title: DEVELOPMENT OF NONLINEAR FINITE DIFFERENCE MODEL FOR CHLORIDE DIFFUSION IN CONCRETE

contributor:
Department of Civil Engineering
Doctor of Philosophy
Dr. Michael Thomas
Dr. Hany El-Nagar
Dr. Dean Forgeron
Dr. George Jarjoura
Dr. John Newhook
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
Chloride diffusion
Finit difference
Chloride binding
Nonlinear model
Concrete

abstract:
Owing to problems associated with chloride-induced corrosion, the reliable prediction of chloride ingress into concrete is one of the key elements of the durability design and redesign of concrete structures exposed to chloride environments. In this thesis, a nonlinear chloride penetration model based on the finite difference approach is developed that aims to predict chloride content at the reinforcement level after a certain period of exposure. The chloride ingress into concrete is modeled using a modified Fick’s second law of diffusion, where the chloride binding is dealt with as a separate term in the model, allowing the nonlinear binding to be accounted for in the modeling process. Two finite difference models for both simplified and modified Fick’s second law equations are derived and used to model chloride ingress into concrete. The influence of time and temperature on the effective chloride diffusion coefficient is accounted for in the model. The chloride parameters, which describe the predicted chloride profiles, are obtained by fitting to the experimental chloride profiles of acid-soluble chlorides the predicted chloride profiles resulting from the nonlinear model. Chloride parameters are obtained for three binding cases: no binding, linear binding, and nonlinear binding. The results of the nonlinear model are then compared to those of the error function solution and Life-365. A parametric study is also conducted to examine the sensitivity of the predicted service life against changes in the values of key parameters of interest used in the model.

In addition, the influence of the curing temperature on the chloride diffusion coefficient and age parameter (value of m) is experimentally investigated, and the influence of chloride binding on concrete porosity and pore volume at different exposure conditions is explored. Water-soluble and acid-soluble chloride profiles obtained at different exposure periods and temperatures are obtained and investigated. The error function solution and linear finite difference model are used to evaluate the chloride parameters of both types of chloride profiles and the results are compared and discussed. The results reveal that both the diffusion coefficient and the value of m are temperature-dependent. Furthermore, binding is found to have a significant influence on concrete porosity and pore volume, especially at 22.4o C or lower. The diffusion coefficients of water-soluble chloride are higher than those of acid-soluble chloride, although a slight difference is observed in the value of m for both types. Elevated temperature is also found to significantly influence the value of m, based on the results of acid-soluble chloride profiles.

The results of the nonlinear model show that binding strongly affects the value of the effective diffusion coefficient, while the nonlinear binding relation results in the lowest value of the effective diffusion. Binding is also found to have a strong influence on the shape of free, bound, and total chloride profiles. The predicted service life notably increases when nonlinear binding is considered and drops drastically if binding is ignored. The linear binding relation still provides a reasonable estimation of service life, but on the conservative side compared to the nonlinear relation. The sensitivity results show that the value of m, temperature, and concrete cover have the greatest influences on the predicted service life with respect to the base case concrete mixture used in this study. The main contributions of this thesis are determining the effective diffusion coefficient using the total chloride profiles, and modeling nonlinear binding with the time and temperature dependencies of the effective diffusion coefficient.


title: NUCLEAR CALCIUM DYNAMICS IN HIPPOCAMPAL NEURONS

contributor:
Department of Physiology & Biophysics
Master of Science
Dr. Steven Barnes
Dr. Valerie Chappe
Dr. William Baldridge
Dr. Roger Croll
Dr. Alan Fine
Received
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
Neuroscience
Calcium Signalling

abstract: Increasing evidence points to neuronal nuclear calcium signalling as a conduit between electrical activity and transcription-dependent changes, and it is possible that different mechanisms of nuclear calcium influx trigger distinct genomic responses. Therefore, detailed analysis of these mechanisms is a critical step in understanding nuclear calcium function. We imaged spontaneous cytosolic and nuclear calcium transients and found that nuclear transients decay more slowly, facilitating calcium build-up in the nucleus more readily during rapid trains of transients. To determine whether nuclear transients were dependent on perinuclear calcium release, we inactivated sarco/endoplasmic reticulum calcium ATPase (SERCA) pumps, ryanodine receptors (RyRs) and IP3 receptors (IP3Rs), and found that these manipulations did not have an effect, indicating that nuclear elevations were driven primarily by diffusion of cytosolic calcium through nuclear pores. Finally, by blocking IP3R activation, we demonstrated that RyRs can propagate calcium waves to the nucleus independent of IP3Rs.


title: Exploring Transgender Adults' Perceptions of, and Experiences with, Primary and Emergency Care in Nova Scotia

contributor:
School of Health & Human Performance
Master of Arts
Dr. Erin Fredericks
Dr. Lynne Robinson
Dr. Brenda Beagan
Dr. Emily Gard Marshall
Dr. Lois Jackson
Received
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject: Transgender

subject: Medical care - Nova Scotia

subject: Primary health care - Nova Scotia

subject: Emergency medical services - Nova Scotia

subject: Health Promotion

subject: Qualitative

subject: Transgender people

abstract: Transgender individuals face many barriers to pursuing health care. Current literature focuses on physician-client interactions and the negative effects that barriers have on one's health. Using qualitative research methods, the objective of this study was to explore eight transgender adults' perceptions of, and experiences with, primary and emergency care in Nova Scotia. Findings reveal that transgender adults often feel socially excluded from primary and emergency care. This social exclusion can manifest within relationships with health care providers and staff, within the place of care, within the physical environment, and within the social environment. Some individuals experience social inclusion, although these experiences appear to be less frequent than those in which individuals feel excluded. The findings suggest that there is a "discrimination continuum." Furthermore, the findings indicate that transgender adults are expected to take an active role in their care. Implications for health care providers and policy makers are provided.


title: EVALUATION OF AGRICULTURAL PLASTICS WASTE MANAGEMENT IN NOVA SCOTIA: IDENTIFYING BARRIERS TO AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPROVING DISPOSAL PRACTICES

contributor: School for Resource & Environmental Studies

subject:
agriculture
farm
plastic
waste
recycle
barrier
Refuse and refuse disposal
Recycling (Waste, etc.)
Nova Scotia

abstract: Progressive waste management directives, such as those in Europe, aim to achieve zero waste to landfill in the coming decades; plastics commonly account for an appreciable fraction of waste sent to landfill. Agricultural plastics waste (APW) is plastics waste generated on farms as part of normal agricultural production processes. APW is generated in varying types and quantities spatially and temporally. Additionally, APW is difficult to recycle as it is often contaminated and/or physically degraded; a small number of jurisdictions have implemented successful APW recycling programs. To investigate the issue of APW recycling and to identify key barriers to implementing effective, accessible APW recycling programs, Nova Scotia (NS) (Canada) was used as a case study. Plastics waste types generated on-farm were identified along with the agricultural commodity production groups that generate the most plastics waste. Farmers’ attitudes to APW recycling and operational considerations of implementing a program were investigated and discussed. Data were collected using mail-out surveys to NS farmers as well as email surveys with waste management professionals in NS and other jurisdictions, namely Prince Edward Island, Germany, Ireland, Iceland, and Norway. Findings indicate that the majority of farmers in NS are willing to introduce on-farm activities to facilitate the collection of APW for recycling, and that the environmentally responsible disposal of APW is an important consideration. In NS very little low-value plastics waste, including APW, is diverted from landfill. It was seen that successful APW recycling programs are often managed by a government body which co-ordinates the participation of stakeholders, including municipal waste managers, and that funding is provided by the farming community and the plastics producers/suppliers/importers.


title: Reproductive success in Atlantic cod, Gadus morhua

contributor:
Department of Biology
Master of Science
Dr. Sophia Stone
Dr. Paul Bentzen
Dr. Daniel Ruzzante
Dr. Jeffrey Hutchings
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject: Atlantic cod

abstract: This research highlights the complexity of the cod mating system while providing an in-depth empirical analysis of reproductive success in Atlantic cod. I performed a comprehensive examination of reproductive success in Atlantic cod, Gadus morhua, at unprecedented temporal resolution, spatial scale, and sample size. The parentage analysis using eight microsatellite markers was performed on 4489 individual larval samples, from 73 wild-caught adults, obtained daily over a 91-day period. Size had a positive influence on all three correlates of reproductive success: the number of offspring fertilized, the quality of offspring produced and the timing of reproduction (i.e. duration and the number of batches). The mating strategy of cod played a critical role in determining the number of offspring fertilized for both males and females. I hypothesized that male size was fundamental in determining its rank within a dominance hierarchy, and subsequently, top-ranked males were able to dominate spawning events resulting in disproportionately high reproductive success. The three large females had unexpectedly low reproductive success, a trend I attributed to there being a lack of suitably sized males in the spawning basin. This research highlights the complexity of the cod mating system while providing an in-depth empirical analysis into multiple metrics of reproductive success.


title: Macrosomic Infants Born to Non-diabetic Mothers in Nova Scotia: Determinants and Development of a Risk Prediction Model

contributor: Department of Community Health & Epidemiology

subject: Epidemiology Perinatal Macrosomia

abstract:
This retrospective cohort study investigated the rates and risk factors of macrosomia in non-diabetic women and developed a clinically relevant model to predict macrosomia in mid-pregnancy. Logistic regression was used to identify risk factors of macrosomia. Risk scoring systems were developed for nulliparous and multiparous women separately using linked Atlee Perinatal Database and IWK lab data from glucose challenge tests (GCT). The scoring systems were validated by the c-statistic.
	Of the infants, 15.3% were macrosomic. In nulliparous women, the largest number of points was assigned for pre-pregnancy weight >90 kg, (OR: 4.8; 95% CI: 3.9-6.0). Other factors contributing points were increasing rate of weight gain and GCT results, male sex, married or common-law and absence of a psychiatric illness, smoking and asthma. The resulting risk score corresponded to a range of estimated risk of 0.2% to 47.0%, depending on the factors present. The c statistic for the model was 0.70.


title: Repeated Call Sequences in Long-finned Pilot Whales: Social Setting, Modification, and Behavioural Context

contributor:
Department of Biology
Master of Science
Sophia Stone
Andrew Horn
Leslie Phillmore
Luke Rendell
Hal Whitehead
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
long-finned pilot whale
Globicephala melas
bioacoustics
communication
vocalizations
repeated call sequences
cetacean
socio-acoustic structure
modification
embellishment
behavioural context
Globicephala melaena

abstract: Long-finned pilot whales (Globicephala melas) are matrilineal group-living cetaceans. They often produce repeated call sequences: the same call type repeated three or more times, roughly evenly spaced with six seconds or less between calls. I used recordings from 1998-2014 from a population off Cape Breton, Canada, to examine repeated call sequence function. I found no evidence that these calls were specific to individuals or social units or could be used to allocate social units into clans. However, there was some evidence for the horizontal transmission of call types between social units. Modifications of calls (both embellishment and morphing) were common within repeated call sequences. The rate of production of repeated calls increased with group size but not with calf presence and varied with group behaviour and between years. Thus these sequences are likely not individual or unit identifiers, or primarily mother-calf contact calls, instead possibly functioning as group contact calls.


title: New York Apartments: Holes for Life

contributor:
Faculty of Architecture
Master of Architecture
Brian Carter
Diogo Burnay
Eric Stotts
Talbot Sweetapple
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
Architectural design
Buildings
Structural design
New York (N.Y.)

abstract:
This thesis explores the potential of design concepts to generate new building morphologies. The report outlines a retrospective demonstration of how the concept of porosity has been used to illicit the qualities of openness and interpenetration within a high-density, mixed-use building complex.

