title: Tam Grecos Quam Latinos: A Reinterpretation of Structural Change in Eastern-Rite Monasticism in Medieval Southern Italy, 11th-12th Centuries

contributor:
Greenfield, Richard
History

subject: History Medieval Monasticism Italy Byzantium Schism Agriculture Demography

abstract: Thesis (Master, History) -- Queen's University, 2011-06-12 13:50:46.867

abstract:
In the eleventh and twelfth centuries southern Italy passed irrevocably out of Byzantine control and into Norman control, at roughly the same time as the Roman papacy and the Christians of the East were beginning to divide into what we now know as the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches. Historians have typically viewed the history of southern-Italian monasticism in this period around the notion of a cultural conflict between Latins and Greeks, either arguing for or against the idea that the Italo-Normans had a policy of ‘latinisation’ with regards to Eastern-rite monasteries. This thesis will argue, however, that this conceptual framework obscures more important long-term economic and social factors that affected Germany, Italy and Byzantium
alike.
Having outlined the political and social context of southern-Italy in the eleventh and twelfth centuries in Chapter 1, Chapter 2 will demonstrate the manner in which southern-Italian monasticism was firmly embedded into a network of cultural and social contacts in the broader Mediterranean world, and especially with Byzantium, even during the Norman domination. Chapter 3 will focus on the fundamental patterns of southern-Italian monastic change in the early
Middle Ages, emphasising the gradual movement from informal asceticism to organised monastic hierarchies. Chapter 4 will set forth the essential irrelevance of viewing this structural change in terms of ‘Latin’ and ‘Greek’ identities, underlining the point that the distinction is largely meaningless in the context of monastic change. Chapter 5 will explain by contrast the far greater
significance of economic and social expansion to monastic change in both ‘Latin’ and ‘Greek’ areas of the Mediterranean, and especially southern Italy. Finally, Chapter 6 will show that consolidation in southern-Italian monastic structures was not simply part of a centrally-directed papal reform movement, but part of a wider range of innovations undertaken on a local basis throughout the peninsula and the rest of the Mediterranean, with a considerable range of
influences.
An extensive selection of literary and documentary evidence will be examined in both Latin and Greek, with an especial focus on the monastic and ecclesiastical archives of southern Italy.

abstract: M.A.


title: Resource-Aware Query Scheduling in Database Management Systems

contributor:
Martin, Patrick
Computing

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:
computer science
database management systems
query scheduling

abstract: Thesis (Master, Computing) -- Queen's University, 2011-06-09 11:02:31.595

abstract:
Database Management Systems (DBMSs) are an integral part of many applications. Web-based applications, such as e-commerce sites, are faced with highly variable workloads. The number of customers browsing and purchasing items varies throughout the day and business managers can further complicate the workload by requesting complex reports on sales data. This means the load on a database system can fluctuate dramatically with a sudden influx of requests or a request involving a complex query. If there are too many requests operating in the DBMS concurrently, then resources are strained and performance drops. To keep the DBMS’s performance consistent across varying loads, a load control system can be used.
This thesis investigates the concept of a load control system based on regulating individual resource usage in a predictive manner. For the purpose of this proof-of- concept study, we focus on a specific resource; namely, the sort heap. A method of estimating sort heap usage based on the query execution plan is presented and several scheduling methods based on these estimations are proposed. A prototype load control system is used to evaluate and compare the scheduling methods. Experiments show that it is possible to both estimate sort heap requirements and to control sort heap usage using our load control system.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: p53 Regulates the Formation of Lamellipodia and Circular Dorsal Ruffles Through Caldesmon and PTEN

contributor:
Mak, Alan
Biochemistry

subject:
p53
Caldesmon
PTEN
Lamellipodia
Circular Dorsal Ruffles
Cell Migration
Rac
Erk
PAK

abstract: Thesis (Master, Biochemistry) -- Queen's University, 2011-06-10 13:15:37.081

abstract:
Vascular smooth muscle cell migration is a significant contributor to many aspects of heart disease, and specifically atherosclerosis.  Tissue damage in the arteries can result in the formation of a fatty streak.  Smooth muscle cells (SMC) can then migrate to this site to form a fibrous cap, stabilizing the fatty plaque.  Since cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in developed countries, this function of SMC is an essential area of study.
     The formation of lamellipodia and circular dorsal ruffles were studied in this project as indicators that cell migration is occurring.  The roles of the proteins p53, Rac, caldesmon and PTEN were investigated with regards to these actin-based structures.
     The tumour suppressor p53 is often reported to cause apoptosis, senescence or cell cycle arrest when stress is placed on a cell, but has recently been shown to regulate cell migration as well.  It was determined in this project that p53 could inhibit the formation of both lamellipodia and circular dorsal ruffles.  It was also shown that this could occur directly through an inhibition of the GTPase Rac.  Previous studies have shown that p53 can upregulate caldesmon, a protein which is known to bind to and stabilize actin filaments while inhibiting Arp2/3-mediated branching.  It was confirmed that p53 could upregulate caldesmon, and that caldesmon could inhibit the formation of lamellipodia and circular dorsal ruffles.  The phosphorylation of caldesmon by p21-associated kinase (PAK) or extracellular signal-related kinase (Erk) was shown to effectively reverse the ability of caldesmon to inhibit these structures.  The role of phosphatase and tensin homologue deleted on chromosome 10 (PTEN) was also studied with regards to this signalling pathway.  PTEN was shown to inhibit lamellipodia and circular dorsal ruffles through its lipid phosphatase activity.
     It was concluded that p53 can inhibit the formation of lamellipodia and circular dorsal ruffles in vascular SMC, and that this occurs through Rac, caldesmon and PTEN.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Optimization of Rateless Coded Systems for Wireless Mulitmedia Multicast

contributor:
Blostein, Steven D.
Electrical and Computer Engineering

subject:
Rateless Codes
Unequal Error Protection
Multimedia Multicast
Cross-Layer Design

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Electrical & Computer Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2011-06-12 16:26:36.136

abstract:
Rateless codes, also known as fountain codes, are a class of erasure error-control codes that are particularly well suited for broadcast/multicast systems. Raptor codes, as a particularly successful implementation of digital fountain codes, have been used as the application layer forward error correction (FEC) codes in the third generation partnership program (3GPP) Multimedia Broadcast and Multicast Services (MBMS) standard. However, the application of rateless codes to wireless multimedia broadcast/multicast communications has yet to overcome two major challenges: first, wireless multimedia communications usually has stringent delay requirements. In addition, multimedia multicast has to overcome heterogeneity. To meet these challenges, we propose a rateless code design that takes the layered nature of source traffic as well as the varying quality of transmission channels into account. A convex optimization framework for the application of unequal error protection (UEP) rateless codes to synchronous and asynchronous multimedia multicast to heterogeneous users is proposed.

    A second thread of the thesis addresses the noisy, bursty and time- varying nature of
wireless communication channels that challenge the assumption of erasure channels often used for the wired internet. In order to meet this challenge, the optimal combination of application-layer rateless code and physical layer FEC code rates in time-varying fading channels is investigated. The performance of rateless codes in hybrid error-erasure channels with memory is then studied, and a cross-layer decoding method is proposed to improve decoding performance and complexity.

abstract: PhD


title: Evidence That the Association Between Exercise Intensity and Insulin Sensitivity is Sex Dependent

contributor:
Ross, Robert
Kinesiology and Health Studies

subject:
Physical Activity
Insulin Resistance

abstract: Thesis (Master, Kinesiology & Health Studies) -- Queen's University, 2011-06-13 19:56:40.465

abstract: The purpose of this study was to determine if, after adjusting for the contribution of exercise dose, exercise intensity was associated with the improvement of insulin sensitivity. Abdominally obese, sedentary men (n = 16, [mean±SD] age: 45.0±7.5 yr; waist circumference: 108.6±5.3 cm) and women (n = 18, [mean±SD] age: 42.3±6.2 yr; waist circumference: 100.1±8.2 cm) performed daily, supervised exercise for 3 and 4 months, respectively. Exercising at a self selected exercise intensity, men were required to expend expended 700 kcal per session and women 500 kcal per session. Exercise intensity and dose were determined using heart rate and oxygen consumption data obtained from repeated graded exercise tests. Insulin sensitivity was determined by hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamp.  Insulin sensitivity improved in both men and women (change score: men = 7.2±5.4 mg/kgskm/min, women = 5.8±7.1 mg/kgskm/min) (p < 0.05). Exercise intensity was associated with the improvements in insulin sensitivity in men (unstandardized regression coefficient (β) = 0.43, p = 0.02). Adjusting for exercise dose, the change in abdominal adipose tissue (AT), or the change visceral AT did not alter this association (p < 0.05). Exercise intensity was not associated with the improvement of insulin sensitivity in women (β = - 0.11, p = 0.7).  Adjusting for exercise dose, the change in abdominal or visceral AT did not change the association in women (p > 0.05). Our findings suggest that exercise intensity is independently associated with the improvement of insulin sensitivity in abdominally obese men but not women.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Promoting the Healthy Development of Young People

contributor:
Colgan, Lynda
Education

subject: Education Adolescent Health

abstract: Thesis (Master, Education) -- Queen's University, 2011-06-14 12:17:22.656

abstract: The overall purpose of this study is to describe the ways in which one school contributes to the healthy development of its students by providing an account of external developmental assets from the perspective of students and key staff informants. Specific goals of this study are: (a) to identify the principles and programs as well as the human and ancillary resources at one school whose explicit mission is to embed contexts and courses that contribute positively to the healthy development of young people; and (b) to compare perceptions among stakeholders about the external developmental assets of the school. This study gives voice to students and professionals to describe the extent to which they believe that a school‘s vision, program, and resources can impact the healthy development of young people. Researchers and theorists have encouraged academics to pursue qualitative research as an important step in elucidating the meaning of developmental assets in programs for young people, particularly in schools (Mahoney, Lafferty, & Nutter, 2003; Thurber, Scanlin, Scheuler, & Henderson, 2007; Scales et al., 2000), because, to date, developmental assets research has primarily focused on a quantitative inventory to assess youth resiliency and the efficacy of risk prevention programs. This case study contributes to the growing body of Canadian research on healthy youth development. The perceptions and ideas of participants could add to further understanding about healthy youth development, developmental assets, and the needs of learners in other educational settings.

