title: The effect of biostimulation on geochemical and microbiological conditions in an isolated dolostone fracture

contributor:
Novakowski, Kent S.
Civil Engineering

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subject:
bioclogging
fractured rock

abstract: Thesis (Master, Civil Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2008-09-17 12:37:48.16

abstract:
A biostimulation field trial was conducted to determine the effect of nutrient addition on microbial populations in a fractured rock environment. The ultimate goal of this research is to induce bioclogging in rock fractures as a method of in situ containment and remediation of contaminated groundwater. This trial focused on biostimulation of indigenous bacteria in a single fracture through the addition of bioavailable carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus sources.

Bench-scale experiments were conducted to determine the optimal source and concentration of nutrients for microbial growth. The final mixture selected for the field trial consisted of sodium lactate plus two liquid fertilizers, resulting in a 100:9:4 molar solution of bioavailable carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus with a carbon source concentration of 8.9 g/L.

The field trial was conducted in an uncontaminated area adjacent to an abandoned quarry in southern Ontario, Canada. The geology of the site consists of flat-lying dolostone pervaded by bedding plane fractures, with minimal overburden. An arrangement of three boreholes isolated a single fracture at a depth of 17m using straddle packer systems. A groundwater recirculation system was created with groundwater withdrawal at BH7 and reinjection of amended water at BH9.

Throughout the three-week biostimulation experiment, general groundwater parameters, including temperature, dissolved oxygen and electrical conductivity, were monitored frequently. Geochemical and microbiological conditions including available electron acceptors, biochemical oxygen demand, heterotrophic plate counts, and microbial diversity were evaluated before and after the experiment.

Monitoring results for the withdrawal well confirmed that nutrient delivery was occurring, albeit with substantial mass loss due to incomplete flow field development. Numerical modelling of the system estimated a nutrient mass loss of 29%. Geochemical monitoring of key electron acceptors suggested that redox conditions in the isolated fracture were greatly affected by nutrient addition. Biological data indicated significant changes in the microbial populations, with heterotrophic plate counts increasing significantly in the isolated fracture. Changes in microbial diversity were also observed through 16S rDNA analysis. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis results indicated substantial diversification and growth of the microbial community following biostimulation. Further research will investigate the potential for bioclogging at a NAPL-contaminated fractured bedrock site.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Distributed Beamforming in Wireless Relay Networks

contributor:
Gazor, Saeed
Shahbazpanahi, Shahram
Electrical and Computer Engineering

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

subject:
distributed beamforming
space division multiplexing
cooperative communication
relay network
sdp

abstract: Thesis (Master, Electrical & Computer Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2008-09-17 13:07:21.505

abstract:
In this thesis, we consider a wireless network consisting of d source-destination pairs
and R relaying nodes. Each source wishes to communicate to its corresponding destination.
By exploiting the spatial multiplexing capability of the wireless medium, we
develop two cooperative beamforming schemes in order to establish wireless connections
between multiple source-destination pairs through a collaborative relay network.
Our first communication scheme consists of two steps. In the first step, all sources
transmit their signals simultaneously to the relay network. As a result, each relay receives
a noisy faded mixture of all source signals. In the second step, each relay transmits
an amplitude- and phase-adjusted version of its received signal, i.e., the relay
received signals are multiplied by a set of complex coefficients and are retransmitted.
Our goal is to obtain these complex coefficients (beamforming weights) through minimization
of the total relay transmit power while the signal-to-interference-plus-noise
ratio at the destinations are guaranteed to be above certain pre-defined thresholds.
Our second scheme is a distributed downlink beamforming technique which is
performed in d + 1 successive time slots. In the first d time slots, the d sources
transmit their data to the relay network successively. The relay nodes receive and
store the noisy faded versions of the source signals. In the (d + 1)th time slot, the
relays aim to collectively provide downlink connections to all d destinations. To do so, each relay transmits a linear combination of the stored signals received during the
first d time slots. Again, our goal is to determine the complex weights (used at the
relaying nodes to linearly combine the source signals) by minimizing the total relay
transmit power while satisfying certain quality of services at the destinations.
We use semi-definite relaxation to turn both problems into semi-definite programming
(SDP) problems. Therefore, they can be efficiently solved using interior point
methods. We showed that our proposed schemes significantly outperform orthogonal
multiplexing schemes, such as time-division multiple access schemes, in a large range
of network data rates.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Relationships between income inequality and health: an ecological Canadian study.

