title: The Role of Consent and Communication in Environmental Regulation: A Developing Country Perspective

contributor:
Walters, Mark D.
Law

subject: Environmental Law Enforcement in Pakistan

subject: Law Enforcement and Social Systems Theory

abstract: Thesis (Master, Law) -- Queen's University, 2011-04-13 15:56:25.285

abstract: The failure of the civil society to generate and communicate commonly shared (consensual) environmental values and the incapability of the other social systems- environmental law and the environmental protection agencies- to assess and respond accordingly creates disequilibrium in mutual expectations. The communication gap among them promotes non-compliant behaviour, ultimately making enforcement of environmental law for the most part impossible in developing countries like Pakistan. Disrespect for law and lack of confidence in public institutions stems from problems in social fabric. It is often the result of a societal failure not the weakness of government institutions. In these circumstances, the legislative process not informed of existing social realities and the administrative process ignorant of the social stress face miserable failure. The enforcement agencies alone are incapable of achieving compliance and the law as a tool of the public policy is unable to bring change in social attitudes for a better environment. The onus is mainly on social institutions to generate positive social values which are later communicated with other individuals/groups/systems in the environment. For a better and healthy environment, the government agencies have to think beyond regulation and facilitate greater participation and positive mutual interaction among non-state actors.

abstract: LL.M.


title: Advanced Control Technologies for Voltage Regulators of Next-Generation Microprocessors to Achieve Fast Dynamic Response Performance

contributor:
Liu, Yan-Fei
Sen, Paresh C.
Electrical and Computer Engineering

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:
Power Electronics
Advanced Control Technology
Charge Balance Control
Voltage Regulators

abstract: Thesis (Master, Electrical & Computer Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2011-04-28 02:10:40.413

abstract:
With the development of computing technology, the demand for next-generation voltage regulators (VRs) to power the modern microprocessors is rising. The next-generation VRs should be more compact and perform with faster dynamic response under increasingly large load transients.
Charge balance control concept has been introduced to achieve much lower output voltage deviations and shorter settling time than linear mode controllers. However, the existing implementations of charge balance controllers are too complicated to be widely used in practical VR applications. Therefore, to improve the transient response of a VR in a practical manner, five novel ideas are presented in this thesis.

abstract: M.A.Sc.


title: Graphical Editors Generation With the Graphical Modeling Framework: a Case Study

contributor:
Dingel, Juergen
Computing

subject:
Domain Specific Modeling (DSM)
Graphical Modeling Framework (GMF)
Eclipse Modeling
State Machine Compiler (SMC)

abstract: Thesis (Master, Computing) -- Queen's University, 2011-04-14 18:58:08.797

abstract:
Domain Specific Modeling (DSM) aims to increase productivity of software development by raising the level of abstraction beyond code concepts and using domain concepts. By providing a generative model-driven tooling component and runtime support, the Eclipse Graphical Modeling Framework (GMF) aims to simplify the creation of diagram editors for specific domains based on a series of model creation and transformation steps. GMF leverages the Eclipse Modeling Framework (EMF) and the Eclipse Graphical Editing Framework (GEF) to allow the graphical modeling of Domain Specific Languages (DSL).
A Domain Specific Language (DSL) is developed specifically for a specific task and specific domain. In this research, the State Machine Compiler (SMC) represents the specific domain for which a DSL in a form of a diagram editor is developed using GMF. SMC is an open source Java tool allowing generation of state pattern classes from textual descriptions of state machines.
The main objective of this research is to describe the use of GMF, highlight potential pitfalls and identify strengths and weaknesses of GMF based on certain criteria. To be able to feed the SMC diagrams created with the editor into SMC, a Java Emitter Templates (JET) transformation is used to transform SMC model instances into textual format expected by SMC.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Intuition-based modeling and insights into how antifreeze proteins bind to ice

contributor:
Davies, Peter L.
Biochemistry

subject:
Antifreeze protein
modeling

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Biochemistry) -- Queen's University, 2011-04-15 14:54:55.315

abstract:
Antifreeze proteins (AFPs) protect organisms from freezing damage at subzero temperatures. They do this by adsorbing to the surface of nascent ice crystals to block further ice growth. The key property of AFPs is to be soluble in liquid water but bind irreversibly to water in the solid state. Hypotheses for the mechanism by which AFPs recognize and bind ice have gone through several radical revisions without a consensus emerging. The remarkable diversity of independently evolved AFP structures, the multiple ice planes bound by AFPs, and uncertainty about the location of the ice-binding site(s) have all added to the difficulty of deducing a unified mechanism of AFP action. The central thesis of my research is that the characterization of additional AFPs will elucidate rather than obfuscate the mechanism of action.
To this end I have advanced knowledge about three hyperactive AFPs. A reliable protocol to express and purify a sufficient quantity of type I hyperactive AFP was developed for further characterization studies. Initial crystallization trials using the recombinant material have produced consistent crystals for diffraction and resolution. A model of the recently discovered snow flea AFP was generated via de novo methods. The folding scheme is polyproline type II helices stacked into anti-parallel sheets, which was to our knowledge previously unobserved in monomeric proteins. The model was subsequently confirmed to be within 1 Å accuracy by X-ray crystallography performed by another group. I have also screened several insects for antifreeze activity. By using mass-spectrometry sequencing and a cDNA library, novel AFPs (3 kDa and 8kDa) were discovered from overwintering inchworms. The translated proteins were subsequently de novo modelled.
After a thorough analysis of the literature, I reason that conflicting results from various AFP studies can be resolved. The hydrogen-bond ice-binding hypothesis was re-introduced to work coherently with elements of the hydrophobic ice-binding theory. We have proposed a unifying mechanism termed “anchored clathrate water,” which is supported by the water bonding on ice-binding surfaces reported both in in silico and in NMR studies. The new data I have obtained have further reinforced and expanded the hypothesis.

abstract: Chapter 2 contains information we do not want to publicize until final acceptance of the paper.

abstract: PhD


title: Essays on the Impact of Non-Financial Stakeholders on Firms’ Financing Policies

contributor:
Johnson, Lewis
Management

subject:
Non-Financial Stakeholder
Financing Policy

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Management) -- Queen's University, 2011-04-17 06:13:01.556

abstract: In this thesis we investigate whether firms’ relationships with non-financial stakeholders affect their financing policies. We find that the firms that place a higher value on reputation for treating employees generously maintain lower debt ratios. Furthermore, we find that the firms whose business relies on major customer-supplier relationships adopt more flexible payout policies because of relationship-specific investments. Finally, we find that the high financial distress costs rather than the hold-up problem associated with relationship-specific investments affect firms’ financing policies. Overall, our results suggest that firms’ relationships with non-financial stakeholders are important determinants of their financing policies.

abstract: PhD


title: The Synthesis of Succinic Acid and its Extraction From Fermentation Broth Using a Two-Phase Partitioning Bioreactor

contributor:
Daugulis, Andrew J.
Chemical Engineering

subject:
Succinic Acid
In-Situ Product Removal

abstract: Thesis (Master, Chemical Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2011-04-18 08:07:51.379

abstract:
Succinic Acid (SA) is an intermediate in the production of fine and commodity chemicals. No commercial SA bioproduction process exists due to process limitations including end product inhibition and high product separation costs, which account for 70% of total production costs. Two-Phase Partitioning Bioreactors (TPPBs) can increase volumetric productivity through in-situ product removal, although SA uptake by polymers requires a pH below the pKA2 of SA (4.2).
Sparging CO2 gas into the bioreactor was proposed to temporarily lower the pH of the medium, allowing for SA uptake. At 1atm CO2 sparging lowered the pH of Reverse Osmosis (RO) water to 3.8 but only to 4.75 in medium, requiring the use of H2SO4 and KOH for pH adjustment in subsequent experiments. Polymers were screened for SA uptake and the effect of pH on uptake from 2.2 to 6.2 was also studied. Only Hytrel® 8206 showed non-zero uptake with a partition coefficient for SA of 1.3. Cell cultures of Actinobacillus succinogenes was exposed to pH 4.2 for times from 5 minutes to 4 hours to determine whether cells could grow after low pH exposure. A. succinogenes resumed growth after up to 4 hours of low pH exposure, giving a sufficient time span for SA uptake in the bioreactor. A single-phase run was operated as a benchmark for comparison to the TPPB system which removed SA from the fermentation broth by pH cycling; lowering the pH to 3.8 for uptake, then increasing it to 6.7 to continue bioproduction. Uptake from fermentation broth took 60 minutes, within the time causing no effect on cell growth from low pH exposure. The two-phase run yielded 1.39g/L•h, unchanged compared to the single-phase run which gave 39g/L of SA after 28 hours. Though pH cycling reduced the concentration of SA through polymer uptake, the salts added for pH adjustment hindered further cell growth. The TPPB system demonstrated that SA can be efficiently removed from solution without complex separation methods. Future work will use pressurized vessels to increase the solubility of CO2 and lower the pH of fermentation broth for SA uptake without the need for strong acids.

abstract: M.A.Sc.