abstract: M.Ed.


title: NO REGRETS:  “Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.”   The influence of romantic love on girls’ first experiences of consensual heterosexual intercourse: Young women share their stories.

contributor:
Adams, Mary Louise
Kinesiology and Health Studies

subject:
Sexuality
Romantic Love
Heterosexual Intercourse
Virginity
Feminism
Femininity
Young Women
First Sex
Health Studies
Sexuality Studies

abstract: Thesis (Master, Kinesiology & Health Studies) -- Queen's University, 2011-06-15 12:45:08.093

abstract: The purpose of this thesis is to explore the relationship that love and romance have to young women’s experiences of and decisions to engage in heterosexual intercourse for the first time. Inspired by Sharon Thompson’s (1995) book Going All The Way, I wanted to listen to young women’s stories about love, romance and sex in order to better understand their first sexual experiences. I have interviewed six women based on their age (18-23), on whether their first experiences with sex were both heterosexual and consensual, and on whether their decisions to have ‘sex’ for the first time were influenced by a romantic relationship. I analyse the interview transcripts, contextualizing them within the relevant literature, and explore the ways popular culture and media might have influenced the girls in my study. I am concerned with intercourse because I want to gain a better understanding of young women’s experiences with it and to recognize what love and sex might mean to them. I was surprised to find that, even with third wave feminist ‘empowerment’ discourse and hyper-sexualized media and popular culture, the six women I spoke with felt that sex is about an expression of love and a “deeper connection of intimacy” (Krissy) rather than about empowerment or the fun of ‘doing it’. Even though I required that participants needed to have been influenced by a romantic relationship in their decisions to have intercourse for the first time, it was interesting to see the extent that they valued love in their relationships when love was not part of the criteria required to participate. The findings from this study will be useful to sex educators, including myself, who work with young women as well as to parents who might be able to worry less about their daughters, knowing that some girls are looking for love and commitment when they engage in intercourse, not simply casual sex or hook-ups.

abstract: M.A.


title: Measurement System Design for Chemical Processes

contributor:
Harris, Thomas J.
Guay, Martin
Chemical Engineering

subject:
Chemical Engineering
Process Control

abstract: Thesis (Master, Chemical Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2011-06-15 22:17:06.903

abstract:
The problem of measurement system design for stochastic linear systems, a popular modeling strategy for chemical processes, is addressed. A multi-objective optimization approach is used. The design metrics are the capital cost of measurement equipment and a weighted uncertainty in terms of the Kalman filter state estimation error covariance matrix. The Pareto optimal set of measurement systems is identified by any of the following applicable techniques: an exhaustive combinatorial search, sequential sensor addition/removal, and branch-and-bound with semi-definite programs (BnB/SDP) solved at each node. The decision-making process involves the use of simulation experiments as a means to map Pareto optimal measurement systems to a dollar cost of operation. The closed-loop performance of Pareto optimal measurement systems are then simulated under a joint Kalman filter and robust profit-maximizing model predictive control strategy.

The design methodology is applied to two example problems. The first involves a low dimensionality fluid handling network where a number of stream flow rates, a tank level, and a leak stream describe the dynamics. The design variables are the process outputs and the precision with which they are measured. It is observed that the sequential and
BnB/SDP techniques are able to approximate the true Pareto optimal set very well, with improved performance in the latter case attainable through trial and error. The second example problem involves a high-dimensionality thermal network model of a one-floor office building. The impact of zero and nonzero state noise covariance structures on the results of the proposed design procedure is investigated. It is shown that measurement importance is placed on the disturbance variables in the deterministic case, whereas importance is placed on the controlled variables when model uncertainty is assumed. Closed-loop simulations incorporating MPC and Kalman filtering are then performed to generate expected operational cost data. The measurement system that minimizes the overall cost of capital investment and operation over the expected lifespan of the measurement is chosen as the final design. It is shown that the combination of measured variables which minimizes the overall cost is those of the three largest bodies of air that are to be controlled.

abstract: M.A.Sc.


title: The Effects of Elevated Temperatures on Fibre Reinforced Polymers for Strengthening Concrete Structures

contributor:
Green, Mark F.
Civil Engineering

subject:
Fire resistance
FRP

abstract: Thesis (Master, Civil Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2011-06-16 09:21:32.228

abstract:
Fibre reinforced polymer (FRP) materials have been a material of interest in the field of structural engineering due to their superior mechanical properties such as high strength to weight ratios and resistance to environmental degradation and corrosion. Even though research has established the material to be a viable option for construction they are highly susceptible to elevated temperatures. There are several systems available on the market and a great deal of research needs to be conducted to investigate the change in properties and different behaviour at elevated temperature to serve as a better basis for design. The main objective of this project and the experimental program presented in this thesis is to study the thermo mechanical properties of the available systems on the market.
	A summary of the previous research done in the area covering other materials is presented providing an introduction to the behaviour of different systems under elevated temperature. Then, two different experimental programs are presented. The first considers the glass transition temperature and thermal decomposition of the different systems and the second examines the tensile strength of the different systems under different temperature regimes.
	The results of both experimental programs are presented and then a connection between the thermo mechanical properties of the resins and the overall strength of the system is established. The research demonstrates that the glass transition temperature of the resin used for an FRP strengthening system is the main determinant of the performance at high temperatures.

abstract: M.A.Sc.


title: The Role of Neu1 Sialidase in Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Activation

contributor:
Szewczuk, Myron R.
Microbiology and Immunology

subject: EGFR Sialidase

abstract: Thesis (Master, Microbiology & Immunology) -- Queen's University, 2011-06-26 12:04:40.486

abstract:
The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) exists as a single, highly glycosylated subunit receptor on the plasma membrane of a cell. Upon ligand binding to its extracellular domain, the EGFR dimerizes with an adjacent receptor. This results in activation of the EGFR’s intracellular tyrosine kinase domain, and consequently, autophosphorylation of specific tyrosine residues on the receptor’s cytoplasmic tail. Adaptor proteins bind to these phosphorylated tyrosine residues and transduce the message internally, initiating a multitude of signalling cascades which stimulate cell growth, division, and movement. Despite all that has been elucidated regarding the activation and signalling pathways of the EGFR, the parameters controlling dimerization and activation remain unknown.
 	Recently, Neu1 sialidase, an enzyme which cleaves α-2,3-linked sialic acids from glycosylated substrates, has been implicated as a critical mediator of TrkA receptor activation. Upon activation, the sialidase desialylates the external receptor glycosylation, removing a physical barrier which was formerly hindering receptor dimerization, and thus, receptor activation. Based on the known sialylation of EGFR glycosylation, as well as the demonstrated importance of receptor glycosylation in EGFR activation, we hypothesized that the EGFR may be activated by a similar mechanism.
 	Here, we report an identical membrane signalling paradigm initiated by epidermal growth factor (EGF) binding to EGFR to rapidly induce Neu1 sialidase activity in live NIH3T3-EGFR cells but not in live Neu1-deficient human fibroblast cells. Furthermore, we report that Neu1 sialidase activity is required for EGFR activation, supported by the finding that tyrosine phosphorylation is inhibited in EGF-stimulated NIH3T3-hEGFR cells which have been pretreated with both broad-range (oseltamivir phosphate) and specific (anti-Neu1 neutralizing antibody) sialidase inhibitors. MMP-9 plays a role in the initiation of Neu1 sialidase post-ligand binding, as pre-treatment of NIH3T3-hEGFR cells with specific MMP-9 inhibitor prior to EGF stimulation blocks membrane sialidase activity as well as tyrosine phosphorylation. Of critical importance to this schematic is the finding that both Neu1 and MMP-9 co-immunoprecipitate with EGFR on the plasma membrane of both naïve and EGF-stimulated NIH3T3-hEGFR cells.  Together, these findings reveal a novel EGFR activation mechanism in which cross-talk between Neu1 and MMP-9 plays a vital role in EGF-induced receptor activation.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Regulation of the Cdc25 mitotic inducer following replication arrest and DNA damage

contributor:
Young, Paul G.
Biology

subject:
Cdc25
Fission Yeast
DNA Damage Checkpoint
DNA Replication Checkpoint

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Biology) -- Queen's University, 2011-06-20 12:16:15.71

abstract: Dephosphorylation of the Cdc2 kinase by the Cdc25 tyrosine phosphatase is the universally conserved trigger for mitotic entry.  Cdc25 is also the point of convergence for checkpoint signaling pathways which monitor the genome for damaged DNA and incomplete replication.  In addition, Cdc25 is inhibited by a MAP kinase cascade in the event of osmotic, oxidative and/or heat stress.  These pathways inhibit cell cycle progression by phosphorylating Cdc25 resulting in its association with 14-3-3 and nuclear export.  Although Cdc25 can be observed leaving the nucleus following inhibitory signals it is controversial whether phosphorylation, 14-3-3 binding or export itself is required for checkpoint proficiency. In fission yeast, Cdc25 is phosphorylated in vitro on 12 serine and threonine residues by the effector kinase of the DNA replication checkpoint, Cds1.  Nine of these residues reside in the N-terminal regulatory region, while three are found in the extreme C-terminus of the protein.  We show here that phosphorylation the nine N-terminal residues, nor any of the 12 in vitro sites, are required for enforcement of the DNA replication checkpoint.  In lieu of Cdc25 phosphorylation the phosphatase is rapidly degraded and mitotic entry prevented by the action of the Mik1 kinase, targeting Cdc2.  Thus, multiple mechanisms exist for preventing mitotic entry when S-phase progression is inhibited.  The three C-terminal in vitro phosphorylation sites have not previously been examined in fission yeast.  However, homology exists between the S. pombe protein and the Cdc25 orthologues in humans, Xenopus and Drosophila in this region.  We report here that in S. pombe these sites are required to prevent mitotic entry following replication arrest in the absence of Mik1, and in the maintenance, but not establishment, of arrest following DNA damage.  Our previous work showed that Cdc25 nuclear import requires the Sal3 importin-β but at the time we were unable to show a direct interaction between these two proteins.  The final chapter of this thesis proves physical interaction by co-immunoprecipitation.  Cdc25 mutants lacking all twelve putative Cds1 sites show nuclear localization during mitosis in a sal3- background, effectively reversing the cell cycle regulated pattern of accumulation of the phosphatase.

