title: Mass Romantics: Grappling with Genre in 2000s Indie Rock

contributor:
Fountain School of Performing Arts
Master of Arts
Theo Cateforis
Jennifer Bain
Todd McCallum
Jacqueline Warwick
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
Music
Musicology
Indie Rock
Popular Music
Rock

abstract: In the early 2000s, popular music’s indie rock genre reached unprecedented levels of commercial success: on the sales and singles charts, in television ads and programs, on music and pop-culture websites, at sold-out music festivals. This thesis builds on the work of Wendy Fonarow, whose assessment of indie rock's fundamental tension between "Puritanism" and "Romanticism" offers a starting point from which to address the genre’s cultural ascendancy and evolution in the early twenty-first century. Inspired in no small part by the age of digital consumption, the balance between indie rock Puritanism and Romanticism shifted in the early twenty-first century in favour of Romanticism. This shift in genre culture helps illuminate how indie rock managed to infiltrate popular culture so thoroughly in the 2000s, but it also challenges indie rock’s traditional boundaries. Through a general overview of these developments and two detailed case studies—one on Kelly Clarkson’s indie-sounding pop hit “Since U Been Gone,” the other on indie rock’s surprising embrace of Bruce Springsteen as an influence—this project assesses the changing state of indie rock in the digital age and the implications raised by the weakening of its antagonism towards mainstream culture.


title: The Unforgiven and the Unforgivable: On the Nature and Limits of Forgiveness

contributor:
Department of Philosophy
Master of Arts
Dr. Letitia Meynell
Dr. Chike Jeffers
Dr. Duncan MacIntosh
Dr. Greg Scherkoske
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
ethics
moral emotions
forgiveness
resentment

abstract: In this thesis, I argue in favour of the moral significance of an essentialist account of forgiveness. In chapter two, I analyse the emergence of this view – which defines forgiveness as the rational foreswearing of resentment – and how it has been used to differentiate between forgiveness and other moral activities. In chapter three, I contrast this with a non-essentialist perspective to uncover both the moral and instrumental aims of forgiveness. In chapter four, I examine views which have incorporated these aims in order to posit that no moral agent should be regarded as absolutely unforgivable in principle. Next, in chapter five, I provide an alternative conception of the value of respect for persons to demonstrate how our foundational moral commitments demand absolute unforgivability in some cases of wrongdoing, such as murder. I conclude in chapter six with a discussion of how this account should inform moral deliberations for dyadic cases of wrongdoing, and I suggest where and how it should be implemented in polyadic cases and in the context of a more thoroughgoing ethical project.


title: An Investigation of Event-Related Brain Potentials Evoked by Feedback During Prism Adaptation

contributor: Department of Psychology and Neuroscience

subject: psychology neuroscience

abstract: Prism adaptation (PA) demonstrates how the brain can adapt to a shifted visual field and also serves as a promising rehabilitation approach for treating visuo-spatial neglect (VSN) – a condition marked by deficits in attending and responding to contralesional stimuli. Visuo-motor aiming errors following PA, or aftereffects, suggest that adaption is achieved in part by undergoing a basic transformation of spatial maps and egocentric coordinates. This process, referred to as spatial realignment, thus plays a critical role in eliciting improved VSN symptoms following PA. Despite several theoretical accounts of the mechanisms involved in PA, there are limited means to directly measure neural processes engaged during PA that lead to robust aftereffects. The present set of studies investigated event-related brain potentials (ERPs) evoked by different provisions of feedback during blocks of PA performed by young healthy adults. The main purpose of the studies was to identify ERP components that index neural processes during adaptation that lead to robust aftereffects. Previous research has shown that feedback events at the end of reaching movements during PA can evoke an error-sensitive component of the ERP (the error-related negativity, ERN) as well as a component sensitive to phase – i.e. early, middle, late – of adaptation blocks (the P300). Thus the following studies investigated whether the ERN, P300, or any novel ERP components reflect adaptive processes associated with subsequent aftereffects. The different provisions of feedback used here were predicted to evoke either relatively weak, or relatively strong magnitudes of aftereffects. Thus, ERPs were compared between feedback provisions. Feedback events evoked a number of different ERPs across all conditions, thus providing evidence that the brain recruits different systems to support adaptation depending on the feedback condition. The major results from the studies suggest that a purported neural reinforcement learning system, indexed by the ERN, is sufficient to undergo error compensation across adaptation blocks but not sufficient to yield strong aftereffects. Results also suggest, however, that a parieto-occipital component sensitive to phase, resembling the P300, reflects processing associated with spatial realignment as it is consistently evoked by conditions leading to strong aftereffects but absent otherwise. Although further research is necessary, development of PA paradigms can be improved by using feedback conditions that evoke the aforementioned parieto-occipital component response. The use of feedback-evoked brain potentials may also assist clinicians in determining why, or how a person with neglect responds to PA treatment successfully or poorly.


title: REACTIVATION OF A HYDRAULIC FRACTURE IN PERMEABLE ROCK

contributor:
Department of Civil Engineering
Doctor of Philosophy
Dr. Maurice B. Dusseault
Dr Hany EL Naggar
Dr. Mysore Satish
Dr. Theodore Kolokolnikov
Dr. Dmitry Garagash
Not Applicable
Yes
Yes

subject:
reactivation
conventional hydraulic fracturing
unconventional hydraulic fracturing
pre-existing fracture
propagation

abstract: The problem of massive fluid injection into a pre-existing fracture has many applications in petroleum industry including underground liquid waste disposal (e.g., hydraulic fracturing wastewater, supercritical CO2) and waterflooding to increase the hydrocarbon recovery from a reservoir. Understanding the conditions leading to the reactivation of pre-existing fractures and ensuing propagation is critical for a successful injection project design, and it may also help to mitigate potential environmental hazards, such as contamination of underground aquifers and induced seismicity. Extensive analytical and numerical studies are carried out to quantify the transient pressurization and breakdown of a pre-existing fracture due to a fluid injection in the context of unconventional hydraulic fracturing when the fluid diffusion can vary over wide range of scales from 1-D to 2-D or 3-D. We establish the range of the problem parameters and injection time when the fluid pressure is approximately uniform along the crack. The pressure uniformity assumption allows for a simpler and more accurate solution method (based on the Green’s function approach). As the fracture is pressurized, the condition for the onset of propagation (the breakdown condition) is eventually reached. We quantify how the breakdown depends upon the problem parameters, such as fluid and rock properties, the in-situ stress, and the fluid injection rate. The poroelastic effects on the transient pressurization and initiation of the fracture in a critically over-pressured reservoir (i.e., when the initial reservoir pore pressure p_0 is approximately equal to the minimum confining stress sigma_0) are also investigated. We show that the poroelastic effects will substantially delay the breakdown time compared to the non-poroelastic case when the fracture breakdown occurs at later stages of injection characterized by large-scale (2D) pore pressure perturbation in the reservoir. Finally, we extend the analysis to the transient pressurization of multiple fractures. The results of this study are transportable to the production well test analysis of a fractured well. The history of the transient pressurization prior to breakdown can also be used to provide the initial conditions for the fracture propagation problem.


title: Changing Political and Cultural Realms in the Upper Great Lakes, 1826: a Case-study of the Influential “Oode” (or family) of Jane Johnston Schoolcraft

contributor:
Department of History
Master of Arts
Shirley Tillotson
Shirley Tillotson
Justin Roberts
Jerry Bannister
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Yes

subject:
Anishnabee
Jane Johnston Schoolcraft
Henry Rowe Schoolcraft
Upper Great Lakes
Métis
post-War of 1812
1826
Sault Sainte Marie (Mich.)
Lake Superior
Treaty
Fond du Lac
Susan Johnston
John Johnston
Ozhaguscodaywayquay
Indian Policy
North America
Border lands
Aboriginal
Willy Schoolcraft
tribalography
community formation

abstract: This thesis explores the homestead and social life of the Jane Johnston Schoolcraft's family circle in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan throughout 1826. This metis family was both ordinary and exceptional. Like the French Métis in the region, they combined different cultural frameworks demonstrated through combined forms of worship and family practices. But they were exceptional because their higher social status in the community led to unique adaptations by the family in order to maintain their position in Sault Ste. Marie during an influx of white settlement. Jane mother's position as daughter of a chief, and as wife of an independent fur trader, gave her a distinct status within the community where women had more control over the market than in white society at the time. As the eldest daughter, Jane was exposed to both her mother's and father's influence growing up.  She held a distinct position within the Johnston house, and her marriage to Henry helped to assure her family's position in part through Henry Schoolcraft's influence over the United States' Aboriginal policy, both locally, and at the federal level. While the family's influence has lived on through legislation, it also provided a rich array of more personal writing that helped to preserve Anishnabee tales through tribalographic writings. Among these were Jane's writing; she is the first known North American aboriginal literary writer. This thesis examines the events in Sault Ste. Marie in 1826 that Jane's immediate family circle was part of, in order to demonstrate the family's ability to adapt to changing political and cultural environments, while simultaneously trying to preserve their family's traditional life-ways.


title: Towards the Synthesis of Di- and Tri-Pyrrolic Compounds

contributor:
Department of Chemistry
Master of Science
Dr. Mark Stradiotto
Dr. Fran Cozens
Dr. James Pincock
Dr. Alison Thompson
Not Applicable
Yes
Yes

subject: Organic Synthesis Chemistry

abstract:
Dipyrrins and prodigiosenes are two classes of pyrrolic compounds. Dipyrrins consist of two pyrrole units linked by a methane bridge and prodigiosenes are a class of pyrrolyldipyrrins (a dipyrrin with a pyrrole substituent) containing a methoxy substituent. During this graduate work, two projects were undertaken to investigate these two classes.
The first project involved the development of a novel methodology for the synthesis of symmetric meso-H-dipyrrin hydrobromides. The reaction of 2-formylpyrroles in acidic methanol gives the corresponding symmetric, meso-H-dipyrrin hydrobromides in good yields. This convenient one-pot strategy involves initial deformylation under the acidic conditions, followed immediately by in situ reaction of the resulting α-free pyrrole with the remaining 2-formyl pyrrole in solution. However, there is evidence of some concerted character in this reaction mechanism and this is being investigated by isotopic labeling of a symmetric, α-free, 2-formyl pyrrole.
The second project involves the synthesis of a series of prodigiosenes in order to study their biological activity with respect to anticancer activity and leukemia selectivity. Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) accounts for the majority of adult leukemias and remains fatal for 40% of patients. Recently published work presented four new prodigiosenes featuring alkanoate substitution patterns, the first of their kind to be developed in the Thompson lab and the first to exhibit strong selectivity against leukemia cell lines. As such, a series of twelve new prodigiosenes have been designed and synthesized to probe the role of the alkyl ester substituent, the role of the ester moiety versus an amide moiety, the role of lipophilicity and the necessity of an alkyl ester over a conjugated ester regarding cell line selectivity.


