title: Evaluation of the Environmental Exposure Unit as an Appropriate Model to Study House Dust Mite-Induced Allergic Rhinitis

contributor:
Ellis, Anne
Biomedical and Molecular Sciences

subject:
Allergic Rhinitis
Environmental Exposure Unit
Clinical validation

abstract:
Allergic rhinitis (AR) is an inflammatory disease of the nasal mucosa. Upon allergen exposure, such as to house dust mite (HDM), IL-33 is among mediators released by damaged epithelial cells, initiating a Th2-mediated response, including IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13. The Environmental Exposure Unit (EEU) is a clinical model used to study AR and the newly developed HDM-EEU facility has yet to be clinically validated for HDM use.

Fifty-five participants passed a screening visit, where they provided consent and completed a skin prick test (SPT), then attended a modest or higher HDM exposure session. Baseline and post-exposure blood and nasal brushings were collected. Participants recorded symptom scores (Total Nasal Symptom Scores [TNSS], Total Ocular Symptom Scores [TOSS], Total Rhinoconjunctivitis Symptom Scores [TRSS], and Peak Nasal inspiratory Flow [PNIF]), from baseline to 24 hours. HDM allergens distributed in the HDM-EEU were assessed using a laser particle counter (LPC) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Blood was processed for complete blood counts with differentials, while isolated serum was used to determine HDM-specific IgE (sIgE) and cytokine concentrations. RNA isolated from nasal brushing samples was reverse transcribed and evaluated using quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Gene targets included IL-33, IL-13, and ubiquitin C (UBC), as the reference gene.

Modest and higher HDM sessions respectively featured cumulative particle counts of 156,784 and 266,694, Der f 1 concentrations of 2.67 ng/m3 and 3.80 ng/m3, and Der p 1 concentrations of 2.07 ng/m3 and 6.66 ng/m3. Allergic participants experienced significantly elevated symptom scores at 5-7 hours, greater peak TNSS, TOSS, and TRSS, and reduced PNIF compared to non-allergics.

Allergics had significantly greater SPT wheal sizes and sIgE concentrations. Serum IL-13 concentrations and eosinophil counts in the peripheral blood of allergics were significantly decreased post-exposure. IL-33 gene expression was significantly increased post-exposure for higher target allergics than modest target allergics, while IL-13 expression was decreased.

The HDM-EEU is a suitable model for studying HDM-induced AR. Allergic participants produced distinct and clinically relevant symptoms and biological trends in a dose-dependent manner compared to healthy controls. Establishing the clinical validity of this facility allows for future investigations of potential curative therapies.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Investigating the Influence of Local and Personal Common Ground on Memory for Conversation Using an Online Referential Communication Task

contributor:
Munhall, Kevin
Psychology

rights: Queen's University's Thesis/Dissertation Non-Exclusive License for Deposit to QSpace and Library and Archives Canada

rights: ProQuest PhD and Master's Theses International Dissemination Agreement

rights: Intellectual Property Guidelines at Queen's University

rights: This publication is made available by the authority of the copyright owner solely for the purpose of private study and research and may not be copied or reproduced except as permitted by the copyright laws without written authority from the copyright owner.

subject:
Common ground
Conversation
Memory

abstract:
A shared understanding or common ground is known to be an essential aspect of efficient conversation. Interlocutors require some level of mutual knowledge to build their conversation together without restating redundant information. Recently, common ground has also been shown to be related to recognition memory for conversation (McKinley, Brown-Schmidt, & Benjamin, 2017). Here, we investigated the influence of two forms of common ground between conversational dyads on their ability to recall verbatim and semantic conversational content about a week later. Semantic recall memory was measured using a natural language processing approach. In Experiment 1, we examined whether the strength of local common ground formed between dyads for images during an online referential communication task (RCT) predicted their ability to recall image descriptions used during the RCT. In Experiment 2, we varied the level of pre-existing personal common ground between dyads participating in the RCT and examined their recall memory performance. We did this by recruiting pairs of friends and strangers. In both experiments, there was a significant association between the strength of local common ground formed between dyads for images during the RCT and their verbatim (but not semantic) recall memory for image descriptions. These findings provide additional evidence that individuals can remember some verbatim words and phrases used during conversations, and partially support the view that common ground and memory are intricately linked. However, the null findings with regards to semantic recall memory suggest that the structured nature of the RCT may have constrained the types of memory representations that individuals formed during the interaction. Participants who generated the image descriptions during the RCTs also tended to show superior recall memory performance. In Experiment 2, friends used significantly less numbers of words to describe images during the RCT than strangers, providing evidence that conversational
efficiency was afforded by their pre-existing personal common ground. However, contrary to our hypothesis, results suggest that strangers exhibited better verbatim and semantic recall memory performance than friends. These findings are discussed in relation to the multidimensional nature of common ground and the importance of more natural conversational tasks.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Who's at the Table? The Homogenization of Crip Queers in Decision-Making and Policy-Making Processes

contributor:
Thomas, Abrams
Cultural Studies

subject:
Activism
Crip
Crip Theory
Critical Disability Theory
CRPD
Disability Justice
Queerness
Queer Theory

abstract:
The ways that disabled persons are represented in mainstream media, as well as political and social institutions, are shifting. A significant contributor has been the field of critical disability studies, in which disabled persons are viewed through intersectional lenses instead of hegemonic ones. It brings forth discussions that would otherwise remain silenced by dominant narratives – but the marginalization of disabled persons still prevails, particularly within the realms of sexuality.

There is an evident intersection between disability and sexuality, and while more scholars are taking it up, there remains a gap in literature that readily addresses it. Disabled persons are accordingly being portrayed as non-sexual. In instances where their sexuality is acknowledged, they are frequently deemed as heterosexual – which omits the realities of individuals who experience intersectional key dimensions of marginalization, such as disability and sexuality. Individuals self-identifying as crip queers experience further marginalization because they are readily excluded from decision-making and policymaking process. This is evident with the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and its Optional Protocol (OP).

Crip queers are readily attempting to disrupt the ways that they are constantly portrayed through the means of organizing collective and social movements, such as Sins Invalid – a performative project centering intersectional experiences of disabled persons as well as members of other equity-seeking groups. Specifically, these movements are using various art platforms to exemplify accurate encounters of crip queers within contemporary society. In doing so they amplify struggles and triumphs that they readily experience to dismantle ableist beliefs and misconceptions perpetuated upon them.

abstract: M.A.


title: Breaking the Cycle: Oral Histories of Trauma & Resilience among  Unhoused Queer & Trans Youth in Ontario, from the 1970s to the 2010s

contributor:
Dubinsky, Karen
History

subject: Queer Houselessness Homelessness Youth History Trauma Community

abstract:
This dissertation is about queer and trans folks who experienced houselessness during their youth, between the 1970s and the 2010s in Ontario, Canada. These archival and oral history stories serve to mobilize knowledge about community building, poverty, and identity-based discrimination through a history of the present. They also reveal connections between people, organizations, policies, and historical patterns of dispossession that produced the conditions which caused or continue to perpetuate houselessness.
	My methodological framework is informed by several major theorists, notably Kiberle Crenshaw’s intersectionality, Eve Tuck’s desire-based framework, and Michel Foucault’s and Andrew Gorman-Murray’s analyses of space, power, and sexual embodiment. These approaches highlight the subjective uses for public space and provide ways to understand the impact of historical themes of dispossession on living, breathing people. With a focus on “houselessness” rather than the more traditional term “homelessness,” I emphasize the material scarcity associated with not having safe or stable housing, while acknowledging that many folks found a sense of home on the streets.
	Beginning with an analysis of these historical patterns, Chapters 1 and 2 discuss poverty in Canada from the 19th century onward, with a gradual focus on the construction of postwar heteronormativity and its impact on youth. Chapter 3 expands on themes of identity-based displacement through an analysis of the field of youth work and the question of cultural competency within service provision for queer youth. In Chapter 4, I explore the role of physical and conceptual space, with a focus on how people come together to form community. This togetherness and mutual support forms the backdrop for an analysis of trauma in Chapters 5 and 6, which ultimately posit a theory of resilience in history. In contextualizing these historical themes of poverty and disconnection with the agency of people to redefine the meaning of the past for themselves in the present, such a theory holds space for contradiction, temporal non-linearity, and reflexive understandings of personal and collective history. Taking this more fluid and discursive approach is necessary to conducting community-based work and knowledge mobilization with marginalized folks, whose subjective experiences and interpretations can often transcend traditional disciplinary approaches.

abstract: PhD


title: Statistical Models for Identification of Treatment-sensitive Subgroups Based on Longitudinal Outcomes in Clinical Trials

contributor:
Peng, Yingwei
Tu, Dongsheng
Mathematics and Statistics

subject:
Subgroup analysis
Longitudinal data

abstract:
In randomized clinical trials, an average effect of a treatment is often evaluated over all patients enrolled. But in the era of personalized medicine, there is an increasing interest in identification of patients who may benefit from or be sensitive to a specific type of treatment. Various statistical methods have been proposed recently in the literature to help clinical researchers to identify treatment-sensitive subgroups of patients based on baseline covariates or biomarkers and assess the difference in the treatment effect between different subgroups of patients.
Time to an event, such as overall or disease-free survival, is the clinical outcome used to identify treatment-sensitive subgroups in majority of these methods proposed in the literature. Longitudinal outcomes, such as measurements on the quality of life of patients at different time-points, are also important outcomes collected in clinical
trials. There are, however, very few statistical approaches available which can be used to identify treatment-sensitive subgroups based on longitudinal outcomes. All current methods proposed in the literature require a subjective definition of subgroups.
This thesis is devoted to the development of statistical methods for identification of treatment-sensitive subgroups based on longitudinal outcomes. Three new statistical models are introduced based on three different clinical scenarios. Specifically, a threshold linear mixed model is introduced when the longitudinal outcomes are assumed to follow a normal distribution and there is only a single continuous covariate available to define the subgroups. When the longitudinal outcomes may subject to potential floor and ceiling effects but there is still a single continuous covariate available, a threshold mixed-effects Tobit model is introduced. Finally, when there are multiple covariates available, a generalized single-index linear threshold model is introduced by assuming the marginal distribution of the longitudinal outcomes is in
an exponential family. Statistical procedures are proposed to make statistical inferences on the parameters in these models, which can be used to identify and assess treatment-sensitive subgroups. All of the proposed models and inference procedures are assessed through simulation studies, as well as applications to the analysis of data
from randomized clinical trials.

