title: Contact zone dynamics and the evolution of reproductive isolation in a North American treefrog, the spring peeper (Pseudacris crucifer)

contributor:
Lougheed, Stephen C.
Biology

subject:
diversification
reinforcement selection
reproductive isolation
range fragmentation
speciation
hybridization

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Biology) -- Queen's University, 2013-03-04 16:01:33.892

abstract:
Despite over seven decades of speciation research and 25 years of phylogeographic studies, a comprehensive understanding of mechanisms that generate biological species remains elusive. In temperate zones, the pervasiveness of range fragmentation and subsequent range expansions suggests that secondary contact between diverging lineages may be important in the evolution of species. Thus, such contact zones provide compelling opportunities to investigate evolutionary processes, particularly the roles of geographical isolation in initiating, and indirect selection against hybrids in completing (reinforcement), the evolution of reproductive isolation and speciation.
The spring peeper (Pseudacris crucifer) has six well-supported mitochondrial lineages many of which are now in secondary contact. Here I investigate the evolutionary consequences of secondary contact of two such lineages (Eastern and Interior) in Southwestern Ontario using genetic, morphological, acoustical, experimental, and behavioural evidence to show accentuated divergence of the mate recognition system in sympatry.
	Mitochondrial and microsatellite data distinguish these two lineages but also show ongoing hybridization. Bayesian assignment tests and cline analysis imply asymmetrical introgression of Eastern lineage nuclear markers into Interior populations. Male calls are divergent between Eastern and Interior allopatric populations and show asymmetrical reproductive character displacement in sympatry. Female preference of pure lineage individuals is also exaggerated in sympatry, with hybrids showing intermediate traits and preference. I suggest that these patterns are most consistent with secondary reinforcement.
	I assessed levels of post-zygotic isolation between the Eastern and Interior lineages using a laboratory hybridization experiment. Hybrid tadpoles showed equal to or greater fitness than their pure lineage counterparts, but this may be countered through competition. More deformities and developmental anomalies in hybrid tadpoles further suggest post-zygotic isolation.
	Despite evidence for pre-mating isolation between the two lineages, isolation appears incomplete (i.e. hybridization is ongoing). I hypothesize that potentially less attractive hybrids may circumvent female choice by adopting satellite behaviour. Although mating tactics are related to body size, genetic status may play a role. I show that pure Eastern males almost always engage in calling, while hybrids adopt a satellite tactic. An absence of assortative mating, despite evidence of female preference, suggests successful satellite interception possibly facilitating introgression.

abstract: PhD


title: Recovery as a Guide for Environmental Enhancement in Group Homes for People With a Mental Illness: a Social-Ecological Approach

contributor:
Krupa, Terry
Rehabilitation Science

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:
Recovery
Mental Illness
Housing

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Rehabilitation Science) -- Queen's University, 2013-02-27 23:27:44.925

abstract:
Background: As the paradigm underlying mental health care slowly shifts from an approach primarily institutional and medical in its orientation toward one more community-based and recovery-oriented, housing needs have come to the forefront. Many people with persistent mental illness accept group home living situations that do not necessarily meet their needs, and do not align with the recovery vision. Research focused on recovery for residents of group homes is all but absent in the literature.
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the challenges and opportunities for enabling group homes to increase their capacity to serve as an environment that integrates the recovery vision.
Method: Using ethnographic methods, this case study examined the cultural milieu of a group home, how recovery is understood within the setting, and the impact of policies and practices on enacting the recovery vision. By converging multiple strategies for data collection (participant observation, key informant interviews, and document analysis), a multi-level perspective was achieved. The use of the social-ecological model, with its attention to multiple levels of influence, emerged as a highly relevant perspective, without which the recovery vision cannot be realized.
Findings: The culture within the home revealed a comfortable atmosphere, basic needs being met, access to planned and unplanned activity, and caring relationships with staff, which contribute to a place attachment that could be difficult to loosen. There is a lack of awareness of recovery-enabling practice at multiple levels, which emerged as a key challenge to its implementation. Although some policies at the government level support self-sufficiency as an important objective, others make progress towards this ideal difficult, if not impossible, such as those related to funding. The focus on enhancing well-being in the day-to-day setting subsumes the growth goals associated with recovery.
Conclusion: Integrating the recovery vision within group home could benefit from confronting well-established approaches, embracing advocacy roles, and addressing mechanisms for change at multiple levels. Only then will people with mental illness living in group homes reap the benefits of social justice, social inclusion and full citizenship that come with recovery.

abstract: PhD


title: Flexural Behaviour of Fibre Reinforced Polymer Strengthened Reinforced Concrete Beams at Elevated Temperatures

contributor:
Green, Mark F.
Civil Engineering

subject: Flexural FRP Reinforced Concrete CFRP Greg Shier Strengthening Fire Hot Temperature Climates Green Flexure

abstract: Thesis (Master, Civil Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2013-02-28 15:14:31.336

abstract:
Fibre reinforced polymers (FRPs) have gained considerable popularity as a building and repair material. In particular, FRPs have been an economical means of extending the life of structures. As time passes, an increased number and variety of new and old structures are incorporating FRPs as reinforcement and for rehabilitation. Perhaps most common are their applications for bridge structures. Much of the reluctance towards the inclusion of FRP as primary reinforcement or as a rehabilitation measure in building structures is due to its poor performance in fires. In order to move forward with an understanding of how FRP may overcome its temperature-related short comings, it is important to explore the behaviour of FRP, and structures which utilize FRP for reinforcement, at elevated temperatures.
The results of a testing program including eleven high temperature, two room temperature intermediate-scale, FRP-strengthened, and one unstrengthened reinforced concrete beam tests are presented. The elevated temperature tests were conducted on both un-post-cured and post-cured FRP strengthening at temperatures up to 211°C. The tests also utilized a novel method for heating and post-curing FRP-strengthening in place. The strengthened beams exhibited strength gains above the unstrengthened reference beam, and it has been demonstrated that post-curing of an FRP system can be effective at increasing an FRP’s performance at elevated temperatures. Exposed to constant temperatures, un-post-cured specimens still exhibited substantial FRP strength at exposure temperatures up to Tg+79°C. Post-cured specimens exhibited similar performance at temperatures of Tg+43°C. The transient temperature tests resulted in beam failure at an average temperature of 186°C and 210°C for un-post-cured and post-cured FRP strengthening respectively at a constant applied load level 93% of that of the room temperature strengthened control beam. The results of this testing program demonstrate that FRP strengthening can remain effective when exposed to temperatures well above the measured value of Tg.

abstract: M.A.Sc.


title: Modeling the Influence of Design Geometry on the Coining Process

contributor:
Jeswiet, Jack
Mechanical and Materials Engineering

subject: FEA Coin Manufacturing

abstract: Thesis (Master, Mechanical and Materials Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2013-03-01 06:28:50.729

abstract:
A number of aspects of the coining process are investigated, both through experimentation using several types of tooling using blanks made of copper 110 or brass 260, and by developing and using a FEA model. Several relationships have been found which describe the effects of changing the type of coin blank or the geometry of the coining tooling on how much volume of the coin is formed at different forces.

The open-die bulk upsetting test was used to find the true stress and strain curves of both materials, and the ring test was used to determine the coefficient of friction. Coins were made over a large range of forces in order to test the general nature of how the diameter and design of a coin are formed. While the diameter begins to increase, the thickness of the coin reduces and material is pushed into the punch cavity, filling the design’s volume up rather linearly.

Tests on the effects of changes in the wall angle were inconclusive. As the punch design depth increased the force requirement went down in a manner roughly inverse to the ratio of the increase in depth. Effects of coining with a punch on one side versus two sides were tested. Effects of the perimeter of the punch design showed that a longer perimeter actually reduced the forces required for thinner coins, a difference that got smaller as the coin blanks got thicker.

Blanks required 1.4 times the force to form than a coin half its thickness. A direct correlation of forming force to the yield stress of the material was expected but rather appeared to be related to the full nature of the true stress-strain curves.
The FEA model was able to match experimental results relatively closely, but only up to about 333.3 kN, the lowest force used for the bulk of the experimental samples. The FEA model provided a good look into what happens to the coin while it is under load and the mysteries of ghost coining were unveiled.

abstract: M.A.Sc.


title: Electrically Actuated Micropost Arrays for Droplet Manipulation

contributor:
Karan, Kunal
Barz, Dominik P. J.
Chemical Engineering

subject:
superhydrophobic
wetting gradient
droplet microfluidics
PDMS
polydimethylsiloxane
titanium dioxide
digital microfluidics
lab on a chip
micropost
micropillar
array
dielectric elastomer actuator
high aspect ratio

abstract: Thesis (Master, Chemical Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2013-03-03 17:25:49.785

abstract: Precise manipulation of heterogeneous droplets on an open droplet microfluidic platform could have numerous practical advantages in a broad range of applications, from proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells and microreactors, to medical diagnostic platforms capable of assaying complex biological analytes. Toward the aim of developing electrically controllable micropost arrays for use in open droplet manipulation, custom-designed titanium dioxide (TiO2)- loaded poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) micropost arrays were developed in this work and indirectly mechanically actuated by applying an electric field. Initial experiments explored the bulk properties of TiO2-loaded PDMS films, with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) confirming a uniform TiO2 particle distribution in the PDMS, and tensile testing of bulk films showing an inverse relationship between TiO2 % (w/w) and Young’s Modulus with the Young’s Moduli quantified as 4.22 ± 0.51 MPa for unloaded PDMS, 2.27 ± 0.18 MPa for 10 % (w/w) TiO2, and 1.39 ± 0.20 MPa for 20 % (w/w) TiO2. Following bulk material evaluation, soft lithography methods were developed to fabricate TiO2- loaded PDMS micropost arrays. Mathematical predictions were applied to design microposts of varying shape, length, and gap spacing to yield super-hydrophobic surfaces actuatable by an electric field. Visual inspection and optical microscopy of the resulting arrays confirmed a non- collapsed micropost geometry. Overall, round microposts that were 100, 200, and 300 μm in length, 15 μm in diameter, and spaced 50 μm apart were produced largely free of defects, and used in contact angle measurements and micropost deflection experiments. Droplet contact angles measured on the arrays remained above 120° indicating the arrays successfully provided super- hydrophobic surfaces. Individual microposts deflected most notably above an electric field strength of 520 kV/m (12.5 kV nominal voltage). The ability to mechanically deflect customized microposts using an electric field demonstrated by this work is promising for translating this technology to precise droplet manipulation applications. Indirect actuation of droplets could enable the manipulation of liquids with varying electrical properties, which is a limitation of current micropumping technologies. Once optimized, electrically actuated micropost arrays could significantly contribute to the micro- handling of heterogeneous, highly ionic, and/or deionized fluids.

