the reproduction of speech waveforms.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Engineering (MEngr)


title: The Effect on Burnup of Modifying the 600 MWe CANDU-PHW Reflector

contributor:
Trojan, O.A.
Engineering Physics

subject: effect, burnup, modifying heavy water reflector, 600 MWe CANDU-PHW reactor, thickness

abstract: This report describes computer studies which were done to determine the effect on burnup of modifying the heavy water reflector in a 600 MWe CANDU-PHW reactor. It is shown that the burnup penalty increases rapidly as the reflector thickness is reduced. The burnup penalty is significantly lower for mixed reflectors in which some of the heavy water in the outer region of the reflector is replaced by graphite, an organic liquid, or light water, while maintaining the original reflector thickness.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Engineering (MEngr)


title: DYNSYS-A Digital Computer Program for Studying the Transient Behaviour of Systems Using a Modular Approach

contributor:
Johnson, A.I.
Chemical Engineering

subject: transient behaviour, process systems, "equation oriented", "equipment oriented", modularity, DYNSYS-B

abstract:
This report deals with the transient behaviour of process systems such as those normally encountered by the chemical engineer.
Two competing approaches for the numerical solution of this problem are described. The first is an "equation oriented" approach, and the second is an "equipment oriented11 or "modular" approach. The concept of modularity is discussed, and a brief presentation of its advantages is given.
A program DYNSYS-B was written to apply the modular approach to transient studies. The program employs a predictor-corrector technique to solve the system's differential equations in a sequential fashion.
The DYNSYS-8 program was applied to a multicomponent liquid-liquid extraction unit with heat effects and reflux, with the object of evaluating the program and gaining some experience with its use. Based on this study. we believe that the program is readily applied to the solutions of many problems. Some suggestions are made for improving the computation efficiency of the program.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Engineering (MEngr)


title: Theory of the Eutectoid Transformation in Binary and Ternary Systems

contributor:
Kirkaldy, J.S.
Metallurgy and Materials Science

subject: theory, lamellar eutectoid, volume diffusion, solute segregation, dilute element additions, coarse-grained pearlitic reaction, binary theory, ternary systems, thermodynamics, eutectoid temperature

abstract:
The theory of the lamellar eutectoid reaction by volume diffusion has been extended to account for solute segregation within the product phases and the effect of dilute third element additions. It has been demonstrated for symmetric binary systems that the segregation can account for 10% or more of the free energy stored in the product phases and can lead correspondingly to a predicted lamellar spacings appreciably greater than those obtained when segregation is neglected. This segregation is relatively high in the systems Cu-In, Cu-Be and Ag-Cd and may account for the fact that a secondary coarse-grained pearlitic reaction follows the initial fine grained one in these systems. The binary theory has been-used to analyse the available data for the eutectoid reaction in the Cu-Al and Fe-C systems and satisfactory agreement is obtained.
The theory for ternary systems, while complete in principle, proves to be. intractable in all but the simplest version of the solution thermodynamics. It is concluded that the effect of the third element on the binary eutectoid reaction is mainly through its effect on the phase diagram, the ternary cross effects in the diffusion matrix tending to cancel out. Any additional element which lowers the eutectoid temperature will retard the reaction.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Quantitative Assessment of Nonfunctional Requirements in Product Families

contributor:
Khedri, Ridha
Maibaum, Tom
Computing and Software

abstract: Modelling nonfunctional requirements, along with many other NFR-related concerns, have not been addressed properly in the literature. Although nonfunctional requirements (or quality attributes) are important, they are the most expensive and difficult to deal with since they are (mostly) specified qualitatively not quantitatively, and also due to the fact that nonfunctional requirements may have interdependencies among each other leading to inconsistency in requirements specification. Moreover, the adoption of the concept of product families into the software industry led to the ability today to build families that share features. This indicates the significance of software families. Accordingly, in this research, not only do we study nonfunctional requirements in a systematic way, we also attempt to examine them from the perspective of software families. We highlight the need for developing a better quantitative assessment technique for nonfunctional requirements. Then, we propose a formal approach to the assessment of nonfunctional requirements in software product families.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Applied Science (MASc)


title: Waveguide Simualtion Using Mode Matching Method

contributor:
Huang, Wei-Ping
Li, Xun
Electrical and Computer Engineering

subject:
complex modes
mode matching method
waveguide simulation
coupled mode theory

abstract: Finite-Difference (FD) based complex modes solver and Complex Mode Matching Method (CMMM) is one of the most popular combinations in modeling and simulation of opti- cal waveguides. This thesis covers the basic theories behind the approaches and impor- tant implementation details. Weighted Optical Path Distance is proposed to speed up convergence and improve numerical accuracy to deal with asymmetric structures. An improved formula is derived for Complex Mode Matching Method expansion process based on matrix optimization. The latter part applies the above approach in the mod- eling of bending structures and grating structures. Typical structures, including bend- ing structures, straight-bend-straight structures, long-period gratings, gratings with de- posited layer, gratings with deep corrugations, are investigated and analyzed.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Science in Electrical and Computer Engineering (MSECE)


title: A Self-Consistent-Field Perturbation Theory of Nuclear Spin Coupling Constants

contributor:
Santry, D.P.
Chemistry

subject: nuclear spin coupling constants, perturbation theory, molecular orbital wavefunctions, self-consistent-field (SCF), electron interactions, computational efficiency, SCFPT theory,

abstract: Scope and Content stated in the place of the abstract.