title: ENVIRONMENTAL INFLUENCES ON THE MARINE MIGRATION OF ARCTIC CHAR AND BROOK TROUT (SALVELINUS SPP.)

contributor:
Department of Biology
Doctor of Philosophy
Dr. Craig Purchase
Dr. Hal Whitehead
Dr. Sara Iverson
Dr. Ian McLaren
Dr. Michael Stokesbury
Dr. Ron O'Dor
Received
Yes
Yes

subject:
acoustic telemetry
temperature
salinity
tide phase
prey availability
Salvelinus alpinus
Salvelinus fontinalis
Salmoninae

abstract:
Environmental influences on the marine migration of Arctic char Salvelinus alpinus and brook trout Salvelinus fontinalis were determined by correlating movements, habitat use and diving behaviours to distance traveled from freshwater inputs, salinity, temperature, tides and prey availability.  Using acoustic tracking, S. alpinus were detected either continuously (maximum 34 days) or intermittently in estuarine zones, on average residing approximately ⅓ of time tracked and returning once every 9 days.  Low travel rates during flood tide suggested individuals staged before accessing intertidal flats.  A portion of tagged individuals (19%) used two main estuaries situated 22 km apart.  Extra-estuarine travel was within 3 km of shore ranging < 30 km straight line distance of either estuary.  Higher estuarine residency prior to freshwater re-entry suggested a marine-fresh water transition phase.
Tracking revealed S. alpinus spent the most of their time in surface waters (0 to 3 m).  Inter/sub-tidal movements and consecutive repetitive dives (maximum 52.8 m) resulted in extreme body temperature shifts (-0.2 to18.1oC).  Stomach contents analysis and diving suggested inter- and sub-tidal feeding.  Although Salvelinus fontinalis continued to feed while overwintering within an estuary, near-zero body temperatures may have stopped gastric evacuation.  Salvelinus alpinus mostly occupied warmer estuaries and surface waters, limiting time spent in colder environments, as part of thermoregulatory behaviours which enhanced feeding/digestion physiology.  Both Salvelinus spp increased body condition by marine feeding in near-zero temperatures.
Salmoninae adaptability to the marine environment was evaluated based on the following criteria: (1) extent, and (2) duration of migration; (3) horizontal and (4) vertical habitats; and (5) minimum and (6) maximum thermohaline limits experienced.  The most-to-least marine adapted genera were Oncorhynchus, Salmo and Salvelinus.  The lowest and highest thermohaline limits were reached by O. keta, S. salar, S. alpinus and S. malma; and O. kisutch, O. keta and O. nerka, respectively.  Our top three ranked species, O. keta, O. nerka and O. gorbuscha, suggested recently evolved salmonids are more marine adapted.  The plasticity of Salvelinus spp. marine migration strategies, demonstrated by wider thermal/habitat zone niches described within this thesis, may have allowed exploitation of extreme environments, offering a survival advantage when faced with rapid climate change.


title: The 'New' Development Regime in Ecuador: Implications for the Highland Indigenous Movement

contributor: Department of International Development Studies

subject:
Ecuador
Indigenous
Social Movement
Development
Conditional Cash Transfer

abstract: Beginning in 2007, Rafael Correa’s presidency has marked a new era in Ecuadorian politics. Correa has been a vocal opponent of the Washington Consensus and has vastly expanded social spending and development programming. In spite of his government’s seemingly progressive achievements, Correa has ostracized political and social sectors whose ideals he claims to champion, most notably leftist Indigenous organizations. Using a critical modernist framework, this thesis explores how the new developmental context in Ecuador affects the political project of the Indigenous and Peasant Movement of Cotopaxi (MICC), a provincial level organization. This study focuses particularly on a conditional cash transfer (CCT) program that is emblematic of Correa’s development regime and discusses the potentially threatening implications for the Indigenous movement’s long-term emancipatory project.


title: A Study of Photoactive Materials for Solution-Processed Thin-Film Solar Cells

contributor:
Department of Chemistry
Master of Science
Dr. Mark Stradiotto
Dr. Jeffery Dahn
Dr. Mary Anne White
Dr. Jean Burnell
Dr. Ian Hill
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
perovskite
organic semiconductors
solar cells
thin-film
photovoltaics
morphology
solution processing

abstract: The overall goal of the research projects herein is to fabricate low-cost and efficient thin-film perovskite and organic solar cells. The fabrication of a planar-heterojunction perovskite solar cell was first optimized by investigating factors that influence perovskite thin film formation. The optimized sequential spin-coating method produces uniform perovskite thin films and yields devices achieving power conversion efficiencies beyond 13 %. Secondly, cheap, organic hole-transporting materials based on a triphenylamine core were investigated as alternatives to spiro-OMeTAD in perovskite solar cells, but poor solubility led to deficiencies in photovoltaic performance. Finally, it was shown that both solution processing techniques and molecular design can influence the morphology, electronic properties and crystallinity of thin films consisting of a fullerene-free donor-acceptor pair for applications in organic solar cells. It was determined that solution processing and the molecular composition of photoactive materials influences thin film properties and device performance in perovskite and organic solar cells.


title: On the "Poverty of Responsibility": A Study of the History of Child Protection Law and Jurisprudence in Nova Scotia

contributor:
Faculty of Law
Doctor of Philosophy
Susan B. Boyd
Jocelyn Downie
Alexandra Dobrowolsky
Sheila Wildeman
D.A. Rollie Thompson
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
child protection
law
feminist legal theory
welfare
history
Nova Scotia

abstract: This thesis presents a history of child protection law and jurisprudence in Nova Scotia. The thesis begins by examining the development of the first child protection statute in Canada, the Nova Scotia Prevention and Punishment of Wrongs to Children Act in 1882. The Act was developed amidst a climate of reform in late-19th century Halifax, at the urging of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. The Act, along with a number of other pieces of “domestic relations” legislation at the time, was focused on protecting children in poverty. With the passing of the Act, the legislature not only set out the harms to children that would justify an intrusive intervention into the family, but it affirmed the presumption of family autonomy in a liberal society. In this thesis, I detail how, through history, the defining, adjudicating and remedying of harm to children through child protection law and jurisprudence has helped to construct the division between the public sphere and the private sphere of the family in poverty. I explore how the divide has shifted over time, responding to new ideas from welfare professionals about harm to children and their best interests, as well as social policies setting out the proper relationship between the family and the state. I show how, despite the fact that knowledge of what constitutes harm to children has shifted significantly over time, families marginalized at the intersection of poverty, racism, sexism and ableism have always been more likely to be constructed as “dissolute”, “unfit” or “risky”, justifying a coercive intervention into the family and the denial of state support. Without subjecting concepts of harm and best interests to critical analysis, child protection law and jurisprudence will continue to perpetuate the same processes of subordination based on race, class, gender and ability that render the child vulnerable in the first place. I conclude with recommendations for a supportive legal concept of family autonomy for socio-economically marginalized families.


title: Development of a Lab-Scale, Rechargeable, Aqueous Coin Cell and Methods for Measuring the Self-Discharge Rate of Zinc Electrodes

contributor: Department of Physics & Atmospheric Science

subject: Rechargeable aqueous battery

subject: Cycle life

subject: Self-discharge

subject: Zinc (Zn) corrosion

subject: Coin cell

subject: Standard cell design

subject: Peak lithium (Li)

subject: Peak zinc (Zn)

subject: Lithium manganese zinc (LiMn2O4-Zn) battery

subject: Zinc air (Zn-air) battery

subject: Nickel zinc (Ni-Zn) battery

subject: Electrochemistry

subject: Alkaline (basic) electrolyte

abstract: A thesis describing the construction of aqueous alkaline coin cells and the charge-wait-discharge method of measuring the self-discharge rate of a cell.

abstract:
Zinc-air cells are promising as a cheap, safe and sustainable energy storage technology, but few publicly funded institutions currently research them. One reason for this is a lack of a simple, standardized cell design to facilitate the comparison of data sets between labs. In the Li-ion battery research community, a coin cell format is one of the accepted standard cell designs and any researcher attempting to shift from Li-ion to Zn-air research will want to use their existing coin cell infrastructure. Coin cells require small amounts of material, can have good reproducibility, are easily fabricated in large quantities and have small space requirements that allow many cells to be tested simultaneously under controlled conditions. If thin electrodes are used, concerns over bulk electrode issues can be alleviated, making coin cells a good research tool for testing new active materials, electrode material recipes, electrolytes and separators.
Due to identical reactions at the zinc electrode, nickel-zinc (Ni-Zn) cells could potentially be used to study zinc electrodes without the complications of an air electrode.  It was shown that to adapt coin cells for use with Ni-Zn, nickel should be used for all positive-side components, including the current collector, while tin should be used for all negative-side components. Additionally, a pressure-release valve, non-woven separator and microporous separator are required for long cycle life. Ni-Zn coin cells created in this work achieved Ni active material utilizations over 100% and cycle lives of over 300 cycles with un-optimized electrode materials. The procedures and equipment developed for Ni-Zn coin cells were also used to create a 3-electrode Ni-Zn coin cell, which demonstrated that future cycle life experiments on rechargeable Zn electrodes should not use Ni electrodes as a counter electrode as was done in this work.  A Zn-air coin cell was created to demonstrate that Zn-air coin cells can be made when durable bi-functional air electrodes are acquired in the future.  A promising alternative technology, aqueous LiMn2O4-Zn, was also tested in coin cells and showed to require overcharging every cycle to achieve a long cycle life.
The self-discharge rate of rechargeable Zn electrodes is an issue that is poorly measured in the literature.  A new experimental method for directly measuring the self-discharge rate of rechargeable Zn electrodes in any cell format is presented here.  The rate determining step for (galvanic) Zn corrosion was determined to be H2O adsorption onto the current collector during H2 evolution.