abstract: M.A.Sc.


title: Endothelial cell synthesis of Factor VIII

contributor:
Lillicrap, David
Pathology and Molecular Medicine

subject:
Shear Stress
Hemophilia A
Factor VIII
Endothelial Cells

abstract: Thesis (Master, Pathology & Molecular Medicine) -- Queen's University, 2013-03-04 17:00:27.994

abstract: Factor VIII (FVIII) is an essential blood-clotting protein and mutations in the FVIII gene are the cause of hemophilia A, a severe inherited bleeding disorder. FVIII synthesis has been observed in discreet endothelial sub-populations including liver sinusoidal endothelial cells and in selected microvascular beds. The mechanistic basis for this differential expression is unknown. Differences in shear stress are believed to play an important role in determining endothelial heterogeneity. In this study, we have evaluated the effect of various shear stress conditions on FVIII expression in blood outgrowth endothelial progenitor cells (BOECs) with an in vitro flow system. Under static conditions, BOECs do not express FVIII. In contrast, after exposure to laminar shear stress for 48 hrs, a significant increase in FVIII expression was documented by qRT-PCR, regardless of the magnitude of shear stress studied (1, 5, 15 and 30 dynes/cm2). To determine the effect of prolonged shear stress, laminar flow was applied over 120 hrs and FVIII mRNA levels returned to static levels. Induction of gene expression by laminar shear stress followed by repression after longer durations is common to other pro-coagulant genes induced by non-laminar or oscillatory flow (eg. tissue factor). BOECs exposed to 15 dyne/cm2 of shear stress, oscillating every 0.5 sec for 120 hrs, had FVIII mRNA levels 4.7-fold that of cells in static conditions. This was significantly higher than FVIII expression in BOECs exposed to 15 dyne/cm2 of laminar shear stress for the same duration. Expression of KLF2, a transcription factor that suppresses endothelial pro-coagulant gene expression under laminar shear stress, was significantly reduced in BOECs exposed to oscillatory as opposed to laminar shear stress. Finally, in BOECs exposed to oscillatory shear stress, FVIII protein was synthesized and co-localizes with its carrier protein VWF in Weibel-Palade bodies. These studies show that shear stress is a significant regulator of FVIII expression in BOECs, that FVIII expression is inversely correlated with that of KLF2, and that FVIII protein co-localizes with VWF in these cells.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: A Low-Complexity Architecture and Framework for Enabling Cognition in Heterogenous Wireless Sensor Networks

contributor:
Ibnkahla, Mohamed
Kim, Il-Min
Electrical and Computer Engineering

subject:
Cognition
Wireless sensor network
Heterogeneous
Architecture

abstract: Thesis (Master, Electrical & Computer Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2013-03-04 12:39:24.502

abstract:
Rapid advances in hardware technology are making it possible to manufacture different types of Sensor Nodes (SN) that results in fast growing heterogeneous Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs). These WSN’s are applicable for a wide range of applications relevant for military, industry and domestic use.  However, WSNs have particular features such as scarce resources which can affect their performance. In addition, WSNs are subject to experience changes that can occur both within the condition of the network, due to factors such as node mobility or node failure (prevalent in harsh environments), and with regards to user requirements. Consequently, it is vital for WSNs to sense the current network conditions and user requirements to be able to perform efficiently. Cognition is necessarily introduced in WSNs as a response to this need. Cognition in the context of WSNs deals with the ability to be aware of the environment and user requirements and to proactively adapt to changes.
This thesis proposes a hierarchical architecture along with a cognitive network management protocol capable of enabling cognition in WSNs. Specifically; this research introduces Cognitive Nodes (CN) into WSNs so that they can manage the cognitive network. The cognitive network management process is composed of three sub-processes: 1) scanning the network, 2) decision-making, and 3) updating the nodes from taken decisions.Scanning the network process aims to provide an awareness of current network conditions. Therefore, at the first execution, each CN creates a profile table for each node in its purview and updates the tables periodically during the network operation. In decision making process, CNs make necessary decisions in terms of the working state of SNs (active/sleep), the duration of this state, and the Frequency of Sensing (FoS). Decision making process uses an optimization scheme to find the optimal number of active SNs in order to prolong the lifetime of the network. Finally, the nodes will be informed of the taken decisions. Based on the simulation and implementation results, the proposed cognitive WSN shows a significant enhancement in terms of the network’s longevity, its ability to negotiate competing objectives, and its ability to serve users more efficiently.

abstract: M.A.Sc.


title: Studies on the Measurement and Modeling of Lattice Strains in Rolled Zircaloy-2

contributor:
Daymond, Mark R.
Mechanical and Materials Engineering

subject:
Diffraction
Twinning
Plastic Deformation
Zirconium
Lattice Strains
Nuclear

abstract: Thesis (Master, Mechanical and Materials Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2013-03-05 19:37:19.995

abstract:
Neutron diffraction is a widely used technique for measuring internal stresses inside polycrystalline materials.  By examining the diffraction patterns collected during in situ uniaxial deformation, the lattice strains along various crystallographic directions can be calculated.  These lattice strains give insight into the active deformation mechanisms active within the material during plastic deformation.  This is most commonly done by fitting model results to the experimentally measured lattice strains through an iterative process of refining the model parameters.

A numerical optimization technique was successfully applied to the problem of refining the input parameters of an elastoplastic self-consistent (EPSC) model.  The results were found to be comparable to those obtained by a past researcher manually refining the model parameters and subjectively judging the fit to the experimental data.  The numerical optimization method was able to reach an acceptable result much faster than is possible by a human being (days as opposed to weeks or months), meaning that it has the potential to reduce the turn-around time from data collection to interpretation/publication significantly.

At the same time, common experimental techniques for conducting diffraction experiments during uniaxial deformation tests were examined.  It is common to use an interrupted loading scheme where the sample is brought to a certain loading condition and then held steady while the neutron data is collected, a processes that often takes several minutes.  This interrupted loading may be done such that the sample is held at constant stress, strain, or simply by having the load frame stay in a constant position.  Each of these different loading modes results in a particular type of relaxation within the sample as it is being held, so a series of experiments were conducted to investigate any impact these different relaxation types may have on the measured values of the lattice strains.  Overall it was found that both qualitative and quantitative differences in the recorded data can arise as a result of the different loading modes, and that such differences tend to manifest themselves at or near the point at which the material begins to yield macroscopically.

abstract: M.A.Sc.


title: Finding Tadoda:ho An Autoethnography of Healing Historical Trauma

contributor:
Lewis, Magda Gere
Education

subject:
Indigenous Story
Autoethnography
Performative Text
Healing

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Education) -- Queen's University, 2013-03-06 14:34:46.945

abstract:
Abstract
Framed within a wholly Indigenous  paradigm - Gayanehsragowah  - my dissertation is a counterstory constructed to engage colonialism in a decolonizing research and writing project. I chose story, an autoethnographic novel, as form to represent Indigenous reflexive method; a metaphoric text performed to unlock metaphor’s meaning, once known, I see through to and refract truth upon my own life story implicit within that text. To illustrate human potential for healing and self-change, I construct pedagogical relationship between lived experience and theoretical meaning in interlocking and entangled threads inseparable from form, not possible in conventional thesis organization. Tadoda:ho, the Great Law icon for transformation centers my inquiry into effects of cultural, social and political disconnection from Hodinohso:ni:  systems; in particular, I examine historical unresolved grief carried both over the life span and across generations. I use Denzin’s approach to critical personal narrative, Ellis’s autoethnographic method and Richardson’s creative analytical practice to create an interpretive text comprised of short stories, poetry, conversations, dialogue, visual representation and layered accounts. My inquiry reveals Battiste’s transforming energy flux, which I call spirit, manifests in Indigenous language structures, and similar to Ellis’s evocative and analytical texts, once voiced through writing, creates change in the universe and in self. Critical reflection and representation of an Indigenous world in constant motion to renew livingness lends key knowledge that reconnection to ancestral histories, lands, and cultures restores Indigenous identity to resolve the trauma of historical grief. As Gayanehsragowah is performative healing narrative, my inquiry intends to add new knowledge of Indigenous story as form with power to inform self-change.

abstract: PhD


title: Development of a Micro-scale Cathode Catalyst Layer Model of Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell

contributor:
Pharoah, Jon G.
Mechanical and Materials Engineering

subject:
PEMFC catalyst layer
micro-model micro-strcuture

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Mechanical and Materials Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2013-03-06 15:55:21.564

abstract:
In this work, a micro-model of the catalyst layer of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) was developed.
The micro-model includes the transport phenomena and the reaction kinetics within a three dimensional micro-structure representing a sample of PEMFC catalyst layer.
Proper physical boundary conditions have been described on the surfaces of the sample as well as on the interfaces between
the regions through which all constituents are solved in a coupled manner. A four-phase micro-structure of CL was reconstructed, the platinum particles were resolved in the
computational grid generation and the governing equations
were solved within platinum region. A body-fitted computational mesh was
generated for the reconstructed micro-structure of CL. The number of computational cells were optimized based on how close to an analytical sphere the magnitude of the
surface area of a sphere can be captured after generating the computational cells. The interfaces with important physical phenomena were more refined than the rest of
the interfaces, specially the electrochemically active reaction surface. The computational mesh was checked for a grid independent numerical solution. The Knudsen effects was included
by calculating the characteristic length in the pore region. Four different cases of including Knudsen effects were studied. Also, a comparison was made between solution with and without
Knudsen effects. A physical model of oxygen dissolution was developed, the oxygen dissolution at the interface between pore and ionomer was treated as an superficial phenomenon. The performance
curves were produced and provided for the
reconstructed micro-structure along with the distribution of field variables. A length study of the reconstructed micro-structure was conducted such that the results from
the micro-modeling can capture the trend in variable distributions observed in the macro-modeling of CL or experiments. A platinum loading study was preformed and the anomalous phenomena of
dramatic increase in oxygen transport resistance observed in some experimental works was explained by isolating the ionomer region of the CL micro-structure and numerically calculating
the shape factor for diffusive transport. It was found that the increase in oxygen transport resistance is due to the increase in diffusion pathway and decrease in the transport surface area.

