title: Effects of Lalrise Vita. Bacillus velezensis on Pinus banksiana and Picea mariana

subject:
Forest regeneration
Bacillus velezensis
Black spruce (Picea mariana)
Jack pine (Pinus banksiana)

abstract:
Jack pine, Pinus banksisana, and black spruce, Picea mariana, are the top two species
harvested and planted in the boreal forest of Canada. Sustainable forest management
incorporates greenhouses and artificial fertilizers that are used to produce high-quality seedlings
to regenerate the forest. The purpose of this thesis was to determine if the growth-promoting
rhizobacteria, Bacillus velezensis, would increase the height, root collar, shoot, and root mass of
these seedlings, and optimize artificial fertilizers uses in greenhouse production. Both tree
species had three treatments that were compared to each other to determine the growth
differences. Treatment one was comprised of the controls, treatment two had three applications
of the microbe, and treatment three had only two applications of the microbe. Each treatment had
four replicate trays randomly placed on the greenhouse bench. A one-way ANOVA was run for
each variable being measured with a statistical significance P-value <0.05 to determine if the
addition of Bacillus velezensis had significant differences from the control. The results showed
that there were no significant differences in the height, root collar, and mass of jack pine or black
spruce seedlings inoculated with the seedlings, and therefore, would not be a good alternative to
artificial fertilizers in greenhouse production. The Lakehead greenhouse, where this trial took
place, had other trials with a variety of plants along both sides of the bench. These plants were
greater in height and some carried diseases which could have affected the results. However, jack
pine and black spruce are tree species that are adapted to succeed well in nutrient-poor and
harsher conditions. They also evolved to be slow-growing species in the forest succession
process. These two mechanisms may contribute to why the Lalrise Vita did not significantly
increase the growth of the jack pine and black spruce over a five-month period.


title: The analysis of Canada's health through social media using machine learning

contributor:
Mago, Vijay
Yang, Yimin
Srivastava, Gautam

subject:
Real-time data analysis
Social media data analytics
Elasticsearch
Health analysis

abstract:
Real-time online data processing is quickly becoming an essential tool in the
analysis of social media for political trends, advertising, public health awareness
programs and policy making. Traditionally, processes associated with offline analysis
are productive and efficient only when the data collection is a one-time process.
Currently, cutting edge research requires real-time data analysis that comes
with a set of challenges, particularly the efficiency of continuous data fetching
within the context of present NoSQL and relational databases. In this thesis, I
demonstrate a solution to effectively address the challenges of real-time analysis
using a configurable Elasticsearch search engine. We are using a distributed
database architecture, pre-build indexing and standardizing the Elasticsearch framework
for large scale text mining. The results from the Elasticsearch engine is visualized
in almost real-time.
We focused on taking our solution to the challenges of real-time data processing
is to apply it on social media to conduct a large scale health analaysis in Canada.
Social media a crucial database that provides information on a variety of topics
such as health, food, feedback on products, and many others. At present, people
utilize social media to share their daily lifestyles, for example, where they are
going, what exercise are they doing, or what are they eating. By analyzing the
information, collected from these individuals, the health of the population can be
gauged. This analysis can become an integral part of the government’s efforts to
study the health of people on a large scale. This is because public health is becoming
the primary concern for many governments around the world, and they
believe it is necessary to analyze the present scenario within the population before
creating any new policies. Traditionally, governments use a door to door survey,
for example, a census, or hospital information to decide their health policies. This information is limited and sometimes takes a long time to collect and analyze sufficiently
enough to aid in decision making. Our approach is to try to solve such
problems through the advancement of natural language processing algorithms and
large scale data analysis. Results show, the proposed method provides the solution
in less time with the same accuracy when compared to the traditional one.


title: Some dielectric studies of molecular and intramolecular relaxation processes

subject:
Dielectrics
Relaxation
Molecular dynamics

abstract:
Dielectric relaxation studies of some potential
systems involving molecular interaction particularly
intermolecular and/or intramolecular hydrogen bonding
as well as of some related molecules have been carried out
in which atactic polystyrene and several other glass-forming
media, namely, glassy o-terphenyl, bis(m-(m-phenoxy phenoxy)-
phenyl) ether (commonly known as Santovac®), cis-decalin
and carbontetrachloride were utilized as solvents.
Sample preparations and the dielectric measurements by the
use of a General Radio 1621 Precision Capacitance Measurement
system with appropriate temperature controllable cells have been described. The glass transition temperature
(T[subscript g]) measurements using the Glass Transition Temperature
Measurement Apparatus have also been described. The experimental
data as a function of frequency at different temperatures
were subject to analysis by a series of computer
programmes written in the APL language. The activation
energy barriers opposing the dielectric relaxation processes
were obtained by the application of the Eyring rate equation.
Different types of polar, fairly spherical, rigid
molecules have been studied mainly to provide sources of relaxation data and activation parameters for comparison
with those of flexible molecules of analogous size. The
molecular relaxation parameters for these rigid molecules
were found to depend on the size, shape and volume of the
molecules and the nature of the dispersion medium. The
solute concentration has a negligible effect on the molecular
relaxaton parameters but it influences the dielectric loss
factor, e", significantly. At lower .concentration,
the dielectric loss factor increases linearly with the solute
concentration and at higher concentration after a certain
point it begins to decrease towards the value observed for
the pure molecule. This is accounted for by intermolecular
interactions.
Of the flexible molecules, a variety of some
simple almost spherical alcohols, and some long-chain
aliphatic normal alcohols and thiols have been studied in
different g1ass-forming media. In the usual concentration
range of polystyrene matrices ('^5% by.wt.) no evidence of
intermoleculr hydrogen bonding was found in simple alcohols,
long-chain alcohols and thiols. For simple alcohols
only molecular relaxation was observed. Long-chain alcohols
and thiols exhibited two relaxation processes. The lower
temperature processes were attributed to segmental rotation
involving CH[subscript 2]X movement while the higher temperatures were respective molecular rotation.. Relaxation due to hydroxyl
group rotation was not found in any case. At higher
concentration molecular relaxation followed by hydrogen
bond breaking and in some cases relaxation for hydrogen
bonded species was observed in G.O.T.P., carbontetrachloride
and polystyrene. As in the case of rigid molecules, similar
effects of solute concentration upon the molecular relaxation
parameters and dielectric loss factor, e[symbol], have been observed
for simple alcohols in carbontetrachloride.
A wide variety of potentially intramolecular
hydrogen bonded substituted phenols has been examined in
cis-decalin, G.O.T.P. and Santovac® and in most cases,
hydroxyl group relaxation was observed. The relaxation
parameters for hydroxyl group rotation were found to be
significantly influenced by the strength of the intramolecular
hydrogen bond but it was virtually independent of the nature
of the dispersion medium as well as the nature of the
substituent at the para-position of the ring. No evidence
for proton tunneling was detected in these molecules.


title: Every woman wants to be skinny, right? : a critical examination of the fat female body within bigger girl lit / by Jessica Lynn Wyatt.

subject: Chick lit

subject: Feminine beauty (Aesthetics) in literature.

subject: Body image in women

abstract:
...there are significant differences between the characterizations of Chick Lit and Bigger Girl Lit protagonists. The protagonists of Bigger Girl Lit obsess about their bodies, especially the size of their bodies ...; however, these
protagonists experience their lives very differently as often times their bodies (or their negative self-perceptions of their bodies) deny them access, both physically and psychologically, to things like sex and trendy fashion, two staple features of Chick Lit. The texts I examine. Conversations
with the Fat Girl by Liza Palmer, Alternate Beauty by Andrea Rains Waggener, and Good in Bed by Jennifer Weiner, have all been branded as Bigger Girl Lit, as these novels appear to represent “fat chicks.” -- Introduction


title: The Experiences of People Living with Dementia in Acute Care Environments

contributor:
Wiersma, Elaine C.
Wakewich, Pam
Finney, Allison

subject:
Hospitalization and dementia
Dementia in aging
Stigma and dementia
Acute hospital care

abstract:
Increased life expectancy and the population of seniors are growing rapidly which comes
with an expected rise in acute hospital care needed. Nearly one quarter of hospital in-patients
have dementia and caring for this population will be a significant part in the provision of health
care services. The current knowledge base is through the perspectives of health care
professionals and shows that the hospital culture, and environment, produces negative effects for
people with dementia who are hospitalized. The effects of the stigma of dementia have not been
studied in this environment specifically.
The aim of this research was to explore the experiences of people with dementia in the
acute care environment, paying particular attention to stigma and exploring if, and how stigma
was a factor in people’s experiences. This qualitative study employed hermeneutic
phenomenology that focused on the lived experience from the perspectives of people with
dementia. Semi-structured interviews, and a focus group discussion was conducted with
participants that included two men with early dementia and their care partners, one woman with
early dementia, and two care partners caring for their spouses who were residing in long-term
care facilities. The central overarching theme revealed throughout the continuum of care was
stigma related to both age and dementia. Additionally, the findings reveal stigma to be present in
system issues and the interpretation of stigma is very individual. Finally, enhancing care,
revealed the critical role that advocacy played and how the culture of hospital care was
understood. The use of the four structures of phenomenology showcased how the body, the
hospital, relationships, and sense of time, interacted in making meaning in the acute care
experience of the participants.
The findings revealed unique knowledge provided from detailed experiences of the
participants where illness, age and dementia, influenced perceptions of stigma, and how stigma
further impacts the perception of care and ultimately, how it is experienced and understood, by
people with dementia and their care partners. These insights may provide areas where stigma can
be tackled through the perspectives of those being stigmatized and draw much needed attention
to facilitating change in the approach to care within the acute care system for people with
dementia.