title: Risk factors for surgical site infection following Caesarean section in Nova Scotian women

contributor: Department of Community Health & Epidemiology

subject:
Epidemiology
Infectious disease
Obstetrics
Hospital acquired infection
Caesarean section
Risk factors

abstract: Surgical site infections (SSIs) can be serious complications after Caesarean section.  Therefore, we determined among women undergoing a Caesarean section in Nova Scotia: 1) the incidence of SSI to hospital discharge, 2) risk factors associated with the development of a SSI, and 3) risk factors associated with the development of a SSI using a more inclusive SSI definition.  Using a perinatal provincial database, we created a retrospective cohort of Nova Scotian women undergoing Caesarean section from 1997-2012 and followed them to hospital discharge.  We determined risk factors for SSI using logistic regression with generalized estimating equations.  The SSI rate decreased over our study period.  The number of Caesarean sections performed per hospital per year; pre-pregnancy weight; hypertension; year of delivery; and anticoagulation therapy, weight gain, and chorioamnionitis during pregnancy were important risk factors for SSI.


title: MODEL-PREDICTIVE CONTROL OF A HYDRAULIC ACTIVE HEAVE COMPENSATION SYSTEM WITH HEAVE PREDICTION

contributor:
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Master of Applied Science
Dr Yajun Pan
Dr Serguei Iakovlev
Dr Yajun Pan
Dr Robert Bauer
Dr Rishad Irani
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
heave compensation
MPC
active heave compensation
heave prediction

abstract:
This masters thesis presents the results of tracking ship heave motion with a heave prediction model-predictive controller (MPC) in the experimental actuation of a nonlinear, unloaded, full-scale active-heave compensation (AHC) hydraulic testbed. Implementing the MPC involves determining a system model for the AHC testbed and correcting for the nonlinear behavior of the AHC testbed. Multiple tuning parameters exist for MPC and so a single set of parameters was acceptably tuned and chosen to use for all experiments within this thesis work.

The experimental heave tracking results collected are compared to an AHC testbed simulator developed in MATLAB Simulink. A load is applied within the simulator to determine the AHC testbed response to operating under load conditions. For the experimental unloaded case, as well as the simulator loaded and unloaded cases, the MPC results are compared to a tuned PID controller in tracking of sine waves as well as four heave motion test cases.

The heave prediction MPC controller is found to track the test cases and sinusoidal references well while, additionally, outperforming the tuned PID controller in real-world experiments for all test cases and sine wave tracking. Two of the test cases introduced relatively high frequency components to the reference signal which the MPC is able to track, while the PID performance decreases dramatically with the addition of these high frequency components. Maintaining constant tuning parameters for each, the MPC is shown to be more robust for a range of operating conditions when compared to PID.

Within the simulator the MPC controller performance is reduced compared to the experimental testbed performance while the PID controller is able to better track two of the four test cases. The loss in MPC performance is attributed to different implementations of MPC between the simulator and the experimental setup. Applying a load within the AHC testbed simulator shows two important results: first, that a counter-balance valve is necessary for the AHC testbed system under load conditions, and second, a parallel integral controller may be needed with the MPC controller to ensure motor leakage does not affect performance.


title: Comparison of Inline Produced Water Monitors

contributor:
Department of Environmental Engineering
Master of Applied Science
Hany El Naggar
Amyl Ghanem
Margaret Walsh
Graham Gagnon
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject: oil gas monitor produced water ultraviolet fluorescence

abstract:
Produced water represents the largest waste stream in the oil and gas production industry. Water drawn up from oil and gas formations contains many substances, the disposal of which is heavily regulated. Offshore oil platforms must ensure that these regulations are met with great accuracy, as the disposal of the water means its reintroduction into the environment. For this reason it is essential that hydrocarbon measuring equipment be effective and accurate when deployed on these platforms.
A pilot scale project was designed to test and compare four instruments currently employed on offshore oil platforms. The project compared the instruments for accuracy, responsiveness, maintenance requirements, and fouling by manipulating four variables. The variables tested were flow rate through the instruments, particulate and gas addition to the produced water, hydrocarbon and production chemical spiking, and heat addition. Each variable was manipulated one at a time, but their lingering effects (such as particles) were not removed due to the design of the system.
Instrument readouts were compared with lab tested produced water samples taken from the system stock using infrared technology. A ranking system was devised to compare the monitors in the categories of accuracy, precision, maintenance requirements, and reliability. This system was used to determine which monitor was the most effective in terms of those categories and this project.


title: Late Cretaceous to Cenozoic Reactivation of Central Scotian Slope Salt Bodies and the Impact on Slope Depositional Systems

contributor:
Department of Earth Sciences
Master of Science
Dave Mosher
John Gosse
Martin Gibling
Andrew MacRae
Mark Deptuck
Nicholas Culshaw
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
Cenozoic
active diapirism
salt
slope
compression

abstract: The history of younger (Late Cretaceous to present) salt-related deformation is largely unknown on the Scotian Margin. This study investigates the style and timing of Late Cretaceous to Cenozoic salt tectonic rejuvenation on the upper Scotian Slope and related effects on depositional systems using two 3D seismic surveys. Salt bodies were passively extruded between the Cenomanian/Turonian and Ypresian followed by a period of quiescence and drape between the Ypresian and Rupelian. Compressional rejuvenation began at different times in two structural provinces. In the vertical salt diapir province (west), compression began in the Bartonian (Late Eocene) and in the allochthonous tongue province (east) it began in the Rupelian (Early Oligocene). At some point between Pliocene and today, compression rates waned and a period of slope regrading took place, planing off much slope relief. This was succeeded by a series of mass transport deposits and erosive canyons to yield the modern-day seafloor.


title: Smudging and Concrete: Indigenous Traditional Ways in the City of Halifax

subject:
Social anthropology
Indigenous studies
Urban studies

abstract: Social anthropology honours thesis

abstract: In spite of the increasing importance of urban-Indigenous (urban-Aboriginal) issues in Canada, very little is known about these topics in relation to Atlantic Canadian urban centers. Urban-Indigenous peoples are the fastest growing, youngest demographic in Canada, and are of vital importance to the future of this country. This research was conducted in the Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM), which is part of Mi’kma’ki, the traditional territory of the Mi’kmaq people. In this thesis, I am looking to gain a better understanding of Indigenous traditional ways in the city of Halifax. Interviews with 17 self-identifying Indigenous people living in the HRM help show the importance of Indigenous traditional (cultural) ways in the urban context. Diverse forms of engagement with these traditions, ceremonies, and cultural practices help urban-Indigenous residents of the HRM find a sense of belonging, and so much more. There is a real sense of hope amongst Indigenous people in cities such as Halifax. Indigenous traditional ways contribute greatly to this growing sense of optimism, and to a better future for First Peoples.


title: IMAGE ANALYSIS OF TRIACYLGLYCEROLS CRYSTALLIZING  UNDER SHEAR FLOW

contributor: Department of Process Engineering and Applied Science

subject:
Fat crystallization
triacylglycerols
image analysis
FFT

abstract:
The processing conditions of edible fats determine the crystalline structure of a product. This affects the product’s texture, flavor, mouthfeel, moisture content, etc.
To improve the available image analysis tools for TAGs crystallization two types of methods were devised and tested:
Firstly, a “histogram and texture classification” procedure, followed by a hierarchical clustering method was developed. The procedure was successful at establishing clear relationships between the processing conditions and the characteristic histograms and textures of the micrographs. Secondly, characteristic fast Fourier transform images, CFFT, were created from the two-dimensional Fast Fourier Transform power spectra of the micrographs. Then, the correlations between time-matched pairs of CFFT images were averaged to obtain correlation values between pairs of experiments. These correlation values were used to produce pair distances.
Additional analysis were done on onset times, histogram intensities, and size and orientation that will help develop better understanding of the crystallization processes of fats.


title: Investigation of Increased Wall Stiffness on Load Effect Equations for Soil Metal Structures

contributor:
Department of Civil Engineering
Master of Applied Science
Dr. Hany El Naggar
Andrew Corkum
Hany El Naggar
Dr. John Newhook
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
Soil-Steel Bridge
Stiffness
Corrugated Plates
Field Testing
Monitoring
Bridge Code
Large Span Culvert
Finite Element Modeling
Soil Metal Interaction
Buried Structures

abstract:
The soil-steel bridge industry is expanding into new markets and more demanding applications. In the past, shallow corrugated plates (51mm by 152 mm) were replaced with deep corrugated plates (140 mm by 381 mm) to allow greater spans and covers to be achieved. In addition, stiffening rib products were also added to further improve moment capacity and structure stiffness. In 2010 the deeper corrugated plate (237 mm by 500 mm) was introduced into the market. The latest amendment to the Canadian Highway Bridge Design Code acknowledges this development. However, it further stipulates that the current simplified design equations may not be used as their validity for this application and product has not yet been verified
In 2011, the first field structure was built using this new product to create a highway underpass on the Trans-Canada Highway in Newfoundland. The structure has a rise of 5.3_m, a span of 13.3 m and a height of cover of 2.7 m. The structure was effectively monitored from December 2011 until August 2013 using strain gauges and deflection prisms. Measured strain shows an increase of stresses during the backfilling process. At the end of the monitoring period a live load test was conducted using a loaded dump truck, structural responses varied slightly when applying the live load.
A two dimensional non-linear finite element model was created in order to compare the monitoring results. The model was able to closely recreate bending moments; however, deflection and axial thrust results did not completely agree with the field results. The simplified method adopted by the Code is based on a parametric study using finite element models and flexibility number charts. In this research, a calibrated model allowed to conduct the same flexibility number analysis for various structures. The moment and axial loads derived from the monitoring program are compared to those predicted by the Code equations and recommendation are provided. In some instances it was shown that the finite element results were located above the Code limit. In other cases, particularly the results of large span structures, were shown to be very conservative.


