title: Spatial and temporal controls on the development of heterolithic, Lower Jurassic tidal deposits (Upper Are and Tilje Formations), Haltenbanken area, Offshore Norway.

contributor: Geological Sciences and Geological Engineering

subject: Tilje delta jurassic norway rift Tidal

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Geological Sciences & Geological Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2012-05-09 23:39:27.538

abstract: The stratigraphic organization of clastic successions deposited during the early synrift phase is controlled by the rates of tectonic subsidence and the growth of the master faults, which, coupled with eustatic sea-level changes, control the generation of accommodation. The highly heterolithic, Lower Jurassic Upper Åre and Tilje succession (100 to 300 m thick), which occurs in the Halten Terrace of offshore Norway, represents an excellent example of ancient synrift deposits that accumulated within a NNE-SSW-oriented structurally controlled embayment where sedimentation was dominated by tidal currents, with secondary influence by river and wave processes. Overall, the Tilje was deposited in a deltaic setting near the lowstand shoreline, forming a shallowing-upward succession, which is organized in two, thick, tabular second-order sequences. These sequences are separated by two main sequence boundaries (SB2 and SB3) associated with two main rift-related tectonic pulses. The first pulse formed SB2 and is believed to have exerted a major regional control on the geomorphology of the basin, causing a change from an open, wave-dominated setting (upper Åre Fm.) to a funnel-shaped, tide-dominated setting in the Tilje Fm. SB2 shows shallow incision into the underlying Åre Fm., and the overlying sediment accumulated predominantly in a distributary-mouth-bar environment. Sequence 3 rests erosively on Sequence 2, and is characterized by proximal tidal-fluvial distributary-channel fills and mouth-bar deposits showing at least 2 main oblique to axial fluvial input points, one from the N-NW and a second one from the NE, with overall increase in wave influence and deepening toward the S. Local rapid subsidence of elongated narrow hangingwalls associated with the active master faults exerted a  subtle control on the succession thickness, as well as a local control on the location of the tidal-fluvial distributary channels by “tectonic axial funnelling” during the onset of the second-order base-level rises. The internal architecture and facies distribution are less complex than other thick tide-dominated successions worldwide, because the rate of creation of accommodation was sufficient to avoid channel amalgamation throughout most of the succession.

abstract: The reason of my request follows the confidentiality policy from Statoil. This oil/energy company supported my research, not only economically, but also by providing industrial data which forces to hold my manuscipt as "confidential" for some time.

abstract: PhD


title: Response of Reinforced Concrete and Corrugated Steel Pipes to Surface Load

contributor:
Brachman, Richard W. I.
Civil Engineering

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

subject: Concrete Pipe Steel Live Load Surface Axle Corrugated

abstract: Thesis (Master, Civil Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2012-05-06 15:10:12.754

abstract: Full-scale simulated live load tests were conducted in a controlled laboratory setting using a single-axle frame on 600-mm-inner-diameter reinforced concrete pipe (RCP) and corrugated steel pipe (CSP) when buried in dense, well-graded sand and gravel. Measurements of the RCP at nominal and working forces and beyond are reported for 0.3, 0.6 and 0.9 m of soil cover above the pipe crown. The RCP experienced no cracking when buried at 0.3 m under nominal and working CL-625 and CL-800 single-axle design loads. At these loads, the vertical contraction of the pipe diameter was less than 0.08 and 0.10 mm and the largest tensile strains in the pipe were 75 and 100 με (50-60% of the cracking strain), respectively. A 0.15 (±0.05)-mm-wide axial crack developed at the inner crown in the presence of a 6 kNm/m circumferential bending moment (70% of the theoretical ultimate moment capacity) at the fully factored CL-625 load. This crack did not propagate or widen from 3 series of cyclic load-unload tests. At 1300 kN of applied load the change in pipe diameter was less than 3.5 mm. Increasing soil cover from 0.3 to 0.6 to 0.9 m reduced the circumferential crown bending moment from 6.0 to 3.9 to 2.1 kNm/m, respectively, at 400 kN of axle load. A 1.6- and a 2.8-mm-thick CSP were also subjected to axle loading. No yielding or limit states occurred in the 1.6-mm-thick CSP when buried 0.9-m-deep. However, at 0.6 m of cover a 300 kN axle load caused local yielding at the pipe crown. Increasing soil cover from 0.6 to 0.9 m decreased the vertical diameter change from -3.0 to -1.2 mm and the crown bending moment from 0.7 to 0.2 kNm/m (75% and 20% of the yield moment), respectively, at a 250 kN axle load. Deflections of the thicker CSP were less than the thinner pipe below the CL-625 single-axle load, however further increases in applied load produced a greater response in the thicker pipe, likely due to a haunch support issue. Shallow axle loading produced a greater 3-dimensional response and a larger bending effect in both CSPs.

abstract: M.A.Sc.


title: Immigrant Parents’ Involvement in One Ontario School: a Case Study

contributor:
Rees, Ruth
Education

subject:
Education
Educational Policy
Immigrant Parents
Parent Involvement

abstract: Thesis (Master, Education) -- Queen's University, 2012-05-08 21:52:46.287

abstract: As Ontario is home to more than half of Canada’s immigrants (Statistics Canada, 2006), Ontario’s school enrolment is very diverse. Levin (2008) provided some statistics: 27 percent of the population of Ontario was born outside of Canada; 20 percent are visible minorities. Toronto, with approximately 40 percent of the province’s population, is one the most diverse urban areas in the world, and receives approximately 125,000 new immigrants each year from dozens of different countries. Accordingly, as the number of immigrant families in Toronto increases, it is increasingly important that teachers and administrators understand how immigrant parents want to be involved in their children’s education, and how to best support these parents’ needs and the needs of their children. The purpose of this case study was to examine the involvement of immigrant parents in one classroom. Specifically I examine: (a) how one school involved immigrant parents in their children’s education; (b) how immigrant parents perceive they have been involved; and (c) how immigrant parents want to be involved in their children’s education. This constructivist case study examined immigrant parent involvement from the perceptions of different stakeholders--the vice-principal, teacher and immigrant parents from the one teacher’s class. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the vice-principal and one teacher of one model middle school in the Toronto District School Board to elicit information about their school and their experiences related to immigrant parent involvement. In addition, a parent questionnaire was used to explore parents’ perceptions. The parent questionnaire was distributed to the one teacher’s class of parents (all but one who were immigrants). The data analysis revealed five core themes related to immigrant parent involvement. The educators suggested that parents lack the knowledge of how the Ontario education system functions, while the immigrant parents said that they were unaware of what is being asked of them or offered to them. No communications sent home to the parents were translated. Suggestions for future research and recommendations are offered to the school and school board in order to provide additional support to immigrant parents.

abstract: M.Ed.


title: Group Size, Habitat Use and Behavioral Ecology of Amazon River Dolphins (Inia geoffrensis and Sotalia fluviatilis) in the Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve, Peru

subject:
Ecology
Niche Separation
Conservation
Biology
Peru
Amazon
River Dolphins
cetacean
Fresh Water
marine mammals

abstract: Two species of cetacean occur sympatrically in the Amazon River and its tributaries; botos (Inia geoffrensis) and tucuxis (Sotalia fluviatilis). Little information exists on the ecology of each species as well as any differences in their ecology. In this study, a generalized linear model was used to examine the habitat use and behavior of botos and tucuxis along a small river system in the Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve, Peru. Analysis of habitat use indicated that botos used confluences significantly more than any other river habitat and tucuxis used river centers significantly more than any other habitat along the Samiria River. Tucuxis used the river center significantly more than any other habitat type, followed by confluence and river-center habitat, whereas botos used the confluence significantly more than any other habitat type and showed now significant distinction between the other habitat types (except river center, which was least used). The differences in habitat use between the two study species may be indicative of how they avoid competing with each other and may be indicative of niche separation between the two species. Group size data was collected for both species during July and August 2011 and compared with group size data from published data from other regions and was also used to highlight differences between the respective biology of each species. Group size differed significantly between species, with tucuxis being observed in larger groups than botos, which may indicate tucuxis are more social than botos. Additionally, observed behavior differed between the two species, with tucuxis socializing significantly more than botos. These results may indicate that socializing is a more integral component in the biology of tucuxis than that of botos. The differences in sociobiology between each species will help provide information on the life history of each species in small rivers, which is not well documented. Furthermore, by examining the ecology of botos and tucuxis, inferences can be made about each species’ ecological requirements of each species in small rivers, which can be used to help create more effective conservation strategies that adequately protect the needs of both species.


title: Functional Diversity in Colour Vision of Fish

contributor:
Hawryshyn, Craig
Biology

subject:
Colour Vision
Visual sensitivity
Sensory Systems
Cone Photoreceptors
Opsin Gene
Coloured Oil Droplets
Fish
Development
Electrophysiology
Evolution

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Biology) -- Queen's University, 2012-05-14 13:16:50.276

abstract: The overall objective of this thesis was to understand better the mechanisms that shape the diversity in colour vision of fish, and to explore the adaptive significance of this divergence. Among the vertebrates, teleost fish show the greatest diversity in colour vision systems. The cichlid model system illustrates that the visual system of fish may differ among species, sexes, individuals, and life stages of individuals. The large number of available cone opsin genes, which have resulted from multiple opsin gene duplications, facilitates this high degree of variation in the mechanisms of colour vision. In general, cichlids possessed complements of four to five cone pigments, and these complements varied across species, sexes, and individuals. Additionally, lens transmission, cone pigment expression, post-receptoral sensitivity, and retinal circuitry differed across life stages of individuals. My results suggest that the diversification of colour vision across species and across life stages of individuals contributes to sensory adaptations that enhance both the contrast of zooplanktonic prey, and the detection of optical signals from conspecifics. Therefore, both natural and sexual selection may have worked in concert to shape colour vision in fish. Since light is more complex under water than on land, fish required four to six cone classes to reconstruct the colour signals reflected from aquatic objects. This suggests that the large number of cone pigments in fish have likely evolved to enhance the reconstruction of the complex colour-signals in aquatic environments. Taken together, these findings improve our understanding of the variable nature of fish colour vision, and, more generally, help unravel the evolution of photoreceptors and colour vision.