title: Synthesis and study of palladium-containing nanomaterials for hydrogen technologies

contributor:
Chen, Aicheng
Kinrade, Stephen
Rappon, Manit

subject:
Palladium
Nanostructured materials
Hydrogen

abstract: We are currently facing a climate change and global warming effect due to the emission of greenhouse gases from our existing energy sources. A hydrogen-based economy is one solution to uphold our standard of living while lowering our carbon emissions. Palladium has the potential to play a major role in many aspects of the hydrogen-based economy, from purifying hydrogen to harnessing the energy via fuel cells and storing hydrogen as PdH x . In my M.Sc. study, Pd-based nanomaterials have been synthesized and examined for their applications in various hydrogen technologies. Surface properties of the synthesized Pd-based nanomaterials were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and N 2 gas adsorption/desorption. Electrochemical analysis of the fabricated materials was performed using cyclic voltammetry (CV), linear sweep voltammetry (LSV), and chronoamperometry (CA). Other characterization methods were also applied such as inductively-coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES), density functional theory (OFT) calculations, and hydrogen gas adsorption/absorption. The adsorption of the catalytically poisoning species, carbon monoxide, was also examined on Pd, PdPt, and PdAu nanostructures. The relative quantities of CO molecules adsorbed to surface of the catalysts decrease in the order of: PdPt > Pd > PdAu. It was found that the possible adsorption sites of CO can be tuned by alloying Pd with metals to which CO has different binding strengths. The work done in this thesis shows that by alloying Pd with other metals, both geometric and electronic properties are changed drastically. This has a major influence on the applications of Pd for hydrogen technologies.


title: Issues influencing implementation of inclusion in the regular classroom : perspectives from special education and regular classroom teachers

subject:
Inclusive education (Canada)
Special education (Canada)

abstract: This study was premised upon the issues that influence the successful implementation of inclusion in the regular classroom. In particular, this qualitative research investigated the perspectives of experienced regular classroom teachers and special education teachers regarding the issues which influence the successful implementation of inclusion. Qualitative research methods were utilized, including the use of an interview guide and field notes. Four elementary teachers were interviewed via the telephone: two special education teachers and two regular classroom teachers. Data collection took place from the largest school district in Canada. Data analysis and interpretation continued throughout the research process. Findings reveal that the special education teachers and regular classroom teachers have very similar beliefs regarding the issues that influence the implementation of inclusion in the regular classroom.


Evil's masquerade : a study of nature and American democracy in Herman Melville's fiction (1846-1857) / by Raymond Leonard Champagne.


title: Dutch Canadian experience : a study of perspectives

subject: Dutch Canadians

abstract:
Although my family immigrated to Canada from the
Netherlands when I was one year of age, I have always
been aware of the fact that I have no birthright to
this country which is my home. I have always been
aware of two points of view in my life and have spent
much emotional energy balancing this tension.
This dissertation provided me with an avenue to
examine the visions of artists of Dutch Canadian
heritage who, like myself, experienced this dualism.
Their literary expressions of this dualism permitted me
to explore the inherent tensions and determine what
unique resolutions they may have discovered along the
way.
The Canadian attitude to the ethnic and cultural
diversity in our society is a changing one. Our
federal government takes pride in Canada's
multicultural mosaic, recognizing it as a rich resource
in which all Canadians share. The ethnic dimension of
Canadian society, past and present, is one that needs examination if we are to understand fully the contours
and nature of Canadian society and identity. Studies
of Canadian history and literature have been largely
controlled by the people of British or French origin.
Due perhaps to fewer numbers, difference in keenness of
sense of origin and identity, the immigrant experience
itself, and the sheer force of Canadianism, other
groups have been relatively silent until quite
recently. Groups such as the Dutch, who have
established themselves in Canada within the last
hundred years or so, have traditions, values and
visions they cherish, and particular members of this
group have begun to express those in imaginative works.


Margaret Laurence's Manawaka heroes : Hagar, Rachel, Stacey, and Morag as archetypal and feminist heroes / by Jolene Marion Davis.


title: Examining the relationship between balance confidence and the physical and psychosocial adaptation to transtibial amputation on physical activity participation and avoidance habits

contributor:
Klarner, Taryn
Sanzo, Paolo
Zerpa, Carlos

subject: Transtibial amputation

subject: Physical and psychosocial benefits (physical activity)

abstract:
Transtibial amputation (TTA) is the removal of the lower leg at the tibia and often
results in pain, mental health issues, and reduced quality of life. Many of these symptoms are
created or exacerbated by a sedentary lifestyle, and a lack of physical activity (PA). Less than
40% of people with TTA participate in PA. It has been speculated that people with TTA who
have low balance confidence may actively avoid PA to avoid falling and the associated pain that
comes with it. This relationship has been detected in people with lower extremity amputation
where they avoid stressors in general, but not in an exclusively TTA population or in the context
of PA. Alternatively, other factors related to the physical and psychosocial adaptation to
amputation such as depression, anxiety, or impaired mobility may be responsible for the
avoidance of PA in people with TTA. The exercise avoidance patterns of people living with TTA
has received little research. As such, the purpose of this study was to explore the relationship
between balance confidence and the physical and psychosocial effects of TTA and how this
related to PA participation and avoidance habits.


title: Experimental Investigation and Modelling of Sand Jets Passing through an Immiscible Layer

contributor:
Azimi, Amir
Elyasi, Siamak

subject:
Sand jets
Oily sand jets

abstract:
Sand jets passing through two immiscible liquids, water and oil have many applications in the field of civil and environmental engineering such as tailings transport, dredging and discharge of industrial and urban wastewater. Understanding the dynamic interactions of the sand particles and its ambient are important for proper design and optimizing the engineering systems. Mass, momentum and energy of the system can be influenced by interactions of the suspended particles within the jet. The conducted experimental studies and numerical and nominal modeling in this thesis are new in terms of the fundamental understanding of jet characteristics.
Part of this thesis focused on the experimental parameters and characteristics of oily sand jets such as frontal width and velocity. Effects of the controlling parameters of the oily sand jets such as nozzle diameter, oil layer thickness and mass were investigated and it was found that the effect of nozzle diameter on evolution of oily sand jets was more significant than the other parameters.
Study in water phase, it was observed that the bursting of a group of particles covered with a thin oil layer can be classified into three different forms. Evolution of trailing waves of the oily sand jets and their characteristics such as wave length and wave amplitude were also investigated.
Part of this thesis focused on Data mining and boundary visualization techniques to study the effects of experimental parameters on the shapes of oily sand jets. Model trees were developed to classify and predict the growth of oily sand jets at different conditions. It was found that the model tree can predict the growth of sand jets with an uncertainty of ±8.2%, ±6.8% and ±8.7% for width, velocity and distance from the nozzle, respectively.
The main aim of this thesis is to explore and find correlations between the dynamics of sand particles through passing oil-water interface and controlling parameters such as nozzle diameter, oil layer thickness and mass of sand particles. Therefore, it was found that the nozzle size has significant effect on characteristics of evolution of oily sand jets such as frontal velocity, development of bursting, formation of trailing wave section and shear stress in comparison with other controlling parameters such as oil layer thickness and mass of sand particles. Investigation of formation of frontal shapes of oily sand jets in water indicates the fate of sand jets after passing an immiscible interface and sedimentation of sand particles. The main controlling parameter for evolution of various shapes of oily sand jets front is the nozzle diameter. Mass of sand particles and oil layer thickness are the secondary and tertiary important parameters. Evolution of different frontal shapes of oily sand jets can also change specific characteristics of oily sand jets such as frontal velocity and width. In terms of environmental analysing formation of various shapes of oily sand jets can explain variations of velocity of sediments and under which conditions these sediments spread or deposit without dispersion in oceans.


title: Spotted knapweed plant management and restoration of native grassland in Waterton Lakes National Park, Alberta

subject: Canadian prairies

subject: Chemical and mechanical treatment methods

subject: Fescue grasslands

subject: Herbicide

subject: Invasive plant species

abstract: The province of Alberta is known for its prairies, which are ecosystems dominated by temperate grasslands. These grasslands contribute to flora and fauna biodiversity, but are the most endangered ecosystems in the region, due to the invasion of non-native species. Waterton Lakes National Park in the Canadian prairies is the only Canadian national park that preserves these grasslands under the foothills parkland ecoregion, which is an environmentally sensitive site characterized by rough fescue. It is mostly threatened by spotted knapweed (Centaurea stoebe), a perennial plant that spreads from disturbed anthropogenic sites. The park’s vegetation restoration team has applied two main types of invasive plant management techniques over the years, which are mechanical and chemical treatments. This research study attempts to identify effective ways for restoration of native plant communities in Waterton Lakes National Park, Alberta, by comparing the effective use of chemical and mechanical techniques from 2014 to 2017. Our results show that chemical herbicide was found to be economically efficient (with lesser number of persons) for higher abundance of spotted knapweed infestation in larger areas, whereas the mechanical treatment is ecologically efficient (little impact on native plant communities) for the control of spotted knapweed infestations in the flowering stage in smaller areas. We recommend an integrated management plan for control of invasive species that combines the effective use of chemical and mechanical techniques. The integrated management plan will help the park management in conservation and restoration of the fescue grasslands in the foothills parkland ecoregion, which are important for protecting the rare and endangered flora and fauna.


title: Web services - agent based model for inter-enterprise collaboration

subject:
Electronic commerce
Electronic data interchange
Intelligent agents (Computer software)
Web services technology

abstract:
Web Services technology is an emerging paradigm in establishing a standard environment
for legacy applications integration over the Internet. Using Web services and
related technologies facilitate the implementation of a virtual enterprise across heterogeneous
software platforms. However, Web services suffer from some shortcomings
fulfilling requirements of setting up a reactive and autonomous collaboration among
enterprises. The current technology' of Web services registry, known as UDDI, is in
its infancy stage.
The aim of this work is to integrate intelligent software agents and Web services in
order to apply them to create a collaborative environment. We s ta rt with describing
the concepts of virtual enterprise, Web services, and software agents as well as their
requirements, problems, and benefits. To this extent, we identify the existing problems
w ith Web services technology and discuss the feasibility of using software agents
and their abilities to prevail those difficulties. This thesis proposes a Web services /
agent-based model for both the internal architecture of an individual enterprise and
the UDDI registry as well. We define a multi-agent model in different levels of enterprise’s
system architecture to accomplish a suitable selection of a registered service,
to check the status of a process, to realize users’ requests, and to react to them in
a collaborative way with other agent-based Web services. Moreover, the thesis proposes
a multi-agent model to define a dynamic workflow capable of coordinating and
monitoring the processes defined in the workflows.