contributor:
Rosenberg, Mark W.
Pickett, William
Community Health and Epidemiology

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subject:
Income Inequality
Self-rated Health
Canada
Population Health

abstract: Thesis (Master, Community Health & Epidemiology) -- Queen's University, 2008-09-17 15:32:27.341

abstract:
Abstract
Background:
     Many studies have demonstrated that health is a function of relative and not absolute income within populations. Canadian studies are not conclusive. There is a need for further investigation of the ‘relative income’ hypothesis in the Canadian population.
Objectives:
     The primary objective of this research was to test the “relative income” hypothesis across Canadian health regions. The second objective was to extend the first hypothesis to consider rural versus urban populations in Canada.
Methods:
     This research involved ecological analyses. The source of the data was the Canadian Community Health Survey, CCHS 2005 cycle 3.1. The units of analysis were health regions of Canada. Health of a region was estimated as the percentage of people who rated their health as good or excellent. The primary exposure variable was the ratio of people whose personal income was less than $15,000 relative to those reporting more than $80,000. Correlation analyses and multiple linear regressions were performed to ascertain the relationship between income inequality and health status in populations, adjusting for important covariates.
Results:
     The measure of relative income inequality alone appeared to explain 18 per cent of the variability in the measure of health status in populations. However, after adding the measure of absolute income to the model, although 29 per cent of the variability was explained, the independent contribution of the inequality measure became non-significant. Linear regression models suggested that the absolute income variable alone could explain 30 per cent of the variance in the health status of populations. Other variables with a statistically significant contribution to the final multiple regression model were education and alcohol consumption.
Rural/urban status did not change the individual relationship between relative income inequality or absolute income and the measure of health status in populations.
Conclusion:
     Across Canadian health regions, health status in populations was a function of absolute income but not relative income. Regions with higher levels of education had better levels of self-rated health. A larger percentage of heavy drinkers was also correlated with lower population health status. The study findings have implications for public health, economic policies, and social policies.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Black-Capped Chickadee Dawn Chorus Singing Behaviour: Evidence for Communication Networks

contributor:
Ratcliffe, Laurene
Biology

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subject:
Dawn Chorus
Black-Capped Chickadee
Bird Song
Communication Network

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Biology) -- Queen's University, 2008-09-17 15:07:56.276

abstract:
There has been a recent paradigm shift in the study of animal communication from
examining interactions as dyads to considering interactions as occurring in a
communication network. The dawn chorus of songbirds, a striking acoustic phenomenon,
provides an ideal opportunity to study network communication because multiple singers are within range of each other, permitting eavesdropping by both males and females. I used a 16-microphone Acoustic Location System (ALS) to simultaneously record and analyse the dawn chorus in a population of black-capped chickadees (Poecile atricapillus) breeding in eastern Ontario.
Males frequency-match neighbours 24% of the time at dawn, more often than expected by chance or during daytime singing interactions. The amount of matching
between males from different over-wintering flocks is significantly greater than between
flockmates. Males of the same winter dominance rank match significantly more than do males of disparate ranks. Male black-capped chickadees are interacting vocally with neighbours at dawn, using the dawn chorus to mediate social relationships in ways that suggest useful information is available to the network of male and female receivers.
Matching levels are not related to distance between opponents. However, males with
non-fertile mates move over larger areas while chorusing and are further from their nest than males with fertile mates, suggesting dawn mate guarding. Males with non-fertile mates spend more of their chorus near boundaries with fertile neighbours than non-fertile neighbours possibly positioning themselves to facilitate eavesdropping by fertile females.
Male chickadees of high and low winter social rank do not differ in either the size of their communication network, or the way they use their songs when interacting with neighbours. Males match multiple neighbours both sequentially and simultaneously.
Simultaneous matching is most often the result of a former flockmate joining an
interaction between two males who had been in different winter flocks. High-ranked
males join the interactions of their lower-ranked flockmates, preferentially when those
males are matching other high-ranked males. The dawn chorus is an interactive
communication network in which all males participate and is characterized by
interactions between multiple senders and receivers with males eavesdropping on
interactions in which they are not involved.

