title: Capital Building at Camp: A Bourdieusian Analysis of a Summer Camp for Marginalized Girls

contributor:
Beamish, Rob
Sociology

subject:
Youth
Bourdieu
Cultural Capital
Camp
Social Capital
Habitus

abstract: Thesis (Master, Sociology) -- Queen's University, 2016-04-30 18:05:04.558

abstract: This study employs a Bourdieusian theoretical framework to investigate capital building at Skylight—an overnight summer camp for girls seven to fifteen who have experienced trauma and/or abuse. Using participant observation and semi-structured interviews, I explore whether camp can help girls accumulate social and cultural capital, or facilitate habitus transformation. Results suggest that building social capital enables the development of cultural capital, which may aid the girls in their academic and social endeavours even beyond the camp context. Capital building was encouraged by three specific features of Skylight: 1) cohabitation, 2) a single-gender and 3) shared experiences of adversity. The paper closes with a discussion of implications for theory and program implementations.

abstract: I intend to submit the thesis (or portions of it) for publication in outside journals.

abstract: M.A.


title: Investigation of the Stability of C15 Laves Phase Structures in BCC Iron by Molecular Dynamics Method

contributor:
Yao, Zhongwen
Mechanical and Materials Engineering

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

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

rights: Intellectual Property Guidelines at Queen's University

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

subject:
Stability
Point Defects
C15 Laves Phase

abstract: Thesis (Master, Mechanical and Materials Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2016-04-29 16:53:27.947

abstract: A new class of interstitial clusters which present a structure of C15 Laves phase has been theoretically predicted in bcc iron. However, these C15 clusters have never been identified experimentally. In this thesis, molecular dynamic (MD) simulations were explored to investigate the stability of perfect C15 Laves phase structures made of iron atoms and with or without point defects, as well as the stability of nano-sized C15 clusters embedded in bcc iron with point defects nearby. In this work, in first-ever simulations, two empirical Fe-Fe potentials were tested and the Ackland-2004 potential was demonstrated to be suitable. Periodic boundary conditions (PBCs) were used along three axes. For the perfect C15 Laves phase structures, calculations were performed on the total potential energy, temperature dependence of elastic constants and elastic moduli, and process of phase transformation at 300K. For interactions between perfect C15 Laves phase structures and their internal point defects, the formation energies of vacancies and SIAs, phase transformation temperature, and the process of phase transformation at 300K were simulated. Radial distribution function (RDF) calculations were used to check stability and structural changes. For interactions between nano-sized C15 clusters and nearby external point defects, the process of phase transformation at 300K was also simulated. The simulation results suggest that pure C15 Laves phase structure can remain stable up to about 425K. The presence of internal point defects will cause a decrease of phase transformation temperatures to below 260K. With increasing temperatures, perfect C15 Laves phase structures that contain internal point defects will transform into imperfect bcc structures. At 300K, the presence of nearby external vacancies will induce a recombination of the same number of SIAs from nano-sized C15 clusters, therefore possibly eliminating the C15 clusters; nearby external SIAs will induce the nano-sized C15 clusters to rearrange into 1/2<111> loops. As a conclusion, perfect C15 Laves phase structures with internal point defects are likely unstable at the temperatures higher than 260K, thus they may not remain to be observed at room temperature during irradiation.

abstract: M.A.Sc.


title: Lyrical Music and Second Language Acquisition: A study on the use of children's songs as a strategy for Hul'q'umi'num' language revitalization

contributor:
Lee, Elizabeth
Education

subject:
music
prosody
second language acquisition
infant-directed speech
Hul'q'umi'num'
infant-directed music
Indigenous languages

abstract: Thesis (Master, Education) -- Queen's University, 2016-04-29 17:03:26.367

abstract:
The use of lyrical music to aid in the revitalization of Hul’qumi’num’, a dialect spoken on southeastern Vancouver Island, is a strategy that builds on the connections between music and language. These connections are evident in both infant- or child-directed speech and music. In 2008 and 2010, a group of dedicated volunteers wrote and recorded two collections of children’s songs in English and Hul’qumi’num’. This study examined the usefulness of these CDs in the context of how lyrical music aids in second language acquisition.
This qualitative study features the perspectives of Hul’qumi’num’ language instructors on their use of the ’Iiyus Siiye’yu Happy Friends CDs with students in School District 79. Data collected from focus groups and individual interviews with Hul’qumi’num’ language instructors and Aboriginal Support teachers, a principal, and two co-creators of the CDs were analyzed using pattern, theme and content analysis. This provided a clearer picture of how the CDs were distributed and how students were exposed to the songs in classrooms.
Motivation and comfort levels of language instructors were two themes that emerged and led to an important question: can partially fluent speakers teach Hul’qumi’num’? Hul’qumi’num’ is a dynamic and living language that has experienced substantial changes in the past century and as the number of fluent speakers continues to dwindle, there will continue to be substantial changes to the language.
Recommendations arising from this research included the development of
1.	An accompanying CD that includes vocabulary lists for each song and verbal instructions to transitioning listeners;
2.	Print-based materials that support using the vocabulary from each song;
3.	More songs about the teachings, legends, and other stories that share history, geography, and cultural practices with listeners; and,
4.	A resource guide that includes physical activities that encourages movement inside and outside classrooms.
Future research with classroom teachers is needed to better understand their needs and to ensure appropriate supports are in place so that they can continue to support the promotion and use of Hul’q’umi’num’ in classrooms.

abstract: M.Ed.


title: Solid-State 17O NMR as a New Probe to Study Acyl-Enzyme Intermediates

contributor:
Wu, Gang
Chemistry

subject:
solid-state
Chymotrypsin
acyl-enzyme
magic-angle spinning
NMR
computation
17O

abstract: Thesis (Master, Chemistry) -- Queen's University, 2016-04-29 19:42:38.179

abstract: This thesis reports on a combined solid-state 17O NMR and quantum mechanical study of three acyl-enzyme intermediates: p-N,N-dimethylaminobenzoyl-chymotrypsin (DAB-CHT), trans¬¬-¬o-methoxycinnamoyl-chymotrypsin (oMC-CHT), and trans-p-methoxycinnamoyl-chymotrypsin (pMC-CHT). At pH 7.8, the three acyl-enzyme intermediates were found to undergo hydrolysis (deacylation) with the following rate constants: DAB-CHT, 6.4 ± 0.1 × 10-6; oMC-CHT, 2.8 ± 0.1 × 10-4 s-1; pMC-CHT, 8.5 ± 0.3 × 10-3 s-1. Analysis of solid-state 17O NMR spectra obtained under the magic angle spinning (MAS) condition at 21 T for the three acyl-enzyme intermediates yields the following isotropic chemical shift (δiso), quadrupolar coupling constant (CQ), and asymmetry parameter (ηQ): DAB-CHT, δiso = 316 ± 2 ppm, CQ = 10.0 ± 1 MHz, ηQ = 0.6 ± 0.2; oMC-CHT, δiso = 316 ± 2 ppm, CQ = 9.2 ± 1 MHz, ηQ = 0.6 ± 0.2; and pMC-CHT, δiso = 316 ± 2, CQ = 7.0 ± 0.5 MHz, ηQ = 0.8 ± 0.2. With the aid of quantum mechanical calculations, these 17O NMR parameters were interpreted as to reflect the variations in hydrogen bonding interactions between the carbonyl (C=O) functional group of the acyl moiety and the two NH groups from the protein backbone in the so-called oxyanion hole. This work represents the first use of solid-state 17O NMR spectroscopy to study acyl-enzyme intermediates and demonstrates the great potential of this new technique.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Non-Aqueous Dispersion Polymerization for Automotive Coating Applications

contributor:
Hutchinson, Robin A.
Chemical Engineering

subject:
Particle Nucleation
Dispersions
Macromonomer
Nano-Particles
Radical Polymerization

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Chemical Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2016-04-29 19:57:00.786

abstract:
Non-aqueous dispersion polymerization (NAD) is used to produce submicron sized particles utilized by the solvent-borne automotive coatings industry to prevent crack propagation, improve toughness and reduce energy requirements for drying. Despite its industrial significance, there have been few studies about particle nucleation and other qualities of the semibatch process. The dispersion features high solids (50-60 wt%) of higher molecular weight acrylic polymer, with the polymeric nanoparticles sterically stabilized by low molecular weight dispersant polymer chains anchored to the particle surface either by chemical or physical interaction.
The work presented in this thesis investigates three aspects influencing particle formation in the NAD system, i.e., the dispersant type, the multi-component core composition and the dispersant feeding procedure in the starved feed semibatch process. Three categories of unsaturated poly(methacrylate) dispersants are examined, a butyl methacrylate (BMA) based material with grafted vinyl functionality, vinyl-terminated BMA homopolymer macromers, and hydroxyl group functionalized macromers. The macromers provided more effective stabilization than the grafted dispersant, but the addition of 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) to the dispersant reduced stability. Average particle size of the dispersion increased with the addition of methyl methacrylate and styrene to the mix of monomers used to produce the particles. The increased effectiveness of the dispersant led to an investigation of reduced dispersant levels, increased monomer loading, and simplified dispersant feeding strategies while producing small particles (<150 nm) and keeping dispersion viscosity low  (<500 cp). The findings are interpreted by considering the relative polarity of the dispersant, core polymer, and solvent mixture in the NAD system.

abstract: PhD


title: A Neoliberal Analysis of the Grade Three Jamaican  Integrated Studies Textbook

contributor:
Lewis, Magda Gere
Education

subject: Textbooks Biopolitics Education Subjectivity Neoliberalism

abstract: Thesis (Master, Education) -- Queen's University, 2016-04-30 13:28:37.57

abstract:
Abstract
This study applies the theoretical framework of neoliberalism, biopolitics, and neoliberal governmentality to the instructional materials found in the Grade 3 Jamaican classroom. This study is phenomenological in nature and serves as a case in point that illustrates how some instructional materials can reflect dominant socio-economic ideology. In particular, my research looks at how neoliberal ideology influences the textbooks that shape the everyday learning experiences of Jamaican students. This work combines neoliberal theory with research on the politics of the textbook to demonstrate how influential learning materials can be and how they are ensconced within socio-economic power relations and dominant modes of thinking. For the purposes of this research the Grade 3 textbook, Macmillan Primary Integrated Studies – Culture was explored through a neoliberal lens. When examined through a neoliberal framework, it was found that the textbook serves as a neoliberal artifact that actively disseminates free market and economically oriented values that coincide with a larger neoliberal discourse. While there is considerable scholarship on both the politics behind instructional materials (Apple, 1993) and neoliberalism and its implications on schooling (Garcia & De Lissovoy, 2013), my work demonstrates that there is congruence between student textbooks and neoliberal ideology. Moreover, this work speaks to scholarship on Foucault and governmentality studies.  My research demonstrates that in its function as a neoliberal artifact, the textbook becomes a technology of power that issues biopolitical controls over the student body with the aim of creating self-governing neoliberal subjects.