title: Role of Nitric Oxide-Signalling in Hypoxia-Induced Immune Escape in Cancer

contributor:
Siemens, D. Robert
Graham, Charles H.
Anatomy and Cell Biology

subject:
Hypoxia
Immune Escape
Cancer
Nitric Oxide

abstract: Thesis (Master, Anatomy & Cell Biology) -- Queen's University, 2011-04-18 10:43:28.077

abstract: A key step in malignant progression is the acquired ability of tumour cells to escape immune-mediated lysis. A potential mechanism by which tumour cells avoid immune destruction involves the shedding of MHC Class I Chain-Related Protein A (MICA), a Natural Killer (NK) cell-activating ligand, from the tumour cell membrane. Hypoxia has been shown to cause increased MICA shedding; however, this hypoxia-induced effect can be attenuated by pharmacological activation of the cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP)-dependent nitric oxide (NO)-signalling pathway in cancer cells. The primary objective of the present study was to determine whether treatment of tumour-bearing nude mice with the NO-mimetic glyceryl trinitrate (GTN) attenuates in vivo tumour growth and if so, whether this effect is dependent on the presence of an intact NK cell compartment. Results indicated that continuous transdermal administration of GTN (1.8 µg/h) can significantly attenuate the growth of transplanted human DU-145 prostate tumours but that this effect of GTN is lost in mice whose NK-cells have been depleted. Tumours and serum from the mice in this study were analysed to determine whether GTN treatment had any effect on the expression levels of proteins integral to the proposed MICA shedding mechanism; however, the results of these studies were inconclusive. As phosphodiesterase (PDE) inhibition represents a potential method to enhance NO-signalling, experiments were performed to determine whether treatment with the PDE5/6 inhibitor zaprinast could also attenuate hypoxia-induced MICA shedding and decrease in vivo growth of DU-145 tumours. Results demonstrated that treatment with zaprinast (10 mg/kg) significantly attenuates MICA shedding in DU-145 cancer cells and significantly decreases in vivo tumour growth. Taken together, the results of these experiments indicate that GTN attenuates tumour growth by sensitising tumour cells to innate immunity, likely by increasing membrane-associated tumour cell MICA levels through the reactivation of NO-signalling, and that zaprinast decreases tumour growth likely through a similar mechanism. These findings are important because they indicate that agents capable of reactivating NO-signalling, such as NO-mimetics and PDE inhibitors, can potentially be used as immunosensitisers in the treatment and/or prevention of cancer.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Preparation and characterization of polyolefin / nanosilica composites

contributor:
Kontopoulou, Marianna
Chemical Engineering

subject:
polymer nanocomposites
polyolefins
nanosilica
rheology
polyethylene
polypropylene
creep
interactions
compatibilizer
functionalization
silane
maleic anhydride
linear viscoelastic properties
ternary nanocomposites
elastomer

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Chemical Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2011-04-18 15:17:52.471

abstract:
Polypropylene (PP) and ethylene-co-octene copolymer (EOC) blends were prepared at various component ratios and reinforced with silica nanoparticles (SiO2). Strategies to improve filler dispersion involved the grafting of a silane coupling agent on the PP matrix, the addition of a maleated PP (PP-g-MA) as a compatibilizer and the use of hydrophobic silica nanoparticles. These approaches resulted in a fine dispersion of the nanoparticles within the PP phase and induced a reduction of the size of the EOC domains, due to a barrier effect. Tensile and flexural properties were significantly increased, whereas ductility and impact properties were not affected. These enhancements are attributed to the favourable microstructure of the blends, featuring a segregated microstructure, and to the improved interfacial adhesion between the functionalized polymer matrix and the surface of the nanoparticles.
The microstructure and rheology of model melt compounded EOC-based nanocomposites were investigated. Functionalization of the polyolefin matrix was accomplished through silane grafting, or addition of a maleated EOC (EOC-g-MA) compatibilizer. Various grades of unmodified SiO2 having different specific surface areas (SSA), as well as a surface-modified grade were added to the EOC matrix at various loadings. The formation of covalent and hydrogen bonds between the silanol groups and the functionalized polymer generated strong polymer/filler (P/F) interactions, resulting in improved filler dispersion. Bound polymer characterization revealed that in the compatibilized materials, the amount of polymer physically attached to the nanoparticles was higher than in the non-compatibilized samples.
In the absence of a compatibilizer, larger SiO2 aggregates formed upon increasing SSA because of increased probability of hydrogen bonding between the particles. The increased propensity for aggregation was revealed by time sweeps as well as by the increased strain sensitivity in stress sweeps. On the contrary, the compatibilized composites exhibited a stable response and a higher critical strain for the onset of non-linearity, indicative of stronger adhesion between the fillers and the matrix.
Superposition of oscillatory and creep/recovery experiments revealed that the viscoelastic properties in the terminal region were influenced substantially by the state of dispersion of the nanoparticles. In the absence of a compatibilizer, substantial enhancements in the linear viscoelastic (LVE) functions were noted and an increasing SSA resulted in more significant deviations from terminal flow. On the contrary, the SSA of the particles had no effect on the viscoelastic and mechanical properties of the compatibilized composites.

abstract: PhD


title: Design and Calibration of Seven Hole Probes for Flow Measurement

contributor:
Birk, Michael A.
Mechanical and Materials Engineering

subject:
fluid mechanics
flow measurement
pressure probe
hot flow
gas turbine

abstract: Thesis (Master, Mechanical and Materials Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2011-04-19 18:40:08.677

abstract:
The calibration and use of seven hole pressure probes for hot flow measurement was studied extensively, and guidelines were developed for the calibration and use of these probes.  The influence of tip shape, Reynolds number, calibration grid density, and curve fit were studied and reported.  Calibration was done using the well established polynomial curve fit method of Gallington.  An improvement to this method was proposed that improved the uniformity and magnitude of measurement error.
A hemispherical tip was found to be less sensitive to manufacturing defects, and less sensitive to changes in tip Reynolds number than a conical tip.
The response of the probes was found to be Reynolds number independent over a tip Reynolds number of 6000 for the entire calibrated range.  For flows with an angle of attack less than approximately 20°, the response of the probe was found to be independent above Re = 3000.
A minimum calibration grid density of 5° was recommended.  Error in the measurement of high angle flows was found to increase significantly when the calibration grid was sparser than this.
The response of the probe was found to contain features that were not properly represented by third order polynomial terms, and it was found that it was necessary to include fourth order terms in the polynomial curve fit.
The uniformity of calibration error was found to improve significantly when the high angle sectors were calibrated using a small number of additional points from adjacent sectors.  The calibration data sorting algorithm was modified to include a calibration point in a given sector if that sector’s port read the highest pressure, or if that port read within a specified tolerance (“overlap pressure”) of the highest pressure.  An overlap pressure of 15-20% of the calibration flow dynamic pressure was found to decrease the maximum calibration errors by 10-15%.

abstract: M.A.Sc.


title: Occurrence, determinants and dynamics of HPV coinfections in a cohort of Montreal university students

contributor:
Richardson, Harriet
Franco, Eduardo
Community Health and Epidemiology

subject:
Human papillomavirus
coinfections
cohort study
incidence
persistence
risk factors
cervical lesions
immune susceptibility

abstract: Thesis (Master, Community Health & Epidemiology) -- Queen's University, 2011-04-21 01:04:26.265

abstract:
Background: Coinfections with multiple types of human papillomavirus (HPV) are a common occurrence among HPV-infected individuals, but the clinical significance and etiology of these infections remain unclear. Though current evidence suggests that women with coinfections have increased HPV exposure (i.e. more sexual partners), it is also hypothesized that these women may represent a subgroup with increased HPV susceptibility, though this has been rarely studied to date.

Purpose: The purpose of this project was to examine the occurrence, determinants and dynamics of HPV coinfections in a cohort of university students in order to explore the relationship(s) between coinfections, lifestyle factors and immunological susceptibility.

Methods: This project is based on a secondary analysis of data from the McGill-Concordia Cohort, a longitudinal study of the natural history of HPV infection in 621 female university students in Montreal, Quebec. Participants were followed for 2 years at 6-month intervals. At each visit, cervical specimens were collected for cytology and HPV testing, and women completed a questionnaire about lifestyle and risk behaviours. Two definitions of coinfections were used: cumulative coinfection over follow-up and concurrent coinfection at each visit. Kaplan-Meier techniques were used to estimate incidence and duration of coinfections and multiple logistic regression was used to identify determinants of coinfections and associations between coinfections and squamous intraepithelial lesions (SIL).

Results: More than half of the cohort became infected with HPV and of those, over 60% acquired multiple HPV types over follow-up. Incidence of coinfections was significantly increased among HPV-infected women at enrollment. The most important determinant of coinfection occurrence was number of sexual partners (both lifetime and new), though some genes of the immune response (HLA-DQB1*06:02, HLA-G*01:01:03 and HLA-G*01:01:05) were also significant predictors. Women with coinfections, particularly those with 4+ HPV types, also had longer infection durations and greatly increased odds of SIL.

Conclusions: Women with coinfections acquire new HPV types at an increased rate and have greater HPV persistence and occurrence of SIL, which may indicate immunological susceptibility. HPV coinfections mainly occur due to increased sexual activity but a decreased immune response to the virus may also be involved in a subset of women.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Changes in Sensorimotor Performance After Stroke and as a Function of Normal Aging

contributor:
Scott, Stephen H.
Neuroscience Studies

subject: stroke robots

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Neuroscience Studies) -- Queen's University, 2011-04-21 15:16:11.342

abstract:
Stroke is a leading cause of disability in Canada. To maximize a patient's chance of
returning to their pre-stroke state, rehabilitation programs must be tailored to their specific brain impairments. Unfortunately, assessment of post-stroke impairments is largely based on the perceptual decisions of a clinician. To ensure inter-rater
reliability, many current assessment tools use coarse, ordinal scales resulting in
floor and ceiling effects.
   The purpose of this thesis was to use robotic technology coupled with a visually
guided reaching task to develop a reliable and sensitive tool for assessing upper limb
motor function after stroke. Robotic devices have contributed greatly to our under-
standing of motor function because of their ability to objectively, repeatedly, and
reliably measure behavior. Visually guided reaching is an ideal task for assessing up-
per limb motor function because it requires a broad range of sensorimotor functions
as well as healthy functioning of a diverse neural network.
   Control and stroke subjects performed an unassisted visually guided reaching task
with each arm using the KINARM robot. Sensorimotor functions were assessed using
a broad range of parameters derived from the kinematics of movement.
   In our first study we examined the reaching performance of subjects with subacute stroke and reliably found impairments in both their affected and unaffected arms. We also found performance asymmetries between the affected and unaffected arms that were present even when both arms demonstrated normal reaching behaviour independently.
   In our second study we examined changes in reaching performance that occur over
the  first six months following stroke. We found that with time reaching performance
improved with both arms, but performance asymmetries persisted throughout the  first six months after stroke.
  In our  final study we examined reaching performance of healthy adults between
the ages of 20 and 84 years of age. We found linear declines with age across most of
our movement parameters, but interlimb asymmetries to be stable across adulthood.
To generate age-specific performance curves descriptive statistics were tabulated for
each parameter.
   The results of this thesis demonstrate that a visually guided reaching task can
provide reliable and sensitive information about a subject's sensorimotor impairments
following stroke.