abstract: PhD


title: Adiponectin Modulates Excitability of Subfornical Organ Neurons at Different Energy States

contributor:
Ferguson, Alastair V.
Neuroscience Studies

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subject:
Adiponectin
Subfornical Organ
Circumventricular Organ
Patch Clamp
Energy Homeostasis

abstract: Thesis (Master, Neuroscience Studies) -- Queen's University, 2008-09-17 18:07:35.099

abstract:
Adiponectin (ADP) is an adipokine, which acts as an insulin sensitizing hormone.  Recent studies have shown that adiponectin receptors (AdipoR1, AdipoR2) are present in the CNS; however, there is some debate as to whether or not ADP crosses the blood brain barrier (BBB).  Circumventricular organs (CVO) are CNS sites outside the BBB, and thus represent sites at which circulating adiponectin may act to influence the CNS without having to cross the BBB.  The subfornical organ (SFO) is a CVO that is responsive to a number of different circulating satiety signals including amylin, CCK, and ghrelin.  We report here that the SFO also shows a high density of mRNA for both adiponectin receptors.  These observations support the concept that the SFO may be a key player in sensing circulating ADP.  To test the hypothesis that ADP influences the excitability of SFO neurons, we used current-clamp electrophysiology on dissociated SFO neurons to observe changes in membrane potential.  ADP (10 nM) application effected the excitability of SFO neurons, where the cells either depolarized (8.9±0.9 mV, 21 of 97 cells) or hyperpolarized (-8.0±0.5 mV, 34 of 97 cells).  Using single-cell RT-PCR we found that the majority of the responsive neurons expressed AdipoR1 or R2 and the non-responsive neurons expressed neither.

In view of the recognized role of ADP in the regulation of energy balance, we next examined the effects of food deprivation for 48 hours on ADP signaling in the SFO.  Our previous microarray analysis of SFO showed increases in AdipoR2 mRNA, with no significant change in AdipoR1 mRNA.  We have also assessed the effects of such changes in receptor expression on ADP signaling in SFO neurons using calcium imaging and patch clamp techniques.  In SFO neurons obtained from control animals, ADP induced increases in intracellular Ca2+ were observed in 25% of cells, while following food deprivation 0% of cells showed this response.  Furthermore, 77% of neurons from starved animals showed clear depolarization, while no hyperpolarizing responses were observed.  The results presented in this study suggest that adiponectin modulates the excitability of SFO neurons and that the response to ADP changes during starvation.

abstract: Journal submission

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Operational Transconductance Amplifiers For Gigahertz Applications

contributor:
Saavedra, Carlos E.
Electrical and Computer Engineering

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subject:
operational transconductance amplifiers
gigahertz

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Electrical & Computer Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2008-09-18 09:49:00.07

abstract:
A novel CMOS operational transconductance amplifier (OTA) is proposed and demonstrated in this thesis. Due to its feedforward-regulated cascode topology, it breaks the previous OTA frequency limit of several hundred MHz and operates at frequencies up to 10 GHz with a large transconductance. This is confirmed by an in-depth high-frequency analysis, simulations, and experimental demonstrations using purpose-built circuits. Experimental results also show that the proposed OTA has high linearity and low intermodulation distortion, which is of particular interest in microwave circuits. The OTA’s noise behavior and the effects of process variations, device mismatch, and power supply noise on the transconductance are also studied. To the best of our knowledge, the noise analysis here is the first of its kind on regulated cascode circuits, which can be applied to other regulated cascodes with minor changes.