abstract: PhD


title: Support Groups for Parents of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders: Predictors and Effects of Involvement

contributor:
Minnes, Patricia
Psychology

subject:
autism spectrum disorders
parents
support groups
autism

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Psychology) -- Queen's University, 2011-06-20 10:55:21.845

abstract:
Support groups are an effective source of support in a number of populations (e.g., Beaudoin & Tao, 2007; Preyde & Ardal, 2003; Singer, et al., 1999). Parents of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are a particularly stressed group who can benefit from support (Blacher & McIntyre, 2006). These studies investigated: 1) predictors of participation in support groups for parents of children with ASD and 2) the effects of participation in an online support group for these parents.
One hundred seventy-eight parents completed a series of online questionnaires measuring their beliefs about support groups and ASD, coping style, social support, mood, parenting stress, and their child’s autistic symptoms and daily functioning. Parents who were currently using parent support groups (PSGs) reported using more adaptive coping strategies than both parents who had never used PSGs and parents who had used PSGs in the past. Parents who had used PSGs in the past reported that they did not find the groups as beneficial as parents who were currently using them, and parents who had never participated in PSGs reported several issues with accessibility that made it difficult to participate in PSGs.
A smaller group of parents (n = 36), who had participated in the first study, participated in an online support group designed for this study. An additional group of parents (n = 25), who had also completed the first study, served as a no-treatment control group. The parents in these two groups completed a subset of the questionnaires used in the first study following the 4-month support group, so that changes in mood, anxiety, parenting stress, and positive perceptions could be documented over time. No significant differences between the groups and across time were found. However, parents who participated in the group reported being satisfied with the support they received and finding the group helpful.
Overall, the results of these studies suggest that interventions for parents of children with ASD need to be individualized and focused on the needs of the parents. Further research is required to investigate the efficacy of online support groups for parents of children with ASD.

abstract: PhD


title: Apoliprotein(a)-Induced Apoptosis in Vascular Endothelial Cells

contributor:
Koschinsky, Marlys
Biochemistry

subject: Apolipoprotein(a) Apoptosis Lipoprotein(a)

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Biochemistry) -- Queen's University, 2011-06-20 13:59:48.473

abstract: Elevated plasma concentrations of lipoprotein(a) (Lp(a)) are a risk factor for a variety of atherosclerotic disorders including coronary heart disease. In the current study, the investigators report that incubation of cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) with high concentrations of apolipoprotein(a)(apo(a)/Lp(a)) induces apoptosis and endothelial dysfunction in a dose dependent manner. Apo(a), the component of Lp(a) mediates these effects by inducing externalization of Annexin V, DNA condensation and fragmentation which are the hallmarks of death by apoptosis. The pathway of apo(a)-induced apoptosis is associated with overexpression of Bax, caspase-9, p53 phosphorylation, decreased in Bcl-2 expression and activation of caspase-3. Taken together, the data suggest that elevated concentration of apo(a) induces apoptosis in endothelial cells probably by activating the intrinsic pathway. The data also showed that apo(a) induces increased expression of the growth arrest protein (Gas1), which has been known to induce apoptosis and growth arrest in vitro. In addition the data showed that elevated apo(a)/Lp(a) attenuates endothelial nitric oxide (eNOS) activity and endothelin-1 (ET-1) in a dose and time-dependent manner, particularly with small apo(a) isoforms. In summary, the authors proposed a new signaling pathway by which apo(a)/Lp(a) induce apoptosis and this finding could help explain how apo(a)/Lp(a) mediate atherosclerosis related diseases.

abstract: PhD


title: Lipopolysaccharide-Mediated Regulation of IL-17 Receptor Levels in Human Monocytes

contributor:
Gee, Katrina
Microbiology and Immunology

subject:
IL-17R
human monocytes
LPS
receptor regulation

abstract: Thesis (Master, Microbiology & Immunology) -- Queen's University, 2011-06-21 11:53:28.706

abstract: IL-17 promotes inflammation through the recruitment of monocytes and induction of various chemokines and inflammatory cytokines.  Monocytes respond to IL-17 through the heteromeric IL-17 receptor (IL-17R) composed of subunits IL-17RA and IL-17RC.  Together, monocytes and IL-17 amplify inflammation.  Controlling the cellular response to IL-17 is crucial to prevent hyperactivation of inflammatory responses, which could lead to chronic inflammatory diseases.  The cellular response to increased IL-17 levels may be limited by controlling the receptor levels.  Before we understand how monocytes respond to IL-17 during infection, we must first characterize the expression of IL-17R in these cells in response to LPS, a well-characterized pro-inflammatory signal.  The aim of this study is to understand the mechanisms which regulate IL-17R levels in human monocytes.  IL-17R mRNA and protein levels were measured in response to LPS by RT-PCR and Western blot analysis in primary human monocytes, peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), and the human monocytic cell line, THP-1.  LPS enhanced IL-17RA and RC transcript levels in monocytes and PBMC.  In contrast, IL-17RA protein levels decreased with LPS treatment in these cells.  Investigation into mechanisms regulating IL-17RA protein levels lead to the observation that IL-17RA undergoes receptor degradation in response to LPS.  This work identifies for the first time that 1) LPS enhances transcript levels of IL-17R and 2) after LPS treatment, IL-17RA protein levels are reduced via an endosome-dependent degradation pathway.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Development of a Biomimetic Scaffold for Ligament Tissue Engineering

contributor:
Amsden, Brian
Waldman, Stephen D.
Chemical Engineering

subject:
Ligament Tissue Engineering
Electrospun Self-Crimping Fibres
Hydrogel Cell Encapsulation
Composite Scaffold

abstract: Thesis (Master, Chemical Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2011-06-22 10:46:12.291

abstract:
The focus of this thesis was to design a scaffold for in vitro culture that would mimic the structure of the native ligament in order to influence primary ligament cells towards the production of ligament-specific tissue. A major part of this project was material selection and subsequent testing to determine if the chosen materials were suitable for the scaffold design. A 20:80 (CL:DLLA) poly(ε-caprolactone-co-D,L-lactide) copolymer (PCLDLLA) was synthesized and electrospun with sub-cellular fibre diameters. The fibres were manufactured into aligned arrays to mimic the collagen fibrils of the ligament. To enhance cell and protein adhesion properties, the PCLDLLA polymer surface was modified using a base catalyzed etching technique. A photocrosslinked
methacrylated glycol chitosan (M-GC) hydrogel was used to deliver encapsulated
ligament cells to the biomimetic scaffold and mimic the hydrated proteoglycan matrix
portion of the ligament. The scaffolds were cultured in vitro for a 4 week period and
characterized using immunohistochemistry to identify and localize ligament specific
proteins produced within the scaffolds. Cell culture results indicated that the M-GC
hydrogel was an effective method of delivering viable cells evenly throughout the
biomimetic scaffold. Compared to the unmodified PCLDLLA surfaces, the base-etched
electrospun PCLDLLA fibre surfaces increased cell adhesion and acted as new tissue
growth guides in the biomimetic scaffold. The biomimetic scaffolds produced and
accumulated ligament specific proteins: collagens type I and III. The biomimetic scaffold design was determined to be a viable alternative to the current designs of ligament tissue engineering scaffolds.

abstract: M.A.Sc.


title: Sous le Spectre du Père: Poétique et Politique de la Dépendance et du Sevrage Dans le Roman Postcolonial Africain

contributor:
Inkel, Stéphane
French

subject: Ferdinand Oyono

subject: Postcolonial Genealogy

subject: Mongo Beti

subject: Henri Lopes

subject: Certeau

subject: Bhabha

subject: Chambers

subject: Fanon

subject: Bakhtine

subject: Girard

subject: Lyotard

subject: Glissant

subject: Mudimbe

subject: Freud

subject: Civilizing Mission

subject: Africa Dependency on the West

subject: Africa Feminization

subject: the Fall of the Colonial Father

subject: Postcolonial Mimicry

subject: Negritude

subject: Rhizome Identity

subject: Hybridity

subject: Symbolic Parricide

subject: Postcolonialism and Patriarchy

subject: Power

subject: Imperialism

subject: Center vs Margin

subject: Africa Black Elite's Cultural Assimilation

subject: Colonial Church

subject: Colonial Commandant

subject: Novel Epiphany

subject: Stockholm Syndrom of the Colonized

subject: Defense Mechanisms

subject: Oedipus Complex

subject: Narcisse

subject: Symbolic Colonial Cannibalism

subject: the Children of the French Colonial Empire

subject: Race and the Intimate in Colonial Rule

subject: Bakhtinian Grotesque Body

subject: Carnivalesque

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, French) -- Queen's University, 2011-06-24 12:43:30.006

abstract: This thesis analyzes the major theme of ‘postcolonial genealogy’ in portraying the African bending under the weight of colonial history in Le vieux nègre et la médaille, Une vie de boy of Ferdinand Oyono and Le Chercheur d’Afriques of Henri Lopes. Being a product of a colonial Genesis, the African character runs behind the colonizer’s mirror through his Civilizing Mission. René Girard’s ‘double bind’ theory explains how this cultural assimilation is, in Le vieux nègre et la médaille and Une vie de boy, a dead end because the colonizer needs a subordinate and not an equal. The cohabitation of a black housewife with the French Commander in Le Chercheur d’Afriques should be seen as simply an allegory of postcolonial Africa’s dependency on the West. The consequences of the feminization of the African continent are enormous in the post-colonial imaginary. While the colonizer had conquered Africa with his Herculean body, in Oyono’s novels, his Fall is obtained through the aesthetics of Bakhtinian ‘rabaissement’ which degrades his ‘grotesque body’ to that of the colonized. The colonizer and the colonized are neutralized and leveled in their perishable bodies, thus, making futile the Civilizing Mission that operated by ranking races. Power is never total. It is always imperfect, and can never destroy a subjectivity that resists it. In Oyono’s novels, the Fall of the colonial Father is also obtained through the inquisitive gaze that the colonized return back to the colonizer, and through their ‘subversive mimicry’ that parodies his codes. In Une vie de boy and Le Chercheur d’Afriques, the ‘son-Father’ relationship between the hero and the colonial Father, is also symbolic of the ‘Africa-West’ rapports. Living under the specter of the Father, the son has to negotiate his survival between weaning and parricide. The biological miscegenation in Le Chercheur d’Afriques is a metaphor of the ‘rhizome identity’ of the postcolonial African who renounces both the Fathers of Negritude and those of the Civilizing Mission.

abstract: PhD


title: The Use of Pulse Interference Tests for the Determination of Specific Yield in Fractured Rock Settings

contributor:
Novakowski, Kent S.
Civil Engineering

subject:
Analytical Model
Fractured Rocks
Specific Yield
Hydraulic Properties
Pulse Interference Test

abstract: Thesis (Master, Civil Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2011-06-24 19:29:52.743

abstract:
An analytical model is presented for the analysis of pulse interference tests conducted in a fractured porous medium with connection to a free surface boundary at the water table. The solution is applicable to open borehole pulse interference tests due to the accommodation of multiple horizontal fractures intersecting each wellbore and a connection from the uppermost horizontal fracture to a free surface boundary. The solution is derived using the Laplace transform method and evaluation of the solution is performed by numerical inversion using the Talbot algorithm. Based on an informal sensitivity analysis, unique values for transmissivity, storativity, specific storage, vertical hydraulic conductivity and specific yield are predicted over a range of realistic values for these parameters.

