title: WIRELESS POWER TRANSFER VIA MAGNETIC RESONANT COUPLING

contributor: Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering

subject:
Wireless power transfer
magnetically coupled resonant
Printed Spiral Coil
Energy Harvesting
tranmissting coil array

abstract:
Small electronic devices such as smartphones and tablets are increasingly rooted in everyday life. To eliminate cable mess and make it easy to stay connected with always-charged electronic devices, magnetically coupled resonant wireless power transfer (MCR-WPT), which can power electronic devices wirelessly at midrange distances, is the most practical solution. A long-standing goal has been to transfer power wirelessly over a large area with a compact and easy-to-implement receiver that can be used for electronic and medical devices.
However, existing technology falls short of this goal. MCR-WPT systems are bulky and highly sensitive to axial and lateral misalignment, and MCR-WPT systems are limited to the size of the transmitter. Furthermore, simply exciting an MCR-WPT array system cannot address the issue due to transfer efficiency fluctuations over the covered area. The transfer efficiency of the system drops dramatically when the receiver is not perfectly aligned with the transmitter resonator and is limited to the size of the transmitter.
This thesis explores several novel topologies and models of non-planar and planar transmitter, receivers for an MCR-WPT system. The proposed MCR-WPT can achieve higher transfer efficiency compared to previous works of comparable size and transmission distance. Two novel techniques are proposed to increase the quality factor of resonators, and various planar WPT systems are studied regarding size constraints.
The second contribution of this thesis is to overcome the problem of misalignment between the transmitter and receiver resonators. To address this issue, a planar MCR-WPT array system consisting of two to nine transmitting array resonators using a novel feeding structure is proposed. The aim is to have a simple and easy-to-implement structure with a transfer efficiency that is less sensitive to axial- and lateral-misalignment.
The proposed MCR-WPT system consists of five subsystems (an amplifier, MCR-WPT, a rectifier, a DC-to-DC converter, and a load) which are applied to verify the performance of the proposed WPT systems. It is shown that the proposed systems are more desirable and feasible to implement inside walls and under desks to charge small electronic devices anywhere inside its confines.


title: Endocannabinoid system modulation of the ocular immune response

contributor:
Department of Pharmacology
Doctor of Philosophy
Dr. Ruth Ross
Dr. Kishore Pasumarthi
Dr. Eileen Denovan-Wright
Dr. Andrew Stadnyk
Dr. Melanie Kelly
Dr. Christian Lehmann
Received
Yes
Yes

subject:
cannabinoid
inflammation
immune response
eye
ocular inflammation
uveitis
endocannabinoid system
cannabinoid 2 receptor
CB2R

abstract: The endocannabinoid system (ECS) is an endogenous lipid signaling system, comprised of receptors, ligands, and their degradative enzymes. The cannabinoid 2 receptor (CB2R) is localized on immune cells and modulates immune function in health and disease. Activation of the CB2R has anti-inflammatory actions in several organ systems, however, the effects of ECS modulation during ocular inflammation has not been thoroughly investigated. Novel therapeutics for ocular inflammation are needed as current treatments can exhibit lack of efficacy, become refractory, and produce side effects. To address these problems, the work presented in this thesis examined the manipulation of the ECS during ocular inflammation and the effects of CB2R activation on the inflammatory response. To examine the effects of CB2R activation, in vivo and in vitro models of inflammation were generated using bacterial endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide, LPS). LPS interacts with the cell surface Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) to induce inflammation. Following systemic or intraocular injection of LPS, leukocyte-endothelial interactions and local blood flow were investigated in the iridial microcirculation as a marker of inflammation. Cannabinoid treatments were administered i.v. or topically to the eye. Pharmacological treatments and genetic knock out animals were used to confirm the receptor and cellular targets of cannabinoid agonists. Endocannabinoid levels, release of inflammatory mediators, generation of intracellular signaling molecules, and receptor expression were investigated during the inflammatory response and following treatment to elucidate mechanisms of action. This was further probed by in vitro assays investigating the mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway. Taken together, the findings presented in this thesis demonstrated that activation of CB2R has anti-inflammatory properties during acute ocular inflammation with efficacy comparable to current clinical therapies. CB2R treatment decreases leukocyte-endothelial adhesion, improves local blood flow and diminishes release of inflammatory mediators. Additionally, I have proposed a mechanism of action for these anti-inflammatory effects based on my findings. My results suggest that CB2R agonists inhibit activation of the MAPK pathway by the LPS-TLR4 interactions in activated macrophages. This prevents activation of pro-inflammatory transcription factors and the subsequent release of the associated pro-inflammatory mediators. Overall, activation of the CB2R provides a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of ocular inflammation.


title: Maternal Influenza Vaccination and the Effect of Provincial Immunization Programs in Canada

contributor:
Department of Economics
Master of Arts
Peter Burton
Casey Warman
Shelley Phipps
Courtney Ward
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
maternal influenza vaccination
Canada
provincial immunization programs

abstract: With evidence suggesting the importance of influenza vaccination of pregnant women, Canadian provinces have started to implement different publicly funded immunization programs to encourage vaccination of pregnant women. Four programs are implemented between 2000 and 2010: Universal Influenza Immunization Campaign (UIIC), the program offering coverage to pregnant women (full-coverage program), the program offering coverage to pregnant women in the third trimester (partial-coverage program) and the program offering no coverage to pregnant women (no-coverage program). This paper examines the effect of these programs on influenza vaccination of pregnant women using linear probability model of micro determinants of vaccination. The results show that both UIIC and full-coverage program raise the vaccination rate of pregnant women by 21% compared to no-coverage program. However, only full-coverage program has a differential effect on pregnant women that is over 10% while partial-coverage program raises the vaccination rate of pregnant women and non-pregnant women both by 6.8%.


title: ADVANCED TIME-DOMAIN NUMERICAL METHODS FOR ELECTROMAGNETIC MODELING AND SIMULATION

subject:
Time-domain
Finite-difference Time-Domain
Divergence
Meshless
Radial basis function

abstract:
In this thesis, systematic investigations on divergence property of the divergence preserved alternatively-direction-implicit finite-difference time-domain (ADI-FDTD) method and the meshless method are carried out.
It is found that divergence preserved ADI-FDTD method maintains the unconditional stability and the same numerical dispersion as that of the traditional ADI-FDTD method, while preserving electromagnetic divergence properties. To further improve its efficiency, an efficiency improved version is proposed. Theoretical proof of both the unconditional stability and the divergence property is provided. Almost 41.7% less count of floating-point operations than the original one is obtained.
Investigations on the meshless method lead to the following results.
(1) A meshless method for the wave equation is proposed to improve the efficiency based on the mathematical equivalence of the Maxwell’s equations and wave equation. Since the proposed method only requires to solve electrical field, computational efficiency of the proposed method is largely improved.
(2) A divergence preserved meshless method based on the vector radial basis function (RBF) is proposed to solve the Maxwell’s equations. The conventional meshless method using Gaussian RBF cannot preserve the divergence property of electric and magnetic fields. The proposed method is theoretically proven to be divergence free and will not introduce the artificial charges in its numerical solutions. Numerical results show that the proposed method can accurately model the charge distribution in the simulations.
(3) A stable meshless method based on QR-decomposition method is proposed to overcome the spatial stability issue of the conventional meshless method. The source of the spatial instability is removed from the Gaussian RBF through the QR-decomposition method. A new stable basis function, which share the same function space as that of the Gaussian RBF, is obtained.
(4) The relationship between the meshless method and the FDTD method is theoretically investigated in terms of numerical dispersion. When node distribution and field component location is the same as that of the FDTD method, numerical dispersion of the meshless method can become the same as that of the FDTD method. It implies that the meshless method is a general method which includes the FDTD method as its special case.


title: Incorporating indigenous forms of governance in the management of natural resources: The case of South Africa's Royal Bafokeng

contributor:
Department of Political Science
Master of Arts
Dr. Robert Finbow
Dr. Katherine Fierlbeck
Dr. David Black
Dr. Peter Arthur
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
Natural resource curse
Indigenous forms of governance
Decentralisation and participation
Royal Bafokeng

abstract: South Africa’s Royal Bafokeng community is often cited as an example of community based mineral resource ownership that ought to be considered as an alternative to the central state. This claim is made against the background of failed state management of oil, diamonds, or platinum resources in Africa, which resulted in the “resource curse” hypothesis. It is also made within the global narrative of “decentralization” and “participation,” whereby grassroots-based policy and institutional frameworks are regarded as alternatives to global and national institutions. However, scholars often neglect the relationship between ownership structures and political and economic outcomes. This study considers the extent to which the Royal Bafokeng’s ownership structure ought to be considered as an alternative to the state in the management of mineral resources. It finds that firstly, decentralised ownership structures should not be conceived as an alternative, since they do not automatically guarantee preferable developmental outcomes. It also shows that the Bafokeng’s mineral ownership structure is a result of historical factors, best described through the concept of “longue duree,” not deliberate state policy outcomes. It also argues that this ownership structure is not easily transferrable, due to the contending power dynamics that make it infeasible in other contexts in sub-Saharan Africa and beyond.


title: Witnessing the Darkness: Light Movements in the Poetry of Souvankham Thammavongsa

contributor:
Department of English
Master of Arts
Evelyn Bennet
Marjorie Stone
Dana Mount
Carrie Dawson
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
Canadian Poetry
Refugee and Citizenship Studies
English Literature

abstract: To date, Laotian Canadian poet Souvankham Thammavongsa has published three collections of poetry: Small Arguments (2003), Found (2007) and Light (2013). A former refugee and an immigrant to Canada, Thammavongsa is deeply concerned with questions of citizenship, identity and belonging. Examining Thammavongsa’s work in relation to Canada’s current refugee and immigration policies, particularly her most recent collection, Light, my thesis analyses how she uses the metaphor of light to explore the movements of refugee and “irregular” – migrant, temporary and undocumented – bodies across national and international borders. I argue that Thammavongsa’s poetry critiques the colonial dimensions of Canada’s immigration and refugee laws, and illuminates the “hidden” corridors of expulsion – the detention centres, deportation flights, the lives “forced underground” (Nyers, “Abject Cosmopolitanism” 1074) – that are authorized by Canada’s current migrant detention and refugee determination processes.