Three microwave applications of this OTA are explored in this thesis: 1) an active bandpass filter with a wide tuning range, 2) a 2.4-GHz ISM-band variable phase shifter, and 3) a microwave active quasi-circulator, which are all in CMOS MMIC form. These three circuits can be easily integrated with other chip components for System-on-Chip (SoC) realizations. The use of the OTA makes these three applications super compact: the active filter is at least 5 times smaller than previous circuits with a similar topology, and the phase shifter and quasi-circulator are at least 3 times smaller than previous works in that frequency range. Furthermore, the tunability of the developed OTA on its transconductance gives its applications extra freedom in tuning their frequencies and gains/losses electronically. In the first application, the active bandpass filter has a novel narrowband-filtering topology and has a wide tuning-range of 28% around 1.8 GHz, which makes it very suited for reconfigurable multi-band wireless systems. In the second and third applications, the active variable phase shifter has a comparable variable phase shift range of 120º in the 2.4-GHz ISM band and the active quasi-circulator has transmissions close to 0 dB and directivities over 24 dB from 1.5 GHz to 2.7 GHz.

abstract: PhD


title: An Argument in Favor of Human Genetic Enhancement

contributor:
Schüklenk, Udo
Philosophy

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subject:
Human Genetic Enhancement
Distributive Justice
Equality of Opportunity

abstract: Thesis (Master, Philosophy) -- Queen's University, 2008-09-18 17:05:35.143

abstract: Human Genetic Enhancement (HGE) has the potential to provide great benefits to a large number of people in terms of alleviating inherited disease and disability and maximizing individual liberty. There are many arguments against research and application of this new technology based on a variety of grounds, including both deontological and consequentialist objections. In this thesis I examine arguments from both of these positions and argue that neither offers a satisfactory justification for prohibiting research into HGE nor do they demonstrate that the application of the knowledge gained from such research is necessarily wrong. I also suggest that there is a strong argument in favor of HGE in that it may offer a way to reduce the amount of disadvantage currently present in our society as a result of genetic disease and disability by addressing the genetic causes of these conditions. Further, I argue that the pursuit of HGE is necessary in order to promote individual liberty and promote equality of opportunity. Finally, I argue that by examining principles that require us to promote individual liberty we can establish the categories of enhancements which we should publicly fund and those that should merely be permissible.

abstract: M.A.


title: Associated Sulfide Minerals in Thiosulfate Leaching of Gold: Problems and Solutions

contributor:
Yen, Wan-Tai
Mining Engineering

subject: Thiosulfate Gold Ammonia Copper Ethylenediamine Phosphate Pyrite Pyrrhotite Arsenopyrite Chalcopyrite Chalcocite Bornite Galena Lead Eh-pH Oxygen Extraction Leaching Pre-aeration Passivation

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Mining Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2008-09-18 11:48:38.672

abstract:
The effects of some associated minerals on thiosulfate gold leaching were studied through thermodynamic analysis and leaching experiments on composite ore samples containing various minerals and a reference silicate gold ore.
In the leaching test on the reference gold ore, about 93% of gold was extracted within 3.0 hours. The presence of various amount of pyrite, pyrrhotite, chalcopyrite, arsenopyrite, chalcocite, bornite, and some lead species, has significant detrimental effects.
Under reduced oxygen conditions, the thiosulfate consumptions could be significantly reduced. High gold extractions (i.e. >= 90%) were observed in the leaching tests with reduced dissolved oxygen (i.e., 0.7% oxygen in the supplied gas) in the absence or in the presence of sulfide minerals such as pyrite, pyrrhotite, arsenopyrite and chalcopyrite. High copper concentration and a pre-aeration step was also found to largely increase the gold extractions under such conditions.
Thiosulfate-copper-ethylenediamine system was found effective in the leaching of gold. The leaching kinetics was significantly slower than that of the conventional thiosulfate-copper-ammonia leaching. The consumption of thiosulfate, however, was largely reduced. This leaching system worked effectively on the reference gold ore within a wider pH range (e.g., 6-11), with or without ammonia. The presence of ammonia in a low concentration improved the leaching rate but also increase the consumption of thiosulfate. Comparable gold extractions were observed in the leaching of the composite ores containing various sulfide minerals, such as pyrite, pyrrhotite, chalcocite, galena and chalcopyrite.
The leaching of gold in the presence of iron sulfides was also improved by applying chemical additives, such as, carbonate, calcium, galena, phosphate, and additional hydroxide anion. It is proposed that these additives either passivated the harmful surface of sulfide minerals or masked some detrimental aqueous species.
Finally, some improved leaching methods concluded in this study were applied on a few industrial ore samples in order to demonstrate the effectiveness of these methods. It was found that by comprehensively applying these improved thiosulfate leaching strategies, satisfactory gold extractions and thiosulfate consumption results were archived on these ores.