The Lower East Side, one of the oldest and most densely populated areas in New York, is compromised by a multitude of urban dilemmas; Where space is understood in terms of efficiency, capital and growth, residents are largely confined to compact, hermetic apartments which are disconnected from the outside world and from each other.

The concept of porosity serves as a tool to invoke architectural devices that contribute to the desired effect of social exchange.


title: Non-Medical Prescription Opioid Use among High-School Adolescents in Atlantic Canada

subject:
opioid
adolescent
mental health
school connectedness
family bonding
substance use
Opioid abuse
Youth - Substance use

abstract:
Non-Medical Prescription Opioid (NMPO) use is one of the most prevalent forms of substance use among Canadian adolescents.  Despite the evidence of NMPO use as a major public health concern, we have major gaps in our understanding of the correlates that shape NMPO use patterns.
Our study addresses the gaps by: 1- describing the sociodemographic, substance use, and psychosocial characteristics of Atlantic Canada high-school student NMPO users, and examining whether frequency of use is differentially shaped by these measures;  2- examining the substance use patterns by which NMPOs are used, and whether these patterns are associated with psychosocial outcomes, particularly mental health (depression, suicidality, and anxiety) and protective (school connectedness and parental monitoring) factors.
We analyzed data derived from the 2012 cycle of the Student Drug Use Survey in the Atlantic Provinces using descriptive statistics and regression models.
Our results indicate that frequent and infrequent NMPO users carry the same mental health burden, are similarly affected by protective factors, and are similarly likely to engage in other substance use.  NMPO use is robustly associated with medical opioid use, with one-third of medical users engaging in misuse.  Subgroups of NMPO users (based on patterns of additional substance use) share a similar burden of mental health problems; however, a strong negative association between greater parental monitoring and any additional substance use is evident.


title: Effect of Harvesting Time on Berry Losses During Mechanical Harvesting of Wild Blueberries

contributor:
Faculty of Agriculture
Master of Science
Dr. Kenneth Corscadden
Dr. Arnold Schumann
Dr. Chibuike Udenigwe
Dr. Qamar Uz Zaman
Not Applicable
No
No

subject:
Wild Blueberry
Time of harvesting
Physico-chemical Characteristics
Mechanical harvesting
Fruit yield
Berry losses

abstract: More than 90% of the total wild blueberry crop area in Canada is mechanically harvested. Only fields in rough terrain are still hand raked. Prior to this study, there were no identified protocols related to fruit maturity and time of harvest that could be used to minimize fruit losses and/or improve berry quality during harvesting. In this study, wild blueberry fields were selected in the Atlantic Provinces to examine the impact of different harvest times on the berry picking efficiency of a wild blueberry harvester. The results revealed that fruit losses of 17%, 21% and 23% were observed in early, middle and late season harvesting, respectively. The results also showed that higher ground speed in concomitance with higher header rpm resulted in substantially increased fruit losses in each harvesting season. These losses became more significant in late season due to the presence of over-ripened berries. Results of physico-chemical composition of wild blueberries suggested that total soluble solids and anthocyanin contents increased gradually from early to late season and the highest increase in total soluble solids were observed in middle season, while most pigment accumulation in blueberries took place in early and middle season. A significant decrease in acidity and an increase in TSS:TA were noticed in middle and late season harvesting. The maximum gain in moisture content, expansion in diameter and increase in weight were observed in middle season harvesting, while reduction in moisture, shrinkage of berries and loss of weight occurred in late season. This information would help the wild blueberry producers to develop a timely harvest plan and adjust machine parameters appropriately to reduce fruit loss during mechanical harvesting.


title: PREDICTION OF TEXTURE CHARACTERISTICS IN APPLE DRYING USING COMPUTER VISION

contributor:
Faculty of Agriculture
Master of Science
Dian Patterson
Kenneth Corscadden
Quan (Sophia) He
Alex Martynenko
Not Applicable
Yes
Yes

subject: Texture

subject: Shrinkage

subject: Porosity

subject: Computer vision

subject: Real-time

subject: Glass transition

subject: Food industry and trade - Technological innovations

subject: Apple industry - Technological innovations

abstract: It was proved that computer vision is applicable for continuous estimation of bulk volume from diameter imaging of apple slices and an empirical model with an average relative percent error of approximately 6.45 % was established, which allowed continuous estimation of total porosity as a function of volume shrinkage and moisture content. Texture parameters were dependent on porosity evolution and glass transition, which was a function of drying temperature and moisture content. Glass transition occurred within moisture content range of 1.0 g/g to 0.26 g/g when open-pores converted into closed-pores. To create crispy texture, the drying process should be carried out at 80 ºC to moisture content of less than 0.5 g/g with a total porosity of more than 0.7 when materials undergo glass transition and case hardening. This knowledge makes it possible to develop an optimal industrially-scaled drying process, using computer vision for continuous monitoring and prediction of texture.


title: Indentation and Wear Damage Assessment of TiC-Stainless Steel Cermets

contributor: Department of Process Engineering and Applied Science

subject:
Indentation
Wear
Titanium Carbide
Stainless Steel
Cermets
Ceramic metals

abstract:
Cermets, a composite of a hard ceramic phase and ductile metallic phase, are widely used in oil and gas, chemical, mining, and tooling industries, due to their high hardness, toughness, wear and corrosion resistance.  A family of TiC - stainless steel cermets was produced in the current study using a simple melt infiltration method, with binder phase (steel grades 304-L, 316-L and 410-L) contents ranging from 5 to 30 vol.%. The materials were sintered at 1475°C for 15 minutes, 1500°C and 1550°C for 60 minutes, and 1550°C for 240 minutes to get fine-, intermediate- and coarse-grained cermets.
The microstructural evolution arising from the sintering process was then examined. It has shown that irregular shaped grains (concave/hollow) were produced, especially when sintered at 1475°C, and was explained using the ‘instability of the solid-liquid interface’ theory. It was also demonstrated that a multi-layer, core-rim structure arose for the cermets, with selected steel constituents present in the rim of the TiC grains.
The cermets were tested using both ‘sharp’ and ‘blunt’ indenters to study contact damage. Materials indented with a ‘sharp’ Vickers indenter, ranging from 1 to 30 kgf load, revealed an apparent ‘indentation size effect’, with hardness increasing with decreasing test load. Two primary indentation-cracking patterns were observed, namely median and Palmqvist cracks. Crack patterns were assessed using focused ion beam microscopy (FIB).  Cermets loaded with a ‘blunt’ Hertzian indenter were tested with various WC-Co spheres, ranging from 1.19 to 3.97 mm, with applied loads from 250 to 2000 N. Indentation stress-strain curves were plotted and compared with the calculated Hertzian elastic response, and the materials were found to have a ‘quasi-plastic’ behaviour and ‘strain-hardening’ effect.
The reciprocating wear response of cermets with various TiC grain sizes and binder phase contents/compositions, were evaluated using a ball-on-flat reciprocating wear tests, using a WC-Co counter face sphere and loads from 20 to 80 N. The specific wear rate of the cermets was found to increase with applied load, testing time and/or the steel binder content. The morphology of the worn surfaces was studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and FIB microscopy, in order to fully understand the operative wear mechanisms. A transition from two- to three-body abrasive wear was observed, with a further transition to adhesive wear identified through the formation of an oxygen-rich tribolayer.


title: Investigation of the Mixing Energy Consumption Affecting Coagulation and Floc Aggregation

contributor: Dr. Peter Jarvis, Cranfield Water Sciences Institute

contributor: Dr. Hany El Naggar, Department of Civil & Resource Engineering, Dalhousie University

contributor: Dr. Tetjana Ross. Depaftment of Oceanography, Dalhousie University

contributor: Dr. Mysore Satish, Department of Civil & Resource Engineering, Dalhousie University

contributor: Dr. Margaret Walsh, Department of Civil & Resource Engineering, Dalhousie University

contributor: Dr. Graham Gagnon, Department of Civil & Resource Engineering, Dalhousie University

subject:
Mixing energy
Coagulation
Floc aggregates
water quality
Sewage - Purification

abstract:
Energy is an essential commodity invariably used for proper performance of major processes used in municipal water treatment. This research was primarily driven by the potential rise in energy demand in the water sector. In particular, the research focuses on rapid mix system, continuous-flow stirred tanks specifically designed for chemical dispersion in the coagulation process. Energy-intensive rapid mixing is often practiced in treatment plants for chemical-particle interactions, which is assumed essential for particle aggregation. The central hypothesis of this thesis was that removal of targeted impurities from drinking water supplies (e.g., natural dissolved organic matter) was achievable at a much lower mixing velocity during the rapid mix stage of coagulation. Insoluble precipitates (e.g., floc aggregates) resulting from coagulation can be effectively separated from drinking water in subsequent solid-liquid separation processes, including flocculation, clarification, and filtration.