abstract:
The principal methods of calculating nuclear spin coupling constants
by applying perturbation theory to molecular orbital wavefunctions for the
electronic structure of molecules are discussed. A new method employing a
self-consistent-field perturbation theory (SCFPT) is then presented and compared
with the earlier methods.
In self-consistent-field (SCF) methods, the interaction of an
electron with other electrons in a molecule is accounted for by treating the
other electrons as an average distribution of negative charge. However, this
charge distribution cannot be calculated until the electron-electron interactions
themselves are known. In the SCF method, an initial charge distribution
is assumed and then modified in an iterative calculation until the
desired degree of self-consistency is attained. In most previous perturbation
methods, these electron interactions are not taken into account in a self consistent
manner in calculating the perturbed wavefunction even when SCF
wavefunctions are used to describe the unperturbed molecule.
The main advantage of the new SCFPT approach is that it treats the interactions between electrons with the same degree of self-consistency
in the perturbed wavefunction as in the unperturbed wavefunction. The
SCFPT method offers additional advantages due to its computational
efficiency and the direct manner in which it treats the perturbations.
This permits the theory to be developed for the orbital and dipolar contributions
to nuclear spin coupling as well as for the more commonly
treated contact interaction.
In this study, the SCFPT theory is used with the Intermediate
Neglect of Differential Overlap (INDO) molecular orbital approximation to
calculate a number of coupling constants involving 13c and 19F. The
usually neglected orbital and dipolar terms are found to be very important
in FF and CF coupling. They can play a decisive role in explaining the
experimental trend of JCF among a series of compounds. The orbital interaction
is found to play a significant role in certain CC couplings.
Generally good agreement is obtained between theory and experiment
except for JCF and JFF in oxalyl fluoride and the incorrect signs obtained
for cis JFF in fluorinated ethylenes. The nature of the theory permits
the latter discrepancy to be rationalized in terms of computational details.
The value of JFF in difluoracetjc acid is predicted to be -235 Hz.
The SCFPT method is used with a theory of dπ - pπ bonding to predict
in agreement with experiment that JCH in acetylene will decrease when that
molecule is bound in a transition metal complex.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Knowing Others: Merleau-Ponty and the Articulation of Difference

contributor:
Madison, Gary B.
Philosophy

subject: philosophical strategies, Phenomenology of Perception, teleological/archaeological structure of Merleau-Ponty's phenomenology, consequences

abstract:
This thesis will explore three related concerns. First (Chapter 1), I discern some of the basic philosophical strategies at work in the Phenomenology of Perception. I will specifically discuss the teleological/ archaeological structure of Merleau-Ponty's phenomenology and his notion of "primordial unity". Second (Chapter 2), I will show how these strategies are manifest in his discussion of the other. And third (Chapter 3), I will consider some of the consequences of Merleau-Ponty's treatment of the other. In particular, I will examine his understanding of difference and plurality. A comparison with Hegel's master/slave dialectic will highlight some possible limitations of Merleau-Ponty's argument.
In short, I will answer the following questions: How is the other known, according to Merleau-Ponty, and just how other is this other?

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Arts (MA)


title: Registered Nurses’ Experiences of Patient Violence on Acute Care Psychiatric Inpatient Units

contributor:
Jack, Susan
O'Mara, Linda
LeGris, Jeannette
Nursing

subject:
Registered nurses
qualitative research
patient violence
interpretive description
psychiatry
violence
RN
aggression
abuse
workplace

abstract: Nurses working in acute care psychiatry experience high rates of violence perpetrated by patients and their perspectives on these experiences are essential to understand this phenomenon.  The purpose of this study was to explore psychiatric nurses’ experiences of patient violence in acute care inpatient psychiatric settings.  In this interpretive descriptive study, a purposeful sample of 12 nurses were interviewed to understand how they define patient violence and understand their experiences of abuse within the workplace. Using thematic content analysis, a problem, needs and practice analysis was also conducted.  Experiencing patient violence had many perceived negative impacts on nurses, patients and the organization.  It was often considered to be part of the job and some nurses struggled with the role conflict between one’s duty to care and one’s duty to self when needing to provide care following a critical incident. Power, control and stigma also influenced nurses’ perceptions and responses to patient violence. In their practice, nurses used a wide variety of interventions to stay safe as well as prevent and manage patient violence.  Nurses recommended increased education, support and debriefing, and an improved working environment.  Future research should explore a consistent definition of violence, barriers to incident reporting and the creation of best practice guidelines specifically related to patient violence.  Understanding the perspectives and experiences of nurses in acute inpatient psychiatry leads to greater knowledge of the phenomenon of patient violence and helps to inform the development of future nursing interventions to prevent and to respond to patient violence, as well as support nurses working within the acute care setting.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)