title: Pictures, actions and words : using photo elicitation to explore the lived experience of outdoor recreation for a person with a developmental disability

contributor:
Potter, Tom
Tryssenaar, Joyce
Wiersma, Elaine C.

subject:
Outdoor recreation
Public opinion
People with disabilities
Recreation
Psychological aspects
Developmentally disables

abstract: The purpose of the research was to document the lived experience of outdoor recreation from the perspective of a 19 year old male with a developmental disability and to explore photo elicitation as a method of eliciting narrative from a person with communication difficulties.


title: A critical examination of chemical extremes in freshwater systems

contributor:
Kolka, Randy
Putz, Gordon
McLaren, Brian

subject:
Acidification
Acid neutralizing capacity
Eutrophication
Lake
Nutrients
Wetland

abstract:
The objectives of this thesis are to explore and identify: 1) the causative factors for
extreme endpoints in freshwater chemistry, specifically eutrophication and
acidification, and 2) the convergence of anthropogenic pollution, watershed
composition and climate effects that could contribute to the occurrence of freshwater
chemical extremes. Eutrophication is reviewed as a well-studied water quality issue
that remains relevant as a management challenge. Extra focus is given to acidification,
quantified as a decrease in acid neutralizing capacity (ANC), because it has a strong
influence on physical properties such as nutrient (i.e., phosphorus, nitrogen)
resuspension that can potentially leading to chemical extremes.
Data from lakes in the western Great Lakes region are examined with respect to effects
of acid inputs on in-lake ANC and pH response. Although drainage systems are
discussed, special attention is paid to softwater seepage lakes as being the most
sensitive with regards to acidification risk. The challenges of using data-intensive mass
balance models in lakes with intermittent sampling histories lead to development of a
simpler model for estimating open-water ANC in data-sparse locations. Acid input
sources are compared as combinations of area-weighted charge balances using publicly
available data from long term monitoring programs. Weighted data combinations are
then analyzed using maximum likelihood methods suitable for use with observational
data. The final model correctly predicted low ANC events (ANC < 25 ìeq L-1 ) 20 out of
24 times (R2 = 0.50 adjusted for small sample size; 168 observations), but
underestimates the severity of the lowest extremes.
Three factors stand out as being strongly related to acidification risk during the open
water season: 1) volume of snowmelt, 2) in-lake ANC following spring turnover, and 3) pulsed runoff from associated wetland soils following drought and re-wetting events.
Recommendations for future research focus on quantifying acid and nutrient content
in pulsed runoff events and their impacts on freshwater systems given antecedent
conditions in both lakes and connected wetlands.


title: Monitoring productivity and utilization of a feller-buncher using FPDat system

subject: Feller-buncher

subject: FPDat

subject: Forest operations

subject: Machine utilization and productivity (forestry)

abstract: This thesis summarizes the process of equipping a Tigercat 870C feller-buncher with an FPDat on-board computer system. The harvest contractor participating in this study is based in northwestern Ontario. The purpose of this study was to compile and examine the data collected by the FPDat in order to identify operational implications of these data, to provide insight into the useful features of the FPDat, and to identify areas where it can be improved. Establishment of a machine utilization rate, comparison of operator work habits, and identification of factors influencing machine productivity were attributable to the data collected and examined. The utilization rate of the feller-buncher over the study period was 77.4%. A comparison of operator work habits was also carried out through the use of descriptive statistics. The data collected by the FPDat were used to compare descriptive statistics for key performance indicators according to various operators. A two-way ANOVA was completed to determine that the two operators compared exhibited a significant difference in productivity (α = 0.05) with regard to the response variable, number of trees cut per scheduled machine hour. Experience with using the FPDat in this study allowed for recognition of the merits of the FPDat that make it a useful tool, as well as deficiencies with the current technology upon which recommendations for improvement are based. Further insight is provided into the operational importance of these results, and to how this technology can be better utilized to increase efficiency in harvest operations in northwestern Ontario. Of key importance in a successful implementation of an on-board computer system is diligence on behalf of the technology developer, forest products company, contractor, and operator.


title: Iron status and cognitive performance in adolescent females

contributor:
McAuliffe, Jim
Newhouse, Ian
Bedard, Michel

subject: Cognition disorders in adolescence (Nutritional aspects)

subject: Teenage girls (Psychology)

subject: Teenage girls (Nutrition)

abstract: Study group from high schools in the Thunder Bay Region (Northwestern Ontario).

abstract:
Cognitive impairments have been associated with iron deficient anemic infants
and young children. The relationship in individuals with only a deficit in their iron stores
is less clear. Adolescent females are particularly at risk for being iron deficient, however,
the research on the relationship between iron status and cognition in adolescent females is
limited. Iron supplements have been frequently used to improve iron status and findings
suggest they may also improve cognitive impairments. The purpose of this study is to
examine the relationship between iron status and cognition in a group of Canadian,
adolescent females. Twenty-one, 14-16 year old, iron deficient (ferritin < 20 pg/1 and
hemoglobin > 120 g/1) but non-anemic adolescent females participated in an 8-week,
double blind, randomized controlled trial. One hundred milligrams of ferrous gluconate
(2 X 50 mg) was administered daily to participants randomly assigned to the active group
(N=12). ). The control group (N=9) was administered a placebo. Participants completed
the Trail Making Test A and B, Motor Free Visual Perception Test-111, Digit Span, and
the Covert Orienting of Visual Attention Task before and after the supplementation
period. A 3-day dietary analysis was also conducted pre and post treatment. Cognitive
deficits were not apparent pre supplementation and performance was not significantly
different between the groups post supplementation. Also, ferritin levels improved in both
groups. This study does not support previous findings of a relationship between low iron
status and cognitive impairment. The lack of cognitive impairment at the pre-test and the
difference between brain iron stores and systemic iron stores may be plausible
explanations for the failure to find a relationship between iron status and cognition in this
study.


title: Effective root growth potential of jack pine (Pinus banksiana Lamb.) container stock

subject:
Jack pine
Roots (Botany)
Trees Seedlings, Container

abstract:
The effective root growth potential (RGP) of both potted and
outplanted jack pine seedlings grown in Lannen-Sokeri FH-408 paperpots
and Can-Am #2 Multipots was measured on three test dates during the
summers of 1986 and 1987. Effective RGP refers to the potential of
outplanted container seedlings to extend new white roots into the
surrounding soil. In 1987 two crop types, overwinter and current crops,
were also compared. Effective RGP was measured in three zones: 1, the
upper half of the cylindrical area containing the container plug; 2, the
lower half of the same area; and 3, the bottom of the plug. The number
and length of white root tips projecting from the plug were counted and
measured to determine root number (RN) and total root elongation (TRE)
in cm from each zone for each container type. Seedlings grown in the
Can-Am #2 Multipot had a significantly higher effective RGP than
seedlings grown in the FH-408 Paperpot at all three test dates for both
data sets in 1986 and 1987. Effective RGP was highest from root zone 3
for seedlings grown in both container types. The overwinter crop also
had a higher effective RGP than the current crop seedlings. This
difference was significant only in the potting trial.
The morphological development of the three crops of seedlings used
in this study was also monitored. Seedling height, root collar diameter
and shoot and root dry weights were measured at two week intervals
throughout the greenhouse production phase. The Can-Am #2 Multipot stock
showed both superior morphological characteristics and regenerated far
more roots after outplanting than stock grown and outplanted in Japanese
Fh-408 Paperpots. The results of this study support the hypothesis that
seedlings grown in a container-free plug system such as the Can-Am #2
Mulitpot which are planted with an unrestricted rootball will exhibit a
higher level of root egress as expressed by higher effective RGP values
than those seedlings grown in the FH-408 Paperpot which are planted with
the paper barrier of the container still surrounding the rootball.
It is recommended that serious consideration be given to converting
from the use of restrictive containers like the FH-408 Paperpot to
container-free plugs for the production of forest tree seedlings. Some
recommendations for future research are also made.


title: Examining the shear strength of the glue lines in glued laminated timber

subject:
Building codes
Engineered wood products
Glued laminated timber

abstract:
With a soaring global population and continuous depletion of resources, wood
and engineered wood products will change the way we carry out conventional
construction. Conventional building materials such as concrete and steel have
temporarily controlled the construction market but wood is making a serious comeback.
Evolving building codes is facilitating this shift as they are allowing larger timber
structure to be built. There are numerous benefits in using wood as a building material
and historically wood has been used for just everything as it is still today. At the
forefront of this shift are engineered wood products.
This study focuses on the shear strength of the glue lines within glulam bolts
constructed of Picea mariana Lamb. pieces from the Quebec based glulam facility,
Nordic. Roughly twenty replicates were obtained from five glulam bolts for a grand total
of ninety-seven samples tested for shear strength on the glue line. It was hypothesized
that there would be no difference in shear strength between the five bolts. This
hypothesis was rejected as the results showed that average peak load for the tests was
21,354.59 N and the presence of significant differences in average peak load between
bolts. These results are congruent the published value for shear strength (21,920 N) in
clear black spruce, which means that the glue lines did not have an affect on shear
strength. The significant differences between bolts may be explained by the inherent
variability of wood.