abstract: 6 months

abstract: PhD


title: Balancing Energy Demands with the Potential for Threat in the Environment

contributor:
Menard, Janet L.
Neuroscience Studies

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subject:
behavioural defense profiles
food restriction

abstract: Thesis (Master, Neuroscience Studies) -- Queen's University, 2008-09-18 16:58:44.385

abstract: In their natural environment animals must balance their safety requirements (i.e., avoiding predation) with their need to satisfy their energy demands (i.e., securing food).  How the brain integrates these competing demands to promote adaptive responding is not well understood.  The current study examined the effects of chronic food restriction on rats' behavioural defense profiles in two animal models of anxiety; the shock-probe burying and elevated plus-maze tests.  In agreement with previous research, food restriction dramatically increased rats' open-arm exploration in the plus-maze.  By contrast, food restriction did not alter the duration of time rats spent burying an electrified probe in the shock-probe burying test.  Furthermore, food restricted rats displayed increases in risk assessment behaviour in both tests.  Animals’ behaviour in both animal models of anxiety does not suggest a food-restriction induced reduction in anxiety. Alternatively, the results suggest that rats' willingness to explore normally avoided open arenas is sensitive to their current energy demands.  In particular, it appears that under conditions of food scarcity rodents adapt their defensive profiles in order to meet both safety needs and satisfy energy demands.  Further, the dramatic shift in open-arm exploration displayed by food-restricted animals seems to involve activation (as indexed by cFos) of brain regions previously implicated in feeding behaviour and normal open arm avoidance.  Notably, an interaction effect of feeding and testing was observed in the anterior basolateral amygdala.  This nucleus may be involved in integrating the competing demands of safety and energy requirements.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Behavioural and Neuroimaging Studies of the Influence of Semantic Context on the Perception of Speech in Noise

contributor:
Johnsrude, Ingrid S.
Neuroscience Studies

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subject:
Speech Perception
Neuroimaging
Semantic Context
Aging

abstract: Thesis (Master, Neuroscience Studies) -- Queen's University, 2008-09-18 23:01:40.979

abstract:
Meaningful semantic context has been shown to improve comprehension of spoken sentences by young and old adults, especially in difficult listening conditions. Whether older adults benefit differently than younger adults is a topic of some controversy. I asked young (14 participants, 18-25) and older adults (20 participants, 60-75) to report entire sentences which contained either a coherent or anomalous global semantic context (e.g. coherent: “Her new skirt was made of denim”, anomalous: “Her good slope was done in carrot”). Sentences were mixed with signal-correlated noise, at 10 signal-to-noise ratios (-6 to +2 dB and clear speech). Percentage scores were converted to rationalized arcsine units and subjected to a repeated-measures ANOVA; slopes from psychometric functions fitted to the transformed data were also analyzed. Cognitive and hearing threshold differences were considered as factors influencing results. Finally, individual variability in the use of context was explored. Comprehension by both groups benefited from meaningful context, without a clear difference in the overall amount of benefit obtained. Cognitive factors did not appear to influence the results, although differences in hearing thresholds likely contributed to the consistent performance decrement for older adults. Individuals varied greatly in their use of context, a possible explanation for inconsistent results in studies comparing context use by young and older people.
fMRI was then used to look at neural activity associated with deriving benefit from meaningful context. Whole-brain EPI data were acquired from young (16 participants, 19-26) adults using a sparse imaging design. Participants heard coherent and anomalous sentences in the scanner, and were asked to report what they heard on half of the trials. Individual’s word-report data obtained in the scanner were used to model intelligibility in the analysis and results were compared to an analysis conducted using intelligibility estimates based on group data from another study. In addition to bilateral temporal activity associated with increasing intelligibility, I observe a large left inferior-frontal region in which BOLD signal correlated more strongly with highly intelligible anomalous compared to highly intelligible coherent prose, presumably reflecting challenged semantic integration and supporting Hagoort’s (2005) model of semantic unification.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Fellowship as Social Capital