abstract: PhD


title: Balancing Biomedical Progress Against Reproductive Justice in the Case of Human Germline Genome Editing with CRISPR-Cas9

contributor:
Burfoot, Annette
Sociology

subject:
CRISPR-Cas9
Bioethics
Reproductive Justice
Human Germline Genome Editing

abstract: CRISPR-Cas9, the Nobel-prize winning gene-editing technology, has been heralded as the biggest biotech discovery of the century. It touts the ability to one day effectively remove mutations from the human germline genome that cause genetic disease and disability. This is said to increase the quality of life of future generations. While CRISPR-Cas9 is often celebrated as the next frontier in genetic medicine, questions of its accuracy, which present important medical risks, is the biggest bioethical hurdle to its clinical utilization. However, there are many important socio-ethical implications of making heritable changes to the human genome that are marginalized from current debates. This is the premise of this thesis. I argue from a reproductive justice perspective that the promise of biomedical progress with CRISPR-Cas9 is misplaced and we are continuing to address social issues with technological solutions. Positive implications of the technology are far outweighed by its potential marginalizing social impact on women and disabled people. Through analyzing CRISPR-Cas9 regulation, which is highly influenced by a thin debate in public bioethics, I show how difficult it is to regulate emerging and transgressive technologies at a global scale and the troubling effects that uneven international regulation already has, seen through the rising trend of medical tourism. This leads me with two concluding questions: who benefits from biomedical progress and at what cost and what does it mean to ‘flourish’ within a social system that increasingly restricts notions of acceptable embodiment through biomedicine?

abstract: M.A.


title: Central Fixation Element Type and Size Affect Glenoid Baseplate Micromotion in Reverse Shoulder Arthroplasty

contributor:
Ploeg, Heidi-Lynn
Ploeg, Heidi-Lynn
Mechanical and Materials Engineering

subject:
Shoulder
Arthroplasty
Reverse shoulder arthroplasty
Shoulder biomechanics
Micromotion
Glenoid micromotion
Orthopaedic surgery
Baseplate micromotion

abstract: Reverse shoulder arthroplasty (RSA) is typically performed in patients with injured or deficient rotator cuff muscles. Loosening remains to be one of the principal modes of implant failure and the main complication leading to revision. The objective of this study was to mechanically evaluate factors affecting baseplate fixation to inform clinicians of possible implant configurations that may decrease micromotion and reduce the risk of loosening. Delta XTEND™ baseplates (DePuy Synthes) were implanted into Sawbones™ polyurethane foam blocks (N = 40) and varied in terms of their method of central fixation (screw vs. peg), central length (13.5 vs. 23.5 mm), anterior-posterior peripheral screw type (nonlocking vs. locking), and bone density (10 vs. 25 pcf). Samples were cyclically loaded under compression and shear with a 500 N force at 60° to simulate peak loads during shoulder abduction. Implant-bone motion was measured using four linear variable differential transformers. A theoretical plane was used to interpolate micromotion at the four peripheral screw positions for each sample. Micromotion measurements yielded a mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) of (9.5 ± 2.6)%; average displacements at the implant-bone interface were analyzed with a Kruskal-Wallis H test and nonparametric univariate analysis (α = 0.05). Central peg fixation generated greater micromotion at all four screw positions when compared to central screw fixation (p < 0.001). Furthermore, 13.5 mm central elements generated greater micromotion at all four measurement positions than 23.5 mm samples (p = 0.001). A significant interaction existed between the method of central fixation and central element length at all four screw positions (p < 0.001), as well as between peripheral screw type and bone density at all four screw positions (p = 0.015). Use of a central compression screw and a greater central element length that engages with the cortex of the scapula may provide improved baseplate fixation and reduce interface micromotion. Use of locking screws in the anterior and posterior positions may also offset loss of fixation due to lower bone quality. Future work that considers other baseplate factors may reveal additional surgical considerations and factor interactions.

abstract: M.A.Sc.


title: Out of Their Grasp: Space, Power, and the American Revolution

contributor:
Chowdhury, Amitava
History

rights: Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United States

subject:
American Revolution
Space
Power
Spatial History
Global History

abstract: Over the course of twenty years after 1763, thirteen of the Britain’s most-prized colonies tore away from their imperial fold, erupting eventually into a bloody civil war and a global revolution. Central to this all too familiar story, however, is an otherwise forgotten factor, one which shaped the nature, conduct, and outcome of the entire conflict: space. Moving from the end of the Seven Years’ War to the start of the new republic, this thesis attempts to parse the precise manner by which continental and oceanic spaces combined to collapse an early modern superpower from within and without. Throughout, I explore how imperial authority was utterly dependent on its assertions of what I term “spatial dominion”; a novel historiographical concept which unites the militarized, economic, and acquisitional dynamics at the heart of the British Empire’s overseas territories. As this dominion faded over the latter half of the eighteenth century, American colonists were able to imagine a world after empire, and thus transformed the spaces around them into theatres of revolutionary violence. After 1776, I show how these theatres continued to confound imperial efforts to subdue them and their resident populations, making them into critical sites of the Revolutionary War. I argue finally that a collection of spaces including the Atlantic Ocean, the Delaware and Hudson Rivers, and the Revolutionary South impacted the war’s primary action by both alienating and animating its many combatants. All told, this thesis presents a unique interpretation of the American Revolution and contends that, by 1783, the Thirteen Colonies and the spaces over which they had rebelled had slipped once and for all from the British Empire’s grasp, signifying an important moment in the continent’s long history.

abstract: M.A.


title: Lower Extremity Intersegmental Coordination Changes Across Countermovement Jump Heights

contributor:
Costigan, Pat
Kinesiology and Health Studies

subject:
Biomechanics
Vertical Jump
Kinematics
Coordination
Quantitative

abstract: While jumping is a fundamental movement skill and a key component in the development of specific sport skills, its coordination, especially at submaximal heights, has yet to be studied in detail. It is unknown if or how the intersegmental coordination patterns of the lower extremity change with increasing jump heights. Additionally, with recent work suggesting that jump research consider the take-off portion of a jump in phases (unweighting, eccentric, concentric), it is vital to understand if submaximal lower extremity coordination changes across these phases as well. The purpose of this study was to use modified vector coding to better characterize the intersegmental coordination relationships in the thigh-pelvis, shank-thigh, and foot-shank segment couples across different jump heights and phases of the countermovement jump. Kinetic and kinematic data were collected from sixteen healthy participants as they performed eight countermovement jumps in each of four conditions: 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% of their respective maximum jump heights. Coupling angles were calculated for the foot-shank, shank-thigh, and thigh-pelvis segment couples and were used to identify intersegmental coordination patterns using modified vector coding. One-way repeated measures ANOVAs assessed the within-participant differences of coordination pattern distribution frequency across jumps of varying heights. Participants were then divided into quartiles based on maximum jump height and student t-tests were used to see if within-participant trends in coordination differences extended to between-participants as well. The results indicated that coordination patterns of the thigh-pelvis segment couple in the eccentric phase of the countermovement jump were most responsive to changes in within-participant jump height but no trends were seen in the between-participant analyses. This study provides more detailed descriptions of the intersegmental movements that define the production of countermovement jumps and the results can be used to better cue participants to perform submaximal and maximal jumps.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Big Fish in a Big Pond: How Governments, Companies, and International Stakeholders Influence Corporate Social Responsibility

contributor:
von Hlatky, Stéfanie
Political Studies

subject: Corporate Social Responsibility

subject: ESG

subject: Global Governance

subject: Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance

subject: Sustainability

subject: Global Norms

subject: Mutual Influence

subject: Sustainability Management

subject: Norm Diffusion

subject: International Development

abstract:
The international mining sector is constantly scrutinized because of its impact on social and environment issues. Stakeholders interested in improving the social conduct of mining companies have looked towards the development and promotion of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), the idea that companies have an intrinsic duty to operate in a way which limits negative impacts and builds a positive relationship with society. However, in a complex international system, how do stakeholders get others to adopt CSR norms that align with their interests, and which ones are the most effective at doing so? Existing narratives, such as those by Weber (2008), Brin & Nehme (2019), and Vashchenko (2017), have examined the impact of governments and international CSR initiatives on improving company practices, focusing on reducing operational risks and increasing profits (Brin and Nehme 2019; M. Weber 2008; Vashchenko 2017). While insightful, this research has looked more at the content of CSR norms and practices, rather than how stakeholder groups attempt to influence the practices of others.