abstract: M.Ed.


title: Hydraulic Performance of Geosynthetic Liners in Landfills and Tailings Storage Facilities

contributor:
Rowe, Kerry
Brachman, Richard W. I.
Civil Engineering

subject:
Geosynthetics
Landfills
Composite Liner
Geosynthetic Clay Liner
Geomembrane Wrinkle
Finite Element Seepage Analysis
Tailings
Geomembranes
Holes
Leakage

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Civil Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2016-04-30 20:28:04.469

abstract:
The effects of holes in a geomembrane on leakage through the base liner of a modern municipal solid waste and mine tailings storage facilities was examined.
First, the performance of overlapped seams below a geomembrane wrinkle was evaluated for seven geosynthetic clay liners (GCLs; three requiring and four not requiring field-applied supplemental bentonite at the longitudinal seam). For seams parallel to a wrinkle, the performance depended on the width of the seam relative to the wrinkle. With both ends of the seam confined under vertical stress from the deformed wrinkle, there was no evidence of flow along the seam. For seams perpendicular to a wrinkle, it was observed that the availability and distribution of seam bentonite, needle-punching pattern of the GCL, applied vertical stress, and GCL type can all significantly affect the flow along the unstressed section of the seam. With 400 g/m of supplemental bentonite piled along the centre of the seam, the effect of having a wrinkle on flow was largely reduced to a point where the leakage was no larger than that through a single panel of GCL.
Second, leakage through geomembrane holes in a mine tailings configuration was examined for three silty-sand tailings and four underliners (underliners ranging from silty-sand to pea gravel). The effect of different tailings, different underliners, different geomembrane type and thickness, different hole sizes, different applied stresses and heads, a nonwoven geotextile cushioning layer, and gap beneath a geomembrane hole (due to a wrinkle or stone on the foundation) on leakage are reported. The hydraulic conductivity of the tailings had largest effect on flow with a maximum measured flow (without piping) of 8.5 lpd for the cases examined. Free-flowing tailings slurry or that migrating under the applied hydraulic gradient filled any gaps beneath the geomembrane hole. There was evidence of fines migration from the tailings, through the hole, and to the underliner or geotextile. Although there was no effect of geomembrane thickness on flow, the 1-mm-thick geomembrane wrinkles were deformed to an extent that the inner sides were in contact at an applied stress of 250kPa, inducing excessive stains in the geomembrane.

abstract: Some of the contents are unpublished.

abstract: PhD


title: Dumpcano: Waste Management and Environmental Justice in Iqaluit

contributor:
Lovelace, Robert
McKegney, Sam
Cultural Studies

subject:
Waste Management
Nunavut
Recycling
Environmental Racism
Composting
Legacy waste
Inuit
Dew Line
Infrastructure
Environmental Justice
Sustainability
Canada
North
Arctic
Colonialism
Iqaluit

abstract: Thesis (Master, Cultural Studies) -- Queen's University, 2016-05-02 11:10:59.99

abstract: On May 20, 2014, the Iqaluit dump lit itself on fire, burning for 178 days.  ‘Dumpcano’ as it was nicknamed, cannot be seen in isolation: Iqaluit is surrounded by unremediated dump sites, left behind from both the Canadian and American military and passed to a municipality that is overwhelmed with social problems. This thesis will use the infrastructure around waste—there is no recycling or separation of waste in the Territory, and the majority of dumps across Nunavut regularly burn garbage, a practice that’s been discontinued in the rest of the country—to address issues of identity, sovereignty and how the doctrine of Terra Nullius created the circumstances for the institutional neglect that led to the dump fire. This thesis will explore how ideologies, ideas, policies and practices emergent from settler colonial circumstances in Southern Canada were applied to the North in inappropriate ways. This tension around how the imagined image of the North has affected policy is accessible through my discussion of the growth of consumption culture in the North, while at the same time Canadian identity has been shaped by the image of the empty Arctic. While the Inuit of Nunavut were never under the Indian Act, their citizenship was founded not on equality but on the use of their habitation as an expression of Canadian sovereignty, which has grown increasingly relevant as Arctic nations debate who owns the Arctic and the oil beneath, and the Northwest Passage continues to melt. This thesis will explore the toxic legacy in Iqaluit and provide recommendations for Canada’s future.

abstract: M.A.


title: Discovery and characterization of an antifreeze protein from Lake Ontario midges

contributor:
Davies, Peter L.
Biochemistry

subject:
Ice-Binding Protein
Ice-Binding Surface
Chironomid
Molecular Modelling
Pyramidal Plane
Antifreeze Protein
Fluorescence-Based Ice-Plane Affinity
Intermediate Activity Antifreeze
Thermal Hysteresis
Cysteine-Rich
Disulfide Bond
Midge

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Biochemistry) -- Queen's University, 2016-05-02 16:50:07.585

abstract: This thesis describes the discovery and characterization of the first antifreeze protein (AFP) isolated from a fly. The starting point of my research was the observation that when midges emerge from Lake Ontario as adults in early spring they have low levels of antifreeze activity. Here I have isolated, characterized, and modeled the structure of their main AFP. This 79-residue mature midge AFP has a novel sequence of ten-residue tandem repeats, xxCxGxYCxG, which I modeled as is a left-handed disulfide-braced solenoid, with each 10-residue repeat corresponding to one coil of the helix. The fold is similar to a beta-helix, but secondary structure and circular dichroism analyses indicate that this solenoid is too tightly coiled to have beta-structure. The model shows an outward pointing seven-residue stacked Tyr-ladder, which has been confirmed by mutagenesis to serve as its ice-binding site. This is the first example of tyrosines used for ice binding. I have determined that the midge AFP activity is intermediate to the moderately active and hyperactive AFPs typically found in fish and overwintering insects, respectively. The proposed explanation for intermediate activity is that the midge AFP binds to a pyramidal surface midway between the basal and prism planes. The modest sub-zero temperatures that the adult flies encounter has likely driven the evolution of this intermediate activity AFP. I predict that other organisms facing freezing threats of a similar magnitude will also produce AFPs with intermediate activity. I have also contributed to the literature on experimental methods used to assess ice-binding properties of AFPs by publishing a step-by-step protocol for the fluorescence-based ice-plane affinity assay with an instructional video. This technique can be used, as it was here, to determine which planes of ice are bound by fluorescently-labelled AFPs. A second chapter on techniques describes the ab initio and homology-based techniques our lab has used to reliably predict novel ice-binding protein folds.

abstract: PhD


title: "Fit Cradle of the Reviving Art": An inquiry into the the Evolving Material Reality of the Murals in the Camposanto of Pisa from the Perspective of their British Reception from the 17th to the 19th century

contributor:
Hoeniger, Cathleen
Art History

subject:
Pisa
Camposanto
Art History
Wall Paintings
Murals
British Reception
Renaissance
Medieval
Giorgio Vasari
Italian Art

abstract: Thesis (Master, Art History) -- Queen's University, 2016-05-03 10:04:22.648

abstract: The Camposanto of Pisa is an extraordinarily complex and evocative monument, which has captured the imagination of pilgrims, both religious and secular, for centuries. The late Medieval and early Renaissance wall paintings that line the perimeter of the portico surrounding a vast inner courtyard, are unparalleled in early Italian art, not only for their striking variety of composition and narrative complexity, but also for the sheer grandeur of their proportion. However, the passage of time has scarred the structure of the Camposanto and inflicted terrible damage on its wall paintings. This thesis explores the material reality of the Camposanto as experienced over three centuries through the eyes of British travelers. In order to situate the Camposanto mural cycle within an historical and cultural context, the first chapter provides an overview of the construction and decoration of the monument. Notably, Giorgio Vasari (1511-1574), the Italian Humanist often recognized as the father of art history, included numerous descriptions of the Camposanto murals in his highly influential text Vite de' più eccellenti pittori, scultori, ed architettori. Accordingly, the second chapter provides an analysis of Vasari’s descriptions and reflects upon the influence that the Renaissance author may have had upon the subsequent British reception of the Camposanto murals. The third chapter utilizes three centuries of travel writing in order to investigate the aesthetic impact of the Camposanto mural cycle upon British tourists from the seventeenth through to the nineteenth century.

abstract: I would like to protect rights for immediate commercial publication for a period of five years.

abstract: M.A.


title: Social, Emotional, Cognitive, and Physiological Correlates of Electronic Social Behavior

contributor:
Craig, Wendy M.
Psychology

subject:
Social Networking
Cyberbullying
General Aggression Model
Trauma
Electronic Bullying
Prosocial

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Psychology) -- Queen's University, 2016-05-09 20:54:13.384

abstract:
There has been very little research that has studied the capacities that can be fostered to mitigate the risk
for involvement in electronic bullying or victimization and almost no research examining positive electronic
behavior. The primary goal of this dissertation was to use the General Aggression Model and Anxious
Apprehension Model of Trauma to explore the underlying cognitive, emotional, and self-regulation processes
that are related to electronic bullying, victimization, and prosocial behavior. In Study 1, we explored several
potential interpretations of the General Aggression Model that would accurately describe the relationship that
electronic self-conscious appraisal, cognitive reappraisal, and activational control may have with electronic
bullying and victimization. In Study 2, we used the Anxious Apprehension Model of Trauma to explore
rejection cognitions as the mediator of the relationships among emotionality (emotionality, shame, state
emotion responses, and physiological arousal) and electronic bullying and victimization using structural
equation modelling. In addition, we explored the role of rejection cognitions in mediating the relationship of
moral disengagement with electronic bullying. In Study 3, we examined predictors of electronic prosocial
behavior, such as bullying, victimization, time online, electronic proficiency, electronic self-conscious
appraisals, emotionality, and self-regulation. All three studies supported the General Aggression Model as a
framework to guide the study of electronic behavior, and suggest the importance of cognitive, emotional, and
behavioral means of regulation in shaping electronic behavior. In addition, each study has implications for the
development of high quality electronic bullying prevention and intervention research.