abstract: PhD


title: Keeping it in the Family: The (Re-) Production of Conjugal Citizens Through Canadian Immigration Policy and Practice

contributor:
Little, Margaret
Political Studies

subject:
Family Diversity
Canadian Immigration Policy

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Political Studies) -- Queen's University, 2013-03-06 20:33:38.518

abstract: This is an examination of how conjugality acts as an access point for Canadian citizenship. The conjugal family unit — married or common-law — continues to be privileged in Canadian law and policy; this is especially evident in immigration policy and practice. Family class immigration continues to be a steady source of immigrants for Canada, spousal/partner sponsorship being the primary type of family reunification. In order to control access, a strict understanding of conjugality is used to distinguish between legitimate and illegitimate families. When it comes to family class immigration, it is not simply a case of individuals sponsoring individuals; it is about the state producing and maintaining the ideal family unit through the provision of citizenship. My analysis proceeds in two main parts.  First, I engage with mainstream Canadian citizenship theory — focusing specifically on the work of Will Kymlicka and Rita Dhamoon — and analyze its focus on the individual citizen. Moreover, I examine how the state’s asymmetrical treatment of conjugality has created two versions of the conjugal family — the inside family (families within Canadian borders) and the outside family (families outside Canadian borders). Second, I explore the state’s reliance on conjugal relationships in their assessment of potential immigrants and refugees in three areas of immigration policy — the assessment of sexual minority refugee claimants, the assessment of common-law couples seeking sponsorship, and the government’s current crackdown on marriage fraud. Combined, these examples speak to the Canadian state’s vested interest in privileging the conjugal family unit; furthermore, they highlight how the inconsistent and often ambiguous treatment of conjugality undermines its effectiveness as the primary mode of identification in family class immigration. In summary, this dissertation integrates families into a body of scholarship that has ignored the role that one’s personal relationships plays in the provision of state access.

abstract: PhD


title: Colonial Anxiety and Primitivism in Modernist Fiction: Woolf, Freud, Forster, Stein

contributor:
McIntire, Gabrielle
Varadharajan, Asha
English

subject:
English Literature
Modernism
Psychoanalysis
Colonial Anxiety
Primitivism
Virginia Woolf
Gertrude Stein
Sigmund Freud
E.M. Forster

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, English) -- Queen's University, 2013-03-11 16:48:57.865

abstract: From W.H. Auden’s The Age of Anxiety to Sigmund Freud’s Civilization and Its Discontents, modernists have frequently attested to the anxiety permeating members of modern civilisation. While critics have treated anxiety as a consequence of the historical circumstances of the modernist period—two World Wars and the disintegration of European empires—my aim is to view anxiety in both a psychoanalytical and political light and investigate modernist anxiety as a narrative ploy that diagnoses the modern condition. Defining modernist anxiety as feelings of fear and alienation that reveal the uncanny relation between self and ideological state apparatuses which themselves suffer from trauma, perversion, and neurosis—I focus on the works of four key modernist writers—Sigmund Freud, Virginia Woolf, E.M. Forster, and Gertrude Stein. These authors have repeatedly constructed the mind as an open system, making the psyche one of the sites most vulnerable to the power of colonial ideology but also the modernist space par excellence to narrate the building and falling of empire. While the first part of my dissertation investigates the neurosis of post-war London in Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway, the second part of my thesis discusses the perverse demands of the colonial system in Forster’s A Passage to India and Woolf’s The Waves, arguing that Woolf and Forster extend Freud’s understanding of repetition compulsion by demonstrating that the colonial system derives a “perverse” pleasure from repeating its own impossible demands. The concluding section of my dissertation discusses Woolf and Stein’s queer primitivism as the antidote to anxiety and the transcendence of perversity. My dissertation revives Freud’s role in the modernist project: Freud not only provides avant-garde writers with a theory of consciousness, but his construction of the fragmented psyche—a construction which had come to dominate modernist renditions of internality by the early-twentieth century—functions as a political stratagem for an imperial critique.

abstract: I choose to restrict my thesis, because I will continue to work on my research and shape this dissertation into a book.

abstract: PhD


title: Flexural Performance and Moment Connections of Concrete-Filled GFRP Tubes (CFFTs) and CFFT-encased Steel I-Sections

contributor:
Fam, Amir Z.
Civil Engineering

subject:
CFFTs
structural engineering

abstract: Thesis (Master, Civil Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2013-03-11 19:08:17.048

abstract:
The first part of this thesis addresses a new hybrid system, concrete-filled FRP tube (CFFT)-encased steel I-sections. The embedded steel section enhances flexural strength, stiffness and ductility, and facilitates connection of the CFFT member to footings or other members. Phase I addresses the flexural behaviour of the system through the testing of beam specimens with GFRP tubes which vary in thickness and laminate structure. The steel section enhances performance considerably, especially ductility, in tubes with cross-ply laminates, where significant sustained reserve strength remains upon fracture of the tube. CFFTs with angle-ply tubes show considerable inherent ductility on their own, although adding the steel section enhances strength and stiffness. Phase II addresses the development of a moment connection through cantilever tests. The connection consists of steel base plates welded to the steel sections, which are embedded into CFFT members at various length-to-span (Ls/L) ratios between 0.1 and 1.0. Three distinct failure modes are observed. At (Ls/L) ratios below 0.17, premature bond failure occurs. At ratios of 0.17 to 0.47, flexural tension failure of the tube occurs just beyond the free end of the steel section. Beyond a 0.47 ratio, the plastic hinge capacity is developed at the fixed end. A simple design-oriented model to predict strengths of the connection at the full range of (Ls/L) ratios is developed and validated. Also, a readily available computer program is adopted to model flexural behaviour of the CFFT-steel member itself.
The second part of the thesis investigates unreinforced CFFT members, with emphasis on moment connections to concrete footings. The study explores the effect of maximum shear and maximum moment, both occurring at the same location, on the ultimate strength of CFFTs. Testing involves simple beams and cantilever specimens with varying shear spans and fixed end arrangements. End conditions consist of either direct embedment into concrete blocks with steel dowels, or mechanical clamping. For the cross-ply GFRP tubes used, the presence of shear at the location of maximum moment near the connection of the cantilevers does not reduce flexural capacity. Slip can prevent the CFFT member from attaining the potential moment capacity in spite of the tube failing due to tensile rupture.

abstract: M.A.Sc.


title: A study of deformation twinning in magnesium alloy AZ31B

contributor:
Daymond, Mark R.
Diak, Bradley J.
Mechanical and Materials Engineering

subject:
magnesium
X-ray diffraction
twinning

abstract: Thesis (Master, Mechanical and Materials Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2013-03-12 13:40:26.039

abstract:
Crystals with a hexagonal close-packed crystal structure are inherently anisotropic, and have a limited number of independent slip systems, which lead to strong deformation textures and reduced formability in polycrystalline products. In magnesium (Mg), all of the easy slip systems have a Burgers vector in the <a> direction making twinning necessary for arbitrary shape changes. The most common twinning system which allows extension along the c-axis is {10-12}<10-11>. A good predictor of slip is the global Schmid factor, which resolves the externally applied force onto the slip plane and direction of a crystal. The critically resolved shear stress (CRSS) at which a grain twins is not readily measured by experiment and the CRSS for twin initiation often appears larger than for twin propagation. In polycrystals, twin variants with both low and high Schmid factors have been observed indicating that this Schmid factor is inappropriate to predict twinning and more local effects play an important, though still uncertain role.

In this work, experiments were devised to dynamically study extension twinning in a polycrystalline Mg alloy AZ31B with a strong basal rolling texture by tensile deformation parallel to the plate normal. Three-dimensional X-ray diffraction using a synchrotron source was used to map the centre-of-mass positions, orientations, and grain-resolved elastic strain tensors of over 1000 grains in-situ up to a true strain of 1.4%. The majority of twins formed in grains with a high local Schmid factor; however, low-ranked twin variants were common. The average grain-resolved stress did not always select the highest twin variant and resulted in some negative Schmid factors. The internal stress state of parent grains and twinned grains did not differ significantly within the large measurement uncertainties. The misorientations between grains ideally oriented for twinning and their nearest neighbours could not explain cases of no twin activity. Results suggest that the controlling factors for twin formation are much more local and not captured within the spatial resolution of the technique. Complimentary measurement of the strain rate sensitivity during twinning, by instantaneous strain rate change tests, suggest that basal slip is a part of this local process.

abstract: M.A.Sc.


title: Defining clinically relevant subgroups of follicular lymphoma cases according to the functional status of the CDKN2A gene

contributor:
LeBrun, David P.
Pathology and Molecular Medicine

subject:
Biomarkers
Personalized medicine
Follicular lymphoma
Cell cycle
Rituximab
FLIPI
CD20
NHL
Prognostic
CDKN2A