abstract: PhD


title: Development of a New Methodology for Measuring Deformation in Tunnels and Shafts With Terrestrial Laser Scanning (LiDAR) Using Elliptical Fitting Algorithms

subject:
Underground
Deformation
Convergence
Elliptical Fit
LiDAR
Tunnel

abstract: Thesis (Master, Geological Sciences & Geological Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2012-05-15 13:24:28.398

abstract:
Three dimensional laser scanning, also known as Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) has quickly been expanding in its applications in the field of geological engineering due to its ability to rapidly acquire highly accurate three dimensional positional data.  Recently is has been shown that LiDAR scanning can be easily integrated into an excavation sequence in an underground environment for the purpose of collecting rockmass and discontinuity information.  As scans are often taken multiple times of the same environment, the next logical application of LiDAR scanning is for monitoring for change and deformation.
Traditionally, deformation and change in an underground environment is measured using a series of five or more permanent control points installed around the profile of an excavation.  Using LiDAR for profile analysis provides many benefits as compared to traditional monitoring techniques.  Due to the high density of the point cloud data, the change in profile is able to be fully characterized, and areas of anomalous movement can easily be separated from overall closure trends.  Furthermore, monitoring with LiDAR does not require the permanent installation of control points, therefore monitoring can be completed more quickly after excavation, and scanning is non-invasive therefore no damage is done during the installation of  temporary control points.
The main drawback of using LiDAR scanning for deformation monitoring is that the raw point accuracy is generally the same magnitude as the smallest level of deformations that need to be measured.  To overcome this, statistical techniques for profile analysis must be developed.  This thesis outlines the development one such method, called the Elliptical Fit Analysis (EFA) and LiDAR Profile Analysis (EFA) for tunnel and shaft convergence analysis.  Testing of the EFA and LPA has proved the robustness of this technique in its ability to deal with accuracy and precision issues associated with LiDAR scanning.

abstract: M.A.Sc.


title: The function, characterization of expression, localization and activity of a divergent ice nucleating protein from Pseudomonas borealis

contributor:
Walker, Virginia K.
Biology

subject:
Ice Nucleating Protein
Ice Binding Proteins
Ice Affinity
Fluorescence Microscopy
Pseudomonas Borealis

abstract: Thesis (Master, Biology) -- Queen's University, 2012-05-15 09:55:52.506

abstract:
An ice nucleating protein (INP) with 66% amino acid sequence identity to the better-known INP of Pseudomonas syringae has been described in an environmental isolate of P. borealis and designated InaPb. Despite the fact that INPs are classified as ice-binding proteins, InaPb showed little affinity for pre-formed ice and showed incorporation rates similar to Ina- strains. Additionally, it appeared to lack in the ability to shape ice or limit its growth. However, it was an effective ice nucleator. Using the coding sequence for InaPb and a green fluorescent protein tag (GFP), an InaPb-GFP fusion protein construct was inserted into a broad host expression vector in order to visualize the expression and localization of the protein in E. coli and an Ina- strain of P.syringae. The InaPb-GFP protein appears to localize at the poles of E. coli, but the nucleation temperature for these cells was only marginally above -9°C, which indicated poor nucleation activity. When expressed in Ina- P. syringae, the proteins showed clustering throughout the cell and an increased ability to nucleate ice following cold conditioning. The ability to nucleate ice was further increased by the removal of the GFP tag resulting in an average nucleation temperature more consistent with that seen in the native host P. borealis. Since inaPb transcript levels did not appear to change after cold conditioning, the clustering seen using fluorescence microscopy was likely the result of increased aggregation of protein in the membrane. Most INP-
producing bacteria are associated with plant disease, but experiments with P. borealis suggested that the Ina+ phenotype was not indicative of pathogenicity in this strain. It is hoped that my contribution to the functional characterization of this INP will lead to a better understanding of these special proteins and their importance to the handful of bacteria that exhibit this activity.

abstract: I wish to restrict this thesis for one year to allow time to publish our findings before they are released publicly.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: The Economic Effects of International Openness with Firm Heterogeneity

contributor:
Lapham, Beverly J.
Lloyd-Ellis, Huw
Economics

subject:
Firm Heterogeneity
Endogenous Growth
International Trade
Technology Diffusion
Intellectual Property Rights
Multinational Production

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Economics) -- Queen's University, 2012-05-18 10:18:34.338

abstract:
This dissertation adds to the literature on international openness and economic growth by studying and quantifying the effects of openness to trade and multinational production using a model of endogenous innovation with firm heterogeneity. The first chapter discusses the contribution of this dissertation to the theoretical and empirical literature on international openness. The second chapter studies and quantifies the long-run effects of openness to trade and multinational production in the context of advanced economies using a model of endogenous innovation with firm heterogeneity. Counterfactual experiments conducted using a calibrated version of a theoretical model find that the US would experience a significant welfare cost in consumption terms by restricting openness to both trade and horizontal multinational production with other OECD countries, with the growth effect accounting for a substantial part of the cost.

Chapter Three extends the theoretical model presented in Chapter Two to include features specific to the North-South context. I show that allowing for the possibility that the South may switch from being an imitator to becoming an innovator is essential for examining the long-run growth effect of stronger intellectual property rights. In particular, the North and the South both prefer stronger intellectual property rights because this will achieve the fastest long-run economic growth. If the South is an imitator country, the North needs to maintain its absolute advantage in technology creation by maintaining a sufficiently large pool of uncopied ideas. Otherwise both countries will fall into a slow-growth equilibrium in the long run.

In Chapter Four, I account for transitional dynamics and study the gains from openness and stronger intellectual property rights that arise in the North-South context. Counterfactual experiments based on a calibrated version of the model presented in Chapter Three find that the transitional welfare gains from further trade openness between China and the OECD countries can be significant. In contrast to the existing growth literature, a deterrence of imitation has limited welfare effects when the South can switch from being an imitator to becoming an innovator country. This points to a source of potential bias in the welfare estimates provided by the existing literature.

abstract: PhD


contributor:
Collins, Jeffrey
Jainchill, Andrew
History

subject: Europe History

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, History) -- Queen's University, 2012-05-23 08:48:25.387

abstract:
Henrietta Maria and Marie Antoinette: Queenship and Revolution in Early Modern Europe analyzes Henrietta Maria and Marie Antoinette in a thematic framework, focussing on the dialogue between their perceptions of themselves as heads of households, wives, and mothers and the expectations of their husbands’ subjects concerning the Queen Consort’s performance of these roles. The public nature of the Queen Consort’s position transformed the choices Henrietta Maria and Marie Antoinette made as wives and mothers into political acts with lasting implications for their respective royal houses. Both Queens approached their roles in a manner that ultimately contributed to the collapse of monarchical government. The question of the Queen’s actual activities and her contribution to popular discourse has been particularly neglected as the symbolism of Henrietta Maria, and especially Marie Antoinette has received more recent scholarly attention while discussion of each Queen’s actual motives has been relegated to popular biographies. The juxtaposition of the Queen’s own intentions with the expectations of her husband’s subjects provides a more complete picture of the ideological conflicts centering on the consort.
These points of similarity and the comparative structure deepen the understanding of Henrietta Maria’s impeachment and Marie Antoinette’s trial because the juxtaposition of the two events reveals the continuous presence of the Queen Consort as a divisive figure throughout the Early Modern period. The comparison also demonstrates that both Queens attempted to actively shape their reputations according to the perceived extent of the public sphere in their lifetimes. Each Queen’s engagement with the charges levelled against her reveals the boundaries of public life in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Comparative analysis of the experiences of the two Queens illuminates changes in the perception of monarchy, the place of women within their families, the public sphere and ideas of foreignness that occurred over the course of Early Modern European history.

abstract: Planned Publication

abstract: PhD


title: A Computational Approach to Predicting Distance Maps from Contact Maps

contributor:
Glasgow, Janice I.
Computing

subject:
Protein Structure
Contact Map

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Computing) -- Queen's University, 2012-05-23 13:59:28.12

abstract:
One approach to protein structure prediction is to first predict from sequence, a thresholded and binary 2D representation of a protein's topology known as a contact map. Then, the predicted contact map can be used as distance constraints to construct a 3D structure. We focus on the latter half of the process and aim to obtain a set of non-binary distance constraints from contacts maps.

This thesis proposes an approach to extend the traditional binary definition of “in contact” by incorporating fuzzy logic to construct fuzzy contact maps from a set of contact maps at different thresholds, providing a vehicle for error handling. Then, a novel template-based similarity search and distance geometry methods were applied to predict distance constraints in the form of a distance map. The three-dimensional coordinates were then calculated from the predicted distance constraints. Experiments were conducted to test our approach for various levels of noise. As well, we compare the performance of fuzzy contact maps to binary contact maps in the framework of our methodology.