title: Perceptions of learning French : a case study in French immersion

contributor:
Epp, Juanita
Scott, Fentey
Vargas, Marta

subject: French language Study and teaching (Elementary) Immersion method

subject: French language Study and teaching (Elementary) Psychological aspects

abstract:
This study set out to determine, through a
qualitative research approach, the perceptions of
learning of a group of Grade Six Early French Immersion
students. Data were collected through classroom
observation, class discussions and individual interviews
of these students.
Themes included perceptions of their physical and
language environment, methods used to teach French,
learning and use of French in and outside the school and
knowledge and abilities in French.
The findings provided valuable insight on students'
perceptions and on their response to different aspects of
the program. For example the students had various
reactions and opinions on the use of French by
themselves, their peers and their teachers. They also
reiterated frequently their strong dislike of being
corrected in front of other students and suggested ways
they thought were more effective in handling correction.
They revealed that little could be done if they decided
to speak English during French time. They talked about
the difficulties they encountered in learning the
language and in using it in and outside the school.
These students derived a great sense of accomplishment from the fact that they knew and understood French while
the rest of their families and friends usually did not.
They also understood the usefulness of being bilingual
and believed it would be of great advantage to them in
the future.
Students provided valuable suggestions to enhance
their learning and in so doing help all educators to
consider the program through different eyes.


title: Biology of rumen flukes (Trematoda: Paramphistomatidae) in moose, Alces alces L., in northwestern Ontario

subject:
Moose
Moose parasites
Paramphistomidae

abstract:
Paramphistoines {Parampbistomum sp.) were found in 86% of 160 moose rumens collected from northwestern Ontario at all seasons of the year. All moose older than 2.4 years were infected. The number of flukes per moose ranged from 16 to 28,262 (median = 1,135). Their distribution in moose was overdispersed and approximated a negative binomial. The intensity of infection did not vary with age with the exception of calves (0.5 - 1.4 years) which had fewer flukes than older moose. Small, newly acquired flukes were first seen in the rumen of calves and older moose in October.
Few gravid flukes were found in moose over winter. The proportion of worms
with eggs increased in March and April and 100% were gravid from May to July.  Thereafter, the proportion gravid declined, reaching 0.5% in November. Similarly, few eggs were found in feces of wild moose during winter but the numbers began to rise in March and exceeded 100 eggs/g feces in July. By September, few eggs could be found. This annual fluctuation in the production of eggs is not related to seasonal transmission and life span of the flukes. Experimentally infected moose which had no opportunity for reinfection began to pass eggs in spring and stopped in the fall for up to 3 consecutive years following a single infection.  This adaptation, which enables the parasite in a northern host to recognize favourable seasons, may compensate in part for the inability of paramphistome eggs to survive freezing.
Three captive moose given 3,000 to 11,750 paramphistome metacercariae in
September began to pass eggs the following April (185-225 days). Another, not given metacercariae (9,000) until December, came patent in 169 days (May). One experimental animal given non-gravid flukes from a wild moose by rumenotomy in late February also began to pass eggs in April. No signs of disease due to rumen fluke infections were seen in experimental animals.
A total of 7,910 aquatic snails representing 15 species were examined from
32 lakes and rivers thought to be used by moose. Only Helisoma trivolvis and H.campanulatum were shedding paramphistome cercariae (0.9% and 1.1% respectively).
Paramphistome metacercariae were found attached to the ventral side of floating vegetation in 4 of 12 lakes investigated. The black, pin-head-sized metacercariae were present on vegetation from late June until late August and September when aquatic plants began to die. Attempts to infect H. trivolvis and H. campanulatum in the laboratory were unsuccessful.
Paramphistome eggs held at 11 degrees C did not develop. When the temperature was raised to 19 degrees C, eggs began to hatch after 30 days. Since lakes in northwestern Ontario do not reach 11 degrees C before mid-May it is most likely that metacercariae appearing on aquatic vegetation in late June originate from snails infected in previous summers. Transmission to moose is probably greatest when they feed most intensively on aquatics from mid-June to mid-July.


title: Development and implementation of high performance and high efficiency interior permanent magnet synchronous motor drive

contributor:
Uddin, Mohammad
Natarajan, Krishnamoorthy
Alexandrov, Dimiter

subject:
Synchronous motors
Loss minimization control
Nonlinear controller design
Neuro-fuzzy

abstract: As the motor consumes more than 50% of total electrical energy produced in the world, the efficiency optimization of the motor is a burning issue in terms of saving energy and the environment. In modern days researchers display immense interest in the control of a high performing interior permanent magnet synchronous motors (IPMSM) drive for general industrial applications. The IPMSM is largely used in low and medium power applications such as adjustable speed drives, robotics, aerospace and electric vehicles due to its several advantageous features such as high power density, greater flux weakening capability, high output torque, high power factor, low noise, robustness and high efficiency as compared to the dc motors and induction motors (IM). Nevertheless, its high efficiency characteristics are influenced by applied control strategies. Most of the reported works developed control algorithms for IPMSM to achieve high performance. However, the efficiency optimization of IPMSM, which is one of the important aspects is often ignored. Therefore, in this thesis the efficiency optimization issues is also considered along with high performance control.                                                            This thesis presents a nonlinear loss model-based controller (LMC) for IPMSM drive to achieve both high efficiency and high performance of the drive. Among numerous loss minimization algorithms (LMA), a LMC approach offers a fast response without torque pulsations. However, it requires the accurate loss model and the knowledge of the motor parameters. Therefore, a difficulty in deriving the LMC lies in the complexity of the full loss model. Moreover, the conventional LMC does not pay attention to the performance of the drive at all. In an effort to overcome the drawbacks of conventional LMC, an adaptive backstepping based nonlinear control (ABNC) is designed to achieve high dynamic performance speed control for an IPMSM drive is developed in this thesis. The system parameter variations as well as field control are taken into account at the design stage of the controller. Thus, the proposed ABNC is capable of maintaining the system robustness and stability against mechanical parameter variation and external load torque disturbance. To ensure stability the controller is designed based on Lyapunov’s stability theory while the LMC ensures high efficiency of the drive. A neuro-fuzzy logic controller (NFC) including LMC is also developed in this work. The proposed NFC overcomes the unknown and nonlinear uncertainties of the drive, the membership function of the controller is tuned online. An important part of this work is directed to develop an adaptive network-based fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) based NFC. In this work, an adaptive tuning algorithm is also developed to adjust the membership function and consequent parameters.                                                                                The complete closed-loop system model is developed and then simulated using MATLAB/Simulink software. Performance of the various control algorithms based IPMSM drive is investigated extensively at different dynamic operating conditions such as sudden load change, command speed change, parameter variation, etc. The performance of the proposed loss minimization based ABNC and NFC are also compared with the conventional id=0 control scheme. The complete IPMSM drive have been successfully implemented in real-time using digital signal processor (DSP) controller board DS1104 for a laboratory 5 hp motor. The experimental results verify the simulation of NFC based loss minimization. It is found from the results that proposed drive algorithms can improve the efficiency by around 3% as compared to without any LMA.


title: Role of cognitive appraisal in the recovery from stress

subject:
Cognition.
Perception
Stress (Psychology)

abstract:
The present study examined the effects of cognitive appraisal on
heart rate recovery from a psychological stressor. Forty
introductory psychology students were randomly assigned to
either a threat or challenge condition. Both groups performed
the Stroop Colour-Word Conflict Task for one minute. Following
this, subjects in the challenge condition received positive
feedback concerning their performance and were encouraged to try
for an even better score. In contrast, emphasis in the threat
condition was on the difficulty of the task and the need to
increase their speed and concentration in order to achieve a
better score on their second try. The task was then performed
again for a three minute period. Heart rate was monitored
before, during, and after performance of the task. Results
showed that the threat group displayed higher cardiovascular
arousal during the task. However, contrary to expectations, the
threat group exhibited significantly faster heart rate recovery
than the challenge group.


title: Building a semantic blog support system for gene Learning Objects on Web 2.0 environment / by Wei Yuan.

contributor:
Mohammed, Sabah M. A.
Fiaidhi, Jinan

subject:
Semantic Web
Web 2.0.
Blogs

abstract:
Blogging has become a popular practice on Internet in recent years, and it has been used as information publishing and participate platforms. In recent years, a style of blog called 'semantic blogs' have been introduced into the field. Semantic blogs are blogs enriched with machine-understandable metadata (Mller, Breslin, & Decker, 2005). They are an extension of regular blogs. Recently, a new web technology theory was proposed called Web 2.0. Unlike traditional web technology which only allows web users to accept information passively, Web 2.0 provides web users the option to actively modify web information. Learning Objects are digital entities deliverable over the Internet. Any number of people can access and use them simultaneously. Moreover, users can collaborate on learning objects and benefit immediately from adding their information or appending others' work to Learning Objects and share with other users over the Internet. This thesis is dedicated to the development of a semantic blog prototype for Gene Ontology annotation and navigation as a Web 2.0 support system. We are developing this semantic blog specifically because we did not find an effective system already in place that can provide support for biomedical researchers.
The existing Gene Ontology systems can be classified into various categories: offline applications, client-server applications, web search engines, portals, and FTP servers. Researchers face a number of bottlenecks within the current system; all of them are based on traditional web technology with no collaboration among individual gene ontology
researchers, and annotation can only be published by certain organizations.
This thesis seeks the possibility to use Learning Object with Gene Ontology along with the semantic of how researchers collaborate as represented by FOAF. We have therefore introduced a new Gene ontology Annotation and navigation System. Colloquially referred to as GAS, it is based on Web 2.0 technologies with extended semantic capabilities that include Gene Ontology semantics, SCORM semantics, FOAF semantics, RSS syndication, aggregation semantics, as well as a useful and important gene ontology and annotation navigation system - Gene Ontology Navigation (GON). Our evaluation of the GAS prototype has proven to be extremely effective.