title: CHARACTERIZATION OF MUTL-MEDIATED PROTEIN INTERACTIONS IN DNA MISMATCH REPAIR

contributor:
Guarne, Alba
Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences

subject:
Mismatch repair
MutL
MutS
sliding clamp

abstract: DNA encodes the genetic information of the cell, therefore, every single living organism has a precise DNA damage response mechanism to safeguard DNA integrity.  Base mismatches are endogenous DNA lesions introduced by the replicative polymerase during DNA replication.  The conserved DNA mismatch repair pathway corrects these base mismatches.  Mismatch repair initiation is orchestrated by two proteins, MutS and MutL.  MutS recognizes and binds to base mismatches and relays the presence of the lesion to MutL.  MutL, in turn, interacts with downstream factors to coordinate mismatch excision.  The processivity clamp, typically known for its role in tethering the DNA polymerase to DNA during replication, is also involved in several steps of this repair process including MutL endonuclease activation and strand resynthesis.  The dynamics of the MutS-MutL and MutL-processivity clamp interactions present one of the bottlenecks to uncovering the spatial and time organization of these protein assemblies.  Therefore, little is known about the interactions that orchestrate the early steps of mismatch repair.  The biochemical and structural work included in this thesis outlines a precise series of molecular cues that activate MutL.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: EXPLAINING VARIATIONS IN SUCCESS OF SUBNATIONAL IMMIGRATION PROGRAMMES IN CANADA AND AUSTRALIA

contributor:
Dion, Michelle
Political Science

abstract:
The study explains variations in success of subnational immigration
programmes in Canada and Australia. Under these programmes, subnational units
have the right to select migrants to meet their regional economic and/or demographic
needs.
This study defines success in three ways and uses different data sources and
statistical analyses to answer the research questions for both Australia and Canada.
First, it is about attracting immigrants to the regions that are not primary destinations
for immigrants coming through federal programmes. The research shows that there
have been changes in initial settlement patterns of immigrants across Canada and
Australia after the introduction of regional immigration schemes. However, Canada
was more successful in redistributing immigration flows. Furthermore, in Australia,
economic factors played a more prominent role in attracting migrants and explaining
variations among subnational units.
The second dimension is immigrant retention patterns. Attracting migrants
does not automatically translate into their retention, especially considering
possibilities of within-country migration. The study examined factors explaining
variations in the retention rate of provincial nominees and skilled workers across
Canadian provinces and confirmed the impact of negative economic trends on
migrants’ retention. In the case of Australia, immigrant retention was measured
through migrants’ intention to stay in the initial destination. The findings supported
the rationale of regional immigration policies for targeting temporary migrants and
reliance on sponsor-based streams.
Finally, the third dimension is immigrants’ satisfaction with their settlement.
The study confirmed that in both Canada and Australia factors from all broad
groupings – economic factors, social integration factors, human capital factors, and
area level factors – are associated with immigrants’ satisfaction with their settlement
and the change in satisfaction over time.
The study is the first to compare outcomes across Canadian and Australian
subnational jurisdictions. Its findings should be of interest to policy-makers to inform
their thinking on regional immigration policies.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Proustian Bodies

contributor:
Stout, John
French

subject:
Marcel Proust
A La Recherche Du Temps Perdu
transformation of physical body

abstract: What role does the body play in Marcel Proust's A La Recherche Du Temps Perdu? Concentrating particularly on Combray and Un Amour de Swann, the following study traces Proust's transformation of the physical body by metaphor. Because the presentation of the body is a barometer indicating both a character's conscious and subconscious thought, critical interpretation of the body is a vital part of understanding Proustian desire. In "chapter one" on the metaphors of bodily processes, the narrator's desire is discussed. Swann's love for Odette is the focus of "chapter two" on the body of desire. Finally, "chapter three" which deals with the body as "sign" in the social world, describes the problems which accompany the interpretation of the body in the text.What role does the body play in Marcel Proust's A La Recherche Du Temps Perdu? Concentrating particularly on Combray and Un Amour de Swann, the following study traces Proust's transformation of the physical body by metaphor. Because the presentation of the body is a barometer indicating both a character's conscious and subconscious thought, critical interpretation of the body is a vital part of understanding Proustian desire. In "chapter one" on the metaphors of bodily processes, the narrator's desire is discussed. Swann's love for Odette is the focus of "chapter two" on the body of desire. Finally, "chapter three" which deals with the body as "sign" in the social world, describes the problems which accompany the interpretation of the body in the text.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Arts (MA)


title: Understanding the 'Other' in an East Greek Context

contributor:
Corner, Sean
Mattison, Kathryn
Eilers, Claude
Classics

subject:
Greek History
Greek Ethnography
Herodotus
Hippocrates
East Greece
Greek Identity