The analytical model is used to analyze slug tests and pulse interference tests conducted in a fractured gneiss formation. The results of these tests are compared to long-term pumping tests to identify the effect of measurement scale on transmissivity, storativity, vertical hydraulic conductivity and specific yield obtained in a fractured rock setting. Scale artefacts relating to measurement or analysis methods are minimized through the use of consistent well configurations in each of the applied hydraulic testing methods.

The geometric mean estimates of transmissivity and storativity are shown to vary by less than an order of magnitude from local-scale tests to long-term pumping tests. The geometric mean specific yield result from a series of pulse interference tests that samples both highly fractured and poorly fractured portions of the rock formation approximates the long-term pumping test estimate of specific yield.

The geometric mean result for vertical hydraulic conductivity decreases by approximately 1.5 orders of magnitude from the slug test to pumping test scale; however, pulse interference tests conducted on highly fractured portions of the formation produce vertical hydraulic conductivity estimates that are within a half order of magnitude of the long-term pumping test results. This suggests that the performance of pulse interference tests on a highly fractured portion of a rock formation may be a less time-intensive alternative to large-scale pumping tests in the determination of vertical hydraulic conductivity.

abstract: M.A.Sc.


title: Arsenic Mobility and Attenuation in a Natural Wetland at Terra Mine, Northwest Territories, Canada

contributor: Geological Sciences and Geological Engineering

subject: Wetlands Arsenic Geochemistry

abstract: Thesis (Master, Geological Sciences & Geological Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2011-06-24 12:46:26.649

abstract:
Elevated arsenic (As) concentrations in surface water from storing mine tailings in lakes can have a negative impact on local and downstream vegetation and aquatic life. At Terra Mine, an abandoned silver and copper mine in the Northwest Territories, tailings storage in Ho-Hum Lake has resulted in dissolved As concentrations of 50-80 μg/L, exceeding the 5 μg/L maximum guideline for aquatic life. A natural wetland located downstream appears to be attenuating As from surface water. The objectives of this study was to understand the sources of As to the wetland, the effectiveness of the wetland to sequester As, the form and stability of As in the sediments, the processes controlling As mobility, and the effect of seasonal changes in the wetland in the dissolved phase. Arsenic bound to the sediments was determined by analyzing for bulk composition, and As speciation and element association were identified using synchrotron-based bulk XANES and ESEM analysis.

Arsenic enters the wetland by surface flow from Ho-Hum Lake, subsurface flow through the waste rock airstrip, and by windblown dust. In spring, dissolved As concentrations in surface water increased downstream. In late summer, a decrease in concentration was observed in the upstream portion of the wetland, however As returned to lake concentrations further downstream. Sediment As concentrations increased over the summer. ESEM and bulk XANES indicate that As was associated with (oxy)hydroxides and secondary sulphides. In the spring, when water levels were high from snow melt, (oxy)hydroxides formed and captured As, while sulphide oxidation in the sediments lead to the release of As into surface water. Over the summer, the onset of reducing conditions from microbial activity drove the formation of As-bearing sulphides and dissolution of (oxy)hydroxides.

While As was accumulating in the sediments at most sites in the wetland over the summer, these results suggest that the wetland was not effectively sequestering dissolved As from the surface water, and that sediment-water cycling of As in the wetland as a result of seasonal redox variations were contributing As in the surface water.

abstract: M.A.Sc.


title: The Pathophysiology of Eosinophilic Esophagitis: Altered Mechanisms of Antigen Detection in the Esophagus

contributor:
Justinich, Christopher
Anatomy and Cell Biology

subject: Pathology Immunology

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Anatomy & Cell Biology) -- Queen's University, 2011-06-27 14:07:03.348

abstract: Recently, a chronic idiopathic disease of the esophagus has emerged, which is now known as eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE).  Incomplete knowledge regarding the pathogenesis of EoE has limited treatment options.  EoE is known to be a Th2-type immune-mediated disorder.  Based on previous studies in both patients and experimental models, it is possible that an abnormal reaction to antigen mediates the pathophysiology of EoE.  In this thesis, symptoms and signs unique to EoE were identified by an age-matched, case-controlled study of 326 patients with EoE and gastroesophageal reflux disease.  The molecular mechanisms involved in antigen detection in the esophagus, in relation to EoE were then investigated.  Esophageal epithelial cells were found, for the first time, to be capable of acting as non-professional antigen presenting cells, with the ability to engulf, process and present antigen on MHC class II to T helper lymphocytes.  Antigen presentation by esophageal epithelial cells was induced by interferon-γ, which is increased in biopsies from patients with EoE.  Next, it was discovered that esophageal epithelial cell lines expressed functional toll-like receptor (TLR) 2 and TLR3, but in esophageal mucosal biopsies only infiltrating immune cells (including eosinophils) expressed TLR2 and TLR3.  Finally, the potential involvement of IgE in the pathogenesis of esophageal inflammation was investigated.  IgE in the esophagus was found to be present on mast cells, which are increased in density in the esophageal mucosae of patients with EoE and especially those with a history of atopy.  Mechanisms of antigen detection may mediate the pathophysiology of EoE in the esophagus through antigen presentation by epithelial cells, detection by TLRs on immune cells and detection through IgE on mucosal mast cells.  Together, these findings demonstrate that mechanisms of antigen detection may actually contribute to the pathophysiology of EoE.  Through increased understanding of the mechanisms of EoE, the results of this thesis may contribute to future therapy.

abstract: Not all of this thesis is published yet and journals may refuse to publish if they find the pdf of my thesis online.  When all of my thesis is published, we will remove the restriction.

abstract: PhD


title: Numerical and Experimental Studies of Natural Convective Heat Transfer From Vertical and Inclined Narrow Flat Plates and Short Cylinders

contributor:
Oosthuizen, Patrick H.
Mechanical and Materials Engineering

subject:
Inclined Short Cylinder
Numerical and Experimental Studies
Inclined Narrow Flat Plate
Interaction Between Two Heated Plates
Natural Convection

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Mechanical and Materials Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2011-06-27 19:27:45.724

abstract:
Natural convective heat transfer from flat plates and short cylinders inclined at an angle to the vertical in laminar and transition flow regions with isothermal or constant heat flux conditions have been numerically and experimentally studied. When the width of the plate is relatively small compared to its height, i.e., the plate is narrow, the heat transfer rate can be considerably greater than that predicted by these two-dimensional flow results. When the narrow plate is inclined to the vertical, pressure changes normal to the plate surface arise and these pressure changes can alter the nature and the magnitude of the edge effects. When two narrow inclined rectangular flat plates of the same size separated vertically or horizontally, the flow interaction between these heated plates can have a significant effect on the heat transfer.
	 When relatively small square and circular cylinders with exposed top surfaces inclined to the vertical are used, the interaction of the flow over the surfaces that make up the cylinder and inclination angle have, in general, a considerable effect on the magnitude of the mean heat transfer rate and on the nature of the flow over the cylinder surfaces.
	In the present numerical studies it has been assumed that the fluid properties are constant except for the density change with temperature which gives rise to the buoyancy forces, this having been treated using the Boussinesq approach. The numerical solution was obtained by numerically solving the full three-dimensional form of the governing equations, these equations being written in dimensionless form. The solution was obtained using a commercial CFD code, FLUENT. Results were only obtained for a Prandtl number of 0.7; this being approximately the value of air.