To better understand the dynamics of mutual influence and its relationship to CSR governance, this dissertation focuses on three stakeholder groups in the global CSR arena: governments, companies, and international bodies. I introduce a model, based on institutional and stakeholder theory, to identify and measure the organizational relationship between CSR stakeholders and study how this relationship influences their CSR approaches. This study relies on a comparative approach, examining each stakeholder’s organization, capabilities, and limitations for influencing the practices of others. I find that there are significant differences in the organizational ability of stakeholder groups to influence the practices of others, and that there are mechanisms employed by stakeholders to ensure conformity without the use of traditionally non-voluntary instruments – such as laws or regulations. In fact, while non-voluntary mechanisms are often seen as the most influential for having stakeholders align their practices, the international arena is visibly devoid of these mechanisms and relies more heavily on voluntary approaches which have enforceable qualities. The dissertation adds to the voluntary vs. non-voluntary debates and our understanding of norm diffusion, illustrating the complexity which is inherent to dynamics of mutual influence in the CSR space.

abstract: PhD


title: Transformations in Material Culture: John Blueboy and the Tamarack Goose

contributor:
Vorano, Norman
Art History

subject:
Tamarack Goose
James Bay
Cree
Material Culture
John Blueboy
Moosonee
Moose Factory
Expo 67
Indian Art 74
From Our Hands
Old Fields/New Paths
Canadian craft
Artisan’78

abstract: In 1965, tamarack goose sculptures were introduced in the southern James Bay Cree community of Moose Factory, Ontario. Taking inspiration from decoys used for hunting, John Blueboy, a Cree artist from Rupert’s House, Québec, constructed the sculptures by arranging and tying the twigs of the tamarack tree into the form of a goose, creating an artform that garnered attention from collectors of Indigenous craft and modern art. For his role in reimagining hunting decoys to create a new artform, John Blueboy was named “Inventor of the Decorative Decoy” by the Grand Council of the Crees. Within three decades of their debut in Moose Factory, tamarack geese were included in provincial, national, and international exhibitions including the 1967 International and Universal Exposition in Montréal, Québec, Canadian Indian Art 74 held at the Royal Ontario Museum in 1974, and craft exhibitions such as the influential travelling shows, Artisan’78 (1978), From Our Hands (1983), and the international show Old Fields/New Paths (1983/84), which toured Australia, New Zealand, and Japan. Through these exhibitions and their mass collection in Canada and abroad, tamarack geese were folded into national art narratives and influenced the development of contemporary Canadian art and craft. This thesis traces the history of the tamarack goose artform between 1965 to 1990, when they were most broadly circulated, to explore the participation of regional Indigenous artists in shaping modern art and craft in Canada in the late twentieth century. Through an examination of their collection and exhibition locally, nationally and internationally, this thesis discusses the reinvention of the craft form and its effect on the economy of Moose Factory, traces the movement of tamarack geese through exhibitions and collections, and highlights the legacy of John Blueboy’s tamarack geese in the communities of Moosonee and Moose Factory.

abstract: M.A.


title: Be Kind to Yourself: The Relationship Between Self-Compassion, Self-Concept & Self-Regulated Learning in University Students With & Without High-Incidence Exceptionalities

contributor:
Matheson, Ian
Education

subject: Self-compassion Self-concept Self-regulation Exceptionalities Inclusion

abstract:
The concept of self-regulated learning (SRL) provides a lens for examining how students master their own learning, and for identifying particular behaviours that are effective in achieving learning goals (Schunk & Zimmerman, 2008). The ability to self-regulate is important at any stage in education, however, it may be especially important for post-secondary students who must navigate through a new environment with independence. The ability to self-regulate can be particularly difficult for some university students (Peverly et al., 2003), especially those students with high incidence exceptionalities including learning disabilities (LDs) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). As the number of students with exceptionalities enrolling in postsecondary education increases each year, external support provided by the offices who serve these students are finding it difficult to keep up with the demands placed on them (Seagull, 2017). Therefore, it is important to seek out additional ways of supporting students with exceptionalities in postsecondary education. Specifically, a focus on developing social-emotional processes such as self-concept and self-compassion may be valuable ways of supporting self-regulated learning for these students. With little research investigating self-processes including global self-concept and self-compassion, the purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship among self-compassion, self-concept and self-regulated learning as they relate to students with and without disabilities in university.
A total of 240 university students (26 males; 194 females; 5 gender variant/non-conforming) took part in the study. The participants completed a 78-item questionnaire consisting of demographic questions and the following scales: the Self-Compassion Scale (SCS; Neff, 2003), the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ; Pintrich et al., 1993) and the Personal Self-Concept Questionnaire (PSC; Goñi et al., 2011). Correlational analyses indicated that greater scores in self compassion were associated with greater scores in self-concept, self-efficacy learning strategies scores, and overall self-regulation. Greater scores in self-concept were associated with great scores in self-efficacy, learning strategies scores and overall self-regulated learning scores. Students who were formally identified with an exceptionality reported higher personal self-concept scores than their non-identified peers. Lastly, self-regulated learning was not statistically significant among the various groups. These findings suggest self-processes and internal strengths could serve as additional support related to self-regulated learning and academic resiliency for all students despite their disability status.

abstract: M.Ed.


title: Global fit of Non-relativistic Effective Operator Dark Matter using Solar Neutrinos

contributor: Physics, Engineering Physics and Astronomy

subject:
Dark Matter
Neutrino
Global Scan
Non-relativistic Effective Operator

abstract: This thesis has implemented the Non-Relativistic Effective Operator (NREO) formalism described in [1, 2, 3] into the Capt’n General code that originally used the formalism described in [4]. The NREO formalism carries the advantage of being able to describe dark matter-standard model interactions in a model agnostic way, and describe interactions beyond the spin-dependent/spin-independent formalism. The updated Capt’n General 2.0 is designed to use this NREO formalism to calculate the rate in which dark matter from the galactic halo is gravitationally captured by the Sun, and is currently publicly available. Capt’n General 2.0 code was integrated into the Global And Modular Beyond-The-Standard-Model Inference Tool (GAMBIT) [5] so that it could take advantage of the ability to run a global scan using both neutrino and direct detection experiments. In addition, by integrating Capt’n General 2.0 into GAMBIT, it can be used in larger projects by the GAMBIT collaboration, such as its use in [6]. From the global scans performed with GAMBIT and Capt’n General 2.0, we have found that only parameterizing dark matter with a constant spin-independent/spin-independent interaction leaves searches open to missing possible regions of parameter space unexplored, and that including solar neutrinos into global scans can significantly improve exclusions from single-experiment results.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: The Enduring Outcomes of Stress During Neurodevelopment Dynamically Impact Food Reward Responsiveness and Valuation:  A Meta-Analysis of Pre-Clinical Evidence

contributor:
Menard, Janet
Psychology

subject:
Early Life Stress
Meta-Analysis
Reward
Rodents

abstract: Early life stress (ELS), broadly defined as stress occurring prior to the onset of adulthood, increases risk of reward-processing pathology in later life. Pre-clinical research using rodent models provide a means for examining the enduring effects of ELS on reward-related behaviours in a causal manner. Evidence from pre-clinical research varies; some studies suggest that ELS reduces behavioural indices of reward processing in later life, whereas others observe heightened reward processing behaviours following ELS. An emerging hypothesis is that these diverging outcomes might reflect unique reward-related subconstructs being differentially influenced by ELS, differences in type of ELS, age at ELS, or sex. To address these variable findings, I conducted a meta-analysis investigating the enduring effects of ELS on reward-related behaviours with a focus on food reward. The systematic literature search was conducted with a focus on studies employing ELS in rodents and examining responses to food reward in adulthood. Specifically, studies reporting data from paradigms measuring initial responsiveness to food reward  (i.e., sucrose preference and sucrose reactivity tests), reward satiation (i.e., food intake paradigms), and effort (i.e., progressive ratio tests for food reward). This search yielded 2234 studies, 71 of which met inclusion criterion. The meta-analysis suggested the effects of ELS vary by the reward-related subconstruct tested. ELS rodents demonstrated decreased initial reward responsiveness, which was moderated by the type of ELS incurred, but not age at ELS or sex. ELS also decreased indices of reward satiation in adult rodents, which was dependent on the age at ELS, but not the type of ELS. Surprisingly, the effects of ELS on effort to obtain a food reward yielded non-significant results. Taken together, these data demonstrate the importance of investigating reward-related behaviours in a subconstruct specific manner and provide insights into the manners by which ELS might dynamically influence reward-related outcomes.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Reflexive Play: Complicity, Emotions, and the Limitations of Choice in Video Games

contributor: Film and Media (Screen Cultures and Curatorial Studies)

subject:
video game
rpg
games
reflexive play
play
gaming
the witcher
the witcher 3: wild hunt
the legend of zelda
zelda
breath of the wild
the last of us
complicity
choice
choices
decision making
role playing games
loss aversion

abstract: Video games stand apart from other narrative media because through play, the audience is not just an audience, but a participant who actively takes part in the narrative as it unfolds. This paper examines complicity and reflexive play in narrative video games. Within these discussions, I define player agency, role-playing games, and I establish a model for identifying different types of choices in games. Specifically, this paper presents case studies on The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and The Last of Us, examining how the decisions – or the lack thereof – affect the emotions of the player. Autoethnography was combined with recent work in the field of game studies to better understand how choices are defined and designed, and how complicity plays a crucial role in the emotional power of video games. This paper brings the discussion of complicity into the foreground of games studies, arguing that the guilt and pride accessible through player complicity sets video games apart from other media.

abstract: M.A.


title: Advanced predictive methods applied to geometallurgical modelling

contributor:
Ortiz, Julian
Kracht, Willy
Mining Engineering

subject:
Deep learning
Geometallurgy
Predictive modelling
Mining

abstract:
A novel geological modelling tool is developed by merging the fundaments of multiple-point statistics in geostatistics with convolutional neural networks in deep learning. We proved the potential in two-and-three dimensions, on categorical attributes. Sensitivity analysis on hyper-parameters supports the decision of optimum neural network structures. A comparison with state-of-the-art multiple-points statistics algorithms is performed. The proposed method provides results comparable to conventional multiple-point statistics approaches and can be used to enhance their results by providing a map of expected probabilities of prevalence of different categories. Extensions to the multivariate case and to the case of continuous variables are discussed.

A novel approach accounting for geological uncertainty into ultimate pit definition is proposed as a heuristic ultimate pit policy. We demonstrate the potential of optimizing a risk policy by propagating data and uncertainty from resources to reserves. Economic risk-based policies are obtained by computing and comparing the distributions of net values resulting from using a deterministic or stochastic geostatistical method. Concepts and methodologies are illustrated in a porphyry copper deposit. Results show that maintaining the same risk level, a policy can be proposed that increases the net value of the pit.