This thesis integrates water quality and floc characterization techniques to evaluate the influence of mixing energy utilized during coagulation. Mixing energy was quantified from the root mean square velocity gradient (i.e., the G-value). A modified mixing arrangement was used to set the coagulation G-value ranging from 0 to 1450 s-1, keeping chemical (coagulant dose, pH) and physical conditions (temperature) similar. An in-line holographic microscopy technique was used for a non-destructive, direct measurement of floc characteristics (e.g., floc counts, sizes, relative floc velocities) on a laboratory workbench and in a full-scale flocculation tank. Major experimental findings from this present study confirmed that reduced coagulation mixing energy not only removed targeted impurities from the water but also produced enough flocs, which were effectively removed during settling. Specifically, the results presented offered a new range of reduced mixing intensities (110 s-1 < G < 450 s-1) during rapid mixing for a combined effective removal of total organic carbon, turbidity, and floc aggregates. Both water quality and macroscopic analyses support the contention that more mixing energy was expended than necessary in coagulation, which are typically designed at 600-1000 s-1 in treatment plants. It is anticipated that this research will contribute to a boarder conversation related to reducing energy footprints in the water sector.


title: Design and Evaluation of a Modular, Supercooling Phase Change Heat Storage Device for Indoor Heating

contributor:
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Doctor of Philosophy
Dr. Gennady Ziskind
Dr. Dominic Groulx
Dr. Adam Donaldson
Dr. Lukas Swan
Dr. Dominic Groulx
Dr. Mary Anne White
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
Salt Hydrates
Sodium Acetate Trihydrate
Phase Change Materials
Heat Storage
Seasonal Heat Storage
Long-term heat storage
Supercooling
Supersaturation
Experimental evaluation
Indoor heating
supplemental heating
ETS
Electric Thermal Storage

abstract:
Modular heat storage cells containing a supercooling salt hydrate phase-change heat storage material were developed for implementation into a portable electric thermal storage (ETS) indoor heating system. ETS systems can generate indoor heating cost-savings for customers using low-cost off-peak electricity for charging from time-of-day electricity rate pricing. The supercooling ability of the phase-change material (PCM) was used in this research to retain heat storage for extended periods of time (multi-day to multi-month) at room temperature without heat loss (≥ 40 % of heat stored at 110 ˚C), and released on-demand using nucleation triggers built into each heat storage cell. An ETS system was developed to facilitate heat exchange with the heat storage cells using a circulated heat transfer fluid (HTF), exchanging heat also with a liquid-to-air heat exchanger to generate useful room heating.
  An equimolar mixture of sodium acetate trihydrate and water (SAT PCM) was used in the heat storage cells to store thermal energy with combined sensible and latent heats resulting in charge capacities up to 475 kJ/kg between 20 ˚C and 110 ˚C. Heat discharge capacities up to 449 kJ/kg can be achieved with minor or no supercooling of the SAT PCM and continuous useful heat release from the SAT PCM ≥ 28 ˚C. Triggering heat release only after idle supercooling between 20 ˚C and 28 ˚C would result in a discharge heat capacity of 425 kJ/kg.
  Heat storage cells underwent three design iterations, incrementally improving on leak-tightness, heat transfer performance, supercooling reliability, and nucleation-triggering strategies. This culminated in the Mark III modular, rectangular heat storage cell design developed in this research, containing 2.4 kg (0.3 kWh capacity at 110 ˚C) and equipped with pairs of plate heat exchangers. Stable supercooling was observed for 167 days before autonucleation, while repeated cycling (including supercooling and solidification) for a total of 131 cycles without noticeable degradation was observed. Although the minimum U values obtained exceeded the PCM-literature benchmark (0.03 kW/(m^2 K^1)), heat storage cells with twenty times the value of UA would be required to deliver an average heat transfer rate of 600 W to a liquid-to-air heat exchanger.


title: Examining the Relationship between Empathy and Compassion Fatigue and Compassion Satisfaction in Pediatric Nurses

contributor:
School of Nursing
Master of Nursing
Marilyn Macdonald
Eleanor Fitzpatrick
Audrey Steenbeek
Margot Latimer
Received
No
No

subject:
Compassion Fatigue
Secondary Traumatic Stress
Burnout
Compassion Satisfaction
Empathy
Pediatric Nurses

abstract: Secondary traumatic stress (STS) and burnout (BO) are natural consequences of exposure to the suffering of others.  Nurses have frequent exposure to such suffering.  Empathy is thought to play a role in the development of STS and BO.  There may be other factors that contribute to or protect against their development as well.  A descriptive correlational study was conducted with a convenience sample of 108 pediatric nurses.  Participants completed a questionnaire that included the Professional Quality of Life Scale Version 5, the Interpersonal Reactivity Index and questions about factors related to STS and BO.  Results demonstrated that 81.5% of the sample was at moderate to high-risk for STS, 72.2% were at moderate to high-risk for BO, and 73.1% had moderate to high levels of compassion satisfaction (CS).  The blurring of professional boundaries was associated with higher STS.  Empathy demonstrated a stronger association with CS than STS or BO.


title: STUDY AND DEVELOPMENT OF LAYERED LI-NI-MN-CO OXIDE POSITIVE ELECTRODE MATERIALS FOR LITHIUM ION BATTERIES

subject:
Lithium ion batteries
Positive electrode materials
NMC
Failure mechanism
Electrolyte
Core-shell
Interdiffusion

abstract:
Layered Li-Ni-Mn-Co oxides (NMC) with low cobalt content are promising positive electrode materials for Li-ion batteries.  However, the detailed structural properties of these materials are still debated.  This thesis work, in part, focused on a systematic study of layered NMC samples to understand the dependence of electrochemical properties on structure and transition metal composition, as well as the structural evolution of layered NMC materials during lithium intercalation.
The calendar and cycle lifetimes of lithium-ion cells are affected by the structural stability of active electrode materials as well as parasitic reactions between the charged electrode materials and electrolyte that occur in lithium-ion batteries.  It is necessary to explore the failure mechanisms of layered NMC/graphite cells to guide future improvements.  This thesis work, in part, thoroughly studied the failure mechanisms of LiNi0.8Mn0.1Co0.1O2/graphite cells from the perspectives of the bulk structural stability, surface structure reconstruction and electrolyte oxidation.
Core-shell (CS) structured positive electrode materials based on layered NMC could be the next generation of positive electrode materials for high energy density lithium-ion batteries.  This is because a high energy core material (Ni-rich NMC), with poor stability against the electrolyte, can be protected by a thin layer of a stable and active shell material with lower Ni and higher Mn content.  A large part of this thesis focused on the development of CS materials using Li-rich and Mn-rich materials as the protecting shell for voltages above 4.5 V, and on an understanding of inter-diffusion phenomena observed during the synthesis of core-shell materials.


title: ABENAKI CARBONATE PLATFORM IN RELATION TO THE JURASSIC-CRETACEOUS SABLE ISLAND DELTA, OFFSHORE NOVA SCOTIA, CANADA

contributor:
Department of Earth Sciences
Doctor of Philosophy
Luis Vitor Duarte
John Gosse
David E Brown
Markus Kienast
Grant Wach
Not Applicable
Yes
Not Applicable

subject:
marine redbeds-coated ironstones
Abenaki carbonate platform
Sable Island Delta
Late Jurassic reefs and mounds
microbialites
mixed siliciclastics and carbonates
Late Jurassic carbonates
offshore Nova Scotia
Sable Island (N.S.)
Reefs

abstract: Appendices include detailed critique of previous work and stratigraphy, mixed carbonate-siliciclastic models and analogues for large deltas and drill cuttings logs of Abenaki carbonates

abstract: The offshore Nova Scotia Late Jurassic to earliest Cretaceous continental scale shelf-margin Sable Delta succession is juxtaposed with the extensive kilometre-thick Abenaki carbonate platform. This thesis addresses how that unusual association could have occurred and lasted 15 Ma and the effects it had on the margin carbonates. Several carbonate morphologies and two separate systems will be discussed – ramps near the delta and a platform to the southwest. Highs produced by allochthonous salt beneath the Sable Delta localized oolite shoals and possibly atolls.  Carbonate production on abandoned, flooded lobes and on prograding ramps generated carbonate oolite-quartz sandstone proximally and slope thrombolites distally. Sediment loading, bypass onto the deeper slope and faulting on the delta front, and flexuring and faulting on the near-delta platform margin, may have helped generate a proposed bathymetric separation between the delta and the near-delta platform margin. This long-continued bathymetric separation maintained a carbonate platform relatively clean of siliciclastic influx. However, prodelta sedimentation did affect two of the three major Late Jurassic reef/mound types – siliceous sponge and thrombolitic-microbial slope mud mounds – but not coral reefs nor the oolitic shoals of the shallow platform. Lateral changes in the coral-stromatoporoid shallow reefs and oolite shoals are identifiable only relative to their quartz content. Carbonate transitions influenced by deltaic sedimentation are revealed in two cores and give major insights – within the Sable Delta by a thin ramp limestone series and on the carbonate platform margin by deepening reeflets on a pinnacle slope. The deeper foreslope mounds reveal a gradient with increasing shale interbeds and distinct colour changes distal to the delta. The uppermost Abenaki and sections above show the diachronous development of sponge-rich beds and reef mounds at the toe of the expanding Sable prodelta succession. Condensed and palimpsest shelf sediment packages are identified further southwest by coated-ironstone redbeds in a marine setting, and more distantly by continued shallow carbonate sedimentation on the margin and nearshore ridges into the Early Cretaceous. Descriptions and interpretations from cuttings and sparse core from all available margin wells are presented using an updated Abenaki carbonate facies association template supported by seismic and biostratigraphic data. Major facies such as oolite, oncolite and all three mid-Mesozoic reef/mound types are illustrated using cored intervals. The currently producing Deep Panuke reefal and Venture shelf deltaic gas fields are both shelf margin accumulations of contemporaneous age. This thesis highlights the effects produced by the Sable Delta on the regional petroleum systems relative to the margin carbonate, and in particular to the reservoir/seal pairs and gas-prone source.


title: INHIBITORY CONSEQUENCES OF GRASPING MOVEMENTS: IS GRASPING THE SAME AS REACHING?

contributor:
Department of Clinical Vision Science
Master of Science
Leah Walsh
Darren Oystreck
Heather Neyedli
Maria Pryde
David Westwood
Received
No
No

subject:
Attention
Inhibition of Return
Grasping

abstract: Studies have shown that past actions can impact present and future actions. More specifically, inhibition of return (IOR) is a phenomenon in which participants respond slower to previously attended areas compared to novel locations (Posner & Cohen, 1984). IOR has been shown for eye movements, key presses and reaching but until now has not been investigated for grasping despite the prevalence of these actions. In this study, participants were asked to reach out and grasp a small or large block following the presentation of a central arrowhead cue indicating which direction to make a movement, while the eyes remained fixated centrally. Results showed slower reaction times for grasping movements made in the same direction as a preceding movement, demonstrating an IOR like effect. The grip scaling function however was not affected which adds to the growing body of evidence that IOR serves a broader function than facilitating visual search behaviour.