contributor:
Sacco, Vincent F.
Sociology

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subject:
Social Capital
Strain Theory
Christianity
University Students

abstract: Thesis (Master, Sociology) -- Queen's University, 2008-09-19 14:43:51.989

abstract:
This thesis is an exploration of strain, its sources, its manifestation, and how individuals cope with it.  The particular scenario under investigation is that of Christian university students in a secular academic environment.  Using Agnew’s general strain theory, Goffman’s theory of discreditable stigma, subcultural theory, and recent advances in the study of social capital, the strain experienced by Christian students in a secular university atmosphere was explored.  Ethnographic content analysis of on-campus Christian groups, participant observation and semi-structured interviews of 43 Christian university students were used to investigate four postulates:
1.	Christian students experience strain as a result of their religiosity on a secular campus;
2.	This strain manifests as a discreditable stigma;
3.	This strain results in Christian students becoming members of on-campus Christian groups (seeking a subculture); and
4.	Memberships in Christian groups provide access to support through social capital.
There was evidence to support postulates 1, 2, and 4, while postulate 3 was not supported by the data collected.
Strain theory proved to be a useful concept for understanding how Christian students interacted with their secular environment.  The data suggest that the university atmosphere was challenging to their beliefs both inside and outside the classroom.  Christian students also indicated that they often censored themselves in front of their colleagues and peers and did not feel comfortable disclosing their Christian beliefs to new friends.  The reason given for this was more time was needed in order to quell certain negative assumptions and stereotypes that non-Christians may have about Christians.  This description is suggestive of Goffman’s concept of discreditable stigma, in that stigmatized persons attempt to “pass” so that their stigma (Christianity in this case) will not prejudice current and future encounters.  Students did not join Christian groups as a way to cope with the strain they felt within academia, as many students joined these groups upon entry into university (rather than joining after encountering strain).  It was found that students experienced benefits from membership within Christian groups, demonstrating the utility of social capital (i.e., network of support) as a conceptual framework.

abstract: M.A.


title: Role of Cell Adhesion Microenvironment and the Src/Stat3 Axis in Autocrine HGF Signaling During Breast Tumourigenesis

contributor:
Elliott, Bruce E.
Pathology and Molecular Medicine

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subject: Breast Cancer

subject: HGF/Met

subject: Src/Stat3

subject: Three-Dimensional

subject: EPH4

subject: AC2M2

abstract: Thesis (Master, Pathology & Molecular Medicine) -- Queen's University, 2008-09-19 18:19:22.744

abstract:
Over-expression of both hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and its receptor Met frequently occurs in invasive human breast cancer, suggesting that the establishment of an HGF “autocrine loop” may be linked to breast tumour progression. We have recently shown a novel activating function of two signaling molecules, Src tyrosine kinase and the signal transducer and activator of transcription-3 factor (Stat3), on HGF expression in breast epithelial cells. Interestingly, Stat3 is also important in normal breast development,but this function does not require Src. In addition, β1-integrin adhesion occurs minimally in differentiated breast epithelium, but is upregulated during oncogenic progression and is required for transformation by Src. We therefore hypothesize that β1-integrin engagement is necessary for Src/Stat3-dependent activation of HGF transcription and breast tumourigensis. Using specific inhibitors of Src (Dasatinib) and Stat3 (CPA7) we demonstrated that autocrine HGF expression is linked to activation of Src/Stat3 in a malignant breast cell line. Phenotypic reversion (e.g., cell rounding and loss of filopodial extensions) and inhibition of pY705Stat3, HGF and pYMet expression as determined by immunofluorescence was achieved with both inhibitor treatments separately, and a synergistic effect was observed with combined treatment. Furthermore, β-catenin localization was nuclear in malignant cells, but shifted to cortical cytoplasmic following inhibitor treatment, similar to non-malignant mouse breast epithelial cells (EPH4). We are currently extrapolating these findings to a 3D Matrigel culture model in which EPH4 cells form acini-like spheroids with hollow lumen surrounded by a well-polarized outer layer of cells. Under these conditions, Stat3 levels are decreased followed by a reduction in cyclin D1 expression, while Src activation remains at a low baseline level. Interestingly,expression of Stat5, which has a reciprocal relationship with Stat3 in breast development and involution, is increased concomitant with elevated β-casein expression. Moreover, Fibronectin and HGF in combination stimulate tubular outgrowths with lumen filling.