A methodology for finding optimal machine learning and deep learning methods on data-driven mining problems is presented. This is demonstrated in a mineral processing problem. We compared three machine learning algorithms and three deep learning architectures on predictive energy consumption and operational relative hardness on semi-autogenous grinding mills. A step-by-step workflow on how to deal with real datasets, how to find optimum models, and the final model selection is presented. The methodology can be extended to any data-driven situation and additional neural network architectures can be compared.

A novel agent-based mine scheduling approach is presented, representing the geometallurgical block model as the environment in which an agent interacts with by selecting the next block to extract and receiving its resulting economic value as reward, the agent is trained via deep Q-Learning to find optimal sequences. We present the key aspect of the approach, demonstrate its feasibility at different block model scales and provide insights for further improvements.

abstract: PhD


title: Assessing the Effects of Road Salt Application (NaCl) on Cladocera and Diatoms Across a Gradient of Chloride Concentrations

contributor:
Smol, John
Paterson, Andrew
Biology

subject:
Road salt
Zooplankton
Cladocera
Paleolimnology
Diatom

abstract: Lakes across the Northern Hemisphere are being affected by multiple environmental stressors and of particular concern in north temperate regions is the application of rock salt (NaCl) as a road de-icer. Despite its near ubiquitous use in north temperate regions, little is known about how road salt contamination of surface waters effects freshwater ecosystem structure. This thesis combines paleolimnological approaches and laboratory bioassays to assess the overall impact of Cl− additions on freshwater biota (Cladocera and diatoms). Paleolimnological techniques were used to assess baseline conditions, to track biotic changes through time, and to investigate the long-term effects of Cl− additions on freshwater biota in both softwater, oligotrophic systems as well as hardwater, mesotrophic lakes. A multiproxy study of shallow, softwater lakes receiving direct road salt runoff assessed how multiple trophic levels have changed over the past ~200 years. Prior to salting (ca. 1950), all of the lakes were dominated by Bosmina spp. After salting began, distinct taxonomic shifts were recorded, including increases in relative abundances of Chydorus brevilabris and the Daphnia pulex complex, and decreases in the relative abundance of Bosmina spp. Diatom compositional change in the road-salt impacted sites was also consistent with increasing Cl− concentrations (i.e., increases in Achnanthidium minutissimum and benthic fragilarioid taxa). Increases in diatom-inferred conductivity were also evident, occurring concurrently with known road salt application. Building on the paleolimnological findings, laboratory bioassay experiments were used to determine the specific tolerances of dominant Cladocera taxa to Cl−. To evaluate the specific tolerances of species identified in the paleolimnological studies as Cl− sensitive (Bosmina longirostris) and tolerant (C. brevilabris), a series of 14-day bioassays were conducted. Both B. longirostris and C. brevilabris showed sensitivity below the current Canadian water quality guidelines for Cl− (LC50 = 24.3 mg/L and 60.3 mg Cl−/L, respectively). Finally, an investigation of a highly impacted, hardwater, mesotrophic lake recorded shifts similar to those recorded in moderately impacted softwater lakes. This urban lake shifted from a Bosmina dominated assemblage to a Daphnia dominated assemblage with concurrent increases in A. minutissimum and benthic fragilarioid taxa, coinciding closely with the onset of road salting. Collectively, this research shows that the biological impacts of Cl− additions are observed at concentrations below many water quality guidelines and that future changes may exacerbate the harmful impacts of road salt additions (e.g., changes in water hardness, nutrients, and climate warming).

abstract: PhD


title: Exploring the Evolution of Assessment Identity when Infusing Technology into Educational Contexts

contributor:
Searle, Michelle
Education

subject:
Classroom assessment
Educational technology
Assessment identity

abstract: Classroom assessment is an essential component of the current standards-based education system. However, with the increase in classroom technology and sudden shift to remote learning, educators must alter and adapt their assessment strategies, even if they feel unprepared or uncomfortable doing so. Using teacher assessment identity (Looney et al., 2018) as a conceptual framework, this study explored the assessment practices and evolving assessment identity of educators as they implemented assessment via technology. This study utilized a secondary analysis drawing upon a subset of data collected during a collaborative program evaluation and responded to the following questions: (1) How do teachers leverage assessment via technology in their teaching practice to support the evolution of their classroom assessment conceptualizations and practices? (2) What can be understood about teacher assessment identity as they work to integrate technology in their teaching practice and expand their classroom assessment practices? Data was analyzed using an inductive, deductive, and hybrid approach using a four-phase qualitative analysis procedure (Bengtsson, 2016). Findings from the inductive analysis noted that teachers supported their reconceptualization of assessment through expanded assessment practices, seeking professional development, and developing core competencies for 21st century learners. The deductive analysis highlighted the interconnected nature of the five dimensions of the teachers’ assessment identity framework and how these dimensions are informed and influenced by learning, catalyzed through reflection, collaboration, and a commitment to professional development. The findings and implications of this study are discussed in regard to research, practice, and policy to bolster an understanding of assessment, learning, and educational technology.

abstract: M.Ed.


title: Indigenous Identity Development through Sport

contributor:
Pyper, Jamie
Education

subject: adolescents, colonisation/colonization, community, cultural identity, ethnicity, identity, identity formation, Indigenous and two-eyed seeing

abstract: Physical activity, games, sport and youth have a rich history within Indigenous communities, but that is not reflected in academic literature. For years, scholars wrote about Indigenous communities and people and not with them. Aspects of everyday life, such as physical activity, games and sport were seen as trivial and often marginalized. By listening to the narratives of Indigenous youth we get an understanding of the complexities of their lives.  Research for, by and with Indigenous communities is growing. This thesis examines the idea of Indigenous identity navigation through sport by using an Indigenous research methodology, the strengths approach, the framework of two-eyed seeing and a community based participatory research strategy. The method for collecting data was through individual interviews and a traditional Indigenous talking circle. The research question and interview questions were developed with the community-based research assistant. Participants/Coresearchers took part in individual interviews that examined the impact that the Anishinabe Pride basketball program has had on their lives. The use of a talking circle was instrumental in providing a space for Indigenous voices to be heard and in confirming understanding gained through individual interviews. A separate discussion was held with Jackie Anderson, the creator of the Anishinabe Pride program, after the analysis of data to confirm results. Three themes emerged through data analysis: education, culture and community. While each theme is distinctly different, each  also interconnects within the Anishinabe Pride program. Through the use of oral narrative, co-researchers shared stories and experiences of the Anishinabe Pride program and the impact it has had on their lives. It is these narratives that help define what Indigenous identity navigation looks like through the lens of the Anishinabe Pride basketball program.

abstract: M.Ed.


title: Intrathecal Delivery of a Human Bicistronic Hexosaminidase Vector to Correct Sandhoff Disease in a Murine Model: A Dose-Response Study

contributor:
Walia, Jagdeep
Neuroscience Studies

subject:
GM2 Gangliosidosis
Sandhoff disease
Tay Sachs disease
Gene therapy
AAV
Viral Vector

abstract: GM2 gangliosidosis is a group of lysosomal storage disorders including Tay-Sachs disease (TSD), Sandhoff disease (SD), and the AB variant of GM2 gangliosidosis. TSD and SD are characterized by reduced or absent levels of the hydrolase β-hexosaminidase A (Hex A). Normally, the heterodimer Hex A hydrolyzes GM2 ganglioside into GM3, however if Hex A activity drops below the threshold of 10-15%, GM2 pathologically accumulates within the central nervous system. This is caused by mutation to either the gene HEXA or HEXB, which encode the α- and β-subunit of Hex A, respectively. As such, afflicted individuals experience rapid neurological decline resulting in death by 4 years of age in infantile cases. Currently, there have been no approved treatments capable of slowing or stopping disease progression in GM2 gangliosidosis and thus clinicians must rely on symptom management for treatment. Recently, a novel bicistronic gene therapy carrying both HEXA and HEXB, has illustrated promising results in mouse models of SD. Treated mice experienced significant reduction in GM2 storage, increased levels of Hex A, and marked improvement of their behavioral phenotype including doubling their lifespan, as compared with controls. Overall, the bicistronic vector provided long-term correction of SD in these mice. The current study aims to identify an optimal dosage of the bicistronic gene therapy vector for translation into the clinic. Three dosages of the bicistronic vector have been analyzed: high-dose (2.5e11vector genomes/mouse), medium-dose (1.25e11vg/mouse), and low-dose (0.625e11vg/mouse). The overall data suggests the high-dose performed the best, where the high-dose mice lived to an average of 53.6 weeks of age, more than 3x their lifespan as compared to SD controls. These results may have direct implications in deciding a human equivalent dose in a clinical trial for GM2 gangliosidosis.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Studying the Unfulfilled Promises of Continuous Integration

contributor:
Zou, Ying
Computing

subject:
Software Engineering
Continuous Integration
Mining Software Repositories
Empirical Software Engineering

abstract: Continuous Integration (CI) is a software practice that allows software developers to generate software builds automatically and more frequently. When adopting CI, developers anticipate quick and trustworthy feedback about software builds. However, due to configuration or environmental issues, CI might introduce an overhead to the software development process. For example, a misconfiguration of CI can make builds run for too long (i.e., long build durations). In addition, CI builds can undergo unexpected breakages (i.e., errors or failures) due to environmental factors that are outside the ability of developers to control. As a consequence, developers might need to wait for builds to pass before engaging in other development activities. This dissertation conducts four empirical studies to understand the reasons behind the unfulfilled CI promises: (1) a study of the factors associated with long CI build durations, (2) a study of noisy (development-unrelated) CI build breakages and their impact on observations of prior research, (3) a study of the interplay between the durations and breakages of CI builds, and (4) a study of the considerations for adopting caching in CI builds. Overall, the research conducted in this dissertation highlights the best practices that help mitigate the burden of adopting CI in software projects and, hence, acquire the prospective benefits of CI.