Our results showed that fuzzy contact map similarity was indicative of distance map similarity. Thus, we were able to retrieved similar distance map regions using fuzzy contact map similarity. The retrieved distance map regions provided a good starting point for adaptation and allowed for the extrapolation of missing distance values. We were thus able to predict distance maps from which, the three-dimensional coordinates were able to be calculated. Testing of this framework on binary contact maps revealed that fuzzy contact maps had better performance with or without noise due to a stronger correlation between fuzzy contact map similarity and distance map similarity. Thus, the methodology described in this thesis is able to predict good distance maps from fuzzy contact maps in the presence of noise and the resulting coordinates were highly correlated to the performance of the predicted distance maps.

abstract: PhD


title: Injectable Delivery System Based on 5-Ethylene Ketal-ε -Caprolactone for the Delivery of VEGF and HGF for Treating Critical Limb Ischemia

contributor:
Amsden, Brian
Chemical Engineering

subject:
Ethylene Ketal ε-Caprolactone
Liquid Injectable Polymer
Critical Limb Ischemia
VEGF(165)
HGF
Growth Factor Delivery
Osmotic Pressure Driven Release
Therapeutic Angiogenesis
Zero Order Release

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Chemical Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2012-05-23 10:18:48.307

abstract: The aim of this thesis is to determine the feasibility of an injectable delivery system based on 5-ethylene ketal ε-caprolactone for localized delivery of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) for treating critical limb ischemia. HGF and VEGF were chosen because of their ability to simultaneously stimulate the proliferation and migration of endothelial cells, to initiate the formation of blood vessels and the recruitment of pericytes to stabilize the blood vessels. Homopolymer of 5-ethylene ketal ε-caprolactone and its copolymer with D,L-Lactide were synthesized by ring opening polymerization using hydrophobic initiator (octan-1-ol) or an hydrophilic initiator (MPEG), and stannous octanoate as a co-initiator/catalyst. The resulting polymers were amorphous and viscous liquids at room temperature. The viscosity, biodegradation rate, and release rate were varied by copolymerizing with D,L-lactide and/or initiating with MPEG or octan-1-ol.  In vitro, the polymers degraded with surface erosion characterized by a nearly linear mass loss with time with no significant change in number average molecular weight and glass transition temperature.  The ratio of EKC to DLLA in the copolymer remained the same throughout the degradation studies. A similar degradation mechanism was observed in vivo when the copolymer initiated with octan-1-ol was implanted subcutaneously in rats. In vivo, the polymer exhibited a moderate chronic inflammatory response, characterized by the presence of neutrophils, macrophages, fibroblasts and fibrous capsule formation. The inflammatory response decreased with time but was still on going after 18 weeks of subcutaneous implantation. Protein release from the polymer was transported by convection through the hydrated polymer region, at a rate determined by the osmotic pressure generated and the hydraulic conductivity of the polymer. Highly bioactive VEGF and HGF were released in a sustained manner, without burst effect for over 41 days when delivered simultaneously, using the osmotic release mechanism. VEGF was released at the rate of 36 ± 7 ng/day for 41 days, while HGF was released at the rate of 16 ± 2 ng/day for 70 days. Factors that influenced release of proteins were their solubility in the concentrated trehalose solution and hydraulic permeability of the polymer. This delivery system can serve as a potential vehicle for controlled release of VEGF and HGF for treating critical limb ischemia or the controlled release of other proteins for other clinical applications.

abstract: PhD


title: Synthesis, Thermodynamic and Kinetic Studies of Novel Diarylamine Antioxidants & Development of a Fluorescent Probe for Quantifying Hydroperoxides and Measuring H-Atom Transfer Kinetics With Peroxyl Radicals

contributor:
Pratt, Derek A.
Chemistry

subject: Diarylamines Antioxidants

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Chemistry) -- Queen's University, 2012-05-22 18:30:09.601

abstract:
Diarylamines (Ar2NH) and phenols (ArOH) comprise the bulk of radical-trapping antioxidant (RTA) additives to petroleum-derived products, owing to their ability to slow hydrocarbon autoxidation through rate-controlling inhibition reactions. While much work has been done to optimize and understand structure-activity relationships of phenolic antioxidants, optimization of highly-reactive diarylamine antioxidants has been comparatively difficult due to their propensity to undergo one-electron oxidation with molecular oxygen.  Recently, it was demonstrated that incorporation of nitrogen atoms into the aromatic ring of phenolic antioxidants greatly improves their stability to one-electron oxidation without compromising their antioxidant efficacy. Given these results, it was our supposition that this approach could be extended to the development of highly reactive diarylamine RTAs.
Herein we describe the synthesis of a small library of pyridine- and pyrimidine-containing diarylamines and characterize their thermodynamic properties (standard potentials (E°) and N-H bond dissociation enthalpies) as well as their kinetic properties (rate constants for reactions with peroxyl and alkyl radicals) – demonstrating that the approach of N-atom incorporation is also very effective at increasing diarylamines’ stability to one-electron oxidation without compromising their antioxidant efficacy. In fact, the diarylamines described herein are among the best peroxyl-radical trapping antioxidants known, having inhibition rate constants ca. 200-fold greater than the current industry standard.  Through a series of mechanistic studies (measuring Arrhenius parameters, kinetic solvent effects, deuterium kinetic isotope effects and transition state calculations) we have provided strong evidence that reactions between electron-rich diarylamines and peroxyl radicals occur by a proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) mechanism.
The reaction of diarylamines with peroxyl radicals at elevated temperatures (>160 °C) is highly relevant industrially, as this reflects the operating environment of lubricants in engine applications. At these temperatures, diarylamines are known to react catalytically as peroxyl trapping RTAs, although the mechanism has yet to be fully elucidated for this important chemistry. Current methods of studying high temperature oxidations suffer from time-consuming and/or air-sensitive analytical methods (e.g. iodometry, GC analysis). To enable rapid, accurate mechanistic studies at high temperature, we have improved the analytical component by developing a fluorescent dye that can be applied in an assay to determine hydroperoxide concentrations in solution in real-time.

abstract: PhD


title: Hydrogen Fuel Technologies for Vehicular Transportation

contributor:
Jessop, Philip G.
Chemistry

subject:
Hydrogen
Hydrogenation
Heterogeneous Catalysis
Fuel Cell

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Chemistry) -- Queen's University, 2012-05-23 13:37:53.172

abstract:
With continually increasing concern over anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions and their effect on global climate, the search for alternative fuels, especially for mobile applications such as in vehicles, is of immediate concern. Herein, research towards hydrogen as an alternative energy carrier is discussed; first, with the investigation of “hybrid” hydrogen storage systems that are meant to provide hydrogen for a fully fuel cell powered vehicle via a chemical reaction; and second, that of a thermally regenerative fuel cell system (TRFC) to partially supplant the energy needs of transport trucks by harnessing engine waste heat.
Hybrid storage systems are comprised of a heterocyclic carrier that undergoes endothermic hydrogen release (indoline) and an organic hydride that undergoes exothermic release (amine boranes).  Different embodiments are considered, varying in the mechanism of exothermic release (thermolysis vs. hydrolysis) and the mode of combination (physical vs. chemical).  A thorough investigation into the effect of catalyst, sterics and temperature on the heterogeneously catalyzed dehydrogenation rate of N-heterocycles was executed.  A number of trends with respect to the catalyst identity and the level of steric protection around the nitrogen atom were observed.
The study towards a TRFC involved an investigation of the heterogeneous hydrogenation of benzylic ketones.  Screening of a myriad of different catalysts was performed, including those with various supports, metals and modifications, and the examination of how both the sterics and electronics of the ketone affect the hydrogenation rate.  A rapid hydrogenation at relatively low metal loadings and hydrogen pressures with extreme selectivity (>99.9%) is required.  To date, however, such a combination has been elusive.  The best selectivity was obtained with commercial Pd/SiO2 (99.99%), yet at a low conversion of 6%, after 1 h under 1 atm of H2 at 100 ˚C.  In addition to the poor conversion, SiO2 is not electronically conductive and is therefore not fit for this application.  The best viable catalyst, then, was a Pd/Vulcan XC-72 (carbon) catalyst made by the author with an observed 14% conversion and 98% selectivity under the same conditions.  However, trends in activity and selectivity with respect to the catalyst and ketone have been characterized herein.

abstract: PhD


title: A Collective Case Study: Understanding the Role of Colleagues in Teachers' Engagement in Professional Development

contributor:
Kutsyuruba, Benjamin
Education

subject:
Professional Development
School Culture
Colleagues
Capacity
Engagement

abstract: Thesis (Master, Education) -- Queen's University, 2012-05-25 18:03:15.505

abstract:
Professional development includes the planned and unplanned activities that teachers engage in throughout their career to enhance the quality of instruction in their classrooms (Day, 1997). The attentive processes of engagement are described as being physically, emotionally, and cognitively present (Kahn, 1992). Engagement in professional development is strongly related to the level of commitment teachers have to their teaching profession (Rothwell & Herbert, 2007). Being engaged in professional development is necessary because it requires that teachers take responsibility for their learning, and believe that professional development practices will positively contribute to their career (McDonald, 2009).
The purpose of this research was to understand the role of colleagues in teachers’ engagement in professional development. This study is situated within the conceptual framework of school culture. School cultures are sustaining patterns built over time through rituals, traditions, and accomplishments that enforce actions, feelings, and thought patterns of members (Deal & Peterson, 2009). One cannot have strong and effective professional development without a thick culture (Hopkins, 1994; Little, 1982). Thickness in culture is often forgotten but foundational for engagement in professional development activities (Glover & Coleman, 2005).
This study is an examination of teachers’ perceptions in two schools: one school that showed exemplary collaboration among its staff and one school that was becoming a more collaborative school. Collaboration is understood as working in cohesion to achieve a common goal (Deal & Peterson, 2009; Fullan & Hargreaves, 1996; Little, 1982; Schlechty, 2009). One focus group with teachers at each school, with follow-up individual interviews, provided the data explaining colleagues’ influences on engagement in professional development.
The findings of this study suggest that colleagues have an important effect on teachers’ engagement in professional development. Participants indicated that colleagues were a factor of engagement because they increased engagement through fulfilling their desire for face-to-face instruction, through their appreciation of being worked with, rather than worked on (Morewood & Bean, 2009), and through networking. As teacher participants worked together in professional development, they increased their school’s organizational capacity (Mitchell & Sackney, 2001).

abstract: M.Ed.