title: Underlying Deception in Parent-Child Relationships

subject:
Social anthropology
Kinship
Family studies
Childhood studies

abstract: Social anthropology honours thesis

abstract: My research takes the relational role of lying as understood by sociologist Georg Simmel (1950) as the starting point for my qualitative study on lying in parent-child/child-parent relationships. Simmel (1950) argues that lies play a role in binding social relationships, and his work as well as the work of anthropologist Susan Blum (2007) are instrumental in my analysis of deception. My research analyzes lying within the dynamics of parent-child relationships in Canadian society. I explore how lying plays out in these relations and the effects that lying can have on the relationship as a whole. I discuss parent-child deception from three angles: ideology, practice, and justification. My aim is to address these three aspects of lying in relation to parent-child relationships and the contexts that this relationship provides. I conclude that through lying ideology, practice, and justification, lying plays a role in shaping the dynamic of the parent-child/child-parent relation.


title: The Case of the Triggered Memory: Serendipitous Discovery and the Ethics of Clinical Research

contributor:
Department of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy
Walter Glannon
Michael Hymers
Kirstin Borgerson
Lisa Gannett
Francoise Baylis
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
serendipity
scientific discovery
ethics of clinical research
deep brain stimulation

abstract:
Should researchers take advantage of unexpected opportunities to make valuable discoveries when these opportunities arise in the context of research involving human participants? The pursuit of knowledge sometimes requires human beings to participate in research as the subjects of study. This is particularly the case when it comes to the pursuit of knowledge about the brain. In this dissertation, I consider the potential value of serendipitous discoveries in the context of clinical research involving humans, with a narrow focus on deep brain stimulation (DBS) – a technology that enables clinician-researchers to access and manipulate the living human brain.
Along the way, I accomplish three goals. First, I provide an account of serendipitous discovery in science. Serendipity consists of three elements—chance, sagacity and a valued outcome—that come together in a single process of discovery. Second, I apply my analysis to a case of potential serendipity in early phase medical research involving humans. Third, I explore the epistemological and ethical implications of both the analysis and its application. Serendipitous discoveries, for instance, are made by members of scientific communities, rather than by individuals in isolation. Thus, features of communities can enhance or constrain the making of serendipitous discoveries. Specifically, I argue that communities that perceive the unexpected as potentially valuable, that support the epistemic agency of their members, and that encourage the sharing of knowledge, foster serendipitous discovery.
	I closely examine a recent case from clinical research with DBS—the case of the triggered memory—as a case of potential serendipity. The tripartite account of serendipity I articulate provides a lens through which I draw out several epistemological and ethical implications of pursuing serendipitous discovery within the context of clinical research, when human participants in research are the source of unexpected observations. In conclusion, I propose recommendations for pursuing serendipitous discovery in clinical research without compromising ethics.


title: An Allegory of Value: American Literature within Neoliberalism

contributor:
Department of English
Doctor of Philosophy
Caren Irr
Lyn Bennett
Leonard Diepeveen
Anthony Enns
Trevor Ross
Jason Haslam
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
American Literature
MacArthur "genius grants"
Marxism
Neoliberalism
Philanthropy

abstract: This thesis offers an allegorical reading of contemporary American literature’s critical response to neoliberalism’s reshaping of cultural and social value. Focusing on four literary recipients of the MacArthur Foundation fellowships, it argues that the institutional narrative guiding the “genius grant” program symptomatically expresses the dominant neoliberal sociology of knowledge. Specifically, this study focuses on the work of William Gaddis, Colson Whitehead, David Foster Wallace, and George Saunders. In the prose fiction herein discussed, each author dramatizes a constituent feature of the neoliberal sociology of knowledge to which the MacArthur Foundation subscribes, namely involuntary competition, human capital, and the price mechanism. These three features transmogrify the themes of capital, labour, and rent that underlie Marxist critiques of capitalism. The ordering principle for the study obeys the Foundation’s rationale for the “genius grants”: from the philanthropic bequest that established the program, through the interpellation of recipients as creative labourers and “string-free” subjects, to the monetary reward itself. The introductory chapter establishes the narrative logic of the fellowship and a theoretical framework for what follows. Chapter two treats Gaddis’ J R (1975) as a tonic to the market propaganda that emerges in biographical accounts of John MacArthur and the Foundation’s origins. Chapter three examines Whitehead’s demystification of creativity and creative labour in John Henry Days (2001) and Apex Hides the Hurt (2006). Chapter four demonstrates that David Foster Wallace’s celebrity and work exemplify the debts that govern in a toxic social environment, paying particular attention to the essays and fictions from his middle period. Chapter five explores the economic winners-and-losers template that animates George Saunders’ first four short fiction collections. Saunders documents how the collective quality of the class struggle is delegitimized through the individualizing effects of entrepreneurship and consumer culture. The concluding chapter reflects on the value of allegory as a method and the significance of literature as a medium for exposing the commitments and consequences of neoliberal ideology.


title: A Semantic Web based Knowledge Management Framework to model Behavior Change Constructs for generation of personalized Action Plans

contributor:
Faculty of Computer Science
Master of Health Informatics
Dr. Raza Abidi
Dr. Michael Vallis
Dr. Ashraf Abusharekh
Dr. Samina Abidi
Dr. Raza Abidi
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
Knowledge Management
Chronic Diseases
Behaviour Change Theories
Patient Self-Management

abstract: Behavior change approaches aim to assist patients in making lifestyle adjustments so that they are able to self-manage their condition effectively. Self-efficacy (SE) is central to behavior change, and different behavior change theories propose a range of targeted strategies and action plans to gradually induce behavior adjustments amongst patients so that they are able to achieve efficacy in self-management of their condition. Social cognitive theory (SCT) is a comprehensive behavior change theory that proposes self-efficacy construct as central to behavior change. In this thesis, we have taken a knowledge management approach to computerize specialized self-efficacy constructs stipulated by SCT to formulate a high-level SCT knowledge model. We have collected and computerized behavior change content targeting healthy living and physical activity. Semantic web technologies have been used to develop a SCT ontology and SWRL rules to infer personalized self-management plans based on a given patient profile. We present formative evaluation of the clinical correctness and relevance of the generated personalized action plans for a range of test patient profiles.


title: FLANNERY O'CONNOR, TENNESSEE WILLIAMS, AND SHIRLEY JACKSON: CRAFTING POSTWAR MATERNITY AS CULTURAL NIGHTMARE

contributor:
Department of English
Doctor of Philosophy
Dr. Jodey Castricano
Dr. Lyn Bennett
Dr. Karen Macfarlane
Dr. Leonard Diepeveen
Dr. Bruce Greenfield
Dr. Jason Haslam
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject: Mother Gothic Psychoanalysis

abstract: This dissertation argues that Flannery O’Connor, Tennessee Williams, and Shirley Jackson all employ gothic representations of maternity, what Madelon Sprengnether calls “the spectral mother,” in their gothic works. Through this figure, each author challenges normative concepts of motherhood in the period following World War II, specifically by using the “spectral mother” to analyze critically different psychoanalytic schools of thought. In Wise Blood and The Violent Bear It Away, respectively, O’Connor employs Freudian and Jungian conceptions of maternity in order to critique the theological efficacy of psychoanalytic definitions of motherhood, highlighting the psychoanalytically crafted mother as a site of spiritual annihilation. Williams’ The Glass Menagerie, Suddenly Last Summer, and Kingdom of Earth emphasize how the Kleinian mother, which attempts to enforce normative gender and sexual roles, actually encodes psychoanalytic discourse with its own non-normative undoing. While Kleinian-inspired maternity opens up a space for queerness, Williams’ plays reveal that motherhood as imagined by Klein renders subjectivity, for mother and son, an impossibility. Jackson’s The Bird’s Nest and The Haunting of Hill House reveal that the sexualized maternal figure of Freudian theory, far from describing “normal” psychological development, is instead an origin of filial and maternal psychosis. Crafted as enactments of psychoanalytic discourse, the spectral mothers in O’Connor’s, Williams’, and Jackson’s narratives reflect upon the monstrous underpinning of a Freudian and post-Freudian world.


title: TRACKINDOORS: REAL-TIME INFRASTRUCTURE-LESS INDOOR TRACKING USING HYBRID APPROACH

contributor:
Faculty of Computer Science
Master of Computer Science
Dr.Qiang Ye
Norbert Zeh
Dr.Peter Bodorik
Dr.Srini Sampalli
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject: Indoor tracking

abstract:
The ability to locate and track humans or objects indoors and outdoors is becoming increasingly important in today’s world of applications. The positioning accuracy and reliability outdoors is well handled by the Global positioning system (GPS). However, GPS has very low accuracy in the indoor environments due to obstruction in the line of sight of the satellites. In this thesis a real-time hybrid approach is proposed to locate and track people indoors.
The main objective of this thesis is to design and develop a hybrid indoor tracking system called TrackIndoors. Our hybrid approach uses Wi-Fi and smart-phone sensors together to track and locate the position of people in the indoor environments. A real-time android application is developed and it consists of three components: trilateration, fingerprinting and sensor fusion. Results of our hybrid approach shows that the system is able to locate and track a person with high-precision and low cost.


title: DETERMINING THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN KNEE MUSCLE STRENGTH AND VARUS THRUST IN KNEE OA

contributor:
School of Physiotherapy
Master of Science
Dr. Anne Fenety
Cheryle Kelm
Dr. Derek Rutherford
Dr. Janie Astephen Wilson
Dr. Cheryl Kozey
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Yes

subject:
Varus thrust
Muscle strength
OA
biomechanics
osteoarthritis

abstract: Varus thrust (VT), a biomechanical feature reported in knee OA is identified visually, quantified using frontal kinematics and associated with OA progression. Objectives: To determine the association between i) two objective measures of VT, ii) knee muscle strength and objective measure of VT, and iii) biomechanical variables and objective measure of VT. 87 ASYM and 135 MOD OA participants underwent gait assessment. Frontal and sagittal plane knee angles (KFA range) and frontal plane moments (KAM: peak and impulse) were calculated. Participants completed MVICs of knee extensors, flexors and plantarflexors on a Cybex™ Dynamometer. Correlation and multivariate regression indicated no significant association between two objective measures of VT as well as strength, KAM impulse, KFA range and the objective measure of VT (p>0.05). Significant associations were found between peak KAM and objective measure of VT (p<0.05). Factors other than muscle strength are related to objective measure of VT including biomechanical variables.