abstract: PhD


title: Degrees of Artificiality in the works of: Roy Andersson, Aki Kaurismaki, Ruben Ostlund, Thomas Vinterberg, and Lukas Moodysson

subject:
Cinema
Film
Scandinavian Film
Scandinavian Cinema
Brechtian Distanciation
Brecht

abstract: In 1936 Bertold Brecht wrote "Alienation Effects in Chinese Acting" where he describes distanciation as an effective technique for hindering the audience's capacity to watch works passively. That is to say, the viewer is obliged to take an active role in the interpretation of what they are seeing. These ideas have fallen somewhat out of fashion in favor of blending both immersion and a level of criticality. However, over the past 25 years, several works from Scandinavia have employed an aesthetic intended to generate distanciation, achieved using unconventionality, referred to in this work as artificiality. Though there are several artists generating distanciation, these aesthetics are usually discussed independently from one another. This thesis argues that these filmmakers make highly comparable use of artificiality, in turn inducing similar experiences of distanciation and permitting a more critical viewing. Analysis of the films suggests equally complex frameworks of layered information and shared ideological underpinnings. Part of their connective tissue is a fixation on the ills of the Scandinavian welfare states, which this thesis argues is likely what demands they use an aesthetic of artificiality.

abstract: M.A.


title: CO2-Responsive Agents for Water Filtration

contributor:
Jessop, Philip
Cunningham, Michael
Chemistry

subject:
Water filtration
Forward Osmosis
Draw Agent
CO2 utilization

abstract:
Water purification is essential for modern human life. Without it we could not produce clean water, process wastewater or concentrate desired products. Unfortunately, standard water purification techniques are energy intensive, especially for concentrated feeds. Forward osmosis (FO) is a promising filtration method, with the ability to process concentrated feeds at lower energy costs than conventional methods.
FO operates by placing a concentrated “draw solution” opposite the water to be filtered (the feed), separated by a semipermeable membrane. The osmotic pressure (π) difference across the membrane causes water to flow from the feed to the draw solution. After filtration is complete the draw solute is removed, leaving behind clean water. While the initial filtration requires minimal energy, removing the draw solute from the clean water after filtration can be energy intensive due to the draw solutes’ high π. The efficiency of FO hinges on the nature of the draw solute.
An ideal draw solute must possess two seemingly contradictory properties: a high π state for efficient filtration and a low π state for easy draw solute removal post-filtration. CO2-responsive materials are attractive draw solutes as they possess a high π under CO2 (πCO2) and a low π under air (πair). The most successful draw solute reported to date, trimethylamine (TMA), exerts a very high πCO2 but is also flammable, malodorous and can cross the membrane.
This work investigated new CO2-responsive materials which could be safe alternatives to TMA. Diverse CO2-responsive materials were considered, including polymers, hydrogels and magnetic particles. In each case, materials were designed and synthesized, then their performance as a draw solute was assessed by measuring their πCO2 and πair or their flux and recovery. Fluid draw agents outperformed solid draw agents due to improved mass transfer, and are easier to implement industrially.
Among all the draw solute studied, soluble poly(N,N-dimethylallylamine) (PDMAAm) showed the most promise due to its high πCO2 and low πair. The use of PDMAAm’s dual CO2- and thermo-responsive character was found to facilitate its separation from water after filtration. Future work will study the performance of PDMAAm on larger scales for industrial use.

abstract: PhD


title: Neural correlates of reward learning and cognitive control in depression: A research domain criteria (RDoC) approach

contributor:
Olmstead, Mary Cella
Psychology

subject:
anhedonia
reward
stress
depression
cognitive control
RDoC

abstract: The current thesis employed the Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) framework to understand how environmental, biological, and psychological factors differentially impact reward learning and cognitive control. Across three manuscripts, we interpreted findings that spanned several RDoC units of analysis from cellular and molecular processes to self-reported behaviour. In Chapter 2, we found that dopamine (DA) D2-like receptor modulation rescues reward learning deficits provoked by chronic stress in rats. This effect was most pronounced in high stress reactive rats (indexed by adrenal hypertrophy) showing D2 receptor upregulation. Finally, the restorative effects of DA modulation were regionally specific to nucleus accumbens (not medial prefrontal cortex) D2-like activation. In Chapter 3, we found that prior COVID-19 infection produced long-term deficits in reward processing and executive functioning, particularly in the 1-to-4-month period following diagnosis. Among these survivors, task-based (but not self-reported) cognitive control was particularly impaired, with other cognitive abilities (orienting and alerting) remaining intact. Unlike prior studies to date, we carefully screened participants for lifetime history of mood or cognitive dysregulation that predated the pandemic, suggesting COVID-19 infection is associated with first-time psychiatric impairment. In Chapter 4, we found that biogenetic messaging about depression (i.e., receiving a sham positive genetic test for depression) did not alter behavioural or neurophysiological correlates of cognitive control. Although genetic feedback altered perceptions about the etiology of depression (i.e., the belief that it has a biological origin), it did not change expectancies or beliefs about the prognosis or treatment for depression. This study was the first to evaluate neural consequences of biogenetic messaging, challenging emerging theories that it alters decision-making processes and patient motivation. Collectively, each chapter offers novel insights into factors that impair reward learning and cognitive control, shedding light on mechanisms that might warrant novel treatment approaches to alleviate these deficits. We close by advocating a cross-species, neuroscience-based approach to research, promoting efforts toward symptom-based treatments for depression.

abstract: PhD


title: Night shift work, melatonin, and circadian gene methylation in the development of breast cancer

contributor:
Aronson, Kristan
Tranmer, Joan
Public Health Sciences

subject:
Night shift work
Breast cancer
Melatonin
DNA methylation
Circadian genes
Circadian rhythm
Meta-analysis

abstract:
Background: Night shift work is a prevalent work pattern in Canada. Epidemiologic studies suggest that long-term night shift work is associated with an increased risk of breast cancer, although methods and results widely vary among studies. In addition, the underlying molecular mechanisms linking night shift work and breast cancer are unclear. It is hypothesized that circadian disruption due to light at night exposure in night shift work can alter methylation in circadian genes, changing gene expression and increasing susceptibility to breast cancer. There is also evidence that melatonin can influence epigenetic mechanisms.
Objective: The overall aim of this thesis is to explore the role of night shift work, melatonin, and circadian gene methylation in the development of breast cancer.
Methods: A systematic review was conducted to assess the relationship between exposure to years of night shift work and risk of incident breast cancer. Incremental risk ratios for years of night shift work were calculated for each study, and combined in a dose-response meta-analysis. To examine the relationships between night shift work, melatonin and methylation of circadian genes, 74 female healthcare employees (n=38 day workers, n=36 night shift workers) who had urinary 6-sulfatoxymelatonin secretion data from a previous study were re-contacted. Newly collected blood samples were used to measure methylation at 1150 CpG loci across 22 circadian genes using the Illumina Infinium MethylationEPIC beadchip.
Results: For the meta-analysis, a non-linear dose-response relationship was found, where a 7% increase in breast cancer risk was seen after 20 years of exposure (95% CI: 1.01-1.15). In the cross-sectional study, findings suggest that night shift work is associated with differential methylation of the genes CSNK1E, NR1D1, and ARNTL. In the exploratory longitudinal study, findings suggest that melatonin is associated with changes in methylation of the genes MTNR1A, RORA, and PER3.
Conclusion: The meta-analysis findings suggest that increasing exposure to night shift work is associated with a higher risk of breast cancer, particularly after 20 years. In our studies, circadian misalignment, assessed by examining night shift work status and melatonin secretion patterns, is associated with differential methylation in circadian genes.

abstract: PhD


title: The Ethical and the Aesthetic in Literature: What’s Missing in the Ethical Criticism Debate

contributor:
Knight, Deborah
Philosophy

subject:
Philosophy of Literature
Philosophy of Aesthetics
Aestheticism
Ethical Criticism

abstract:
This thesis will examine the ethical criticism debate within the philosophy of literature, with a focus on the interaction between ethical and aesthetic value in works of literary art. It is clear that works can be criticized and praised for their technical elements such as plot, theme, characterization, narrative style, point of view, and others. Most literary works (and indeed nearly all works of narrative fiction) also have ethical content to consider in addition to the technical elements. At the heart of the ethical criticism debate is the question of how to incorporate ethical content into aesthetic judgements about a literary work’s aesthetic value. This issue is known as the interaction problem.
After a critical overview of the existing debate, the thesis will argue for four important definitions to keep any ethical criticism discussion unambiguous: aesthetic quality, technical feature, aesthetically relevant ethical content, and aesthetically neutral ethical content. I argue that the aesthetic quality of a work is a ‘gestalt’ property which is the subject of an aesthetic evaluation, and which can consist of both technical qualities and aesthetically relevant ethical content. This framework will not be a universal claim about all narrative works and all ethical content. As aesthetically neutral ethical content suggests, some works will have ethical content which does not factor into that work’s aesthetic quality. Ethical content may take the form of a specific viewpoint the work seemingly endorses. We may agree with the endorsement, but perhaps it is too heavy-handed and harms the work’s aesthetic value. Ethical content may take the form of placing the reader in imagined situations which contain ethical themes, and this ethically significant imagining elevates the work’s aesthetic value. The thesis will therefore stress the variety of forms ethical content can take and the variety of effects that content can have on a work’s aesthetic value, avoiding absolutes that create contradictions when evaluating broad ranges of literary works.

abstract: M.A.


title: Sign O The Times

subject:
Representation
New York Times
Muslim
Coronavirus
Covid-19
Racism
News
Textual Analysis

abstract:
Sign o The Times is an archival, curatorial, and educational tool that was created for the function of
examining the reporting of worldly events covered by The New York Times over the twenty years of
reporting between the September 11th attacks on the World Trade Centre (colloquially known as 9/11) and
the Covid-19 Pandemic. The tool is comprised of curated articles and examines how the representation
changes over the news cycle of an event by selecting articles based on set time intervals from the
proximity of the event. By comparing these articles directly, the difference in reporting becomes clear to
see how The New York Times evolved from publishing articles that may misrepresent the issues being
discussed, however, are written in language that does not include the opinion of the journalist, versus
articles that state all the facts as to not misrepresent the issue, however, are written with heavy author bias
as to sway the perspectives of the audiences. Using theories from Stuart Hall’s Encoding/Decoding
Theory, Lawrence Grossberg’s MediaMaking: Mass Media in a Popular Culture, and Caroline Fisher’s
The Advocacy Continuum, in tandem with textual analyses of the articles published, work to create
assertions regarding how these media representations function, and tracks the evolution of the reporting
styles.