	In the experimental studies, the average heat transfer rates from cylinders were determined by the transient method, which involves heating the model and then measuring its temperature-time variation while it cools. The average heat transfer rates from the flat plates were determined using a steady state method, which basically involved electrically heating the plate.  The tests were carried out inside a large enclosure.

abstract: PhD


title: Curb Cuts for Writing: Students with Learning Disabilities' Perceptions as Learners and Writers using Assitive Technology

contributor:
Lee, Elizabeth
Education

subject:
Assistive Technology
Learning Disabilities
Writing
Self-Perceptions
Word Prediction Software
Elementary Students

abstract: Thesis (Master, Education) -- Queen's University, 2011-06-27 22:45:11.704

abstract:
Assistive technology, specifically, word prediction software holds great promise in supporting the writing process for students with learning disabilities. This thesis reports on a qualitative study that examined eight students’ self-perceptions as learners and writers using word prediction software.
Participants were purposefully recruited from a local Learning Disabilities Association’s listserv located in a mid-sized Eastern Ontario city.  Three groups of two to three Grades 4-8 students previously identified with a learning disability, and who were already using word prediction software (e.g. Co-Writer or WordQ), attended a 3-hour session. This session included an instructional workshop, and completion of a short reflective writing task followed by a focus group. Separately, participants’ parents attended a focus group. Data for this study includes focus group responses (student and parent), observations from the workshop, and the written student reflections. Using content analysis, emerging themes from participant responses were analyzed. The main themes from this analysis were: (1) students’ perceptions of having an equal opportunity to participate in academic subjects; (2) increased student self-efficacy; and (3) an ad hoc approach to training and the use of assistive technology software in school. These themes were then linked to relevant literature and a set of recommendations was developed for educators. Recommendations for the future included facilitating increased self-efficacy for students with learning disabilities; reducing the ad hoc approach to teacher education by instituting mandatory courses about students with disabilities in teacher education programs; and increased instruction in the use of assistive technology for parents and teachers.

abstract: M.Ed.


title: Integrating Phospholipid and Cyclic Nucleotide Signaling: Roles of Phosphodiesterases as Enzymes and Tethers

contributor:
Maurice, Donald H.
Pathology and Molecular Medicine

subject:
cAMP/cGMP
Cell Signaling
Cell Biology
Phosphodiesterases

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Pathology & Molecular Medicine) -- Queen's University, 2011-06-28 13:31:51.428

abstract: Cells of the cardiovascular system translate incoming extracellular signals from hormones and drugs through binding of cell surface receptors, and activation of intracellular signaling cascades allowing modulation of specific cellular function. cAMP and cGMP are ubiquitous second messengers that activate specific signaling machinery used to promote or inhibit cellular functions such as cell migration, cell adhesion and proliferation. Increases in intracellular cAMP or cGMP levels occurs through activation of adenylyl cyclase (cAMP) or guanylyl cyclase (cGMP) or by inhibition of the cAMP and cGMP hydrolyzing enzymes, cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases (PDEs). Cyclic nucleotides achieve signaling specificity through compartmentation, a mechanism allowing effective regulation of cAMP or cGMP signaling in discrete parts of the cell in a spatial and temporal manner. Cells of the cardiovascular system such as platelets, vascular endothelial cells (VECs), vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) maintain cyclic nucleotide compartmentation through coordinating signaling complexes containing a cAMP or cGMP effector protein and PDEs. Studies reported in this thesis demonstrate that human platelets, VECs and VSMCs each contain distinct cyclic nucleotide signaling complexes, and that based on their composition and selective subcellular localization, regulate specific cellular functions. In platelets, subcellular localization of PDE5 results in differential regulation of PDE5 and selective regulation of Ca2+ release from endoplasmic reticulum stores, an initial step in platelet aggregation and provides a potential therapeutic target in preventing thrombosis. VECs utilize multiple signaling systems to regulate cellular function including cAMP signaling pathways and modification of phosphatidylinositols. These studies demonstrate that a PDE3B-based signaling complex allows integration of both cAMP and phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase-γ (PI3Kγ) signals resulting in increased cell adhesion and cell spreading. Finally, studies in VSMCs demonstrate that PDE5 localization in cells allows cAMP/cGMP cross talk through PDE5 and PDE3A. These results are discussed in the context of further understanding the role of PDEs in mediating cAMP and cGMP signaling and modulation of cell function in cells of the cardiovascular system.

abstract: PhD


title: Palladium and Ruthenium Catalyzed Reactions

contributor:
Baird, Michael C.
Chemistry

subject: Organometallic Chemistry

abstract: Thesis (Master, Chemistry) -- Queen's University, 2011-06-29 09:28:58.429

abstract:
Part one of this thesis will discuss research which involves the direct comparison of the activity of commonly used precatalysts with the newly synthesized precatalyst, Pd(η5-C5H5)(η3-1-Ph-C3H4), for Sonogashira cross-coupling reactions. Sonogashira reactions are important as they provide a simple method for the formation of substituted alkynes, a commonly found functionality within important organic molecules. These reactions are generally believed to be catalyzed by a Pd(0)L2 species which are generated in situ from a palladium precatalyst and are often co-catalyzed by CuI although use of the latter is undesirable as it induces homocoupling in certain instances. The rate and quantity of active species generated is not known for the commonly used precatalysts and is a potential reason for decreased rates and yields. Norton et al. have recently demonstrated that the newly synthesized, easily handled compound Pd(η5-C5H5)(η3-1-Ph-C3H4) is a superior precatalyst as it generates the active Pd(0)L2 species more quickly than other commonly used palladium precatalysts. Part one of this thesis will discuss research which investigated the efficiencies of precatalysts used for Sonogashira cross-coupling reactions.
Part two of this thesis will discuss research into the syntheses of a novel series of ruthenium complexes and their utilization as ester hydrogenation catalysts. Reduction of esters to the corresponding alcohols is normally carried out using LiAlH4, a stoichiometric type of reaction which produces large amounts of undesirable by-products. Ruthenium-based catalysts are known to hydrogenate a variety of functional groups and many catalytic systems have been developed for the hydrogenation of alkenes, ketones, etc. The recent literature also describes a small number of ruthenium catalyst systems which enable ester hydrogenation to the same types of alcohols produced by LiAlH4 reduction albeit catalytically, a much “greener” type of chemistry. This paper will discuss the syntheses of a series of Ru(acac)2(phosphine)1-2 complexes and their utilization as ester hydrogenation catalysts.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: An Examination of Coach-Athlete Interactions in a Model Sport Program for Athletes with Disabilities

contributor:
Côté, Jean
Deakin, Janice
Kinesiology and Health Studies

subject:
Athletes with Disabilities
Youth Sport

abstract: Thesis (Master, Kinesiology & Health Studies) -- Queen's University, 2011-06-29 11:00:23.466

abstract: The purpose of this study was to analyze the coach-athlete interactions occurring in a successful sport program for athletes with disabilities and their able-bodied siblings.  The successful nature of this program was established by its athletes’ competitive achievements and by the athletes’ reports of positive experiences within this sport environment.  This study utilized state space grid and observational methodology and was the second application of this methodology in field-based sport psychology research (Erickson, Côté, Hollenstein, & Deakin, in press).  The head coach of the program and twenty-four athletes were observed over multiple practice sessions.  Both coach and athlete behaviour was coded continuously for the duration of each practice session. Measures of coach-athlete interaction structure, based on dynamic systems concepts, were derived from these coded behaviours.  These measures were examined for the team as a whole and compared between groups within the team (competitive vs. recreational athletes and athletes with disabilities vs. able-bodied athletes).  Results indicated that the coach-athlete interactions of the team were highly patterned. Within this consistent pattern, the coach spent most of her time silently observing the athletes.  Other commonly exhibited behaviours included individualized technical instruction, organization, and positive feedback.  With regards to behavioural sequencing, the coach’s time spent observing the athletes was often interspersed with periods of organization, instruction, and feedback.  The coach appeared to adapt her coaching style according to the competitive levels of the athletes, but no differences emerged when comparing the coach-athlete interactions between athletes with disabilities and able-bodied athletes.  Overall, this successful sport environment was characterized by positive coach-athlete interactions that were deliberately patterned and mutually respectful.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Towards an Understanding of Young Athletes’ Perceptions of Competence, Confidence, Connection, and Character

contributor:
Côté, Jean
Kinesiology and Health Studies

subject:
Positive Youth Development
Youth Sport

abstract: Thesis (Master, Kinesiology & Health Studies) -- Queen's University, 2011-06-29 11:19:29.956

abstract: The 5Cs (competence, confidence, connection, character and caring/compassion) have been proposed as important constructs that describe the presence of positive youth development (PYD; Lerner et al., 2005).  While the 5Cs are intuitively appealing, a recent study failed to provide support for the framework of the 5Cs within a sample of youth sport participants (Jones, Dunn, Holt, Sullivan, & Bloom, in press).  Rather than abandoning the framework of the Cs in the youth sport setting, this finding highlights the importance of developing a sport-specific framework.  In applying the 5Cs to sport, Côté, Bruner, Erickson, Strachan, and Fraser-Thomas (2010) found that competence, confidence, and connection were well represented in the sport literature, but that caring/compassion were embedded within the character literature.  As a result, they collapsed the 5Cs into a 4Cs framework, which has been used in the current study.  The purpose of the current study was to garner an understanding of what each of the 4Cs mean to a group of youth sport participants in the sport context.  To this end, 10 single-sex focus groups were conducted with 49 youth sport participants (24 boys, 25 girls), 9 to 13 years old (M=10.8 years).  The participants were involved in a variety of sports, with soccer, hockey, baseball/softball, and lacrosse being the most common.  Data analyses revealed the types of information that participants use to form their perceptions of the 4Cs, along with the sources from which this information is obtained.  Participants indicated that they used information from coaches, parents, peers, self-perceptions, and the sport context in creating their understanding of the 4Cs.  Participants referred to obtaining information from peers regarding all 4Cs.  Conversely, coaches were referenced regarding competence, confidence, and connection, but not character. Parents were not referenced by the participants in their understanding of connection or character in the sport setting.  Notable findings also include the strong emphasis participants placed on their level of effort in determining their competence and confidence. Overall, results highlight the importance of providing young athletes opportunities to experience success and interact with peers in a fun and inclusive sport environment.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Real or Artifact? Shedding light on how and when repeated expression can result in polarization

contributor:
Fabrigar, Leandre R.
Psychology

subject: Attitudes Psychology

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Psychology) -- Queen's University, 2011-06-29 11:35:19.87

abstract: Researchers have long noted that repeated expression of a judgment can cause that judgment to become more extreme. Three perspectives were explored for why this effect occurs. The first perspective implied that repeated expression results in changes in the evaluation such that it becomes more extreme. The next implied that individuals misinterpret ambiguous response scales and respond based on confidence which results in extremity. The final perspective implied that participants understand response scales but are sometimes incapable of accomplishing the judgment, and invoke confidence as a heuristic to guide responding. Experiment One tested these ideas in a colour judgment paradigm in a 3 (Level of Frequency: 3 vs. 5 vs. 8) x 2 (Question Order: Paired Judgments vs. Separated Judgments) mixed-model design. Repeated expression resulted in greater extremity, and greater confidence in judgments. Confidence was found to mediate the relationship between repeated expression and increased extremity regardless of question order. Experiment Two further disentangled the relationship between repeated expression and extremity by directly manipulating task difficulty, and by manipulating the nature of the response scale labels. A 3 (Level of frequency: 3 vs. 5 vs. 8) x 2 (Type of scale: numerical rating scale vs. colour shade scale) x 2 (Task Difficulty: 144 judgments versus 80 judgments) mixed-design experiment was conducted. Repeated expression again led to increased confidence in judgments. Results showed that repeated expression led to increased extremity when participants responded to the numeric rating scale that was considered ambiguous, but not when using the less ambiguous colour shade scale. Confidence fully mediated the effect of repeated expression on extremity in the numeric rating scale condition. In the colour shade scale condition, the mediation of confidence was offset by a direct negative effect of frequency on extremity. Overall, evidence was found for both the response mapping ambiguity perspective and the evaluative change perspective. Evidence did not support the ability perspective.