abstract:
This thesis looks to re-evaluate the East Greek intellectual view of non-Greeks in
the middle to late fifth century. To do this I examine how ethnic difference is understood
in the Hippocratic treatise Airs, Waters, Places (as well as the rest of the fifth-century
Hippocratic corpus) and Herodotus' Histories, which together represent the new
ethnographic thought of the fifth century. I will argue that neither author understood there
to be any essential difference between Greeks and non-Greeks, nor represented non-
Greeks as anti-Greeks, as many scholars today hold. Furthermore, I will argue that the
idea of a Greek/barbarian dichotomy was to a considerable extent a construction of
Athenian ideology, which stood in contrast to an East Greek cosmopolitanism that
understood ethnic difference not in terms of differences in nature but of cultural variation
within a common human condition.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Arts (MA)


title: Modelling the Neural Representation of Interaural Level Differences for Linked and Unlinked Bilateral Hearing Aids

contributor:
Bruce, Ian C.
Electrical and Computer Engineering

subject: hearing aids; neural modelling; computer model; hearing; lateral superior olive; LSO; inferior colliculus; IC; hearing impairment; hard of hearing; sound localization; wireless dynamic range compression; WDRC; linked WDRC; synchronized WDRC; bilateral; binaural; interaural level difference; interaural intensity difference; ILD; IID; biophysical model; phenomenological model; Hodgkin-Huxley

abstract:
Sound localization is a vital aspect of hearing for safe navigation of everyday environments. It is also an important factor in speech intelligibility. This ability is facilitated by the interaural level difference (ILD) cue, which arises from binaural hearing: a sound will be more intense at the nearer ear than the farther. In a hearing-impaired listener, this binaural cue may not be available for use and localization may be diminished.
While conventional, bilateral, wide dynamic range compression (WDRC) hearing aids distort the interaural level difference by independently altering sound intensities in each ear, wirelessly-linked devices have been suggested to benefit this task by matching amplification in order to preserve ILD. However, this technology has been shown to have varying degrees of success in aiding speech intelligibility and sound localization.
As hearing impairment has wide-ranging adverse impacts to physical and mental health, social activity, and cognition, the task of localization improvement must be urgently addressed. Toward this end, neural modelling techniques are used to determine neural representations of ILD cues for linked and unlinked bilateral WDRC hearing aids.
Findings suggest that wirelessly-linked WDRC is preferable over unlinked hearing aids or unaided, hearing-impaired listening, although parameters for optimal benefit are dependent on sound level, frequency content, and preceding sounds.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Applied Science (MASc)


title: Implementing a long-term home visiting program for vulnerable, young mothers within a community: Perspectives from healthcare and social service providers

contributor:
MacMillan, Harriet
Health Research Methodology

subject:
home visiting
Nurse-Family Partnership
health professionals
parenting
community stakeholders
qualitative
ecological model
first-time mothers

abstract:
Background: To date, little is known about the perspectives of healthcare and social service providers on the acceptability of long-term home visiting programs serving low-income, first-time mothers within a community. The present study reports on the experiences and perspectives of community professionals who participate in program referrals or deliver auxiliary services to these mothers who are enrolled in the Nurse-Family Partnership (NFP), a targeted nurse home visitation program.
Methods: The present study comprised two phases. In phase one, a secondary qualitative data analysis was conducted to analyze a purposeful sample of 24 individual interviews with healthcare and social service providers, which was part of a larger qualitative case study examining adaptations required to increase the acceptability of NFP for families and service providers in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. In phase two, identified themes from phase one were further explored and confirmed through individual, semi-structured interviews with service providers using a qualitative descriptive approach.
Findings: Healthcare and social service providers recognized the added value of NFP to existing community services for low-income, first-time mothers. The public health nurses (PHNs) who delivered the NFP intervention were perceived as playing a crucial role in connecting the first-time mothers to community services, preparing them for motherhood, and for preventing or ending the involvement of child protection services. NFP services were not perceived as interfering with the logistics of existing services being delivered; they were viewed as addressing an important service gap.
Discussion: This is the first qualitative study to examine the acceptability of a home visiting intervention from the perspectives of healthcare and social service providers in a community context. The study findings have relevance for policymakers by informing the general understanding of how a new early childhood prevention program is integrated among existing community-based supports servicing low-income, first-time mothers.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Health Sciences (MSc)


title: Identifying DNA Methylation Patterns as Novel Urinary Biomarkers for Kidney Function