The project is composed of a website with the selection of articles chosen and their analyses, and this accompanying paper. Website can be found at www.signothetimes.weebly.com

abstract: M.A.


title: Theory and Simulation Techniques of  Broadband Light-Matter Interactions in Nanophotonics

subject:
Nanophotonics
Plasmonics
Nanoplasmonics
Theory
Quantum Dots
Broadband

abstract: The field of nanophotonics has grown rapidly over the past few decades, resulting in new optical technologies that affect nearly every aspect of our day-to-day lives, from biomedical sensing and drug delivery to telecommunication to quantum electrodynamics for information processing. With the emergence of a new generation of photonic and plasmonic hybrid structures, the need for more efficient and sophisticated theoretical and numerical tools and techniques has become essential for both exploring fundamental optical physics as well as designing photonic structures for improved optimal performance. This thesis presents and exploits several prominent and emerging techniques in computational nanophotonics and nanoplasmonics, including dyadic Green function (GF) theory and quasinormal modes (QNMs). We use a combinations of numerical, analytical, and semi-analytical GF and QNM expansion techniques, complimented with full numerical calculations where feasible, using finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) and finite-element frequency-domain software. Following an introduction to classical electrodynamics, GF techniques, and optical QNM theory, we then present five topics of current interest in nanophotonics. First, we use FDTD techniques and physical insights from the local density of photonic states to explore the effects of structural disorder in photonic crystal slabs on the absorption properties for solar light harvesting, as well as provide a critical analysis of the Lamerbertian limit. Second, we use numerical and analytical GFs to analyze photon-photon coupling effects, including Förster interactions, between quantum dot (QD) disks in a nanowire waveguide, directly comparing to experiments. Our third study extends the QD-QD coupling study by using the Coulomb GF to explore how the near field coupling is affected by spatially dependent QD electronic wavefunctions. Fourth, we employ QNM theory to efficiently describe the critical properties for single photons (e.g., Purcell factor and radiative beta-factor) from a gold bowtie dimer on a substrate coupled to a dipole emitter. In our final work, we use similar techniques to examine the strong coupling regime between a monolayer of MoSe_2 and a single gold nanoparticle, demonstrating the power of the QNM methodology by showing that the strong coupling can be well described by the framework of hybridized QNMs of the entire system without any fitting parameters, including the effects of temperature.

abstract: PhD


title: Robotic assessment of sensorimotor and cognitive deficits in patients with epilepsy

contributor:
Winston, Gavin
Neuroscience Studies

subject:
Epilepsy
Kinarm
Robotic assessment
sensorimotor
cognitive
cognition
cognitive deficits
neuropsychology
memory
RBANS
neuropsychological
executive function
declarative memory
working memory
duration of epilepsy

abstract:
Individuals with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) can present with significant cognitive
impairments, such as impaired executive function, working memory, and declarative memory.
Traditionally, these impairments are assessed using standard neuropsychological assessments;
however these neuropsychological assessments typically only measure simple parameters, are
extremely long and exhausting, and are overall expensive. We hoped to improve these problems
by using robotic technology through the Kinarm robot. To identify if the Kinarm was a viable
tool for assessing sensorimotor and cognitive skills, 23 subjects with TLE were recruited and
underwent a brief neuropsychological and Kinarm assessment. Pearson correlations of scores
from both assessments were conducted and demonstrated that scores from Kinarm tasks
assessing neurocognitive domains known to be impaired in TLE, including executive function,
working memory and declarative memory significantly correlated with similar tasks from the
neuropsychological assessment. In addition to these findings, we investigated the effects of
laterality on performance, with the hypothesis that left TLE would be more impaired on verbal
memory tasks. However, our findings demonstrated no significant differences between the two
lateralities in any of the tasks assessing this domain. Lastly, we investigated the effects of the
duration of epilepsy on performance as deficits may be progressive. Linear regressions of the
relationship between performance on all tasks and the duration of epilepsy demonstrated that
individuals with TLE are increasingly more impaired with longer durations of epilepsy on a
variety of tasks covering several neurocognitive domains. Overall, our findings demonstrated
that the Kinarm is an effective tool for the assessment of impairments in people with TLE.
Additionally, we demonstrated that longer durations of epilepsy are associated with increased
impairment on a variety of neurocognitive domains.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Quantifying the Accuracy of Euler-Bernoulli and Timoshenko Beam Theories for Long Bones in Three- and Four-Point Bend Tests with Finite Element Analysis

contributor:
Ploeg, Heidi-Lynn
Mechanical and Materials Engineering

rights: Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 United States

subject:
Bone  Flexural Rigidity
Bone Stiffness
Biomechanics
Bone
Timoshenko Beam Theory
Euler-Bernoulli Beam Theory

abstract: Mechanical assessment of long bones is of importance for predicting the risk of fracture in bone diseases such as osteoporosis. These assessments are applied in pre-clinical research to assess the efficacy of osteoporosis treatments. Biomechanical methods used in bone mechanical assessments include mechanical testing and image-based finite element analysis (FEA). Euler-Bernoulli (EB) beam theory is commonly used to estimate the elastic modulus of bone from three- and four-point bend tests. However, the assumptions of EB lead to the underestimation of elastic modulus. In this study, I hypothesized that Timoshenko (TI) beam theory could be used to predict bone surrogate flexural rigidity (EI) more accurately than EB. I used a bone surrogate of the porcine femur to avoid errors due to the misassumption of homogeneity and linearity of material properties. Therefore, I was able to quantify the magnitudes of error associated with applying EB and TI beam theories to EI predictions from mechanical testing and computer-aided design (CAD)-and computed tomography (CT)-based FEAs. I employed the digital image correlation (DIC) method to validate the results from FEAs and a good agreement was found between the results from DIC and FE models. In four-point bend tests, using TI instead of EB beam theory decreased the error of stiffness measurements from machine crosshead displacement from -33% to -24%. TI beam theory provided an accurate estimation of EI from DIC measurements with only a 1% error. The errors associated with employing EB beam theory in flexural rigidity calculations were -58% to -49% from machine crosshead measurements, in three- and four-point bend tests, respectively. The results of this study found that the TI beam theory reduced the error of EI estimation from machine crosshead displacement to -41% to -16% in three- and four-point bend tests, respectively. The bland-Altman analysis found a bias in EI between EB and TI beam theories varied from 34% to 64% using different deflection measurements. Therefore, stiffness and flexural rigidity cannot be compared across the different methods of measurement. Despite some limitations of this study such as the sample size and simplicity of the bone surrogate geometry and mechanical properties, I showed that TI improves the estimation of bone stiffness and flexural rigidity in three- and four-point bend tests.

abstract: M.A.Sc.


title: The institutional estrangement between international trade and human rights: are they siblings or distant relatives?

contributor:
Lamp, Nicolas
Law

subject:
international trade
human rights
labour standards
World Trade Organization
United Nations
International Labour Organization
Universal Declaration on Human Rights
GATT
Havana Charter for the ITO
International Covenants on Human Rights

abstract: This research takes an historical-critical approach to examine the emergence and evolution of the international trade and international human rights regimes after the Second World War, with the purpose of untangling the roots of their estrangement and unearthing the misconceptions surrounding their intricate relationship. It begins with the observation that the multilateral trading system and the development of international human rights law took place at the same moment in history (parallel institutional origins), as part of a single peace project that joined the nations’ economic growth with the universal protection of human dignity (overlapping purpose), and under the umbrella of the newly-formed United Nations (common legal framework). However, this thesis argues that the postwar projects did not materialize as originally conceived by the postwar architects but an institutional estrangement took place between them instead. While much scholarship on the international trade and human rights debate that arose at the end of the 20th century has focused on whether or not there is a conflict between rules, the conflict between institutions, has not been fully discussed yet. This dissertation adds its contribution to fill that gap by charting the institutional, ideological and legal lines along which international trade and international human rights subsequently grew apart, leaving only limited and tentative intersections. It reveals the roads that were not taken in either regime that could have led to a closer integration between them, be it by the continuation of the observance of fair labour standards as a part of the multilateral trading system, or by paying closer attention to the role that trade obligations could have played in promoting the realization of human rights, particularly, economic and social rights. This dissertation does not attempt to give a practical answer as to how to eliminate the estrangement between regimes, but it aims to show that by rediscovering their original purposes, mapping out their interdependent path and reviewing past contingencies, a better integration between regimes can be possible.

abstract: PhD


title: Leading and Learning: Collaboration in rehabilitation services in Ontario schools

contributor:
Batorowicz, Beata
Rehabilitation Science

subject:
rehabilitation services
leaders
education
health
collaboration

abstract:
This dissertation explores how Ontario's leaders in education, health and the community envision effective collaboration in rehabilitation services in schools. First, superintendents of special education from 15 District School Boards (DSBs), directors/managers of 14 Children’s Treatment Centres (CTCs) and seven Special Education Advisory Committees (SEAC) representatives participated in seven like-role focus groups. Subsequently, a mixed role focus group comprised of representatives of the seven previous groups validated the findings derived through thematic analysis. Findings indicated there was no common understanding of the purpose and mandate of the school-based rehabilitation program which hampered work of leaders from rehabilitation and education as partners in co-serving children with or at risk of disabilities and their families. Furthermore, findings suggested that effective collaboration should be an intentional and relational process that enables partners to work together as equals, assume a learning stance, align a shared vision, include parents as partners and be child/family focused, and close communication gaps. Skills and qualities of leaders important to effective collaboration were identified as well as the beliefs of belonging, inclusion and the primacy of needs of child and family. Education, health, and community leaders identified their desire for change in policies governing rehabilitation services, the need for provincial guidelines and standards for services as well as knowledge building to support evidence-based service delivery models.
Following the qualitative study, I developed a briefing note for policy and program decisionmakers in the provincial government. Subsequent presentations to government leaders positioned the findings within aims of the ministries responsible for rehabilitation services in schools. The article,
“Building Back Better, Together,” presented findings relevant to education leaders on the collaboration of DSBs and CTCs during the COVID-19 pandemic to support children with rehabilitation needs, highlighting the urgency of working with CTC partners to reduce growing waitlists for services. The practice-oriented implications of this dissertation pertain to leaders creating a shared vision for services with all partners and aligning policy and services in accordance with this vision. Implications for research include exploring how leaders define shared responsibility in rehabilitation services in schools to clarify expectations and roles of partners.