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Pathology & Molecular Medicine) -- Queen's University, 2013-03-12 23:49:44.541

abstract:
Follicular lymphoma (FL) is the second most common non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). FL is clinically designated as an indolent disease with a long median survival of 8-10 years. However, the clinical and biological behavior of FL shows considerable variability, with some patients showing aggressive disease progression and very short survival. Because defects in the regulation of apoptotic cell death are fundamental in FL pathogenesis, we hypothesized that deregulated expression of components of the pRb signaling pathway may promote cell proliferation, thereby complementing antecedent anti-apoptotic mutations and producing more aggressive disease. In the present study we undertook an immunohistochemical (IHC) evaluation of expression of key cell-cycle regulatory proteins in diagnostic biopsies from 127 cases of FL using formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues (FFPE) in tissue microarray (TMA) sections immunostained for p53, pRb, p16INK4A and cyclin D3. Data analysis revealed that increased abundance of p53 or p16INK4A is associated with reduced overall survival (OS) (p=0.005 and p=0.014 respectively), and with conventional pathological markers of tumour aggressiveness including high histologic grade.
      Encouraged by this remarkable finding of a counterintuitive association between p16INK4A expression and clinical outcome, we analyzed CDKN2A gene deletion and methylation, as these are the most frequent mechanisms of the CDKN2A gene inactivation in NHL including FL. We determined the deletion and methylation status of CDKN2A in 105 FL cases. Laser-capture microdissection was used to enrich the samples for lymphoma cells.
     CDKN2A was deleted in 9 cases and methylated in 22 cases. The 29 cases (28%) with CDKN2A deletion or methylation had decreased overall survival (OS) (p=0.046) in all cases and in cases treated with rituximab (p<0.001). Our findings indicate that deleterious alterations of CDKN2A are relatively prevalent in FL at diagnosis and can predict poor clinical outcome.
      In summary, our data reveal novel insights into the pathogenesis of FL and suggest a relationship between increased p16INK4A expression and CDKN2A deletion or methylation and unfavorable clinical outcome in FL. We hope that the work presented herein will provide a useful prognostic tool for predicting the prognosis and choosing optimal treatment approaches to help patients suffering from FL.

abstract: PhD


title: Opioids and Glia: Investigating the Mechanisms Through Which Ultra-Low Dose Opioid Antagonists Modulate Opioid Tolerance and Hyperalgesia

contributor:
Cahill, Catherine M.
Milne, Brian
Pharmacology and Toxicology

subject:
Glia
Hyperalgesia
Analgesia
Tolerance
Ultra-Low Dose Antagonist
Toll-Like Receptor 4
Opioid

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Pharmacology & Toxicology) -- Queen's University, 2013-04-25 15:06:50.731

abstract:
Ultra-low doses (ULD) of the opioid receptor antagonists, naloxone and naltrexone, augment the analgesic actions of morphine, block the induction of tolerance, and reverse established tolerance by an unknown mechanism. Preclinical studies demonstrate that chronic morphine administration induces spinal gliosis and that inhibition of gliosis prevents the development of analgesic tolerance to opioids. Thus, this thesis investigated the inhibition of spinal gliosis as a mechanism by which ULD antagonists attenuate analgesic tolerance and opioid-induced hyperalgesia.
Immune cell activation is implicated in the etiology of morphine tolerance and intrathecal catheterization, a technique commonly used to study the spinal effects of drugs, causes profound gliosis. Thus, the first study investigated the effects of catheter-induced gliosis on acute and chronic morphine analgesic tolerance. Catheterization-induced gliosis did not alter antinociceptive responses to acute intrathecal morphine; however, tolerance to chronic morphine was exacerbated in catheterized rats compared to sham and surgery-naïve controls.
The potentiation of analgesic tolerance to chronic morphine by spinal gliosis provided evidence that glia modulate opioid analgesia; therefore, inhibition of opioid-induced activation of glia was explored as a potential mechanism by which ULD antagonists prevent tolerance. The second series of experiments reported morphine-induced activation of spinal microglia and astrocytes was blocked by co-administering ULD naltrexone with morphine. These findings prompted us to elucidate the specific molecular target through which ULD antagonists attenuate opioid analgesia.
Activation of glial Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) induces gliosis and may contribute to analgesic tolerance and/or morphine-induced hyperalgesia (MIH). Antagonism of TLR4 by the opioid receptor-inactive (+) stereoisomer of naloxone was identified as a potential mechanism by which ULD antagonists modulate opioid analgesia. Tolerance and MIH developed in mice expressing non-functional TLR4 and in wildtype controls. Analgesic tolerance was stereoselectively blocked by ULD (-)naloxone, whereas MIH was blocked by both naloxone enantiomers.
Collectively, these studies demonstrate analgesic tolerance and MIH occur through distinct mechanisms. ULD naloxone attenuates analgesic tolerance likely via an opioid receptor-mediated mechanism that is TLR4-independent. ULD antagonists do not attenuate tolerance via inhibition of spinal gliosis as hypothesized. In contrast, ULD antagonists prevent MIH by inhibiting opioid-induced gliosis in an opioid receptor- and TLR4-independent manner.
Immune cell activation is implicated in the etiology of morphine tolerance and intrathecal catheterization, a technique commonly used to study the spinal effects of drugs, causes profound gliosis. Thus, the first study investigated the effects of catheter-induced gliosis on acute and chronic morphine analgesic tolerance. Catheterization-induced gliosis did not alter antinociceptive responses to acute intrathecal morphine; however, tolerance to chronic morphine was exacerbated in catheterized rats compared to sham and surgery-naïve controls.
The potentiation of analgesic tolerance to chronic morphine by spinal gliosis provided evidence that glia modulate opioid analgesia; therefore, inhibition of opioid-induced activation of glia was explored as a potential mechanism by which ULD antagonists prevent tolerance. The second series of experiments reported morphine-induced activation of spinal microglia and astrocytes was blocked by co-administering ULD naltrexone with morphine. These findings prompted us to elucidate the specific molecular target through which ULD antagonists attenuate opioid analgesia.
Activation of glial Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) induces gliosis and may contribute to analgesic tolerance and/or morphine-induced hyperalgesia (MIH). Antagonism of TLR4 by the opioid receptor-inactive (+) stereoisomer of naloxone was identified as a potential mechanism by which ULD antagonists modulate opioid analgesia. Tolerance and MIH developed in mice expressing non-functional TLR4 and in wildtype controls. Analgesic tolerance was stereoselectively blocked by ULD (-)naloxone, whereas MIH was blocked by both naloxone enantiomers.
Collectively, these studies demonstrate analgesic tolerance and MIH occur through distinct mechanisms. ULD naloxone attenuates analgesic tolerance likely via an opioid receptor-mediated mechanism that is TLR4-independent. ULD antagonists do not attenuate tolerance via inhibition of spinal gliosis as hypothesized. In contrast, ULD antagonists prevent MIH by inhibiting opioid-induced gliosis in an opioid receptor- and TLR4-independent manner.

abstract: PhD


title: A Prospective Study of Psychache and its Relationship to Suicidality

contributor:
Holden, Ronald R.
Psychology

subject:
Suicide Ideation
Psychache

abstract: Thesis (Master, Psychology) -- Queen's University, 2013-03-20 10:53:20.277

abstract: Identifying psychological factors that can predict suicide risk is essential for reducing suicide rates. Shneidman (1993) postulated that psychache (or psychological pain) is a unique predictor of suicide when controlling for other relevant factors such as depression and hopelessness. Previous cross-sectional research has established a relationship between psychache and suicidality, leaving the question of whether or not feelings of psychache actually precede suicidal behaviours unanswered. Two studies were undertaken to increase knowledge on the relationship of depression, hopelessness, and psychache to suicidality. Psychological variables were examined prospectively to allow inferences to be drawn on their causal implications for suicidality. In Study 1, students (n = 1475) completed the Beck Depression Inventory, Beck Hopelessness Scale, Psychache Scale, Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation and provided information about prior suicidal behaviour. Regression analyses revealed that psychache was most strongly associated with suicidality, but that depression and hopelessness still contributed unique variance in the prediction of some suicidal outcomes. In Study 2, a subset of suicide ideators and attempters completed identical materials 10 weeks later (n = 90) and then another 10 weeks after that (n = 56). Again, regression analyses revealed that psychache was most strongly associated with suicidality. When looking at changes over time, dropping one predictor at a time could not overcome problems of multicollinearity, as most models were significant, but with no individual prediction from the factors. Results from models with significant regression coefficients revealed that psychache, hopelessness, and depression may be causes for suicide ideation. Theoretical and practical implications for the statistical prediction of suicide risk are discussed.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Linking courtship behaviour, colour perception and mate choice decisions in peafowl

contributor:
Montgomerie, Robert
Biology

subject:
behaviour
sexual selection

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Biology) -- Queen's University, 2013-03-22 14:23:48.991

abstract: Despite a long history of study showing that male courtship signals influence female mate choice in many species, we lack a good understanding of how females choose. What are the mechanisms of mate choice, and how do these mechanisms shape the evolution of courtship signals and traits? In this thesis, I use the peacock’s iridescent eyespots to link signal perception with female mate choice decisions and the behaviours males use during courtship. I begin by investigating how a peacock’s eyespot colours influence his mating success, using models of avian colour vision and measurements of eyespot plumage colours taken at light angles that mimic the way the feathers are displayed during courtship. My results suggest that a substantial portion of the variation in peacock mating success can be explained by these plumage colours, demonstrating that signal function is best understood by considering the context in which signals are presented. Next, I examine how females choose to visit different males for courtship. I show that a female’s familiarity with a male as a result of previous courtship encounters affects how she responds to his signals, including his eyespot colours. Lastly, I examine the visual effects of the peacock’s iridescent eyespot colours under different light conditions, and show that typical male courtship behaviours might enhance the eyespots in a way that influences female choice. I also find evidence that light conditions and female sensory biology together may have shaped the evolution of the eyespot colours in two species of peafowl. Overall, the results of this thesis demonstrate that by understanding how animals perceive colour signals, we can gain a better understanding of the function of behaviour on both sides of the courtship signaling exchange.