title: Health behaviour, self-efficacy and perceived control in school-age children : foundations for obesity prevention

contributor:
Montelpare, William
Newhouse, Ian
Fraser-Thomas, Jessica
Baker, Joseph

subject: Health status and obesity in children

subject: Healthy eating and physical activity

subject: Obesity in children (Prevention)

subject: Self-efficacy and health locus of control

abstract:
Understanding children’s health, as it influences their present and future lives is essential
for many reasons. With the recent rapid increase in overweight and obesity among children
and adolescents worldwide, the need to study the factors that may be contributing to this
health-compromising condition has also escalated.
This pilot study undertook to establish a baseline health profile for 9-11 year olds in a south
central Canadian community, with a focus on healthy eating and physical activity
determinants of health, and to investigate the relationship between health behaviours
(healthy eating and physical activity) and the psychosocial correlates of self-efficacy (SE)
and multidimensional health locus of control (MHLC). Contextual understanding was added
through qualitative input from teachers and parents.
The study found that, overall, this was a predominantly healthy, economically well-off group
of children who lived in stable family environments that were health promoting. The majority
reported healthy eating habits and were very physically active. However, there were small
but significant groups of children who reported poor health, lived with smokers, did not get
regular dental care, irregularly ate healthfully, or were not physically active. Further, rates of
sedentary activity, in particular TV watching, were fairly high. Based on physical
measurements, rates of overweight and obesity were similarly high to those found in
national surveys. Due to sample size limitations, overall health status was used as a proxy
measure for overweight and obesity.
Gender differences related to health status confirmed the research consensus that girls
report poor health significantly more frequently than boys. However, no other gender
differences were evident. Trends were identified suggesting that living in rural locations and
living with both parents may influence health status. Though socioeconomic status
indicators used in this study were not significantly associated with overall health, these
trends suggest that related factors such as family structure and geographic location may be
important.
Investigation of the associations among the psychosocial variables found that physical
activity SB was significantly associated with health status, but nutrition SB was not.
However, children who were high in either nutrition SB or physical activity SB were also
significantly more likely to eat healthfully and be more physically active. These findings
suggest that self-efficacy may be an important psychosocial correlate of health status and
its related determinants. Multidimensional health locus of control for nutrition was also found
to be significantly associated with healthy eating and physical activity. Though the other
associations found for health locus of control variables were different from the SB variables,
they were, nonetheless, important. Healthy children were more likely to report being in
control of their health.
Physical activity and physical activity SB were the only strong predictors of health status
identified by regression analysis. This finding supports the importance of physical activity to health, and hence to reduction of overweight and obesity, but additionally adds to the
uncertainty of the contribution of nutrition. It may be that children, at this age, are more likely
to see themselves as capable in the realm of physical activity than nutrition.
Teachers’ comments suggested that this might be the case, and also emphasized a lack of
good health practices among their students and the importance of positive parental
influences. Similarly, parents reinforced the view that children need boundaries, while being
given opportunities to be involved in decision making related to eating healthfully and being
physically active.


title: Periphyton community dynamics in varying natural environments : a study from Northern Lake Simcoe

contributor:
Kurissery, Sreekumari
Kanavillil, Nandakumar

subject:
Lake Simcoe, Ontario
Periphyton
Aquatic invertebrates

abstract:
Study site : near Barrie Ontario, Kempenfelt Bay - Barrie ; Concession Point - Ramara Township ; Lagoon City, Brechin.
Globally, freshwater ecosystems are constantly under the threat of various biological and chemical stressors. In Canada, millions of dollars are spent on the rehabilitation process of these water bodies every year. Maintenance of healthy water systems is important for their conservation and survival of human kind. This study examines the use of periphyton as a tool for monitoring water quality by examining the dynamics (biofilm thickness, species density, species richness, species diversity, and biomass) in periphyton communities in lentic environments. Previous research validates the successful use of periphyton in lotic environments.
This multi-proxy (Bacillariophyceae, Chlorophyceae, Cyanophyceae, and protozoa) study investigated the colonization pattern of periphyton on inert glass slides (10 X 3 X 0.1cm) suspended in the littoral zone of 3 sampling locations in northern Lake Simcoe, to a maximum period of 30 days (per sampling period) with intermittent sampling. The study was repeated four
times in different seasons during 2011-2013. The retrieved slides were observed under a microscope for taxonomic composition of periphyton communities, species density, and biofilm thickness. The hypotheses tested were (1) periphyton community dynamics vary with season and location, (2) species diversity decreases as a result of increase in nutrient concentration, (3) diatom abundance and species composition will increase in spring and fall seasons as a result of lake turnover processes.
Results indicated that there was significant variation in the periphyton colonization pattern with seasons, locations and with the duration of slide exposure. The overall periphyton growth (biofilm thickness, biomass and species density) exhibited an increase during the early phase (rmAnova p<0.05 between days of exposure); a climax during the mid phase (miAnova /7<0.05 between days of exposure); a sloughing-off period, and an increase in growth towards the late growth phase (rmAnova /7<0.05 between days of exposure). The highest species density (site
LC: 7.91[subscript log10]) was observed during summer (rmAnovap<0.05 between seasons) when a decrease in diversity in Bacillariophyceae was observed. However, Bacillariophyceae abundance and diversity increased during spring and fall sampling periods as a result of lake turnover processes and the availability of nutrients. Overall species diversity did not decrease when the total phosphorus concentration increased in the water column. This is mainly because of the increased diversity in Chlorophyceae, Cyanophyceae and protozoa.
The periphyton community varied with the environmental stressors such as variations in conductivity and nutrient concentrations. Thus, the mature periphyton community composition and their dynamics demonstrated that they can be used as an indicator of water quality changes in this study area.


title: Tobacco use as a risk indicator for periodontal disease in a sample of Northwestern Ontario residents / by Ann Marie Chlebovec.

contributor:
Montelpare, William
Pynn, Bruce
Brewster, Joan
Newhouse, Donna

subject:
Periodontal disease
Periodontal disease - Etiology
Periodontal disease - Risk factors
Northwestern Ontario
Tobacco use and periodontal health

abstract:
According to Pairo and Neill (2002), tobacco use has been identified as a
significant risk factor in the development and progression of periodontal disease. However, throughout the literature the effects of smoking on individual variables such as bleeding on probing, amounts of plaque and calculus, probing depth, attachment loss and recession are fraught with controversy and ambiguity. The purpose of the present study was to determine the influence of tobacco use on the periodontal health status of
Northwestern Ontario residents. Specifically, clinical features of periodontal disease in adults in relation to smoking behaviours were measured. The study will contribute new information about the risk of tobacco use and oral hygiene practices. It is anticipated that this study may be useful to dental professionals, researchers and local health promoters who are challenged with the responsibility of educating people about the negative
consequences of tobacco use and the importance of maintaining appropriate oral hygiene practices.
Statement of Problem
• To determine a measure of prevalence of periodontal disease in an urban community in Northwestern Ontario
• To determine the likelihood of periodontal disease between tobacco users and nonusers
• To determine the oral hygiene practices between tobacco users and non-users
• To determine the level of periodontal disease in tobacco users versus non-tobacco users

Method
One-hundred adult patients were recruited over a six-month period from a dental clinic in Thunder Bay, Ontario. Participants completed a survey while waiting for their routine dental appointment. The questionnaire was designed to determine tobacco use: frequency, type, duration and quantity. Moreover, the questionnaire was used to collect information about oral hygiene practices, age and gender, and general health. All patients had undergone a clinical and radiographic assessment by the dentist and hygienist. The periodontal status was based on the following clinical measures: gingival bleeding tendency, level of gingival
inflammation, levels of bacterial plaque and calculus, periodontal pocket depth, clinical attachment loss, and number of teeth retained.
Results and Conclusion
Tobacco use is a causal mechanism of periodontal disease. The results obtained in this study support previous research, which demonstrated that smokers are at greater risk of developing severe periodontal disease than non-smokers. Odds ratios reported in the present study indicated that tobacco users are twice as likely to show severe periodontal disease. Furthermore, the present study also demonstrated that tobacco users
were more than twice as likely to demonstrate higher levels of plaque and both supragingival and subgingival calculus, which are noted precursors of gingivalin flammation leading to periodontal disease. While these findings are important alone, the study also showed that self-reported oral hygiene behaviours were not significantly different between smokers and non-smokers, suggesting that despite the best intentions of smokers to self maintain good oral health through subscribing to regular dental visits and
practices, periodontal disease and its related sequelae continue to develop.

Study participants from Thunder Bay Region, Northwestern Ontario.


title: Middle holocene archaeology and paleoenvironments of the Thunder Bay region, Lake Superior basin

subject:
Paleoenvironmental events
Lake Superior basin
Early and middle Holocene
Lower Kaministiquia River Valley
Northwestern Ontario
Paleovegetation & climate change

abstract:
This thesis describes the analysis of a deeply buried peat deposit discovered in a
cutbank along the Kaministiquia River near Thunder Bay, Ontario. This exposure yielded
a large sample of well-preserved plant macrofossils that have been dated between 9,100-
8,900 cal yr BP. This is the first study using macrofossil remains to reconstruct
vegetation and the environment in the Thunder Bay region. These data contribute to the
development of a high-resolution reconstruction of a specific plant community that
developed approximately 1,500 years after final deglaciation of the region. The
vegetation data is used in conjunction with the sedimentological record of the cutbank to
reconstruct paleoenvironmental events that occurred within and around the Lake Superior
basin during the early and middle Holocene, providing previously unknown data to the
paleoenvironmental record. This reconstruction not only identifies and explains these
events but also assigns an environmental context to the archaeological record of the area
which is extremely important to understand since there are many gaps and inconsistencies
in the record.