contributor:
Pare, Guillaume
Medical Sciences

subject:
DNA Methylation
Kidney Function

abstract: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a major public health concern, characterized by an irreversible reduction in renal function. Currently, creatinine-based GFR estimation is predominantly used clinically to characterize CKD. However, this method is known to be an insensitive test for early losses of kidney function. Since patient prognosis relies heavily on slowing further decline of kidney function, uncovering novel biomarkers for kidney function, in conjunction with eGFR, will help improve patient outcome. Epigenetic-based biomarkers have been identified in numerous cancers, as DNA methylation changes alter cellular function. Thus, the objective of this study is to determine novel DNA methylation patterns reflecting altered kidney function.  Five healthy participants that have undergone a nephrectomy have donated urine samples before and after their surgery, and global DNA methylation changes were analyzed through the 450K HumanMethylation microarray. Site- and region-level analyses were conducted to determine significant differentially methylated probes post-nephrectomy. The differential associations observed post-nephrectomy are statistically significant in both the site-level and regional analyses. Nineteen significant candidate probes have been systematically selected for validation, based on involvement in kidney function and consistent direction of methylation. Pyrosequencing assays have also been successfully designed and tested with control DNA, however replication of the microarray findings in participant DNA was unsuccessful. The inability to validate these candidate probes may be attributed to many influencing factors, and with this in mind, uncovering novel methylation patterns is still a promising biomarker for evaluating kidney function.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Science (MSc)


title: Characterizing non-fluent aphasia in English-based Caribbean creole languages: A case study

contributor:
Moro, Anna
Cognitive Science of Language

subject:
creole
inflectional morphology
non-fluent aphasia
speech therapy

abstract: Impairment caused by non-fluent aphasia often results in the omission and substitution of inflectional markers. Cross-linguistic work has revealed differential patterns of aphasic impairment across languages. This study aims to determine how non-fluent aphasia is manifested in English-based Caribbean creole languages, namely Jamaican Creole English (JCE) and Guyanese Creole (GC). The use of inflectional morphology is variable in English-based Caribbean creole languages. Therefore, in aphasic creole speech, it is difficult to ascertain the status of a grammatical omission as a valid creole feature or as a sign of impairment. I argue that Seymour’s et al. (1998) contrastive-noncontrastive schema can be useful for differentiating between normal and disordered creole features. The data in this study was obtained from a creole speaker with aphasic impairments. The data was later transcribed and analyzed. The results of this study appear to suggest that grammatical markers may form a hierarchy of susceptibility to aphasic impairment. Tense, agreement and aspectual markers along with auxiliaries and copulas appear to be more susceptible to impairment in disordered creole speech than plural markers, personal and demonstrative pronouns and articles.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Science (MSc)

abstract: Non-fluent aphasia is a language disorder caused by stroke and other types of severe brain trauma. This disorder can affect an individual's ability to produce grammatical words and suffixes in different ways depending on the language that they speak. This study seeks to determine how non-fluent aphasia affects English-based Caribbean creole languages, namely Jamaican Creole English (JCE) and Guyanese Creole (GC). Grammatical suffixes are optional in English-based Caribbean creole languages; therefore, it is difficult to determine whether or not an omitted grammatical suffix is a valid creole feature or a sign of impairment. I argue that Seymour’s et al. (1998) contrastive-noncontrastive schema can be useful for differentiating between normal and disordered creole features. The data in this study was obtained from a creole speaker with aphasic impairments. The data was later transcribed and analyzed. The results of this study appear to suggest that certain grammatical markers are more prone error than others in aphasic creole speech. Markers that carry tense, agreement and aspectual information along with auxiliaries and copulas appear to be more susceptible to impairment than plural markers, personal and demonstrative pronouns and articles.


title: The Fascinating Pain; the Humiliating Necessity

title: Delicate Moments of Exposure in Alice Muno's Fiction

contributor:
Shrive, N
English

subject:
Alice Munro
human relationships
abuse
perception of life
human experience

abstract: The following study of Alice Munro's collections of short stories, Who Do You Think You Are?, The Moons of Jupiter, and The Progress of Love, closely examines the feminine perception of human relationships and traces Munro's theme of lithe pain of human contact. Chapter I explores the changing perception of life and relationships as seen through the eyes of the central character of Who Do You Think You Are? and discusses the paradoxical view of life articulated by Munro, a view which asks that the abuse which characters inflict upon one another be seen as both savage and splendid, as perversely necessary in any relationship between her characters. This idea of a necessary pain is discussed in Chapter II in light of Munro's more intense fascination with it in The Moons of Jupiter. Her vision of the humiliating necessity of inflicting and enduring pain does not, however, culminate in a clearly-defined resolution to the paradoxes of experience; indeed, The Moons of Jupiter suggests Munro's growing hesitancy to solve the puzzles of human experience. Chapter II also examines Munro's experimentation with narrative time shifts and discusses this new interest in technique as it pertains to her preoccupation with the disparity between illusion and reality in the lives of her characters. The shifting back and forth between past and present is a technique which Munro continues to employ in her next work, The Progress of Love, which I examine in Chapter III. This most recent work, like Who Do You Think You Are? and The Moons of Jupiter, looks closely at the delicate moments of exposure in experience and at the necessary painfulness of those moments, but with a difference. In The Progress of Love Munro seems to allow her characters moments of serenity and moments of self-knowledge; the feminine perception of experience has altered to the degree that her characters appear able to move beyond disillusionment through to a kind of survival of those moments of exposure which in the Moons of Jupiter appear to overwhelm and almost paralyze the characters.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Bachelor of Arts (BA)