title: Phylogenetic Approaches to Microbial Community Classification

contributor:
Faculty of Computer Science
Master of Computer Science
Evangelos Milios
Hong Gu
Thomas Trappenberg
Robert G. Beiko
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject: Supervised-learning microbiome

abstract: The microorganisms associated with our body, collectively known as the microbiome, have profound impacts on biological processes including human health and disease. Different body sites are dominated by different major groups of microbes, but the variations within a body site, such as the mouth, can be more subtle. High-throughput DNA sequencing allows the assessment of the microbiome at an unprecedented scale, but creates new computational challenges. Machine-learning procedures can serve as useful tools for distinguishing microbes from similar body sites, understanding key organisms and their roles can highlight deviations from expected distributions of microbes.


title: The effect of predictable refixation on inhibition of return

contributor:
School of Health & Human Performance
Master of Science
Shaun Boe
Lynne Robinson
Derek Kimmerly
Lori Dithurbide
David Westwood
Received
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
inhibition of return
motor control
predictability
saccades
motor preparation
motor execution

abstract: Inhibition of Return (IOR) refers to slowed responding to stimuli appearing at recently attended locations, and it has been reported for simple detection responses but also saccadic eye movements and even reaching movements (Klein, 2000). Most research studying IOR for consecutive saccades has utilized a task structure requiring a predictable refixation between the saccade creating IOR and the one seeking to reveal it (Taylor and Klein, 2000). Predictable refixation is unlike natural visual searching, so the present study sought to determine if IOR is modified or indeed dependent upon the predictability of refixation events. Participants made sequences of three saccades beginning from the center of a horizontal seven-target array in four conditions. In all conditions, the directions of the first and third saccades were unpredictable (left or right), but in separate blocks of trials the second saccade either predictably returned to the central target location (predictable conditions; all trials matched the classical refixation sequence) or unpredictably signaled a leftward or rightward saccade (unpredictable conditions; 50% of saccade sequences randomly matched the classical refixation sequence). Also in separate blocks of trials, saccade direction could be signaled by peripheral target onsets (exogenous conditions) or arrows located at the currently fixated location (endogenous conditions). These two signal types were chosen to add an additional investigation of whether the effect of refixation varied by modality (sensory or motor). Predictability and stimulus type were crossed with each other to create four experimental conditions. In order to compare equivalent events between conditions, IOR was assessed only for sequences involving refixation and was calculated as reaction time for the final saccade as a function of its direction relative to the first saccade (same direction versus opposite direction). Significant IOR was observed in all conditions except the condition with unpredictable refixation directed by centrally presented arrows. These results indicate that response predictability is a key component of the IOR phenomenon for saccades driven by endogenous signals, but not for saccades driven by peripheral stimulus events. This adds to a growing body of evidence suggesting that IOR arises from different mechanisms depending upon how responses are elicited.


title: The Parallel and the Perpendicular: Reconnecting Calgarians to the Bow River

contributor:
School of Architecture
Master of Architecture
Andrea Kahn
Steve Parcell
Christine Macy
Cristina Verissimo
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
architecture
Calgary
waterfront
Public architecture
Community

abstract:
The rapid population growth in Calgary since the oil drilling boom of the 1970s has led to a diversification of Calgarians in terms of ethnicity. socio-economic status, and age. Without any unifying public spaces, the city has become fragmented into polarized pockets of young and old, wealthy and poor, and ethnic background. This thesis seeks to reconnect the fractured populations of the Calgary to the core of the city, as well as to each other.
A number of design interventions along the parallel and perpendicular axes of the Bow River waterfront are proposed to resolve issues of public access and connectivity between the central core and outer communities of the city. A focus on the addition of both interactive public programming and public permeability to the existing waterfront will aid Calgary in achieving social unity.


title: Studies on Ring Forming Reactions: Geminal Acylation, Nazarov Cyclization and Cyclohexyne Reactions

contributor:
Department of Chemistry
Doctor of Philosophy
Dr. David MaGee
Dr. Mark Stradiotto
Dr. Norm Schepp
Dr. Mark Stradiotto
Dr. Robert White
Dr. Jean Burnell
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
No

subject:
Cyclohexyne
Nazarov
(4+3) Cycloaddition
Geminal Acylation
Stereoselectivity
Diels-Alder

abstract: Doctoral Thesis

abstract:
Geminal acylation is a powerful tool for converting ketones into 1,3- diketones. An ambitious synthesis of a propellane was envisaged by three geminal acylation reactions. Geminal acylations were done on the ethylene glycol ketal of ethyl levulinate with four- and five-membered acyloins, generating, following a ring- opening process, a series of ketodiesters. A methyl substituent appeared to sterically inhibit the subsequent geminal acylation under many different reaction conditions and with different ester moieties. Thus, an unmethylated analog was prepared, but, unfortunately, the geminal acylation of that substrate was also unsuccessful.
Nazarov reactions of allenyl vinyl ketones (AVKs) can be interrupted by the addition of a nucleophile to the reaction mixture. The oxyallyl cations of AVKs were intercepted with a wide variety of oxygen-substituted dienes by (4+3) cycloaddition with a high degree of regioselectivity and with very high facial selectivity. Dienes with a substituent on the terminus of the oxygenated double bond formed (4+3) products in greater than 95% yield, but with modest diastereoselectivities, whereas dienes with a substituent on the terminus of the other double bond formed (4+3) products in modest yield but with high diastereoselectivity. The results were most consistent with a mechanism for the cycloaddition that is concerted but asynchronous.
Cyclohexyne is so strained that it cannot be isolated, but it can be generated and reacted in situ with nucleophiles. Cyclohexyne has been studied very little and not much is known about its ability to undergo Diels-Alder reactions. Diels-Alder products were produced from the reactions of cyclohexyne with furan, an oxygenated acyclic diene, and a carbocyclic diene. 3-Methylcyclohexyne was prepared, and it reacted with furan forming diastereomeric adducts in a 2:1 ratio. Attempts were made to generate 3,3-dimethylcyclohexyne, but difficulties in methylation prevented its formation. The Diels-Alder reactions were generally low yielding. Tetramerization of cyclohexyne was a dominant reaction pathway, and the tetramer was obtained as a single diastereomer in 80% yield by a novel method.


title: Optical Control of Exciton Qubits in Semiconductor Quantum Dots Using Pulse Shaping Techniques

contributor: Department of Physics & Atmospheric Science

subject:
exciton
quantum dot
quantum control
adiabatic rapid passage
pulse shaping
excitation induced dephasing

abstract:
Semiconductor quantum dots have been featured in a number of proposals for quantum computing because of the advantages afforded by confinement on the nanoscale, such as well separated, discrete energy levels and ease of optical manipulation.
In addition, they can leverage established semiconductor fabrication techniques and, like the quantum dots used in this work, can be designed to match the telecommunication band, improving the scalability and potential integration of the platform into existing technologies. This thesis work applied optical pulse engineering to manipulate exciton qubits in self-assembled InAs quantum dots.

Optimal quantum control theory was used to design pulse shapes that implement high fidelity single-qubit and two-qubit operations, with constraints on the numerical optimization that ensure that the pulses can be accurately implemented
using a commercial 4f pulse shaper. In the case of single-qubit operations, the results showed that two uncoupled qubits can be manipulated in parallel using a single phase-shaped laser pulse, provided their optoelectronic properties are sufficiently
different. It was demonstrated that targeted differences in inversion and phase between the qubits can be achieved on an ultrafast timescale with high fidelity. In the case of two-qubit operations, the controlled-rotation gate was optimized
using amplitude-only and phase-only pulse shaping schemes. The shaped pulses for both schemes were shown to produce higher fidelity operations.

The ability to implement robust state inversion on short timescales is particularly useful for technologies such as ultrafast optical switches, single-photon sources, and entangled-photon sources. This work has demonstrated state inversion in a single
InAs quantum dot via adiabatic rapid passage using linearly chirped laser pulses. The achieved gate times were an order of magnitude shorter than previous demonstrations. Theoretical predictions of the dependence of the inversion efficiency of
the exciton on the sign of the pulse chirp were also verified experimentally, allowing for the identification of phonon-mediated dephasing as the dominant source of decoherence.


title: Can you hear me now? The relationship between statistical learning and speech perception under degraded listening conditions

contributor: Department of Psychology and Neuroscience

subject:
electroencephalography
statistical learning
speech perception
speech perception in noise
non-invasive neuroimaging
language
cognition

abstract: The present study investigated whether there was a relationship between statistical learning and the ability to use top-down processing to predict incoming speech using electroencephalography (EEG). Statistical learning abilities were measured via an artificial grammar learning (AGL) task, where assimilation of transitional probabilities of stimuli were indexed using learning scores and the P600, an event-related potential (ERP) component that responds to syntactic violations. Top-down processing was indexed using the N400 — an ERP component that responds to semantic violations — in response to a speech perception task with two conditions: with and without noise. It was hypothesized that without noise, an N400 would be seen when the final word of a sentence was semantically incorrect, and that noise should attenuate this effect. Without noise, N400 and P600 amplitudes were expected to correlate, supporting evidence for a relationship between these neurocognitive processes. In the presence of noise, people who were better at the statistical learning task should have a reduced N400-mismatch effect, as they would rely on top-down processing to fill in the missing information. This should not be observed in people who were worse at the AGL task. Based on the median of the AGL learning scores, people were split into two groups: learners and non-learners. The AGL task did not elicit any significant effects in non-learners. Learners had an N400-like effect in the central parietal scalp and a frontal positivity. An N400 in response to the speech perception task was found for both quiet and noise conditions. Furthermore, there was a relationship between statistical learning and speech perception. Non-learners had a positive correlation between the N400 and AGL grammaticality effect regardless of the listening condition. In contrast, learners had a negative correlation in the absence of noise; this relationship reversed in the presence of noise, coinciding with their reduction in N400 amplitude. This reduction in N400 amplitude in noise suggests that learners may have strong expectations of what the final word should be. When hearing is impaired, learners may perceive the final word as a match rather than a mismatch. The results suggest that people who are more sensitive to the underlying statistical frequencies of stimuli may rely more on top-down processing to fill in missing information when engaged in a noisy environment.