abstract: PhD


title: The influence of community on athletic development: An integrated case study

subject:
Community Development
Talent
Case Study
Sport Psychology

abstract: Thesis (Master, Kinesiology & Health Studies) -- Queen's University, 2011-06-29 14:45:17.508

abstract: Athletes are embedded within an environment that can be conceptualized as comprising multiple nested hierarchal levels that span increasingly larger contexts—the most salient being the individual level, the club level, and the community level. Viewing the field of sport psychology broadly, it is apparent that the majority of research has been conducted at lower levels, such as athletes’ developmental trajectories (Côté, Baker, & Abernethy, 2003) and peer interactions (Smith, 2003). While sport scientists have begun to study higher levels such as successful sport programs (Martindale, Collins, & Abraham, 2007; Vallee & Bloom, 2005) and successful clubs (Henriksen, Stambulova, & Roessler, 2010a, 2010b) there is a lack of research at the community level. The purpose of this project was to conduct an integrated case study to systematically gather rich information via diverse sources to effectively understand how one successful sporting community develops athletic talent. Lockeport, Nova Scotia—a relatively small, rural, maritime community with a population of approximately 650 residents—was chosen based on athletic success. Twenty-two community residents, including athletes, parents, coaches, a grandparent, the recreation coordinator, and the mayor, were interviewed with the aim to understand how community level factors may have influenced athletic development within a recent ten year span (2000-2009). Interviews were qualitatively analyzed using the method of content analysis (Côté, Salmela, Baria, & Russell, 1993). Results supported existing athlete development research and highlighted underexplored areas. Specifically, results fell into one of three themes: (1) athletes’ developmental experiences, (2) the community influences that caused or enabled these developmental experiences, (3) and socio-cultural influences expressed by participants. Regarding developmental experiences, athletes in Lockeport engaged in large amounts of unorganized youth-led sport activities comprised of mixed-age athletes. Athletes also participated in various different organized sports, whose members remained stable throughout development. Regarding community influences, coaches created community sporting events, celebrations, and learning opportunities for youth. This was facilitated by the integration of the local high school and community. Regarding socio-cultural influences, participants expressed a sense of community and shared a collective identity, which may have facilitated the presence of role modeling and pro-community behavior apparent in Lockeport.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Characterization of a Newly Synthesized Cysteinyl Leukotriene 2 Receptor Selective Antagonist Using Cell Based β-arrestin and Vascular Ear Permeability Assays in Mice

contributor:
Funk, Colin D.
Pratt, Derek A.
Biochemistry

subject:
Biochemistry
Fatty Acid Metabolites

abstract: Thesis (Master, Biochemistry) -- Queen's University, 2011-06-29 22:31:03.11

abstract:
(hCysLT2R) based on a β-galactosidase complementation
system. The EC50 values for LTC4 and LTD4 are consistent with previous literature
values determined based on radio-labelling affinity assays for hCysLT2R. Activity of a
synthetic analogue of LTC4, N-Methyl LTC4 (NMLTC4), gave an EC50 value of 8.5 nM.
Also described in this thesis, is the synthesis of a cysLT2R selective antagonist, 3-{[(3-
carboxycyclohexyl)amino]carbonyl}-4-{3-{4-(4-phenoxybutoxy)phenyl}-
propoxy}benzoic acid. Through the in vitro assay system, this selective antagonist
showed a dose-dependent inhibition (IC50 value of 86 nM) when CysLT2R was
stimulated with 30 nM of LTD4. Both the selective agonist (NMLTC4) as well as the
selective cysLT2R antagonist were also tested in vivo in a localized vascular ear
inflammation assay. Results show NMLTC4 is able to promote vascular leakage through
stimulation of cysLT2R, and this extravasation can be significantly attenuated by the cysLT2R antagonist.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Functional Analysis of Human Eph Receptor Homologs Using C. elegans as a Model

contributor:
Chin-Sang, Ian D.
Biology

subject: Genetics Biology

abstract: Thesis (Master, Biology) -- Queen's University, 2011-06-30 08:31:17.494

abstract: The Eph receptor tyrosine kinases are a highly conserved family of proteins involved in a variety  of developmental processes. As well, the Eph receptors appear to play a pivotal role in the development and progression of some cancers. The nematode C. elegans has emerged as a strong developmental model, for the study of human Eph receptors.  Recent research in this model, has suggested an antagonistic relationship between VAB-1, the single C. elegans Eph receptor and DAF-18, the homolog of the human tumor suppressor PTEN. This work in C. elegans has led to the hypothesis that the human Eph receptors and PTEN may function in a similar way.  To provide evidence to support this hypothesis I showed that human EPHA2 and PTEN could physically interact in vitro. Furthermore, my research shows that the human Eph receptors appear to function like the C. elegans Eph receptor (VAB-1) in the neurons of the worm.  Finally, I provided evidence to show that EphA3 K761N, a common mutation found in human lung cancers, behaves like a gain-of-function mutation in C. elegans.  Expressing EphA3 K761N or the analogous mutation in VAB-1, K859N, results in overactive receptor tyrosine kinase activity leading to abnormal axon guidance in C. elegans. These results have furthered our understanding of the evolutionary conservation between the human Eph receptors and VAB-1, and show the promise of using this model to discover novel components of the human Eph receptor signaling pathway.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Is the Whole World Still Watching? Explaining Police Violence During the Toronto G8/G20 Meetings

contributor:
Sacco, Vincent F.
Sociology

subject:
Police Violence
G20
Value-Added
Situational Violence
Collective Violence
Collective Behaviour

abstract: Thesis (Master, Sociology) -- Queen's University, 2011-06-30 11:36:35.115

abstract: In recent years the G8 and G20 Summits have become important sites of protest and conflict.  Extensive planning by  police and protesters have transformed the public meaning of these yearly assemblies into  large-scale events characterized by what many see as threats to public order. The summits have also provided a world-stage for the economically and racially disadvantaged as well as globalized free trade dissenters to voice their resistance and opposition. At the same time, police have been placed on the opposite side of the conflict, ordered to “control the masses.” This conflict situation can sometimes lead to collective violence, especially on behalf of the police. In attempting to explain the police collective violence witnessed at the G8/G20 protests in Toronto in June of 2010, Neil Smelser’s (1962) value-added model of collective behaviour can be employed.  This model demonstrates how processes involving structural conduciveness, structural strain, the spread of a generalized belief, the mobilization of participants and finally the utilization of social control can lead to an event such as collective violence. Recent revisions to the value-added argument by Fine (1997) have shifted attention away from the functionalist assumptions of the model and toward a more social constructionist stance.  Thus, for Fine, belief itself does not create action. Rather, the use of the belief by claimsmakers can lead to a call to action, through media or other outlets. Finally, Randall Collins’s (2008) theory of forward panic is useful for illustrating the finer details of precisely how police mobilize for violence. In order to analyze the police collective violence witnessed over the weekend, a combination of participant observation, semi-structured interviews and ethnographic content analysis methods were employed. The findings support that because of the placement of the G8/G20 meetings, the conflicting relationship between the police and the protesters and the construction of the protesters as troublemakers, meant to be approached with suspicion, the police were able to overcome the tense conflict situation and attack the protesters. I conclude by suggesting a community-policing model for future protest situations.

abstract: M.A.


title: The Biopolitics of Indigenous Reproduction: Colonial Discourse and the Overrepresentation of Indigenous Children in the Canadian Child Welfare System

contributor:
Krull, Catherine
Sociology

subject:
Discourse Analysis
Biopolitics/Biopower
Social Work
Residential Schools
Child Welfare
Sixties Scoop
Indigenous Reproduction
Genocide
Settler Colonialism
Colonial Narratives

abstract: Thesis (Master, Sociology) -- Queen's University, 2011-06-30 11:58:07.536

abstract:
From its inception, Canada's 'Indian policy' has sought to undermine the bond between indigenous children and their communities. Each era has seen a new reason and corresponding tactic to remove indigenous children. They have been institutionalized in residential schools, placed in foster homes, provincial 'care' facilities, and adopted by Euro-Canadian families. While it is widely accepted that the forceful removal of indigenous children during the residential school era and the "Sixties Scoop" was a colonial strategy, contemporary child welfare practices seem to escape the same scrutiny. This seems to be the case even though indigenous children continue to be removed en masse and are vastly overrepresented in the Canadian child welfare system. Indeed, there are more indigenous children in 'care' today than ever before in Canadian history, including the residential school era and following the "Sixties Scoop". Given these trends the colonial effect of contemporary child welfare practices seems evident.
This project thus seeks to problematize child welfare practices in relation to indigenous peoples. In particular, it is the aim of this thesis to shed light on some of the narratives that underlie these practices. Through a critical discourse analysis this thesis illuminates how news media in Alberta and Manitoba disseminate controlling images of indigenous peoples and their children. I argue that the discourses in both provinces normalize the removal of indigenous children while naturalizing colonial control.

abstract: M.A.