title: EXOME SEQUENCING FOR RARE MUTATIONS IN YOUNG STROKE

title: EXOME SEQUENCING TO CHARACTERIZE THE ROLES OF MENDELIAN STROKE GENES AND NOVEL GENES IN YOUNG STROKE

subject:
Exome sequencing
Cardiovascular disease
Stroke
Genetics
Cerebrovascular disease
hemorrhagic stroke
small vessel stroke
ischemic stroke
CADASIL
Mendelian stroke
Stroke genetics
Rare variants
INTERSTROKE
Next-generation sequencing

abstract:
Background: Rare genetic mutations cause familial early-onset stroke disorders, known as “Mendelian strokes”. The broader relevance of rare mutations in unrelated young stroke patients is uncertain. We hypothesize that rare mutations in known and novel genes are important risk factors for stroke.
Methods: Exome sequencing was used to characterize rare disruptive protein-altering mutations in 185 young cases and 185 matched controls from INTERSTROKE, a large and globally representative stroke study. The major objectives were: 1) to precisely define the role of known Mendelian stroke genes and 2) to discover novel gene and pathway associations.
Results: A focused assessment of known Mendelian stroke genes revealed a significant contribution from NOTCH3, the causal gene for Cerebral Autosomal Dominant Arteriopathies with Subcortical Infarcts and Leucoencephalopathies (CADASIL). CADASIL mutations were identified in six cases and no controls (P=0.03). The clinical presentation of CADASIL mutation carriers deviated from known symptomatology, consisting of small-vessel ischemic strokes (SVIS) accompanied by secondary features including migraine and depression. A novel role for non-CADASIL NOTCH3 mutations in ICH was also elucidated (OR=2.86; 95% CI, 1.13 to 7.93, P=0.02). Such mutations were present in 22% of ICH cases and 8% of matching controls. An agnostic evaluation of all genes did not reveal any genome-wide significant associations. However, NOTCH3 was among the top ICH genes out of 13,706 tested, and many others were also biologically relevant, notably, AARS2 and NBEAL2. A protective association was identified for the renin angiotensin system (P=8.1x10-4), whereas type II diabetes mellitus was associated with increased risk (P=1.9x10-2).
Conclusion: Rare mutations influence risk of early-onset stroke. CADASIL mutations play an important role in unrelated stroke patients. Beyond CADASIL, a novel role was uncovered for other NOTCH3 mutations as common and significant risk factors for ICH. Novel biologically relevant genes and pathways may also affect stroke susceptibility.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Science in Medical Sciences (MSMS)


title: Chinese Bible Translation with Special Reference to Greek Verbal Aspect as Exemplified in John 18-19 and 1 Corinthians 15

contributor:
Porter, Stanley E.
Christian Theology

subject: translation theory, Mandarin aspect, greek aspect, New Testament, Bible, figurative speech, Jon 18-19, 1 Corinthians 15, versions

abstract:
This study integrates three independent subjects-translation theory, Mandarin aspect, and Greek aspect-for the purpose of formulating a working theory applicable to translating the New Testament. Aspect is treated here as a grammatical category-as opposed to Aktionsart-and is described as the locutionary agent's subjective viewpoint expressed morphologically by a verb. The primary objectives are defined in terms of grammatical translation of Greek aspect into Mandarin aspect at the discourse level. However, major Bible translation issues pertaining to lexical, phonological, formal, and functional elements, as well as translating conditional statements and figurative speech, are also considered. A historical overview of the Chinese Bible is provided as a way of introducing major issues related to linguistic, conceptual, and logistical challenges.
Porter's tripartite model of aspect in Greek, defined in terms of the binary oppositions [±perfective], and [+imperfective] vs. [+stative], is adopted. Aspect in Mandarin closely resembles that in Greek, except that the privative opposition [±remote] does not exist in Mandarin. Also, unlike the tense-forms in Greek, morphologically expressed aspect morphemes (e.g. -le, IDVCs) are largely optional in Mandarin. Thus, notions of markedness and grounding become pertinent when the 0 morpheme is used instead of morphologically expressed aspect morphemes to translate all five tense-forms in Greek: the more heavily marked disyllabic verbs are preferable in translating the present and imperfect, whereas the less heavily marked monosyllabic verbs are preferable to translate the aorist. The most heavily marked four-character set phrases are utilized to reflect both the stative aspect and discourse function ofthe perfect and pluperfect as frontgrounding tense-forms.
It is argued that morphologically expressed perfective and imperfective aspect morphemes are preferable to the 0 morpheme. The more heavily marked two-morpheme aspect compounds (e.g. zai...-zhe) are employed to reflect the foregrounded prominence indicated by the present and imperfect tense-forms. The proposed theory provides the translator with a powerful tool, which is tested in the two sample passages in John 18-19 and 1 Corinthians 15. Provided also are critical reviews of over sixty Chinese Bible versions, Nestorian, Manichaean, Catholic documents, and a translation written according to the proposed theory.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: "The Other Side of Dailiness": Photography in Recent Canadian Fiction