abstract: PhD


title: Identification of YAP as sperm-PAWP’s predominant binding partner in MII-arrested oocytes and the relevance of this WWI domain modular interaction to oocyte activation

contributor:
Oko, Richard
Biomedical and Molecular Sciences

subject:
Oocyte Activation
Sperm-borne Oocyte Activating Factor
PAWP
Fertilization

abstract: Thesis (Master, Biomedical & Molecular Sciences) -- Queen's University, 2016-05-09 17:04:15.342

abstract: PAWP, a candidate sperm-borne oocyte activating factor, induces oocyte activation and acts upstream of the calcium signalling pathway, however, PAWP’s downstream signalling pathway in oocyte cytoplasm remains to be uncovered. Data from our lab suggested that the interacting partner of PAWP, at least in the frog (Xenopus laevis) model may be YAP, a highly expressed protein in amphibian and mammalian oocytes. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to confirm that PAWP’s predominant binding partner in Xenopus laevis oocyte is YAP; to determine if mammalian oocyte activation is also dependent on PAWP-YAP interaction; and to verify that the PAWP-YAP interaction during oocyte activation is dependent on the WWI domain module. By immunohistochemistry, YAP was localized predominantly in the cytosol of metaphase II-arrested Xenopus laevis oocytes, where presumably the PAWP-YAP interaction occurs. Utilizing Far Western blotting, YAP was identified as the predominant binding partner of PAWP, in metaphase II-arrested frog (Xenopus laevis), swine (Sus scrofa) and mouse (mus musculus) oocytes. The specificity of this interaction was then tested on Far Western blotting of mouse ovarian and oocyte cytosolic extracts, by competition with both wild-type and point-mutated recombinant WWI domains derived from YAP. The removal of GST from the wild-type WWI-GST fusion protein was a requirement for effective blockage of WWI module interaction between PAWP and YAP. As expected, the mutated WWI domain was ineffective in inhibiting the PAWP-YAP interaction. To conclude, this study identified YAP as the predominant binding partner of PAWP in both amphibian and mammalian oocytes, and showed this interaction is dependent on the WWI modular interaction. The results allow us to test the functional relevance of this WWI modular interaction during oocyte activation in vivo, in the future.

abstract: We are working on a publication based on this thesis, which is not published yet.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Investigating the Role of cAMP-Signaling in the Regulation of Vascular Endothelial Cell Adaptive Responses to Fluid Shear Stress

contributor:
Maurice, Donald H.
Pathology and Molecular Medicine

subject:
vascular endothelial cells
cAMP-signaling
fluid shear stress
cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Pathology & Molecular Medicine) -- Queen's University, 2016-05-10 12:28:00.705

abstract: The circulating blood exerts a force on the vascular endothelium, termed fluid shear stress (FSS), which directly impacts numerous vascular endothelial cell (VEC) functions. For example, high rates of linear and undisturbed (i.e. laminar) blood flow maintains a protective and quiescent VEC phenotype. Meanwhile, deviations in blood flow, which can occur at vascular branchpoints and large curvatures, create areas of low, and/or oscillatory FSS, and promote a pro-inflammatory, pro-thrombotic and hyperpermeable phenotype. Indeed, it is known that these areas are prone to the development of atherosclerotic lesions. Herein, we show that cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase (PDE) 4D (PDE4D) activity is increased by FSS in human arterial endothelial cells (HAECs) and that this activation regulates the activity of cAMP-effector protein, Exchange Protein-activated by cAMP-1 (EPAC1), in these cells. Importantly, we also show that these events directly and critically impact HAEC responses to FSS, especially when FSS levels are low. Both morphological events induced by FSS, as measured by changes in cell alignment and elongation in the direction of FSS, and the expression of critical FSS-regulated genes, including Krüppel-like factor 2 (KLF2), endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) and thrombomodlin (TM), are mediated by EPAC1/PDE4D signaling. At a mechanistic level, we show that EPAC1/PDE4D acts through the vascular endothelial-cadherin (VECAD)/ platelet-cell adhesion molecule-1 (PECAM1)/vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR2) mechanosensor to activate downstream signaling though Akt. Given the critical role of PDE4D in mediating these effects, we also investigated the impact of various patterns of FSS on the expression of individual PDE genes in HAECs. Notably, PDE2A was significantly upregulated in response to high, laminar FSS, while PDE3A was upregulated under low, oscillatory FSS conditions only. These data may provide novel therapeutic targets to limit FSS-dependent endothelial cell dysfunction (ECD) and atherosclerotic development.

abstract: Part of the Introduction will be submitted in a review manuscript.

abstract: PhD


title: The Transport of Heat by Flowing Groundwater in a Discrete Fracture

contributor:
Novakowski, Kent S.
Civil Engineering

subject:
Heat Transfer
Analytical Model
Geothermal
Fractured Rock

abstract: Thesis (Master, Civil Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2016-05-10 18:20:34.039

abstract:
In typical theoretical or experimental studies of heat migration in discrete fractures, conduction
and thermal dispersion are commonly neglected from the fracture heat transport equation,
assuming heat conduction into the matrix is predominant. In this study analytical and numerical
models are used to investigate the significance of conduction and thermal dispersion in the plane
of the fracture for a point and line sources geometries. The analytical models account for
advective, conductive and dispersive heat transport in both the longitudinal and transverse
directions in the fracture. The heat transport in the fracture is coupled with a matrix equation in
which heat is conducted in the direction perpendicular to the fracture. In the numerical model,
the governing heat transport processes are the same as the analytical models; however, the matrix
conduction is considered in both longitudinal and transverse directions. Firstly, we demonstrate
that longitudinal conduction and dispersion are critical processes that affect heat transport in
fractured rock environments, especially for small apertures (eg. 100 μm or less), high flow rate
conditions (eg. velocity greater than 50 m/day) and early time (eg. less than 10 days). Secondly,
transverse thermal dispersion in the fracture plane is also observed to be an important transport
process leading to retardation of the migrating heat front particularly at late time (eg. after 40
days of hot water injection). Solutions which neglect dispersion in the transverse direction
underestimate the locations of heat fronts at late time. Finally, this study also suggests that the
geometry of the heat sources has significant effects on the heat transport in the system. For
example, the effects of dispersion in the fracture are observed to decrease when the width of the
heat source expands.

abstract: M.A.Sc.


title: Medical Curriculum Change at Queen's-affiliated Medical Colleges: 1881 – 1910

contributor:
Christou, Theodore
Duffin, Jacalyn
Education

subject:
Queen's College
History
Medical Education
Curriculum

abstract: Thesis (Master, Education) -- Queen's University, 2016-05-13 14:43:08.795

abstract: This study explores the curriculum at Queen’s-affiliated medical colleges, specifically The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons, Kingston, the Kingston Women’s Medical College, and Queen’s Medical College, from 1881 to 1910, using the textbooks prescribed by these institutions as primary sources. The central question encompasses what factors primarily motivated the curriculum at Queen’s-affiliated medical colleges to change. Within the historiographical scholarship on Queen’s College, this question has not yet been addressed and, to my knowledge, this is the first medical education history to specifically address textbooks as part of a medical school curriculum. During this period, these institutions experienced reorganizational shifts, such as the reunification of Queen’s Medical College with The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons, Kingston, as well as the introduction and subsequent exclusion of female students. Within this context, this study examines how the forces of scientific innovation and co-education impacted the curriculum during the period under study, as measured by textbook change, specifically in the courses of obstetrics and gynaecology, the theory and practice of medicine, and surgery. To what degree was curriculum in these courses responsive to scientific inventions and discoveries, changing therapeutic practices, and possible gender biases? From 1881 to 1910, innovations such as x-ray and anaesthesia became commonplace within medical practice. Some technologies gained acceptance in the curriculum, while others fell out of favour. This study tracks these scientific discoveries through the textbooks used at Queen’s-affiliated medical colleges in order to demonstrate how the evolving nature of medicine was represented in the curriculum. To address how gender influenced the curriculum, textbooks from the Kingston Women’s Medical College and The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons, Kingston, were compared. For two out of the three examined courses, it was found that sections of textbooks discussing various topics at the Kingston Women’s Medical College contained significantly more detail than their corresponding sections within The Royal College’s textbooks. It was speculated that the instructors preferred to teach their female students through textbooks, rather than lectures.

abstract: M.Ed.


title: Interpersonal Emotion Dynamics in Mother-Daughter Dyads during Adolescence

contributor:
Hollenstein, Tom
Psychology

subject:
Emotion development
Dynamic systems
Parent-child interactions
Adolescence

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Psychology) -- Queen's University, 2016-05-16 14:38:20.622

abstract: The overarching goal of the current dissertation was to examine emotion dynamics in mother-daughter interactions across different positive and negative contexts, and their associations with psychosocial adjustment—relationship quality and internalizing symptoms. This dissertation was informed by theoretical approaches that assert that humans are a fundamentally social species (Beckes & Coan, 2011), and that momentary features of interpersonal dynamics coalesce into broader psychosocial adjustment (e.g., Granic, 2005). Real-time mother-daughter emotion dynamics were examined in three studies. In Study 1, emotional load sharing (i.e., the distribution of the burden of emotional distress among relationship partners) during adolescent social stress was examined as it related to physical and relationship closeness. Dyads were randomly assigned to either have physical contact or no physical contact during the social stress elicitation. Evidence of load sharing was observed among dyads who were in physical contact, independent of relationship quality. However, without physical contact, load sharing was only evident among dyads with higher relationship quality. Thus, emotional load sharing occurred at higher levels of physical and/or relationship closeness in mother-daughter dyads. Study 2 was an examination of individual differences in dyadic socioemotional flexibility—the ability to adjust emotions according to situational demands—across positive and negative emotional contexts. Higher flexibility within emotional contexts, and moderate levels of flexibility across positive and negative emotional contexts, were associated with higher mother-daughter relationship quality and lower maternal internalizing symptoms (e.g., depression, anxiety, and social anxiety). In Study 3, mother-daughter arousal transmission—the extent to which mothers and daughters “pick up” on each others’ physiological arousal—was examined across positive and negative emotional contexts. Daughter-to-mother arousal transmission decreased between a positive context and a negative context but otherwise, daughter-to-mother and mother-to-daughter arousal transmission did not vary across contexts. Contrary to expectations, relationship quality was not associated with arousal transmission. The results, implications, and future directions of the three studies were discussed in relation to three areas: (1) relationship quality in mother-daughter dyads, (2) mother-daughter arousal transmission, and (3) developmental processes.