title: Effects of Red Seaweed (Palmaria palmata) Supplemented Diets Fed to Broiler Chickens Raised under Normal or Stressed Conditions

contributor:
Faculty of Agriculture
Master of Science
Dr. Dian Patterson
Dr. Bruce Rathgeber
Dr. Franklin Evans
Dr. Derek M. Anderson
Received
No
No

subject:
inulin
red seaweed
NGS
histology
poultry
prebiotic

abstract: Red seaweed (Palmaria palmata) (P.p.), was fed to broiler chickens for 33 or 35 days in two trials to compare P.p. to inulin and an antibiotic to determine the effective inclusion level of P.p. Trial one was conducted in cages to investigate antibiotic, no feed additive and different inclusion levels of P.p. or inulin at: 0.6%, 1.2%, 1.8%, 2.4% and 3.0% of the diet. In trial one, birds fed 1.8% P.p. had increased beneficial bacteria (e.g., Lactobacillus) in the ileum. The second trial was conducted under a combination of stressors on the floor and fed dietary levels of P.p. at 0.6%, 1.8% and 3% and 2.5% inulin, antibiotic or no feed additive. The stressed environment suppressed Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium in the ileum. Broilers fed 1.8% P.p. were heaviour at 33 days and beneficial bacteria in the ileum, serum IgA and ileal villus width, height and surface area were all increased.


title: TWO ESSAYS ON THE ESTIMATION OF AGRICULTURAL TRADE FLOWS: MODEL SELECTION AND ENDOGENEITY OF TRADE AGREEMENTS

contributor:
Faculty of Agriculture
Master of Science
Dian Patterson
Diane Dunlop
Teresa Cyrus
Stephen Clark
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
agriculture
trade
preferential trade agreements
endogeneity
Box-Cox double hurdle
Poisson pseudo-maximum likelihood
heteroskedasticity
gravity equation

abstract: This thesis investigates three econometric issues relevant to the estimation of gravity models of agriculture trade, namely the issues of zero trade flows, heteroskedasticity, and the endogeneity of preferential trade agreements (PTAs). Recent studies have employed the Poisson pseudo-maximum likelihood (PPML) estimator to address zero trade and heteroskedasticity, while a second line of work has argued for better modelling of zero trade through limited dependent variable models, with little consideration for the heteroskedasticity problem. The first essay of this thesis proposes the use of a Box-Cox double hurdle (BCDH) model as a way to address both econometric issues. The second essay in this thesis challenges Sun and Reed’s (2010) conclusion that NAFTA has no impact on members’ agricultural trade. The two-step estimator developed by Treza (1998) provides evidence of substantial endogeneity bias in their estimated effects for nearly all preferential trade agreements, including NAFTA.


title: The Effects of Nucleotide-Containing Product Maxi-GenTM Plus on Stress Level, Immune-Related Gene Expression, Growth Performance and Intestinal Histology of In-Season and Off-Season Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar) Smolts During Smoltification and Desmoltification Periods

contributor:
Faculty of Agriculture
Master of Science
Dr. Dian Patterson
Dr. Sarah Stewart-Clark
Dr. James Duston
Dr. Derek M. Anderson
Received
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
dietary nucleotides
Atlantic salmon
smoltification
stress level
gene expression

abstract: Trials were conducted to determine the effects of dietary nucleotides fed as Maxi-GenTM Plus on stress level, immune-related gene expression, growth performance and intestinal histology of in-season and off-season Atlantic salmon smolts. Twenty-four hour, 40ppt salinity tests were conducted to measure the hypo-osmoregulatory ability. Expression of immune-related genes response to polyIC injection was investigated. Growth performance was evaluated as weight gain, food consumption and FCR. Intestinal structure parameters were determined. Diets contained 0.40 to 0.60% Maxi-GenTM Plus resulted in enhanced growth performance. Hypo-osmoregulatory ability during smoltification gradually enhanced with increased inclusion of Maxi-GenTM Plus from 0.05 to 0.60%, which indicated an extended “smolt window”. Diets contained 0.20 to 0.25% Maxi-GenTM Plus resulted in enhanced anti-viral immune response of fish after polyIC injection. Diet contained 0.60% Maxi-GenTM Plus had lower plasma cortisol level of fish. The intestinal structure was not enhanced by feeding Maxi-GenTM Plus.


title: “A Good Show in a Good House to a Good Audience”: Early Film Exhibition in the Maritime Provinces, 1896–1919

contributor:
Interdisciplinary PhD Programme
Interdisciplinary PhD
Dr. Paul Moore
Dr. William Barker
D. Andrew Wainwright
Dr. William Barker
Dr. Darrell Varga
Dr. Jason Haslam
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
Film History
Cultural Studies
Maritime Canadian History

abstract:
My dissertation investigates early English film exhibition in Canada’s Maritime provinces (Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island) between 1896 and 1919. Particular focus is placed on the attempts made by exhibitors to attract and maintain targeted audiences throughout the transitional eras of motion pictures (1896–1919). The goal of this thesis is to investigate the history of motion picture exhibition in the English communities of the Maritimes while focussing on the moral, social, and practical concerns that this industry created in these communities during the transitional eras. This thesis links motion picture exhibition directly to the emergence of “modern life” which is also connected with enhanced discussions of mass entertainment, public health, public safety and moral betterment.
Between 1896 and 1919 the early film industry experienced challenges from the “novelty era” of film exhibition (1896-1898), the rise of the nickel theatres (1907) to the close of the First World War and the end of the flu pandemic (1919)—a twenty-three-year time period which witnessed several “transitional eras” of film exhibition. It was also during these transitional eras that the Maritime provinces experienced the promise of advanced capitalism followed by the devastation of the Great War in popular society and the economy.
This thesis explores the advertisements, give-aways and events that exhibitors used to attract and maintain a respectability as well as the government and public attempts to regulate the film industry, through licencing, regulation and censorship and the response of the film industry. Specifically this thesis investigates the baby give-aways, fire exit complaints and the films created in the Maritime provinces during the transitional eras. This thesis concludes that motion pictures were accepted in the Maritime provinces through negotiation, and it was the exhibitors who guided and championed this negotiation through advertising.


title: Effect of Crop Characteristics and Machine Parameters on Berry Losses During Wild Blueberry Harvesting

contributor:
Faculty of Agriculture
Master of Science
Dr. Dian Patterson
Dr. Arnold Schumann
Dr. Chibuike Udenigwe
Dr. Qamar Zaman
Dr. Tri Nguyen-Quang
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
Wild blueberry
Plant height
Plant density
Mechanical harvesting
Fruit yield
Berry losses
Fruit zone

abstract: Wild blueberry crop characteristics have been changed in last two decades due to improved management practices. Currently, growers are facing increased harvesting losses (15-25%) with existing harvester due to change in crop conditions. Eight wild blueberry fields were selected to find an optimum combination of crop characteristics and machine parameters during harvesting. The harvester was operated at selected levels of ground speed and header revolutions per minute (RPM) in different categories of plant and fruit characteristics. Results indicated the optimum combination of machine and crop parameters was ground speed 1.2 km h-1, header RPM 26, plant height 24 cm, fruit yield 4300 kg ha-1 and plant density 570 plants/m2 to reduce the berry losses during mechanical harvesting. Based on the results, it can be concluded that the suggested harvester settings in conjunction with optimum crop characteristics could reduce berry losses in order to increase farm profitability.


title: PROGRAM EVALUATION OF KIDS’ RUN CLUB: EXPERIENCES OF GIRLS IN GRADES 4-6

contributor:
School of Health & Human Performance
Master of Arts
Dr. John Dwyer
Dr. Lynne Robinson
Dr. Debbie Smith
Dr. Michelle Stone
Professor Lesley Barnes
Dr. Laurene Rehman
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
Evaluation
Girls
Physical Activity
running program

abstract: This formative evaluation was conducted on a school-based running program in Nova Scotia to explore individual, social and environmental factors associated with participation by girls in Grades 4-6.

abstract: A formative evaluation, guided by the social-ecological model (SEM), was conducted on a school-based, co-ed running program in Halifax, NS called Kids’ Run Club (KRC).  The purpose was to examine the association between individual, social and environmental factors and participation by girls in Grades 4-6 and to determine how the program can be improved to recruit and retain more girls.  Questionnaires gathered mainly quantitative data from 109 girls at six schools who were current (n=82) and past (n=27) participants.  Findings reveal significant associations between factors from all three levels and participation, with interpersonal factors showing the strongest predictive values.  Ideas for improving KRC related to the distances run, making it fun, and creating a culture of participation.  The associations found between SEM factors and participation suggested that barriers to participation should be explored further, including surveying girls who have never participated in KRC.


title: Understanding the Structure of Silver Nanoparticles and Its Influence on Surface Reactivity

contributor:
Department of Chemistry
Doctor of Philosophy
Pavle Radovanovic
Mark Stradiotto
Jan Rainey
Donald Weaver
Peng Zhang
Not Applicable
Yes
Yes

subject:
nanoparticles
chemistry
silver
gold
EXAFS
XANES
antibacterial activity
cytotoxicity

abstract: Silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) have proven to be useful for biomedical applications, as the ability to fine-tune properties such as size, shape, composition, and surface structure is a distinct advantage for their associated antibacterial properties. Their surface structure is especially important, as it can influence NP stabilization as well as govern any further surface reactivity. Despite the huge amount of research being performed on metal NPs in general, their surface structure is a much less studied parameter, partly because the averaging effect from the non-surface atoms of NPs makes it difficult to isolate. However, with the employment of element-specific techniques such as X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), the surface structure of metal NPs can be more easily investigated. The research presented in this thesis explored the surface structures of Ag-based NPs using XAS, in order to gain fundamental and practical insight to their physicochemical properties and surface reactivity. In particular, the structures of thiolate-protected Ag NPs in both organic and aqueous solutions were investigated and were found to be highly sulfidized at their surfaces. The sulfidized surface structures also caused reduced antibacterial activity in comparison to more metallic surface structures. In addition to monometallic Ag NPs, a series of bimetallic AgAu NPs was also examined. The atomic structure within the cores of each type of AgAu NP was dependent on the molar ratios of the metals, yet each type had a similar surface structure that was predominantly composed of Ag. The AgAu NPs exhibited lower antibacterial activity compared to pure Ag NPs, but also showed significantly reduced cytotoxicity, thereby demonstrating their potential for therapeutic applications. Furthermore, the surface structures of chloride-adsorbed, Ag-coated anisotropic Au NPs were examined to understand ligand and alloy effects on NP stabilization. The surface structures were found to be sensitive to their formation mechanism and facet type, which sheds light on the mechanism of Ag- and chloride-induced NP growth. Overall, this thesis contributes to a better understanding of how ligands and alloying can control the surface properties and reactivity of Ag-based NPs.