title: Change Detection of Sea Floor Environment Using Side Scan Sonar Data For Online Simultaneous Localization and Mapping on Autonomous Underwater Vehicles

contributor:
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Master of Applied Science
Dr. Dominic Groulx
Dr. Thomas Trappenberg
Dr. Darrel Doman
Dr Mae Seto
Dr Ya-Jun Pan
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
Simultaneous Localization and Mapping
Sonar
Data Fusion
Underwater Robotics
Autonomous Navigation
Data Association
Automated Target Recognition
Autonomous Underwater Vehicles
Sidescan sonar
Submersibles

abstract: Autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) are frequently used to survey sea-floor environments using side-scan sonar technology. A simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) algorithm can be used with side-scan sonar data gathered during surveying to bound the possible error in AUV position estimate, and increase overall position accuracy, using only information already gathered during the survey mission. One problem in using SLAM to improve localization is that data from a preliminary or route survey on the sea floor may be inaccurate due to changes in the sea bed or merely be differently detected due to different side-scan sonar surveying patterns or equipment. This thesis’ focus is an integrated on-board SLAM system using automated target recognition system to extract objects for SLAM data association, data association algorithms for MLOs (joint compatibility program), and finally change detection on the SLAM results to determine if new objects have been introduced to the sea floor.


title: Identification and Characterization of Substrates for the Arabidopsis thaliana RING-type E3 Ligases XBAT32 and KEG

contributor:
Department of Biology
Master of Science
Dr. Sophia Stone
Dr. Patrice Cote
Dr. Thomas MacRae
Dr. Sophia Stone
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
ABA
Abiotic stress
Plant development
ethylene
Ubiquitin

abstract: The ubiquitin proteasome system (UPS) challenges transcription as the primary regulatory mechanism in the plant kingdom, influencing many cellular processes by selectively degrading proteins. E3 ubiquitin ligases are the UPS elements responsible for endowing the UPS pathway with specificity, by selecting substrates to be targeted to the 26S proteasome for degradation. Many E3 ubiquitin ligases have critical functions related to plant hormone perception, signaling and response. Arabidopsis Keep on Going (KEG) and XB3 ortholog 2 in Arabidopsis thaliana (XBAT32) are E3 ubiquitin ligases intimately related to the hormones abscisic acid (ABA) and ethylene, respectively. I investigated the relationship between each of these E3 ligases and their substrates. Calcineurin B-like Interacting Protein Kinase 26 (CIPK26) is a substrate of KEG and the UPS, while N-MYC DOWNREGULATED-LIKE 1 (NDL1) is potentially a substrate of XBAT32. I further characterized the relationship between CIPK26, KEG and ABA using transgenic plant lines in a variety of assays, including cell free degradation assays and cycloheximide (CHX) chase assays. I demonstrated that activated CIPK26 promotes KEG degradation and showed that CIPK26 overexpression increases KEG turnover in the presence of ABA. This research supports a model where, in the presence of ABA, CIPK26 phosphorylates KEG in order to negatively regulate its’ activity and promote its degradation. Further, I provide evidence to support a role for XBAT32 and the UPS in regulating NDL1 stability, through the use of cell free degradation assays, a semi-in vitro ubiquitination assay, and a pull down assay. I offer support for an interaction between NDL1 and XBAT32, demonstrate that NDL1 is ubiquitinated and degraded by the 26S proteasome, and show that XBAT32 is likely to be required for this degradation. These findings broaden our understanding of the roles of XBAT32 related to lateral root development. Through this work we obtain a more complete understanding of the ways in which the UPS interacts with crucial plant hormones implicated in growth, development, and environmental stress response. This knowledge could contribute to the development of plants with a capacity to grow and thrive under adverse environmental conditions, of importance because climate change is having a major impact on crop viability and soil health.


title: SIMULATION OF A BLOOD NETWORK WITH COLLECTIONS AND DEMAND NORMALIZED TO CANADIAN POPULATION MEANS

contributor:
Department of Industrial Engineering
Master of Applied Science
Dr. Leslie Anne Campbell
Dr. Alireza Ghasemi
Dr. Corinne MacDonald
Dr. John T.Blake
Dr. Alireza Ghasemi
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Yes

subject:
Blood inventory
Simulation modeling
O negative blood inventory
Blood banks - Inventory control

abstract:
Red blood cells (RBCs) can be classified into 8 types:  4 blood groups (A, B, O) and an Rh factor (+ or -). When a transfusion is required, the best outcomes are achieved when patients and donors share the same ABO/Rh. However, blood can be transfused from compatible donors to compatible patients; for instance, any patient can be transfused with O- blood. Because blood is also a perishable product, many hospitals, especially small facilities in remote locations, over stock with O type or A type blood. This requires suppliers to collect more of these types than would be expected, especially O- blood.
In this study we adapt a simulation framework of a regional blood network to determine the impact of changing collection and transfusion practices in which blood is collected and used at rates equivalent to the ABO/Rh distribution of the underlying population.  The model was developed to represent the blood supply chain in Newfoundland (a small region) and ported to Ottawa (a medium centre) and BC and Yukon (a large centre). The results of the study show that normalizing demand and collections to match the distribution of blood types within the Canadian population would lead to healthier inventory levels for most blood types, at the cost of additional hospital wastage. Results also show that O- shortage and emergency orders increase when collections and demand precisely match the distribution of blood types in the population. Therefore, we undertake an additional set of runs to determine the minimum level of O- over collection necessary to achieve nominal shortages for all blood types.
	Our results suggest that if hospitals request blood types at a rate equivalent to their distribution in the underlying population, collections of O- blood can be reduced from 5.8% above the population distribution to 1-2% above the population distribution without creating product shortages.  Implementing a collection and ordering policy reflecting the distribution of blood types in the population would, however, increase hospital wastage to between 1.12% and 4.79% of average daily demand.


title: Diversity and Novelty as Objectives in Poker

contributor:
Faculty of Computer Science
Master of Computer Science
Dr. Malcolm I. Heywood
Dr. Nur Zincir-Heywood
Dr. Dirk Arnold
Dr. Malcolm I. Heywood
Dr. Andrew R. McIntyre
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
machine learning
diversity
poker
genetic programming
SBB
novelty
genetic algorithm
artificial intelligence

abstract:
Evolutionary algorithms are capable to lead to efficient solutions without a predefined design and few human bias. However, they can be prone to early convergence and may be deceived by a non-informative or deceptive fitness function, and thus the agents may end up as suboptimal solutions or not be able to solve the task. Diversity maintenance and novelty search are methods developed to deal with these drawbacks. The first method modifies the evolution so agents are selected based on their fitness and their diversity. Novelty search builds on top of it, and evolve individuals that are not only diverse, but that also possess novel behaviors.

Currently that are no studies on diversity and novelty for tasks that possess both deceptive properties and large amounts of ambiguity. In this work Heads-up Texas Hold'em Poker is used to provide a domain exhibiting both properties simultaneously. Specifically, Poker contains ambiguity due to imperfect information, stochasticity, and intransitivity. It is also deceptive, due to the complex strategies necessary to perform well in the game, such as bluffing. Finally, this poker variant also contains a behavior space that is extremely large, due to its many game states and decision points. This thesis investigates if diversity maintenance and novelty search are still beneficial under a task that posses these features. These techniques are compared between themselves and between the classic evolutionary method. The goal is to analyze if these methods improve the diversity in the population, and if it leads to an improved performance. This work does not aim to develop a world-class poker player, but to assess the significance of diversity and novelty search.

The results show that diversity maintenance methods were not only able to produce a diverse range of strategies for poker, but also to produce statistically better strategies than in a scenario with no diversity.


title: Hyperspectral Radiometer and Ultraviolet Spectrometer Design

contributor: Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering

subject: radiometers

abstract: Satlantic is currently developing a new hyperspectral radiometer for measuring spectral radiance in the ocean. This project includes the development of optical, mechanical, electronic, embedded firmware and software components in an integrated system and design of ultraviolet spectrometer. Initial steps included ultraviolet spectrometer design verification in simulation software and alignment of all components for calibration tests. Our research work also consisted laboratory evaluation of radiometer sensor components to determine polarization dependence, an accuracy of wavelength, power consumption, linearity, sensitivity and temperature dependence.


title: REGIME SHIFTS IN A KELP BED ECOSYSTEM AND LINKAGES WITH DEEP-LIVING SEA URCHINS

contributor:
Department of Biology
Doctor of Philosophy
Dr. Ladd Johnson
Dr. Sophia Stone
Dr. Anna Metaxas
Dr. Hal Whitehead
Dr. Sandra Walde
Dr. Robert Scheibling
Not Applicable
Yes
Yes

subject:
regime shift
kelp
detritus
sea urchin
spatial subsidy
connectivity

abstract: In kelp ecosystems, abrupt shifts occur when high densities of sea urchins destructively graze attached kelp, creating unproductive barrens devoid of erect macroalgae. In this thesis, I assessed the stability of urchin barrens along temperate and polar coasts globally and investigated the role of deep-living sea urchins (Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis) in driving shallow regime shifts in Nova Scotia. Shifts between barrens and kelp beds in many parts of the world represent regime shifts, in accordance with alternative stable-state dynamics. Sea urchins in deep subtidal environments along the Atlantic coast of Nova Scotia serve as a source of adults that eventually form grazing aggregations at the deep margins of kelp beds or contribute to the pool of planktonic larvae that settle in shallow habitats. Pulses of drift kelp were generated during a strong storm event that caused large losses of kelp canopy and exported kelp to deeper regions (15 to 45 m), where sea urchins were highly associated with kelp detritus. Sea urchins rapidly located pre-weighted kelp fronds deployed at 45 and 60 m depth, and consumed them for months. Urchins collected from 60 m depth had large gonads and spawned outside of the main spring spawning season in shallow water, suggesting periodic detrital subsidy enhances their reproductive condition. Longterm dive records and coastal surveys show that kelp biomass has declined by over 84% over the past 4–6 decades, and a shift has occurred from kelp beds to rocky reefs dominated by opportunistic turf-forming and invasive algae. This shift is associated with warming sea temperatures and predicted to reduce the amount of kelp entering detrital food webs. Drift algae and sea urchins occurred across a range of benthic habitats, but most frequently within 1.5 km of the coast in depressions. We found that shallow regions where destructive grazing fronts have been documented over the past 4 decades were closer to predicted habitats of deep-living sea urchin compared to regions that remained in a kelp bed state during the same period, indicating these urchins play an important role in driving shifts from kelp beds to barrens on a coastal scale.