abstract: PhD


title: The Modelling of Photovoltaic, Solar Thermal, and Photovoltaic/Thermal Domestic Hot Water Systems

contributor:
Harrison, Stephen J.
Mechanical and Materials Engineering

subject:
photovoltaic
SDHW
solar
solar thermal
PV/T
domestic hot water

abstract: Thesis (Master, Mechanical and Materials Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2016-05-18 14:01:36.151

abstract:
Solar heating of potable water has traditionally been accomplished through the use of solar thermal (ST) collectors. With the recent increases in availability and lower cost of photovoltaic (PV) panels, the potential of coupling PV solar arrays to electrically heated domestic hot water (DHW) tanks has been considered. Additionally, innovations in the SDHW industry have led to the creation of photovoltaic/thermal (PV/T) collectors, which heat water using both electrical and thermal energy.
The current work compared the performance and cost-effectiveness of a traditional solar thermal (ST) DHW system to PV-solar-electric DHW systems and a PV/T DHW system. To accomplish this, a detailed TRNSYS model of the solar hot water systems was created and annual simulations were performed for 250 L/day and 325 L/day loads in Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, Halifax, and Calgary. It was shown that when considering thermal performance, PV-DHW systems were not competitive when compared to ST-DHW and PVT-DHW systems. As an example, for Toronto the simulated annual solar fractions of PV-DHW systems were approximately 30%, while the ST-DHW and PVT-DHW systems achieved 65% and 71% respectively.
	With current manufacturing and system costs, the PV-DHW system was the most cost-effective system for domestic purposes. The capital cost of the PV-DHW systems were approximately $1,923-$2,178 depending on the system configuration, and the ST-DHW and PVT system were estimated to have a capital cost of $2,288 and $2,373 respectively. Although the capital cost of the PVT-DHW system was higher than the other systems, a Present Worth analysis for a 20-year period showed that for a 250 L/day load in Toronto the Present Worth of the PV/T system was approximately $4,597, with PV-DHW systems costing approximately $7,683-$7,816 and the ST-DHW system costing $5,238.

abstract: M.A.Sc.


title: Performing Pedagogies and Exploring Embodied Knowledge as Curatorial Investigation

contributor:
Robertson, Clive
Cultural Studies

subject:
Embodiment
Knowledge
Performance Art
Curation
Performance Pedagogy

abstract: Thesis (Master, Cultural Studies) -- Queen's University, 2016-05-17 16:04:38.989

abstract: Performing Pedagogies was a week-long performance and exhibition series I organized that took place in Kingston, Ontario between March 15th - March 20th 2016.  The motivation for this project came from a desire to explore performative modes of experiencing critical, embodied knowledge.  The series featured five performances, a long distance collaboration between thirty-one Queen’s undergraduate students and a Vancouver artist-run free school (The School for Eventual Vacancy), a subsequent exhibition, a panel discussion, and a radical performance pedagogy workshop led by co-artistic director of the international performance art troupe, La Pocha Nostra. Artists featured included Golboo Amani, Basil AlZeri, Caitlin Chaisson, Justin Langlois, Saul Garcia-Lopez, Francisco-Fernando Granados, and Andrew Rabyniuk.  By curating examples of performance art that variously incorporated embodied pedagogical interventions, I examined the processes of performance as pedagogy.  Performing Pedagogies explored interventions into contemporary contours of neoliberal education paradigms through embodied encounters—fostering conversations about the meanings and limitations of knowledge dissemination and education today and posing questions about possibilities for radical pedagogies, embodied knowledge, and counter curricula.

abstract: M.A.


title: A Cloud-based Framework for Security Analysis of Browser Extensions

contributor:
Zulkernine, Mohammad
Electrical and Computer Engineering

subject: Software Security

abstract: Thesis (Master, Electrical & Computer Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2016-05-18 10:21:15.366

abstract:
In today's internet world, web browsers are an integral part of our day-to-day activities. Therefore, web browser security is a serious concern for all of us. Browsers can be breached in different ways. Because of the over privileged access, extensions are responsible for many security issues. Browser vendors try to keep safe extensions in their official extension galleries. However, their security control measures are not always effective and adequate. The distribution of unsafe extensions through different social engineering techniques is also a very common practice. Therefore, before installation, users should thoroughly analyze the security of browser extensions.

Extensions are not only available for desktop browsers, but many mobile browsers, for example, Firefox for Android and UC browser for Android, are also furnished with extension features. Mobile devices have various resource constraints in terms of computational capabilities, power, network bandwidth, etc. Hence, conventional extension security analysis techniques cannot be efficiently used by end users to examine mobile browser extension security issues. To overcome the inadequacies of the existing approaches, we propose CLOUBEX, a CLOUd-based security analysis framework for both desktop and mobile Browser EXtensions. This framework uses a client-server architecture model. In this framework, compute-intensive security analysis tasks are generally executed in a high-speed computing server hosted in a cloud environment. CLOUBEX is also enriched with a number of essential features, such as client-side analysis, requirements-driven analysis, high performance, and dynamic decision making.

At present, the Firefox extension ecosystem is most susceptible to different security attacks. Hence, the framework is implemented for the security analysis of the Firefox desktop and Firefox for Android mobile browser extensions. A static taint analysis is used to identify malicious information flows in the Firefox extensions. In CLOUBEX, there are three analysis modes. A dynamic decision making algorithm assists us to select the best option based on some important parameters, such as the processing speed of a client device and network connection speed. Using the best analysis mode, performance and power consumption are improved significantly. In the future, this framework can be leveraged for the security analysis of other desktop and mobile browser extensions, too.

abstract: M.A.Sc.


title: Characterization of New Carbosilane Liquid Crystalline Monomers and Dimers

contributor:
Lemieux, Robert P.
Chemistry

subject:
Dimers
Liquid Crystalline
Carbosilane

abstract: Thesis (Master, Chemistry) -- Queen's University, 2016-08-13 05:48:50.237

abstract: ‘De Vries-like’ smectic liquid crystals exhibit low layer contraction of approximately 1% on transitions from the SmA to the SmC phase. These materials have received considerable attention as potential solutions for problems affecting liquid crystal displays using surface-stabilized ferroelectric liquid crystals (SSFLC). In SSFLCs, layer contraction of 710% is normally observed during the SmA to SmC phase transition. A study by the Lemieux group has shown that liquid crystals with nanosegregating carbosilane segments exhibit enhanced ‘de Vries-like’ properties through the formation of smectic layers and by lengthening the nanosegregating carbosilane end-groups from monocarbosilane to tricarbosilane. This observed enhancement is assumed to be due to an increase in the cross-section of the free volume in the hydrocarbon sub-layer. To test this hypothesis, it is assumed that dimers with a tricarbosilane linking group have smaller cross-sections on time average. In his thesis, this hypothesis is tested through the characterization of new liquid crystalline monomers (QL39-n) and dimers (QL40-n) with 2-phenylpyrimidine cores and tricarbosilane end-groups and spacers, respectively. The thesis describes the synthesis of two homologous series of liquid crystals and their characterization using a variety of techniques, including polarized optical microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry and X-ray diffraction. The results show that the monomers QL39-n form a tilted SmC phase only, whereas the dimers QL40-n form an orthogonal SmA phase. These results are discussed in the context of our hypothesis.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Terahertz Response of Excitons in Nanorod Heterostructures

rights: Creative Commons - Attribution-Share Alike - CC BY-SA

subject:
Computational
Envelope Function
Nanorod
Quantum
Exciton
Terahertz

abstract: Thesis (Master, Physics, Engineering Physics and Astronomy) -- Queen's University, 2016-05-18 16:15:59.756

abstract:
Quantum-confined systems are one of the most promising ways to enable us to control a material's interactions with light. Nanorods in particular offer the right dimensions for exploring and manipulating the terahertz region of the spectrum. In this thesis, we model excitons confined inside a nanorod using the envelope function approximation. A region-matching transfer matrix method allows us to simulate excitonic states inside arbitrary heterostructures grown along the length of the rod. We apply the method to colloidal CdSe rods 70 nm in length and under 10 nm in diameter, capped with ligands of DDPA and pyridine. We extend past studies on these types of rods by taking into account their dielectric permittivity mismatch. Compared to previous calculations and experimentally measured terahertz absorption, we predict a higher energy main 1S$z$ to 2P$z$ transition peak. This indicates that the rods are likely larger in diameter than previously thought.