abstract: PhD


title: The Write Stuff: Assistive Technology and its Impact on Early Writers

contributor:
Lee, Elizabeth
Education

subject:
Education
Writing
Assistive Technology
Early Elementary

abstract: Thesis (Master, Education) -- Queen's University, 2011-04-24 02:12:01.196

abstract:
This mixed methods study examined assistive technology and its role in the world early writers. It investigated the function of word predictive and  speech synthesis software in the early primary, mainstream classroom. A technology based writing intervention with 27 first grade students was carried out to assess how the use of Co:writer software affected the content of student writing. It looked at how the length of the writing sample, word use and sentence complexity was affected by this writing intervention. It also investigated how students interacted with the software and how they felt about its effect on their writing. The hypothesis was that the use of assistive technology while writing would aid students in creating more sophisticated, content rich writing samples and give students a positive feeling about their writing. Using a pre-post design, participant writing samples were analyzed for length, word use and sentence complexity. Targeted interviews and field notes revealed how students interacted with the software and how they felt about its effect on their writing. The data shows that within this study participants improved the length, and sentence complexity in their written samples.
Qualitatively participants reported that the software helped to improve their vocabulary, length of writing sample, spelling, reading and editing. This study lays groundwork for more research into the use of assistive writing technology in early mainstream participants.

abstract: M.Ed.


title: The Toxicity of Hydroxylated Alkyl-Phenanthrenes to Embryonic Fish

contributor:
Hodson, Peter
Environmental Studies

subject: PAH Metabolism

abstract: Thesis (Master, Environmental Studies) -- Queen's University, 2011-04-24 12:15:43.323

abstract:
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) are common aquatic contaminants found at industrially contaminated sites. Alkylated PAH have been identified as a component of oil that is chronically toxic to the early life stages of fish. These compounds are important target analytes in Natural Resource Damage Assessment following oil spills, and often the focus of remedial activities. However, the mechanisms of PAH and alkyl-PAH toxicity are not well understood.
The enzymatic metabolism of alkyl-PAH generates ring (OH-ring) and chain hydroxylated (OH-chain) derivatives, and has been associated with the increased prevalence of toxicity in early life stages (ELS) of fish. The role of PAH metabolism in toxicity remains unclear, and may involve the byproducts of metabolism such as reactive oxygen species (ROS), reactive intermediates, metabolites themselves, or a combination thereof. Using 1-methylphenanthrene (1MP) as a model alkyl-PAH, this research describes the relative toxicity of a suite of hydroxylated alkyl-PAH to the early life stages of fish, proposing an association between the formation of para-quinones and enhanced toxicity.
The results of this thesis demonstrate: (1) hydroxylated derivatives of 1MP differ in toxicity from their non-hydroxylated counterpart; (2) ring hydroxylated 1MP derivatives are more toxic than both chain-hydroxylated derivatives and 1MP itself; (3) the location of ring-hydroxylation can affect toxicity and (4) the octanol-water partition coefficient (Kow) is a poor predictor of toxicity for hydroxylated APs derivatives.

abstract: M.E.S.


title: Factors that Influence Community Integration of Persons with Physical Disabilities in Post-Conflict Bosnia and Herzegovina as Perceived by Persons with Disabilities

contributor:
Lysaght, Rosemary
Rehabilitation Science

subject:
Bosnia and Herzegovina
community integration
CBR
disability

abstract: Thesis (Master, Rehabilitation Science) -- Queen's University, 2011-04-24 13:30:35.306

abstract:
Rationale: Due to the uniqueness of the conflict and post-conflict experience in Bosnia and Herzegovina and limited primary source research, it is unclear to what extent persons with physical disability participate in rehabilitation and other community services. It is uncertain whether persons with physical disability have access to available community programs and services and what role policy, environmental and attitudinal barriers play in community integration and social participation.
Objective: The purpose of this study was to understand and describe factors that influence community integration and social participation of persons with a physical disability in post-conflict Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Methods: A concurrent embedded mixed methods design was used. Three face to face interviews were conducted and thirteen participants completed written questionnaires adapted from The “KIPA” Clear Direction Strategic Framework: Knowledge-Inclusion-Participation-Access (Edmonds, 2003). Participants had physical disabilities and were recruited through Mojmilo Health Clinic, Centar Za Fizikalnu Theraiji I Rehabilitaciju Community Based Rehabilitation centre and the Clinical Centre University Hospital in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Results: The study identified  challenges and barriers encountered when accessing rehabilitation, primary health care, education and other community services and programs. The data suggested that persons with a physical disability perceived that factors associated with knowledge, inclusion, participation, and access are very important to their quality of life. Government policy reform and assistance, employment opportunities, attitudes and awareness, and community understanding emerged as critical factors of acceptance and integration.
Conclusions: The study revealed that a complex array of factors influenced the integration of persons living with a physical disability in post-conflict Bosnia and Herzegovina.  Persons with disability indicated the need for individuals and disability groups to collectively advocate for all PWDs in order to voice their goals for integration and social participation. Knowledge, inclusion, participation, and access to health care, education, livelihood, attitude, social participation and advocacy emerged as intrinsic to the successful community integration of persons living with a physical disability.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: DNA oxidation and base excision repair in lung and liver of 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone treated mice

contributor:
Massey, Thomas E.
Pharmacology and Toxicology

subject: Oxidative DNA Damage

subject: Base Excision Repair

abstract: Thesis (Master, Pharmacology & Toxicology) -- Queen's University, 2011-04-28 17:42:08.172

abstract: 4-(Methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK) is a potent pulmonary carcinogen found in unburned tobacco and tobacco smoke.  To exert its carcinogenic effect, NNK is metabolically activated to reactive intermediates that can damage DNA by alkylation or pyridyloxobutylation.  NNK also has the ability to induce DNA oxidation and alter DNA repair activities that can result in deficient repair and potentially exacerbate carcinogenesis.  Base excision repair (BER) is a ubiquitous DNA repair system that mainly repairs oxidative DNA damage.  The goal of this study was to determine the effect of NNK on DNA oxidation status and BER activity in A/J mouse lung and liver.  Female mice were treated with 10 µmol of NNK i.p. and lung and liver were isolated 1, 2 and 24 hours post administration.  DNA was isolated from lung and liver, and the formation of 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OHdG, a biomarker of DNA oxidation) was assessed by high-performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection.  At 1, 2 and 24 hours in both murine lung and liver, there was no statistically significant difference in 8-OHdG levels (n = 4, P > 0.05) between control and NNK-treated mice.  To assess BER, cell-free whole tissue nuclear protein extracts from liver and lung were prepared and incubated with a plasmid substrate containing oxidative DNA damage.  In vivo treatment with NNK did not alter BER activity in lung or liver compared to control mice (n=3 or 4, P > 0.05).  These experiments indicate that acute treatment with a tumourigenic dose of NNK does not significantly stimulate oxidative DNA damage or significantly alter BER activity in murine lung and liver.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Kinetics, Synthesis and Characterization of copolymers containing the bio-renewable monomer g-methyl-a-methylene-g-butyrolactone (MeMBL)

contributor:
Hutchinson, Robin A.
Chemical Engineering

subject:
Polymer
Biorenewable
MeMBL
PLP
Dispersion Polymerization

abstract: Thesis (Master, Chemical Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2011-04-25 09:39:19.959

abstract:
The bio-renewable monomer γ-methyl-α-methylene-γ-butyrolactone (MeMBL) has been thoroughly investigated in this thesis. MeMBL is a relatively unstudied monomer that had received little attention since the early 1980’s but has become a subject of renewed interest since a process to produce it from biomass derivatives was developed in 2004. The principle interest with this monomer aside from the “green” potential associated with bio-renewables results from its structure being cyclically analogous to methyl methacrylate (MMA) as well as improved solvent resistance and a high (215oC+) glass transition temperature (Tg) compared to most petroleum sourced acrylics.
There are three major areas of focus in this work, examining polymerization kinetics, synthesis and polymer characterization. The polymerization kinetics of MeMBL were investigated with a variety of petroleum sourced monomers. MeMBL is in all cases preferentially incorporated into copolymers, presenting challenges for composition control. Preliminary investigations of aqueous phase polymerizations of MeMBL were problematic and led to investigations of organic phase polymerizations. The dispersion polymerization method was used to produce copolymers of MeMBL and MMA; during the study we obtained new insight into the mechanisms of particle nucleation and growth. With the acquired knowledge of MeMBL polymerization kinetics, the dispersion technique was used to produce MeMBL/MMA copolymers of controlled composition by semibatch for characterization studies.  The addition of MeMBL raises polymer Tg and lowers molecular weight, but due to unexpected difficulties in processing MeMBL copolymers, mechanical properties could not be investigated in this study. Future work may need to revisit other polymerization techniques in order to produce processable polymers to test whether or not MeMBL might be a suitable alternative to petroleum sourced monomers that is capable of extending the range and utility of acrylics.

abstract: M.A.Sc.


title: Interactive behaviour in pigeons: Visual display interactions as a model for visual communication

contributor:
Troje, Nikolaus F.
Frost, Barrie J.
Neuroscience Studies

subject:
Social interactivity
Social contingency
Courtship behaviour
Biological motion
Visual communication
Pigeon (Columba livia)