contributor:
Ferns, H.J.
English

subject: photography media writing Canadian

abstract:
 One could amend Virginia Woolf's famous comment on the Post-Impressionist movement in art to read, "In 1819 human nature changed." The discovery of photography has had wide-ranging consequences for artists working in various media--most obviously, painting and writing. Only very recently, however, have writers, in particular, explored in any depth the relationship between the word and the photograph. This study offers a detailed examination of the ways in which four contemporary Canadian authors perceive that relationship: Alice Munro, Timothy Findley, Michael Ondaatje and Margaret Laurence. These writers have been chosen for detailed examination because of their consistent and varied use cf photography as a metaphor and as a structural motif in their fiction.

 Chapter One of the thesis relates photography to Alice Munro's paradoxical vision of experience. Chapters Two and Three examine the relationships among photography postmodernism, historical awareness and memory in the works of Timothy Findley and Michael Ondaatje, respectively. Margaret Laurence's fiction, the subject of the final chapter, allows us to study photographic awareness and historical awareness in the context of a more traditional narrative style.

No full-length study of photography's impact on literature exists. The  individual artists, and to observe the different associations which each writer makes with photographic vision. In this way, o~e may observe the evolution of a writer's attitudes toward abstract processes of perception and knowledge, while keeping a concrete model-the photograph--as a constant touchstone and point of comparison. This movement from the concrete to the abstract is, after all, the very impulse behind fiction--to divine from the daily world what Alice Munro calls "the other side of dailiness."

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Chaucer and the Nature of Chivalric Ideas

contributor:
Wood, Chauncey
English

subject: chivalry Chaucer symbolism

abstract: <p> Chivalry was the dominant secular ideal of Chaucer's time and the nature of his interest in it has naturally been the subject of conjecture. Most judgments, however, have been based on an insufficient understanding of the historical background. In fact both historical and literary approaches to the topic of chivalry generally have tended to oversimplify the complex of ideas and practices associated with the term. This dissertation therefore re-examines the scope of chivalric theory and practice as a necessary preliminary to a scrutiny of Chaucer's concern with the concept. </p> The study concludes that chivalric ideas always had an importance disproportionate to the comparatively modest practical significance of actual knights and knighthood. The centrality of these ideas cannot therefore be judged by their relation to historical actualities. Their purpose was not restricted to providing a pattern of conduct for knights, nor were they in any way autonomous of medieval thought generally. The figure of the mounted warrior, thrust into prominence by early medieval military and social developments, became the focus for an accumulation of ideas and myths, and especially for theories about the use of force and of temporal power and secular life generally. </p> <p> Since Chaucer's knights are frequently lovers, special attention is paid within this broad hypothesis to the role of love in chivalric ideas. While fighting for love appears to have been of negligible importance as a factor in practical knightly motivation, writiers of discursive or specifically chivalric treatises either condemned it outright or approved of it only if it was morally irreproachable and led to the cultivation of chilaric virtues for their own sake. Fighting to gain a woman's love provides a common plot structure in the romances, but these romances usually cited as justifying a definition of chivalry in amatory terms in fact do no such thing. On the basis of analyses of several important roamnces, especially Gottfried's Tristan, Chretien's Lancelot, the Prose Lancelot, Wolfram's Parzival, the Morte Darthur of Malory, and Gawain and the Green Knight, this dissertation concludes that there was a central chivaric tradition which viewed the pursuit of love as an inversion of the knight's responsibilities to God and society. </p> <p> Chaucer's knights do not reflect contemporary social realities but rather this broader symbolic potential. A study of significance of the crusade in the late Middle Ages reveals that even the Knight of the General Prologue is mainly an emblem of right spiritual orientation rather than an endorsement of a specifically knightly duty or of contemporary crusade projects. The traditional polarity between love-service and true Christian knighthood underlies the portrait of the Knight and the Squire. As an embodiment of the duty of spiritual warfare the Knight is not just the specialised figure he appears to be. Moreover in his tale he presents in Theseus a knight who maintains the structure of society as faithfully as he himself has defended the Church, while Arcite and Palamon, like the Squire, represent a subversion of proper knightly functions. The "Knight's Tale" sets all secular power, of which kngihthood is the emblem, in a transcendental perspective. </p> <p> In other of the Canterbury Tales chivalric references are important, though not because of any interplay between knightly and non-knightly social classes. Characters such as the Wife of Bath, the Merchant and the Franklin are to be judged partly by the inadequcy of their notions of chivalry in relation to the symbolism established by the contrast between Knight and Squire. The conflict of love and knighthood also furthers our understanding of Troilus, in which the hero is shown to choose an inappropriate kind of chivalry; in addition the theme is prominent in some of the minor poems, especially the "Complaint of Mars".