We also investigate a nanorod with GaAs/Al$_{0.3}$Ga$_{0.7}$As coupled double dots. The excitonic transitions were found to be manipulable by varying the strength of an applied electric field.  We employ quasi-static state population distributions to simulate the effects of exciton relaxation from optically active states to dim ground states. A critical value of the applied field, corresponding to the exciton binding energy of ~18 meV, was found to dramatically alter the terahertz absorption due to state mixing. Above this critical field, more nuanced shifts in transition energies were observed, and gain from radiative relaxation to the ground state is predicted.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Countermanding in rats as a practical model for investigation of adaptive control of behaviour, lifespan changes in behavioural control and neurotransmitter function

contributor:
Beninger, Richard J.
Paré, Martin
Neuroscience Studies

subject:
yohimbine
d-amphetamine
error monitoring
SSRT
lifespan
stop-signal

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Neuroscience Studies) -- Queen's University, 2016-05-18 16:16:49.989

abstract:
The countermanding paradigm was designed to investigate the ability to cancel a prepotent response when a stop signal is presented and allows estimation of the stop signal response time (SSRT), an otherwise unobservable behaviour. Humans exhibit adaptive control of behaviour in the countermanding task, proactively lengthening response time (RT) in expectation of stopping and reactively lengthening RT following stop trials or errors. Human performance changes throughout the lifespan, with longer RT, SSRT and greater emphasis on post-error slowing reported for older compared to younger adults. Inhibition in the task has generally been improved by drugs that increase extracellular norepinephrine. The current thesis examined a novel choice response countermanding task in rats to explore whether rodent countermanding performance is a suitable model for the study of adaptive control of behaviour, lifespan changes in behavioural control and the role of neurotransmitters in these behaviours.
Rats reactively adjusted RT in the countermanding task, shortening RT after consecutive correct go trials and lengthening RT following non-cancelled, but not cancelled stop trials, in sessions with a 10 s, but not a 1 s post-error timeout interval. Rats proactively lengthened RT in countermanding task sessions compared to go trial-only sessions. Together, these findings suggest that rats strategically lengthened RT in the countermanding task to improve accuracy and avoid longer, unrewarded timeout intervals. Next, rats exhibited longer RT and relatively conserved post-error slowing, but no significant change in SSRT when tested at 12, compared to 7 months of age, suggesting that rats exhibit changes in countermanding task performance with aging similar to those observed in humans. Finally, acute administration of yohimbine (1.25, 2.5 mg/kg) and d-amphetamine (0.25, 0.5 mg/kg), which putatively increase extracellular norepinephrine and dopamine respectively, resulted in RT shortening, baseline-dependent effects on SSRT, and attenuated adaptive RT adjustments in rats in the case of d-amphetamine. These findings suggest that dopamine and norepinephrine encouraged motivated, reward-seeking behaviour and supported inhibitory control in an inverted-U-like fashion. Taken together, these observations validate the rat countermanding task for further study of the neural correlates and neurotransmitters mediating adaptive control of behaviour and lifespan changes in behavioural control.

abstract: PhD


title: Surveillance Studies and the Surveilled Subject

contributor:
Lyon, David
Sociology

subject:
Surveillance Studies
Identity
Defining Surveillance
Surveilled Subject
Procedural Justice
Pearson International Airport

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Sociology) -- Queen's University, 2016-05-19 11:46:16.165

abstract: Surveillance studies has been somewhat inattentive to the perspective of the surveilled subject. It is the functioning of the surveillance apparatus, not the relatively inconsequential subject, which has tended to frame the focus of surveillance inquiries; leaving understandings of surveilled subjects’ experiences relatively limited. This research addresses this gap in the literature, exploring ways in which surveillance studies might understand the surveilled subject with greater consistency. Participants (N=47) shared their encounters with and perceptions of surveillance in a specific (Pearson International Airport) and general (everyday life) context through semi-structured interviews. The findings suggest that surveilled subjects’ encounters can be understood with some consistency – characterized by consistent criteria across subjects and contexts, and through a consistent theoretical framework across subjects in a specific context. However, consistency should not be confused with uniformity; encounters with surveillance must also be recognized for the extent to which they are nuanced and situated. For example, as this study also highlights, participants’ perceptions of encounters with surveillance at Pearson International Airport were differentially distributed in relation to identity characteristics (particularly minority status).

abstract: Intention to publish ideas and data that would be jeopardized by providing unrestricted access.

abstract: PhD


title: Beyond Words: How Learning to Read and Mental Health Are Related for Struggling Readers

contributor:
Hutchinson, Nancy L.
Education

subject: Dyslexia

subject: Emotional and Behavioural Disorders (EBD)

subject: Reading Problems

subject: Thriving

subject: Mental Health

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Education) -- Queen's University, 2016-05-18 20:45:19.398

abstract:
The overarching purpose of this research program was to describe how intervening for academic deficits may be accompanied by changes in mental health. This multi-dimensional, multi-perspective, and iterative research program was developed to report on two distinct but related studies that addressed the same issue: in what ways does the mental health of students change as they transition from being struggling readers to more able readers? To describe the changes, these studies used a number of qualitative research methodologies—focus groups, individual interviews, and ethnographic case studies. Themes that emerged from the focus group and interview data in the first study were used to create a model that guided observations and interview questions in the second study.
The first study described what parents, classroom teachers, and two reading instructors of nine previously struggling readers reported as the outcomes of becoming a more proficient reader. Data from this study indicated three broad domains in which change, as perceived by participants, occurred―cognitive/learning, behavioural/social, and psychological/emotional. Within these three domains, six dimensions were identified as having changed as reading improved: (a) academic achievement, (b) attitude, (c) attention, (d) behaviour, (e) mental health, and (f) empowerment. These domains, dimensions, and 15 constituent elements were used to create the model to guide the subsequent study. The purpose of the second study was to validate and refine this model by using an ethnographic case study approach to explore the ways in which the model accounted for the changes in reading and mental health seen in three boys over the months they participated in the intervention.
By investigating the relationship between learning to read and mental health, this research aimed to enhance our understanding of how gains in reading may also improve the mental health of struggling readers. The model was found to be robust and a convenient conceptual framework to further our understanding of this relationship. Importantly, gains made in the cognitive/learning domain through an effective reading intervention, offered in a supportive learning environment, were shown to be accompanied by concomitant gains in both the behavioural/social and psychological/emotional domains—all of which enhance student thriving.

abstract: PhD


title: Assessing the Implementation of a Secondary Plan Using a Conformance-Based GIS Method: A Pilot Project in Winnipeg, Manitoba

subject:
Implementation
Evaluation
Conformance Analysis

abstract: This case study evaluates the implementation of a secondary land use plan in Winnipeg, MB. The area selected for this case study is the Northeast Neighbourhood located in Waverley West; the development of this neighbourhood was guided by the Northeast Neighbourhood Area Structure Plan (NNASP). This case study evaluates the implementation of the NNASP through a conformance analysis which answers the following research questions: 1) Does the developed land use pattern in the NNASP area conform to what was planned; and 2) Does the implementation of the NNASP conform to the goals, objectives, policies, and intent of the plan? The implementation of the NNASP was evaluated against 62 evaluation criteria which were generated based on the policies of the NNASP. Using this method, the development of the Northeast Neighbourhood is effectively evaluated against the requirements of the NNASP. This conformity test utilized threefold approach including GIS analysis, a site visit, and document analysis.


title: Religious Sculpture of the Chiloé Archipelago, From the 17th to the 21st Century

contributor:
Bailey, Gauvin Alexander
Art History

subject:
Chile
Colonial Art
Jesuit Missions
Vernacular
Sculpture
Chiloé Archipelago

abstract: Thesis (Master, Art History) -- Queen's University, 2016-05-20 13:45:44.22

abstract: Despite its central role in religious life of the region, the sculptural tradition of the Southern Chilean Chiloé Archipelago, ranging from the 17th century to the present day, has been vastly understudied. Isidoro Vázquez de Acuña’s 1994 volume Santeria de Chiloe: ensayo y catastro remains the only catalogue of Chilote sculpture. Though the author includes photographs of a vast array of works, he does not attempt to place the sculptures within a chronology, or consider their place within the greater Latin American context. My thesis will place this group of works within a chronological and geographical context that reaches from the 16th century to the present day, connected to the artistic traditions of regions as far afield as Paraguay and Lima. I will first consider the works brought to the Archipelago by religious orders – the Jesuits and Franciscans – as well as influences on artistic style and religious culture throughout the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. I will focus in particular on three works generally considered to be from the 17th and 18th centuries – the Virgin of Loreto at Achao, the Saint Michael at Castro, and the Jesus Nazareno of Caguach – using visual analysis and sifting through generations of primary and secondary sources to determine from where and when these sculptures came. With this investigation as a foundation, I will consider how they inspired vernacular sculptural expression and trace ‘family trees’ of vernacular works based on these precedents. Vernacular artistic traditions are often viewed as derivative and lacking in skill, but Chilote sculptors in fact engaged with a variety of outside influences and experimented with different sculptural styles. I will conclude by considering which aspects of these styles Chilote artists chose to incorporate into their own work, alter or exclude, artistic decisions that shed light on the Archipelago’s religious and cultural fabric.

abstract: In case of continuation in PhD

abstract: M.A.


title: Lost in Translation? Russian Media Portrayals and Laypersons’ Interpretations of Angelina Jolie’s Breast Cancer Discourse

contributor:
King, Samantha J.
Kinesiology and Health Studies

subject:
Media Studies
Sociology of body
Breast cancer
Intercultural communication
Health Communication

abstract: Thesis (Master, Kinesiology & Health Studies) -- Queen's University, 2016-05-20 16:22:34.217

abstract:
In May 2013, Angelina Jolie revealed that because she had a family history of breast and ovarian cancer and carried a rare BRCA gene mutation, she had undergone a preventive double mastectomy. Media coverage has been extensive around the world, including in Russia, not an English-language country, where all global news is inevitably filtered by translation. After examining the reactions of Russian mass media and members of the public to Jolie’s disclosure, I consider what transformations have occurred with Jolie’s message in the process of cross-cultural transfer. I explore the mass media portrayal of Jolie’s announcement, laypersons’ immediate and prolonged reactions, and the reflections of patients involved directly in the field of hereditary breast cancer. To my knowledge, this multifaceted and bilingual project is the first conceptualization of Jolie’s story as it has been translated in a different sociocultural environment.
I start with examination of offline and online publications that appeared in Russia within two months after Jolie’s announcement. In this part of my analysis, I conceptualize the representation of Jolie’s case in Russian mass media and grasp what sociocultural waves were generated by this case among general lay audiences. Another part of my study contains the results of qualitative in-depth interviews. Eight women with a family history of hereditary breast cancer were recruited to participate in the research. The findings represent Jolie’s case through the eyes of Russian women with the same gene mutation as Jolie.
Consolidating my findings, I argue that Jolie’s announcement was misinterpreted and misrepresented by Russian mass media, as well as misunderstood by a considerable part of the media audience. Jolie’s perspective on hereditary breast cancer mostly remained unheard among members of the Russian public. I make suggestions about the reasons for such a phenomenon, and demonstrate how Jolie’s case is implicated in politics, economics, and the culture of contemporary Russia.