title: KINETICS OF FIELD EVAPORATION, A STUDY OF MOLECULES IN HIGH ELECTRIC FIELDS

subject: Physics

abstract:
Field Evaporation, the physical phenomenon harnessed in the atom probe microscope, describes the breaking apart of molecules in an electric field. Interest has shifted away from the well understood field evaporation of metals and towards a variety of semiconducting and insulating materials for which less is known. One such material commanding current interest is that of polymer self assembled monolayers due to their ability to provide coatings to arbitrary materials giving them novel chemical properties. Stoffers, Oberdorfer and Schmitz in [1] studied experimentally the field evaporation of both amino-undecanethiol and perfluoro-decanethiol SAMs which are the focus of this theoretical investigation.
Density functional theory is used to study the process of field evaporation itself along with trends such as electrostriction, charge transfer, polarizability and HOMO/LUMO gap leading up to the point of evaporation. Applying this theory to structures in electric fields on the order of volts per angstrom has given results that form the cornerstone of our theoretical understanding and investigation in this area.
For further understanding, a complementary kinetic theory of field evaporation [2] first developed for metals is also implemented which provides both time and temperature dependence. A better understanding of the ion yield is reached with the comparison between possible field evaporated species.


title: For the Liberation of the Animal Nations: Examining Activist Framing of the Radical Animal Liberation Movement in North America

contributor: Department of Sociology & Social Anthropology

subject:
Framing
Radical animal liberation movement
social movements
animal rights
critical sociology
anarchism
ecofeminism
qualitative content analysis
website analysis

abstract: This qualitative content analysis of documents gleaned from the Animal Liberation Front, Earthling Liberation Kollective, and Grassroots Ontario Animal Liberation network websites and Facebook pages explores how the frames of activists in the North American radical animal liberation movement (RALM) intersect with other radical social movements.  Drawing on collective action framing, I investigate how RALM activists portray diagnostic, prognostic and motivational social movement frames.  The ecofeminist concept of intersectionality is highly influential in RALM frames, depicting common roots of oppression between animals, the earth, and humans, particularly Indigenous peoples, prisoners, and women.  Activist critiques of hierarchy, state power, capitalism and the prison industrial complex reflect anarchistic movement frames.  Despite such broad understandings, some activists express misogynistic and racist views, contributing to the ongoing isolation of the movement.  My research suggests that although some barriers exist, the RALM has the potential to join with other movements to achieve common goals.


title: Li15Si4 Formation in Thin Film Si Negative Electrodes for Li-ion Batteries

contributor:
Department of Chemistry
Master of Science
Mark Stradiotto
Jeff Dahn
Mary Anne White
Mark Obrovac
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
Li-ion
Batteries
Thin Films
Silicon
Si
Negative Electrode
Li15Si4

abstract:
In this work, a better understanding behind, and the implications of Li15Si4
formation in Si containing negative electrodes for rechargeable Li-ion batteries during
electrochemical cycling was sought. Si in the form of thin films, powder, nanoparticles,
recovered film flakes, and films deposited onto compliant layers were fabricated and
studied as negative electrodes in Li half-cells. Through a study of the electrochemical
behaviour of Si thin films, a model for Li15Si4 formation was proposed. The model
hypothesizes that Si under high stress loadings does not form Li15Si4 due to shifting in the
voltage curve caused by stress-potential coupling. Later in the study, the formation of
Li15Si4 was confirmed to have harmful effects on electrochemical cycling. Overall, the
formation of Li15Si4 in Si-based negative electrodes during electrochemical cycling was
shown to have potential as an indicator for poorly attached silicon in an alloy or composite
coating.
A second study in this work investigated the effect of the binder in electrode
coatings on electrochemical performance for rechargeable Li-ion batteries. In this work,
coatings using polyimide binder were found to exhibit the most Li15Si4 suppression and
least capacity fade during electrochemical cycling. Additionally, composite coatings
incorporating polyimide or lithium polyacrylate binder were found to be capable of
maintaining electrical contact to poorly attached silicon during extensive cycling, while
coatings using polyvinylidene difluoride binder showed capacity fade and an inability to
maintain electrical contact to poorly attached Si.
Lastly, the use of compliant conducting layers between the substrate and sputtered
Si film in negative electrodes for Li-ion batteries was investigated. This investigation
sought to attain similar electrochemical behaviour in Si films to that shown in Si powder
based composite coatings when incorporated into Li half-cells. Ultimately, the use of a
compliant layer was shown to allow Si films and a binary Si-Fe thin film to exhibit
significantly more similar electrochemical behaviour to Si powder containing composite
coatings than films deposited directly onto a metallic substrate.


title: The combinatorial algorithm for computing pi(x)

contributor: Department of Mathematics & Statistics - Math Division

subject:
prime counting function
pi(x)

abstract: This thesis describes recent advances in the combinatorial method for computing pi(x), the number of primes less-than or equal-to x. In particular, the memory usage has been reduced by a factor of log x, and modifications for shared- and distributed-memory parallelism have been incorporated. The resulting method computes pi(x) with complexity O(x^(2/3) (log x)^(-2)) in time and O(x^(1/3) (log x)^2) in space. The algorithm has been implemented and used to compute pi(10^n) for 1 <= n <= 26 and pi(2^m) for 1 <= m <= 86. The mathematics presented here is consistent with and builds on that of previous authors.


title: Gastêr, Nêdys, and Thauma: Feminine Sources of Deception and Generation in Hesiod’s Theogony

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

subject:
Hesiod
Theogony
Mêtis
Deception
Generation
Thauma
Muses
Zeus
Mythology
Feminism
Didactic Poetry
Works and Days
Pandora
Poetic Immortality

abstract: Through his characterization of Gaia, Metis, Athena, and Pandora, Hesiod attributes the potential for generation and deception to feminine sources and describes how the masculine characters, such as Ouranos, Kronos, Zeus and Hesiod himself, must overcome and sublimate these feminine sources to establish political and poetic authority in the Theogony. Following the motifs of the stomach (gastêr), womb (nêdys) and wonder (thauma), I show how a fundamental tension in the cultural context of the Greek oikos influences Hesiod’s seminal text of Greek mythological thought. Hesiod uses these myths to raise his status from the station of a shepherd claiming to achieve a divine inspiration, the result of which is the ability to transgress geographical, temporal, and metaphysical boundaries and thus to achieve poetic immortality.


title: The Long-term Pelvic Floor Health Outcomes of Women after Childbirth: The Influence of Labour in the First Pregnancy

contributor: Department of Community Health & Epidemiology

subject:
pelvic floor health outcomes
childbirth
mode of delivery
labour

abstract:
Retrospective cohort study
Database linkage study

abstract:
Introduction: Labour and/or vaginal delivery may have long-term pelvic floor health consequences. The purpose of this study was to estimate the influence of type of labour and pregnancy factors on these outcomes.
Methods: This population-based cohort study used linkage between the Nova Scotia Atlee Perinatal Database (NSAPD), the Medical Services Insurance (MSI) Database and the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) Discharge Abstract Database from 1988 to 2006. Urinary and anal incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse and fistula disorders were compared for women undergoing Caesarean section without labour to women undergoing labour and any method of delivery. Multivariate logistic analyses and time-to-event analyses were performed.
Results: Absolute risks for the selected pelvic floor health outcomes were small (regardless of type of labour in the first pregnancy). Women with one or more deliveries who had no labour in their first pregnancy had reduced risks for all pelvic floor health outcomes except fistula formation, although these finding were dependent on the outcome codes used in the analysis; they were also less likely to develop these outcomes during the study period.
Conclusion: Women undergoing obstetrically indicated caesarean section without labour in their first delivery had reduced risks of important pelvic floor health disorders, even after multiple deliveries. These findings contribute important information for health care providers when counseling women and their families who are weighing the risk of long-term pelvic floor disorders against the benefits of spontaneous vaginal delivery.


title: GAME-BASED SECOND LANGUAGE VOCABULARY TRAINING: IMPLICATIONS FOR LEARNING OUTCOMES AND BRAIN FUNCTION

subject:
EEG
N400
adult second language learning
game-training

abstract: This study sought to investigate the influence of training strategy on adult second language vocabulary learning and the development and integration of second language semantic networks in the brain. English speaking participants completed a 10-day game-based training program (“LANGA”), in which they learned 72 French vocabulary words via two training strategies. Words were either paired directly with their associated meaning (“explicit” strategy) or taught in the form of a three-word sentence (“implicit” strategy). Following training, we observed increased recall and recognition of French vocabulary, as well as a significant N400 effect for mismatched word pairs, although this was limited to explicitly learned words. Images semantically related to learned words produced a reduced N400 compared to mismatched pairs, similar to effects observed native French speakers. Our results attest to the plasticity of adult brains and provide evidence for rapid integration of words into existing semantic networks, in a late learned language.


title: AGE-RELATED WEIGHT LOSS IN THE 5XFAD MOUSE MODEL OF ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE: A BEHAVIOURAL AND HORMONAL ANALYSIS

contributor:
Neuroscience
Master of Science
Gail Eskes
Tara Perrot
Younes Anini
Richard Brown
Received
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
Alzheimer's disease
Ageing
Metabolism

abstract: The 5xFAD mice exhibit weight loss at 9 months of age. We investigated age-related changes in body weight, feeding behaviour, activity levels, feeding-related hormones, and proteins regulating adipogenesis and thermogenesis in female 5xFAD mice and their WT controls. The 5xFAD mice were hypoactive in climbing and rearing (p<0.05), and were frequently still (p<0.05). Differences in food intake and body weight occurred at 9 and 12 months of age, where WT ate and weighed more (p<0.05). The 5xFAD mice had less white adipose tissue (WAT); p<0.05). Expression of leptin mRNA, UCP-2, UCP-1, and HSL were measured in WAT and did not differ between genotypes (p<0.05). Transgenic mice expressed more UCP-1 (p<0.05). At 9 and 12 months of age, the 5xFAD mice ate less, had a lower body weight and were hypoactive. At 12 months of age the 5xFAD mice had less body fat and expressed less leptin, UCP-2, and HSL mRNA.


title: Supporting Novice Multimedia Authoring with An Interactive Task-Viewer

contributor:
Faculty of Computer Science
Doctor of Philosophy
David Mould
Evangelos Milios
Derek Reilly
Tami Meredith
Sageev Oore
Carolyn Watters
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
Human-Computer Interaction
Multimedia authoring systems

abstract:
Many novice users struggle with multimedia authoring (MMA) tasks. MMA tools
often have extensive feature sets and correspondingly complex user interfaces that
impede these users’ creative pursuits. My goal was to provide support for novice
users so they can more effectively utilize MMA systems.