title: Analysis of Tyrrell Sea Deposits from the Vicinity   of the Victor Diamond Mine: Comparison of Four North American Clay Deposits

subject:
Victor Mine
Marine Sediments
Geotechnical Properties
Tyrrell Sea

abstract: The De Beers Victor Mine is an open pit diamond mine, located in the James Bay lowlands of northeastern Ontario. The lowlands are characterized by extensive peatlands overlying Tyrrell Sea sediments.  One of the potential impacts of open pit mining, and the focus of the current research, is the potential for differential subsidence in the Tyrrell Sea sediments owing to continuous groundwater withdrawal from the underlying limestone aquifers.  To fully understand the potential effects of subsidence, a better understanding of the nature and properties of the Tyrrell Sea sediments is needed.  Subsidence is related to characteristics of the deposit, which will be determined by calculating four geotechnical properties. These properties of samples collected from the sediments of the Victor Diamond Mine were compared to the values from samples of Lake Agassiz sediments, Champlain Sea sediments, and the Bearpaw Shale.  The properties of hydraulic conductivity, grain size, plastic and liquid limit, and mineralogy were determined for each sample and the results were analyzed and compared to data collected from the literature.  The results indicate that the Tyrrell Sea sediments are a low plasticity clay, with a low liquid limit, a hydraulic conductivity higher than all the other clay deposits, is characterized as a clayey silt in terms of grain size, and has a mineralogy primarily containing quartz, illite, chlinochlore, and calcite.  The mineralogy shows that the Tyrrell Sea sediment does not contain smectite minerals, which indicates that there is no relationship between Lake Agassiz and this deposit.

abstract: NSERC and De Beers


title: Quadrivalent HPV vaccine and the risk of type 1 diabetes mellitus in grade 8 girls: A population based cohort study

contributor:
Lévesque, Linda E.
Alvarado, Beatriz
Community Health and Epidemiology

subject:
Type 1 diabetes
HPV vaccine

abstract: Thesis (Master, Community Health & Epidemiology) -- Queen's University, 2012-05-28 10:39:00.73

abstract:
Background:
     Vaccines have been hypothesized in the etiology of autoimmune diseases including type 1 diabetes.  There are cases of diabetes reported in the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) following the administration of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, however this potential association has yet to be investigated.  The objective of this thesis was to determine whether there is an association between immunization against HPV and the development of type 1 diabetes mellitus in grade 8 girls eligible for Ontario’s vaccination program.

Methods:
     A retrospective, population-based, cohort study of girls residing within an Ontario health unit and eligible for the province’s publicly funded school-based HPV vaccination program between 2007 and 2010 was executed using provincial administrative health databases and the Immunization Recording Information System (IRIS) database.  To control for known, unknown and unmeasured time-independent confounders, a self-controlled case series analysis was conducted.  The relative incidence and 95% confidence interval were estimated using conditional Poisson regression.

Results:
     The study cohort was comprised of 3465 girls with a mean age of 13.2 years at cohort entry (range 12.7 to 13.6 years).  The mean duration of follow up was 2.7 years and ranged from 1.6 to 3.6 years.  The proportion of girls who received at least one dose of the qHPV vaccine during the observation period was 58.3% (n=2020).  During the study follow-up 15 cases of new onset type 1 diabetes were observed, six of which were classified as etiologically exposed to the qHPV vaccine.  Using an indefinite risk window, immunization with the qHPV vaccine was not associated with an increased risk of developing type 1 diabetes (age and season-adjusted RI 0.15; 95% CI 0.02-1.32).

Conclusions:
     The results of this thesis regarding the risk of type 1 diabetes following immunization with the qHPV vaccine are inconclusive as a consequence of the small number of cases identified.  However, the random distribution of cases across time and across exposure status suggests that there is no association.  Before a definitive conclusion is reached the analysis must be re-conducted on a larger cohort.

abstract: Due to unforseen circumstances with data availability, this thesis was completed using data from only one public health unit within Ontario.  During the planning phase, it was anticipated that data from 24 of 36 health units would be available.  Given the limitations with data availability, the Institute of Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES) who is the data custodian has requested that the thesis be restricted for 5 years due to privacy and confidentiality of personal health information.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: A Scientific Way of War: Antebellum Military Science, West Point, and the Origins of American Military Thought

contributor:
English, Allan
History

subject:
West Point
United States Army
American Civil War
Military Culture
Military Thought
Antebellum Military Affairs

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, History) -- Queen's University, 2012-05-28 10:47:55.375

abstract: This work examines what constituted 19th century American military science, why it was framed within government policy and taught within the United States Military Academy, and how it became the early American way of war. The work uses as evidence a wide array of documents including biographical records of 2046 West Point graduates. It tracks the evolution of military science from Enlightenment Europe to the United States during the American Revolution and its relative obscurity until after the War of 1812. It then explains why a deliberate decision was made to transplant a French Napoleonic version of military science to serve as the curriculum of the military academy and to support the formulation of a national defense policy that called for militarized coastal frontiers and an “expansible army.” The work then follows how and why military science was modified during the period 1820-1860 in response to changes to the threats to the United States, changes related to state and federal plans for “internal improvements,” Indian wars, westward expansion, war with Mexico, and advances in military technology. Specifically it tracks how the doctrine of military science evolved from the teaching of specific Napoleonic applications to embrace subjects needed for war in North America. Inculcation in this American military science eventually came to provide the army with an officer corps that shared a common all-arms doctrine and common skill in using mathematics for military problem-solving. The majority of long-service graduates went on to spend years of their career fulfilling general staff, engineering, or academy instructor functions. The proliferation of military science through their work, and through published texts available to state volunteers, ensured that on the eve of the Civil War there existed a distinctly American, and scientific, way of war. This work challenges two  late 20th century liberal arts revisionist schools, championed by Samuel Huntington and Russell Weigley, that have unfairly reduced military science to near oblivion.

abstract: PhD


title: Feldspar Mines in the Kingston Area

subject:
Feldspar Mines
Environmental remediation

abstract:
Mine closure and remediation are two important and much debated issues surrounding mining in Canada.  Extensive research exists surrounding the closure and remediation of iron sulfide bearing mines and their contribution to acid mine drainage including possible environmental implications and methods of ensuring the tailings do not negatively interact with the soil, groundwater and surface water.  There is little research concerning feldspar mines and the environmental impact of open abandoned pits.  The area north of Kingston, Ontario is host to multiple feldspar mines that have been closed since the early 1900s and left open to the environment.
	This study, centered on the Burnham mine near Holleford, Ontario, classifies the origin of the pegmatite body that is host to the mine and suggests a relation to other igneous intrusions in the area including the large Lyndhurst Pluton to the west.  Additionally, this study uses water samples and site observation from feldspar and iron sulfide mines in the area to compare the environmental impact of the two types of mines.
	Results suggest that the pegmatite body in which the Burnham mine sits is part of a larger network of igneous intrusions from the same granitic body deep in the lithosphere and has similar bulk composition to the Lyndhurst and Leo Lake plutons.  Water analyses tentatively conclude that feldspar mines do not interact negatively with groundwater, surface water and soils and do not require extensive remediation to control acid mine drainage the same way iron sulfide mines do.


title: Performance Characteristics of a Diesel Fuel Piloted Syngas Compression Ignition Engine

contributor:
Ciccarelli, Gabriel
Mechanical and Materials Engineering

subject:
methane
CI engine
compression ignition engine
diesel
syngas

abstract: Thesis (Master, Mechanical and Materials Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2012-05-28 15:02:49.227

abstract:
The performance characteristics of a diesel fuel piloted syngas compression ignition engine are presented in this thesis. A stock Hatz 1D81 engine was converted to operate in dual fuel mode through the elimination of the governor system and addition of an in-cylinder pressure transducer and custom intake system to facilitate the mixing of the gaseous fuel and combustion air. The engine was run on a Superflow water brake dynamometer and benchmarked with diesel to compare against manufacturer specifications. This was followed by dual fuel operation on methane and syngas, with the results being compared through performance characteristics.
When operated on methane, the engine attained higher peak in-cylinder pressures along with higher torque, power, and thermal efficiency values for equal equivalence ratios.  It was necessary to use greater amounts of syngas to reach comparable results with methane due to the lower energy content of syngas. The ignition delay was greater for syngas, and the onset of knock occurred earlier with syngas in comparison to methane. The heat release, Q, was comparable for both fuels and the exhaust gas emissions were significantly lower for operation with syngas.
With emphasis on clean engine operation, syngas operation proved to be viable due to its renewable nature, significantly lower exhaust gas emissions, equal heat release characteristics, and larger useable operating range when compared to methane.

abstract: M.A.Sc.