title: Autonomous Underwater Vehicle Altitude Keeping to Variable Seabed with a Coupled Variable Ballast and Hydroplane Control System

contributor:
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Master of Applied Science
Dr Ronald Pelot
Dr Ya-Jun Pan
Dr Clifton Johnston
Dr Robert Bauer
Dr Mae Seto
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject: AUV

subject: VBS

subject: ballast

subject: altitude keeping

subject: Remote submersibles - Design and construction

abstract:
The thesis objective is to develop a control approach that enables variable ballast systems (VBS) to be used in tandem with hydroplanes (HP) on an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV).  Methods to reduce power consumption of VBS are investigated and a AUV simulator is developed to explore where VBS proves beneficial.
The VBS model includes capacity for free flow of seawater into and out of the ballast tank.  This function combined air support allowed for four VBS control modes: static volume, expanded volume, high-pressure air assist and regenerative pressure assisted with the last mode requiring the least power.
Using pitch and depth feedback as inputs to the HP and VBS controllers, HP responded before the VBS reacted making it ineffective.  A new control was developed using HP deflection angle as inputs to the VBS with a low-pass filter.  The simulations showed this control approach performed favorably in multiple scenarios.


title: A simple automated system for appetitive conditioning of zebrafish in their home tanks and studying underlying neural activation

contributor:
Department of Physiology & Biophysics
Master of Science
Dr. Steven Barnes
Dr. Valerie Chappe
Dr. Paivi Torkkeli
Dr. Simon Gadbois
Dr. Roger Croll
Dr. Alan Fine
Received
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
Learning
Memory
Zebrafish
Neural activity
Behaviour
High-throughput
Neuroscience
Zebra danio
Zebra danio - Behavior

abstract: Zebrafish are emerging as a novel model for studying learning and memory. However, the number of behavioural paradigms which minimize handling stress and are suited to their social nature is limited. We developed an automated learning paradigm to condition groups of adult and juvenile zebrafish in their home tanks. Fish consistently learned to associate an auditory stimulus with the presentation of food and showed robust conditioned responses as early as the 5th trial. Memory of the association persisted for at least 2 days after training, when fish were tested either as groups or as individuals. This retention in juveniles was associated with increased immunoreactivity to phosphorylated ERK, a marker of neural activity, in the dorsolateral telencephalon. This simple paradigm permits scalable conditioning of zebrafish with minimal intervention, reducing variability and labour-intensiveness. In addition, these results support the use of phosphorylated ERK to examine the neural correlates of learning and memory.


title: Phosphorus Removal in Passive Cold Region Waste Stabilization Ponds

contributor:
Department of Civil Engineering
Doctor of Philosophy
Dr. Yves Comeau
Dr. Hany El Naggar
Dr. Jennie Rand,
Dr. Stephen Duffy
Dr. Margaret Walsh
Dr. Graham Gagnon
Dr. Rob Jamieson
Not Applicable
Yes
Yes

subject:
Wastewater treatment and reuse
Phosphorus
Arctic
Waste Stabilization Pond

abstract:
A majority of communities in the Canadian territory of Nunavut rely on passive waste stabilization ponds (WSP) for domestic wastewater treatment. Little research has been conducted on the treatment performance of these systems. In response to impending federal wastewater regulations, a research program was conducted in order to characterize contaminant removal. Due to its role in receiving water eutrophication, phosphorus is a contaminant of particular concern. Phosphorus is removed in WSPs both chemically (precipitation, adsorption) and biologically (microalgae and bacteria uptake). Due to extended photoperiods during the ice-free summer treatment season, it is hypothesized that microalgae play an important role in phosphorus removal.
The objectives of this research were to (i) characterize phosphorus removal and identify promising removal mechanisms occurring in full-scale WSPs in Nunavut, Canada, (ii) quantify microalgae growth rates and phosphorus uptake, and identify microalgae uptake mechanisms under simulated cold region summer conditions, and (iii) develop a predictive stochastic ecological model for microalgae growth and effluent phosphorus concentration in WSPs in various geographical locations in Nunavut, Canada. Full-scale WSP evaluations occurred at four communities (Kugaaruk, Pond Inlet, Grise Fiord and Clyde River) over a period of four years (2011-2014). Phosphorus removal was highly variable. Most of the WSPs operated anoxically with minimal microalgae growth; however, the highest removal was observed during a microalgae bloom. A factorial laboratory experiment was then done to quantify microalgae growth rates and phosphorus uptake under varying climate conditions (temperature, photosynthetically active radiation) and phosphorus concentrations. Growth rates were similar to those found at temperate climates. Biomass phosphorus concentrations were found to be 45% greater than previously observed in studies at temperate climates. A stochastic ecological model with integrated equilibrium temperature model was then developed to predict microalgae growth and phosphorus removal in WSPs at various geographical locations in Nunavut. The model utilized a Monte Carlo Simulation to account for parameter uncertainty. The model showed that July temperature and summer treatment season temperature were the best predictors of microalgae growth. Modeled phosphorus removal was consistent with secondary treatment if WSP depth was less than 2 m and the WSP is operating facultatively.


title: Development of a Standardized Leaching Procedure for the Evaluation of Uranium Mobility in Groundwater in Nova Scotia

contributor:
Department of Environmental Engineering
Master of Applied Science
Dr. Hany El Naggar
Dr. Margaret Walsh
John Drage
Dr. Anne-Marie Ryan
Dr. Rob Jamieson
Dr. Craig Lake
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
groundwater
uranium
mobilization
leaching
sorption
extraction procedure
speciation
complexation
uranyl-carbonate

abstract: Approximately 4% of drinking water wells in Nova Scotia contain elevated concentrations of naturally-occurring uranium. There is demand for a simple and effective procedure to evaluate soil and rock formations for uranium mobility prior to the development of potable water supplies in vulnerable regions. Empirical evidence shows that uranium mobilization in groundwater can be enhanced in the presence of key ions. A series of extractions were performed on uranium-bearing Nova Scotian rocks, noting the impact of calcium, sodium, chloride, and bicarbonate concentrations in the extraction fluid on uranium mobilization. A uranium leaching procedure (ULP) was developed and compared to the general synthetic precipitation leaching procedure (SPLP). The ULP was capable of mobilizing an order of magnitude or more uranium than the SPLP from six Nova Scotian rock samples and shows promise as a tool for choosing groundwater resources to minimize the risk of groundwater contamination through uranium mobilization.


title: Are You Hungrier Than a Fifth Grader? The Rise of the Monstrous Child in The Walking Dead

contributor:
Department of English
Master of Arts
Dr. Lyn Bennett
Dr. Jason Haslam
Dr. Anthony Enns
Dr. Karen Macfarlane
Dr. Lyn Bennett
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
Gothic
Contemporary Literature
Film
Monsters
Zombies in literature
Monstrous Children
Unscene
Non-Choice
Save the Child Discourse
The Figure of the Child
Walking dead (Television program)
World War, 1939-1945
Dead Rising
Lee Edelman
Steven Bruhm
Judith Halberstam
Abjection
Uncanny
Zombie television programs
Horror films

abstract: Contemporary Western zombie narratives have become overrun with the little girl zombie. This figure exists in a liminal space: its function in the narrative is difficult to pinpoint because—even as monster—it is often treated more like a human child. Using Jack Halberstam’s analysis of monstrous bodies and Lee Edelman’s discussion of the figural Child, I explore the function of the little girl zombie, adding to the existing scholarly studies of Monstrous Children in film, television, and literature. The Monstrous Child is a site in which to play out the repressed desire to destroy the embodiment of the figural Child, a desire that—because the child embodies the highly valued innocence and futurity associated with childhood—is simultaneously dangerous and yet cathartic.


title: "Droogs" and "Linguists": Resistance, Control, and Institutionalism in Anthony Burgess' A Clockwork Orange and Suzette Haden Elgin's Native Tongue.

contributor:
Department of English
Master of Arts
Dr. Bennett
Dr. McNeil
Dr. Greenfield
Dr. Haslam
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
Dystopia
Institutionalism
Resistance
Dystopian fiction
Burgess, Anthony, 1917-1993
Elgin, Suzette Haden

abstract: My thesis, which studies Anthony Burgess’ A Clockwork Orange and Suzette Haden Elgin’s Native Tongue, discusses the success and failure of achieving agency in a dystopian society. By drawing on Althusser’s theory of “State Apparatuses,” I argue Alex, the protagonist of A Clockwork Orange, fails to gain autonomy, as he is unaware of how he has become institutionalized; yet, Nazareth, the protagonist of Native Tongue, achieves control through the construct of a new familial institution and the development of a female-centric language, Láadan. Chapter two focuses on how Alex is a victim of his environment, and becomes a part of the system he is trying to resist. Chapter three argues that Nazareth succeeds in gaining agency and, along with her female community, creates a matriarchal “State Apparatus.” Taken together, then, these books highlight that communal effort is necessary to challenge state control.


title: A SEMANTIC WEB FRAMEWORK FOR REPRESENTING, LINKING AND ANALYZING MEDICAL DATA FOR OPTIMIZING LABORATORY UTILIZATION

contributor:
Faculty of Computer Science
Master of Computer Science
Dr. Malcolm Heywood
Dr. Ashraf Abusharekh
Dr. Samina Abidi
Dr. Raza Abidi
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

abstract: In this thesis, we investigate semantic web based methods for representing, linking and analyzing medical data. The main challenge addressed in this work is the transformation of data stored in a relational database to an ontological model that allows to represent as RDF triples and to link the data with external data sources using linked data principles. We have implemented a semantic analytics framework that comprises the following elements: (a) Domain-specific ontology to represent the data model and data inference. (b) RDMS data extraction using a domain-specific ontology (TBOX) based on the relational database schema; (c) Ontology instantiation (ABOX) that involves converting the relational data in terms of RDF triples. A key feature of our approach is the data is not physically migrated from the RDBS to RDF, rather we dynamically materialize the RDF triples thus avoiding the creation of a large RDF dump; (d) Linking the RDF data with available open data in RDF format using ontology-based concept alignments; and (e) Semantic analytics using SPARQL to identify semantically-salient patterns within the data. We have applied our semantic analytics data to analyze pathology lab data (over 5 years of pathology order data), where we were able to identify prevalent order-sets inherent within the data, and we also evaluated the change in the frequent order-sets over a five year time period.