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Neuroscience Studies) -- Queen's University, 2011-04-25 14:37:19.888

abstract: Four experiments are presented that explore social interactivity in a visually communicating species: the pigeon, Columba livia.  A closed-loop teleprompter system was used to isolate, control and manipulate social contingency in a natural courtship interaction. Experiment 1 tested different ways to measure pigeon behaviour and developed an automatic method for measuring the pigeon’s circle walking display using motion energy analysis.  In Experiment, 2 the subject’s courtship behaviour towards the video image of an opposite sex partner streamed live (Live), was compared with their behaviour towards a pre-recorded video image of the same partner (Playback).  The only difference between the Live and Playback condition was the presence or absence of social contingency.  The results showed that pigeons behaved interactively: their behaviour was determined, in part, by the social contingencies between visual signals.   To investigate what types of social contingencies are behaviourally relevant, the effects of the partner’s facing direction and the timing of social contingencies on behaviour were investigated in Experiment 3 and 4, respectively. To manipulate partner facing direction, the camera was rotated so that the partner appears to be courting 90° away from the subject.  To manipulate social timing, three time delays, 1, 3 and 9s, were implemented within the closed-circuit communication. In Experiment 4, the context-specificity of interactive behaviour was also investigated by testing behavioural sensitivity to social contingency and timing in both opposite sex and same sex social interactions. The results showed that the partner’s facing direction did not significantly influence behaviour, whereas the timing of social contingencies had a significant impact on behaviour: in courtship only.  These findings suggest that temporal relations between display bouts in courtship are behaviourally relevant.  A post hoc analysis was then used to evaluate the behavioural relevance of two social contingencies in particular: partner responsiveness and simultaneous display.  The results showed that females may be sensitive to the male responsiveness in courtship.  Also, simultaneous display appeared to create a perceptual interaction which acted to potentiate the courtship dynamic.  These studies provide a basis for further developing the pigeon and its courtship behaviour as a model for visual communication.

abstract: PhD


title: Lolium perenne antifreeze protein, part of a freeze-tolerance strategy

contributor:
Walker, Virginia K.
Biology

subject:
Antifreeze Protein
Lolium perenne
Perennial Ryegrass
Thermal Hysteresis
Ice Recrystallization Inhibition
Ice-Binding Proteins
Freezing Stress Response
Plant Antifreeze Protein
Freezing Tolerance

abstract: Thesis (Master, Biology) -- Queen's University, 2011-04-25 18:43:33.154

abstract: Antifreeze proteins (AFPs) are a novel class of ice-binding stress response proteins produced by organisms which experience freezing at some point within their respective life histories. These proteins are structurally and evolutionarily diverse, are found in a range of different organisms, and are often related to stress or pathogen response proteins. AFPs are found in certain plant species, many of which are within the Poaceae family of monocotyledonous plants and are largely found within the Pooideae subfamily. Lolium perenne, (Lp) the perennial ryegrass, produces an antifreeze protein, LpAFP, and, like many plant AFPs, it does not dramatically depress the freezing point. However, LpAFP demonstrates great capacity in ice recrystallization inhibition (IRI). This robust IRI has led to interest in industrial applications of this protein, from cryoprotection to use as a frozen food additive, and most notably, to its potential use in transgenic crop enhancement. LpAFP has potential for crop enhancement strategies since its superior IRI allows controlled intercellular ice crystal formation, thus limiting the cellular membrane damage caused by freeze-thaw events. This thesis has generated a greater understanding of the nature of LpAFP, through selective characterization of its recombinant and native states, functional analysis through attempted gene knockdown, and investigation of its export pathways. In addition, it provides suggestions and strategies to work towards the development of transgenic trait applications.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: News you can really use: Thoughts from Ontario journalists about the what and how of teaching news literacy

contributor:
Luce-Kapler, Rebecca
Education

subject:
Media Literacy
Journalism
News Literacy

abstract: Thesis (Master, Education) -- Queen's University, 2011-04-25 21:40:25.073

abstract: Schools are a place to foster lifelong learning skills. Upon graduation, students continue to learn through the news. What skills and abilities are needed, then, to become news literate? By relying on in-depth interviews with five Ontario journalists, this study brings the voice of journalists into this academic discussion, a voice that has been largely neglected in the reviewed literature. This study finds reporters largely agree with educational theorists on the concepts and lessons underpinning news literacy curricula, although refine these ideas from the point of view of news producers. Several themes emerged through phenomenological analysis of interview transcripts, including news creation as a social process, deep questioning and curiosity in relation to critical thinking, the roles of social media in the modern news ecosystem, and understanding news as a narrative that we shape and are shaped by. Each theme defines what it means to be news literate from the point of view of journalists and gives a detailed view of the generally accepted academic definition of media literacy, which is the ability to access, analyze, evaluate and create media in a variety of forms (Aufderheide, 1993; UNESCO, n.d.). Journalists acknowledged their domain expertise with the media and teachers’ expertise with education, meeting Masterman’s (2001) belief in the need for educators and journalists to work together to further the cause of media literacy. Educators looking for more detailed ideas for the construction of news literacy curricula can find those details in the thoughts, ideas and themes in this study.

abstract: M.Ed.


title: Too Rich to Regulate: Examining the Barriers to the Use of Surveillance in Corporate Crime

contributor:
Snider, Laureen
Sociology

subject:
corporate crime
white-collar crime
regulation
surveillance

abstract: Thesis (Master, Sociology) -- Queen's University, 2011-04-26 14:38:11.581

abstract: Surveillance has long been used as an enforcement tool to detect conventional crimes and identify and punish offenders. However, its watchful gaze has been strategically directed away from the area of corporate crime. Corporate crime has long been under-studied and under-researched, despite the fact that the damages it causes amount to millions, even billions, of dollars. Its omission from the surveillant gaze, however, has been no accident. Because corporate offenders hold higher positions in society and possess greater political and economic resources than conventional street criminals, corporate offenders have often been able to resist the regulatory attempts against them. This thesis explores the underuse of surveillance as an enforcement tool in corporate crime, but also examines the regulatory climate that perpetuates this. It explores the main tools for addressing criminal and regulatory violations that are used by law enforcement agencies charged with enforcing corporate crime. This thesis identifies and examines five barriers—cultural, political, economic, legal, and technological—that have acted to limit and even prevent surveillance as a tool of regulation against corporate crime. Through an analysis of academic literature and public sources, this thesis assesses the small number of initiatives where surveillance strategies have been attempted in the field of corporate crime and investigates the reasons the attempts have been limited in number, scope and effect. The aim of this thesis is to draw attention to underuse of surveillance in corporate crime and question the current regulatory framework.

abstract: M.A.


title: Three-Dimensional Nonlinear Analysis of Deep-Corrugated Steel Culverts

contributor:
Moore, Ian D.
Brachman, Richard W. I.
Civil Engineering

subject:
Long-Span Culverts
Finite Element Analysis
Deep-Corrugated

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Civil Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2011-04-26 15:33:45.103

abstract: Deep-corrugated steel culverts (with a corrugation wavelength of 400mm and amplitude of 150mm) can be used as an effective alternative for short-span bridges. Current design methods are typically based on two-dimensional finite element analysis. This thesis reports results from three-dimensional finite element analysis, with explicit modelling of the geometry of the corrugated plates (called corrugated analyses) and employing the orthotropic shell theory (called orthotropic analyses), for a specific box culvert having a 10 m span and 2.4 m rise. The results were compared to previously reported experimental data where a specific large span box culvert was tested under controlled laboratory conditions. The behaviour of the box culvert under small vertical displacement without any soil support was modelled to isolate the structure response. The box culvert was also modelled when subject to fully loaded dump truck, and when loaded using a tandem axle frame to service and ultimate loads. Both corrugated and orthotropic analyses successfully captured the response of the box culvert when backfilled and loaded using dump truck and axle frame loading. It was found that the orthotropic model overestimated the culvert stiffness at the ultimate limit state, but provided effective estimates of response up to the factored design loads. The corrugated model with geometric nonlinearity was required to capture the real behaviour of the corrugated plates up to the ultimate limit state.  New insight into the failure mechanisms of the box culvert were provided by the corrugated model analysis. A parametric study was then performed for 86 different long-span box and arch culverts, examining live load spreading in the axial direction, number of loaded lanes, design truck position, culvert geometry, plate thickness, and the existence of pavement. The results were then compared to the moment and thrust equations in the 2006 Canadian Highway Bridge Design Code (CHBDC) to check the performance of the current design equations. CHBDC equations overestimated the earth and live load bending moments, and did not give the correct trend for different spans. CHBDC thrust equations were found to underestimate the earth and live load thrust values for arch culverts.

abstract: PhD


title: FOUR WOMEN’S PERCEPTIONS OF LIVING A LIFETIME WITH ADHD

subject: ADHD

abstract: This project is written as a reflection of how ‘we’ think, ‘we’ being adults with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Although the project follows conventional methodology in terms of data collection and research, the presentation of my data does not follow conventional style. This style is in tribute to my main audience, ADHDers themselves and the people who know them well, as ADHDers are far from conventional. ADHD is a genuine disorder, both physiologically and psychologically, that is not biased towards age, gender, or race. The aims of the project were to create an interesting resource that: addresses the reality of female ADHD, provides an empathetic point of view for future students struggling with similar issues, and gives a voice to my participants. Through this project, you are introduced to four adult women living with and learning about ADHD. Candidates participated in an individual retrospective 1-hour interview and a follow-up focus group session. Interview data were then compiled into a series of biographical and autoethnographical stories: their stories and ‘our’ story. In writing these stories, I gained an understanding into the common experience. I found that the four women share common struggles and common landmarks along the path of understanding their own ADHD and finding success with it. Four common themes emerge throughout their stories that lead to a metamorphosis. Starting with diagnosis, they are able to identify strengths and integrate them into their passions. Through this process, a personal definition of success emerges. The integration of self-understanding, innate strengths, and personal passions brings the women onto the road of personally-defined success, the course of which is guided by interests and abilities. Although I am not yet ready to create my own version of success, I now finally have insight as to where to find it as the meaning of success is my definition to make.