abstract: I would like to restrict my thesis because I want to protect rights to commercial publication.

abstract: M.A.


title: Investigating the potential magnetic origin of wind variability in OB stars

subject:
astrophysics
stellar winds
massive stars

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Physics, Engineering Physics and Astronomy) -- Queen's University, 2016-05-23 13:05:45.818

abstract:
In this thesis, the origin of large-scale structures in hot star winds, believed to be responsible for the presence of discrete absorption components (DACs) in the absorption troughs of ultraviolet resonance lines, is constrained using both observations and numerical simulations. These structures are understood as arising from bright regions on the stellar surface, although their physical cause remains unknown.
First, we use high quality circular spectropolarimetric observations of 13 well-studied OB stars to evaluate the potential role of dipolar magnetic fields in producing DACs. We perform longitudinal field measurements and place limits on the field strength using Bayesian inference, assuming that it is dipolar. No magnetic field was detected within this sample. The derived constraints statistically refute any significant dynamical influence from a magnetic dipole on the wind for all of these stars, ruling out such fields as a cause for DACs.
Second, we perform numerical simulations using bright spots constrained by broadband optical photometric observations. We calculate hydrodynamical wind models using three sets of spot sizes and strengths. Co-rotating interaction regions are yielded in each model, and radiative transfer shows that the properties of the variations in the UV resonance lines synthesized from these models are consistent with those found in observed UV spectra, establishing the first consistent link between UV spectroscopic line profile variability and photometric variations and thus supporting the bright spot paradigm (BSP).
Finally, we develop and apply a phenomenological model to quantify the measurable effects co-rotating bright spots would have on broadband optical photometry and on the profiles of photopheric lines in optical spectra. This model can be used to evaluate the existence of these spots, and, in the event of their detection, characterize them. Furthermore, a tentative spot evolution model is presented. A preliminary analysis of its output, compared to the observed photometric variations of xi Persei, suggests the possible existence of “active longitudes” on the surface of this star.
Future work will expand the range of observational diagnostics that can be interpreted within the BSP, and link phenomenology (bright spots) to physical processes (magnetic spots or non-radial pulsations).

abstract: PhD


title: Essays on Firm Heterogeneity with Empirical Applications in Economic History and Agricultural Economics

contributor:
Lapham, Beverly J.
Economics

subject: Firm Heterogeneity, Productivity

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Economics) -- Queen's University, 2016-05-24 15:24:38.381

abstract: This thesis uses models of firm-heterogeneity to complete empirical analyses in economic history and agricultural economics.  In Chapter 2, a theoretical model of firm heterogeneity is used to derive a statistic that summarizes the welfare gains from the introduction of a new technology.  The empirical application considers the use of mechanical steam power in the Canadian manufacturing sector during the late nineteenth century. I exploit exogenous variation in geography to estimate several parameters of the model.  My results indicate that the use of steam power resulted in a 15.1 percent increase in firm-level productivity and a 3.0-5.2 percent increase in aggregate welfare.  Chapter 3 considers various policy alternatives to price ceiling legislation in the market for production quotas in the dairy farming sector in Quebec.  I develop a dynamic model of the demand for quotas with farmers that are heterogeneous in their marginal cost of milk production.  The econometric analysis uses farm-level data and estimates a parameter of the theoretical model that is required for the counterfactual experiments.  The results indicate that the price of quotas could be reduced to the ceiling price through a 4.16 percent expansion of the aggregate supply of quotas, or through moderate trade liberalization of Canadian dairy products.  In Chapter 4, I study the relationship between farm-level productivity and participation in the Commercial Export Milk (CEM) program.  I use a difference-in-difference research design with inverse propensity weights to test for causality between participation in the CEM program and total factor productivity (TFP).  I find a positive correlation between participation in the CEM program and TFP, however I find no statistically significant evidence that the CEM program affected TFP.

abstract: PhD


title: Perspectives of Teachers Regarding the Integration of Mathematics and Science at the Secondary School Level

contributor:
Klinger, Don A.
Education

subject: Integration Science Education Mathematics

abstract: Thesis (Master, Education) -- Queen's University, 2016-05-25 12:41:47.075

abstract:
The integration of mathematics and science in secondary schools in the 21st century continues to be an important topic of practice and research. The purpose of my research study, which builds on studies by Frykholm and Glasson (2005) and Berlin and White (2010), is to explore the potential constraints and benefits of integrating mathematics and science in Ontario secondary schools based on the perspectives of in-service and pre-service teachers with various math and/or science backgrounds.
	A qualitative and quantitative research design with an exploratory approach was used. The qualitative data was collected from a sample of 12 in-service teachers with various math and/or science backgrounds recruited from two school boards in Eastern Ontario. The quantitative and some qualitative data was collected from a sample of 81 pre-service teachers from the Queen’s University Bachelor of Education (B.Ed) program. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the in-service teachers while a survey and a focus group was conducted with the pre-service teachers. Once the data was collected, the qualitative data were abductively analyzed. For the quantitative data, descriptive and inferential statistics (one-way ANOVAs and Pearson Chi Square analyses) were calculated to examine perspectives of teachers regardless of teaching background and to compare groups of teachers based on teaching background.
	The findings of this study suggest that in-service and pre-service teachers have a positive attitude towards the integration of math and science and view it as valuable to student learning and success. The pre-service teachers viewed the integration as easy and did not express concerns to this integration. On the other hand, the in-service teachers highlighted concerns and challenges such as resources, scheduling, and time constraints. My results illustrate when teachers perceive it is valuable to integrate math and science and which aspects of the classroom benefit best from the integration. Furthermore, the results highlight barriers and possible solutions to better the integration of math and science. In addition to the benefits and constraints of integration, my results illustrate why some teachers may opt out of integrating math and science and the different strategies teachers have incorporated to integrate math and science in their classroom.

abstract: M.Ed.


title: Evaluating Spirulina as a protein source in Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) grow-out diets

contributor:
Tufts, Bruce L.
Biology

subject: Nutrition Aquaculture

abstract: Thesis (Master, Biology) -- Queen's University, 2016-05-24 20:52:14.69

abstract: Aquaculture growth has intensified the need for a diversification of nutritionally appropriate aquafeed ingredients. The purpose of this study was to evaluate Spirulina, a blue-green microalgae, and soybean meal as the sole protein sources in grow-out Tilapia diets. We constructed 3 experimental diets with soybean meal and 0,15, 30, and 45% Spirulina (SBM, SP15, SP30, and SP45 respectively) as their main protein sources. We compared these diets to a commercial Tilapia diet (CC). Additionally, to evaluate the benefit of fishmeal inclusion, fishmeal was added (2 and 10%) to the most successful Spirulina containing diet (FM2, FM10). We evaluated these experimental diets based on their physical properties, palatability, growth potential, waste production, and overall cost. No significant differences in growth performance were found between any of the diets. Total ammonia nitrogen (TAN) and total phosphorus (TP) levels in each tank were significantly affected by diet (p<0.05). CC had significantly higher TP than the experimental diets and SP15 had significantly higher TAN than the other diets. Only CC was found to be significantly more palatable than the experimental diets, and Spirulina inclusion was inversely correlated to pellet stability. Lastly, SP15 was the most profitable experimental diet. We recommend eliminating fishmeal from grow-out Tilapia diets in favour of soybean meal and Spirulina. Spirulina should, however, be limited to 15% to avoid the negative effects it has on stability and profitability, and its possible effect on feed intake.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Assisting End-users in Filling Out Web Services

contributor:
Zou, Ying
Computing

subject:
Information Reuse
User Contexts
Usage Patterns
Web Service
Learning-to-Rank
Input Parameter Value Recommendation
Machine Learning
Service Composition

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Computing) -- Queen's University, 2016-05-31 20:23:36.45

abstract:
With the quick advance of web service technologies, end-users can conduct various on-line tasks, such as shopping on-line. Usually, end-users compose a set of services to accomplish a task, and need to enter values to services to invoke the composite services. Quite often, users re-visit websites and use services to perform re-occurring tasks. The users are required to enter the same information into various web services to accomplish such re-occurring tasks. However, repetitively typing the same information into services is a tedious job for end-users. It can negatively impact user experience when an end-user needs to type the re-occurring information repetitively into web services.
Recent studies have proposed several approaches to help users fill in values to services automatically. However, prior studies mainly suffer the following drawbacks: (1) limited support of collecting and analyzing user inputs; (2) poor accuracy of filling values to services; (3) not designed for service composition. To overcome the aforementioned drawbacks, we need maximize the reuse of previous user inputs across services and end-users.
In this thesis, we introduce our approaches that prevent end-users from entering the same information into repetitive on-line tasks. More specifically, we improve the process of filling out services in the following 4 aspects: First, we investigate the characteristics of input parameters. We propose an ontology-based approach to automatically categorize parameters and fill values to the categorized input parameters. Second, we propose a comprehensive framework that leverages user contexts and usage patterns into the process of filling values to services. Third, we propose an approach for maximizing the value propagation among services and end-users by linking a set of semantically related parameters together and similar end-users. Last, we propose a ranking-based framework that ranks a list of previous user inputs for an input parameter to save a user from unnecessary data entries. Our framework learns and analyzes interactions of user inputs and input parameters to rank user inputs for input parameters under different contexts.