abstract: D.Sc.


title: An Investigation of Flotation Separation of Lithium-Ion Batteries Mixed Cathodes and Anodes Powders

contributor:
Kelebek, Sadan
Mining Engineering

subject:
Spent lithium-ion battery
Natural graphite
Direct recycling
Flotation
Pretreatments

abstract:
As part of the circular economy, the end-of-life batteries need to be recycled which will positively impact the environment and reduce energy consumption and slow the depletion of the natural resources. A closed-loop recycling known as Direct recycling involves physical treatment for the separation of mixed electrodes and has simplicity, low energy consumption, and lower environmental footprints compared to the pyro and hydrometallurgy processes which exhibit some environmental and economic limitations. Flotation falls under direct recycling and takes advantage of the difference in wettability between electrode materials (graphite and metal oxides) of the lithium-ion-batteries (LIBs).

Fundamental studies on LIBs wettability and two natural graphite samples were investigated. The wettability range (∆γ) of LIBs is 20 mN/m compared to 18 and 28 mN/m for vein graphite (VG) and amorphous graphite (AG) respectively. The critical surface tensions of wetting of LIBs, VG and AG are respectively 31, 39, 59.5 mN/m suggesting high hydrophobicity degree and homogeneity of LIBs in comparison to AG due to the presence of organic coatings on the surface of black mass.

After only 6 min of batch flotation, about 90% of the LIBs powder was recovered in the presence of 364 g/ton kerosene and 471 g/ton of MIBC. In spite of this high recovery, the upgrading ratio remained as low as 1.3-1.5 suggesting a lack of selectivity. This poor selectivity is again caused by the surface similarities between graphite and metal oxides as a result of the organic coating.

All the treatments available in the literature to remove the organic coating and promote selective flotation have been studied where roasting was identified as the most effective variable with collector addition, leading to graphite recoveries above 95% and grades exceeding 90% in the rougher-scavenger stage.  Two designs of experiments reveal their significant impact on flotation performance. The factors studied were roasting temperature and time as well as kerosene dosage where the temperature was identified as the most important main effect. A verification run at the optimum conditions suggests good agreement between the model estimate and the experimental results at the 95% confidence region.

abstract: M.A.Sc.


title: Associations Between and Changes in Hippocampal Volume and the Cortisol Response Over Time: The Role of Childhood Maltreatment and Depression

contributor:
Harkness, Kate
Psychology

subject:
Cortisol Reactivity
Hippocampal Volume
Childhood Maltreatment
Depression

abstract: Stress-related brain mechanisms, specifically HPA axis dysregulation and reductions in hippocampal volume, have long been associated with the pathology of major depressive disorder, especially within the context of a history of childhood maltreatment. However, investigations that examine the association between these two mechanisms are scarce. The aim of the current study was to (1) test the hypothesis that (1) cortisol reactivity and hippocampal volume are correlated mediators of the relation between childhood maltreatment; and (2) examine changes in, and associations between cortisol reactivity and hippocampal volume over time specifically within the context of childhood maltreatment and changes in depression symptomology. The current study included 144 adults (91 with a lifetime history of depressive disorders, 53 never-depressed), 64 of whom returned for a 6-month follow-up. At baseline, participants underwent both a gold-standard contextual interview to assess childhood maltreatment (i.e., Childhood Experiences of Care and Abuse; CECA) and a comprehensive diagnostic interview (Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I Disorders; SCID). At both time points participants completed a depression symptom inventory (i.e., Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating scale; MADRS), a laboratory social-stress paradigm that specifically accounts for how individuals respond to stressors in their environment (Trier Social Stress Test; TSST), and neuroimaging in a magnetic resonance imaging scanner. Contrary to hypotheses, across both analyses cortisol reactivity and hippocampal volume were not significantly associated. However, cortisol reactivity but not hippocampal volume was found to mediate the relation between childhood maltreatment and depression. Hippocampal volume was also found to co-vary across time with depression symptom severity. Although these findings suggest that our current conceptualization of the relation between cortisol reactivity and hippocampal volume requires revision, the results indicate these stress-related neurobiological processes remain important targets in our understanding of depressive disorders.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Investigating the Influence of Genre Type on Students' English Writing Performance in the Continuation Task

contributor:
Ahn, Claire
Huang, Liyan
Education

subject: genre type, writing performance, continuation task

abstract:
The continuation task, a newly developed writing task that requires learners to extend an incomplete reading prompt with logic and coherent writing, has been recently implemented as a high-stake test in China. Researchers have found a variety of characteristics of the continuation task that impact students’ writing performance, with the genre being an important one. Yet, the exploration of the impact of the two types of genre or reading material (narrative and argumentative) on students’ writing performance in the continuation task has still been limited. As such, this study explores English language learners’ writing performance (writing scores and textual features of the written responses) in the narrative and argumentative continuation tasks and their perception of the two writing tasks within the context of Chinese senior high schools.
Eighty-six Chinese senior high school students in grade 11 were invited to complete two continuation tasks, one with narrative source text and one with an argumentative text, and two self-rating questionnaires that asked participants about their perceptions of the completed tasks. Afterwards, select participants were recruited to participate in two rounds of focus-group interviews to further expand upon and share their perceptions of their experiences in completing each writing task.
Senior high school students performed quite similarly (no significant difference) in writing scores awarded to narrative and argumentative writing responses, and they perceived the two writing tasks to be of similar level difficulty, which suggest that both genre type of tasks could help assess students’ language ability. Different language features (e g., lexical complexity, syntactic complexity, etc.) appearing in the narrative and argumentative written responses and students’ report of alignment to the source text in the writing process indicate that different genres of reading prompts could cue students to use different language resources.
This study complements the literature of genre effect on EFL students’ written responses to continuation task in mainland Chinese educational context. The results could hold implications for continued research on similar topics, pedagogy, and assessment.

abstract: M.Ed.


title: Continuous On-Line Leaching for Bioaccessibility Analysis in Human Health Risk Assessments with Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry

contributor:
Beauchemin, Diane
Koch, Iris
Chemistry

rights: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 United States

subject: bioaccessibility

subject: human health risk assessment

subject: soil bioaccessibility

subject: inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

subject: ICPMS

subject: HHRA

subject: risk assessment

subject: on-line leaching

subject: toxic elements

subject: inorganic contaminants

subject: lead

subject: arsenic

abstract:
Soil is a natural resource that is vital for local ecosystems, agriculture, and sustainable development. The contamination of soils can have disastrous effects on human health, but a human health risk assessment (HHRA) can indicate these effects, associated risks, and potential remediation strategies. Since incidental soil ingestion is a major pathway for exposure, bioaccessibility is often employed in an HHRA. Bioaccessibility is the proportion of a contaminant that is dissolved in gastrointestinal fluids, which can be measured using in vitro methods. It differs from bioavailability, which is the actual amount absorbed into the circulatory system. Bioaccessibility methods can be validated through a direct comparison with time consuming animal bioavailability studies, as was done for a method used by United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) and the Unified Bioaccessibility Method (UBM).
This thesis first gathered gastric and intestinal bioaccessibility data from the last 28 years to look at the influence of key parameters. It indicated significant Spearman correlations between elements, including Pb and As, which could aid risk assessors. An additional lack of Al, Sb, Fe, Mn, and Hg data was observed and these elements should be included in future risk assessments. Next, these bioaccessibility data were used to compute risk based soil concentrations incorporating bioaccessibility, which indicated that bioaccessibility would be useful in an HHRA only at sites with low concentrations of As, Sb, and Cd, but could refine the risk estimates for Al, Fe, and Cr in all scenarios. Then, a continuous on-line leaching method (COLM) using a high-pressure extraction setup was demonstrated to provide similar results as the validated US EPA and UBM bioaccessibility methods but in a fraction of the time. For the first time, the COLM was also used to assess the effect of toasting on the bioaccessibility of As, Cd, and Pb in gluten free and rye bread. Although As, Cd, and Pb were mostly bioaccessible, whether the bread was toasted or not, toasting lowered their concentrations by 1.5-2.5 fold. Finally, the unique dynamic kinetic extraction information afforded by the COLM allowed for the identification of Pb isotope ratios that matched tetraethyl lead in both the reference soil BGS 102 and rye bread samples.