title: Risky Business: Industrial Disaster and the Cost of Energy Extraction in Lisa Moore's February and Leo McKay Jr.'s Twenty-six

contributor:
Department of English
Master of Arts
Dr. Lyn Bennett
Dr. Bart  Vautour
Dr. Jerry White
Dr. Carrie Dawson
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
February
Twenty-six
Moore, Lisa, 1964-
McKay, Leo Francis, 1964-
Neoliberalism
globalization
oil extraction
oil culture
risk

abstract: Our assumptions about the costs of industrial energy extraction underlie its discourse. Literature can create a space to question the validity of dominant paradigms. Lisa Moore’s February and Leo McKay Jr.’s Twenty-six, through their explorations of the 1982 sinking of the Ocean Ranger oil rig and the Westray coal mine explosion respectively, encourage readers to reconsider neo-liberal assertions that energy development is an absolute necessity and serves the common good. Beyond their mimetic representation of disasters, these novels are meditations on the ways in which people from a traditionally “have-not” region negotiate choices within an increasingly globalized, neo-liberal world. Both novels expand the idea of risk from that of individuals in dangerous workplaces to the more far-reaching impacts that energy development has on the places we live. They invite consideration of the degree to which we are prepared to offer up our home communities to development.


title: Back to the Future: New Metabolisms for Declining Urban Towers

contributor:
School of Architecture
Master of Architecture
Anne Cormier
Diogo Burnay
Cristina Verissimo
Sarah Bonnemaison
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
Metabolism
Residential Towers
Adaptive Reuse
Fenwick Place
Brutalism (Architecture)
High-rise apartment buildings
Halifax (N.S.)

abstract:
As the number of residential towers increases with the growth of modern cities, we are faced
with the question of how to handle the older towers that, little by little, no longer attract
renters for their apartments. Is their decline unavoidable, or like many other building types,
do they have the capacity for a second life? In this project, I look at the history of residential
towers, how they go from exemplifying an ideal urban lifestyle to becoming obsolete urban
ruins. Looking at Halifax’s Fenwick Place in particular, I examine how a building that was
designed to express an idealistic future through its brutalist idiom is now widely considered
an architectural crime against humanity. To address this question, I draw upon ideas from
the Metabolist movement, adapting concepts such as groupform, linkage, and megaform to
twenty-fi rst-century conditions, and propose that new urban futures currently lie fallow in
our recent past.


title: Violating the phonotactic properties of American Sign Language to create illegal pseudosigns

contributor:
School of Human Communication Disorders
Master of Science
Elizabeth Lock
Joy Armson
Elizabeth Kay-Raining Bird
Shaun Boe
Aaron Newman
Steve Aiken
Received
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
American Sign Language
pseudosign
phonotactics
meaningful
meaningless
stimulus development
rating task

abstract: This study aimed to develop a set of visual-manual stimuli that varied in structure, phonotactic permissibility, and lexicality, to be used in future brain imaging studies of sign language learning. By developing a set of illegal pseudosigns as part of these stimulus sets, we also the first steps towards validating some of the hypothesized phonotactic constraints for American Sign Language. Possible phonotactic constraints and violations were identified with a group of native ASL signers and cross-referenced with published inventories of ASL. These violations were systematically applied to a set of real ASL signs. English speaking non-signing participants rated these illegal pseudosigns — along with a set of legal pseudosigns, a set of emblematic gestures, and a set of ASL signs — on a scale of meaningfulness and decided if each stimulus was ASL, yes or no. Interestingly, participants perceived some ASL signs and pseudosigns as meaningful, which may reflect that they interpreted these stimuli as pantomime or emblems. Overall, participants gave lower average meaningfulness ratings to illegal pseudosigns than legal pseudosigns, and were more likely to rate legal pseudosigns than illegal pseudosigns as ASL, suggesting that illegal pseudosigns are perceived as less plausible forms even to those naïve to signed languages. This suggests that the rules governing the formation of ASL appear to respect visual-manual patterns that are inherently interpreted as potentially meaningful or communicative.


title: Mirror to the Soul: The Undead in Late Medieval Romance

contributor:
Department of English
Master of Arts
Lyn Bennett
David Evans
Melissa Furrow
Kathy Cawsey
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject: Undead

subject: Literature, Medieval

subject: Malory, Thomas

subject: Awntyrs Off Arthur

subject: Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

subject: Le Morte Darthur

subject: English literature - Middle English, 1100-1500

abstract: This thesis analyzes the role of undead figures in late medieval romance. Rather than focusing on the nature of the undead figures as representations of good or evil, this paper demonstrates that the undead characters of this period can be seen as more of mirrors to the living than as self-sustaining entities. This thesis explores three late medieval romances: The Awntyrs off Arthur, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, and Le Morte Darthur. These works can be read as a guide to understanding medieval people’s view of death as a reminder of one’s moral duty. In addition, these texts demonstrate that the undead function as markers of judgement on the living—symbols that force both characters and readers to take inventory of their flaws. The importance of the undead rests not in and of themselves, but in the living’s ability to correctly interpret the messages they bring.


title: Fashioning Identity: Clothing and the Image of the Syrian in the Roman Empire

contributor:
Department of Classics
Master of Arts
Dr. Eli Diamond
Dr. Emily Varto
Dr. Peter O'Brien
Dr. Jack Mitchell
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
Classics
Clothing
Ancient Rome
Ancient Syria
Roman Empire
Clothing and dress

abstract: This thesis examines the role that clothing played in creating identity in Ancient Rome, with a focus on Syrian identity. The historical background which led to Syria’s becoming a Roman province necessitated that a uniquely Syrian identity be established, but when this identity was created by the Romans it often drew on stereotypes and prejudices which were inherited from earlier Greek accounts. In many cases, the Romans crafted a Syrian identity based on what they viewed as Syrian clothing. Artistic and literary depictions of Syrian and Near Eastern clothing remained remarkably consistent throughout Greek and Roman accounts, but these depictions are sometimes at odds with the surviving depictions from the Near East, as found at sites such as Palmyra. Finally, my thesis examines how these stereotypes and assumptions about Syrians, especially descriptions of clothing, influenced the biographical accounts of the Severan emperor Elagabalus.


title: Investigating the Secretion of HtpB, the Multifunctional Chaperonin of Legionella pneumophila

contributor:
Department of Microbiology & Immunology
Master of Science
Dr. John Archibald
Dr. Brent Johnston
Dr. Song Lee
Dr. Rafael Garduno
Dr. Jason LeBlanc
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Yes

subject: Bacteriology Secretion Legionella Chaperonin

abstract: Legionella pneumophila is a ubiquitous freshwater pathogen of unicellular eukaryotes, namely several species of amoeba. Following inhalation of Legionella-contaminated aerosols, susceptible human populations may also develop an atypical, pneumonia-like illness, as L. pneumophila opportunistically infects alveolar macrophages. One of the many virulence factors possessed by L. pneumophila is High Temperature Protein B (HtpB), a multifunctional chaperonin that has been found on the cell surface. Despite the several virulence-related roles that have been described for the surface-exposed or extracellularly released HtpB, no mechanism has yet been proposed for how this essential, typically cytoplasmic protein reaches extracytoplasmic compartments. In this work, we present evidence that Dot/Icm, a type IV secretion system of L. pneumophila, is responsible for the translocation of HtpB through a non-canonical secretion pathway. An infection model using L. pneumophila carrying a genetically tagged, recombinant HtpB demonstrated that HtpB does not reach the cytoplasm of Legionella-infected host cells without a functional Dot/Icm system. By fusing the C-terminus of HtpB to the cytoplasmic protein Icd and assaying its sub-cellular locale by western blotting, we demonstrate that the C-terminus of HtpB has affinity for the Legionella envelope membranes but is not sufficient to mediate secretion. These results, as well as prior data generated by other researchers/students in the Garduño Lab at Dalhousie University, led us to conclude that HtpB normally traffics through the periplasm of L. pneumophila and relies on the Dot/Icm system for escaping the periplasm, but crosses the inner membrane in an uncharacterized manner. This unknown mechanism by which HtpB seems to translocate across the cytoplasmic membrane may apply to other Legionella proteins and thus contribute to explain the unusual quantity and diversity of Dot/Icm effectors, therefore being of critical importance to the understanding of virulence in L. pneumophila.


title: USER PERSPECTIVES ON A SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROJECT: ASSESSING THE IMPACT OF EMPOWER PLAYGROUND’S PLAY SYSTEMS ON THE PEDIATORKOPE ISLAND IN GHANA

contributor: Department of International Development Studies

subject:
Empower Playgrounds Inc.
Pediatorkope Island
Ghana
International Development Projects
Childrens Perspectives

abstract: Ghana has challenges with providing reliable access to electricity for its citizens. Sporadic power outages mean that for many hours during the day, households, businesses and industries have limited or no access to electricity. This study assesses the impact of a technology-oriented development project by Empower Playgrounds Inc. for school children who lack access to electricity on the Pediatorkope Island in Ghana. Through interviews, focus group discussion and participant observation with children and other stakeholders, the impact, successes and challenges of EPI’s project were measured using Sen’s capability approach as a framework. Findings suggest that not all students received full benefits and although the project has some successes, there were challenges with lamp distribution and a lack of effective monitoring and evaluation. This research provides some insight into social contexts in which technology embedded projects function and document ways in which development projects targeted at children can provide maximum benefits.


title: Defining Death: Law, Language, and Systems

contributor:
Faculty of Law
Master of Laws
Jocelyn Downie
Richard Devlin
Sheila Wildeman
Jocelyn Downie
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
Health law
Death
End-of-life
Donation of organs, tissues, etc.
Critical legal studies
Legal semiotics
Systems theory
Sociolegal studies
Health policy
Legal fiction

abstract: The definition of death is often referred to as a fiction since brain death was conceived in the mid twentieth century. These observations are generally paired with concern that the fiction depresses the quality of a patient’s consent to post-mortem tissue donation. However, such accounts are theoretically bereft. The author argues that a systems-theoretic account can better explain how fiction contributes to donative practices. He understands fiction as a legal speech act that misrepresents the intentions behind its expressed message. The misrepresentation may induce social behaviour (e.g., consent) consistent with its unstated intentions. In the context of death, these intentions emerge from a system of biopolitics disproportionately concerned with preserving the life of the populace. Determining death early on the continuum of dying may avail more viable tissue and free therapeutic resources to those in need. The operation of fiction will be explored and critiqued from within this socio-legal frame.