title: According to Local Laws and Corporate Policies: Internet Filtering on Google.cn 2008

contributor: Master of Library and Information Studies

subject:
Google
Internet filtering
Censorship
China
Google.cn
Overblocking

abstract:
From 2006 to 2010 Google Inc. operated Google.cn, a regional search engine specific to China, which was filtered in accordance with the People’s Republic of China’s laws on sensitive information.
The objective of this research was to gain a better understanding of the pervasiveness and consistency of the Internet filtering practices that Google employed in Google.cn. This study a) tracked the presence or absence of Google’s filtering statement within Google.cn search results, and b) compared the top ten results returned from Google.ca with those of Google.cn to determine whether absent URLs were available in the Google.cn database or were filtered.
All keywords were related to the topics of Falun Gong and Tibet. Data was collected in May 2008.  This study found 81% of keyword searches were subject to filtering and 38% of URLs were subject to filtering; 6% of the 38% were the results of overblocking.


title: “They are named Flowers because Fruit follows ”: The Foundation of Singlewomen’s Medical Distinctiveness in the Seventeenth Century

contributor:
Department of History
Master of Arts
Shirley Tillotson
Dr. Cynthia Neville
Dr. Shirley Tillotson
Krista Kesselring
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject: Singlewomen

abstract: While historians’ discussions of singlewomen in the early modern period have outlined their legal and social distinctiveness, this thesis draws upon medical literature to demonstrate that contemporaries believed singlewomen were medically and physiologically dissimilar from married women. Medical writers argued that singlewomen were perceived as being less healthy due to their lesser innate heat. Singlewomen also lacked the microcosmic social roles of wives and mothers, and because they were thought to be sexually abstinent, these women, along with their humours and fluxes, were deemed unprofitable. In situating an analysis of singlewomen’s health within the early modern discourses of microcosms and profits, this thesis outlines many social and cultural forces that interacted to influence singlewomen’s identities.


title: A Distributed Method for Fast Force-Directed Layout of Large Scale-free Network Graphs

contributor:
Faculty of Computer Science
Master of Computer Science
Dr. Norbert Zeh
Dr. J. Blustein
Dr. Mike Smit
Dr. Stan Matwin
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
graphs
distributed computing
graph layout
graph drawing
social networks

abstract:
Network graphs from Online Social Networks (OSNs) - representing network participants, and their relationships and interactions - are an area of significant investigation. Visual layouts of these graphs are a common tool to help understand a network's underlying structure, and form hypotheses. Force-directed placement is a layout method known to produce visualizations that contain a high level of useful information. However, producing an acceptable visualization can take an unreasonable amount of time, as OSNs can be very large, and existing layout techniques are computationally expensive.

In this work we propose a distributed computing method to speed up the completion time of social network graph layout. Using a commodity computer cluster, additional CPU resources can be allocated to the layout task. Our method builds upon existing graph layout techniques, and puts forward a graph partitioning scheme well-suited to graphs with small-world, scale-free network properties; properties that occur naturally in social networks.


title: DIABETIC FOOT ULCERS: THE IMPACT OF POOR GLUCOSE CONTROL ON OUTCOMES OF TREATMENT

contributor:
Clinician Scientist Program
Master of Science
Jesslyn Kinney
Dr. Jason Berman
Dr. Lynn Johnston
Dr. Adrian Levy
Dr. Kathleen MacPherson
Dr. Mark Glazebrook
Received
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
Diabetes
Diabetic Foot Ulcer
Ulcer
Glycemic Control
Glycated Hemoglobin

abstract: Diabetic foot ulcers are a difficult clinical entity. The healing is often delayed due to a number of factors. We also propose in this work the concept of the six detriments to healing a DFU (poor glycemic control, infection, failure to offload the foot, poor nutrition, poor vascular supply, deformity and smoking) - a novel method of approaching the treatment of DFUs but also an important consideration of studying this problem as potential confounders in outcome. This work will describe both the literature associated with these detriments to healing as well as attempt to describe their inter-relations. Furthermore, we test the hypothesis that one of the potential detriments to healing (poor glycemic control) has a direct negative impact on the healing of a DFU. This is done through a cohort design study of patients in a single outpatient clinic undergoing treatment for their DFU.


title: Sowing the Seeds of Insecurity: The Impacts of Agricultural Biotechnology in Canada and India

contributor:
Department of Political Science
Master of Arts
Kristin Good
Katherine Fierlbeck
David Black
Peter Arthur
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
Agriculture
Biotechnology
Food Security
Canada
India

abstract: Global food production must increase by fifty percent to meet the food security demands of nine billion people by 2050. It is argued that agricultural biotechnology is a potential solution for addressing global food security concerns. This study compares central claims made in support of agricultural biotechnology against the case study of Bt maize in Ontario, Canada and Punjab, India. While results indicate that these claims are empirically founded, as this technology is controlled by the private sector, food security is being eroded not strengthened; particularly in developing nations where socio-economic conditions create immense pressure to adopt foreign technology. For agricultural biotechnology to be an effective strategy for addressing global food security, the state must regain its role in research, development and oversight efforts. If used in conjunction with strategies that promote a favourable policy environment, agricultural biotechnology could serve as a powerful tool for addressing global food security concerns.


title: GLOBAL SCALE DRIVERS AND FUTURE PROJECTIONS OF THE TERRESTRIAL WATER BUDGET

contributor:
Department of Earth Sciences
Master of Science
Hugo Beltrami
John Gosse
Michael Dowd
Lawrence Plug
Shannon Sterling
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
global hydrology
water budget
climate change
evapotranspiration
precipitation
runoff

abstract: Projected changes in the hydrological cycle have raised significant concern over future water availability and the sustainability of the world’s terrestrial ecosystems. In Chapter 2, I used a recently compiled dataset of observed terrestrial evapotranspiration (ET) to estimate global fields of ET as a function of land-cover (LC) type and meteorological variables. I determined the primary driving variables to be temperature, precipitation and short-wave radiation through statistical analysis and found that these relationships varied by LC type. In Chapter 3, I analyzed global climate model data to examine projected changes in the terrestrial hydrological budget; in particular, the regional balance between precipitation, runoff, and evapotranspiration. To diagnose hydrologically significant change, I applied the concept of ‘climate departure’ which compares the size of the projected trend to the magnitude of historical variability. I then used the climate departure analysis to test and demonstrate support for the controversial hypothesized pattern of change, known as ‘wet-get-wetter, dry-get-drier’ (WWDD), whereby regions with characteristically high (low) available water receive more (less) precipitation input under climate change. In particular, I develop a spatial meta-analysis framework across individual models which demonstrates stronger support for WWDD than previously recognized. The results of this thesis provide new insights into the observed drivers of hydrological flux (Chapter 2) and model-based projections of future change (Chapter 3). Such knowledge is critical for understanding the hydrological consequences of environmental change now and into the future.


title: Determining the Link Between Certain Hydraulic Properties and Postharvest Needle Abscission in Balsam Fir (Abies balsamea (L.) Mill.)

contributor:
Faculty of Agriculture
Master of Science
Jeff Norrie
Dian Patterson
Dr. Claude Caldwell
Dr. A. Randall Olson
Dr. Rajasekaran Lada
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
balsam fir
needle abscission
water relations
stomatal conductance
xylem blockage

abstract: The goal of this project was to better understand the link between certain hydraulic properties and postharvest needle abscission (PNA) in balsam fir. Balsam fir branches were kept under various conditions to measure and manipulate stomatal conductance and water use over time. Following harvest, water use sharply declined, though a lack of significant xylem blockage progress over time suggests that xylem blockage may not be the cause for PNA. Stomatal conductance also declined postharvest, showing that the decrease in water use may be due to stomatal closure. Keeping branches under high light intensity and high humidity promoted stomatal conductance, while simulating root pressure in a postharvest situation resulted in a significant improvement in stomatal conductance and promoting needle retention. Results of these experiments suggest that lack of root pressure may be a biophysical trigger for needle abscission, possibly by signaling a closure of the stomata.


title: The Alcohol Paradox: Consumption, Regulation, and Public Houses in Three Maritime Colonies of Northeastern British America, 1749-1830

contributor:
Department of History
Doctor of Philosophy
Greg Marquis
Shirley Tillotson
John G. Reid
Krista Kesselring
Jerry Bannister
Not Applicable
Yes
Yes

subject:
alcohol
rum
public houses
regulation
Atlantic World
licencing

abstract: Despite the prominent role of alcohol in the culture of Atlantic Canada, we know remarkably little about the rise of rum and other alcoholic beverages prior to the rise of the temperance movement in the nineteenth century. This dissertation explores the consumption and regulation of alcohol in the three Maritime colonies of northeastern British America – Nova Scotia, The Island of St. John (later Prince Edward Island), and New Brunswick – in the contexts of changing patterns of consumption in the eighteenth-century Anglo-Atlantic world and early systems of colonial governance. It examines alcohol from the perspective of colonial authorities and their regulation of public houses, such as taverns, inns, and tippling houses. This thesis argues that alcohol, and rum in particular, presented a paradox to governors, council members and elected representatives because it was both an important source of colonial revenue and a cause of disorder which colonial authorities sought to contain. In all three colonies, the reliance on alcohol-generated revenue through import duties and fees and fines associated with public houses was weighed against the need to curb consumption. This dilemma played out differently in each of the three colonies, and this dissertation investigates questions of governance, fiscality, and morality with respect to alcohol consumption and regulation in each colony from 1749 to 1830.  By employing alcohol as a lens through which broader processes can be studied, this dissertation contributes to the scholarship on early modern Atlantic-world trade, and on state formation in pre-Confederation Canada. It offers a new interpretive narrative of the development of the Maritimes from the founding of Halifax to the rise of the temperance movement.