abstract: PhD


title: Rowing Biomechanics: Technique Changes with an Increase of Power Demand

contributor:
Costigan, Patrick
Kinesiology and Health Studies

subject:
rowing
thoracic spine
biomechanics

abstract: Thesis (Master, Kinesiology & Health Studies) -- Queen's University, 2016-05-25 16:59:10.863

abstract:
The sport of rowing has become more popular in the past decade. While it is a relatively low impact sport, injuries can occur, specifically to the ribs (Karlson K. A., 1998) and more often in female athletes (Hickey, Fricker, & McDonald , 1997). It has been proposed that as the athlete rows, applying a cyclical load to the body, the mid trapezius fatigues and is unable to resist the force produced during the drive phase (Warden S. J., Gutschlag, Wajswelner, & Crossley, 2002). Once this happens, the scapulae are then pulled anterio-laterally which increases the compression force on the ribs, increasing the risk of injury.
The rowing motion of 12 female varsity and club rowers was tracked as they completed a fatiguing rowing test on a rowing ergometer.
Results showed that the curvature of thoracic spine changed throughout the rowing cycle but did not change with increasing power level. The transverse shoulder angle decreased (the upper back was less straight) as power level increased (R2=-0.69±19), suggesting that the scapula moved anterio-laterally. This may be that as it tired, the mid-trapezius was unable to hold the scapulae in position. The decreasing transverse shoulder angle when the power level is increased indirectly supports the fatiguing of the retractor muscles as a mechanism of injury. It would be valuable to understand the limitations of each athlete and to be able to prescribe the optimal training zone to reduce the risk of injury.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Background Measurement Techniques and Sensitivity Studies for the SNO+ Neutrinoless Double Beta Decay Search

subject: Background Physics Double-Beta SNO+ Neutrino

abstract: Thesis (Master, Physics, Engineering Physics and Astronomy) -- Queen's University, 2016-05-30 14:43:40.374

abstract: The control of radioactive backgrounds will be key in the search for neutrinoless double beta decay at the SNO+ experiment. Several aspects of the SNO+ back-grounds have been studied. The SNO+ tellurium purification process may require ultra low background ethanol as a reagent. A low background assay technique for ethanol was developed and used to identify a source of ethanol with measured 238U and 232Th concentrations below 2.8 10^-13 g/g and 10^-14 g/g respectively. It was also determined that at least 99:997% of the ethanol can be removed from the purified tellurium using forced air flow in order to reduce 14C contamination. In addition, a quality-control technique using an oxygen sensor was studied to monitor 222Rn contamination due to air leaking into the SNO+ scintillator during transport. The expected sensitivity of the technique is 0.1mBq/L or better depending on the oxygen sensor used. Finally, the dependence of SNO+ neutrinoless double beta decay sensitivity on internal background levels was studied using Monte Carlo simulation. The half-life limit to neutrinoless double beta decay of 130Te after 3 years of operation was found to be 4.8 1025 years under default conditions.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Robotic Outcome Assessment in a Non-Human Primate Model of Middle Cerebral Artery Stroke

contributor:
Cook, Douglas James
Neuroscience Studies

subject:
Stroke
Non-Human Primate
Translational Research
KINARM

abstract: Thesis (Master, Neuroscience Studies) -- Queen's University, 2016-05-29 06:45:30.486

abstract:
Stroke is a prevalent disorder with immense socioeconomic impact. A variety of chronic neurological deficits result from stroke. In particular, sensorimotor deficits are a significant barrier to achieving post-stroke independence. Unfortunately, the majority of pre-clinical studies that show improved outcomes in animal stroke models have failed in clinical trials. Pre-clinical studies using non-human primate (NHP) stroke models prior to initiating human trials are a potential step to improving translation from animal studies to clinical trials. Robotic assessment tools represent a quantitative, reliable, and reproducible means to assess reaching behaviour following stroke in both humans and NHPs. We investigated the use of robotic technology to assess sensorimotor impairments in NHPs following middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). Two cynomolgus macaques underwent transient MCAO for 90 minutes. Approximately 1.5 years following the procedure these NHPs and two non-stroke control monkeys were trained in a reaching task with both arms in the KINARM exoskeleton. This robot permits elbow and shoulder movements in the horizontal plane. The task required NHPs to make reaching movements from a centrally positioned start target to 1 of 8 peripheral targets uniformly distributed around the first target. We analyzed four movement parameters: reaction time, movement time (MT), initial direction error (IDE), and number of speed maxima to characterize sensorimotor deficiencies. We hypothesized reduced performance in these attributes during a neurobehavioural task with the paretic limb of NHPs following MCAO compared to controls.
Reaching movements in the non-affected limbs of control and experimental NHPs showed bell-shaped velocity profiles. In contrast, the reaching movements with the affected limbs were highly variable. We found distinctive patterns in MT, IDE, and number of speed peaks between control and experimental monkeys and between limbs of NHPs with MCAO. NHPs with MCAO demonstrated more speed peaks, longer MTs, and greater IDE in their paretic limb compared to controls. These initial results qualitatively match human stroke subjects’ performance, suggesting that robotic neurobehavioural assessment in NHPs with stroke is feasible and could have translational relevance in subsequent human studies. Further studies will be necessary to replicate and expand on these preliminary findings.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: An Exploration of the challenges associated with software logging in large systems

contributor:
Hassan, Ahmed E.
Computing

subject: Logging, Logging library migration

abstract: Thesis (Master, Computing) -- Queen's University, 2016-05-29 18:11:34.114

abstract:
Over the past few years, logging has evolved from from simple printf statements to
more complex and widely used logging libraries. Today logging information is used
to support various development activities such as fixing bugs, analyzing the results
of load tests, monitoring performance and transferring knowledge. Recent research
has examined how to improve logging practices by informing developers what to log
and where to log. Furthermore, the strong dependence on logging has led to the
development of logging libraries that have reduced the intricacies of logging, which
has resulted in an abundance of log information.
Two recent challenges have emerged as modern software systems start to treat
logging as a core aspect of their software. In particular, 1) infrastructural challenges
have emerged due to the plethora of logging libraries available today and 2) processing
challenges have emerged due to the large number of log processing tools that ingest
logs and produce useful information from them. In this thesis, we explore these two
challenges.  We first explore the infrastructural challenges that arise due to the plethora of
logging libraries available today. As systems evolve, their logging infrastructure has
to evolve (commonly this is done by migrating to new logging libraries). We explore
logging library migrations within Apache Software Foundation (ASF) projects. We
i
find that close to 14% of the pro jects within the ASF migrate their logging libraries at
least once. For processing challenges, we explore the different factors which can affect the
likelihood of a logging statement changing in the future in four open source systems
namely ActiveMQ, Camel, Cloudstack and Liferay. Such changes are likely to negatively impact the log processing tools that must be updated to accommodate such
changes. We find that 20%-45% of the logging statements within the four systems
are changed at least once. We construct random forest classifiers and Cox models
to determine the likelihood of both just-introduced and long-lived logging statements
changing in the future. We find that file ownership, developer experience, log density
and SLOC are important factors in determining the stability of logging statements.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Intraspecific Behavioural Diversity in a Freshwater Zooplankton: A study of the fitness consequences of vertical migration behaviour for distinct morphs of Daphnia pulicaria

contributor:
Nelson, William A.
Biology

subject:
Zooplankton
Diel Vertical Migration
Behaviour
Intraspecific Diversity
Fitness
Aquatic Ecology

abstract: Thesis (Master, Biology) -- Queen's University, 2016-05-29 23:32:19.865

abstract: The literature on niche separation and coexistence between species is large, but there is widespread variation in behavioural strategy between individuals of the same species that has received much less attention. Understanding what maintains this diversity is important because intraspecific behavioural diversity can affect population dynamics and community interactions. Multiple behavioural strategies can arise either as phenotype-dependent ‘conditional strategies’, where phenotypic variation causes individuals to adopt different strategies for optimizing fitness, or as internally-independent ‘alternative strategies’, where multiple fitness peaks exist for individuals and strategic ‘choice’ remains plastic. Though intraspecific variation in stable phenotypes is known to maintain intraspecific behavioural diversity through conditional strategies, when internal conditions are highly plastic or reversible, it is not clear whether individual behaviours are maintained as conditional strategies, or as alternative strategies of equal fitness. In this study, I combine an observational and experimental approach to identify the likely mechanisms maintaining behavioural diversity between hemoglobin-rich and hemoglobin-poor morphs in a natural population of Daphnia pulicaria. In Round Lake, individuals with low hemoglobin migrate daily from the hypolimnion to the epilimnion, whereas individuals with high hemoglobin remain in the hypolimnion. Using high-resolution depth and time sampling, I discovered behavioural diversity both within and among hemoglobin phenotypes. I tested the role of hemoglobin phenotype in maintaining behavioural diversity using automated migration robots that move individuals across the natural environmental gradients in the lake. By measuring the fitness of each morph undergoing either a natural migration behaviour, or the migration of the opposite morph, I found that the fitness of hemoglobin rich and poor morphs in their natural behaviour does not differ, but that Hb-rich individuals can obtain equal fitness from either behaviour, while Hb-poor morphs suffer substantial drops in survivorship in the alternate migration behaviour. Thus, migration behaviour in this system exists as a conditional strategy for some individuals, and as alternative strategies of equal fitness for others. The results of this study suggest that individual limits in the expression of highly flexible internal conditions can reinforce intraspecific behavioural diversity. Few studies have measured the fitness consequences of switching migration strategies and this study provides a rare example in the field.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Helping Youth With Autism Spectrum Disorder Develop Social Competence in Community-Based Settings

contributor:
Freeman, John G.
Education

subject:
iPad
Play
Community-Based
Intervention
Social Competence
Naturalistic
Adolescence
Thriving
Autism Spectrum Disorder
Initiations
Technology
LEGO
Toys
Video Games
Minecraft
Vygotsky
Zone of Proximal Development
Play-Based

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Education) -- Queen's University, 2016-05-30 10:14:05.367

abstract:
The purpose of the current dissertation is to identify the features of effective interventions by exploring the experiences of youth with ASD who participate in such interventions, through two intervention studies (Studies 1 and 2) and one interview study (Study 3).
Studies 1 and 2 were designed to support the development of social competence of youth with ASD through Structured Play with LEGO TM (Study 1, 12 youths with ASD, ages 7–12) and Minecraft TM (Study 2, 4 youths with ASD, ages 11–13). Over the course of the sessions, the play of the youth developed from parallel play (children playing alone, without interacting) to co-operative play (playing together with shared objectives). The results of Study 2 showed that rates of initiations and levels of engagement increased from the first session to the final session.
In Study 3, 12 youths with ASD (ages 10–14) and at least one of their parents were interviewed to explore what children and their parents want from programs designed to improve social competence, which activities and practices were perceived to promote social competence by the participants, and which factors affected their decisions regarding these programs. The adolescents and parents looked for programs that supported social development and emotional wellbeing, but did not always have access to the programs they would have preferred, with factors such as cost and location reducing their options.
Three overarching themes emerged through analysis of the three studies: (a) interests of the youth; (b) structure, both through interactions and instruction; and (c) naturalistic settings. Adolescents generally engage more willingly in interventions that incorporate their
interests, such as play with Minecraft TM in Study 2. Additionally, Structured Play and structured instruction were crucial components of providing safe and supportive contexts for the development of social competence. Finally, skills learned in naturalistic settings tend to be applied more successfully in everyday situations. The themes are analysed through the lens of Vygotsky’s (1978) perspectives on learning, play, and development. Implications of the results for practitioners and researchers are discussed.

abstract: PhD


title: Need To Be Adored

contributor:
Kibbins, Gary
Cultural Studies

subject:
art
disability culture

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Cultural Studies) -- Queen's University, 2016-05-30 11:40:06.685

abstract:
Faced with a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis, I began with the objective of discovering methods for creating art that were still accessible to me. Along the way, I encountered others who had travelled this road before me. Their experiences led me to examine, not only my art, but also my political orientations, my love obligations and my transitioning self. In my varied art pieces, I conjure something from diverse sources and different worldviews, including contemporary feminist performance art and disability cultural theory.