abstract: PhD


title: La Chine et les Chinois dans les romans français du XVIIIe siècle

contributor:
Zawisza, Elisabeth
French

subject:
China and Chinese
relativism and universalism, alterity

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, French) -- Queen's University, 2013-03-25 11:02:58.324

abstract:
Dans son livre Espaces lointains, espaces rêvés dans la fiction romanesque du Grand Siècle, Marie-Christine Pioffet termine l’examen du « pays de la soie » (159) par un constat que l’image de la Chine au XVIIe siècle est en fait véhiculée par « les mythes de la chorographie romanesque » (32), et qu’« il faudra attendre encore un siècle pour qu’émerge un véritable exotisme chinois » (176) dans l’écriture de fiction. Qu’est-ce qui explique et définit ce véritable exotisme chinois? Comment l’Autre chinois est-il construit dans divers genres romanesques du XVIIIe siècle? Quel rôle cet Autre joue-t-il dans une réflexion idéologique et esthétique des auteurs sur les dichotomies très discutées à l’époque, soit Moi/Autre, général/particulier et universalisme/relativisme? Telles sont les questions que cette thèse se propose de traiter, en analysant les représentations de l’altérité dans les œuvres romanesques incluant les figures de la Chine et des Chinois.
Notre travail commencera par une présentation de l’évolution historique des relations franco-chinoises. Il s’agira de définir, ensuite, le concept d’altérité même et ses implications dans les sciences humaines et sociales, vu que ces domaines influencent les images littéraires de l’Autre. En exploitant  des développements élaborés par Todorov, Segalen, Levinas, Bakhtine, Genette et d’autres encore, nous examinerons les multiples représentations de l’altérité chinoise dans 27 récits de fiction écrits au XVIIIe siècle. Il sera question de repérer des nuances dans les figures de l’Autre créées par trois formes de fiction : le conte, l’histoire galante et le roman.
Quatre ouvrages seront étudiés en détail pour mettre au jour divers enjeux de l’intérêt pour l’Autre à cette époque: les Nouvelles et galanteries chinoises (1712) attribuées à Mme de Villedieu, La Princesse de Babylone (1768) de Voltaire, les Lettres chinoises ou correspondance philosophique, historique et critique (1739-1740) du marquis d’Argens et le Roman historique, philosophique et politique de Bryltophend (1789) de Le Breton. Ces analyses feront voir que si le XVIIIe siècle marque l’avènement d’un véritable exotisme chinois, son intérêt croissant pour l’Autre particulier fait partie intégrante de la recherche des valeurs universelles, partagées par tous les peuples, laquelle caractérise l’esprit et la démarche des Lumières.

abstract: PhD


title: Nonlinear Estimation Techniques for High-Resolution Indoor Positioning Systems

contributor:
Noureldin, Aboelmagd
Korenberg, Michael J.
Electrical and Computer Engineering

subject:
Wireless Networks
Indoor Positioning

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Electrical & Computer Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2013-03-25 16:11:59.518

abstract: The Global Positioning System (GPS) is the most popular positioning system among some operational Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS). However, GNSS suffer from accuracy deterioration and interruption of services in dense urban areas and are almost unavailable indoors. Although high-sensitivity receivers improve signal acquisition indoors, multipath is still be a challenging problem that affects accuracy especially indoors where a direct line of sight between transmitter and receiver almost never exist. Moreover, the wireless signal features are significantly jeopardized by obstacles and constructions indoors. To address these challenges, this research came in the context of proposing an alternative positioning system that is designed for GPS-denied environment and especially for indoors. Cramer-Rao Lower-Bound (CRLB) analysis was used to estimate the lower bound accuracy of different positioning methods indoors. Based on CRLB analysis, this research approached the wireless positioning problem indoors utilizing received signal strength (RSS) to achieve the following: 1) Developing new estimation methods to model the wireless RSS patterns in indoors. 2) Designing adaptive RSS-based wireless positioning methods for indoors. 3) Establishing a consistent framework for indoor wireless positioning systems. 4) Developing new methods to integrate inertial/odometer-based navigation systems with the developed wireless positioning methods for further improvements. The theoretical basis of the work was built on nonlinear stochastic estimation techniques including Particle Filtering, Gaussian Process Regression, Fast Orthogonal Search, Least-Squares, and Radial Basis Functions Neural Networks. All the proposed wireless positioning methods were developed and physically realized on Android-based smart-phones using the IEEE 802.11 WLANs (WiFi). In addition, successful integration with inertial/odometer sensors of mobile robots has been performed on embedded systems. Both theoretical analysis and experimental results showed significant improvements in modeling RSS indoors dynamically without offline training achieving a positioning accuracy of 1-3 meters. Sub-meter accuracy was achieved via integration with inertial/odometer sensors.

abstract: PhD


title: Measuring the Mass of a Galaxy: An evaluation of the performance of Bayesian mass estimates using statistical simulation

subject:
phase-space distribution function
statistical simulation
bayesian statistics
Hernquist model
dark matter halo
galaxy mass estimator

abstract: Thesis (Master, Physics, Engineering Physics and Astronomy) -- Queen's University, 2013-03-26 17:23:14.643

abstract:
This research uses a Bayesian approach to study the biases that may occur when kinematic data is used to estimate the mass of a galaxy. Data is simulated from the Hernquist (1990) distribution functions (DFs) for velocity dispersions of the isotropic, constant anisotropic, and anisotropic Osipkov (1979) and Merritt (1985) type, and then analysed using the isotropic Hernquist model. Biases are explored when i) the model and data come from the same DF, ii) the model and data come from the same DF but tangential velocities are unknown, iii) the model and data come from different DFs, and iv) the model and data come from different DFs and the tangential velocities are unknown. Mock observations are also created from the Gauthier (2006) simulations and analysed with the isotropic Hernquist model. No bias was found in situation (i), a slight positive bias was found in (ii), a negative bias was found in (iii), and a large positive bias was found in (iv). The mass estimate of the Gauthier system when tangential velocities were unknown was nearly correct, but the mass profile was not described well by the isotropic Hernquist model. When the Gauthier data was analysed with the tangential velocities, the mass of the system was overestimated.

The code created for the research runs three parallel Markov Chains for each data set, uses the Gelman-Rubin statistic to assess convergence, and combines the converged chains into a single sample of the posterior distribution for each data set. The code also includes two ways to deal with nuisance parameters. One is to marginalize over the nuisance parameter at every step in the chain, and the other is to sample the nuisance parameters using a hybrid-Gibbs sampler. When tangential velocities, v(t), are unobserved in the analyses above, they are sampled as nuisance parameters in the Markov Chain. The v(t) estimates from the Markov chains did a poor job of estimating the true tangential velocities. However, the posterior samples of v(t) proved to be useful, as the estimates of the tangential velocities helped explain the biases discovered in situations (i)-(iv) above.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Advanced Nonlinear Control Techniques for Wind Energy Conversions Systems

contributor:
Jain, Praveen K.
Electrical and Computer Engineering

subject: Alternative Control Power Converter Wind Energy Nonlinear

abstract: Thesis (Master, Electrical & Computer Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2013-03-28 12:22:19.931

abstract: This thesis presents control methods to improve the efficiency and dynamic response of wind turbines that use a permanent magnet synchronous generator operating under a wide input and load range. Two new nonlinear controllers are developed and tested. These controllers are designed to overcome the limitations of the conventional vector control methods which exhibit slow performance and uncertain stability. The first controller is based on a control Lyapunov function (CLF) which increases performance and guarantees stability under all operating conditions but is limited by its dependence on system parameters. A novel adaptive passivity based controller (APBC) is designed to overcome the parameter dependence of the CLF controller while, again, increasing performance and guaranteeing stability under all operating conditions. These controllers are simulated and their performance is compared to that of the conventional controller. The APBC controller exhibits the best performance of the three followed closely by the CLF based controller.

abstract: There are some unpublished results contained in this thesis that I would like to be restricted until we are able to publish the results in a conference/journal.

abstract: M.A.Sc.


title: A Framework for Migrating Web Applications to Web Services

contributor:
Cordy, James R.
Dean, Thomas R.
Computing

subject:
Web Services
Web Applications
Migration Process
Service-Oriented Architecture

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Computing) -- Queen's University, 2013-03-28 14:23:24.797

abstract:
Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) is an increasingly important software architecture, designed to flexibly connect separate components in response to rapid changes in the business environment. SOA focuses on the exchange of information between independent software
components and on the reusability of the components by separating communication interface from internal implementation. There are several features of SOA that make legacy system modernization to SOA appealing in today’s world. These are loose coupling, abstraction of underlying logic, agility, flexibility, reusability, autonomy, statelessness, discoverability and reduced cost.
Migration of legacy systems to SOA is an important problem. While migration of
legacy data processing systems has been widely studied, migration of legacy web applications has not. In this thesis we review existing strategies for migration of monolithic legacy web applications to web services, noting the unique challenges due to the highly dynamic nature of the systems, poorly structured code, and weakly typed languages in web applications, and the need for automation to assist in the process.
We present a new semi-automated framework for the analysis and migration of monolithic
web applications to web services using source analysis and transformation techniques,
and outline a set of source transformation steps that can be used to migrate existing
legacy web applications to web services form. We demonstrate our framework on
the analysis and automated restructuring of two large existing web applications to extract and migrate integrated internal features to independent, reusable web services.

abstract: PhD


title: Gaining Perspectives of International Nursing Experiences: a Survey of Registered Nurses

contributor:
Myers, Marie J.
Education

subject: Nursing International

abstract: Thesis (Master, Education) -- Queen's University, 2013-03-29 15:47:46.039

abstract:
Many nurses travel internationally and provide nursing care around the world. The current literature provides evidence that international nursing experiences have numerous positive outcomes. Understanding the positive impacts and the challenges of the international nursing experiences can lead to a greater awareness of the benefits that come from these experiences.
	This study examines the experiences of nurses who have travelled and practiced nursing internationally. Using the qualitative survey, I sought to understand 1) Why nurses participated in international nursing experiences 2) How international nursing experiences affect a nurse’s personal and professional developments and 3) The role that reflective practice plays in the international nursing experience.
	Hearing the perspectives of nurses who have participated in international nursing experiences is crucial in order to enrich the current understanding and awareness. This study gave nurses an avenue to express their feelings regarding their experiences. The findings of this study may lead to nurses being recognized and supported more throughout their international nursing experiences. This recognition and support may eliminate some of the challenges that nurses face that in turn may lead to great, more successful international nursing experiences in the future that will continue to produce positive outcomes for health care in general.
The similarities and differences revealed, throughout the data findings and the literature review, facilitate gaining a deeper understanding of the positive impact and challenges of international nursing experiences. The experiences provide a positive impact to those in the host location, to the nurse themselves and to the nursing practice in their home health care institution. This evidence provides a perspective that could continue to have a positive impact on health care should health care institutions respond appropriately.