title: So you think you've got problems : interpersonal influence on women with low appearance self-esteem within the context of self-affirmation

subject:
Self-esteem in women
Self-protective behavior
Cognitive dissonance

abstract:
The influences of interpersonal interactions on psychological constructs have been studied
extensively in the research literature. However, due to the inherent complexities involved in
such interactions, a comprehensive understanding of such relationships is currently limited. Selfaffirmation
theory provides a framework for understanding the way in which individuals cope
with threats to the self in everyday life circumstances. Self-affirmation theory states that when
individuals are exposed to a threat to the self, they are motivated to affirm another aspect of their
self-worth in an attempt to maintain a sense of self-integrity. The current study investigated the
relationship between self-affirmation and self-esteem during an ecologically valid interpersonal
interaction. Emphasis was placed on exploring the utility of self-affirmation theory in
understanding threats to appearance self-esteem. Ninety-eight female undergraduates
participated in the current study during which they took part in a videotaped role play with an
experimenter. During the role play, an appearance or academic-related topic was discussed, after
which participants then viewed their role play. Results of the study provided partial support for
self-affirmation theory; specifically, individuals who discussed an appearance-related topic and
had low appearance self-esteem responded by investing their stake in an appearance domain of
self-worth, contrary to the basic premise of self-affirmation theory. Individuals who discussed
an academic-related topic also did not decrease stake in the academic domain of self-worth.
However, individuals in both groups re-invested stake generally in other domains of self-esteem,
as predicted by self-affirmation theory. Furthermore, exploratory analyses revealed that the
study has implications for understanding the enduring quality of body image concerns as well as
interventions designed to improve such concerns.


title: From coal to wood thermoelectric energy production: Socio-economic impacts in northwestern Ontario, Canada

contributor:
Shahi, Chander
Luckai, Nancy
Lemelin, Harvey

subject:
Atikokan Generating Station
Bioenergy
Boreal forests
Electricity generation
Energy security
Forest biomass
Lignite coal
Wood pellets

abstract: The province of Ontario in Canada is the first North American jurisdiction with legislation in place to eliminate coal-fired thermoelectric production. Ontario Power Generation’s (OPG) coal-fired Atikokan Generating Station (AGS) is the only facility that switched to 100% woody biomass – in 2014. However, the socio-economic impacts of this policy change on the community of Atikokan in northwestern Ontario have not been analyzed. This dissertation synthesizes and presents three separate, strongly integrated papers in journal article format. The first paper presents the current state of peer-reviewed literature relating to three common fuel burning scenarios (biomass, coal and co-firing) for thermoelectric production. Over 150 sources, which included peer-reviewed articles and non-peer-reviewed grey literature such as consultant reports, government documents, and news articles were reviewed. Knowledge gaps related to socio-economic impacts and indicators were identified. The second paper takes a qualitative data analysis approach utilizing interviews with community leaders, current newspaper articles, past consultant reports and archival data, and presents the community’s lobby response to the coal ban. Four emergent themes were identified and cross validated. The third paper modeled and compared three potential scenarios at AGS, and an induced economic impact assessment model was developed to assess direct changes in employment at the power plant (and indirect employment at associated local industries), and induced spending patterns of households. The model suggests that the continuation of coal would allow for $82.7M in household spending, the shutdown reduces household spending to $72.1M, whereas the conversion to biomass increases household spending to $83.9M. As the study reveals, biomass conversion could produce a net positive induced economic impact, provided local biomass fuel supply is available. Furthermore, as power-generating authorities grapple with demands to reduce carbon emissions, the Atikokan case may provide insight for other jurisdictions evaluating renewable energy adoption.


title: Yield and morphological responses of wild blueberry (vaccinium spp.) to forest harvesting and conifer release treatments

subject: Blueberries Effect of herbicides on Ontario, Northwestern

subject: Vaccinium Effect of herbicides on Ontario, Northwestern

subject: Blueberries Effect of logging on Ontario, Northwestern

abstract:
This thesis synthesizes three papers on the effects of forestry practices on the growth and
fruit production of lowbush (V. angustifolium) and velvet leaf (V. myrtilloides) blueberry in i)
young jackpine, ii) boreal mixedwood and iii) lowland black spruce plantations in northwestern
Ontario. The main objectives of the three papers were to investigate: i) the impacts of forest
herbicide and alternative conifer release treatments on the growth and fruit production of
Vaccinium spp.; ii) the phenology of Vaccinium spp. in order to determine an optimal spray time
that might reduce susceptibility of blueberry to herbicide injury and iii) the morphological plasticity
of velvet leaf blueberry bushes growing in clearcut, partial cut and uncut second-growth boreal
mixedwood forests.
i) It was shown that application of Vision® herbicide significantly affects the abundance, growth
and reproductive performance of Vaccinium spp. in treated clearcuts. Compared with untreated
areas, fruit productivity of Vaccinium spp. in Vision® treated plantations was reduced by as much
as 58 % three years after disturbance. Reductions in berry production were attributed to toxic
effects of the herbicide to stems and below-ground reproductive tissue. Conversely, percent cover
and the number, dry weight and fresh weight of berries increased significantly after brushsaw
cutting.
ii) Patterns of leaf development in V. angustifolium and V. myrtilloides indicated that selective
control of competing vegetation in plantations with reduced damage to Vaccinium spp. may be possible with herbicide application before active growth of new blueberry shoots (i.e. early May)
or during leaf senescence and abscission (i.e. September to October). Foliage of blueberry turned
colour in late August with about 30 % abscission by the last week of September. With most of the
foliage lost by early autumn, application of foliar herbicides at this time may have limited effects
upon blueberry growth and fruit production, since without leaves, little herbicide can be absorbed
or translocated to below-ground vegetative organs.
iii) V. myrtilloides was able to persist in both open and closed habitats in boreal mixedwood forests
managed for commercial timber exploitation. Persistence under heavy shade conditions was
attributed to plasticity in morphological and biomass allocation. Specific leaf area, individual leaf
weight, number of berries, number of reproductive shoots and the proportion of total biomass in
stems and foliage changed along a gradient in understory light ( % PPFD) from 0 % to 67 % PPFD
in forests harvested by clearcutting and shelterwood logging. Reproductive performance of V.
myrtilloides was best under the partial shade conditions associated with shelterwood cutting.
The results of this thesis indicate that clearcut logging and silvicultural strategies of weed
suppression such as herbicide application can adversely affect both the berry production and
vegetative growth of Vaccinium spp. in northwestern Ontario. Conversely, partial cutting and
conifer release with brushsaw cutting offer a silvicultural alternative that is less destructive to
blueberry.


title: Amorphous Selenium (a-Se) and its Compounds: Photo-induced Metastability and Application in a Novel Gamma Camera

subject:
Chalcogenide glasses
Photo-induced metastability
ChG amorphous selenium
Archetypal a-GexSe100-x glass compounds

abstract:
Despite the large number of successful commercial applications of chalcogenide glasses (ChGs)
ranging from memory devices to photonics and medical imaging detectors, the understanding of a
fundamental property – photo-induced structural metastability is not yet complete. The inherent
trend of amorphous chalcogenides to convert to its crystalline counterpart, can on the one hand, be
directly utilized in phase-change memories, while on the other hand can degrade glass properties
for applications in sensing. Furthermore, because the structure of amorphous semiconductors is not
fixed by thermodynamic equilibrium conditions, its transformation can be triggered by optical/X-ray
excitation  and influenced by thermal heating or applied electric field. Each case has its own
peculiarities of transformation. Thus, to ensure effective application of a given ChG, a solid
understanding of the causes for the structural transformation on the microscopic level has to be
developed.
This thesis is devoted to the study of photo-induced metastability of the most widely used ChG –
amorphous selenium (a-Se), and archetypal a-GexSe100-x glass compounds relevant for applications in
sensing. We focus on the research of defect creation and defect relaxation processes in these
materials since it is hypothesized to be the root cause for structural transformations affecting
stability. The detailed experimental and  theoretical study is carried out to reveal the pathways
from a micro-level, i.e. defect creation/relaxation, to the macro-level photo-induced effects
formation, namely photodarkening (PD), photobleaching (PB) and photo-induced crystallization (PC)
and their kinetics.
The effects of temperature and energy of excitation on PD kinetics are studied in a- Se. Distinctly
different PD effects are observed in the case of sub-bandgap and above- bandgap excitation. It is
found that above-bandgap excitation causes only transient photodarkening with a temperature
independent relaxation time and no significant structural rearrangements. In contrast, sub-bandgap
excitation causes both transient and metastable PD effects. Whereas the mechanism responsible for
transient PD for sub- bandgap  excitation  is  analogous  to  that  in  the  case  of
above-bandgap       excitation,
metastable  PD  is  controlled  by  the  formation  of  self-trapped  excitons  resulting in
structural transformations into configuration defects. Subsequent relaxation in the latter case is
shown to be a thermally activated process at elevated temperatures; or configuration tunneling
below the room temperature. It is confirmed that if left unrestored, metastable PD acts as a
precursor for photo-induced crystallization.
Detailed investigation of the effects of different substrates and temperature on photo- induced
crystallization in a-Se demonstrates that the onset of PC is suppressed by softening of the
film-substrate interface and/or by operating at temperatures near the glass transition.
Further, photodarkening and photobleaching effects are investigated in a-GexSe100-x as a function
of composition across the glass forming region. The Ge:Se ratio is found to play a decisive role in
the observed effects. The critical concentration of Ge ≈30% is highlighted to correspond to the
crossover from transient PB to a mixture of transient PD and metastable PB. The underlying
microscopic mechanism is governed by the availability of lone pair (LP) states at Se atoms. For
low-Ge content films (x<20%) LPs are primarily involved in photoexcitation, causing a
photodarkening effect (like in a-Se). As Ge concentration reaches 30%, Ge-Se bond breakage becomes
prevalent under light exposure, which results in the generation of dangling bonds and the
saturation of the available LP states. This is found to be responsible for the transient PB effect.
With further increase of Ge %, the amount of homopolar Ge-Ge bonds starts to increase along with
the obvious deficiency of lone pairs. This leads to Ge-Ge bond breakage upon excitation, which
causes transient photodarkening. In the post-excitation period, however, it initiates transition to
a more ordered state with the main feature of the formation of 3D nanostructures. This is reflected
in a bandgap increase and an experimentally observed metastable photobleaching effect.
Finally, our understanding of a-Se properties allowed us to extend its application in low-energy
nuclear medicine devices. A novel fluence integrating gamma camera is proposed, which if
commercialized, will be used to guide advanced breast cancer treatment that involves the placement
of low-energy radioactive seeds. The feasibility of the proposed approach is confirmed in realistic
breast phantom studies. Our results demonstrate the potential of the gamma camera to fulfill the
clinical requirements of both
spatial resolution and sensitivity.