title: Living Seniors Living Rural: Mobile Architecture as a Means to Facilitate a New Rural Ageing Typology

contributor:
School of Architecture
Master of Architecture
Andrea Kahn
Sarah Bonnemaison
Niall Savage
Susan Fitzgerald
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
architecture
rural
Seniors
Seniors housing
mobile
modular
Age in place
identity

abstract:
With the realization of population trends and the impact the aging population will have on
our society, an architectural focus is developing. One that examines the roles seniors play
in our built environments. This focus however is primarily oriented to the urban senior, a
person very unique and very different from their rural counterpart. My intent is to reach
outside the urban study and better understand the position of the aging senior in a rural
context, and how architecture plays a role in their development.
The transitions between various life stages are sometimes abrupt, and those forced upon
individuals by the aging process may be met with difficulty and surprise. Frequently these
changes are impeded by things such as inflexible architecture or poorly planned exterior
spaces. Within this thesis the architecture will attempt to counteract the involuntary living
in motion that occurs with seniors in rural communities, forced to leave their homes, communities
and social networks, by introducing an architecture that is in motion. The built
environment will be moving to the seniors or communities where it may be supported.


title: Philosophical Platonism: Plato and the Problems of Philosophy

contributor:
Department of Philosophy
Master of Arts
Mike Hymers
Eli Diamond
Darren Abramson
Greg Scherkoske
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject: Metaphilosophy Teleology Plato Aristotle Ancient

abstract: In this thesis, I seek to provide an account of the function of philosophical practice as it arose in Classical Greece with the work of Plato. In Chapter 1, I argue for the plausibility of engaging in metaphilosophical discourse as separate from philosophical discourse by establishing a distinction between various levels of philosophical problems.  Chapter 2 focuses in greater depth on the nature of problems as normative grounds for philosophical practice.  I demonstrate there that problems may serve as the centrepiece of a teleological explanation in virtue of the demands they make on systems, such as that in which philosophical practice is an item.  From here, I need only identify which problems are germane to the genesis of philosophy and how these problems translate into norms that regulate philosophical practice.  Chapter 3 concerns the former effort by examining the political context of Archaic and Classical period Greece and the responses to stasis that ultimately culminated in philosophy.  In Chapter 4, I examine the latter effort, demonstrating through an interpretation of Plato's early dialogues, primarily the Apology, Crito, and Gorgias, that Plato was cognizant of the problems that I identified in Chapter 3.  From there, I derive the central norms that Plato set out in response to those problems.  This position is what I called Philosophical Platonism, but throughout the subsequent centuries, alternatives to Philosophical Platonism arose and ultimately overtook philosophical practice.  I conclude in Chapter 5 with an examination of the process by which this occurred and an assessment of what we, far removed from these events, should take from it.


title: The Meaning of the Breastfeeding Experience for Mothers in Critical Care

contributor:
School of Nursing
Master of Nursing
Dr. Marilyn Macdonald
Dr. Glenda Carson
Professor Maureen White
Dr. Marilyn Macdonald
Dr. Faith Wight Moffatt
Received
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
Breastfeeding
Phenomenology
Maternal critical care
Women's experience

abstract: A small percentage of women will require hospitalization in a critical care unit during the postpartum period, and breastfeeding is a goal for many of these mothers. Critical care units are staffed by highly skilled health care providers; however, breastfeeding support is not part of the critical care unit culture. This interpretive phenomenology study explored the experience of women being in a critical care unit soon after having a baby that they planned to breastfeed. Three themes were developed after analyzing and interpreting the data: Separation from my baby (with sub-themes planning helps with separation and creative connections); Breastfeeding, an afterthought in the ICU; and Surviving pre-empts breastfeeding. This study provides insights about the meaning of the breastfeeding experience to mothers in critical care.


title: Exploration of Phytochemical-Rich Extracts of Selected Canadian Plants Against Streptococcal Pharyngitis

contributor:
Faculty of Agriculture
Master of Science
Dr. Dian Patterson
Dr. Ross Davidson
Dr. John Rohde
Dr. Nancy Pitts
Dr. Vasantha Rupasinghe
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
Anti-streptococcal
Anti-inflammatory
Anti-biofilm
Phytochemicals
Streptococcal pharyngitis

abstract: Streptococcal pharyngitis is a significant health issue worldwide. Antibiotics and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are often prescribed as treatments. However, discovery of specific phytochemicals as novel antimicrobials agents or analgesic natural health product could help in overcoming the therapeutic challenges. In this study, 32 phytochemical extracts were investigated for anti-streptococcal and anti-inflammatory activity in vitro. Ethanol extract of licorice roots, sage leaves and echinacea flowers and essential oils of sage leaves and oregano flowering shoots showed significant inhibition of growth and biofilm formation of Streptococcus pyogenes. Furthermore, aqueous extracts of ginger rhizome, clove buds, echinacea flowers, thyme flowering shoots and ethanolic extracts of danshen roots showed greater in vitro anti-inflammatory activity on human tonsil epithelial cells. Therefore, considering both antimicrobial and analgesic abilities, extracts of oregano, sage, licorice, echinacea and thyme may have the potential to be used as natural health products, in the management of streptococcal pharyngitis.


title: EVALUATION OF SOURCE SEPARATED ORGANICS AFTER INOCULATION WITH EFFECTIVE MICROORGANISMS AND THE EFFECT ON COMPOST QUALITY.

contributor:
Faculty of Agriculture
Master of Science
Dian Patterson
Dr. Hammermeister
Dr. Arnold
Dr. Gordon Price
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
Compost
Effective microorganisms
Source separated organics

abstract:
A large volume of source-separated organics (SSO) are generated around the
world and there are limited management strategies to reduce their effect on the
environment. The volume of compost can be reduced through applications to agricultural
soils after achieving a cured and stabilized product, however this is often a lengthy
process. Composting time can be reduced by using specialized organisms called effective
microorganisms (EM). The current project examines the effect of two commercially
available EM products on different compost materials. This is achieved in two studies:
study one aims at examining the role of EM toward reducing the time of composting for
five different compost materials. The second study examines role of EM toward reducing
the time composting for fresh green waste and barley straw. Results from both the studies
showed that EM products were only marginally successful in reducing the time of
compost.


title: COPY NUMBER VARIATION OF GENES ENCODING ANTIFREEZE PROTEINS IN WINTER FLOUNDER (PSEUDOPLEURONECTES AMERICANUS)

contributor:
Department of Biology
Doctor of Philosophy
Dr. Harry Murray
Dr. Sophia Stone
Dr. Alan Pinder
Dr. Christophe Herbinger
Dr. Vanya Ewart
Dr. Matthew Litvak
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
Antifreeze proteins
winter flounder

abstract: Winter flounder (Pseudopleuronectes americanus) survive in icy seawater at temperatures reaching -1.9 °C by producing antifreeze proteins (AFPs). AFPs bind to ice crystals and lower the freezing point of fish blood in a non-colligative manner. Previous studies have shown that AFP levels vary among populations of winter flounder, even when fish are raised in the same location, suggesting a genetic rather than an environmental mechanism. Other studies have shown that AFP gene copy numbers vary among locations and that AFP activity in plasma is proportional to gene copy number. The goal of the current study was to determine the AFP gene copy numbers in winter flounder from several locations along the eastern coast of North America, and to determine whether gene dosage is related to antifreeze activity. We designed a quantitative PCR (qPCR) assay to determine the copy numbers of genes encoding the four major AFPs in winter flounder plasma (wflAFP-6, wflAFP-8, wflAFP-9 and the hyperactive AFP Maxi). AFP gene copy numbers were analyzed in flounder from Newfoundland, St. Lawrence Estuary, Baie des Chaleurs, Passamaquoddy Bay and Georges Bank. Winter flounder from Newfoundland had considerably higher AFP gene copy number for each of the genes tested compared to Georges Bank fish. Flounder from the other locations had intermediate gene dosages, differing from Georges Bank fish for some genes and differing from Newfoundland fish for others. There was a relationship between AFP gene copy numbers and antifreeze activity at the population level. We found the hyperactive gene Maxi to be in considerable lower numbers in comparison to the smaller AFPs wflAFP-6 and 8. We attribute this to the protein size and activity. In order to better understand the gene organization of Maxi, we performed Southern blot analysis on samples from each of the locations studied and found that Maxi is represented by a multi-gene family. The antifreeze activity analysis also showed that some fish which did not have any copies of Maxi still had Maxi-like antifreeze activity. This suggests there might be other genes encoding AFPs with high activity similar to maxi that are contributing to winter flounder freeze resistance.


title: Establishing Accessory Muscle Activation in Healthy Individuals During a Graded Exercise Test

contributor:
School of Physiotherapy
Master of Science
Dr. Derek Rutherford
Dr. Shaun Boe
Dr. Cheryl Kozey
Dr. Paul Hernandez
Dr. Gail Dechman
Received
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
Scalenes
Sternocleidomastoid
Accessory Respiratory Muscles
Graded Exercise Test
Surface Electromyography (EMG)

abstract:
Introduction:
Hyperinflation impairs diaphragm function and presumably places increased demands on accessory respiratory muscles in people with COPD. The purpose of this study was to develop a new application of electromyography(EMG) to assess accessory muscle activation and apply it during a graded exercise test(GXT).

Methods:
Muscle activation, ventilatory parameters and dyspnea were collected from twenty participants during the GXT. The ratio between the inspiratory muscle activation during exercise and maximal muscle activation was used to quantify activation.

Results:
Accessory muscle activation progressively increased during the GXT with the amplitude of scalenes exceeding that of the sternocleidomastoid (maximal activation 29.5% and 12.7%(%MVIC), respectively). Activation was moderately associated with IRV and weakly with dyspnea.