title: FORMS AND VALUES OF NUMBER-LIKE AND NIMBER-LIKE GAMES

contributor: Department of Mathematics & Statistics - Math Division

subject: Game theory

subject: partizan

subject: hereditary

subject: dicotic

subject: transitive

subject: Hackenbush

subject: ordinal sum

subject: Game theory, economics, social and behavioral sciences - Game theory - Combinatorial games.

subject: Combinatorial game theory

abstract:
We consider combinatorial games (positions) played by two players who move alternately. In a disjunctive sum of positions a player may play in any one summand.  Plays in a particular summand may not alternate between players. Play ends in a finite number of moves when a player cannot move in any summand. The winner is determined by the last player to move. We primarily consider the case where the last player to move wins (the normal-play convention).  In a sum of nimbers both players have the same available moves (options). In a sum of numbers both players would rather it not be their turn. The canonical form theory partitions positions into equivalence classes which form a group with disjunctive sum. The unique (canonical) representative of an equivalence class is called a value. Nimber-valued and number-valued positions are closed under disjunctive sum.  It has long been known how to identify positions that are nimbers or numbers. There are other methods to analyze positions that are not nimber-like and number-like, such as reduced canonical forms and atomic weight. Nimbers and numbers are both hereditarily transitive (where no player would benefit from moving twice in a row) and both
are Hackenbush positions.  Dicotic positions (where both players have an option or neither does) are like nimbers and numbers. The dicotic hereditarily transitive positions are described using ordinal sum. We show how to recognize positions whose values are from the ruleset Hackenbush stalks (whose summands are described by ordinal sums). We then consider outcomes of Hackenbush stalks under the misère-play convention.  We end by considering the ruleset Partizan Euclid, a
partizan dicotic ruleset, that is like nimbers and numbers in other ways.


title: Consolidation of Aerospace Grade Aluminum 7055 Powder Via PM Technologies

contributor:
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Master of Applied Science
Ian Donaldson
Dr. Dominic Groulx
Dr. Steve Corbin
Dr. Paul Bishop
Not Applicable
Yes
Yes

subject:
Aluminum
Powder Metallurgy
7xxx Series
Aerospace
Aluminum Forgings

abstract: The objective of this research was to assess the response of aerospace grade gas atomized aluminum 7055 (Al-8Zn-2.1Mg-2.3Cu-0.2Zr) powder to sinter-forge and SPS-forge styles of powder metallurgy processing.  In meeting this objective the powder was processed through a three-stage sequence of cold isostatic pressing, liquid phase sintering, and rotary forging or through a two stage sequence of spark plasma sintering and rotary forging. In the prior, core variables included sintering temperature, particle size, the effects of admixed sintering activators (Mg, Sn), and forging temperature. Here it was found that the removal of fines (x<45μm) was required to ensure a crack free product while forging. It was also observed that while tin helped to produce a sintered product with higher density, the addition was detrimental to the post-forged mechanical properties. Overall it was found that a sintering temperature of 580°C and a forging temperature of 470°C, produced a fully dense product with wrought like tensile properties and hardness. In SPS-based research, core variables included sintering temperature, sintering time, and the timing of the application of pressure. Here it was found that the bend properties of sintered products were substantially higher when pressure was applied in a Type II mode of pressure application (pressure applied once the compact was at full temperature). Overall a sintering temperature of 500°C was found to produce products with the highest strength along with a sintering time of 2400 seconds. Once the sintered billets were forged and heat treated, products were found to be fully dense and have wrought like tensile properties and hardness. In both cases forging of the CIP-Sinter and SPS’ed products greatly increased the tensile properties of the product and was believed to help break up and refine the oxide shell present on the aluminum particles to a point where this constituent was dispersed within the material and thereby acted as a strengthening agent within the product.


title: Health, Safety, and Access to Health Care of Foreign Seasonal Farm Workers in Nova Scotia

contributor: Department of Community Health & Epidemiology

abstract: As the population of foreign seasonal agricultural workers (FSFWs) grows in Nova Scotia, so too does Nova Scotia’s responsibility to take care of this population.  The first objective of this study was to determine the extent and content of the health and safety information available to FSFWs in Nova Scotia.  The second objective was to examine FSFWs’ access to health care.  These objectives were achieved through a document analysis and semi-structured interviews with farmers, FSFWs, and local seasonal farm workers.  The document analysis suggested that high reading levels of and inconsistencies between documents make online documents pertaining to the health and safety of FSFWs difficult to access.  Analysis of interviews suggested the following issues impact FSFWs’ access to and experiences with health care: limited interaction with the health care system, incomplete knowledge of health insurance and workers’ compensation insurance, the disconnect in farmers’ perceptions of FSFWs, and FSFWs’ vulnerability.


title: CHINESISCHE LANDSCHAFTSMALEREI UND DEUTSCHE ROMANTIK

contributor:
Department of German
Master of Arts
Dr. H.-G. Schwarz
Dr. Judith Sidler
Dr. Jürgen Joachimsthaler
Dr. H.-G. Schwarz
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
Landscape painting, Chinese
german romanticism
Friedrich, Caspar David, 1774-1840
novalis

abstract: A comparative work for chinese and german landscape painting.

abstract: In the first instance, the theoretical principles of Chinese landscape painting are disclosed regarding to a philosophical undertone of the human-nature relationship. In Europe, the paintings of Caspar David Friedrich are compared equivalent referring to the writings of the painter and writers of the German Romanticism. Behind the contrast of rather graphic ink drawing there and picturesque colour painting here there are similarities in style and meaning: for instance, Caspar David Friedrich’s theoretical focus on the All and his aesthetic concept to symbolize and poetize the nature, these and the Taoism seem to be similar philosophy and cosmology. In the meanwhile, there is a fundamental difference between those two concepts, which influences the composition of the painter profoundly: In Taoism the nature embodies the All, for the German romantics the nature is an integral part, together with the human they can approach the All – the transcendental overarching deity.


title: Privacy Awareness and Design for Live Video Broadcasting Apps

contributor:
Faculty of Computer Science
Master of Computer Science
Malcolm Heywood
Dr. Alexander Brodsky
Dr. Robert Beiko
Dr. James Blustein
Received
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
Live video broadcasting apps
live streaming video
broadcaster
Periscope
Meerkat
temporal social media
self-destructing
privacy awareness
privacy perception
self-disclosure behavior
visual privacy
location privacy
privacy nudge
Design with Intent
privacy icons
Dynamic Real-time Feedback
Internet videos - Social aspects
Privacy, Right of.

abstract:
Many WWW-based live video broadcasting applications (e.g., YouNow, Meerkat, Periscope) do not implement privacy through design. In two studies we gathered information about the current use of such apps, and then designed and tested three prototypes to provide broadcasters with feedback about their viewers and three prototypes to provide mood-based privacy awareness mechanisms.
The first study used an anonymous international English language survey to explore the reasons for use, types of use, knowledge, (privacy) concerns of broadcasters, and desired privacy relevant features of broadcasters who currently use these apps.
Based on key concerns shown in the first study, the first three prototypes of the second study provided information about who had viewed the location of the broadcaster. The second group of three prototypes automatically demonstrates various visual privacy protection methods based on the self-declared mood of the broadcaster. In the second study, three prototypes were designed to provide broadcasters with feedback about viewers who examined the broadcaster’s location during a broadcast. Through testing we found 86% of respondents said they would install such apps and 48% would use it regularly. Generally, the best solution would provide more information without intruding on the actual broadcaster. Also, three additional prototypes were designed (and tested) to provide mood-based default privacy settings to help hide inappropriate behavior and then experimentally tested.  Fifty-seven percent said they would install such apps, but only 47% said they would use them regularly.


title: All-standard-cell voltage controlled oscillator-based analog to digital converters with digital background calibrations

contributor: Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering

subject:
all-digital VCO-based ADC
digital background calibration

abstract:
An all-digital voltage controlled oscillator based analog to digital converter (VCO-based ADC) with digital background calibration is proposed in this thesis. The all-digital structure simplifies implementation procedure and reduces design cost. Different structures of all-standard-cell VCOs are presented and compared.
This thesis also focuses on improving VCO’s linearity. A novel compensation for all-digital VCO-based ADC is proposed, which uses closed-form orthogonal polynomials bases instead of power series ones. With these more powerful bases, cross interaction between different basis is eliminated, which leads to better resolution, lower order of compensation, and shorter convergence time.
Offset-injection digital background calibration for VCO-based ADC is designed based on the proposed orthogonal polynomials nonlinearity compensation. The new technique removes in-band distortions caused by VCO nonlinearity successfully. Tradeoff between different design parameters like sampling frequency and offset value is discussed in the thesis. A smart offset injection technique for all-standard-cell VCO is also introduced.


title: Perceptions in Procession: Architectural Interventions on Freeway Infrastructure

contributor:
School of Architecture
Master of Architecture
Anne Cormier
Diogo Burnay
James Forren
Catherine Vernart
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject: Freeway

subject: interstitial

subject: architecture

subject: perspectives

subject: procession

subject: Roads - California  - Los Angeles County

abstract:
The evolution of the automobile has directly impacted the formation of many cities but has
played a major role in the development of Los Angeles, and is the reason for its extending
urban forms with suburban growth. Freeways were initially designed to connect the citizens to
all amenities of city life - a utopian ideal that has lead to suburban separation - Households distanced
from their neighbors, and communities from their centers.
This thesis takes on congested freeway travel and proposes alternative solutions using as an
example the I-10 freeway that connects the heart of downtown to the Santa Monica Coastline. It
analyses and documents how commuters experience freeway transportation, and uses this analysis
to construct a three-dimensional abstraction and visualization of a multi-functional experience
for commuters and pedestrians.