title: An examination of cognitive behavioural group therapy for problem gamblers who gamble over the internet: a controlled study

contributor:
Mazmanian, Dwight
Jamieson, John
Davis, Ron
Serenko, Alexander
Toneatto, Tony

subject: Gambling participation and problem gambling

subject: Development of problem gambling

subject: Correlates of problem gambling

subject: Psychological comorbidity and problem gambling

subject: Seeking treatment and treatment dropout among problem gamblers

subject: Problem gambling treatments

subject: Cognitive behavioural group therapy for problem gambling

abstract:
The purpose of the present study was twofold: first, to examine the efficacy of group CBT for
self-identified problem Internet gamblers and second, to qualitatively examine participants’
perspectives on their treatment experiences, especially in relation to decreasing Internet problem
gambling. Thirty-two self-identified problem Internet gamblers were randomly assigned to either
the treatment group (n = 16) or wait-list control group (n = 16). Results indicated that the
treatment was efficacious in improving three of the four dependent variables from pre- to posttest/
treatment: number of DSM-IV criteria for pathological gambling endorsed, perception of
control over gambling, and number of sessions gambled. No significant pre- to posttest/
treatment difference was found between groups on desire to gamble. Groups were combined
to examine treatment outcome over time, with results showing significant pre- to post-treatment
and pre- to three-month post-treatment improvement in all four dependent variables. For the
qualitative component of this study, thematic analysis was used to identify themes in the data.
Five themes related to participants’ treatment experiences, experiences in trying to decrease their
problem gambling behaviours over the Internet, and how Internet gambling may influence the
treatment of problem gambling behaviours were identified. Limitations of the study, along with
implications for future research are discussed.


title: Fuzzy logic based online adaptation of current and speed controllers for improved performance of IPMSM drive

subject:
Electric motors, Synchronous
Automatic control

abstract: Precise torque and speed control of electric motors is a key issue in industries for variable speed drives (VSD). Over the years the induction motors have been widely utilized in industries for VSD applications. However, induction motor has some significant drawbacks like low efficiency, lagging power factor, asynchronous speed, low torque density etc. Nowadays the interior permanent magnet synchronous motor (IPMSM) is becoming popular for high performance variable speed drive (HPVSD) due to its high torque-current ratio, large power-weight ratio, high efficiency, high power factor, low noise and robustness as compared to conventional induction and other ac motors. Smooth torque response, fast and precise speed response, quick recovery of torque and speed from any disturbance and parameter insensitivity, robustness in variable speed domain and maintenance free operations are the main concerns for HPVSD.                             This work proposes a closed loop vector control of an IPMSM drive incorporating two separate fuzzy logic controllers (FLCs). Among them one FLC is designed. to minimize the developed torque ripple by varying online the hysteresis band of the PWM current controller. Another Sugeno type FLC is used to tune the gains of a proportional-integral (PI) controller where the PI controller actually serves as the primary speed controller. Thus, the limitations of traditional PI controllers will be avoided and the performance of the drive system can be improved. A flux controller is also incorporated in such a way that both torque and flux of the motor can be controlled while maintaining current and voltage constraints. The flux controller is designed based on maximum-torque- per-ampere (MTPA) operation below the rated speed and flux weakening operation above the rated speed. Thus, the proposed drive extends the operating speed limits for the motor and enables the effective use of the reluctance torque.                                                             In order to verify the performance of the proposed IPMSM drive, first a simulation model is developed using Matlab/Simulink. Then the complete IPMSM drive has been implemented in real-time using digital signal processor (DSP) controller board DS1104 for a laboratory 5 HP motor. The effectiveness of the proposed drive is verified both in simulation and experiment at different operating conditions. In this regard, a performance comparison of the proposed FLC based tuned PI and adapted hysteresis controllers based drive with the conventional PI and fixed bandwidth hysteresis controllers based drive is provided. These comparison results demonstrate the better dynamic response in torque and speed for the proposed IPMSM drive over a wide speed range.


title: An exploration of the impact of cultural food beliefs and attitudes on the acceptance of the dietary recommendations for type 2 diabetes

contributor:
Newhouse, Ian
Maar, Marion

subject:
Diabetes prevalence
Diabetes Co-morbidities
Aboriginal susceptibility to diabetes
Food beliefs and attitudes
Contemporary Aboriginal diet

abstract:
The purpose of this research is to discover culturally shared local beliefs and attitudes towards foods that may impact the acceptance of dietary recommendations for the management of Type 2 Diabetes (T2DM) amongst Ojibwe (Anishinabek) in M'Chigeeng First Nation.
Culturally-appropriate grounded theory research using focus group discussions with Anishinabek community members with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus residing in M'Chigeen First Nation in the Manitoulin District Ontario.


title: Pretreatment and conditioning of municipal wastewater secondary sludge using freezing and a combination of ultrasound and freezing

subject:
Sludge management
Municipal wastewater sludge
Wastewater treatment plants
Sludge pretreatment and conditioning
Freeze-thaw conditioning
Thermal pretreatment
Ultrasonic pretreatment

abstract: With the cost of sludge management on the rise, the volume reduction of municipal wastewater sludge is becoming an increasingly important issue for wastewater treatment plants. Current research is focused on pretreatment methods intended to increase the efficiency of anaerobic digestion. Unfortunately, many of the pretreatment methods studied show little to no improvements in dewaterability of the secondary sludge. This research was carried out to investigate the potential of freezing and combined ultrasound-‐freezing methods for simultaneous sludge pretreatment and conditioning. Three methods of freezing were employed; conventional freeze-‐thaw (FT), combined ultrasonic-‐freezing (UF) and progressive ultrasonic freezing (PUF). The solubilisation of sludge organic matter, evaluated by measuring soluble chemical oxygen demand (sCOD), showed significant improvements for all freezing methods compared to the controls. The maximum increase in sCOD was 6.5 times the control for conventional freezing at -‐30°C and 5 freeze-‐thaw cycles, 5.3 times the control for combined ultrasonic freezing at 20% amplitude and 12 minutes of sonication and 7.7 times the control for the liquid portion of the progressive ultrasonic freezing samples with a three second sonication pulse for the duration of the freezing. The dewaterability of the freezing methods was also evaluated by measuring sludge volume index (SVI) and capillary suction time (CST). The three freezing methods showed significant improvements in dewaterability with CST ratios ranging from 0.12 􀍴 0.21 for conventional freezing, 0.11-‐ 0.21 for combined ultrasonic freezing and 0.15 􀍴 0.26 for the solid portion of the progressive ultrasonic freezing samples. The freezing methods were compared to three commonly studied pretreatment methods (thermal, microwave and ultrasound) and showed equivalent or better abilities to solubilise sludge organic matter and improve dewaterability. Further tests revealed that the three freezing treatments also resulted in significantly higher concentrations of proteins as well as increased biodegradability and gas production. The gas production ratio over the control was greatest for conventional freezing (1.52), followed by combined ultrasonic freezing (1.17) and progressive ultrasonic freezing (1.13). The results suggest that freezing could be a very effective pretreatment method as it would be able to simultaneously improve both anaerobic digestion efficiency as well as dewaterability.


title: Studies on phosphate solubilizing bacteria from two lakes in central southern Ontario

contributor:
Crawford, Katelynn
Kurissery, Sreekumari
Kanavillil, Nandakumar
Leung, Kam

subject:
Freshwater environments
Microbial communities
Lake Simcoe
Sparrow Lake

abstract: It has been well documented that phosphorus pollution has been one of the most significant factors inhibiting aquatic health on Lake Simcoe. However, reports on the impacts of microbial contribution to phosphorus levels are sparse. Phosphate solubilizing bacteria (PSB), are a group of bacteria that are known to release inorganic phosphate from sediments into a bioavailable form of phosphorus under specific conditions and are the focus of the present study. Sediment samples were collected once monthly from June-September 2017 from three nearshore locations along the northwestern shore of Lake Simcoe and compared to three nearshore locations along Sparrow Lake, ON. The phosphate solubilizing bacteria were isolated from the sediment, and the abundances between each lake were compared to see if anthropogenic influence was a factor on their abundance and distribution. After the bacterial isolates were counted, they were subjected to a series of laboratory tests in order to find out which of the isolates were the most efficient ones at utilizing inorganic phosphate. This test was first completed on Pikovskaya’s agar plates, and then the isolates that had the best results were tested again in Pikovskaya’s broth. The ten isolates that utilized the most inorganic phosphate were further classified on their abilities to grow at various temperatures, pH levels, and inorganic phosphate concentrations. Results indicated that there were significant differences on the abundance of PSBs based on their lake of origin (three-factor ANOVA, p<0.05). However, the higher abundance was observed in Sparrow Lake, which did not agree with the hypothesis that PSBs would be more abundant in areas that had high nutrient concentrations. Results from a laboratory screening test showed that the isolate incubation period had a significant impact on how efficient the isolates were at utilizing inorganic phosphate on the Pikovskaya’s agar plates (repeated measures ANOVA, p<0.05). They also showed that some of the isolates were significantly better at utilizing the inorganic phosphate in the broth than others (1-factor ANOVA, p<0.05), and that of the ten isolates that were characterized, only three were significantly different from each other (discriminant function analysis, p<0.001). The phosphate solubilizing bacteria were found to be most abundant and grew the best when they originated from areas that had water total phosphorus concentrations of less than 2mg/L. Thus, indicating that this group of microorganisms may not be useful as indicators of phosphorus pollution.