First, I conducted User Study 1 to observe both novice and advanced users, and
from this group of users, I identified approaches that experts often employed but
novices did not. Drawing on an analysis of MMA systems and theory of general
problem-solving, I hypothesised that these approaches were related to what I call
meta-tasks. A meta-task involves the generalized work of both constructing and
maintaining an appropriate representation of a task. Advanced users execute meta-
tasks effectively while novice users find them significantly more difficult. Based on
this assumption that the issues experienced by this set of novice users could largely
be explained by considering meta-tasks, I identified potential challenges underlying
novice difficulties and developed a set of relevant design guidelines to address them.

Next, I followed an iterative approach to design a prototype MMA environment
that is conducive to effectively satisfying the design guidelines. The overall design
process consisted of several cycles of development, evaluation, and refinement. In User
Study 2, I explored and compared different possible design configurations in order to
establish a set of support features. This MMA environment consists of a standard
MMA system together with a new support tool called the Interactive Task-Viewer
(ITV). The ITV allows novice users to view and explore the complex task structure
of MMA effectively.

Finally, I conducted a usability study (User Study 3) to evaluate a prototype of
this new environment. The results revealed that, compared to the traditional MMA
environment, (1) users were able to complete specific MMA tasks faster in this new
environment, (2) users found the new environment easier to use, and (3) the new
environment positively addressed the challenge of meta-task difficulties for novice
users, thus this new environment effectively supported this set of novice users.


title: Mechanisms by which Shigella flexneri impairs dendritic cell function: silencing the link between innate and adaptive immunity

contributor:
Department of Microbiology & Immunology
Master of Science
Dr. Paola Marcato
Dr. Brent Johnston
Dr. Craig McCormick
Dr. Lois Murray
Dr. John Rohde
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
Shigella
Bacteria
Immunity
Microbiology
Bacterial genetics

abstract: Shigella flexneri is a Gram-negative bacterial pathogen that causes severe gastroenteritis in humans. Upon infection, Shigella invades the host colonic epithelium using a type III secretion system (T3SS) that is encoded by a large virulence plasmid. This secretion system injects protein virulence determinants, or “effectors” directly into the host cytosol where they interfere with host function. The innate immune response to Shigella infection has been the subject of intense research. By comparison, little is known about how Shigella affects adaptive immunity. Shigella infection fails to initiate long lasting immunity; therefore, no effective shigellosis vaccine has been developed. Antigen presenting cells, such as the dendritic cell, represent the link between innate and adaptive immune responses and I hypothesize that Shigella impairs dendritic cell function as a means of dampening long term immunity. Little is known about Shigella-dendritic cell interactions therefore the goal of this project was to characterize this relationship with a focus on Shigella’s main virulence factors- the T3SS effectors. After performing an initial screen with our library of single gene deletion mutants I found that many genes on the virulence plasmid play a role in killing dendritic cells. I chose four mutants from the deletion collection screen for further investigation: ΔospF and ΔospI to investigate manipulation of immune signaling in dendritic cells, and ΔmxiD and ΔmxiH to investigate programmed cell death mechanisms. I apply a yeast model system to characterize inhibition of immune signaling by outer Shigella proteins (Osps) and show that targeting of MAPK signaling is evolutionarily conserved. I use a chemical inhibitor to observe caspase reliance in cell death and measure activation of caspase-1 and IL1β among mutant and Wild-type infection conditions. Gaining a thorough understanding of the processes undergone by Shigella and related gastroenteric pathogens to interfere with immune responses paves the road for in vivo studies and targets for rational design in vaccine development against bacillary dysentery.


title: Engaging Ecology Through Architecture: Reconnecting Bedford to its Bay

contributor:
School of Architecture
Master of Architecture
Andrea Kahn
Steve Parcell
Cristina Verissimo
Catherine Venart
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
Architecture
Bedford
Nova Scotia
Urban Ecology
Landscape
Environment
Public

abstract: This thesis studies the relationship between the urban environment and ecosystem and the intersection between ecosystem and architectural project.  While urban sites are commonly understood as separate and unique from their natural settings, this proposal for a hybrid urban ecology defines them as one and the same. The architecture in this proposal acknowledges the natural systems of Bedford Bay, Nova Scotia and facilitates a public interface with this provisional landscape.  Local coastal building strategies are reimagined in this three-phased proposal and represented schematically at the regional scale of the bay and in detail at the Mill River estuary and DeWolf Park.  The architecture is reconceived as landscape, infrastructure, and built-form and serves as a scaffold for the succession of an interdependent urban ecology that supports a public program centered around outdoor recreation.


title: Mechanical Design of a Customizable Self-Expanding Endovascular Stent

contributor:
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Master of Applied Science
Dr. Christopher Lightfoot
Dr. Ya-Jun Pan
Dr. Ted Hubbard
Dr. Darrel Doman
Dr. Clifton Johnston
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject: Design Mechanical Stent Endovascular Aneurysm Engineering

abstract: Stent migration and endoleak are common failure mechanisms for endovascular repair, both of which can be partially attributed to a lack in understanding of the mechanical properties of endovascular stents.  A novel radial extensometer and machine vision system were developed to standardize testing methodology and improve the quality of collected radial force data.  A converged finite element model of the radial extensometer was validated using experimental results for an uncovered 12mm stent.  Torsion, t-bending and s-bending moments are all shown to contribute to stent performance.  A small batch manufacturing process was developed to produce z-stents that are analogous to those fabricated by industry.  A parametric study of stent design parameters showed that a lesser increase in bend diameter was the only characteristic not to be a statistically significant contributor to radial force generation.  Results were used to develop radial force prediction software for the design of patient-specific 14mm stents.


title: Internal Resistance as Termination Indicator during Lead-acid Battery Formation

contributor:
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Master of Applied Science
Dr. Yajun Pan
Dr. Dominic Groulx
Dr. Adam Donaldson
Dr. Lukas Swan
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
Lead-acid batteries
Formation
Internal resistance

abstract: Lead-acid batteries are a reliable, inexpensive energy storage technology used extensively in a wide range of applications. Before selling this technology to customers however, manufacturers must subject the batteries to a time- and energy-intensive charge known as formation. As more capacity is charged into the batteries during formation, more capacity will be available for discharge by the customer. Since the output per unit input has diminishing returns, knowing when best to terminate a formation is of economic importance to manufacturers. In this study, internal battery resistance is introduced as a novel termination indicator. Resistance trends are first measured during a series of laboratory-based formations. The trends are then correlated with formation completeness such that a manufacturer would be able to identify a suitable termination point based on these non-invasive in situ measurements. The method is partially verified for large-scale battery production through additional experimentation in a lead-acid battery manufacturing facility.


title: Computational Investigation into Catalytic Mechanisms of Disease-Causing Enzymes and Biocatalysts

contributor:
Department of Chemistry
Doctor of Philosophy
Dr. Guillaume Lamoureux
Dr. Mark Stradiotto
Dr. Donald Weaver
Dr. Erin Johnson
Dr. Russell Boyd
Dr. Axel Becke
Not Applicable
Yes
Yes

subject:
Computational chemistry
Enzyme
Catalytic Mechanism

abstract:
Computational chemistry, namely the ONIOM method, is used to investigate areas of interest to drug design, including malaria and inflammation, as well as biocatalysts for the hydration of nitrile substrates.

With the risk of malarial resistance reaching catastrophic levels, novel methods into the inhibition of this disease need to be prioritized. The current work uses high performance docking methods to model different substrates binding into the active sites of varying homo sapien and Plasmodium peptidyl-prolyl cis/trans isomerase enzymes and compares their subsequent docking scores. This approach has shown that the substrates ILS-920 and WYE-592 will bind less-favourably with hFKBP12 and PfFKBP35 compared to a competing substrate rapamycin; however, the binding appears to be more favourable in PvFKBP35. This could suggest a possible target for inhibition of the Plasmodium vivax parasite. Alternatively, the exploitation of active site differences between parasitic and human peptidyl-prolyl cis/trans isomerases can be used for suicide inhibition of malaria, effectively poisoning the parasite without affecting the patient. This method of inhibition was explored using Plasmodium falciparum and Homo sapien Fk506-binding proteins as templates for quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics calculations. Modification of the natural substrate has shown suicide inhibition is a valid approach for novel anti-malarials with little risk for parasitic resistance.

Leukotrienes are a family of drug-like molecules involved in the pathobiology of bronchial asthma and are responsible for smooth muscle contraction. Leukotriene C4 synthase is a nuclear-membrane enzyme responsible for the conjugation of leukotriene A4 (LTA4) to glutathione to form LTC4, a cysteinyl leukotriene. The mechanism of LTA4 binding by LTC4S has been computationally examined. Within the present computational methodology the ‘tail-to-head’ orientation appears to be the most likely substrate orientation. The mechanism by which LTB4 is synthesized by LTA4 hydrolase is also studied. The current proposed mechanism is unable to provide realistic Gibbs energy barriers for LTB4 synthesis.