title: Low-Voltage and Low-Power Analog Integrated Filters implementing Current-mode Bulk-Driven Differentiators

subject:
Bulk-driven differentiators
Current-mode filter design
LVLP Analog filters
Integrated circuits

abstract: This work introduces a CTCM Gate-driven (GD) and Bulk-driven (BD) differentiators using the TSMC 65 nm CMOS technology as an alternative to existing integrator circuits. This CM differentiator exhibits higher stability and lower flicker noise than the voltage-mode integrator. Bilinear as well as biquadratic building blocks based on these differentiators have been introduced. These basic building blocks are then used to implement higher order filters using the GD and BD Techniques. A 6th order cascade CTCM Chebyshev band pass filter using the Gate- Driven and Bulk-Driven techniques has been designed. This design is simulated with a very low supply voltage of 0.7 V with the filter characteristics of 1dB pass band ripple and 2MHz bandwidth. The total power consumption of the designed sixth-order BD CTCM Chebyshev band pass filter is 1.45 mW which is very low in analog IC filter design. The proposed design can be realized for wireless baseband applications where LVLP is an important factor.


title: "There's Nothing Mild About It:" The Lived Experience of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury (MTBI) From An Occupational Perspective

contributor:
School of Occupational Therapy
Master of Science
Dr. Robin Stadnyk
Dr. Joan Versnel
Dr. Brenda Merritt
Dr. Heidi Lauckner
Dr. Brenda Beagan
Received
No
No

subject:
Occupational Therapy
MTBI
Occupational Adaptation
Occupational Identity
Stigma
Passing
Legitimacy
Occupational Transition
Brain injury

abstract: This study explored everyday life for six individuals diagnosed with mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI) at least one year earlier. Using a phenomenological design, two in-depth interviews with each person explored occupations such as self-care, leisure, and productivity, as well as occupational identity, transition, and adaptation, and issues surrounding legitimacy, passing, and stigma. Analysis revealed that everyday occupations such as shopping, preparing food, driving, and managing finances, posed tremendous challenges for participants. Participants passed through denial, guilt, and grief before transitioning toward rebuilt occupational identities, and eventual occupational competency. Seeking social support and community involvement were key. Finally, participants spent considerable time seeking legitimacy within legal and medical communities, and often altered their everyday lives in order to be viewed as less brain injured. Increased knowledge about the everyday occupational lives of MTBI survivors holds valuable, practical implications for occupational therapy, and other health professions.


title: ODYSSEUS AND THE SONG OF ARES AND APHRODITE: MĒTIS AND MOICHEIA ON OLYMPUS AND ON EARTH

contributor:
Department of Classics
Master of Arts
Dr. Eli Diamond
Dr. Emily Varto
Dr. Peter O'Brien
Dr. Leona MacLeod
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
Homer
the Odyssey
the song of Ares and Aphrodite

abstract: Since antiquity, Hephaestus in the song of Ares and Aphrodite has been seen as a paradigm for Odysseus. Similarities have been noted between Odysseus’ dispute with Euryalus and Hephaestus’ capture of Ares, while the violence of the mnēstērophonia sequence has also been justified using the circumstances depicted in Demodocus’ song. This thesis examines these connections and finds that although Odysseus and Hephaestus are both figures of mētis, each episode that establishes Odysseus’ intellect also highlights his biā. While there are no lasting ramifications for adultery on Olympus, the Odyssey repeatedly emphasises the threat that unfaithful women pose in the realm of mortals, necessitating severe punishment for moicheia. The same offence that can be resolved through laughter on Olympus leads to the bloodshed of the mnēstērophonia in the world of Odysseus. The song of Ares and Aphrodite in this way highlights the sharp divide that exists between human and divine experiences.


title: Assessment of Water Quality Impacts in Marine Environments Receiving Municipal Wastewater Effluent Discharges in Nunavut

contributor:
Department of Civil Engineering
Master of Applied Science
Hany H. El Naggar
Jinyu Sheng
Graham Gagnon
Wendy Gentleman
Rob Jamieson
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
Wastewater
Water Quality - Nunavut
Sewage - Nunavut
Nunavut

abstract: Complying with newly developed federal wastewater discharge criteria represents a challenge to Canada’s Far North. Before implementation of these criteria, an understanding of the impacts of current discharge scenarios is required to identify the risks associated with current wastewater management practices. The objectives of the research were to better understand mixing processes, define extents of Initial Mixing Zones, and identify human and environmental risks through the completion of tracer studies and water quality monitoring at three study sites throughout Nunavut. Differences in effluent transport and Initial Mixing Zone extents between studies highlighted the significance of ambient conditions, timing and rates of discharge, and effluent quality on environmental and potential human health risk. These findings provide insight into what factors to examine when assessing wastewater discharge scenarios in northern communities, and can help identify which systems may be at highest risk for impacts as a result of their current discharge regime.


title: Role of Na(v)1.6 and Visual Experience in Retinal and Brain Maturation during the Early Postnatal Period

contributor:
Department of Biology
Master of Science
Dr. Sophia Stone
Dr. TamaraFranz-Odendaal
Dr. Steven Barnes
Dr. Paul Bentzen
Dr. Sara Iverson
Dr. Patrice Cote
Received
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
Scn8a
voltage-gated sodium channel
axonal transport
neurofilament
neurofilament accumulation
retina
degenerating muscle (dmu)
spontaneous Na(v)1.6 rescue (snr)
qRT-PCR
Immunohistochemistry
cerebellum
visual cortex

abstract: The Scn8a gene encodes the voltage-gated sodium channel isoform Nav1.6, playing a key role in saltatory conduction across the nodes of Ranvier in the CNS.  One Scn8a mutation, termed degenerating muscle (dmu) (Scn8admu/dmu) results in premature protein synthesis, causing reduced retinal function, hindlimb paralysis and premature death, suggesting possible disruptions to overall cellular integrity and functions.  In my dissertation, I sought to understand how the Scn8admu mutation asserts its pathology.  Disparity in gene expression patterns were identified between mutants and wildtype animals through qRT-PCR analysis of 11 genes.  Results suggested a trend towards downregulation of genes involved with intracellular transport in mutants.  Next, I examined the state of the intracellular scaffold within the neurons of mutant animals by staining for neurofilaments.  The neurofilamentous network of mutant retina and cerebella are in a state of disarray.  This disruption may be the root cause of observed phenotypes manifested by mutant animals.


title: The Aesthetics of Death: The Role of Architecture in Our Experience of Death in the Modern Era

contributor:
School of Architecture
Master of Architecture
Brian Carter
Diogo Burnay
Roger Mullin
Diogo Burnay
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject: Architecture Death Hospice Phenomenology


title: Endothelin Receptor Heterodimerization Inhibits β-arrestin Function

contributor:
Department of Pharmacology
Master of Science
Dr. Kishore Pasamurthi
Dr. Susan Howlett
Dr. Denis Dupre
Dr. Melanie Kelly
Dr. Eileen Denovan-Wright
Received
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject: endothelin dimerization

abstract: Dimerization of G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) can affect receptor dynamics at many stages of the GPCR life cycle. Endothelin receptors A (ETA) and B (ETB) are co-expressed in vascular smooth muscle cells, and are key to microvascular autoregulation through paracrine signalling following local release of endothelin (ET-1) by endothelial cells. Heterodimerization between ETA and ETB prolongs downstream signalling. We hypothesized in this study that endothelin receptor heterodimerization inhibits β-arrestin function, an important mediator in GPCR desensitization, thereby leading to temporal changes in signaling. Using BRET2 technology, the ETB homodimer and ETA/ETB heterodimer were found to form high affinity interactions, while ETA homodimerization did not occur. The heterodimer reduced and delayed recruitment of β-arrestin-2, and inhibited β-arrestin-1-dependent ERK signalling as assayed with In-Cell Western®. Thus, this study provides novel insights into how endothelin receptor heterodimerization could be affecting the physiological response to ET-1 in tissues co-expressing both receptor subtypes.


title: In A Class of Their Own: International Students, Class Identity and Education Migration in Atlantic Canada

contributor: Department of Sociology & Social Anthropology

subject:
Students, Foreign
international education
Pierre Bourdieu
gender
race
ethnicity
class capital
family
transnational migration
Habitus (Sociology)

abstract: This thesis explores the migration pathways and transnational class projects of international students studying in Atlantic Canada. Bourdieu's concepts of class and capital guide my analysis of the complex relationship between education internationalization and class capital accumulation strategies. I suggest that legal permanent status and post-graduate career opportunities have become salient currencies in the Canadian context, rivalling the academic capital associated with elite universities elsewhere in the Global North. In addition, I expand on Bourdieu’s concepts to highlight the role of gender and race in education mobility. I propose that such considerations reveal important nuances of capital embedded within higher education degrees in Canada, where federal and provincial immigration policies have combined to allow international study as a viable pathway to immigration. The study shows that families draw upon accumulated class capitals to invest strategically in education opportunities, assisting this generation of migrants in their quest to achieve middle class settlement in Canada. The thesis employs multi-methods, including historical, media and policy analysis to provide illustrations of relevant provincial/federal policy negotiations and in-depth interviews with international students and recent graduates in the Atlantic region. Atlantic Canada was chosen because this region has had notable success in attracting international students in recent decades, partly resulting from concerted efforts to address a declining regional population. It is also a region with a significant range of universities seeking to maintain viable enrolments. Amidst the volatile and often inconsistent accounts of their desirability as education consumers and as ideal migrants on national and regional scales, students in this study continue to aspire to middle class identities in Canada, even as accumulated forms of class capital and their values are tied to political, economic and social contingencies. Ultimately, students remain vulnerable to precarious statuses in Canada and transnationally.


title: UNDERCAPITALIZATION AS AN INDEPENDENT GROUND FOR SHAREHOLDER LIABILITY: THE CASE FOR CORPORATE STAKEHOLDERS

contributor:
Faculty of Law
Master of Laws
Geoffrey Loomer
Kimberly Brooks
Michael Deturbide
Received
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

abstract: This thesis defends the position that undercapitalization of private companies should be an independent basis for shareholder liability. The thesis examines the developments in the law by exploring the work of commentators, legal scholars, and judges on the importance of protecting corporate stakeholders against undercapitalized corporations. American courts have also dealt with the issue in a number of cases, the majority in which the courts have not considered undercapitalization to be an independent ground for shareholder liability. These cases are critically examined to determine the reasoning behind the courts’ decisions. Ultimately, this thesis concludes that the arguments in favour of undercapitalization as an independent factor for veil piercing are more persuasive than the arguments against this view.