These findings suggest that aberrant changes in extracellular matrix milieu may stimulate integrin cross talk resulting in a switch of HGF/Met signaling to a transformation phenotype. Information from this study may lead to novel cancer therapies through targeting the HGF/Met and integrin signaling cascades.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Views of Environmental Educators on Teaching Environmental Education

contributor:
Upitis, Rena
Education

format:
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subject:
environmental education
teacher education
views
knowledge
abilities
certification

abstract: Thesis (Master, Education) -- Queen's University, 2008-09-20 14:27:12.322

abstract: Environmental Education (EE) can play an important role in broadening learners’ understanding of their environment. This is of particular importance due to the major adverse impact we as humans are having on the environment, including the loss of biodiversity and global warming. However, many Canadian teachers are not offered EE content in their teacher education programs (Lin, 2002). Therefore, this study investigates, (a) what knowledge and abilities are important for teaching EE, (b) experiences that have influenced educators’ interest and willingness to teach EE, and (c) the preparation educators could receive to better integrate EE into their teaching practices.  Data were collected using an electronic survey (n=148) and semi-structured interviews (n=11). Results showed that among 12 major themes to emerge from the interviews, recognizing the importance of outdoor experiences and having the ability to engage learners were viewed as very important by participants. Interviewees’ recommendations for improving the preparation of educators included introducing mandatory EE components in teacher education programs and promoting mentorship experiences.  However, there was no consensus among participants regarding the impact or value of implementing a professional EE certification program. Implications of this study include facilitating the sharing of environmental educators’ perspectives. Suggestions are made for further research on preparing educators who are willing and able to instruct EE, so that more students are given an opportunity to learn about their environment and make informed choices about their impact on the earth.

abstract: M.Ed.


title: Examining the effect of CBP on the E2A-PBX1 and HOXB4 interaction

contributor:
LeBrun, David P.
Pathology and Molecular Medicine

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subject: E2A-PBX1

subject: HOXB4

subject: CBP

subject: p300

subject: Leukemia

subject: Transcriptional Activaton

subject: Ternary Complex

abstract: Thesis (Master, Pathology & Molecular Medicine) -- Queen's University, 2008-09-29 13:57:25.324

abstract: The E2A-PBX1 fusion gene results from the t(1;19) chromosomal translocation that is found in 25% of pre-B-cell cases of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).  The resulting encoded product contains the transactivation domains of E2A, a Class I basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor, and most of PBX1.  PBX1 is a major cofactor for most members of the HOX family of homeodomain proteins and is necessary for regulating the essential role that HOX proteins play in development and tissue homeostasis.  We have identified an interaction between the E2A-encoded portion of E2A-PBX1 and the CREB-binding domain (KIX) of the transcriptional coactivator CBP and demonstrated a requirement for this interaction in leukemia induction.  Others have shown that HOX proteins and CBP also interact directly, with resulting inhibitory effects on the DNA-binding ability of HOX proteins and on the acetylation of substrate proteins by CBP.  Several publications have also identified the interaction of HOX proteins with the PBX1 portion of E2A-PBX1 and the result is a potent transcriptional activator at PBX1/HOX target sequences.  In an attempt to develop a molecular model for the induction of ALL by E2A-PBX1, we hypothesize that the addition of CBP interactive peptide elements encoded by E2A to PBX1 allows E2A-PBX1 to stabilize a ternary complex involving E2A-PBX1, HOX, and CBP resulting in the deregulated expression of critical PBX1 or HOX target genes.  I demonstrate using in vitro protein-protein interactions that this ternary complex involving E2A-PBX1, HOXB4 (chosen as a representative member of the HOX family), and CBP does form.  This direct interaction appears to reduce transcriptional activation by E2A-PBX1/HOXB4 heterodimers from PBX1/HOX enhancer elements.  I also show that this suppression of transactivation appears to involve CBP antagonism of DNA binding by E2A-PBX1/HOXB4 heterodimers.  My results are consistent with the idea that E2A-PBX1 contributes to ALL induction by promoting the redistribution of CBP away from DNA sites bound by E2A-PBX1/HOXB4 heterodimers and in favour of those sites bound by E2A-PBX1 homodimers.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Carry-over effects in American redstarts: Implications for sexual selection and behaviour