title: Resilient GluN2B-containing NMDARs contribute to dysfunctional synaptic plasticity associated with chronic cocaine intake

contributor:
Dumont, Eric
Neuroscience Studies

subject:
Synaptic Plasticity
Electrophysiology
Rat
NMDA
Addiction
LTP
LTD
Operant Behaviour

abstract: Thesis (Master, Neuroscience Studies) -- Queen's University, 2012-05-31 09:46:39.312

abstract: Learning and memory mechanisms that are normally related to natural rewards, such as long-term potentiation (LTP) and depression (LTD), may be usurped by the voluntary intake of drugs of abuse. The maladaptive behaviour that characterizes addiction is thought to arise from persistent changes in excitatory synaptic function in brain reward circuits. The oval region of the dorsal bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (ovBST) is one such region susceptible to drug-induced synaptic remodeling and is implicated in drug-driven behaviors, reinforcement and stress-induced relapse to drug-seeking. Using whole-cell voltage clamp recordings of ovBST neurons in brain slices prepared from adult Long-Evans rats, we demonstrated an unrestrained increase in AMPAR-mediated excitatory transmission with maintenance of cocaine self-administration. This is unlike self-administration of a natural reward, in which we observed an enhancement and then decline of AMPAR-mediated transmission with continued intake. Additionally, we demonstrate impairment in NMDAR-mediated LTD in ovBST neurons with cocaine self-administration. This impairment may be due to resilient GluN2B-containing NMDARs, as application of a GluN2B-antagonist rescued impaired LTD. Based on models of NMDAR-mediated bidirectional plasticity we suggest that a drug-induced de-regulation between GluN2A and GluN2B subunits impairs LTD, which may underlie the enhancement AMPAR-mediated transmission.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Exploring the Use of Auditory and Verbal Strategies and Specific Visual Teaching Systems of Itinerant Teachers of Students who are Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing

contributor:
Berg, Derek
Education

subject:
Special Education
Reading

abstract: Thesis (Master, Education) -- Queen's University, 2012-05-29 12:32:52.068

abstract:
This qualitative study explored the experiences of itinerant teachers supporting students who are Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing develop literacy skills using auditory and verbal strategies and specific visual teaching systems. Data was collected during semi-structured interviews which examined the experiences of the participants and how they accommodated Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing students to acquire phonemic awareness and phonological processing. The data was analyzed and revisited until categories and sub-categories emerged.
The findings are presented of four itinerant teachers who described their experiences supporting Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing students educated within mainstream classroom settings. The participants supported Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing students within a mainstream educational model with intervention-based support. Intervention was provided based upon student need. As well, the data revealed the participants provided education in-servicing to other teachers to help meet the needs of their Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing students. Participants reported providing progress monitoring of students with lesser needs and servicing of assistive equipment. Data revealed the participants used an auditory and verbal approach to teaching literacy to Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing students. This aligned with their school boards’ educational model and instructional approach.
The pursuit of linguistic education within the Deaf community is distinctly different from that of the hearing world. Future research should investigate the experience of teachers in a provincial school for the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing where a bi-cultural approach to literacy is found. Further, the influence of assistive technology, restorative technology, and hearing devices will interact with acquisition of phonemic
iii
awareness and phonological processing. How technology interacts and influences Deaf culture in relation to the persistence and continuation of American Sign Language as a form of communication may interest future researchers.

abstract: M.Ed.


title: Tragic America: Terror, Metaphor, and the Contemporary American Novel

contributor:
Wallace, Molly
English

subject:
9/11
Post-Nationalism
Ecology
Economy
Debt
Terrorism
Identity
Gender
Intersexuality
American Literature
Ideology
Life
Nationalism
American Studies
Visual Culture
Tragedy

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, English) -- Queen's University, 2012-05-31 10:01:52.902

abstract: Since the attacks of September 11th, 2001, the literature of the United States has become increasingly concerned with telling tragic stories. While the literature written about the attacks is considerable and operates as the climax in this dissertation, the literature of the ensuing decade has been marked by a return to tragic terror more broadly. A distinct feeling of anxiety and fear continues to animate a strong tragic tradition in the contemporary novel. Through an analysis of motifs, figures, and metaphors derived from classical dramatic sources and the attendant philosophical tradition, this dissertation investigates the complex formal processes through which tragic American lives occur and their political contexts. This dissertation argues that American literary production in the first decade of the twenty-first century requires a critical return to the so-called Myth and Symbol School that inaugurated American Studies and established an American literary tradition with New England Transcendentalists. Emerson’s claim that America must be made great through and by its ability to perceive “the terror of life” resonates in today’s post-9/11 political and economic climate. This study illuminates the ways that the contemporary novelists have seen fit to incorporate classical tropes and narratives into traditional stereotypes of identity and nationhood. Linguistic life, it might be said, directly influences political life. Tragic America is an aggregation of tragic manifestations that finds political extensions and interpretive applications through provisional and figurative relationships. Relationships negotiated through this metaphoric sensibility are, I believe, the only honest means of comparison in our radically heterogeneous culture.

abstract: I intend to publish this dissertation in a revised form as a monograph. Publishing this work to the web will greatly reduce my ability to publish this work. Publishing a monograph is critical to my progress and professionalization.

abstract: PhD


title: The Effects of Fire on Insulated Reinforced Concrete Members Strengthened With Fibre Reinforced Polymers

contributor:
Green, Mark F.
Civil Engineering

subject:
FRP
Reinforced Concrete
Fire

abstract: Thesis (Master, Civil Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2012-05-29 15:46:00.801

abstract:
Given the current global crisis of deteriorating infrastructure, structural rehabilitation has been the focus of much recent research in the field of civil engineering.  Consequently, Fibre Reinforced Polymers (FRP’s) are becoming an increasingly common method for retrofitting deficient structures.  However, skepticism regarding the structural performance of FRP’s during fire is preventing their widespread implementation in building applications.  Because of the degradation of FRP material properties during heating, most current design codes completely neglect their structural contributions in fire design.  The intention of this research thesis is to investigate the thermal and mechanical behaviour of insulated FRP retrofitted reinforced concrete structures at elevated temperatures.
Two intermediate-scale reinforced concrete slabs were first strengthened with FRP and protected with spray-on insulation.  Thermal results from fire testing of the slabs provided a basis on which to develop insulation schemes for larger specimens.  These larger specimens consisted of two full-scale T-Beams and two full-scale columns, which were also strengthened with FRP and insulated.  All of these specimens succeeded in obtaining four hour fire ratings upon fire testing.  Though the FRP strengthening systems were compromised quickly during heating, the insulation provided sufficient protection to the T-beams and columns for them to resist the applied service loads throughout the duration of fire exposure.  Detailed calculations were also conducted using thermal data from the full-scale specimen fire tests in order to predict the change in capacity of these structures with time. This thesis shows that, with careful considerations towards insulation and anchorage design, FRP-strengthened reinforced concrete structures are able to obtain fire ratings in excess of four hours.

abstract: M.A.Sc.


title: MicroRNA-193B Functions as a Tumor Suppressor in Malignant Melanoma

contributor:
Tron, Victor
Pathology and Molecular Medicine

subject:
Melanoma
miR-193b
Tumor Suppressor

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Pathology & Molecular Medicine) -- Queen's University, 2012-05-31 15:27:01.707

abstract: Cutaneous melanoma is an increasingly common skin cancer characterized by aggressive metastatic growth and poor prognosis. The mechanisms behind melanoma progression are not fully understood, but emerging evidence suggests that a group of newly discovered small regulatory RNAs, named microRNAs (miRNAs), plays an important role. miRNAs are ~ 22 nucleotide single strand non-coding RNAs that post-transcriptionally regulate gene expression by binding to target messenger RNAs (mRNAs), leading to mRNA degradation and translation inhibition. Abnormal expression of miRNAs has been observed in human malignancies and is associated with tumorigenesis.  The main goals of this thesis are to investigate miRNA dysregulation in melanoma and to identify potential miRNAs involved in melanoma pathogenesis. Initially, the expression of 470 miRNAs was profiled in 8 metastatic melanoma and 8 benign nevus tissue samples. We discovered unique miRNA expression profiles and identified differentially expressed miRNAs in melanomas as compared to nevi. miR-193b was one of the most significantly downregulated miRNAs in melanoma, and its function and regulatory targets were unknown.  Subsequently, in vitro functional studies revealed that ectopic expression of miR-193b in melanoma cells drastically repressed cell proliferation and migration. Although it does not directly induce apoptosis in melanoma cells, miR-193b does sensitize these cells to ABT-737-mediated cell death. In concert with functional studies, gene expression analysis and in silico target prediction were performed to globally screen for mRNA targets of miR-193b. We identified eighteen genes as candidates in that they were downregulated by miR-193b and contained predicted miR-193b binding sites. Based on their known biological functions, three genes were particularly interesting: cyclin D1 (CCND1), myeloid cell leukemia sequence 1 (Mcl-1), and stathmin 1 (STMN1). CCND1 and Mcl-1 are two well-known melanoma oncogenes, and we validated their role in cell proliferation and apoptosis respectively. Furthermore, using similar approach, we were the first to identify STMN1 as a novel melanoma oncogene. We demonstrated that CCND1, Mcl-1, and STMN1 were directly regulated by miR-193b. During melanoma progression, reduced expression of miR-193b may promote cell proliferation, migration and survival.  Taken together, this thesis describes the dysregulation of miRNAs in melanoma and demonstrates that miR-193b functions as a tumor suppressor.

abstract: PhD


title: Perceived Social Support for Relationships As a Predictor of Relationship Well-Being and Mental and Physical Health in Same-Sex and Mixed-Sex Relationships:  A Longitudinal Investigation

contributor:
Pukall, Caroline F.
Psychology

subject:
social support for relationships
approval of relationships
relationship disapproval
social support and health
social network support
same-sex vs. mixed-sex relationships
social psychology
longitudinal
relationship dissolution
same-sex relationships
mental and physical health
structural equation modeling
support from parents vs. friends

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Psychology) -- Queen's University, 2012-05-29 21:04:59.381

abstract: Intimate relationships function not in isolation, but within a broader social network and social environment, in which the opinions and actions of close network members can play a role in how a relationship develops. The current study investigated how perceiving support for one’s relationship (including same-sex and mixed-sex relationships) from friends and family is associated with not only relationship well-being, but also the mental and physical health of the individuals within the relationship. After establishing that social support specifically for a relationship was indeed a separate and unique construct as compared to more general social support for an individual, the study tested a hypothesized model using structural equation modeling, finding evidence for a model in which the association between support for a relationship and the health outcomes for an individual is fully mediated by relationship well-being. Relationship type (i.e., same-sex versus mixed-sex) was not a significant moderator, indicating that regardless of relationship type, individuals who perceive more support for their relationship are also more likely to report greater relationship satisfaction and better mental and physical health. Furthermore, participants provided data up to three times over a period of three years, allowing for an examination of how social support for a relationship functions as a predictor of relationship well-being and health outcomes over time. Perceived social support for a relationship at Time 1 was found to be a significant predictor of the rate of relationship dissolution over the course of the study as well as relational and health outcomes at later points in time. With respect to the source of support for the relationship, evidence was found that support from parents and friends both have associations with relationship outcomes, but these findings were inconsistent across analyses with support from parents having stronger associations in some analyses and support from friends having stronger associations in others. Reasons for these discrepancies are discussed, as well as theoretical implications concerning the role that perceived social support for relationships plays in the prediction of relationship well-being and mental and physical health.