Conclusion:
Healthy individuals who fail to achieve a VO2MAX used minimal accessory muscle activation to increase ventilation. These findings lay the groundwork to investigate accessory muscle activation in individuals with COPD and assess the benefits of interventions.


title: Entropy and the Monitoring Problem

contributor: Department of Mathematics & Statistics - Math Division

subject:
Math modelling
Entropy
Hamiltonian system

abstract:
Entropy is a well-known quantity that is used to describe verious phenomena in physics
and information theory. Like energy or information, entropy cannot be measured directly
and traditionally is used to describe the state of other physical quantities. Recently,
a Russian physicist Anatoly Panchenkov introduced a new, more general, notion of
entropy.
In view of the principle of maximum P-entropy, a system evolves in the direction of its
maximum lifespan , e.g., the life expectancy of humans, or business structures increases.
An important feature of the differential equations that follow from the principle of
maximum P-entropy is that they can be used to describe not only evolution, for example,
as the equation of classical mechanics, but also events.
In this thesis we will investigate how to employ the P-entropy to construct mathematical
models that can be used in the theory of monitoring.


title: Iterative Estimation and Demodulation for Improved Joint Random Access Satellite Communications

contributor: Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering

subject:
Random Access
Multi-user Communications
Satellite Communications
Iterative Estimation
Joint Detection

abstract:
This thesis  investigates high throughput random access communications in the satellite up-link environment. In this environment it is typical for a large number of un-coordinated, mobile transmitters scattered over a large geographic area to connect intermittently to a single receiver over the satellite channel.  This configuration fundamentally results in a random access scenario, where a large number of potential users contend for access to limited channel resources. Complexity is increased due to the geographic spread and localized weather effects which make it possible for each user have its own independent channel that must be estimated to ensure a high level of system performance.

To this point research efforts have been focused on the development of access protocols capable of approaching the single user capacity, and have succeeded in asymptotically approaching it, however previous efforts have shown that the application of joint detection and multiple packet reception (MPR) techniques make it is possible to surpass the capacity of the current single-user random access channel. The majority of this previous work is focused on improving ALOHA protocols which show a common behavior of collapsing when the number of users is the system exceeds the number of signaling dimensions. While previous results have excelled at reducing the packet loss ratio and achievable throughputs at low SNR with low normalized system loads, little has been done to address the high-SNR case where the expected number of transmissions per signaling dimension is greater than one. In this thesis it is proven that it is possible to operate in an uncoordinated multi-user environment with system loads up to 1.96 in the high-SNR region under realistic conditions.


title: Delayed bifurcation onset of Turing instability and the effect of noise

abstract: In this thesis we study the effect of noise on delayed bifurcations in PDE's. Two particular problems with slowly varying parameter and noise are considered: a single PDE and a modified version of Klausmeier model. We first study the combined effect of spatio-temporal noise and slowly varying parameter on the onset of the Turing bifurcation. The noise helps to trigger the spatially in-homogeneous instability, and we compute the delay in this instability. We review and extend the results of [1], to more general situations, and also analyse the full distribution of the blowup time. We also analyse the case where spatio-temporal noise is replaced by purely spatial noise and we obtain the asymptotic density distribution of blow up time in the case where the domain is sufficiently small. Full numerical simulations are used to validate our analytical results.


title: ETHNICITY AND PAIN: AN EXPLORATION OF THE EXPRESSION OF PAIN AMONG FOUR ETHNIC MINORITY GROUPS IN CANADA

contributor: Department of Community Health & Epidemiology

subject:
Chronic pain
Cross-sectional
Ethnicity
Acculturation
Population-based
Race

abstract:
Introduction: Approximately one in five Canadian adults suffers from chronic pain, a condition which has been associated with reduced quality of life, reduced psychological adjustment, increased disability, potential for reduced income, and high levels of healthcare utilization. A recent review of the literature has shown that the profile of pain reporting appears to be different in ethnic minority (EM) populations. As Canada increasingly becomes a multiethnic society with an influx of immigrants from non-European and non-English speaking countries, it is important for the healthcare system to consider socio-cultural factors related to diagnosis and treatment in order to optimize health outcomes. While much has been done in health and social services to accommodate the diverse needs of the Canadian population as a whole, very little research has sought specifically to investigate pain among different EM populations. Presently, it appears that no research exists investigating the experience of pain in different EM populations. This research gap may contribute to differences in pain assessment, treatment, and outcomes, contributing to perceived differences in quality of healthcare and in health status.
Objectives:  The three objectives for this study were: 1) to report the differences in chronic pain expression between White Canadians and EM Canadians who self-reported as South Asian, Middle Eastern, East Asian, or Black Canadians; 2) to investigate whether there were differences in the prevalence of chronic pain (the primary dependent variable), pain intensity, and activity limitation (the secondary dependent variables) among Middle Eastern, South Asian, Black, and East Asian EM groups in Canada; 3) to explore the association between the bio-psychosocial risk factors (including acculturation) and chronic pain among the members of the four EM groups who reported chronic pain.
Methods: An exploratory secondary data analytical study was conducted using cross-sectional data from Canadian Community Heath Survey (years 2007-2013). The study sample included Canadians who self-reported as Black, or with origins in South Asia, the Middle East, Africa and East Asia. Three variables related to being free of pain and discomfort were analysed. Chronic pain prevalence, pain intensity and pain interference with daily activity were described for Canadian EM and majority (non-Hispanic white) populations. Logistic regression models were used to analyse the factors associated with pain expression, intensity and interference with normal activity. To explore the association between psychological and social factors associated with chronic pain expression, the research used a bio-psychosocial framework of pain expression adapted from the Determinants of Health: The 21st Century Field Framework and the Bio-psychosocial Framework presented by Gatchel et al. 2010. These frameworks have been used in previous pain literature.
Results: Chronic pain was found to be reported significantly more often by White Canadians (19.3%, 95%CI: 16.9%-21.6%) compared to the combined four EM groups (13.1%, 95%CI: 10.8%-15.4%). Severe pain intensity was also reported statistically significantly more often by White Canadians (17.3%, 95%CI: 16.3%-18.1%) compared to all EM groups (13.0%, 95%CI: 10.6%-15.3%). Logistic regression revealed inter-ethnic differences in pain intensity reporting where the odds of the East Asian group experiencing ‘high’ pain intensity was 0.47 (95%CI: 0.31-0.69) times the odds of the Black Canadians group. Even after adjusting for the combination of psychological and socio-demographic factors from the framework, this group still had significantly reduced odds of reporting ‘severe’ pain intensity (OR: 0.38, 95% CI:0.22,0.64) compared to Black Canadians. Multivariable analysis found self-reported mental health, depression, anxiety, alcohol frequency, sex, age and marital status to be associated with pain expression among these four EM groups.
Conclusion: Understanding and accurately measuring pain in EM groups requires high levels of ‘cultural competence’ in healthcare professionals. When assessing chronic pain, specific attention should be given when working with highly acculturated EM groups who have immigrated and lived in Canada for more than 10 years.


title: IMPLEMENTING RADIOSTEREOMETRIC ANALYSIS IN A LOW DOSE BIPLANAR SLOT SCANNER

contributor:
Department of Biomedical Engineering
Master of Applied Science
Dr. Michael Dunbar
Dr. Janie Astephen-Wilson
Dr Edward Valstar
Dr. Ron El-Hawary
Dr. Janie Astephen-Wilson
Received
No
Not Applicable

subject:
Radiostereometric Analysis
Slipped Capital Femoral Epiphysis
EOS Imager

abstract:
Slipped Capital Femoral Epiphysis (SCFE) is a condition affecting young adolescents in which the proximal femoral metaphysis 'slips' in relation to the capital epiphysis. If left untreated, children are at an increased risk of developing avascular necrosis and secondary osteoarthritis. In-situ fixation remains central in the standard of care. Conventional radiography does not afford accurate post-surgical assessment of physeal fusion; leading to avascular necrosis in cases of persistent physeal non-union. Therefore, a clinical need exists to accurately quantify post-surgical physeal micromotion as an indicator of surgical success. RadioStereometric Analysis (RSA) offer better accuracy than conventional radiography, but requires serial X-ray exams increasing cumulative radiation exposure, concerning in paediatric populations. In the pursuit of the As Low As Reasonably Achievable (ALARA) principle and predominantly in the paediatric realm, there is a need to reduce radiation dose; the EOS imager offers to redefine ALARA. The EOS imager is a biplanar imaging system with three-dimensional capabilities and has demonstrated radiation reduction of 6 to 9 times depending on anatomical location. The purpose of this thesis was to uniquely demonstrate the RSA technique in the EOS imager.
	A phantom study was conducted to compare RSA accuracy and precision in the digital flat-panel and the EOS imaging modalities. The accuracy and precision of RSA in the EOS imager and in the standard technique was better than 0.05mm±0.06mm and 0.37°±0.36° and 0.07mm±0.05mm and 0.18°±0.32°, respectively. The phantom study demonstrated RSA accuracy and precision deemed acceptable for successful post-surgical physeal micromotion assessment in the EOS modality.
	Next, a human study was conducted to demonstrate the feasibility of the RSA technique in the EOS imager in human subjects, and to provide an indication of the precision of the system. Three subjects were recruited from an on-going Total Knee Arthroplasty (TKA) research study at the local hospital. Employing a zero displacement double exam protocol, subjects were imaged in the EOS imager. The precision of EOS RSA was better than ±0.84mm and ±0.91°, near the limit of accepted RSA precision and was confounded by patient motion during EOS scans.
	This thesis is the first demonstration of the EOS RSA technique and the results of the thesis suggest acceptable accuracy in quantifying post-surgical SCFE micromotion. Improvements in precision can be explored with patient restraints. This technique can then be used to quantify post-surgical longitudinal micromotion or instantaneous micromotion with an inducible displacement protocol. Metrics stemming from the increasing employment of this assessment technique can be used to indicate post-surgical stability and outcomes in the SCFE population.


title: Evaluating the Effectiveness of Visualization Design for Twitter Conversations on Academic Topics

contributor:
Faculty of Computer Science
Master of Computer Science
Dr. Norbert Zeh
Dr. Derek Reilly
Dr. Bonnie Mackay
Dr. Evangelos Milios
Received
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
HCI
Visual Analytics
Twitter

abstract: Our research focuses on evaluating the efficiency of the combination of the computed scores and visual representations of features. W conducted a two-phased user study. The first phase were designed to determine the important text features. In the first phase, participants were asked to rate a set of Twitter data and prominent features. After the key feature set was determined, we started to evaluate the two sources of results to be visualized: 1) informativeness and relatedness scores and 2) visual features. We built four versions of visualizations to represent the full projection of the two sources. In the second phase of the user study, 48 participants were recruited to do a between-subject user study for evaluating the four versions of visualizations using the same set of information seeking tasks. The study shows that the visualization combining scores and features perform the best in efficiency for browsing tasks.