abstract: M.Ed.


title: An Optimized, Variable-Gain Switched-Capacitor DC-DC Converter

contributor:
Jain, Praveen K.
Bakhshai, Alireza
Electrical and Computer Engineering

subject:
electrical engineering
power electronics
switched-capacitor
DC-DC converter

abstract: Thesis (Master, Electrical & Computer Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2013-04-03 23:27:24.183

abstract:
A novel, variable-gain switched-capacitor DC-DC converter is designed, constructed and tested. The proposed converter minimizes many of the problems which have traditionally hindered switched-capacitor DC-DC converters. The converter has high efficiency, strong regulation and low output voltage ripple across a wide variation in the line and load. The converter utilizes an optimized switching configuration that contains the maximum number of ideal conversion ratios for the given number of capacitors driven by a two-phase clock. The switched-capacitor converter is controlled by a gain-hopping feedforward control scheme in conjunction with duty-cycle, pulse-width modulation feedback control. The proposed control technique enhances the efficiency and regulation capability of switched-capacitor DC-DC converters, which are typically limited when there is a large variation in the line. Because the converter is optimized, programmable and capable of providing buck and/or boost operation (stepping-up and/or stepping-down the input voltage), the new switched-capacitor DC-DC converter is well-suited for a variety of applications and operating conditions.
In addition, a novel algorithm based on graph theory and network analysis is developed which enumerates all possible ideal conversion ratios for a given switched-capacitor DC-DC converter structure. In particular, this algorithm can be used as a design tool to greatly improve the operation of multi-gain switched-capacitor converters, where the aim is to maximize the number of ideal conversion ratios while minimizing the number of switches and capacitors.
Furthermore, the structure of all attainable positive, ideal conversion ratios of a two-phase switched-capacitor DC-DC converter, utilizing up to five capacitors, is enumerated. As a result, the design process for switched-capacitor converters is greatly simplified and a suitable converter structure can be more easily selected for a given application.

abstract: The content in the thesis may be of commercial value and a patent may be obtained based on this research.

abstract: M.A.Sc.


title: How Race Affects the Media's Coverage of Candidates in Canadian Politics

contributor:
Banting, Keith G.
Goodyear-Grant, Elizabeth
Political Studies

subject:
Visible minorities
Canadian politics
Race
Content analysis
Political science
Media

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Political Studies) -- Queen's University, 2013-04-22 15:21:07.585

abstract:
This study examines how race affects the media’s coverage of candidates in Canadian politics. Situated in the literature on political communication, gendered mediation and race studies, it proposes a new theory of racial mediation, which posits that politics are covered in ways that reflect the assumption of whiteness as standard. Although candidate self-presentation does influence media portrayals, this alone does not account for differences in the framing of candidates’ policy interests, viability and socio-demographic characteristics.

The project argues that candidate race has a significant but subtle impact on media portrayals. Articles from the print media coverage of the 2008 Canadian election are analyzed using a hand-coded content analysis, which is replicated through an innovative automated approach. The study finds that visible minority candidates’ coverage is more negative and less prominent than that of their White counterparts. It is less likely to focus on key electoral issues and much more likely to emphasize socio-demographic background. Visible minority candidates are held to a higher standard and in the absence of evidence to the contrary, they are portrayed as less viable and credible than their competitors. Gender can amplify these effects, with raced and gendered discourses characterizing the coverage of visible minority women.

The media study is complemented by 40 elite interviews that probe candidates’ communication strategies, issue emphasis and self-presentation, as well as reporters’ negotiation of these elements in their construction of news stories. While there are visible minority candidates who emphasize elements of their ethnocultural heritage, my findings suggest that few rely only on racialized strategies, nor are White candidates immune from racialized appeals. Nonetheless, journalists struggle to adequately portray nuance and candidates’ multi-dimensionality. They employ familiar narratives and tropes, and generally only seize on racialized framing when it applies to visible minority candidates.

Although the study does not provide a direct test of media effects on vote choice, it draws on existing literature to argue that because media coverage influences the ways that voters evaluate issues and develop schema for understanding the world around them, the portrayal of visible minority candidates has the potential to alter electoral opportunities and outcomes. As a result, racialized coverage and race continue to matter in Canadian politics.

abstract: I wish to restrict access to my thesis to protect my rights to commercial publication.

abstract: PhD


title: Towards a Membrane Electrode Assembly for a Thermally Regenerative Fuel Cell

contributor:
Jessop, Philip G.
Peppley, Brant A.
Chemistry

subject:
Nafion
PEMFC
mPBI
Polymer
Electrochemistry
Fuel Cell
Polybenzimidazole

abstract: Thesis (Master, Chemistry) -- Queen's University, 2013-04-12 17:16:37.724

abstract:
The thermally regenerative fuel cell (TRFC) concept that is analyzed is a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC), powered by the electro-oxidation of H2 and the electro-reduction of propiophenone. The main products of this fuel cell should be 1-phenyl-1-propanol and electricity. The 1-phenyl-1-propanol should then be converted back to propiophenone, while hydrogen is regenerated by using waste heat and a metal catalyst (Pd/SiO2).
The first objective was to find a compatible polymer that would work as either an ionomer/binding agent and as a membrane in the membrane electrode assembly (MEA) of the TRFC. This was achieved by checking the compatibility of each polymer with 1-phenyl-1-propanol and propiophenone (the alcohol-ketone pair). Catalyst coated gas diffusion layers or catalyst coated membranes were made to test the stability of the polymers in the catalyst bed when exposed to the alcohol-ketone pair. If the polymer was compatible with the alcohol-ketone pair, MEAs were constructed using this polymer. The second objective was to test these MEAs inside a H2/propiophenone fuel cell that would prove the concept of our envisioned TRFC. It was found that the only polymer that was stable in the alcohol-ketone pair was mPBI (m-phenylene polybenzimidazole). The mPBI had to be doped with H3PO4 to enable H+ conductivity. Unfortunately, some H3PO4 leached out of the H3PO4-doped mPBI when in the presence of the alcohol-ketone pair. MEAs that were created using H3PO4-doped mPBI were found to work for H2/air and H2/propiophenone fed PEMFCs. The best performance achieved with the H2/propiophenone powered fuel cell was 6.23 μW/cm2. Unfortunately, the presence of the 1-phenyl-1-propanol product could not be proved by EIS or CV on the fuel cell, or by GC-FID of the cathode effluent. Other unknown products were seen in the GC-FID spectrum of the cathode effluent. Therefore, it is possible that the propiophenone did reduce at the cathode but it produced an unknown product.
In conclusion, the viability of the proposed TRFC system was not verified. H3PO4 leaching from the MEA makes it impossible to use H3PO4-doped mPBI as the electrolyte in the final version of the MEA in the TRFC system.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: A Rome Away From Rome: Isidorus Hispalensis and Roman Astronomical Traditions in Medieval Spain

contributor:
Lehoux, Daryn
Classics

subject:
Medieval Science
Medieval Spain
Roman Astronomy
Saint Isidore
Classics
Isidorus Hispalensis
Isidore of Seville
Medieval history

abstract: Thesis (Master, Classics) -- Queen's University, 2013-04-12 17:33:29.356

abstract: In the past the works of Isidorus Hispalensis have been regarded as nothing more than a rehashing of the works of earlier ecclesiastical authors, with no direct reference to Roman sources.  He has been called at best a compiler and at worst a plagiarist.  However, a greater understanding of the historical context shows that it is likely that Isidorus Hispalensis was working directly from Roman sources.  In addition, by studying the historical context within which Isidorus is writing, evidence of his originality is seen in his ability to cater specific works to his specific context.  By outlining Rome’s presence in Spain from the very beginning, as well as the changing understanding of the barbarian invasions, I show through a study of the astronomical chapters of Isidorus Hispalensis’ De Natura Rerum that Roman traditions in Spain persisted well into the Visigothic period, and that Isidorus Hispalensis is a perfect symbol of the survival of Roman culture after the fall of the western Empire.

abstract: M.A.


title: Romancing the Road: The Villa Tunari - San Ignacio de Moxos Highway

contributor:
Day, Richard J. F.
Global Development Studies

subject: TIPNIS Development Yuracaré Colonization Mojeño-Trinitario Chimán Indigenous Bolivia

abstract: Thesis (Master, Global Development Studies) -- Queen's University, 2013-04-20 22:06:56.878

abstract:
The 306 kilometer Villa Tunari - San Ignacio de Moxos highway project was designed in 2008 as part of an interoceanic corridor to foster greater integration of the capitalist economy in South America.  Despite its double status as a protected ecological and Indigenous Territory, this highway was designed to cut through the center of the Isiboro Sécure National Park and Indigenous Territory (TIPNIS).  Construction began in 2011.  The response was immediate; marches and protests were held both against and for the highway.  Construction was then put on hold as consultations were held with communities who live within the borders of TIPNIS.  Despite the existence of numerous documents regarding the rights of Indigenous Peoples, their operationalization has been deeply problematic.
The TIPNIS highway project received wide spread international attention when members of the Eighth Indigenous March in Defense of TIPNIS were attacked and detained by police in September of 2011.  This thesis will illustrate that this was not an isolated phenomenon.  Rather this, and subsequent events, are deeply embedded within the colonial framework in which they are taking place.  By highlighting the larger power structures that exist, as well as the strength and courage of Indigenous Lowlanders and those who stand in solidarity with them,  questions such as, ‘Why is this highway project so contentious?’, become clearer.

abstract: M.A.