abstract: PhD


title: Paleoecotoxicology of smelting-affected lakes near Sudbury (Ontario, Canada)

contributor:
Smol, John
Paterson, Andrew
Biology

subject:
Paleolimnology
Chironomidae
Chaoboridae
Cladocera
Diptera
Branchipoda
Sedimentary Metals
Spectral inferences

abstract: For over a century, Sudbury (Ontario, Canada) has been a major copper-nickel metal smelter centre. Emissions of acidifying compounds and metal particulates beginning in the 1880s damaged thousands of lakes and watersheds in the region. Emission controls introduced in the 1960s and 1970s greatly affected water chemistry. Despite evidence of chemical recovery, comparatively little is known about long-term changes in aquatic biota of affected lakes. Here, I use three paleolimnological approaches to assess spatial and long-term temporal trends in cladocerans (Branchiopoda: Cladocera) and chironomids (Diptera: Chironomidae). First, a survey of >60 lakes revealed that recent cladoceran assemblages were related to lakewater specific conductance in combination with nutrients, alkalinity, and lake depth, whereas recent chironomid assemblages are structured primarily by lake depth and secondarily by copper and calcium concentrations. Second, a comparison of recent and pre-industrial sediments using a “top-bottom approach” demonstrated that both cladoceran and chironomid assemblages changed modestly. Acid- and metal-tolerant taxa were more common in recent sediments. In cladoceran assemblages, the Daphnia longispina complex was partially replaced by the D. pulex complex, which was more tolerant of low-calcium conditions in our focal lakes; further modern zooplankton monitoring may refine this interpretation by determining which species are represented in the morphological species complexes in sediment records. For both indicators, early colonist taxa were more common in recent sediments. I also found that recent cladoceran assemblages clustered spatially, which may be the result of historical contamination and modern stressors. Finally, I examined four lakes with varying environmental histories to compare recovery trajectories, establish baseline conditions, and assess biotic changes during peak emissions. Lake acidification and metal contamination altered all proxies in acid-sensitive lakes. The most consistent changes in invertebrate assemblages were the loss of littoral/sub-littoral taxa during acidification, the replacement of acid-/metal-sensitive taxa with tolerant assemblages, and the lack of recovery in recent sediments. Overall, these results suggest that cladoceran and chironomid assemblages responded to historical smelting activities, with limited biological recovery to pre-industrial conditions. Placing recovery trajectories in the context of modern environmental stressors, such as recent climatic change, will continue to be important for future mitigation efforts.

abstract: PhD


title: Glucocorticoid administration and hyperglycemia in adults with hematological malignancies: A population-level retrospective cohort study

contributor:
Tranmer, Joan
Sawhney, Mona
Nursing

subject: diabetes, glucocorticoids, steroids, Hodgkin’s, lymphoma, leukemia, cancer, chemotherapy, acute care, hyperglycemia

abstract:
Objective: Hyperglycemia is a common side effect of glucocorticoids; a medication used frequently in hematological chemotherapy treatment. This study determined the association with glucocorticoid usage; new-onset diabetes, new-onset hyperglycemia, hyperglycemia; acute care utilization; and mortality.
Methods: This retrospective cohort study utilized health administrative data from ICES, formerly the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences. Adults aged >18 years from Ontario, Canada with a primary diagnosis of leukemia, Hodgkin’s lymphoma (HL) or non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL) were included between January 1, 2006 and December 31, 2016. Adjusted negative binomial regression or modified Poisson regression with robust variance estimation was used to describe relative risk. Cox proportional hazard models and Kaplan-Meier curves were used to derive hazard ratios and event probability
Results: 19,530 individuals undergoing chemotherapy were identified. Patients with leukemia had the highest rate of new-onset diabetes, new-onset hyperglycemia and hyperglycemia: 7.1% (n=279),18.1% (n=641) and 25.4% (n=1,201) respectively, followed by those with NHL: 4.0% (n=385) vs. 10.2%, (n=923) vs. 17.9% (n=2,170) and HL: 2.8% (n=59) vs. 6.6% (n=133) vs. 10.2% (n=234). Glucocorticoid exposure was associated with an increased risk of new-onset diabetes (HR 1.29; 95% CI 1.01-1.64; p=0.04), new-onset hyperglycemia (HR 1.28; 95% CI 1.09-1.5; p=0.003, RR 1.87; 95% CI 1.03-1.83; p=0.03) and hyperglycemia (HR 1.14; 95% CI 1.02-1.28; p=0.02) in the leukemia cohort.
Increased frequency of acute care utilization was noted in patients with hyperglycemia, compared to those without, during chemotherapy across all cancer cohorts: leukemia (76.3%, n=488 vs. 58.2%, n=2,610), NHL (73.9%, n=930 vs. 60.9%, n=6,599) and HL (74%, n=91 vs. 59.1%, n=1,163), and the combined (HR 1.18; 95% CI 1.09-1.27; p=<0.0001) and NHL (HR 1.16; 95% CI 1.04-1.28; p=0.007) cohorts saw an increase in mortality in patients who experience hyperglycemia.
Conclusions: Hyperglycemia during and after chemotherapy is common. Patients with leukemia undergoing chemotherapy are at higher risk for hyperglycemic states. Patients with hyperglycemia were more likely to utilize acute care resources and had an increased risk of mortality. Hematological cancer protocols and guidelines should include hyperglycemia interventions such as screening, monitoring, management and patient education.

abstract: PhD


title: Grounding Our Meals on Wheels Program in Community Voice: Exploring Food Practices and Perceived Wholistic Health in Wahta Mohawk Territory

contributor:
Lévesque, Lucie
Kinesiology and Health Studies

subject:
Indigenous Health
Community-Based Participatory Research
Older Adults
Storytelling Sessions

abstract:
Introduction: Food practices and wholistic health are two concepts that have been altered by the colonization of Indigenous peoples living in Canada. Research literature exploring the relationship between current food practices and wholistic health among Indigenous older adults remains sparse.

Purpose: To address the community-identified need of understanding how the community Meals on Wheels (MOW) program can nourish the perceived wholistic health of the older adults it serves on-reserve in Wahta Mohawk Territory.

Methods: A community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach was adopted in harmony with an Indigenous epistemological stance of the Two Row paradigm and guidance from Wahta’s Community Health and Cultural Healing principles. Storytelling sessions were held via telephone with 10 older adults living in Wahta who subscribe to the MOW program.

Data Analysis: A reflexive thematic analysis was undertaken to identify emerging themes from the data following Braun and Clarke’s (2021) steps to a reflexive thematic analysis.

Results: From the storytelling sessions, four prominent themes emerged: 'Evolving Food Practices in Wahta', 'With Age Come Changes in Life', 'Sourcing Food Locally in Wahta' and 'Continuing to Gather with Food' and their related sub-themes.

Discussion: A community-based conceptual model grounded in the resultant themes is presented and discussed as symbol of a community-grounded MOW program that nourishes the perceived wholistic health of the older adults in Wahta Mohawk Territory.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Training Considerations and Implementation of Robotic Assessments of Upper Limb Function in A Nonhuman Primate Model of Chronic Stroke

contributor:
Cook, Douglas James
Neuroscience Studies

subject:
Nonhuman primate
Chronic stroke
Robotic assessment

abstract: During the development of potential stroke therapies, preclinical studies using animal models are crucial for evaluating safety and efficacy prior to human clinical trials. In designing preclinical studies, there are a number of experimental considerations that must be taken into account including selection of the appropriate animal model and method of stroke induction. These considerations depend critically both on the nature of therapy development and on the specific pathophysiological mechanism of damage that is being targeted. Despite published recommendations, preclinical stroke research is still a murky landscape without unifying methodologies on the assessment of behavioral or histological measures of outcome. The emergence of robotic forms of assessment and therapy could prove a useful tool for solving the problem of differing methodologies during behavioral assessment. Specifically, robotic technologies can be programmed to run certain tasks, and the motor movements of upper and lower limbs and the trunk recorded with high spatial and temporal resolution. Moreover, the same robotic assessments can also be performed on human subjects with ease, and functional outcomes as assessed by the same tasks compared between preclinical animal models of stroke and human stroke patients. Such studies could provide novel insight into behavioral and neural mechanisms underlying injury and recovery. The chapters of this thesis explore these topics and outline the feasibility, training, and ethical considerations of using a nonhuman primate model of chronic stroke and the characterization of motor deficits following ischemic stroke using robotic technologies. We first demonstrate that large numbers of animals can be trained to learn robotic assessment tasks in a timely manner. Subsequently, we show that robotic assessments of upper limb deficits in a visually guided reaching task following stroke are similar to those seen in human patients. Robotic assessments also reveal spasticity in contralesional elbows following injury. Lastly, we demonstrate that stroke affects the ability to counter externally applied postural perturbations. Taken together, these chapters demonstrate that assessing motor deficits in a nonhuman primate model of stroke using robotic technologies is a useful framework in which to test novel stroke therapies and interventions prior to human trials.

abstract: PhD


title: Shameless Gentrification Narratives: Towards an Understanding of the Ideological Underpinnings of Urban Restructuring Storylines on Television

contributor:
Hosek, Jennifer
Cultural Studies

subject:
Shameless
gentrification
textual analysis
class
carnivalesque
defamiliarization
television studies
cultural studies
ideology
Marxism
feminism
qualitative research
neoliberalism

abstract: This qualitative research project queries the representations of gentrification scenes in the United States (U.S.) version of Shameless to answer the research question: What do the storylines of gentrification on Shameless tell the viewing publics about the causes and consequences of gentrification? I review the manifest content of scenes alongside a multitude of latent ideologies that my textual analyses uncovered. My investigation reveals that Shameless both perpetuates and challenges hegemonic ideology and that at times the ideological subtexts conflict with the manifest storylines on urban restructuring. By narrating the stories of members of a large, normatively dysfunctional, poor, White family in present-day urban Chicago, Shameless articulates subjective positionalities of the working-poor and barely working-class. In choosing to tell stories from the perspective of economically disadvantaged protagonists, this series diverges from a normative, middle-class televisual representation. The show is also unusual in how it deploys the technical codes of television: Shameless toys with televisual conventions and articulates its own discursive logics about the Southside neighbourhood and its class. Further, the show deploys an us versus them binary predicated on class unpredictably; that is, this binary does not faithfully adhere to logics that a particular political stance would seem to demand. My key finding is that, despite its potentially subversive choice of protagonists and use of storylines that expose some of the causes and consequences of gentrification, Shameless leaves several structural causes under-illuminated. The reasons for this are twofold. First, Shameless’s unreliability as a text compromises its ability to offer a sustained critique of public policy, particularly as it relates to the urban restructuring process of gentrification. Second, Shameless individualizes the gentrifier and focuses on the socio-cultural aspects of the process. Thus, its narrative logics silence neoliberal capitalism’s role in gentrification.

abstract: M.A.