The catalytic mechanisms for nitrile hydratase is explored, involving cysteine-sulfenic acid acting as a nucleophile, activating a water molecule to attack nitrile and isonitrile substrates. For the nitrile substrate, the iminol intermediate undergoes tautomerization to form the amide product. The computed enthalpies are closely related to experimental values, suggesting the current mechanism with two water molecules should be further investigated. For the isonitrile substrate, the first steps offer realistic enthalpy values for enzymatic mechanisms; however, the calculations should be repeated with a second water molecule, as it will likely lower enthalpy barriers further.


title: Cultivating Landscape: A Demonstration Farm in Rouge National Urban Park, Ontario

contributor:
School of Architecture
Master of Architecture
Brian Carter
Steve Parcell
Catherine Venart
Christine Macy
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
architecture
Rouge National Urban Park
demonstration farm
regional systems
agricultural representation
local economy
landscape

abstract: This thesis addresses the role of architecture in the design of large parks, and the role of landscape in the design of architecture.  Given the scale and importance of national parks to identity and imagination, how might their design achieve legibility and enhance experience of place, while simultaneously proposing a new space of public engagement?  Underlying the thesis is a commitment to occupied, productive landscapes, and architecture as an interface between the public, and processes of production.  The study site is the proposed Rouge National Urban Park, located on the eastern edge of the City of Toronto, Ontario; in particular, the design site is the agrarian hamlet of Locust Hill.  At the landscape scale, overlaid regional systems serve as organizing principles of the park.  At the building scale, landscape is actively constructed to host program, and yield produce.  At the human scale, materials engage site history and environmental conditions.


title: Corrosion Behaviour of Alumix 123 P/M Alloy and AA2014-T6 in 3.5wt% NaCl

contributor: Department of Process Engineering and Applied Science

subject:
aluminum alloy
corrosion
electrochemistry
powder metallurgy
crevice corrosion
intermetallics
Alumix 123
AA2014

abstract:
The corrosion behaviour of the commercial aluminum powder metallurgy (P/M) alloy ‘Alumix 123’ and a compositionally similar wrought alloy, AA2014-T6, has been studied in naturally aerated 3.5wt% NaCl electrolyte by a variety of electrochemical methods and the subsequent corrosion morphology characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). The P/M material was sintered in an industrial setting and was studied in the ‘as-sintered’ condition or after a standard sizing operation, denoted by the T1 and T2 temper, respectively. The electrochemical methods employed included open circuit potential (OCP), cathodic potentiodynamic polarization, cyclic potentiodynamic polarization, and potentiostatic polarization.
The OCP of Alumix 123-T1 stabilized at potentials near the onset of hydrogen evolution, where corrosion was partially under anodic control and proceeded via cathodic hydrogen evolution. This is postulated to be due to a reduction in cathode area or depassivation induced by propagating crevice corrosion within residual porosity. In this state, most of the anodic current on Alumix 123-T1 was generated from creviced areas within residual porosity which eventually repassivated when the concentration of anodic reaction products exceeded the solubility limit and precipitation occurred.
The OCP of Alumix 123-T2 stabilized at the pitting potential, where corrosion was predominantely under cathodic control and proceeded via cathodic oxygen reduction. The sizing operation of Alumix 123-T2 reduced the amount of residual porosity through plastic deformation and sealed surface porosity with sizing fluid so that crevice corrosion did not initiate.
In Alumix 123-(T1, T2), pitting was not always associated with copper- and iron-rich intermetallics. This behaviour was attributed to the refractory layer formed on the P/M materials as a result of the sintering process, which retained integrity over these intermetallics. Above the pitting potential of Alumix 123-(T1, T2), crystallographic pitting was scarcely observed and the majority of attack was intergranular in nature.
The OCP of AA2014-T6 stabilized at the pitting potential where corrosion was predominantly under cathodic control and proceeded via cathodic oxygen reduction. In AA2014-T6 pitting was associated with copper- and iron-rich intermetallics. SEM observations of AA2014-T6 suggested that copper is redeposited on copper- and iron-rich intermetallics and that cathodic trenching around iron-rich intermetallics may have liberated copper from the matrix in a non-Faradaic process. Above the pitting potential of AA2014-T6, there was extensive attack by crystallographic pitting and intergranular corrosion.


title: Investigating Disordered Positive Electrode Materials for Lithium-Ion Batteries Using Li(1+x)Ti2xFe(1-3x)O2

subject:
lithium ion
batteries
positive electrode
disordered

abstract:
Typical positive electrode materials for lithium-ion batteries have ordered structures, containing well defined lithium percolation networks through the entire structure.  Another type of structure which has until recently received little attention is the disordered rock-salt structure.  These materials have in the past exhibited poor capacity and cycling performance due to the lack of structure-spanning lithium networks.  Recent theoretical works have modelled the available lithium content in favourable sites for lithium percolation in various disordered structures.
This work compared the recent model to experimental results obtained from structural and electrochemical studies on Li(1+x)Ti2xFe(1-3x)O2 (0.00 ≤ x ≤ 0.28) with various degrees of disorder, synthesised using solid state synthesis methods.  Charge-discharge cycling studies of coin cells were used to confirm the model as well as to explore various cycling conditions and electrochemical mechanisms responsible for trends in performance.  x-ray diffraction was used to characterize structural parameters and the degree of disorder at various temperatures and compositions. Fe and Ti K-edge x-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) of pristine materials and oxygen K-edge XAS of cycled electrodes were used to analyze structural trends and electrochemical processes such as oxygen charge compensation.


title: Non-Euclidean Eye Problems in the Geometry Lesson of Finnegans Wake

contributor:
Department of English
Master of Arts
Lyn Bennett
Anthony Enns
Julia Wright
Leonard Diepeveen
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
Joyce, James
Einstein, Albert
Geometry, Non-Euclidean
Science and Literature

abstract: I demonstrate the existence of a correlation between references to physicists and references to eye problems in the geometry lesson in Book II, Chapter 2 of James Joyce’s Finnegans Wake. Specifically, the sequence of physicists proceeds from Newton to Einstein following a diagram of Euclid’s first proposition, and parallels the conflict of the brothers Dolph and Kev as they struggle to understand the diagram and reconcile their duality. In light of the importance of Euclid and Einstein elsewhere in Joyce’s work, and the significance of eye problems in Joyce’s own life, I argue for a metatextual reading of the geometry lesson, in which Joyce uses eye problems as a metaphor for the difficulty of apprehending both non-Euclidean geometry and the linguistic texture of Finnegans Wake itself.


title: Characterization of anti-inflammatory, anti-Streptococcus pyogenes and anti-biofilm activities of summer savory phytochemicals

contributor:
Faculty of Agriculture
Master of Science
John Rohde
Dian Patterson
Lisbeth Truelstrup Hansen
Vasantha Rupasinghe
Received
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
Summer savory phytochemicals
Streptococcus pyogenes
Inflammation
Biofilm

abstract: Streptococcus pyogenes is a common cause of sore throat that requires clinical intervention. Antibiotics and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are often prescribed to inhibit the growth of bacteria and relieve pain, respectively. However, the side effects of using those drugs have been reported, thus, alternative treatments are required. Summer savory (Satureja hortensis L.) has been used as a traditional medicinal herb. In this study, fifteen summer savory phytochemicals including polyphenols, isoprenoids, and extracts were investigated for anti-inflammatory, anti-S. pyogenes and anti-biofilm properties. Rosmarinic acid and apigenin were the major phytochemicals in the ethanol extract. The ethanol extract from leaves, apigenin and carvacrol, and essential oil from whole plant showed the greatest anti-inflammatory activities in vitro in THP-1 differentiated macrophages and human tonsil epithelial cells (HTonEpiC). The above preparations and phytochemicals also exhibited strong anti-S. pyogenes activity towards three strains of S. pyogenes.


title: Evaluation of Lysozyme Product (InovapureTM) as a Sanitizer for Broiler Hatching Eggs

contributor:
Faculty of Agriculture
Master of Science
Nancy McLean
Dian Petterson
Bruce Rathgeber
Derek Anderson
Received
No
No

subject:
Lysozyme
Egg sanitation
Hatching performance
Growth performance

abstract: Hatching egg sanitation is a practice to achieve successful production in the commercial hatchery. Trials were conducted to investigate the effectiveness of EDTA modified lysozyme against E. coli penetrating eggshells and its effects on hatching performance and growth performance. In trial one, floor-collected eggs were fumigated with five levels of lysozyme for two exposure times. In trial two, cage-collected eggs were inoculated with E. coli then sanitized. In trial one, 2.25% and 3.00% lysozyme solution reduced the penetration of E. coli into eggs without affecting hatching performance and growth performance. In trial two, 3.00% lysozyme demonstrated activity against E. coli on eggshells, and provided continuous bactericidal action to prevent E. coli penetration. The application of lysozyme decreased the presence of E. coli in yolk sac of newly hatched chicks. 1.50% lysozyme solution improved hatch weight without affecting growth performance. Lysozyme can be an effective and safe sanitizer for hatching eggs.


title: Predicting Political Donations Using Data Driven Lifestyle Profiles Generated from Character N-Gram Analysis of Heterogeneous Online Sources

contributor:
Faculty of Computer Science
Master of Electronic Commerce
Dr. Evangelos Milios
Dr. Peter Bodorik
Dr. C. Edward Leach
Dr. Vlado Keselj
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
psychographic
market segmentation
twitter
data mining
text mining
machine learning
political science

abstract: This paper describes an approach for generating multi-dimensional Activities, Interests, and Opinions (AIO) insights from disparate web sources. The method involves identifying psychographic profiles using text analysis of social media data. The approach is tested on tweets from 438 Twitter profiles, 219 of which are integrated with filing records from the United States Federal Election Commission, 219 others were used for control. Profiles were matched using demographic criteria and analyzed using political parties and donation values as labels. Standard probabilistic, entropy and kernel based approaches are used to make predictions based on word n-grams, while the CNG technique is explored as an alternative. Using CNG two predictive models were created that were able to exceed benchmarks extracted from the literature. Using these models, we are able to demonstrate a method for generating qualitative psychographic profiles, which can in turn be used to label customers for marketing insight.


title: Housing as a Determinant of Health for Young Mothers in Rural Nova Scotia

contributor:
School of Health & Human Performance
Master of Arts
Fiona Martin
Lynne Robinson
Jean Hughes
Lois Jackson
Jacqueline Gahagan
Received
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
housing policies
young mothers
rural
intersectionality
social assistance

abstract: Housing is a fundamental human right. In Nova Scotia, affordable housing options are very limited, particularly in rural areas. Therefore, many Nova Scotians are not accessing acceptable housing. This has negative health implications. The guiding research question for this thesis was whether current Nova Scotian housing policies are meeting the needs of young mothers receiving social assistance and residing in a rural community.  A total of eleven semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with young mothers, service providers, and policy decision-makers. Resulting themes include: the disconnect between policies and young mothers’ lives, the lack of rural consideration of policies and the importance of social support networks in the fulfillment of young mothers’ needs. The current housing and social assistance policies are not meeting the needs of young mothers, as they often lack considerations related to rural context. The acceptable housing definition requires revision, as young mothers’ opinions and specific needs such as location and feelings of safety are neglected.