title: 'Expert Patient' in Health Professional Education: Experience of OT Students

contributor:
McColl, Mary Ann
Rehabilitation Science

subject:
Expert Patient
Health Professional Education
Client-centred Practice
Patient-centred Care
Occupational Therapy
Husserlian Phenomenology

abstract: Thesis (Master, Rehabilitation Science) -- Queen's University, 2013-04-15 08:39:19.094

abstract:
Patient-centred care is the gold standard of health care, yet in practice, problems prevail. The use of the ‘expert patient’ in health professional education is one form of learning patient-centred care. A gap in the literature regarding how the use of ‘expert patient’ in health professional education promotes patient-centred care was acknowledged in current research. With Queen’s University Health Sciences & Affiliated Teaching Hospitals Research Ethics Board approval, a sample of Queen’s University MScOT students participated in a qualitative study with the following research question: “How does the students’ experience of interacting with the ‘expert patient' (‘XP’) relate to learning regarding client-centred practice (CCP)?” Three objectives were proposed: 1. Describe the OT students’ experience of interacting with the ‘expert patient’, 2. Describe the students’ learning regarding client-centered practice, 3. Identify the conditions particular to the ‘expert patient’ experience that led to learning regarding client-centered practice.
In-depth interviews were conducted with the students subsequent to their ‘expert patient’ experience. Analysis revealed three conditions that together provided the foundation for student experiential learning regarding client-centred practice: interaction with particular persons with stable disability known as ‘expert patients’; students’ requirement to evaluate them and thus  ‘experience power’; and explicit opportunities for ‘directed reflection and discussion’. Questions were raised for researchers, health care professional educators and health care professionals regarding the potentially transformative nature of engaging in unfamiliar contexts with openness to learning. The thesis allowed insight into the lived experience of OT students learning with ‘expert patients’; and the admiration, discomfort, humility and gratefulness they experienced while gaining a sense of the meaning of collaboration, respect for autonomy and recognition of expertise. Implications of the research impact all stakeholders in health professional education.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Validity and Reliability of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire Among Mexican Adults

contributor:
Janssen, Ian
Kinesiology and Health Studies

subject:
Measurement
Mexico
Physical Activity
Self-Report
Accelerometer

abstract: Thesis (Master, Kinesiology & Health Studies) -- Queen's University, 2013-04-18 15:12:21.626

abstract:
Background: Because it is a strong determinant of chronic disease and mortality risk, physical activity is a health behaviour that is measured in most large health surveys. Questionnaires are the most commonly used method for measuring physical activity in health surveys. In the early 1990’s, an international physical activity questionnaire (IPAQ) was created to allow researchers from across the globe to employ the same questionnaire within their country. Several studies have been conducted on the IPAQ to determine whether the responses obtained are comparable when the questionnaire is administered on multiple occasions (reliability) and to determine the ability of the questionnaire to obtain the same physical activity result when compared to other direct measures, considered as “gold standard” (validity). However, none of these studies have been conducted in Mexico.
Objective: Examine: 1) the reliability of the IPAQ among Mexican adults by comparing minutes per week (min/wk) spent in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) from the IPAQ administered two times, 2) the validity of the IPAQ surveys by comparing IPAQ min/wk of MVPA to those obtained by the accelerometer.
Methods: 267 Mexican adults who worked in a factory in Mexico City participated.  IPAQ was applied in a face-to-face interview during a first clinic visit. Participants received an accelerometer (motion sensor that measures and record physical activity) and wore it consecutively for the next 9 days. In a second visit, participants returned the accelerometer and completed a second IPAQ. The research team cleaned and analyzed the accelerometer data using standardized techniques. Results from the two IPAQ and the accelerometer were compared using the appropriate statistical tests.
Results: IPAQ1 and IPAQ2 measures of MVPA were significantly correlated to each other (r=0.55, p<0.01). The MVPA (min/week) measures from IPAQ1 and IPAQ2 were only modestly correlated with the accelerometer measures (r=0.26 and r=0.31, p<0.01). The percentage of the participants who were classified as inactive according to the World Health Organization physical activity guidelines was 18.0% in IPAQ1, 25.1% in IPAQ2, and 28.2% for the accelerometer.
Conclusions: IPAQ was modestly correlated to each other and it was lowly correlated to values obtained by the accelerometer. Since IPAQ has been used to obtain physical activity prevalence worldwide, caution should be taken when this instrument is used. Future research should be focused on the importance of including direct measures to measure physical activity levels within epidemiological surveys.

abstract: The paper included within the thesis was submitted to an international journal. Since the article has not been published yet, I decided to have the thesis restricted.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: A paleolimnological assessment of recent environmental changes in lakes of the western Canadian Arctic

contributor:
Smol, John P.
Biology

subject:
permafrost
Arctic
lakes
freshwater
paleolimnology
climate change
ecology
diatom

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Biology) -- Queen's University, 2013-04-17 09:30:14.671

abstract: The freshwater ecosystems in the western Canadian Arctic are threatened by multiple and interacting stressors, as high-latitude regions are undergoing rapid change resulting from climate warming and other human-related activities. However, due to the paucity or absence of monitoring data, little is known about long-term changes in lake ecosystems. This thesis addresses this knowledge gap by using paleolimnological techniques to assess the responses of freshwater ecosystems in the Mackenzie Delta region to three major stressors predicted to become increasingly important, namely impacts from accelerated permafrost thaw, marine storm surges, and hydrocarbon exploration. Using a paired-lake design, six reference lakes were compared to six lakes impacted by retrogressive thaw slumps, an important form of thermokarst in this region. While all of the study lakes have undergone ecologically significant biological changes over the last ~200 years as a result of warming, lakes impacted by thaw slumps have changed more due to the cumulative effects of warming and heightened permafrost thaw. In addition to warming, the outer Mackenzie Delta is a low-lying landscape that is susceptible to inundation by marine storm surges from the Beaufort Sea. A large storm event in 1999 flooded >10,000 hectares of the outer delta. My paleolimnological data show that this marine intrusion resulted in diatom assemblage changes in flooded lakes on a landscape-scale that were unprecedented in the recent past, suggesting recent warming, and associated sea-ice decreases, are making this region more susceptible to storm-surge damage. Finally, lakes impacted by sumps used to dispose of the drilling by-products of hydrocarbon exploration exhibit distinct water chemistry, and are particularly elevated in potassium and chloride, which form a major component of some drilling fluids. Related to this, a discernible change in cladoceran assemblages coeval with the time of sump construction suggest that sump failure has resulted in biological changes in affected lakes. Collectively, this research shows that the ecosystems of the western Canadian Arctic are under threat from multiple stressors that have resulted in changes to the chemistry and biology of the freshwater resources of this region.

abstract: PhD


title: Artistic Interest in the Life of Alexander the Great During the Italian Renaissance

contributor:
Hoeniger, Cathleen
Art History

subject:
Alexander the Great
Raphael
Italian Renaissance

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Art History) -- Queen's University, 2013-04-17 11:47:31.549

abstract:
Alexander the Great (356-323 BCE) was the king of Macedon and one of the greatest military commanders in the ancient world. Before his death at the age of thirty-three, Alexander had conquered Greece, the Persian Empire, and northern India. Alexander provided a model of a secular ruler for leaders in medieval and Renaissance Europe. Furthermore, with the revival of antique culture during the Renaissance, the life of Alexander became a favourite classical subject in art and literature.              My thesis seeks to examine the artistic interest in the life of Alexander during the Italian Renaissance. During the late Middle Ages and the Renaissance, artists portrayed episodes from the life of Alexander for elite patrons, who commissioned monumental frescoes and panel-paintings, along with pieces of maiolica pottery, tapestry and sculpture for use in the rituals of court life. While Alexander represented a model of secular authority for the patron, he was also intrinsically linked with art. Alexander's court artists, particularly Apelles, had a legacy that was eagerly emulated by modern artists.
This thesis begins by tracing the long literary tradition of Alexander. Accounts by ancient authors, medieval romances, and new humanist texts all informed the production of images of the ancient king. I will explore the earliest representations of Alexander influenced by the humanist themes of uomini famosi and Petrarch's I Trionfi, followed by the reception and the appeal of portraits of Alexander created by Andrea del Verrocchio, Valerio Belli, and Giulio Romano. I will argue that, based on evidence in the form of drawings, Raphael had life-long artistic interest in Alexander, and many of his designs were adapted by other artists, including a fresco by Sodoma at the Villa Farnesina, and finely decorated maiolica pottery. Finally, I will consider the monumental cycles of frescoes executed by artists for patrons, who had a profound personal connection to the ancient monarch. While the artistic interest in the life of Alexander seems to derive from the fact that he was an all'antica subject, as I will demonstrate throughout this thesis, this interest took many forms for patrons, artists, and viewers.

abstract: I want to publish sections of my thesis as articles and a book within the next five years.

abstract: PhD


title: Examining Information Systems Control Alignment in Organizations

contributor:
Brohman, Kathryn
Gallupe, R. Brent
Management

subject:
control
alignment
information systems

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Management) -- Queen's University, 2013-04-17 13:14:32.122

abstract: This research examines a new concept called information systems (IS) control alignment, which refers to the degree that controls within an IS process such as systems development are similar to an ideal profile of controls. IS controls are used to influence the behaviour of employees, often via approaches such as formal policies or managerial oversight. Many companies continue to struggle with ineffective IS controls, as evidenced by underperforming systems development projects, ongoing security breaches, and inconsistent service from third-party providers. A qualitative case study approach is adopted, drawing on data collected via interviews and company documents. IS controls are found to most effectively achieve their objectives when they are grouped into mutually reinforcing profiles characterized by either agile attributes (e.g. evolution, innovation), traditional attributes (e.g. stability, prevention), or hybrid attributes that are employed based on unique organizational circumstances. Findings from this research will help organizations to better achieve their goals by identifying IS controls that complement, rather than conflict, with one another. By more closely examining the implications of IS control choice, organizations can better understand how to influence employee behaviour and oversee day-to-day operations, a topic that is increasingly on the minds of executives and shareholders in light of the rash of business failures in recent years. Findings will also contribute to the academy by conceptualizing and empirically evaluating the new concept of IS control alignment, as well as building theory regarding the relationships between IS processes, controls, and employee behaviour.