abstract: PhD


title: A Study of Semi-Hierarchical Organization in the Construction of Concept Maps Using the Framework of Cognitive Load Theory

contributor:
Reeve, Richard
Education

subject:
Cognitive Load Theory
Visual Organizer
Concept Maps

abstract: Thesis (Master, Education) -- Queen's University, 2012-06-02 18:28:40.415

abstract:
The value of hierarchy as an essential trait of concept maps and a way to enhance recall is explored in this thesis. Undergraduate students (N = 40) were randomly assigned to one of two groups and completed an 18-question multiple-choice pre-test about the concept of animal physiology. Then each group studied one of two visual organizers that varied in the level of hierarchy used and finally both groups completed the same multiple-choice test. This research was guided by the following two research questions: Do undergraduate science students using expert-created concept maps differ in their ability to enhance their recall of information about animal physiology when compared to students using visual organizers with limited hierarchy?  How does prior knowledge affect the recall of students using concept maps and other visual organizers with limited hierarchy?
    The data collected from the two groups was analyzed using regression analyses, ANOVA, and repeated-measures ANOVA. It was found that the hierarchical concept-mapping group grew more in their recall of information about animal physiology than the visual-organizer group [F(1,38) = 7.70, p = .009]. The results of these analyses were interpreted using the conceptual framework of cognitive load theory. This theory deals with the encumbrance on working memory that subsequently affects how one recalls information. The findings support the contention that hierarchical concept maps confer an advantage in the recall of science concepts when compared to visual organizers with limited hierarchy. This study lays the ground work for a doctoral study with 200 participants separated into four experimental groups (n = 50), with participants separated by high and low prior knowledge and the aforementioned visual organizers.

abstract: M.Ed.


title: Purinergic Component Involved in Long Vasodilatory Reflex in the Guinea Pig Small Intestine

contributor:
Ward, Christopher Andrew
Physiology

subject:
Vasodilation
Enteric Nervous System

abstract: Thesis (Master, Physiology) -- Queen's University, 2012-05-30 11:38:43.324

abstract:
Submucosal arterioles in the small intestine are the main point of control for gastrointestinal (GI) circulation as they are the final resistance vessels feeding the highly perfused mucosal layer. Ischemia can lead to pathophysiology of a variety of GI tissues. In chronic intestinal inflammation, alterations in blood flow have been purported to be involved in disease etiology. The aim of this study was to characterize purinergic neurotransmitter pathways involved in physiological submucosal arteriole diameter control by the enteric nervous system long vasodilatory reflex (LVD) and to establish a protocol to determine how inflammatory neural changes affect vasodilation in the small intestine.
Following euthanasia, segments of small intestine were harvested from adult male guinea pigs and changes in nerve stimulated small intestine submucosal arteriole diameter were identified using videomicroscopy techniques; vessels were preconstricted and nicotinic cholinergic transmission was blocked with hexamethonium. Purinergic receptor antagonists were applied. Immunohistochemical analysis was conducted to identify P2Y1 receptors localization. In a subset of experiments sensory neuronal excitability was initiated using phorbol dibutyrate (PDBu) shown previously to induce hyperexcitability in the sensory neurons similar to changes found in intestinal inflammation. In these experiments, intestinal segments were placed into a novel dual chamber bath separated into two portions and PDBu was applied unilaterally.
Blood vessel vasodilation was either abolished or decreased by both suramin (100 μM, n=6), a non-specific P2 purinergic antagonist. MRS 2179 (10 μM, n=5), a P2Y1 specific antagonist, also decreased vasodilation, which suggests that there is a purinergic neurotransmission component to the LVD mediated by P2 receptors, including the P2Y1 subtype. Immunohistochemistry identified P2Y1 receptor staining that was uniformly punctated in both the myenteric and submucosal plexuses but specific neuronal locations of the receptor could not be identified. Nerve stimulated vasodilation was not altered by application of PDBu suggesting that neuronal hypersensitivity did not modify vessel dilation.
Taken together these data suggest that purinergic receptor pathways contribute to the LVD reflex under normal conditions however more experiments are still required to fully elucidate how these  pathways are affected /altered by intestinal inflammation.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Contribution of catecholamines to visual working memory in the macaque monkey

contributor:
Paré, Martin
Neuroscience Studies

subject:
working memory
monkey
catecholamines

abstract: Thesis (Master, Neuroscience Studies) -- Queen's University, 2012-05-30 14:04:54.891

abstract:
Working memory is the ability to store relevant information temporarily to guide future thought and behavior. It is a basic cognitive function instrumental to processes such as learning, reasoning, comprehension and mental arithmetic. Central to mental disorders, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), are impairments in cognition including working memory. It is essential to understand working memory, if we want to understand human cognition and mental disorders.
	A neural correlate of working memory has been identified as selective persistent activity during the retention intervals of tasks that probe working memory. The signal-to-noise ratio of persistent activity can be modulated by catecholamines, neuromodulators that are depleted in many mental disorders, including ADHD. Such modulations should be evident at the level of behavior, particularly as the demands imposed on working memory are increased. To test the contribution of catecholamines to working memory, we opted to administer methylphenidate to three female macaque monkeys. Methylphenidate is a dopamine and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor that effectively increases their availability in the brain. By having monkeys perform a visual sequential comparison task, which allows the systematic manipulation of working memory load, we tested the hypothesis that increased catecholamine levels modulate task performance in a dose- and memory load-dependent way.
	Systematic administration of a wide range of doses of methylphenidate (0.1 – 9 mg/kg) did not affect performance on the visual sequential comparison task in either a dose- or memory load-dependent manner. Given these results, we further tested the effects of methylphenidate on overt attention in a visual search task. Again, we did not observe a dose-dependent effect on performance. Nevertheless, methylphenidate was found to generally increase the monkeys’ motivation.
	We suggest that the positive effect on motivation, elicited by an increased level of catecholamines, might have led to changes in performance observed in previous literature, but not to changes in the ability of retaining visual information per se. These findings question the previously suggested influence that catecholamines exert on cognition, and suggest that the role of catecholamines in working memory should be reevaluated.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: The Volume of Black Holes

subject:
black holes
general relativity

abstract: Thesis (Master, Physics, Engineering Physics and Astronomy) -- Queen's University, 2012-06-04 15:58:03.984

abstract:
The invariant four-volume ($\mathcal V$) of a complete four-dimensional black hole (the volume of the spacetime at and interior to the horizon) diverges. However, if one considers the black hole resulting from the gravitational collapse of an object and integrates only a finite time to the future of the collapse, the resultant volume is well-defined and finite.  We show that for non-degenerate black holes, the volume in this case can be written as $\mathcal V \propto \ln|\lambda|$, where lambda is the affine generator of the horizon and we define our volume $\mathcal V^*$ to be the constant of proportionality.  In spherical symmetry, this is the Euclidean volume divided by the surface gravity ($\kappa$).

More generally, it turns out that $\mathcal V^*$  is the Parikh volume $({}^3 \mathcal V^*)$ divided by $\kappa$.  This allows us to define an alternative local and invariant definition of the surface gravity of a stationary black hole.  It also encourages us to find a generalization of the Parikh volume (which depends on the existence of an asymptotically timelike Killing vector) to any region of space or spacetime of arbitrary dimension, provided that this space or spacetime contains a Killing vector.  We find some properties of this generalized ``Killing volume'' and rewrite our volume as a Killing volume for a particular Killing vector.

We revisit the laws of black hole mechanics, considering them in terms of volumes rather than areas, by writing out our volume and the Parikh volume of Kerr-Newman black holes and then considering their variation with respect to the parameters $M$, $J$ and $Q$ to find a modified BH mechanics first law.  We also use our new definition of $\kappa$ to develop an alternate demonstration of the BH mechanics third law.  We note that the Parikh volume of a Kerr-Newman black hole is equal to $A r_+/3$, where $A$ is the horizon surface area and $r_+$ the value of the radius at the horizon, and we offer some interpretations of this relationship. We review some other relevant work by Parikh as well as some by Cveti\v{c} et al. and by Hayward.  We point out some possible next steps to follow up on the work in this thesis.

abstract: My supervisor and I are going to write a paper for publication on this information and do not wish this thesis to be publicly available until such time as our publication is in print.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Insulin-like growth factor peptides and melatonin among rotating shift nurses

contributor:
Richardson, Harriet
Aronson, Kristan J.
Community Health and Epidemiology

subject:
insulin-like growth factors
melatonin
shift work
Breast cancer

abstract: Thesis (Master, Community Health & Epidemiology) -- Queen's University, 2012-05-30 15:29:31.253

abstract:
Background: In 2007, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified long-term shift work as a probable human carcinogen; however, the mechanism through which shift work potentially increases cancer risk is not known. One hypothesis is that diminished melatonin production may be involved, possibly as a result of exposure to light during night work. Experimental studies suggest a link between melatonin and peptides in the insulin-like growth factor (IGF) family, also implicated in carcinogenesis. This research aimed to describe the distributions of circulating concentrations of insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) and insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) and their associations with urinary melatonin as possible intermediates in the pathway between work at night and breast cancer.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 85 premenopausal nurses working a rotating shift pattern of two 12-hour days, two 12-hour nights, and five days off. Once during both the summer and winter seasons, melatonin metabolites were measured in urine samples and circulating concentrations of IGF-I and IGFBP-3 were determined from serum samples. Weight and height were measured by the study coordinator, while a questionnaire and study diaries were used to collect all other covariate information. Predictors of IGF levels were identified using multivariate mixed effects modeling and relationships between melatonin and the IGFs were investigated using Spearman’s rank correlation and multivariate mixed effects modeling.
Results: Both age (β = -3.6, p < 0.0001) and current OC use (β = -40.8, p = 0.003) were associated with decreases in circulating IGF-I, while levels of IGF-I were increased in the winter months (β = 26.3, p = 0.02). A positive relationship between recent alcohol consumption and serum IGFBP-3 was also suggested (β = 197.8, p = 0.05). Neither Spearman’s rank correlations nor mixed effects modeling indicated that urinary melatonin was a determinant of serum IGFs.
Conclusions: Age, season, and current OC use were observed to predict circulating IGF-I, while recent alcohol consumption was a determinant of IGFBP-3 levels. A relationship between melatonin and IGFs, theorized as a component of the mechanism linking shift work and cancer, was not supported by the results of this project.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: In utero and postnatal deficits in rat cardiac function following gestational exposure to dimethadione, the N-demethylated metabolite of the anticonvulsant trimethadione