title: REEFS, POINTS AND PERCEPTIONS: AN ARCHITECTURAL CATALOGUE OF COASTAL STRATEGIES AND A DESIGN PROPOSAL FOR LAWRENCETOWN BEACH, NOVA SCOTIA

contributor:
Faculty of Architecture
Master of Architecture
Brian Carter
Steve Parcell
Roger Mullin
Steve Parcell
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
Architecture
Lawrencetown Beach
Surfing
Coastal Architecture

abstract:
This thesis proposes coastal architecture interventions in Nova Scotia by focussing on the forces and elements that exist in unique combinations at the coast. Using surfing as a source of inspiration, these interventions mediate the relationship between natural world and the built environment.
The combination of this proposed catalogue and in-depth site analysis results in design proposals for Lawrencetown, Nova Scotia. These proposals both capitalize on opportunities and address problems specific to coastal building.


title: The Language of Selling Ethnicity: Satirizing the Commodification of Culture, Theatre, and Identity in the Ali & Ali Plays

contributor:
Department of English
Master of Arts
Carrie Dawson
Carrie Dawson
Dean Irvine
Roberta Barker
Lyn Bennett
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
Canadian literature
Verdecchia, Guillermo
Youssef, Marcus
Chai, Camyar

abstract: If the exoticization of non-mainstream ethnic groups through the deployment of language and stereotypes is a pervasive, and successful, marketing strategy in today’s Western media, then critical, deconstructive play with such language and stereotypes can act as a powerful tool for critiquing contemporary North American discourses surrounding race and culture. This thesis examines how Marcus Youssef, Guillermo Verdecchia, and Camyar Chai use satire and irony to take up this project in their collaboratively-written play The Adventures of Ali & Ali and the aXes of Evil and its sequel Ali & Ali: The Deportation Hearings. The eponymous characters Ali and Ali attempt to sell their plays to their audiences by embracing and manipulating linguistic stereotypes associated with ethnic “others.” This thesis explores these plays as reflections on language as a tool for strategic self-exoticization, while also examining their implication of theatre, playwright, and audience member in the commodification of “otherness.”


title: Writing to Women: Aemilia Lanyer and the Rhetoric of Equality

contributor:
Department of English
Master of Arts
Lyn Bennett
Lyn Bennett
Christina Luckyj
John Baxter
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
women's writing
early modern poetry
history of publishing
early modern class relations
Lanyer
Salve Deus Rex Judaeorum
devotional writing
early modern rhetoric
Erasmus

abstract: Over the course of the last few decades, much has been written on the subject of Aemilia Lanyer’s relationship to the all-female dedicatees of her major 1611 publication, Salve Deus Rex Judaeorum. While some critics read Lanyer’s decision to direct her appeals for patronage solely toward members of her own gender as a conscious attempt to establish a female literary community, others contend that Lanyer’s clear awareness of the differences in social status between herself and her dedicatees ought to forestall hasty pronouncements regarding her promotion of “sisterhood.” However, by examining the dedicatory epistles appended to Salve Deus in the context of early modern letter-writing culture and the epistolary theory of Desiderius Erasmus, the following thesis aims to dissolve this artificial dichotomy – arguing that Lanyer’s work neither blithely ignores nor absolutely embraces class antagonism but, rather, encourages dialogue between women from a variety of social backgrounds.


title: Modelling the Movement of Marine Particles in Discrete Time and Space with Application to Scotian Shelf Connectivity

contributor:
Department of Oceanography
Master of Science
Dr. Brad deYoung
Dr. Dan Kelly
Dr. Harold Ritchie
Dr. Youyu Lu
Dr. Keith Thompson
Dr. Haibo Niu
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
Marine particle tracking
Scotian Shelf
Discrete Time
Discrete Space

abstract: The complexity of ocean circulation makes it difficult to predict both the origin and destination of objects transported by ocean currents.  Many practical applications (e.g., planning marine search and rescue operations, predicting the year class success of important fisheries, and responding to threats posed by oil spills and mines) require a Lagrangian approach to the modelling of fluid movement. Similarly, many scientific applications (e.g.,  understanding the connections between the spawning and nursery areas of marine organisms, estimating the residence time of deep ocean basins and the exchange between them) are sometimes tackled more effectively using a Lagrangian approach.  One way of estimating where objects come from, and where they go, is based on integrating a stochastic differential equation for particle position. In this thesis, the effectiveness of two such methods are explored: one based on discretization in time (the conventional approach) and another based on discretization in space. The ability of the methods to deal with both Lagrangian chaos (evident in time varying flows without diffusion) and spatial gradients in diffusivity (leading to false aggregation of particles), is discussed using simple, idealized examples. The discrete-space method is then applied and evaluated for the Scotian Shelf-Gulf of Maine system using flow fields predicted by an ocean circulation model with a  horizontal grid spacing of about 2 km. Positively and neutrally buoyant particles are tracked in both two and three dimensions.  Connectivity between deep basins, and the shelf break, is quantified for the study area and the ability of the discrete space tracking scheme to predict the observed movement of near surface drifters is assessed.


title: The Relationship Between Body Composition and Lung Function, and the Effect of Physical Fitness

contributor: Department of Community Health & Epidemiology

subject:
Body Composition
Lung Function
Physical Fitness

abstract:
Body composition is a potential modifiable risk factor for decreased lung function. It is therefore useful to understand this association. A single study examined this relationship while considering physical fitness/activity as possible confounders, but the results were not widely generalizable.
 Cycles 1 and 2 of the Canadian Health Measures Survey were used to address the following objectives:
 1. Examining the association between anthropometric measures and lung function in Canadians over age 40.
 2. Determining if that association is influenced by physical fitness/activity.
 Anthropometric measures were stronger predictors of FVC than FEV1. Physical fitness and physical activity were confounders of the relationship of interest. The results of the current study add support to the literature stating that BMI is not the best anthropometric predictor of lung function, as well as indicate that physical fitness and activity should be taken into consideration as potential confounders of the relationship of interest.


title: Broadcasting the Sentimental: Edna St. Vincent Millay and the Celebrity of Early Radio

contributor:
Department of English
Master of Arts
Evelyn Bennet
Anthony Enns
David Evans
Leonard Diepeveen
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
Edna St. Vincent Millay
Radio Broadcasting
Literary Modernism

abstract: This paper treats Edna St. Vincent Millay’s relationship with early radio, particularly the eight week segment she did for NBC in the winter of 1932-33. One of the most culturally ubiquitous and celebrated literary figures of the interwar period, Millay has, since about 1950, been largely dismissed from serious literary discussion for being a too-accessible and “sentimental” poet. She was not a High Modernist. She did, however, appropriate the authority of the new broadcast medium for her own ends and needs to be studied for her cultural impact as well as for her canonical (or anti-canonical) reputation. Millay’s broadcasts represent one of the clearest and most successful examples of literary self-promotion in a career which influenced a next generation of female poets and which may have contributed to a shifting understanding of poetic “voice” in the twentieth century.


title: INTEGRATION OF LEGACY APPLIANCES INTO THE SMART HOME

contributor: Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering

subject:
Smart Home
Legacy Appliances

abstract:
Reducing greenhouse-gas emissions and improving energy security are two energy related challenges the world faces. Renewable energy such as wind and solar appears to be encouraging in solving these issues due to their clean and environmentally sustainable character. The problem with such renewable energy source is that it is variable in nature and most users expect a continuous supply of electricity. As a result, an advanced and intelligent electricity grid is required that can handle this variable nature in order to satisfy environmental concerns for the continued growth of the renewable energy sources, by changing over to a smart grid. By adjusting or controlling the load via load management process, the smart grid can enhance the growth of renewables as well as maintaining the reliability of the electricity grid.
Due to variable nature of renewables, smart grids requires smart home where the load management coordination can be done by a smart-home controller managing the power consumption of appliances based upon the information from the appliances and the grid. Smart homes considers its appliances to be smart which possess communication and processing capabilities to broadcast information about themselves and despite such advantages of smart appliances, there is nothing to stop someone from “plugging-in” a non-smart legacy appliance into the smart home system having none of these features. This results in a dilemma: the user wants to use the legacy appliance but the smart home controller is unable to control it.
This thesis discusses some of the issues surrounding the integration of legacy appliances into a smart home system and elaborates the requirements and components which are necessary to realize such a design so that legacy appliances operate in a smart home.


title: Dissecting Race: An Examination of Anatomical Illustration and the Absence of Non-White Bodies

contributor:
Department of Philosophy
Master of Arts
Dr. Michael Hymers
Dr. Letitia Meynell
Dr. Duncan MacIntosh
Dr. Chike Jeffers
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
anatomical illustration
race
visual representation
Functional Anatomy
Forensic Pathology
Forensic Anthropology

abstract: This thesis is an examination of representations of non-white bodies in the anatomical illustrations used in biomedical pedagogical literature. Particular attention has been paid in recent years to the lack of female representation in anatomical texts and atlases but very little has been said about the distinct lack of non-white bodies in the same pages. The anatomical atlases and texts that support biomedical pedagogy purport to use a representative ‘universalized’ human body that de-emphasizes variation for the purposes of teaching. A survey of anatomical literature indicates that the ‘universalized’ human is in all actuality consistently rendered as a Caucasian male. Using ideas drawn from visual representation theory, I will analyse the manner in which the Caucacentric ‘universal’ human was created and how it has been used and continues to be used in anatomical atlases and texts to position the Caucasian male as hierarchically superior to all Other bodies.