abstract: Restriction due to anticipated future publication.

abstract: PhD


title: Mère et fille - des relations en question, ou la liberté à tout prix

contributor:
Dhavernas, Catherine
French

subject: Female Women Mother Mère Fille Relationship Relation Matrice Womb Matriçage Féminin Daughter

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, French) -- Queen's University, 2013-04-18 17:21:29.738

abstract: The mother-daughter relationship is dual, ambivalent, a hall of mirrors; it is at once the site of the womb and maternity, a veritable matrix of meaning.  The mother-daughter pairing moves through the body, constantly calling attention to its origins and valorising a transmission au féminin even from within a patriarchal society.  However, it can also prove catastrophic.  Though the mother is the first person with whom the daughter identifies—her first link to life—the daughter not only reacts to her, but also pushes against her.  It would appear that this confrontation is necessary, that it allows the child to detach herself from the mother even as she models herself on her.  In order to avoid a destructive union, the daughter must become conscious of the maternal love from which she must take her distance if she is to become someone, and more precisely, a woman.  In the novels analysed here, the daughter’s flight—her quest for independence from her mother—points to her need to create herself, to come into her own without destroying the mother-daughter bond.  The notion of space is of the utmost importance in the discovery and (re-)establishment of this exclusive filial/maternal relationship.  Space becomes the symbol of the mother and the antidote to filial solitude, a site of resistance, one to be conquered and understood, and thus an incentive to write the mother-daughter relationship.  The symbolic matricide—depicted in these novels through the absence of the mother during the process of identification and the liberation of the daughter—ensures, a posteriori, the continuation rather than destruction of the filial/maternal relationship, as well as the affirmation of a female lineage.                                                                                La relation mère-fille est duelle, ambivalente, jeu de miroirs. A la fois lieu de la matrice, lieu de maternage, et de matriçage. Le couple mère-fille en appelle en effet au corps, revenant à l’origine de cette relation qui valorise une transmission au féminin, et ce à l’intérieur-même d’une société patriarcale tendant à assujettir les femmes. Il peut toutefois aussi devenir désastre. La fille réagit face à sa mère, première personne à laquelle elle peut s’identifier, premier lien à la vie. La confrontation est, semble-t-il, nécessaire, elle permet à l’enfant de se détacher de la figure maternelle tout en s’en servant de modèle. Afin d’éviter une union destructrice, la fille doit prendre conscience d’un amour maternel envers lequel il faut qu’elle prenne ses distances de façon à être, à son tour, quelqu’un, et plus précisément une femme. La fuite des filles, ou du moins leur recherche d’indépendance face à leur mère dans les romans analysés indique cette nécessité de se construire soi-même sans pour autant détruire le lien à la mère. L’espace prend alors une place prépondérante dans la découverte et le rétablissement de cette relation maternelle exclusive. Il s’avère être symbole de la mère, antidote contre la solitude filiale, espace à conquérir et à comprendre, lieu de résistance, incitation à écrire cette relation mère-fille. Le meurtre symbolique de la mère, illustré ici par l’absence de celle-ci lors du processus d’identification et de libération de la fille assure a posteriori la persistance de la relation maternelle ainsi que l’affirmation d’une lignée féminine – et non leur anéantissement.

abstract: PhD


title: Stability of Buried Steel and Glass Fibre Reinforced Polymer Pipes Under Lateral Ground Movement

contributor:
Moore, Ian D.
Fam, Amir Z.
Civil Engineering

subject: steel pipe, composite pipe, FRP, buried pipe, soil, bending, ground movement, numerical analysis steel pipe, composite pipe, FRP, buried pipe, soil, bending, ground movement, numerical analysis

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Civil Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2013-04-18 22:21:53.025

abstract:
As vast networks of high pressure buried energy pipelines traverse North America and other continents, the stability of such essential buried infrastructure must be maintained under a variety of earth loading conditions. The pipe-soil interaction and the longitudinal behaviour of buried pipes due to relative ground movements is poorly understood. This thesis presents full scale testing and numerical modeling of steel and Glass Fibre Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) pipelines to better understand the flexural performance of buried pipes subjected to lateral earth movement.
For the experimental phase of the study, a series of pipe bending experiments have been conducted on 102 mm nominal diameter and 1830 mm long steel and GFRP pipes buried in dense sand. Pipe loading was carried out by pulling pipe ends using two parallel cables attached to a spreader beam outside the test region, using a hydraulic actuator.  The different tests covered burial depth-to-diameter (H/D) ratios of 3, 5 and 7.  During the steel pipe testing phase, special consideration was given to assess the effect of boundary limits, friction within the pulling mechanism, and consistency of results using repeated tests. For the GFRP pipes, the experimental work investigated the effect of the laminate structure of the pipes, including both cross-ply and angle-ply laminates. Test results showed that burial depth significantly influenced the ultimate pulling forces, longitudinal strains, and pipe net deflection at mid-span. The results were also compared between the two types of pipes. The failure mechanism for all tests was consistently governed by soil failure, except for the angle-ply GFRP pipe that failed at a burial depth of H/D=7.
For the numerical analysis, the study presents the development and verification of two and three-dimensional numerical models including material constitutive models for both the pipe and for the soil using a stress-dependent modulus. Calculations are presented for different burial depths and are compared to experimental data. It was shown that the numerical model can successfully capture the pipe-soil interaction behaviour for both pipe types in terms of load-displacement responses and net bending deflection. Also, the effect of material variation and laminate structure were in agreement with test data.

abstract: PhD


title: Wilhelm Busch: The Art of Letting Off Steam Through Symbolic Inversion

contributor:
Arndt, Christiane
German

subject:
symbolic inversion
1848 revolution
Biedermeier
comics

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, German) -- Queen's University, 2013-04-19 14:01:35.498

abstract: In the aftermath of the failed revolution of 1848, which had been sparked by demands for democracy and constitutional reform, Germany’s princes reluctantly introduced new freedoms regarding print and the right to assembly. However, reactionary forces in governments unwilling to cede power quickly repressed these freedoms, leading to tighter controls on public and private life. Consequently, dispirited citizens clutched at the old Biedermeier ways, withdrawing to an “ill-remembered social order of bygone days” (Shorter 169). It was against this backdrop that the illustrated works of Wilhelm Busch (1832–1908) appeared in the popular Bilderbogen (“picture broadsheets”) of the day, and later as stand-alone Bildergeschichten (“picture stories”), using satire and symbolic inversion to mock German society by skewering assorted political, social, and cultural sacred cows. The aim of my dissertation is as follows. I will start by examining Busch’s use of symbolic inversion as a way of implying a shift in power between figures of authority and the disgruntled “second-class” citizens of Biedermeier society: women and children. Next, I will examine how Busch’s animal characters, particularly apes with their close resemblance to mankind, mock human pretensions of biological superiority. Finally, I will show how objects meant to serve their human “masters” overpower them, even in their homes, suggesting that there was no refuge from the vagaries of a rapidly changing world. Key to my analysis will be an exploration of the mechanism of “inside out” and “upside down,” described by Mikhail Bakhtin with regards to the carnival scenes of Gargantua et Pantagruel, as a sanctioned and mocking way of questioning the power of the state and its institutions. Along the way, I will compare and contrast Busch’s picture stories with similar strips in the Fliegende Blätter, in order to prove how groundbreaking the author’s exposé of nineteenth-century German society truly was. As I explore the synergy between image and word, I will demonstrate how Busch’s use of symbolic inversion is slyly subversive, undermining established authority in the political, social, and cultural arenas, and providing a safety valve in the form of humour that transcends the boundaries of class, education, and gender.

abstract: PhD


title: Water Distribution System Design and Rehabilitation Under Climate Change Mitigation Scenarios

contributor:
Filion, Yves R.
Civil Engineering

subject:
Operation
Design
Rehabilitation
Optimization
Water Distribution System
Greenhouse Gas emission
Expansion

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Civil Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2013-04-21 13:58:08.302

abstract: The water industry is a heavy consumer of electricity to pump water. Electricity generated with fossil fuel sources produce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions that contribute to climate change. Carbon taxation and economic discounting in project planning are promising policies to reduce GHG emissions. The aim of this research is to develop novel single- and multi-objective optimization frameworks that incorporate a new gene-coding scheme and pipe ageing models (pipe roughness growth model, a pipe leakage model, and a pipe break model) to examine the impacts of a carbon tax and low discount rates on energy use, GHG emissions, and design/operation/rehabilitation decisions in water systems. Chapter 3 presents a new algorithm that optimizes the operation of pumps and reservoirs in water transmission systems. The algorithm was applied to the KamalSaleh transmission system near Arak, Iran. The results suggest that a carbon tax combined with a low discount rate produces small reductions in energy use and GHG emissions linked to pumping given the high static head of the KamalSaleh system. Chapter 4 presents a new algorithm that optimizes the design and expansion of water distribution networks. The algorithm was applied to the real-world Fairfield water network in Amherstview, Ontario, Canada. The results suggest that a carbon tax combined with a low discount rate does not significantly decrease energy use and GHG emissions because the Fairfield system had adequate installed hydraulic capacity. Chapters 5 and 6 present a new algorithm that optimizes the optimal rehabilitation type and timing of water mains in water distribution networks. In Chapter 5, the algorithm is applied to the Fairfield network to examine the impact of asset management strategies (quantity and infrastructure adjacency discounts) on system costs. The results suggest that applying discounts decreased capital and operational costs and favored pipe lining over pipe replacement and duplication. In Chapter 6, the water main rehabilitation optimization algorithm is applied to the Fairfield network to examine the impact of a carbon tax and low discount rates on energy use and GHG emissions. The results suggest that adopting a low discount rate and levying a carbon tax had a small impact in reducing energy use and GHG emissions and a significant impact in reducing leakage and pipe breaks in the Fairfield system. Further, a low discount rate and a carbon tax encouraged early investment in water main rehabilitation to reduce continuing leakage, pipe repair, energy, and GHG costs.

abstract: PhD