contributor:
Ozolins, Terence R. S.
Pharmacology and Toxicology

subject:
ventricular septal defect
congenital heart defect
trimethadione
dysrhythmia
dimethadione

abstract: Thesis (Master, Pharmacology & Toxicology) -- Queen's University, 2012-05-30 17:19:35.529

abstract: BACKGROUND: The ventricular septal defect (VSD), a hole between the ventricles of the heart, is the most common birth defect. Despite its commonality, little is known about related in utero functional deficits. Furthermore, although about 80% of clinical VSD resolve within a year, the long-term effects after their resolution are unknown due to lack of clinical follow-up. Chemical treatment was used to induce VSD in the rat and to investigate their functional consequences both in utero and postnatally. METHODS: Pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats were administered six 300mg/kg doses of dimethadione (DMO) by oral gavage every 12 hours beginning at 19h00 on gestational day (GD) 8 (Weston et al., 2011). DMO is the N-demethylated metabolite of the anticonvulsant trimethadione, a potent inducer of VSDs clinically and in laboratory animals. Fetal heart structure and function were examined with high-resolution ultrasound on GD 14, 15, 16, 17, and 21. A separate cohort of rats was dosed using the described paradigm, but offspring were allowed to reach parturition and mature naturally. Postnatal heart structure and function were assessed using telemetry (70 days postnatally), high-resolution ultrasound, and electrocardiography (ECG) (one year postnatally). RESULTS: Relative to controls, DMO-treated fetal rats had structural defects including VSD, an increased incidence of bradycardia (23 vs. 45%) and dysrhythmia (1.2 vs. 11%), and a reduction in cardiac output, stroke volume, and mean heart rate. Adult rats exposed to DMO in utero were more physically active, had elevated blood pressure, and had a higher incidence of dysrhythmia associated with ECG disturbances compared to controls. Both in utero and postnatal functional deficits occurred independent of septum patency. CONCLUSIONS: Gestational exposure to DMO disrupted cardiac function both in utero and postnatally, even in the absence of gross structural defects, indicating chemical exposures in utero may have permanent pathophysiological consequences on the heart.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Place Attachment: Grade 2 Students' Special Places at their Schools

contributor:
Welch, Malcolm
Education

subject:
Montessori
place attachment
elementary
interdependence
independence
special places

abstract: Thesis (Master, Education) -- Queen's University, 2012-05-30 19:43:33.982

abstract:
Children transform different spaces into their own special places by interacting with the physical and social environment (Hart, 1979; Rasmussen, 2004; Sobel, 1993/2002).  Special place research has focused largely on children’s place–making in neighbourhoods, including the process of finding and constructing forts, playhouses and dens in outdoor environments (Benson, 2009; Hart, 1979; Kylin, 2003; Sobel, 1993/2002).  The significant presence of schools in children’s everyday lives (Rasmussen, 2004), however, has encouraged some researchers to investigate what environmental conditions foster learning (Derr, 2006; Maxwell, 2006; O’Dell, 2011; Upitis, 2007), as well as how children use and experience social and physical aspects of these places (Einarsdottir, 2005; Peterson, 2009; Rathunde, 2003).
Although researchers recognize that learning environments have the potential to enhance learning by the presence of specific design elements, little is known about what constitutes places that elementary students characterize as special, and to which they become attached.  Some schools, including Montessori, claim to offer a uniquely prepared learning environment that enhances students’ development, though empirical studies that involve Montessori elementary programs predominantly use academic standardized test scores to compare them to other programs (Baines & Snortum, 1973; Lopata, Wallace, & Finn, 2005).
The purpose of this study was to explore places at school that students characterized as special and to describe what aspects made them special.  This study used photo elicitation interviews, walking tours, and focus groups to explore 11 Grade 2 students’ special places in two Ontario learning environments: a privately funded, not-for-profit Montessori school and a publicly funded school.
Results demonstrated that Grade 2 students in both schools identified special places, both indoors and outdoors, for developing a sense of placeness; engaging in types of play; fostering and engaging in friendships; and having solititude and tranquility.  Further analysis revealed two underlying themes: places were special because they afforded students opportunities to be interdependent or independent.  Future research is necessary to determine the long-term significance of students’ special places in different learning environments.

abstract: M.Ed.


title: Dewey’s Roles in Chinese Education

contributor:
Johnston, Scott
Education

subject: Dewey Education

abstract: Thesis (Master, Education) -- Queen's University, 2012-05-30 20:13:10.814

abstract:
This thesis constructs a triangular model of the interrelationship between Deweyan Pragmatism(hereinafter referred to as DP), Confucianism and Marxism / Maoism by way of chronological analysis of three historical periods spanning the past nine decades, and discursive comparisons and contrasts between these ideologies. Specifically, this thesis examines the confrontation, denunciation, displacement, reconciliation and co-optation that have transpired between the three ideologies over the past ninety years.
On the basis of the triangular push-or-pull model, propositions regarding the parameters and confines of DP application in contemporary Chinese education are put forward in order to extricate the Deweyites who are intent on transplanting DP to China in a wholesale manner out of their current theoretical paradox and methodical dilemma.
The conclusion of this thesis is that the optimal roles for DP to play in contemporary Chinese education are supplementary tweaks at the technical level to the existing Confucian system, and DP will be effective only to the extent that the cumulative impact of Deweyan practice is not perceived as a challenge to the Chinese educational establishment.

abstract: politically sensitive contents

abstract: M.Ed.


title: Stories in the Sediment: DDD Use at Expo 67

contributor:
Hodson, Peter
Environmental Studies

subject:
Environment
DDD
Expo 67
Pesticide

abstract: Thesis (Master, Environmental Studies) -- Queen's University, 2012-05-31 02:27:28.215

abstract: The toxic, persistent pesticide dichlorodiphenyldichloroethane (DDD) was used liberally prior to and during the World Exposition of 1967 (Expo 67) on Île Sainte-Hélène in Montréal to reduce the population of nuisance Trichoptera insects (also called caddisflies or shadflies) in the area. Sixteen thousand kilograms were applied over six periods in two years. Despite reports by the project leaders that the practice was not detrimental to the ecosystem and that DDD was not detected downstream in significant concentrations following applications to the river, further investigation was required to determine the occurrence of the pesticide, and its concentrations. Given the large volume of pesticide that was applied to the river, I hypothesized that there would be a strong DDD signal in sediments downstream of the Expo 67 site. I obtained a sediment core from the bay of Île de Grâce at the mouth of Lac St Pierre in the St. Lawrence River, downstream of Montréal. The core was sliced, dated radioisometrically, and analysed for the presence of dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) and related pesticides using gas chromatography. The isotopes cesium-137 (137Cs), radium-226 (226Ra), and lead-210 (210Pb) were used to establish dates of sediment deposition. Loss on ignition was used to determine organic carbon content. Stable lead content was analysed because it may also support sediment ages. Concentrations of DDT, DDD, and dichlorodiphenylethylene (DDE) ranged from below the detection limit to 3.3 parts per billion (ppb), 57.7 ppb, and 17.1 ppb, respectively. Adjusting the concentrations to reflect organic carbon content did not significantly affect the trend in concentration by depth. Peaks in DDD concentrations and related compounds were discovered that correspond to the Expo 67 applications. These findings demonstrate that DDD was present in unusually high concentrations (well above the probable effect level of 8.51 ppb (Ontario Ministry of the Environment)) in the St. Lawrence River in 1967, potentially exposing a wide variety of organisms. This finding may also be used to inform future decisions regarding the management of the St. Lawrence Seaway. I also investigated the role of fragmentation, specialisation, and interdisciplinarity in this research, and critically examined the historical context of this project in order to pursue knowledge of this field with as full an understanding of it as possible.

abstract: M.E.S.


title: Effects of maternal consumption of ethanol during pregnancy on the developing fetus and offspring: neurobehavioural outcomes, neuroendocrine function and cytochrome P450 2E1 enzyme activity.