title: A New Water Infrastructure Paradigm for the Arid City of Kerman, Iran

contributor:
School of Architecture
Master of Architecture
Andrea Kahn
Steve Parcell
Steve Parcell
Gordon McOuat
Christine Macy
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
Water
Infrastructure
Arid
Landscape
Morphology
Kerman
Iran
Qanat
Persian
Traditional
Modern
Aquifer
Water Depletion
Pump Wells
Ecological Engineering
Shahdad
Jupar
Agriculture
Water scarcity
Rural
Vernacular
Groundwater
Mahan
Hydraulic structures
Wastewater
Freshwater

abstract: This thesis investigates ancient methods of water storage, delivery, access and treatment that have formed the basis of traditional Persian settlements and culture. These methods are contrasted with modern techniques and technologies, imported and adopted to the Iranian landscape throughout the twentieth century. The logic and cultural impact of modern water infrastructure is questioned as it relates to natural landscape processes and architecture in the city of Kerman, located in the central Iranian Plateau. Through the lens of traditional means and methods developed over several millennia, modern water infrastructure is questioned for its continuity, engagement and future viability. Water problems found in Kerman can be generalized to other arid cities as the patterns of use and development are similar. The research and design address the issues of aquifer depletion and pollution, social engagement with water, de-abstraction of water, de-centralized treatment, and appropriate climatic use of forms and materials.


title: Development of vascular smooth muscle cell models for investigating the role of CMKLR1/chemerin signalling in atherosclerosis

contributor:
College of Pharmacy
Master of Science
Dr. David Jakeman
Dr. Roger McLeod
Dr. Tannis Jurgens
Dr. Chris Sinal
Dr. Kerry Goralski
Received
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
Chemerin
Atherosclerosis
Vascular Smooth Muscle Cell (VSMC)

abstract: Chemerin is a fat tissue-secreted protein that activates cellular processes though chemokine-like receptor 1 (CMKLR1) signalling. Serum chemerin is positively correlated to atherosclerosis severity, however the functional role of chemerin in atherosclerosis remains unknown. The study goal was to assess the role of chemerin/CMKLR1 signalling in human and mouse vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) migration and proliferation (important stages of atherosclerotic plaque formation). A protocol for differentiating human adipose-derived stem cells into SMCs was investigated. Morphological VSMC-characteristics were observed, as was chemerin and CMKLR1 expression, however further VSMC phenotype confirmation is required. Therefore, a second approach used primary aortic mouse VSMCs from CMKLR1-expressing and CMKLR1-deficient mice. Mouse VSMCs expressed chemerin and CMKLR1, and secreted low levels of chemerin. Low chemerin concentrations enhanced VSMC migration via CMKLR1 signalling and high concentrations inhibited migration via a CMKLR1-independent mechanism. This data suggests the involvement of chemerin/CMKLR1 signalling in atherogenic VSMC processes.


title: The association of non-core foods on academic performance among grade five students in Nova Scotia.

contributor:
School of Health & Human Performance
Master of Science
Dr. Matt Durant
Lynne Robinson
Dr. Melanie Keats
Dr. Paul Veugelers
Dr. Sara Kirk
Received
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject: non-core food

abstract:
This study examines the association between non-core food intake and academic performance among children.

Grade five students in Nova Scotia were surveyed as part of the Children’s Lifestyle and School-Performance Study (CLASS II).  Regression methods were used to examine the association between non-core food intake and academic performance while adjusting for confounding variables.

Students who had higher intakes of non-core food were more likely to perform poorly in reading, writing, and mathematics.  However, this association was negated when core food consumption was adjusted for.  Core food consumption had a positive association with academic performance that remained significant after mutually adjusting for all variables.

Even though there was a negative association between non-core food and academic performance, the influence did not remain significant after core food consumption was accounted for.  Therefore, these results highlight the importance for children’s diets to be high in core food in order to support learning.


title: Cultural Competence in Mental Health Services: Learning from Client Experiences

contributor:
School of Social Work
Master of Social Work
Dr. Adele Vukic
Cassandra Hanrahan
Dr. Judy MacDonald
Dr. Wanda Thomas Bernard
Received
No
No

subject:
Cultural competence
Anti-Oppressive Practice
Mental health
Mental health services
Client experiences
Client perspectives
Marginalized
Vancouver
Social determinants of health
Social work
Culturally competent
Cultural sensitivity

abstract:
Despite the introduction of cultural competence models in mental health services, individuals from marginalized backgrounds with severe mental health (dis)Abilities continue to face health and mental health inequities attributable to the social determinants of health. Through an anti-oppressive practice lens, this qualitative study explored clients’ experiences with cultural competence in mental health services in Vancouver and the implications of these experiences on the development of such services.

The study finds that understandings and experiences of cultural competence differ across contexts. The subsequent interventions taken and resulting outcomes are influenced by these varying definitions and are also constrained by the sociopolitical context. The study findings identify considerations for cultural competence in mental health policy and services, as well as anti-oppressive social work practice. The intersectionality of clients’ social categories are intricate and complex, and the personal stories shared here are a reflection of clients’ strength, resistance, and resilience.


title: EXPLORING CONSUMERS’ USE OF INGREDIENT INFORMATION  IN THE FOOD CHOICE PROCESS

contributor: Master of Library and Information Studies

subject:
Information Seeking Behaviour
Nutrition Information
List of Ingredients
Food Label
User Studies

abstract: Food labelling is designed to help consumers make better food choices. Understanding how this information is used becomes increasingly important as relationships between diet and diseases are recognized. Research on food label use has left the list of ingredients under-explored, despite its identification as an important component of the food label. As an internal cognitive process, information use during food choices is difficult to measure without influencing behaviour. To gain insight into this phenomenon, a qualitative methodology examining cognitive and behavioural aspects of food choices was incorporated into a mixed-method approach. A survey measured self-reported nutrition behaviours of 518 Dalhousie students. A screening tool identified surveyed volunteers likely to use ingredient information, 11 of which completed a simulated shopping task that produced rich qualitative data. A theoretical approach to thematic analysis revealed that participants focused on avoidance of negatives when making food choices, employing various strategies to accomplish this goal.


title: Procuring a Victory at Home: Halifax Women Respond to the Butter Ration, 1939-1946

contributor:
Department of History
Master of Arts
Peter Twohig
Shirley Tillotson
Jerry Bannister
Shirley Tillotson
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

abstract:
This thesis explores the ways in which women both complied with and resisted government intervention in the form of the Wartime Prices and Trade Board’s ration regulations. By examining a number of different sources, and the ways in which Canadian women responded to ration policy, I demonstrate that women in Halifax both reinforced and challenged notions of middle-class womanhood and citizenship as a result of their compliance with and resistance to government involvement. I also focus on the rationing of butter, an important part of people’s diets, in order to demonstrate how women responded to rationing overall.
During World War Two, thousands of women volunteered in local organizations. This thesis begins by examining a number of voluntary associations in Halifax. Women’s voluntary organizations set their own agenda in addressing issues specific to Halifax; however, they also collaborated with the government to assist the war effort. Another aspect of compliance is explored in the succeeding chapter. In response to rationing, women adhered to government intervention by employing thrift in their cooking, stretching recipes, and finding alternatives to common ingredients. Through this deference to state policy, women allowed the federal government, newspapers, and other media outlets to make the rather private realm of family nutrition public. The final chapter of this thesis shifts away from examining compliance and focuses on aspects of resistance. When it comes to ration policy, fewer women were caught violating ration regulations than men. The Enforcement Branch of the Wartime Prices and Trade Board as well as the policing of women’s behaviour by society made it difficult for Halifax women to cheat rationing. Based on evidence found within the Branch’s records it is likely that women were policing the behaviour of retailers as well.


title: REIMAGINING MI'KMAQ-STATE RELATIONS: FACING COLONIALISM AT THE MI'KMAQ-NOVA SCOTIA-CANADA TRIPARTITE FORUM

contributor: Department of Sociology & Social Anthropology

subject:
Social Anthropology
Indigenous-settler relations
Mi'kmaq
Indigenous Anthropology

abstract: To date, the literature on Canadian Indigenous-state relations has paid little attention to more localized, informal approaches to dispute resolution. Through ethnographic research on the Mi’kmaq-Nova Scotia-Canada Tripartite Forum, my thesis explores past and current Tripartite Forum members’ perspectives on how it has impacted relations between the Mi’kmaq and federal and provincial governments. I argue that, on the surface, the Tripartite Forum occupies a critical role in ensuring that government policies better meet the needs of Mi’kmaw communities. At the same time, Tripartite Forum members are required to confront a legacy of colonialism that, for the Mi’kmaq, cannot be solved through the creation of culturally relevant programs and services alone. That often reproduces the very colonizing power relations that the Tripartite Forum is meant to undo. By contrast, Mi’kmaw members of the Tripartite Forum envision a relationship based on the values of equality and sharing that are contained within the peace and friendship treaties signed by their ancestors. Improving relations between Mi’kmaw communities and the Canadian and Nova Scotian States will ultimately require a significant reordering of power beyond the current mandate of the Forum.


title: BARRIERS AND FACILITATORS TO PRESCRIBED EXERCISE ADHERENCE IN CHIROPRACTIC PATIENTS WITH NON-SPECIFIC CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN: A FOCUSED ETHNOGRAPHY

contributor:
School of Physiotherapy
Master of Science
Dr. Susan Hutchinson
Dr. Shaun Boe
Dr. Emma Whelan
Dr. Anne Fenety
Dr. Katherine Harman
Received
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
Exercise
Low Back Pain
Chiropractic
Chronic
Adherence

abstract:
Background: Non-specific chronic low back pain (NS-CLBP) is an increasing global
burden. Chiropractors see a significant proportion of the NS-CLBP population,
commonly prescribing exercise as a treatment. Exercise is one of the few interventions for
NS-CLBP that has been demonstrated to reduce pain and improve function. However,
patient adherence to prescribed exercise is poor.
Aim: An exploration of chiropractors’ and patients’ experiences and beliefs regarding the
barriers and facilitators to prescribed exercise adherence was undertaken to help inform
future exercise prescription.
Methods: A focused ethnographic approach was taken, involving semi-structured
interviews with six chiropractors who frequently prescribe exercise and six NS-CLBP
patients who are currently under chiropractic care and have been prescribed exercise.
Results: Identified barriers and facilitators revolved around: Exercise Delivery, the
Practitioner-Patient Relationship, Attributions and Expectations, and Pain.
Conclusion: Prescribed exercise adherence is impacted by the complex patient-practitioner
relationship, with most barriers and facilitators appearing to be modifiable.