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)


title: Mythe et Histoire dans El reino de este mundo d'Alejo Carpentier et Ti Jean L'horizon de Simone Schwarz-Bart: vers une liberation

contributor:
Cerezo, M.
French

subject:
Liberté
des Antillais
textes
de la Caraïbe

abstract: Cette etude porte sur la lutte pour la liberte des Antillais noirs telle que representee dans deux textes de la Cara"ibe. Nous ferons une etude comparee entre El reino de este mundo d'Alejo Carpentier et Ti Jean L'horizon de Simone Schwarz-Bart. Nous examinerons comment, a travers l'ecriture de l'Histoire et du Mythe, ces deux romans devoilent l'univers caribeen et suggerent diverses voies menant vers une possible liberation.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Master of Arts (MA)


title: Rhythm Pattern Perception in Music: The Role of Harmonic Accents in Perception of Rhythmic Structure.

contributor:
Platt, John R.
Racine, Ronald J.
Psychology

subject: label music, complex sound, structure, musical or rhythmic structure, auditory sensations, psychology, harmony, accents, patterns

abstract:
The application of the label music to complex sound requires structure. Musical or rhythmic structure can be thought of as being due to the interaction of two theoretically distinct structures of phrase and metre. Perception of both metrical and phrase structure is dependent not only on the physical structure of the acoustic presentation but also upon cognitive structure being imposed on the auditory sensations. Early work in the psychology of music focused on establishing the perceptual cues that determine the parsing of music in time. These perceptual determinants can be categorized on the basis of the theoretical components of music: melody, harmony, rhythm, and timbre. With the exception of accent strength based on stability judgments of tones or chords (i.e., structural accenting), phenomenal accents have been assumed by some theorists to be equally-salient, additive, and categorical. The assumption of equal accent strength not only has been applied to different phenomenal accents within a theoretical component category but also between categories. Three series of experiments were conducted to test the assumption of equal weight and additivity of rhythmic cues.
In the first series, a harmonic and a temporal accent were pitted against each other in such a way as to form different rhythm patterns. As well, two harmonic conditions which varied in the frequency of chord presentations (i.e., the compositerhythm) but not the frequency of chord changes (i.e., the harmonic-rhythm) were presented. Musicians and nonmusicians were requested to report perceived rhythm patterns in an attempt to determine the relative salience of the harmonic and temporal accents. In addition, a behavioural measure of the perceived metre was taken. Results indicated that the location of chord changes was the main determinant of subjects' rhythmic perceptions and the perceived onset of a measure. As well, although subjects primarily inferred different metres based on the composite-rhythm, an interaction of metrical and rhythmic choices was found indicating that perception of rhythm patterns and inference of metrical structure may not always be independent.
In the second series of experiments, the contribution of harmonic-temporal and harmonic-structural features to the perception of rhythm patterns was investigated by pitting a harmonic and a temporal accent against each other in such a way as to form 5 possible rhythm patterns. Across the experiments, the chord progressions employed were varied, as was the timing of chord onsets (i.e., the composite-rhythm) and changes (i.e., the harmonic-rhythm). In all experiments, musicians and nonmusicians were requested to report perceived rhythm patterns in an attempt to determine the relative salience of the various accents. Results indicated that changes in the composite-and harmonic-rhythm led to a predictable change in an inferred metrical structure, and that all diatonic chord progressions lead to similar patterns of responses in which coincidences of harmonic, temporal, and inferred metrical accents were perceptually salient events. When a nondiatonic chord progression was employed however, there was neither evidence of an inferred metre, nor of responses on the basis of accent coincidence. Overall, musicians were found to primarily report rhythm patterns defined by the location of harmonic accents, while nonmusicians reported rhythm patterns defined by an inferred metrical structure.
In the third series of experiments, the relative contribution of cues for metre inference was determined. In many theories of metre inference, the cues which serve as markers for major metrical accent locations are the basis from which one infers or determines a metre. However, phrase and metrical structure often support one another with phrase boundaries coinciding with metrically important locations. Thus, it becomes difficult to determine which cues, if any, are used exclusively, or predominantly as the basis for metre inference. Three experiments were conducted in which different time-spans defined by harmonic, melodic, and temporal accents, and their coincidences were systematically pitted against one another. Musicians and nonmusicians were requested to identify the metre of the stimuli as belonging to a category of either a triple (e.g., 6/8 or 3/4 time), or a duple metre (e.g., 2/4 or 4/4 time). It was found that musicians use harmonic information much more often and reliably than do nonmusicians who also use the temporal accent to define a metrical structure. Nevertheless, across the experiments, when a harmonic accent was present, subjects used that accent to define the metre. Furthermore, the coincidence of melodic accents was used more often than a temporal accent to determine a metrical structure.
Together the three series of experiments highlight the significant role of harmonic accents in the perception of rhythm patterns in music.

abstract: Thesis

abstract: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)