subject: ADHD

subject: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder


title: Itch E3 ubiquitin ligase regulates LATS1 tumour suppressor stability

contributor:
Yang, Xiaolong
Pathology and Molecular Medicine

subject:
Proteomics
Ubiquitination
Tumour suppressor
Protein stability

abstract: Thesis (Master, Pathology & Molecular Medicine) -- Queen's University, 2011-04-26 22:25:46.008

abstract:
The Large Tumor Suppressor 1 (LATS1) is a serine/threonine kinase and tumor
suppressor found down-regulated in a broad spectrum of human cancers. It is a central
player of the emerging Hippo-LATS tumour suppressor pathway, which plays important
roles in cell proliferation, apoptosis, and stem cell differentiation. Despite the ample data
supporting a role of LATS1 in tumour suppression, how LATS1 is regulated at the
molecular level remains largely unknown. In this study, we have identified Itch, a HECT
class E3 ubiquitin ligase, as a novel binding partner of LATS1. Itch can complex with
LATS1 both in vitro and in vivo through the PPxY motifs of LATS1 and the WW
domains of Itch. Significantly, we found that over-expression of Itch promoted LATS1
degradation by polyubiquitination through the 26S proteasome pathway. On the other
hand, knockdown of endogenous Itch by shRNAs provoked stabilization of endogenous
LATS1 proteins. Finally, through several functional assays, we also revealed that change
of Itch abundance alone is sufficient for altering LATS1-mediated downstream signaling,
negative regulation of cell proliferation, and induction of apoptosis. Together, our study
identifies E3 ubiquitin ligase Itch as the first negative regulator of LATS1 and presents
for the first time a possibility of targeting LATS1/Itch interaction as a therapeutic strategy
in cancer.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Inventing the Investor: the Role of Disclosure and Reporting, and Accounting Expertise in the Governance of the Corporation and the Making of the Shareholder

contributor:
Shearer, Teri
Management

subject: Accounting Corporation Governance Investor Disclosure

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Management) -- Queen's University, 2011-04-29 15:47:15.015

abstract: This thesis presents an historical analysis of the role of financial accounting in the emerging conceptions of corporate governance during the Progressive era in the United States.  Specifically, this thesis advances an approach to the governance and control of corporations in terms of historically-situated subjects who are acted upon by various forms of power leading them to assume specific roles in relation to corporations and their governance. The focus of this study is a broad archival analysis of the emergence of the large industrial corporation during the late nineteenth and into the beginning of the twentieth century.  In particular, in this thesis I analyze the importance of financial accounting and reporting discourses, as forms of expertise, to the historical emergence of the corporation’s external relationships with broader government bodies and authorities and a broad range of individuals within the public domain.  I employ a Foucauldian theoretical and methodological lens to highlight the importance of disclosure and reporting at the macro level of a public economic discourse regarding the corporation.  This discourse illustrates how governance focused less on prohibitory laws regarding corporate actions and more on normalizing forms of power in terms measuring and disclosure.  I also analyze at the micro level the role of accounting expertise and how it leads to the understanding within the public domain of corporations as norms of business organization.  Specifically, accounting expertise provides a means by which the corporation is seen as not only controllable, but also productive and utility maximizing.  Taken together, this analysis highlights how financial accounting and reporting comprise forms of normalizing power which shape and define individuals as various types of corporate subjects, such as investors.

abstract: PhD


title: Catalytic Supercritical Water Gasification of Sewage Sludge/Secondary Pulp/Paper-Mill Sludge for Hydrogen Production

contributor:
Champagne, Pascale
Xu, Chunbao (Charles)
Civil Engineering

subject:
Biomass
Bio-Energy
Supercritical Water Gasification
Liquefaction
Hydrogen
Catalyst

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Civil Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2011-04-27 17:20:49.193

abstract: Supercritical water gasification (SCWG) is an innovative hydrothermal technique, employing supercritical water (SCW, T≥374oC, P≥22.1 MPa) as the reaction media, to convert wet biomass or aqueous organic waste directly into hydrogen (H2)-rich synthetic gas (syngas). In the first stage of this research, a secondary pulp/paper-mill sludge (SPP, provide by AbitibiBowater Thunder Bay Operations) was gasified at temperatures of 400-550oC for 20 to 120 min in a high-pressure batch reactor for H2 production. The highest H2 yield achieved was 14.5 mol H2/kg SPP (on a dry basis) at 550oC for 60 min. In addition, SPP exhibited higher H2-generation potential than sewage sludges, likely attributed to its higher pH and higher volatile matter and alkali salt contents. In the second stage, a novel two-step process for sludge treatment was established. The first step involved the co-liquefaction of SPP with waste newspaper in a batch reactor at varying mixing ratios, aimed at converting the organic carbons in the feedstocks into valuable bio-crude and water-soluble products. The highest heavy oil (HO) yield (26.9 wt%) was obtained at 300oC for 20 min with a SPP-to-newspaper ratio of 1:2. This co-liquefaction process transformed 39.1% of the carbon into HOs, where 16.3% of the carbon still remained in the aqueous waste. Next, an innovative Ru0.1Ni10/γ-Al2O3 catalyst (10 wt% Ni, Ru-to-Ni molar ratio=0.1), with long-term stability and high selectivity for H2 production, was developed for the SCWG of 50 g/L glucose, where no deactivation was observed after 33 h on stream at 700oC, 24 MPa and a WHSV (weight hourly space velocity) of 6 h-1. The H2 yield was maintained at ~50 mol/kg feedstock. The addition of small amounts of Ru to Ni10/γ-Al2O3 was found to be effective in enhancing Ni dispersion and increasing the reducibility of NiO. Finally, the Ru0.1Ni10/γ-Al2O3 catalyst together with an activated carbon (AC) supported catalyst (Ru0.1Ni10/AC) were utilized for treating the aqueous by-product from sludge-newspaper co-liquefaction using a continuous down-flow tubular reactor. More than 90% of the carbon in the waste was destroyed at 700oC with the highest H2 yield of 71.2 mol/kg carbon noted using Ru0.1Ni10/AC.

abstract:
Chapters 2, 6, 7 and 8 as four separate manuscripts have been submitted to scientific journals and are currently under review. Specifically,
Chapter 2 has been submitted to the journal of Biomass & Bioenergy, Elsevier.
Chapter 6 has been submitted to the International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, Elsevier.
Chapter 7 has been submitted to the journal of Applied Catalysis B: Environmental, Elsevier.
And Chapter 8 has been submitted to the journal of Bioresource Technology, Elsevier.

abstract: PhD


title: Where Does the Small Rural School Stand? Exploring Different Perspectives

subject:
rural education
small schools
school closure
school consolidation
declining enrolment
stakeholders' voices
document analysis

abstract:
The closure of small rural schools is the single most implemented educational change reform in rural areas of Canada (Wallin, 2007). Similarly, throughout the 20th century, rural school consolidation was the single, most frequently implemented educational policy in the United States (Herzog & Pittman, 1995). This study explores the why and how of this phenomenon.
Rural education research has indicated that small rural schools across North America share common challenges unique to the rural situation (Bard, Gardener & Wieland, 2006; Blaine, Pace & Robinson, 2004; Mulcahy, 1993; Wallin, 2007). Many rural education researchers concur that some of these challenges arise from social, economic and political differences between urban and rural settings, but primarily, they stem from the consequence of globalization on trade, labour relations, regulatory control, or governmental rules and guidelines (Howley, 1997; Wallin, 2007). In response to these challenges, many policymakers and educational officials have initiated reform efforts in the form of small rural school closures and consolidations (Bard et.al, 2006; Corbett & Mulcahy, 2006; Hicks, 1999; Wallin, 2007). In this study, I carry out a qualitative analysis of the rationale behind these reforms, using one particular Eastern Ontario school board’s proposal (Boundary 2020) and a number of other documents as an exemplification of these closure and consolidation movements, and the various rural stakeholder responses to this reform.
In an exploration of rural perspectives and philosophies, I bring alternative rural perceptions to the forefront and advocate for rural stakeholders to have a voice in the future of their schools and communities. Moreover, by acknowledging not only the existence of small rural schools in Ontario, including the notion that their future is threatened by plans such as Boundary 2020, this project serves as a point of departure for future rural education research in a province that tends to favour a metropolitan-inspired school system. Furthermore, by emphasizing the need to cultivate rural meanings and identities, I hope to encourage rural communities to nurture the strengths of their local schools through the development of locally responsive curricula and community-centered activities and opportunities, which could contribute to the sustainability of their local rural schools.


title: To Make A Difference:  Re-viewing the Practice of Critical Pedagogy through the Lens of  Cultural Myths about Teaching

contributor:
Lewis, Magda Gere
Education

subject:
Critical Pedagogy
Autoethnography
Cultural Myths about Teaching
Deborah Brtizman
Critical Self-Reflection

abstract: Thesis (Master, Education) -- Queen's University, 2011-04-27 23:32:14.497

abstract: The purpose of this thesis is to generate new ways of understanding and imagining what it means to educate for and from a critical consciousness (Freire, 1974).  My research is focused on my experience of trying to put critical pedagogy theory into practice in the context of teaching a grade 11/12 high school class.  In contrast to oppressive pedagogies that functioned to “prepare students for dominant or subordinate positions in the existing society” (McLaren, 1994, p. 191), as a critical pedagogue, I was guided by the goal of liberating the students in my class by raising their consciousness.  However, when I attempted to put critical pedagogy into practice, I soon found myself reproducing an oppressive, transmission-style pedagogy.  If the goal of critical pedagogy was to emancipate students by providing them with a transformative educational experience, why did I continue to view myself and my students in ways that were oppressive and paternalistic?                                                                   Critiques of critical pedagogy (Ellsworth, 1989; Gore, 1993) offer important insight into this question.  Yet, a limited amount of research had been performed into how dominant cultural myths about teaching (Britzman, 1986, 2003) inform teachers’ desires and efforts to put critical pedagogy theory into practice.  My thesis aims to shed light on the relationship between critical pedagogy and cultural myths about teaching by examining the discursive roots and mythologies reflected in my desire to “make a difference” in the lives of my students with critical pedagogy.  In exposing how pedagogy, desire, and identity intersect in complex, creative, and contradictory ways, my research makes visible one of the most difficult lessons that teachers who wish to educate for and from a critical consciousness have to learn:  “That the sincerity of their intentions does not guarantee the purity of their practice” (Brookfield, p. 1).

abstract: M.Ed.