title: Management of Hawkeed (Hieracium spp.) in wild blueberry fields on Prince Edward Island

contributor:
Faculty of Agriculture
Master of Science
Dr. Yarborough
Dr. Dian Patterson
Dr. Gordon Brewster
Dr. Randall Olson
Dr. Nathan Boyd
Dr. Raj Lada
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
No

subject:
lowbush
hawkweeds
herbicides
Prince Edward Island
Blueberries

abstract: Hawkweeds (Hieracium spp.) are a persistent problem in lowbush blueberry fields on Prince Edward Island (PEI). In 2011 and 2012, experiments were conducted on PEI on the weed phenology, herbicide trials and the best time to spray to achieve maximum results. Two hawkweed species, H. pilosella and H. caespitosum were identified. H. caespitosum was the most common hawkweed species. The only herbicide which gave short term suppression on H. pilosella in 2011 was hexazinone (Velpar) applied at 1920g a.i/ha sprayed in the spring. A fall application of dicamba (Banvel) sprayed at 1104g a.i/ha or an application of clopyralid (lontrel) applied at 151.2 g a.i/ha effectively managed H. caespitosum over the season and the most effective control was obtained when applications were made in the bolting stage.


title: PROCESS TIMES IN PRIMARY PERCUTANEOUS CORONARY INTERVENTION: WHERE DOES THE TIME GO?

subject:
STEMI
Cardiac
Process Times

abstract: ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is a medical emergency and the treatment of choice, if available in a timely manner, is primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI). It is in the best interest of the patient to receive this treatment as soon as possible to reduce ischemic injury to the heart. Using routinely recorded data from the Nova Scotia Health Authority on patients who receive PPCI between 2012-2014 we determined which components of the process contributed the most to total ischemic time. We determined that the majority of time and variation seen in total ischemic time was before the patient arrives at the hospital. Very little variation in process times were found once the patient arrives at the hospital.  We also determined that sex is associated with longer total ischemic times after adjustment for cardiac history and process variables. The emphasis of future research should be reducing patients’ decision time to seek medical care for acute coronary syndrome as hospital delay in our system was found to be minimal when considering the larger picture.


title: Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour of a Group of Adults from Rural Nova Scotia

contributor:
School of Health & Human Performance
Master of Science
Dr. Daniel Rainham
Dr. Lynne Robinson
Dr. Chris Blanchard
Dr. Melanie Keats
Dr. Dale Esliger
Dr. Jo Welch
Received
No
No

subject:
physical activity
rural health
rural physical activity
sedentary behaviour
rural sedentary behaviour

abstract:
The influence of rural environments on physical activity and sedentary behaviours are not well known.
This was a cross-sectional pilot study of 58 participants aged 18-64 years who lived in Lunenburg County, NS.  7-day accelerometer data was measured to determine prevalence of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and sedentary behaviour along with their relationship with each other, sex, age and household income. Within the sample, 21% met the recommended 150 minutes of MVPA per week in bouts of >10 minutes.  An average of 56% of awake time was spent in sedentary behaviour.  There was a significant difference in total MVPA based on household income (p=0.009) but no other differences were found.  While this small sample does not allow for generalizability to the larger rural population, it does provide insight into the current state of these health-related behaviours, providing a springboard into future research on adult rural physical activity and sedentary behaviours.


title: Algebraic and Logical Methods in Quantum Computation

contributor: Department of Mathematics & Statistics - Math Division

subject:
Quantum Computation
Quantum circuit synthesis
Clifford+T
Clifford+V
Quipper

abstract:
This thesis contains contributions to the theory of quantum computation.

We first define a new method to efficiently approximate special unitary operators.
Specifically, given a special unitary U and a precision ε > 0, we show how to efficiently
find a sequence of Clifford+V or Clifford+T operators whose product approximates
U up to ε in the operator norm. In the general case, the length of the approximating
sequence is asymptotically optimal. If the unitary to approximate is diagonal then
our method is optimal: it yields the shortest sequence approximating U up to ε.

Next, we introduce a mathematical formalization of a fragment of the Quipper
quantum programming language. We define a typed lambda calculus called Proto-
Quipper which formalizes a restricted but expressive fragment of Quipper. The type
system of Proto-Quipper is based on intuitionistic linear logic and prohibits the duplication
of quantum data, in accordance with the no-cloning property of quantum
computation. We prove that Proto-Quipper is type-safe in the sense that it enjoys
the subject reduction and progress properties.


title: Resolutions of Monomial Ideals Via Quasi-Trees

subject:
resolution
Quasi-tree
Monomial Ideal

abstract:
We examine ways in which simplicial complexes can be used for describing, classifying,
and studying multigraded free resolutions of monomial ideals. By using homgenizations
of frames and dehomogenizations of resolutions we can, under appropriate circumstances,
describe the structure of a resolution of a monomial ideal by a simiplicial complex. We
discuss the successes and failures of this approach. We finish by applying the tools we
have presented to quasi-trees, providing a new proof to a theorem of Herzog, Hibi, and
Zheng which classifies monomial ideals with minimal projective dimension.


title: FINDING STRUCTURE IN THE PHYLOGENY SEARCH SPACE

contributor:
Faculty of Computer Science
Master of Computer Science
Evangelos E. Milios
Dirk Arnold
Robert Beiko
Christian Blouin
Norbert Zeh
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject: Phylogeny Search Space

subject: Algorithms

subject: Phylogeny Inference

subject: Phylogeny

subject: Characterizing the Phylogenetic Tree-Search Space

subject: Phylogenetic Tree-Space

abstract: A phylogenetic tree is a graphical representation of inferred evolutionary relationships between a set of species or taxa. Phylogenetic trees play an important role in diverse research  fields, including molecular biology, ecology, and physiology. Inferring the optimal phylogenetic tree using the maximum likelihood optimality criterion (a popular optimality criterion for phylogenies), is an NP-hard problem. Therefore, use of heuristics and optimization algorithms is necessary to solve this problem. Here, I offer some insights into the structure of the phylogeny search space by analysing novel ruggedness measures. I use a variety of nine-taxon and larger datasets as well as Subtree Prune and Regraft (SPR) and Nearest Neighbour Interchange (NNI) tree rearrangements to characterize and capture the ruggedness of the resulting phylogeny search spaces. Finally, inspired by my analysis of the structure of phylogeny search space, I propose two randomized algorithms to  find the optimal tree in the phylogeny search space.


title: READINESS FOR ENSURING SAFE DRINKING WATER IN SMALL COMMUNITY SYSTEMS

contributor:
Interdisciplinary PhD Programme
Interdisciplinary PhD
Leila Harris
William Barker
Peter Duinker
William Lahey
Graham Gagnon
Heather Castleden
Received
Yes
Yes

subject:
drinking water
community readiness
qualitative research
governance
small communities

abstract:
All communities face challenges with respect to making water safe to drink and ensuring that it reaches consumers without decreasing in quality, yet these challenges are often amplified in small communities (<5,000 pop.). Best practices established by the World Health Organization emphasize proactive risk management in a water supply, guided by a Water Safety Plan (WSP) framework. While WSP-style management presents a more robust approach for managing risk in a water supply, uptake is often contingent on community capacity. New water policies can highlight gaps between the capacity to develop policies for ensuring safe drinking water, and the capacity of some communities to comply with these policies. Small communities in particular may require additional support to implement and maintain certain water policies such as WSPs effectively, and over the long term. The focus of this research is to understand how to best support these small communities.

This dissertation addresses a unique gap in WSP literature by considering community readiness for change as a potential barrier to policy uptake, implementation and maintenance. Community readiness considers a range of factors or ‘dimensions’ within a community that may support or hinder uptake of a new program or concept. There are four phases to this research: (1) a literature review to understand global experiences in implementing a WSP-style framework; (2) an investigation of seven small communities across Canada to understand experiences of upgrading a drinking water supply; (3) the validation of a modified community readiness assessment tool for use in the water policy – small community context; and (4) a baseline assessment of readiness in eight small communities in Alberta. By examining challenges associated with water policy uptake through a readiness lens, this research highlights a number of underlying socio-political factors that may significantly impede the trajectory of otherwise effective water management policies. A community readiness lens provides a practicable approach for addressing these socio-political factors, and may help better prepare communities for change. A community readiness approach shows potential as both a community pre-screening tool or as standard procedure during policy implementation.


title: "Generally Fitt to be Trusted": Social Networks and the Moral Economies of Sugar Plantations in Early Anglo-Jamaica

contributor:
Department of History
Master of Arts
Dr. Shirley Tillotson
Dr. Jerry Bannister
Dr. John E. Crowley
Dr. Justin Roberts
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
Atlantic history
seventeenth century
Jamaica
economy of obligation
sugar plantations

abstract: This thesis argues that white residents in seventeenth-century Jamaica circulated within an economy of obligation, or an economic culture in which character, reputation and trust were vital, particularly as it related to financial credit. Much like their contemporaries in England, Anglo-Jamaicans were keenly interested in the integrity of obligations they undertook with individuals in England and in Jamaica. Anglo-Jamaicans also integrated new institutions, like African-based labour systems, into their own understandings of character. This thesis focuses on the social networks, or the social and economic ties between individuals, that ran through Bybrook. Bybrook was an early example of a sugar plantation in Jamaica and was owned by the Helyar family between 1669 and 1713. The research is based on the Helyar manuscripts, a set of private letters, account books and other miscellaneous documents written during their ownership of the plantation.


title: 3D Modelling of a tidal turbine - A numerical investigation of wake phenomena

contributor:
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Master of Applied Science
Dr. Jan Haelssig
Dr. Ya-Jun Pan
Dr. Sue Molloy
Dr. Dominic Groulx
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject: CFD Tidal Wake

abstract:
A three-dimensional CFD model of a tidal turbine was successfully created. The effect of
physical parameters, such as twist axis location and blade trailing edge roundness, were
discussed. These were found to have a significant impact on the turbine performance. A
mesh convergence study was performed to ensure that wake physics is properly resolved.
Likewise, a domain length study ensured a full wake recovery. Model validation was
completed wherein the turbine performance was compared to experimental data. The
impact of blockage was investigated by increasing the cross-sectional domain size. This
exhibited minimal impact on turbine performance but greatly affected wake recovery. It
was found that blade tip shed vortices are a major contributor to wake recovery. Blockage
impeded this contribution, advecting the wake downstream. A complete wake recovery
was modelled for a range of TSRs and a preliminary relation between turbine rotation rate
and wake recovery distance was determined.