title: Energy Transfer Between Molecules in the Vicinity of Metal Nanoparticle

subject:
Nanoplasmonics
Fluorescence Anisotropy
Non-Radiative Energy Transfer

abstract: Thesis (Master, Physics, Engineering Physics and Astronomy) -- Queen's University, 2011-06-30 23:29:38.658

abstract:
Nanoplasmonics has opened up the gates for numerous innovations. Recent studies showed that metal nanoparticles, when introduced into the solar cells and organic light emitting diodes, would greatly enhance their efficiencies. Though these advances are promising, they require a tool for investigating the interactions occuring at the microscopic level to further optimize their performance. In that context, we are interested in understanding the energy transfer mechanism between molecules in the vicinity of metal nanoparticle. Time-resolved fluorescence intensity and anisotropy experiments on single and clusters of Silver-Silica core-shell nanoparticles coated with Rhodamine B(RB) dye molecules, (Ag-SiO2-RB) were performed. We witnessed the signature of the interaction between RB molecules and metal nanoclusters in the form of the enhanced fluorescence intensity decay rates. The fluorescence lifetime of RB in the vicinity of the nanoparticles was (600 +/- 100) ps, as compared to (2.4+/-0.3)ns in the absence of nanoparticle. While the anisotropy of RB molecules in the absence of nanoparticle has remained almost constant(0.075+/-0.029) over long times; anisotropy in the presence of particles showed wide range of values immediately after excitation.
Surprisingly high anisotropy values, at about 10 ns after excitation, were observed with a mean of about (0.145+/-0.025). We interpret the high and low initial anisotropies of the clusters, relative to the case of RB alone, to be due to the interaction of dye molecules with collective plasmon modes of the clusters.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Components and Techniques for High-Speed Optical Communications

contributor:
Cartledge, John C.
Electrical and Computer Engineering

subject:
Electroabsorption
Modulator
Optical Communications
Distributed Electronic Oscillator
OTDM Demultiplexing
High-Speed

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Electrical & Computer Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2011-06-30 14:41:42.625

abstract: Electroabsorption modulators (EAMs) are fundamental components in optical communication systems. Their response is governed by a set of parameters inherent to their internal structure and by the external electrical components used to drive them. The first part of this thesis discusses a new method for the extraction of values for these parameters. The use of EAMs as both optical modulators and photodetectors is exploited for the purpose of parameter extraction. The proposed method allows the estimation of the parameters which govern the internal frequency response of EAMs without any knowledge of the characteristics of the electrical interconnect used to drive them. The procedure also removes the need for an accurately calibrated optical transmitter and receiver pair normally used during the characterization of optoelectronic components. Analytic description and experimental verification are presented. In the second part of this thesis, direct demultiplexing of a 10 Gbit/s channel from a 160 Gbit/s optical time division multiplexing (OTDM) signal using a single lumped, electrically driven EAM is experimentally presented for the first time. Direct demultiplexing is made possible by using an electrical driving signal for the EAM consisting of a sum of in-phase harmonics of the base channel rate. The use of a single EAM as an optical gate is quasi-analytically compared with the common approach of cascading two EAMs when performing 160 Gbit/s to 10 Gbit/s demultiplexing. The analysis reveals that the use of a single EAM is beneficial in terms of lower penalty with respect to degradations in the extinction ratio and width of the pulses used in the OTDM signal. The last part of this thesis introduces an electrical distributed oscillator which works in a regime of oscillation similar to that of mode locked laser (MLL) systems. The oscillator offers the flexibility of producing other waveforms not found in MLLs and has the potential to generate the required electrical driving signal for a single EAM OTDM demultiplexer. Other possible applications of the oscillator include the generation of short pulses for use in radar systems and wireless personal area networks.

abstract: PhD


title: The influence of bacteria on the stability, speciation and mobility of arsenic in contaminated sediments at Terra mine, N.W.T., Canada

subject: geomicrobiology wetland mine-waste microcosms XANES arsenic

abstract: Thesis (Master, Geological Sciences & Geological Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2011-07-03 23:27:44.373

abstract:
Terra mine is an abandoned copper and silver mine in the Northwest Territories, Canada, from which mine tailings were deposited into Ho-Hum Lake, adjacent to the mine’s processing plant. The tailings contain elevated levels of arsenic (As), resulting in As levels exceeding Canadian sediment and water quality guidelines in the lake, and in downstream wetland water and sediment. This field and laboratory study focuses on the microbial ecology, and the reduction and oxidation of As, iron (Fe) and sulphur (S), in the wetland downstream from Ho-Hum Lake. This wetland is proposed as a passive remediation system for removal and storage of As.

Using microcosm experiments, the stability of As-bearing sediments was compared in the upper, middle and lowestmost areas of the wetland over a 42-day period. Fresh sediments and sediments amended with a 10 mM acetate solution, both mixed with water, were compared. While no significant geochemical differences were found between acetate-amended and unamended microcosms, formation of inorganic As-S species was higher in amended microcosms, suggesting that micro-organisms were  more active in the system because they were not carbon-limited. Formation of methylated-As species increased over time in all samples, including abiotic controls. Bacterial sulphate reduction occurred during the first 10 days of the experiment, perhaps resulting in precipitation of sulphide minerals. X-ray adsorption near edge spectroscopy was used to assess solid-state speciation of As in the sediments and indicated that pre-microcosm sediments from all sites showed high proportions of  As(III)-S and As(III)-O speciation. Post-microcosm sediments revealed a 13% increase in the proportion of As(V)-O species, whereas abiotic controls showed only an 8% increase. DNA sequencing in post-microcosm sediments identified As, Fe and S reducing bacteria, and the geochemical patterns of As, Fe and S in the microcosms indicate the bacteria are likely active in the system.

Microbial diversity and solid-state speciation of As in the sediments were assessed at varying depths at the microcosm sites, but correlation analysis revealed no significant relationship between As speciation and microbial diversity. A positive correlation between diversity and depth, and a negative relationship between As concentration and diversity, were found, perhaps indicating decreasing contamination with depth in the wetland.

abstract: M.A.Sc.


title: Tendencia Thatcheritis or Englishness: The Fictions of Julian Barnes, Hanif Kureishi and Pat Barker

contributor:
Varadharajan, Asha
English

subject:
Pat Barker
English Literature
Margaret Thatcher
New Britain
Hanif Kureishi
Julian Barnes

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, English) -- Queen's University, 2011-07-04 19:00:52.133

abstract: Julian Barnes, Pat Barker, and Hanif Kureishi are all canonical authors whose fictions are widely believed to reflect the cultural and political state of a nation that is post-war, post-imperial and post-modern.  While much has been written on how Barker’s and Kureishi’s early works in particular respond to and intervene in the presiding political narrative of the 1980s – Thatcherism – treatment of how revenants of Thatcherism have shaped these writers’ works from 1990 on has remained cursory.  Thatcherism is more than an obvious historical reference point for Barker, Barnes, and Kureishi; their works demonstrate a sophisticated understanding of how Thatcher’s reworkings of the repertoires of Englishness – a representational as well as political and cultural endeavour – persist beyond her time in office.  Barnes, Barker, and Kureishi seem to have reached the same conclusion as political and cultural critics: Thatcher and Thatcherism have remade not only the contemporary political and cultural landscapes but also the electorate and consequently the English themselves.  Tony Blair’s conception of the New Britain proved less than satisfactory because contemporary repertoires of Englishness repeat and rework historical and not incidentally imperial formulations of England and Englishness rather than envision civic and populist formulations of renewal.  Barnes’s England, England and Arthur & George confront the discourse of inevitability that has come to be attached to contemporary formulations of both political and cultural Englishness – both in terms of its predictable demise and its belated celebration.  Kureishi’s The Buddha of Suburbia and “The Body” speak to an alteration that has taken place in which historical Englishness and Thatcherism have become complementary rather than contrasting discourses.  What Barker’s Border Crossing and Double Vision offer against this backdrop is a subtle interrogation of how renewal itself comes to be a presiding mode of cultural reflection that absorbs revolutionary possibility.

abstract: PhD


title: In The Mounties We Trust: A Study of Royal Canadian Mounted Police Accountability

contributor:
Wood, David Murakami
Sociology

subject:
Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Accountability
Civilian Oversight
Policing

abstract: Thesis (Master, Sociology) -- Queen's University, 2011-07-05 21:46:10.126

abstract: Police and Canadian citizens often clash during protests sometimes resulting in violent outcomes.  Due to the nature of those altercations, there are few other events that require oversight more than the way police clash with protesters and there is a history of such oversight resulting in a number of Federal Parliamentary documents, Parliamentary Committee reports Task Force reports, reports arising from Public Interest Hearings of the Commission for Complaints Against the RCMP, and testimony at various hearings and inquiries which have produced particular argumentative discourses.  Argumentative discourses that have a great effect on the construction of a civilian oversight agency of the RCMP is the focus of this thesis.  This thesis examines how it is that different discourses, as represented by argumentative themes in these reports, intersect with one another in the process of creating a system of accountability for the RCMP.  Through the lens of complaints that arise from protest and police clashes one may conclude that the current system of accountability does not adhere to a practice of protecting the most fundamental rights as prescribed by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms; nor would the currently proposed legislation contained within Bill C-38 alter the system in a substantial way to allow for such protections.  The power dynamic between the Commissioner of the Force and the Commission for Complaints Against the RCMP favours the police force in the current and proposed system.  In order for the current political landscape to become a climate favourable toward producing a system of RCMP accountability that truly protects the rights and freedoms prescribed in the Charter, a significant shift must occur in different organizations, agencies, and individuals who influence the creation of legislation and policy in this nation.  This shift must be characterized by an increase in strengthening the commitment of the RCMP to protect the rights and freedoms as prescribed by the Charter rather than its current focus and interest in trying to stem the erosion of public trust and confidence in the Force.

abstract: M.A.