title: Effects of water availability, longer photoperiod, and elevated [CO2] on the potential of the northward migration in trembling aspen (populus tremuloides michx.)

contributor:
Dang, Qing-Lai
Man, Rongzhou
Law, David

subject:
Climate change
Tree migration
Morphology
Cavitation resistance
Populus tremuloides Michx
Photoperiod
Photosynthesis

abstract: Based on climate envelope models, boreal tree species may migrate to higher latitudes (approximately 10˚N toward the north) in response to rapid climate changes by the end of this century. Multiple factors will likely influence the success of the migration. However, the interactive impacts of these factors are poorly understood. The primary objective of this thesis was to investigate the interactive effect of soil moisture, photoperiod and [CO2] on the physiology, morphology, and phenology of trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) in a context of northward migration. Seedlings were exposed to two [CO2] (AC: 400 vs. EC: 1000 μmol mol-1), four photoperiod regimes corresponding to 48 (seed origin), 52, 55, and 58°N latitudes and two soil moisture regimes (high soil moisture (HSM) vs. low soil moisture (LSM)) for two growing seasons in environment-controlled greenhouses. I assessed the responses of a suite of morphological, physiological and phenological responses. I found that the longest photoperiod regime (corresponding to 58˚N) had the greatest height growth and total biomass at the first growing season, but cavitation resistance significantly decreases in photoperiod at higher latitude under EC. The results suggest that when migrating to higher latitudes, trembling aspen may grow faster but will become less resistant to drought and more prone to hydraulic failure during a drought spell. There were also significant interactive effects of photoperiod, [CO2] and soil moisture on the tree physiology. Both stomatal conductance (gs) and its reduction in response to LSM declined with increasing photoperiod, which can have significant implications for the impact of soil moisture on the tree northward migration. Surprisingly, LSM resulted in an upregulation of photosynthesis as indicated by increases in the maximum rate of Rubisco carboxylation and maximum rate of electron transport for RuBP regeneration, and the magnitude of the upregulation increased with increasing photoperiod. The photosynthetic upregulation was accompanied by an increase in biomass allocation to roots and a reduction in gs under LSM. LSM increased the instantaneous water-use efficiency (iWUE), and the increase was greater under EC. While LSM increased photosynthesis in both AC and EC in July, the increase was significant under EC in August. EC increased iWUE in both soil moisture treatments in July, but the increase was significant only under LSM in August. Furthermore, EC enhanced net photosynthetic rate (Pn) only under LSM but not HSM. I also found that the significant interactive effects of photoperiod, [CO2] and soil moisture on phenology. The two longer photoperiods at 55 and 58˚N latitude significantly delayed growth cessation, bud set and the development of cold hardiness in the fall, particularly under the EC treatment. Although the longest photoperiod resulted in the highest height growth, photoperiod did not have a significant impact on diameter growth or biomass in the second growing season. LSM also delayed phenological events in the fall, but EC delayed bud break in the spring. The significant interactive effects of photoperiod, [CO2] and soil moisture on phenology, cold hardiness, growth and the length of the growing season indicate the complex nature of latitudinal tree migration that has been predicated under the scenario of climate change. The results of this thesis should advance our understanding of how soil moisture, photoperiod and [CO2] may interact each other and influence the northward migration of trembling aspen and should also have implications for the potential responses of other boreal tree species, particularly deciduous species. The results of this thesis indicate the importance of understanding interactions of multiple factors in affecting the potential migration of tree species and suggest that [CO2], photoperiod, and soil moisture should be considered in assessing the potential northward migration of boreal trees in general or human-assisted migration as a response strategy to climate change.


title: Adaptive variation in cold hardiness among aspen (Populus tremuloides) provenances

contributor:
Parker, William H.
Malek, Ladislav
Dang, Qing-Lai

subject:
Populus tremuloides (Hardiness)
Effect of cold on Populus tremuloides
Chlorophyll fluorescence
Electrical conductivity
Cambium visual scoring

abstract:
The relative efficiencies of using different methods to detect genetic variation in
cold hardiness were evaluated, and the adaptive variation among aspen provenances was
further studied. This thesis is organized as three parts. The first part is a comparison of
chlorophyll fluorescence, electrical conductivity and cambium visual scoring to detect
genetic variation in cold hardiness of twelve aspen provenances from northwestern
Ontario. Comparison of results indicated that rank of provenances in cold hardiness by
three methods was similar, but EC is more sensitive to detect variation level among
populations. All methods can be a good indicator of adaptive variation, although the
adaptive mechanism each method detected may be different. The second part is to
evaluate adaptive variation in cold hardiness among 20 aspen provenances from
northwestern Ontario using electrical conductivity. Significant variation among
provenances was detected, and the variance expressed among provenances was higher
than 70%. Principal component analysis summarized 14 variables into three principal
components representing different phases of development. PC-1 mainly represented
cold hardiness development after late September, while PC-2 and PC-3 mainly
explained the cold hardiness in early-mid September. Multiple regression analysis of
each PC against modeled climatic variables unique to each seed source indicated that
growing season length and precipitation in August were the best predictors of PC-1,
while temperatures were always the best predictors of PC-2. The third part of this thesis
is to further evaluate the genetic variation of 34 provenances of trembling aspen and
three hybrids, and the results were compared with those by cambium visual scoring
(CVS). Provenance effects were significant, and the correlations between chlorophyll
fluorescence and cambium visual scoring were significant.


title: Effects of CO2 elevation on the responses to flooding in black spruce (P. mariana) and tamarack (L. larcina) seedlings

subject:
Anthropogenic activities
Rising atmospheric CO2
Climate change

abstract: Anthropogenic activities have been increasing the atmospheric CO2 concentration globally and the increase is predicted to continue to rise in the future. Increased CO2 has been shown to increase photosynthetic rates as well as water use efficiency in trees as well as induce changes in the global climatic conditions. Climate change is also expected to alter the world’s hydrologic cycles, leading to increased flooding events in many regions. Prolonged flooding events can cause negative effects on even flood tolerant species such as Picea mariana and Larix laricina, because of the lack of soil aeration. The lack of air in the soil causes the roots to turn from aerobic root respiration to fermentation. Fermentation can lead to root tissue die back as a result of carbohydrate use inefficiency. The goal of this study was to determine if the benefits gained by increased CO2 could overcome the problems caused by flooding. To test the effects of increased CO2 and flooding on P. mariana and L. laricina changes in morphology and physiology were examined by exposing seedlings to double atmospheric CO2 and a 28 day flood with a 35 day recovery. Overall no interactive effects on the morphology of either seedling species were found. There was only one significant interaction between CO2 and flooding seen on the physiology of the seedlings; though no long lasting effects were observed. The flooding treatment, however, significantly reduced the quantum yield of Photosystem II and root respiration in both species and under both CO2 concentrations. The Photosystem II function recovered 35 days after the termination of the flood treatment, but root respiration did not. The results suggest that the CO2 elevation did not alleviate the flood injuries or enhance the subsequent recovery following the flood treatment. It is also found that the two species has similar tolerance to flooding despite that the flood treatment induced the development of adventitious roots in L. laricina but not in P. mariana.


title: Management proposal for a private landowner to improve an existing sugar maple stand

subject:
Forest health
Silviculture
Sustainability
Sugar maple

abstract:
The presence of sugar maple, Acer saccharum Marshall, in Northwestern Ontario
is bound by the existence of unique ecological microsites and natural gap dynamic
processes. Its’ management, though rare and challenging, has been embraced by Jay
Stewart and his family with the personal production of maple syrup. A silviculture
prescription focused on the improvement of the overall health condition of the stand, the
release of sugar maple trees from competition, the nurturing of regeneration and seedbed
conditions, as well as the maintenance of additionally important forest values has been
developed and proposed in order to meet the landowners objectives.


title: Variations in metamorphic grade in metapelites in transects across the Quetico Subprovince north of Thunder Bay, Ontario

subject:
Geology Ontario, Northwestern
Petrology Ontario, Northwestern
Metamorphism (Geology)
Mineralogy of metapelites
Metamorphism
Geothermobarometry

abstract:
The Quetico subprovince is a northeast-southwest striking
linear belt of migmatites, gneisses, and metasedimentary rocks.
These Archean rocks form part of the southern Superior Province-
This study involves an examination of variations in metamorphic
grade along cross-strike transects in an area north of Thunder Bay,
Ontario.
The rocks of the Quetico subprovince include metasedimentary
rocks with well preserved primary structures, knotted schists,
gneisses, migmatites, and anatectic granitic rocks. Metamorphic
porphyroblasts include muscovite, biotite, garnet, staurolite,
cordierite, andalusite, and sillimanite. Chemical analyses of
garnets, geothermobarometry, and mineral assemblage data were used
to determine variations in metamorphic grade in transects across
the subprovince.
Mineral assemblages characteristic of low to high grade
metamorphism are exposed along an across-strike transect.
Metamorphic grade rises gradually from low grade (521°C) to high
grade (714°C) northwards along Highway 527. North of the peak
conditions, the grade drops off sharply. Garnet-biotite
geothermometry confirms this pattern. Maximum pressure reached in
the study area is approximately 5 kbar.
The model proposed to account for the distribution of
metamorphic assemblages and minerals involves transpression of the
Quetico accretionary prism between the Wabigoon volcanic cratonic
margin to the north and the docking Wawa volcanic complex to the
south. Buckling and folding of the sedimentary rocks was
accompanied by thrusting. Erosion has exposed high grade
migmatitic and anatectic rocks within the Quetico fold belt which
developed as a result of thermal relaxation of depressed isotherms.
The boundaries between metavolcanic and metasedimentary terranes
are structurally complex. Boundaries may be best described as
geometrically complex zones up to several kilometres in extent in
which various rock types representative of the adjacent terranes
have been folded, faulted, and intruded.