title: Investigating the contribution of the frontal cortex in executive control in normal versus abnormal aging

contributor:
Munoz, Douglas P.
Garcia, Angeles A.
Neuroscience Studies

subject:
executive function
aging
saccade

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Neuroscience Studies) -- Queen's University, 2011-04-28 13:44:32.25

abstract: The proportion of elderly individuals in society is increasing dramatically, leading to an increase in the prevalence of age-related neurological disorders that affect the function of the frontal lobes and overall movement control. This thesis aims to evaluate ‘executive control’ and the underlying brain changes in normal versus abnormal aging processes using saccadic eye movement tasks. Tasks performed by subjects that probe executive control consist of antisaccades (generate a voluntary eye movement after inhibiting an automatic movement to a visual stimulus), and memory-guided saccades (generate eye movements to three previous remembered visual stimuli in the same sequence they were presented). Both of these types of saccades require good functioning behavioural control, which is subserved by areas in the prefrontal cortex. This thesis specifically characterizes the changes in oculomotor control related to aging, Huntington’s disease, mild cognitive impairment (amnestic), and Alzheimer’s disease. We also specifically examine the neural mechanisms related to behavioural control in the antisaccade task in aging. Together, the conclusions drawn from this thesis reveal that specific areas in the prefrontal cortex are involved in executive dysfunction in both normal and abnormal aging, but the patient groups studied have provided new understanding that different underlying brain substrates may be altering function in the frontal cortical areas, such as the basal ganglia and the hippocampus.

abstract: PhD


title: Geochemical Indicators of Buried Sulphide Mineralisation Under Sedimentary Cover Near Talbot Lake, Manitoba

contributor: Geological Sciences and Geological Engineering

subject:
Geochemistry
Mineral Exploration

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Geological Sciences & Geological Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2011-05-14 04:38:36.886

abstract:
The Paleoproterozoic Talbot volcanogenic massive sulphide (VMS) Cu-Zn occurrence is located near Talbot Lake, Manitoba, about 80 km south of Snow Lake. The mineralised system is unconformably overlain by more than 100 m of Paleozoic dolomite sequences and Quaternary glacial till. The clay fraction  of the till contains pronounced anomalies of Zn, Cu, Ag, Pb, Au, Mn, Hg, Cd, Co, Bi and Se, which is ascribed to the formation of clay-humic complexes that have carbon-isotopic compositions of δ13C < -20‰. A VMS origin of the near-surface anomaly is confirmed by distinctly low 206Pb/204Pb ratios, compared to a more radiogenic till signature.
The overall low 206Pb/204Pb ratios in the organic surface media black spruce bark, moss and humus also indicate input from a magmatic sulphide source, but likely reflect windblown material from the Flin Flon smelter stack at 160 km to the northwest. Black spruce tree rings that pre-date industrial sources of atmospheric metal input are used to measure historical element distributions because they record the local geochemistry at the time of heartwood growth and their root systems tap into large volumes of soil. At the Talbot prospect, the presence of secondary Zn from the till in black spruce tree cores is reflected in the Zn/Ca ratio, which eliminates the effect of dolomite-derived Zn. The process of element migration from buried mineralisation to the surface
is complex and includes oxidation of sulphides, mobilisation and complexation of metal ions, physical upward transport, and deposition of indicator elements near the surface in accessible sampling media. To account for a significant influx of indicator elements into the relatively recently deposited till blanket, post-glacial groundwater upwelling is proposed to act as a major mechanism driving upward element migration.

abstract: PhD


title: Constituting Governable Subjects: Foucault and Governmentality’s Account of ‘Governing through Freedom’ and the Case of the Indigenous Populations of Canada

contributor:
Levine-Rasky, Cynthia
Sociology

subject: Foucault Governmentality

abstract: Thesis (Master, Sociology) -- Queen's University, 2011-04-28 15:32:18.11

abstract: In 1978, Michel Foucault introduced his genealogy of the modern state, or alternatively, what he termed governmentality in which politics is understood as the product of rationalities which make up rule.  Foucault’s problematic was to uncover the rationalities of bio-power or bio-politics which is situated within liberal rule.  For Foucault, liberalism is to be viewed as a philosophy of rule that concerned itself with the rationality that the state may be governing too heavily and which increasingly divested itself of its regulatory capacities and consequently sought to guide the conduct of the population through often indirect and distanced means.  Subsequently, others have built upon Foucault’s work on liberalism and have concluded that the phrase governing through freedom adequately characterizes liberal philosophies of rule.  However, numerous critiques have been raised concerning the contention that liberalism brought with it a substantiated increase in freedom.  It is this critique that the current research wishes to expand upon by using the case of the Aboriginal peoples throughout Canada between the eighteenth and nineteenth century to display that the concept of governing through freedom is far too restricted and that the governmentality literature often presents an incomplete account of classical liberalism.

abstract: M.A.


title: Business Improvement Areas in Metro Vancouver: The Convergence of Economic Development and Social Responsibility

subject:
business improvement areas
social issues
economic development
survey

abstract:
In Experiential Planning: A Practitioner’s Account of Vancouver’s Success, Jill Grant draws attention to the intervolution of social issues and urban planning and specifically the role of Vancouver’s “ambitious social agenda” in transforming the city into a place now commended for its livability. This transition in Vancouver over the last twenty (plus) years indicates a place for social planning in community building and urban development. In 1988, about the same time
Vancouver began implementing the planning policies, practices, and strategies that would later be recognized as factors in establishing its reputation as a livable city, the province passed Business Improvement Area (BIA) legislation. At that time, and even now, BIAs across the
province are typically formed to address a range of issues concerning community and economic development. Certainly the mitigation of social issues is an emerging role, but one that remains subordinate. In Vancouver, however, a city that planners consider “the exemplar of a modernist
city that attempts to be socially inclusionary” (Grant, 2009, p. 359), social issues have tended to carry more clout with municipal planners and policy-makers. Nearby municipalities, on the other hand, including those that comprise the Greater Vancouver Regional District, do not necessarily
share the same progressive outlook on social issues. The hypothesis that motivates this inquiry then is BIAs—uniquely positioned among the key actors in the public, private, and voluntary sectors in the community—to some degree, likely reflect the city’s zealous social plan. Whether this hypothesis is valid, and whether or not the effect occurs across the metropolitan region, are
telling indications of the overall effects of municipal social policy on the economic development objectives of BIAs.


title: Seismic Performance of Geosynthetic-Soil Retaining Wall Structures

contributor:
Bathurst, Richard J.
Civil Engineering

subject:
Seismic
Retaining Wall
Geosynthetics
Shaking Table
FLAC Numerical Simulation
EPS Geofoam
Earthquake
Reinforced Soil

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Civil Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2011-04-28 16:56:57.084

abstract:
Vertical inclusions of expanded polystyrene (EPS) placed behind rigid retaining walls were investigated as geofoam seismic buffers to reduce earthquake-induced loads. A numerical model was developed using the program FLAC and the model validated against 1-g shaking table test results of EPS geofoam seismic buffer models. Two constitutive models for the component materials were examined: elastic-perfectly plastic with Mohr-Coulomb (M-C) failure criterion and non-linear hysteresis damping model with equivalent linear method (ELM) approach. It was judged that the M-C model was sufficiently accurate for practical purposes. The mechanical property of interest to attenuate dynamic loads using a seismic buffer was the buffer stiffness defined as K = E/t (E = buffer elastic modulus, t = buffer thickness). For the range of parameters investigated in this study, K ≤ 50 MN/m3 was observed to be the practical range for the optimal design of these systems. Parametric numerical analyses were performed to generate design charts that can be used for the preliminary design of these systems.
A new high capacity shaking table facility was constructed at RMC that can be used to study the seismic performance of earth structures. Reduced-scale models of geosynthetic reinforced soil (GRS) walls were built on this shaking table and then subjected to simulated earthquake loading conditions. In some shaking table tests, combined use of EPS geofoam and horizontal geosynthetic reinforcement layers was investigated. Numerical models were developed using program FLAC together with ELM and M-C constitutive models. Physical and numerical results were compared against predicted values using analysis methods found in the journal literature and in current North American design guidelines. The comparison shows that current Mononobe-Okabe (M-O) based analysis methods could not consistently satisfactorily predict measured reinforcement connection load distributions at all elevations under both static and dynamic loading conditions. The results from GRS model wall tests with combined EPS geofoam and geosynthetic reinforcement layers show that the inclusion of a EPS geofoam layer behind the GRS wall face can reduce earth loads acting on the wall facing to values well below those recorded for conventional GRS wall model configurations.

abstract: PhD


title: Educare Everywhere: Exploring Character Education

subject:
character education
educare
values education

abstract: At times, today‘s society seems dominated by negativity, disasters and a perceived decrease in humanity. The problems have slowly spread into schools, with education in danger of becoming a process of churning out workers rather than thinkers. Large-scale testing and its worth in educational lore seem to have replaced the need for discrimination and teachers may be becoming expendable in the Western world. The need for character education seems greater than ever in a world where intolerance has in some instances replaced morality. This project looks at the need for character education in today‘s world, the possibility of integrating character into the curriculum, and personal experiences with character education. Educare Everywhere explores the benefits of a values education program and offers a vision of the future of education through the lens of character education.


title: Embryotoxicity of fluoxetine (Prozac®) to Japanese medaka

subject: embryotoxicity medaka

abstract: Fluoxetine hydrochloride (FLX), Prozac®, is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) commonly prescribed to patients suffering from depression and other psychiatric disorders. FLX is known to enter the aquatic environment through municipal effluent discharge so that the constant release of this drug into aquatic environments exposes all organisms throughout all stages of development. In the current study, we evaluated the role of FLX in aquatic toxicology by modeling the toxicity of maternally-transferred compounds on fish embryo development using Japanese medaka (Oryzias latipes) as a model species. Three different methods: (1) waterborne exposure, (2) nano-injections and (3) topical application were considered and undertaken to measure the embryotoxicity of FLX. Waterborne exposure and nano-injection presented difficulties in mimicking the transfer of contaminated maternal tissue to embryos; thus, topical application was used as the method of choice. Dosing for toxicity tests was performed by topical application of FLX in dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) onto the exterior of newly fertilized eggs to transport the chemical into the egg. Toxicity was assessed by observing how it affected mortality and adverse fish development, as indicated by the frequency of signs of pathology in fish embryos. From the results, FLX does cause developmental abnormalities as observed from the significant decrease in the percentage of normal fish. This occurrence is mostly contributed from a high prevalence of body hemorrhaging in comparison to the other signs of pathology. Thus, FLX may be maternally-transferred to oocytes during sexual maturation to cause embryotoxicity.