contributor:
Brien, James
Reynolds, James
Pharmacology and Toxicology

subject:
Prenatal alcohol exposure
ethanol preference
folate status

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Pharmacology & Toxicology) -- Queen's University, 2012-05-31 14:38:44.391

abstract: Maternal consumption of alcohol during pregnancy is associated with alterations in fetal development that negatively impact the offspring causing neurochemical and neurobehavioural dysfunction termed fetal alcohol spectrum disorders; the most severe outcome is fetal alcohol syndrome.  Changes in maternal and fetal hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activation, induction of cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1) enzyme activity and alterations in micronutrient status, including folate, following chronic ethanol exposure (CEE) are key contributors to the neuroendocrine and neurobehavioural effects observed in offspring.  This study tested the following hypotheses: Maternal consumption of ethanol throughout pregnancy can: alter maternal and fetal HPA axis function and induce CYP2E1 enzyme activity in the third-trimester-equivalent; decrease folate status in the maternal-fetal unit, which can be mitigated by folic acid supplementation; and cause neurobehavioural deficits in offspring at low-moderate dose of maternal ethanol consumption.  These hypotheses were tested in the guinea pig, a well established model of ethanol neurobehavioural teratogenicity.  CEE had no effect on maternal HPA axis function at any gestational day (GD).  Fetal cortisol was unaffected by CEE, but did increase with gestational age in both CEE and control.  CEE increased maternal and GD 65 fetal liver CYP2E1 enzyme activity. Maternal supplementation with folic acid did not mitigate CEE fetal growth restriction, but did increase maternal red blood cell (RBC) folate at term.  At term, maternal supplementation prevented the CEE-induced decrease in fetal liver folate, did not affect fetal RBC folate, and did not mitigate the nutritional-deficit-induced decrease in fetal hippocampal folate.  Maternal consumption of 5% (v/v) ethanol decreased offspring birth weight, increased spontaneous locomotor activity, increased preference for ethanol, and delayed learning on day two of Morris water maze testing in young adult offspring.  These data indicate that, in the guinea pig: there is a threshold blood ethanol concentration for HPA axis activation; CEE can induce CYP2E1 in the GD 65 fetus; folic acid supplementation is not protective in this model of CEE; and low-moderate CEE can cause neurobehavioural perturbations in offspring.

abstract: PhD


title: Wildlife Road Mortality on the 1000 Islands Parkway in South Eastern Ontario: Peak Times, Hot Spots, and Mitigation Using Drainage Culverts

contributor:
Danby, Ryan K.
Environmental Studies

subject:
Road Mortality
Drainage Culvert
Wildlife Mortality Hot Spot
Turtle Conservation

abstract: Thesis (Master, Environmental Studies) -- Queen's University, 2012-05-31 16:33:51.623

abstract: Road mortality threatens the long-term viability of some wildlife populations, particularly herpetofauna.  Wildlife road mortalities were recorded during regular bicycle-based surveys of the 1000 Islands Parkway in south eastern Ontario during 2010 and 2011. These data were grouped with similar data collected in 2008 and 2009 to determine when and where animals were killed along the Parkway to better inform mitigation options. Temporal and spatial clustering was significant for five taxonomic groups: snakes were found dead on the road primarily in September, turtles in June, frogs in July, and birds and mammals in June and July.  The majority of turtles found on the Parkway were adult females, which may have implications for long-term population demographics and persistence.  Regression tree analysis indicates day-of-year as the most important variable in explaining wildlife road mortality for all taxonomic groups, with higher road mortalities coinciding with higher minimum daily temperature.  Precipitation and traffic accounted for little variation in snake road mortality, and had no effect on turtle, frog, bird or mammal road kills.  Spatial clustering was found for all taxonomic groups with overlapping areas of significant clustering between years identified as hot spots. In addition, the potential for drainage culverts to reduce wildlife road mortality was tested with two experimental treatments in 2010: (1) blocked culverts to prevent wildlife use, and (2) drift fence installation adjacent to culverts to encourage wildlife use. Wildlife road mortalities at these locations as well as control culverts were compared with 2008 wildlife road mortalities when there were no culvert treatments.  The number of road kills in the area of treatments was too low to measure changes for all taxa but frogs, which showed no significant changes in road kills for any culvert treatment. The results of the study are used to evaluate a list of potential options for mitigating wildlife road mortality along the Parkway, and a list of implementable actions is identified.

abstract: M.E.S.


title: Architecture of a Classification System to Evaluate Fault Slip Risk in a Mining Environment

contributor:
McKinnon, Stephen D.
Mining Engineering

subject:
Classification
Numerical Stress Analysis
Structural Geology
Fault Slip
Geomechanics
Mining
Fault Behaviour

abstract: Thesis (Master, Mining Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2012-06-01 13:17:08.453

abstract:
As the depth of mining increases, so does the risk of fault slip related rockbursts.  Currently, there is no way to evaluate this risk, however the need for such a system is clear.  Fault behaviour in mining environments is the result of a complex interaction between the mining system and the geological system.  Although numerous models exist, the wide spectrum of fault behaviour cannot be fully explained.  Additionally, these models are phenomenological, resulting in a disconnect between observable parameters and the models of faults.  Fault behaviour is dependent upon the strength of the fault, the stresses acting along the fault, the boundary conditions and fault-system stiffness.  Significant work exists in the field of earth science attempting to relate properties of the geological system to fault behaviour.  In mining environments, these relationships become increasingly difficult to determine due to the time variable nature of mining activities.  In order of importance, the following factors influence fault behaviour: excavations, tectonic history and in situ stress, fault system, fault zone geometry, pore pressure, fault zone slip surface and core, blasting, fault zone damage zone and wall rock and temperature.

Numerical stress analysis models were created to evaluate the influence of excavations, tectonic history and in situ stress and the fault system on fault behaviour.  Excavations were placed in various locations in a fault system.  Results showed that there was no clear relationship between excavation location and fault behaviour; small perturbations in the initial state caused significantly different outcomes.

The architectures of many classification and decision support systems were evaluated for purposes of a fault slip classification system.  Due to the chaotic nature of fault behaviour and the time variable nature of the factors that influence fault slip, a typical classification system is not an appropriate architecture.  Instead, it is recommended that a fault slip risk identification system be created, allowing for the incorporation of historical and live data to create a real time response.  Artificial neural networks, numerical stress analysis, data from the identified important factors, and seismic data is recommended to form the basis of the fault slip risk identification system.

abstract: M.A.Sc.


title: The Effect of Exemestane on Menopause-Specific Health-Related Quality of Life and a Comparison With Clinician-Reported Toxicities: an Analysis of the NCIC CTG MAP.2 Chemoprevention Trial

contributor:
Richardson, Harriet
Brundage, Michael D.
Community Health and Epidemiology

subject:
Cancer Prevention
Patient-Reported Outcomes
Adverse Events
Health-Related Quality of Life
Clinical Trials

abstract: Thesis (Master, Community Health & Epidemiology) -- Queen's University, 2012-06-06 23:55:24.011

abstract:
Background: Exemestane is a drug of great interest for breast cancer prevention, because it inhibits estrogen production. Estrogen may operate by increasing breast density, a well-established biomarker for increased breast cancer risk. The NCIC CTG MAP.2 trial examined the efficacy of exemestane in decreasing breast density. Menopausal health-related quality of life (HRQL) and adverse events were also carefully monitored during the study.
Purpose: To elucidate the impact of exemestane on menopausal HRQL and to examine the relationship between clinician and participant methods of reporting side effects.
Methods: 98 postmenopausal women with increased breast density were randomized to exemestane or placebo daily for one year. HRQL was measured with the MENQOL questionnaire, which has four domains. Mean changes in MENQOL domain scores from baseline were compared between treatment groups using the Wilcoxon rank-sum test. The difference between groups in the proportion of women with a clinically meaningful decline was compared by domain with the Chi-square test; change scores were considered worsened if increased by ≥ 0.5 points. The association between time-to-decline in menopausal HRQL and treatment was evaluated using Cox PH regression. The kappa statistic quantified the level of agreement between participant-reported and clinician-reported symptoms. Kaplan-Meier estimates of time-to-decline as communicated by clinicians and participants were compared, using three thresholds to define meaningful change.
Results: No significant differences in mean change scores were detected, however, a significantly greater proportion of women on exemestane experienced a clinically meaningful decline in physical menopausal HRQL at three months (absolute difference=19%, p= 0.03), while the absolute difference approached significance for vasomotor menopausal HRQL at six months (21%, p= 0.05), and at nine months (21%, p=0.06). The rate of decline in physical menopausal HRQL was 2.08 times greater (95% CI 1.10-3.94) in the exemestane group compared to the placebo group. Agreement between raters was low for all symptoms except hot flashes; in general participants detected symptoms more rapidly than clinicians, regardless of the defined cut-off for meaningful change on the MENQOL.
Conclusions: A subset of women on exemestane experienced significant declines in physical and vasomotor symptoms. Generally, participants reported symptoms more frequently and faster than clinicians.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: An Exploration of Language, Policies, and Collaborative Actions by Planning and Public Health Professionals to Guide Active Community Design

contributor:
Lévesque, Lucie L.
Kinesiology and Health Studies

subject:
Planners
Physical activity
Public health
Coordinated action framework
Active communities
Glossary of terms
Policy
Built environment

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Kinesiology & Health Studies) -- Queen's University, 2012-06-04 14:33:13.672

abstract:
The objective of this research project was to gain a better understanding of the language, policies and collaborative actions undertaken by planning and public health professionals that are relevant to the design of active communities. The overarching aim of this research was to develop resources to facilitate the collaborative efforts of planners and public health professionals working together to create active communities. To this end, three studies were undertaken. In the first study, publicly available documents, websites, and published reports from five Government of Ontario ministries were reviewed.  The review produced 136 terms for inclusion in a joint glossary of terms for planners and public health professionals. In the second study legislation/strategies from the same five government ministries were reviewed and interviews were conducted with 10 government policy-makers to identify priorities, challenges and inter-sectoral collaboration to enhance the design of active communities. This process produced a policy inventory of 39 Ontario laws/strategies that govern planners and public heath professionals working to enhance the design of active communities and identified challenges related to achieving inter-ministry collaboration and coordination towards a provincial active communities’ agenda. The third study recruited planners and public health professionals working in the province of Ontario to participate in a concept mapping process to identify ways they currently work together to enhance the design of active communities. This process generated 72 actions that represent collaborative efforts planners and public health professionals engage in when designing active communities. These actions were then organized by importance and feasibility, resulting in the development of a coordinated action framework that features four planning actions for planners, nineteen proximal and six distal coordinated actions for planners and public health professionals and six public health actions for public health professionals.
Collectively, results from these three studies contribute to our understanding of the language, policies, and collaborative actions employed by planning and public health professionals that are relevant to the design of active communities. The resources developed from this project are intended to support and facilitate the collaborative efforts of planners and public health professionals working to create active communities.

abstract: PhD