My thesis is a project. I make things: puppets, videos and performances, which included the exhibition, Need to be Adored (2014), staged in the digital media lab of the Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. The exhibition introduced thirteen of my puppets and a thirty-two-minute looped video. Following the exhibition, I put the puppets away and spent two years reading. Finally, taking my inspiration from Carolyn Ellis’s The Autoethnographic I (Ellis 2004), I turned my processes into words. I wrote out my experiences. I created an alternative text of my identity from an able-bodied cis-identified woman into a disabled trans-feminist artist academic.

The writing required an uncomfortably intimate examination of my life. Nothing less than complete honesty would allow me to understand my new location. The resulting text is a lyrical and sometimes whimsical flow of consciousness that invites the reader to imagine what it might be like to engage in such a candid review of everything one holds close to one’s heart.

Contained within are all my identities. In this text I let some out. This is a story of unsettling. I am working on my art practices, creating a cast of characters from cloth. Puppets. El becomes the exulted main character of a fictional accounting. She uncovers her queer roots and begins to see that she is at the centre of a very strange geography. Her desire to make film is revealed as she re-remembers her childhood through a disability lens.

abstract: PhD


title: Implementing the Physical Literacy Component of the 2015 Ontario Health and Physical Education Curriculum: Is the Stage Set?

contributor:
Lévesque, Lucie L.
Kinesiology and Health Studies

subject: physical literacy

subject: health and physical education curriculum

abstract: Thesis (Master, Kinesiology & Health Studies) -- Queen's University, 2016-05-30 12:18:21.402

abstract: Introduction: Current physical activity levels among children and youth are alarmingly low; a mere 7% of children and youth are meeting the Canadian Physical Activity Guidelines (Colley et al., 2011), which means that the vast majority of this population is at risk of developing major health problems in adulthood (Janssen & Leblanc, 2010). These high inactivity rates may be related to suboptimal experiences in sport and physical activity stemming from a lack of competence and confidence (Lubans, Morgan, Cliff, Barnett, & Okely, 2010). Developing a foundation of physical literacy can encourage and maintain lifelong physical activity, yet this does not always occur naturally as a part of human growth (Hardman, 2011). An ideal setting to foster the growth and development of physical literacy is physical education class. Physical education class can offer all children and youth an equal opportunity to learn and practice the skills needed to be active for life (Hardman, 2011). Elementary school teachers are responsible for delivering the physical education curriculum, and it is important to understand their will and capacity as the implementing agents of physical literacy development curriculum (McLaughlin, 1987). Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore the physical literacy component of the 2015 Ontario Health and Physical Education curriculum policy through the eyes of key informants, and to explore the resources available for the implementation of this new policy. Methods: Qualitative interviews were conducted with seven key informants of the curriculum policy development, including two teachers. In tandem with the interviews, a resource inventory and curriculum review were conducted to assess the content and availability of physical literacy resources. All data were analyzed through the lens of Hogwood and Gunn’s (1984) 10 preconditions for policy implementation. Results: Participants discussed how implementation is affected by: accountability, external capacity, internal capacity, awareness and understanding of physical literacy, implementation expertise, and policy climate. Discussion: Participants voiced similar opinions on most issues, and the overall lack of attention given to physical education programs in schools will continue to be a major dilemma when trying to combat such high physical inactivity levels.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: The syntheses and characterization of nickel complexes; investigation of Ni(dppp)2 and [NiX(dppp)n]x, potentially catalytically active nickel(0)/(I) species for cross-coupling reactions

contributor:
Baird, Michael C.
Chemistry

subject: NiI2(dppp)

subject: NiCl2(dppp)

subject: Ni(I) complex

subject: diamagnetic square planar

subject: Ni(dppp)2

subject: paramagnetic tetrahedral

subject: solid state NMR

subject: NiBr2(dppp)

abstract: Thesis (Master, Chemistry) -- Queen's University, 2016-05-30 12:29:36.154

abstract:
This thesis describes an investigation in which we compare Ni(0), Ni(I) and Ni(II) complexes containing 1,3-bis(diphenylphosphino)propane (dppp) as a phosphine ligand for their abilities to effect three types of cross-coupling reactions: Buchwald-Hartwig Amination, Heck-Mizoroki, and Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reactions with different types of substrates. The Ni(0) complex Ni(dppp)2 is known and we have synthesized it
via a new procedure involving zinc reduction of the known NiCl2(dppp) in the presence of an excess of dppp. The Ni(0) complex was characterized by NMR spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography. Since Ni(I) complexes of dppp seem unknown, we have synthesized what at this stage appear to be NiXdpppn/[NiX(dppp)n]x (X = Cl, Br, I; n = 1,2, x = 1, 2) by comproportionation of molar equivalents of Ni(dppp)2 and NiX2dppp, X=
Cl, Br, I.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: The Use of Nudges in Exergames to Moderate Player Exertion

contributor:
Graham, Nicholas
Computing

subject:
computer science
serious games
exergames
human computer interaction

abstract: Thesis (Master, Computing) -- Queen's University, 2016-05-31 12:05:12.205

abstract:
Exergames are digital games with a physical exertion component. Exergames can help motivate fitness in people not inclined toward exercise. However, players of exergames sometimes over-exert, risking adverse health effects. These players must be told to slow down, but doing so may distract them from gameplay and diminish their desire to keep exercising.
	In this thesis we apply the concept of nudges—indirect suggestions that gently push people toward a desired behaviour—to keeping exergame players from over-exerting. We describe the effective use of nudges through a set of four design principles: natural integration, comprehension, progression, and multiple channels.
	We describe two exergames modified to use nudges to persuade players to slow down, and describe the studies evaluating the use of nudges in these games. PlaneGame shows that nudges can be as effective as an explicit textual display to control player over-exertion. Gekku Race demonstrates that nudges are not necessarily effective when players have a strong incentive to over-exert. However, Gekku Race also shows that, even in high-energy games, the power of nudges can be maintained by adding negative consequences to the nudges. We use the term "shove" to describe a nudge using negative consequences to increase its pressure.
	We were concerned that making players slow down would damage their immersion—the feeling of being engaged with a game. However, testing showed no loss of immersion through the use of nudges to reduce exertion.
	Players reported that the nudges and shoves motivated them to slow down when they were over-exerting, and fit naturally into the games.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Tight-Binding Approximations in 1D and 2D Coupled-Cavity Photonic Crystal Structures

subject:
Photonic Crystals
Tight-Binding Approximation
Coupled-Cavity

abstract: Thesis (Master, Physics, Engineering Physics and Astronomy) -- Queen's University, 2016-05-31 13:02:43.323

abstract:
Light confinement and controlling an optical field has numerous applications in the field of telecommunications for optical signals processing. When the wavelength of the electromagnetic field is on the order of the period of a photonic microstructure, the field undergoes reflection, refraction, and coherent scattering. This produces photonic bandgaps, forbidden frequency regions or spectral stop bands where light cannot exist. Dielectric perturbations that break the perfect periodicity of these structures produce what is analogous to an impurity state in the bandgap of a semiconductor. The defect modes that exist at discrete frequencies within the photonic bandgap are spatially localized about the cavity-defects in the photonic crystal. In this thesis the properties of two tight-binding approximations (TBAs) are investigated in one-dimensional and two-dimensional coupled-cavity photonic crystal structures

We require an efficient and simple approach that ensures the continuity of the electromagnetic field across dielectric interfaces in complex structures. In this thesis we develop \textrm{E}
 -- and \textrm{D}
 --TBAs to calculate the modes in finite 1D and 2D two-defect coupled-cavity photonic crystal structures. In the \textrm{E}
 -- and \textrm{D}
 --TBAs we expand the coupled-cavity \overrightarrow{E}
 --modes in terms of the individual \overrightarrow{E}
 -- and \overrightarrow{D}
 --modes, respectively. We investigate the dependence of the defect modes, their frequencies and quality factors on the relative placement of the defects in the photonic crystal structures. We then elucidate the differences between the two TBA formulations, and describe the conditions under which these formulations may be more robust when encountering a dielectric perturbation. Our 1D analysis showed that the 1D modes were sensitive to the structure geometry. The antisymmetric \textrm{D}
  mode amplitudes show that the \textrm{D}
 --TBA did not capture the correct (tangential \overrightarrow{E}
 --field) boundary conditions. However, the \textrm{D}
 --TBA did not yield significantly poorer results compared to the \textrm{E}
 --TBA. Our 2D analysis reveals that the \textrm{E}
 -- and \textrm{D}
 --TBAs produced nearly identical mode profiles for every structure. Plots of the relative difference between the \textrm{E}
  and \textrm{D}
  mode amplitudes show that the \textrm{D}
 --TBA did capture the correct (normal \overrightarrow{E}
 --field) boundary conditions. We found that the 2D TBA CC mode calculations were 125-150 times faster than an FDTD calculation for the same two-defect PCS. Notwithstanding this efficiency, the appropriateness of either TBA was found to depend on the geometry of the structure and the mode(s), i.e. whether or not the mode has a large normal or tangential component.

abstract: M.Sc.