title: Moving to a Learner-Centred Practice in a Community College School of Business Program

contributor:
Stockley, Denise
Education

subject:
Learner-Centered
Curriculum
Community College

abstract: Thesis (Master, Education) -- Queen's University, 2011-04-29 11:59:54.393

abstract:
Five years ago a Canadian Community College School of Business program undertook the task of redesigning its curriculum using feedback from focus groups with local leaders from a wide variety of businesses. The feedback indicated a perceived need to create a better way of teaching the college learner. The college began to look for a more effective way to address the needs of the college learner, and learner-centered theory became a starting point in the process. One approach, learner-centered reform, has become a part of a larger process involving curriculum, institutional, and pedagogical reform in undergraduate education (Barr & Tagg, 1995; O’Banion, 1999; Parekh, 2007). A learner-centered curriculum takes time, collective energy of all involved, and resources (Hubball, Gold, Mighty, & Britnell, 2007).
This redesign took place over an 18-month period with faculty from each of the programs along with a facilitator for the process. The approach of “What do learners need to be able to do when they graduate?” was at the forefront of the planning process. It was critical that the outcomes that were created have meaning and be relevant to the learner in a professional and individual context (Hubball & Burt, 2004).  The work of this thesis is to map the curriculum looking for any gaps or areas of concern prior to conducting online surveys with faculty and learners. The questions addressed in this study are: (1) Was this curriculum change learner-centered? (2) Did the faculty feel the curriculum was effective? (3) Did the curriculum change serve the needs of the learners? These questions are addressed through a curriculum mapping exercise and two online surveys, one for faculty and one for learners. The results of the surveys were supportive of learner-centered theory occurring in this college curriculum. The results did show some differences among the three School of Business programs. It is these results that are discussed in this thesis.

abstract: M.Ed.


title: Professionalism Through the Eyes of Female Elementary Teachers in Ontario

contributor:
Kutsyuruba, Benjamin
Education

subject: Teaching Professionalism

abstract: Thesis (Master, Education) -- Queen's University, 2011-04-29 14:46:15.745

abstract:
Numerous changes in education in Ontario in the past few decades have lead to much discussion regarding the professionalism of teaching in Ontario. Some theorists suggest the changes are deprofessionalizing, leading to an intensification of work that detracts from the professional status of teaching by causing work overload and breaking larger tasks into smaller ones requiring less thought or decision-making by the teachers themselves. Others consider the changes reprofessionalizing, in that they are simply changing what it means to be in the profession of teaching, mostly by moving towards a system of collaboration. At the same time, the Ontario College of Teachers (2009) has declared teaching an official profession by allowing for the acronym OCT (Ontario Certified Teachers) to be added to the signature of teachers to denote their status. While others have certainly had their say, teachers themselves were the missing voice in this controversy.

The purpose of this study was to examine the views of some female elementary teachers towards professionalism. This qualitative study consisted of interviews with seven female elementary teachers from one Ontario public school board to describe and examine their perceptions of professions in general, and what enhances or detracts from their sense of professionalism as teachers. Data analysis showed the emergence of themes regarding responsibilities, relationships, board and Ministry policies, job compensation, professional organization, job learning, and personal privileges. Within these themes a great deal of variance existed regarding what enhanced and what detracted from the sense of professionalism for the teachers interviewed.

Of the many themes discussed, some teachers found them professionalizing, and other teachers found them deprofessionalizing. The teachers’ own personal standards and beliefs about professions and the standards and attitudes towards teachers held by their administrator seemed to be the deciding factor in what they found professionalizing and deprofessionalizing. While the theorists suggest deprofessionalization or reprofessionalization is based on the specifics of the changes themselves, this study suggests that a teacher’s sense of professionalism is constructed in a much more complex and personal manner, making it difficult to categorize certain changes or initiatives in education the way the theorists have.

abstract: M.Ed.


title: Deficits in eye movement control in children with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome.

contributor:
Reynolds, James
Neuroscience Studies

subject:
22q11.2 DS
saccadic eye movements

abstract: Thesis (Master, Neuroscience Studies) -- Queen's University, 2011-04-29 15:16:39.848

abstract: Background:  The 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11.2 DS) causes a wide variety of symptoms, but the central nervous system (CNS) dysfunction is the one most likely to affect the day-to-day life of those affected by this genetic disorder. In addition to affecting the educational needs of children with 22q11.2 DS, the neurological deficits in childhood and adolescence could be related to future psychosis and schizophrenia, which can affect 30% of these patients. Thus, the development of screening tools for CNS dysfunction could help identify children who are most at risk for developing later psychosis, allowing them to receive additional care. As saccadic eye movement behaviours reflect the integrity of multiple brain structures, a battery of oculomotor tasks could help identify neurological deficits. This study sought to test the hypothesis that children with 22q11.2 DS would have deficits in oculomotor performance compared to typically developing children. Methods: A cohort of 16 children with 22q11.2 DS, and 32 age- and sex-matched controls completed prosaccade, antisaccade, delayed memory-guided sequential (DMS) and predictive eye movement tasks. Results: Compared to controls, children with 22q11.2 DS exhibited increased direction errors in the antisaccade task, increased timing errors in the DMS task, as well as decreased predictive and increased regular saccades in the predictive task. The group of children with 22q11.2 DS also exhibited an increase in saccade amplitude in the prosaccade, antisaccade and predictive tasks, increased error in saccade trajectory in the prosaccade, antisaccade and DMS tasks and decreased saccade velocity in the predictive saccade tasks. Conclusion: This study showed that performance in the eye movement tasks could be used to assess injury to the frontostriatal circuitry and cerebellum in children with 22q11.2 DS.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Facies Architecture and Stratigraphy of Tidal Ridges  in the Eocene Roda Formation, Northern Spain

subject: Roda Ridge Bar Tide Headland Bank Spain Foreland Ichnology Sedimentology Facies Architecture Eocene Ypresian Illerdian Esdolomada Stratigraphy Distributary Channel Delta Gilbert Shoreface

abstract: Thesis (Master, Geological Sciences & Geological Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2011-04-29 17:10:10.008

abstract:
ABSTRACT
	The Eocene Roda Formation in northern Spain documents the deposits from a range of coastal depositional environments.  These include alluvial plains, distributary channels, mouth bars, upper to lower-shorefaces, and tidal shelf ridges.  Eighteen progradational sand tongues that are interpreted as parasequences compose two third-order sequences.  Sequence 1 accumulated in an environment with strong tidal currents and high rates of progradation, while Sequence 2 was deposited under relatively weaker currents and higher rates of aggradation, which produced a higher mudstone:sandstone ratio.
	The stratigraphy highlights the transgressive origin of six tidal shelf ridges, three in each sequence, that overlie regressive deltaic tongues.  Sequence 1 shelf ridges are composed almost entirely of cross-bedded sandstones, whereas Sequence 2 ridges are composed of a mixture of cross-bedded and ripple-laminated deposits.  Ridges in both sequences contain bioturbation that is typical of the Cruziana Ichnofacies, and that indicates a marine origin.
	The tidal ridges are stratigraphically located at or near the point of maximum third-order regression, and are not found within early highstand or late transgressive deposits― times of high relative sea level when the deltaic shoreline did not protrude significantly.  Tidal currents were accentuated at the coast when the delta complex had prograded several kilometres into the basin, while during times of high relative sea level, the basin was wider and tidal currents were weaker, consequently leading to a lack of tidal deposits.  The tidal ridges are, thus, interpreted as being headland-associated deposits.

abstract: M.A.Sc.


title: Once Upon a Fairy Tale: An Overview of Traditional & Alternative Fairy Tales

subject:
Fairy Tales
Curriculum Unit
Children's Literature
Female Stereotypes

abstract: A master's project that explores traditional and alternative fairy tales and how themes, morals, female stereotypes and gender roles are represented in these stories. A fairy tale curriculum unit for grade five is also included for teachers and students.

abstract:
“Fairy tales and fantasy do help to shape great minds. Einstein was an avid reader of fairy tales” (Polette, 2005, p.1).
Children’s literature contains many genres, one of the most popular being fairy tale stories. After all, a child’s first exposure to literature is usually a fairy tale written by either the Brothers Grimm or Perrault (Kuykendal & Stern, 2007). Fairy tales have continued to delight children, young and old, for centuries and play an important role in a child’s view of society because of what they read in fairy tale literature. Fairy tales are one of the most interesting genres of literature and should be a bigger part of the elementary school curriculum as these are stories that children have grown up with their whole lives. By reading these stories and exploring them further in education, students will have a better understanding of the fairy tale and what it represents. When exploring new genres of literature, we tend to look for black and white when in reality; fairy tales provide many different shades of gray (Charles, 2009).
Fairy tales, both traditional and alternative versions, will be compared and contrasted to discover what meanings their themes have, what views of male and female characters are presented and how much fantasy and reality exist within these stories. The traditional fairy tale stories of the Brothers Grimm titled Snow White and The Sleeping Beauty will be used to compare with and contrast against the alternative fairy tale stories titled Snow White in New York, Sleeping Ugly and The Paper Bag Princess. Further exploring these two genres of fairy tales is a curriculum unit designed for the Ontario Curriculum’s Grade Five Language Arts Reading component. Through this unit, students will learn about these types of stories and how their own views on characters, gender roles, fantasy and reality in fairy tales contribute to society, whether positively or negatively.


title: Ranks and Partial Cuts in Forward Hypergraphs

contributor:
Skillicorn, B. David
Computing

subject:
Hypergraph Ranks
Hypergraph Cuts
Cyber Security
Decision Support

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Computing) -- Queen's University, 2011-04-30 22:17:52.062

abstract:
Many real-world relations are networks that can be modelled with a kind of directed hypergraph named a forward hypergraph (F-graph). F-graphs capture the semantics of both conjunctive and disjunctive dependency relations. Logic statements are sometimes represented using AND/OR directed graphs and they directly correspond with F-graphs; we provide algorithms to convert between the two types of graph.