title: Role of Multiple Toll-Like Receptor Activation in Regulating Cytotoxic T Cell Priming to Lympocytic Choriomeningitis Virus Infections

contributor:
Basta, Sameh
Microbiology and Immunology

subject:
Secondary Infections
Viral Immunology
Immunology
Toll-like Receptors

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Microbiology & Immunology) -- Queen's University, 2011-08-18 17:37:18.47

abstract:
Foreign pathogens are recognized by toll-like receptors (TLR), present on various immune cells such as professional antigen-presenting cells (pAPCs). On recognition of its ligand, these receptors activate pAPCs, which may in turn influence naïve CD8+ T cell activation and affect their abilities to clear viral infection. However, how TLR ligands (TLR-L) can regulate CD8+ T cell responses have not been fully elucidated. This thesis will focus on examining how the presence of components from foreign pathogens, e.g. viral or bacterial infection, can contribute to shaping host immunity during concurrent viral infections.
	Since nitric oxide (NO), an innate effector immune molecule, was recently suggested to regulate proteasome activity; we sought to examine if NO can influence MHC-I antigen presentation during viral infections. The data in this section of the thesis provides evidence that combined TLR engagement can alter the presentation of certain CD8+ epitopes due to NO-induced inhibition in proteasome activity. Taken together, the data demonstrate that TLR ligation can influence the adaptive immune response due to induction of specific innate effector molecules such as NO.
Next, the influence of combined TLR engagement on CD8+ T cell immunodominance hierarchies during viral infections was examined. In this section, we established that dual TLR2 and TLR3 stimulation alters immunodominance hierarchies of LCMV epitopes as a result of reduced uptake of cell-associated antigens and reduced cross-presentation of NP396 consequently suppressing NP396-specific CD8+ T cell responses. These findings are significant as they highlight a new role for TLR ligands in regulating anti-viral CD8+ T cell responses through impairing cross-presentation of cell-associated antigens depending on the type of TLR present in the environment during infections.
	Finally, we addressed TLR ligand induced type I interferon production and the signalling pathways that regulate them in two different mouse macrophage populations – those derived from the spleen or bone marrow. In this study, we observed that concomitant TLR2 stimulation blocked the induction of type I IFN induced by TLR4 in bone marrow-derived macrophages, but not spleen-derived macrophages in SOCS3-dependent manner.
	Taken together, the data presented in this thesis have defined new facets of how anti-viral responses are regulated by TLR activation, especially if multiple receptors are engaged simultaneously.

abstract: Chapter 4 of the thesis has recently been submitted for publication and Chapter 5 is in preparation to be submitted. We would like to keep these sections of the thesis restricted until these manuscripts are published.

abstract: PhD


title: Topology Design Optimization for Vibration Reduction: Reducible Design Variable Method

contributor:
Mechefske, Chris K.
Kim, Il-Yong
Mechanical and Materials Engineering

subject:
Vibration Reduction
Reducible Design Variable Method (RDVM)
Topology Optimization

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Mechanical and Materials Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2011-07-08 10:10:20.606

abstract:
Structural topology optimization has been extensively studied in aeronautical, civil, and mechanical engineering applications in order to improve performance of systems. This thesis focuses on an optimal design of damping treatment using topology optimization, and the reduction of computational expense of the topology optimization procedure.

This thesis presents mainly two works on topology optimization. In the first work, topology optimization is implemented to optimally design damping treatments in unconstrained-layer damping material. Since the damping effect relies on the placement of damping treatment, and the weight of damping material may be an important factor, the placement of damping material is optimally determined using topology optimization with an allowable maximum. Unconstrained-layer plate and shell structures are modeled. The damping layer on the unconstrained-layer structures is considered as the design domain. Using topology optimization, the damping layer is designed numerically, and then experimentally validated by comparing the damping effects. In the numerical example, the topological damping treatment usually provides much higher damping effects compared to other approaches such as strain energy distribution (SED) and an evolutionary structural optimization (ESO).

In the second work, a numerical algorithm, named as reducible design variable method (RDVM) topology optimization, is proposed in order to efficiently reduce the computational expense. Since it usually requires thousands to millions of design variables and up to hundreds of iterations in topology optimization, the major difficulty is its computational expense. The RDVM topology optimization is implemented into static (minimization of compliance) and dynamic (maximization of the fundamental resonance frequency) problems. The RDVM significantly reduces computing time, as confirmed by numerical examples.

abstract: PhD


title: Learning Impulse Control in a Novel Animal Model: Synaptic, Cellular, and Pharmacological Substrates

contributor:
Olmstead, Mary C.
Neuroscience Studies

subject:
Medial Prefrontal Cortex
Impulsivity
Amphetamine
Plasticity
Impulse Control
AMPA/NMDA
Intrinsic Excitability
Patch-Clamp Electrophysiology

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Neuroscience Studies) -- Queen's University, 2011-07-11 09:44:54.815

abstract:
Impulse control, an executive process that restrains inappropriate actions, is impaired in numerous psychiatric conditions. This thesis reports three experiments that utilized a novel animal model of impulse control, the response inhibition (RI) task, to examine the substrates that underlie learning this task.
     In the first experiment, rats were trained to withhold responding on the RI task, and then euthanized for electrophysiological testing. Training in the RI task increased the AMPA/NMDA ratio at the synapses of pyramidal neurons in the prelimbic, but not infralimbic, region of the medial prefrontal cortex. This enhancement paralleled performance as subjects underwent acquisition and extinction of the inhibitory response.
AMPA/NMDA was elevated only in neurons that project to the ventral striatum. Thus, this experiment identified a synaptic correlate of impulse control.
     In the second experiment, a separate group of rats were trained in the RI task prior to electrophysiological testing. Training in the RI task produced a decrease in membrane excitability in prelimbic, but not infralimbic, neurons as measured by maximal spiking evoked in response to increasing current injection. Importantly, this decrease was strongly correlated with successful inhibition in the task. Fortuitously, subjects trained in an operant control condition showed elevated infralimbic, but not prelimbic, excitability, which was produced by learning an anticipatory signal that predicted imminent reward availability. These experiments revealed two cellular correlates of performance, corresponding to learning two different associations under distinct task conditions.
     In the final experiment, rats were trained on the RI task under three conditions: Short (4-s), long (60-s), or unpredictable (1-s to 60-s) premature phases. These conditions produced distinct errors on the RI task. Interestingly, amphetamine increased premature responding in the short and long conditions, but decreased premature responding in the unpredictable condition. This dissociation may arise from interactions
between amphetamine and underlying cognitive processes, such as attention, timing, and conditioned avoidance.
     In summary, this thesis showed that learning to inhibit a response produces distinct synaptic, cellular, and pharmacological changes. It is hoped that these advances will provide a starting point for future therapeutic interventions of disorders of impulse control.

abstract: Several Chapters are presently submitted to journals for publication.  Therefore, we would like to delay public access of this information for, at most, 8-12 months.

abstract: PhD


title: Who Would Want to Teach There? A Critical Exploration of How New Teachers Conceptualize Geographies of Schooling about Canadian "Inner City"  Schools and Implications for Education Policy

contributor:
Lewis, Magda Gere
Education

subject:
teacher education
spatialities
race and racialization
Canada
inner city schooling
urban schooling
low-income and minority students
gender
social class
social geography

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Education) -- Queen's University, 2011-07-11 20:54:49.407

abstract: This dissertation examines geographies of schooling in relation to how a group of new teachers in Canada conceptualize “inner city” schooling as a uniquely Canadian construct. The study uses a critical approach that explores issues of race, and their intersections with issues of gender, social class, and other identity markers. Seven new teachers graduating from a 2009-2010 teacher education program in the province of Ontario, Canada took part in this study. As a function of the inner city, the inner city school is problematized as a particular geographical space, complete with its own meanings. Results of this study indicate that new teacher conceptualizations of Canadian inner city schools are not uniform and coherent, but complex, contradictory, and dependent upon each individual teacher’s experiences with difference. Overall, participants demonstrated limited ability to speak to their own racial identities in relation to teaching in such schooling contexts. Because most participants learned to teach in predominantly White field-placement settings, they perceived race to be a non-issue and recognized it as a construct only if raced bodies were present. With respect to issues of gender, participants most often discussed what is often referred to as the feminization of teaching in elementary schools. However, there was a profound sense in which inner city schools were conceptualized as “male space” or as space from which female teachers needed protection. This was informed by a widespread conception that male teachers could more effectively manage inner city students. Classroom management emerged as an issue that concerned participants with the least experience with difference. Finally, there was a direct relationship between the theoretical approaches used by the teacher education program in discussing inner city schooling and individual teacher ability to articulate their pedagogical approaches to teaching in this milieu.

abstract: PhD


title: Efficient Metal-Promoted Biomimetic Catalysis of Phosphoryl Transfer Reactions in Alcohols

contributor:
Brown, Robert Stanley
Chemistry

subject: Chemistry

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Chemistry) -- Queen's University, 2011-07-18 13:49:21.183

abstract:
Understanding enzymatic reactions has many invaluable implications that could lead to useful pharmaceutical and commercial applications. Phosphoryl transfer reactions are perhaps the most prevalent chemical transformations in Nature. Phosphate esters are highly resistant to hydrolytic and nucleophilic degradation in the absence of catalysts, and enzymes that faciliate phosphoryl transfer reactions are among the most catalytically efficient enzymes in Nature.
	A common strategy for understanding enzyme catalysis involves designing small molecule enzyme mimics. Our approach is to focus on the reaction medium inside the enzyme active sites, which is generally accepted to be non-aqueous and have an effective dielectric constant like organic solvents. We find that by switching from water to light alcohols (methanol and ethanol), a dinuclear Zn(II) complex can accelerate the solvolytic cleavages of simple phosphate diesters (both DNA and RNA models) by 12 orders of magnitude relative to the background reactions. A series of detailed mechanistic investigations revealed that the catalyzed cleavage of phosphate diesters proceeds via a multi-step process. Furthermore, comparison between the catalysis observed in methanol and ethanol is provided. In addition, the rate-limiting step of the three-step catalytic process changes depending on the leaving groups of the substrates for the transesterification of a series of 2-hydroxylpropyl aryl phosphates promoted by 3.3:2Zn(II).
	The same dinuclear Zn(II) complex is also very efficient at catalyzing the methanolysis of a series of methyl aryl phosphates (DNA models). Additional catalysis through leaving group assistance was observed for methyl aryl phosphates that contain ortho-nitro and ortho-carbomethoxy substituents. To better understand the effectiveness of leaving group assistance in phosphoryl transfer reactions, we studied the solvolytic cleavage of a homologous set of phosphate mono-, di-, and triesters in methanol, and found that the reactions can be greatly accelerated solely through Cu(II)-promoted leaving group stabilization.
	Finally, to highlight the importance of the reaction medium, in the last chapter we present an unprecedented result whereby, in ethanol containing trace amounts of water, the same dinuclear Zn(II) catalyst can preferentially promote the hydrolysis of a DNA model substrate with catalytic efficacy that matches enzyme catalysis.

abstract: PhD