One problem of interest in networks is determining the degree to which the network, with a priority on certain elements, depends upon individual nodes. We address this problem by providing an algorithm, AssetRank, which computes vertex ranks and takes into account network priorities, preferential dependencies, and extra-network influences.

A second problem of interest in networks is optimizing the removal of nodes to separate two subcommunities (source and target) to the greatest practical degree, even when a complete disconnection is impractical. The problem is complicated by the need to consider the cost of removing nodes, a budget that constrains the degree to which separation is possible, cascading effects of removing a node, non-linear effects of removing nodes in combination, and removing nodes with the greatest impact on the subcommunities. To this end, we use F-graphs and introduce the concepts of vertex closures and closure-relation graphs. We created two partial-cut algorithms: the first one computes an optimal solution to this NP-hard optimization problem, and the second one estimates an optimization by exploring the closure-relation graph in a best-first search manner.

Computer network defence provides a ready application area. Network defenders wish to understand which services and hosts are defence priorities (defence goals), and then, which configurations and vulnerabilities are the most useful to attackers in reaching the defence goals. The defenders' resources are constrained in terms of available person-hours, finances, and acceptable impacts to operations. The work in this thesis supports network defenders by providing actionable information that efficiently removes attack enablers and ensures defence priorities. We present an integration of our algorithms with commercial and open-source network security software.

abstract: PhD


title: Grid-Based Deployment for Wireless Sensor Networks in Outdoor Environment Monitoring Applications

contributor:
Hassanein, Hossam S.
Computing

subject:
Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs)
Network Connectivity
Network Lifetime

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Computing) -- Queen's University, 2011-05-02 10:29:01.785

abstract:
Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) overcome the difficulties of other monitoring systems, as they require no human attendance on site, provide real-time interaction with events, and maintain cost and power efficient operations. However, further efficiencies are required especially in the case of Outdoor Environment Monitoring (OEM) applications due to their harsh operational conditions, huge targeted areas, limited energy budget, and required Three-Dimensional (3D) setups. A fundamental issue in defeating these practical challenges is the deployment planning of the WSNs. The deployment plan is a key factor of many intrinsic properties of OEM networks, summarized in connectivity, lifetime, fault-tolerance, and cost-effectiveness. In this thesis, we investigate the problem of WSNs deployments that address these properties in order to overcome the unique challenges and circumstances in OEM applications.
A natural solution to this problem is to have multiple relay nodes that reserve more energy for sensing, and provide vast coverage area. Furthermore, assuming a subset of these relay nodes are mobile can contribute in repairing the network connectivity problems and recovering faulty nodes, in addition to granting balanced load distributions, and hence prolonging the network lifetime. We investigate this promising research direction by proposing a 3D grid-based deployment planning for heterogeneous WSNs in which Sensor Nodes (SNs) and Relay Nodes (RNs) are efficiently deployed on grid vertices. Towards this efficiency, we analyze and characterize the grid connectivity property in the 3D space. Afterward, we design optimization schemes for the placement of SNs and RNs on the 3D grid models. Based on theoretical analysis and extensive simulations, the proposed schemes show a significant enhancement in terms of network connectivity and lifetime in OEM applications.

abstract: PhD


title: Pushing the Boundaries of Concentrated Dispersions, High Solids Content Bimodal Latex for Paper Coating Applications

contributor:
McKenna, Timothy F. L.
Hutchinson, Robin A.
Chemical Engineering

subject: Bimodal Latex

subject: High Solids Content

subject: Emulsion Polymerization

subject: Microemulsion Polymerization

subject: Nanolatex

subject: Starved-Feed Microemulsion Polymerization

subject: Paper Coating

subject: Pseudo Inert Nano-Fillers

subject: Cross-Linking

subject: Nanoparticles

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Chemical Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2011-05-03 13:58:44.22

abstract:
New processes for the production of polymeric dispersions with high solids content and low viscosity were developed, investigated and characterized. The specifications required for the desired application of paper coating, which constitutes one of the major innovative aspects of this thesis, requires in average particle sizes smaller than 200 nm. This particle size is significantly smaller than obtained in previous work in this area. The main objective of this project was to increase the solids content of existing products from ~50 to ~60 wt% while keeping the viscosity at low levels (< 1200 mPa•s at 20 s-1).
In order to produce high solids content latexes with low viscosity, bimodal particle size distributions were resorted to. To obtain highest packing fraction, the small particle size population should be about 7 times smaller than the large particles, bringing the size of the small particles to less than 30 nm.
Modified (micro)emulsion processes were developed in order to produce small particle size latex with reduced surfactant concentration and increased solids content. The large particle population was developed using a semi-batch emulsion polymerization process, simulating a product that is commercially available (~52 wt% solids content and viscosity of ~500 mPa•s at 20 s-1). To increase the solids content of this product up to 60 wt%, a second population of small particles was created using two approaches.
In the first approach, the small particles were generated in situ using the modified (micro)emulsion approaches developed previously. This process resulted in latexes of ~ 60% solids content and viscosities lower than 500 mPa•s at 20 s-1.
In the second approach, the second population of particles was created by the addition of seeds by using small cross-linked particles as pseudo inert-fillers. This process resulted in products with ~58% solids and viscosities lower than 1400 mPa•s at 20 s-1. The slightly decreased solids content and increased viscosity relative to the previous approaches is due to the difficulty in producing cross-linked seeds with particle sizes smaller than 30 nm at an acceptable concentration, causing deviations from ideal conditions.

abstract: The content of this thesis is being considered for patenting by our industrial sponsor BASF-The Chemical Company.

abstract: PhD


title: Towards a Neural Measure of Value and the Modelling of Choice in Strategic Games

contributor:
Ferrall, Christopher
Dorris, Michael C.
Economics

subject:
neuroecnomics
game theory
value
decision making
choice
superior colliculus
stochastic choice

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Economics) -- Queen's University, 2011-06-14 14:48:36.226

abstract: Neuroeconomic models take economic theory literally, interpreting hypothesized quantities as observables in the brain in order to provide insight into choice behaviour. This thesis develops a model of the neural decision process in strategic games with a unique mixed strategy equilibrium. In such games, players face both an incentive to best-respond to valuations and to act unpredictably. Similarly, we model choice as the result of the interaction between action value and the noise inherent in networks of spiking neurons. Our neural model generates any ratio of choices through the specification of action value, including the equilibrium ratio, and provides an explanation for why we observe equilibrium behaviour in some contexts and not others. The model generalizes to a random-utility model which gives a structural specification to the error term and makes action value observable in the spike rates of neurons. Action value is measured in the spike activity of the Superior Colliculus (SC) while monkeys play a saccade version of matching pennies. We find SC activity predicts upcoming choices and is influenced by the history of events in the game, correlating with a behaviourally-established model of learning, and choice simulations based on neural measures of value exhibit similar biases to our behavioural data. A neural measure of value yields a glimpse at how valuations are updated in response to new information and compared stochastically, providing us with unique insight into modelling choice in strategic games.

abstract: PhD


title: Study of the Neuromodulatory Effects of Dopamine in the Oval Bed Nucleus of the Stria Terminalis in Drug Naïve and Cocaine Dependent Long-Evans Rats

contributor:
Dumont, Eric
Neuroscience Studies

subject: Addiction

abstract: Thesis (Master, Neuroscience Studies) -- Queen's University, 2011-05-04 14:58:56.775

abstract: The bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BST), especially its oval (ov) subregion, receives a robust dopaminergic input from the periaqueducal, retrorubral, and ventral tegmental midbrain areas (Hasue & Shammah-Lagnado, 2002). Given the critical role of dopamine in motivated behaviors, we combined behavioral testing of operant responding towards natural and pharmacological rewards, and brain slices patch-clamp electrophysiology to identify specific alterations in dopaminergic regulation of inhibitory synaptic transmission within the ovBST as a result of chronic cocaine self-administration. In drug naïve rats we observed that DA dose-dependently decreased GABAA-inhibitory post-synaptic currents (IPSC) through the actions of pre-synaptic D2 receptors. However in rats maintaining cocaine self-administration, DA (1µM) increased the amplitude of GABAA-IPSC and this increase resulted from a loss of functional pre-synaptic D2 receptors and the de novo addition of D1 receptors. Furthermore, direct activation of D1 receptors only in rats maintaining cocaine self-administration resulted in a sustained increase of GABAA-IPSC (LTPGABA). The D1-induced LTPGABA was blocked by intracellular application of a Src-tyrosine kinase antagonist in the recording pipette. Based on this observation we concluded that the D1 receptor was located post-synaptically. However, the measured LTPGABA was associated with modifications in the coefficient of variation and paired pulse ratio of evoked GABAA IPSCs, suggesting that it is maintained by persistently increased GABA release from pre-synaptic terminals. Therefore to explain this apparent contradiction we propose the existence of a currently unknown retrograde messenger that is released from the post-synaptic neuron, upon D1 receptor activation, and travels backward to increase GABA release from presynaptic terminals. Moreover, application of a D2 agonist blocked the D1-induced LTPGABA, and co-application of a G-protein antagonist in the intracellular pipette prevented this D2 mediated inhibition, suggesting that due to maintenance of cocaine self-administration there was an emergence of a new post-synaptic D2 component whose functional role seems to inhibit the D1 receptor increase of GABAA-IPSCs. Importantly, modulation of synaptic transmission by dopamine was identical to drug-naïve conditions when intravenous cocaine administration was not contingent upon operant responding (yoked), before the maintenance phase of cocaine self-administration (acquisition), or in rats maintaining operant responding for sucrose under the same reinforcement schedule. All together we identified robust alterations in the effects of dopamine on inhibitory synaptic transmission following voluntary cocaine self-administration, these results represent to our knowledge, the first evidence of a change in dopaminergic regulation of synaptic transmission specific to voluntary drug intake.

abstract: M.Sc.