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subject: ecology behaviour

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Biology) -- Queen's University, 2008-09-21 17:31:31.419

abstract:
Migratory birds spend most of the year on the over-wintering grounds or traveling between breeding and wintering areas, but research has focused on the relatively short breeding period. As a consequence, we have only a rudimentary understanding of how life histories of long-distance migrants are shaped by events and selective pressures interacting throughout the annual cycle. In this thesis, I examine the association between plumage traits and performance, both during the over-wintering and breeding phases of the annual cycle and how events during one season carry-over to influence behavioural and evolutionary processes in subsequent seasons in a migratory warbler, the American redstart (Setophaga ruticilla).
	First, I demonstrate that tail feather brightness is correlated with winter habitat quality in Jamaica, suggesting that plumage may act as a status signal during the non-breeding season. Stable-carbon isotopes analyzed from claws of redstarts arriving on the breeding grounds confirm the association between ornamentation and winter territory quality. Second, I demonstrate that redstarts arriving to breed in southern Ontario from high-quality winter habitats arrive earlier, resulting in a lower probability of paternity loss, a higher probability of achieving polygyny, and higher genetic fledging success. Third, I demonstrate that tail feather brightness, associated with winter territory quality, predicts the likelihood of polygyny during the breeding season, indicating that tail brightness is associated with performance during two phases of the annual cycle. Paternity is predicted by both tail and flank colouration. Finally, I demonstrate that reported trade-offs between reproductive effort and plumage ornamentation as manifested by moult-migration in redstarts is likely an artifact of high variation in local stable-hydrogen isotope signatures (δD) and occasional feather loss and re-growth during the over-wintering period. Thus, moult-migration does not appear to be an important carry-over effect in redstarts. This work demonstrates that plumage may be under selection during both stationary phases of the annual cycle. Furthermore, it suggests that carry-over effects from the non-breeding season can influence evolutionary processes such as sexual selection and highlights the importance of considering selective pressures and events occurring throughout the annual cycle in studying the behaviour and ecology of migratory animals.

abstract: PhD


title: Efficacy of an Occupational Time Use Intervention for People With Serious Mental Illness

contributor:
Krupa, Terry
Rehabilitation Science

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subject:
Serious Mental Illness
Rehabilitation
Occupational Engagement
Occupational Balance
Time Use

abstract: Thesis (Master, Rehabilitation Science) -- Queen's University, 2008-09-22 14:36:47.279

abstract:
Rationale: Consumers of the mental health system with serious mental illness have been deprived of meaningful occupations since de-institutionalization began in the late 20th century.Community mental health policy has failed to focus on the meaningful occupational lives of this group of service users. Given the disparity in activity and meaningful time use for people with serious mental illness when compared to the general population, it is clear that a treatment that draws attention to occupational balance and engagement is needed. As balanced time use has been shown to increase community adjustment and life satisfaction, it is an important area of focus.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to pilot test the efficacy of a new occupational time use intervention, provisionally titled “Action over Inertia,” designed to increase occupational balance and engagement in the lives of people with serious mental illness living in the community.

Methods: A prospective, multi-centre randomized controlled trial of the intervention, involving 5 Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) teams in southeastern Ontario,ran in Fall 2007/Winter 2008. 18 ACT clients took part in the 12 week intervention, which was delivered by the ACT team occupational therapists.

Results: Time use, used as a measure of occupational balance, shifted away from sleep to increased general activity in the treatment group(p=0.05). Treatment and control groups did not differ on occupational engagement measures after the completion of the trial. Feedback on the clinical utility of the intervention was very positive from both therapists and treatment participants.

Conclusions: This pilot test revealed initially positive data on the efficacy and clinical utility of the intervention.Further study of the “Action over Inertia” intervention is needed on a larger scale, potentially with a longer treatment timeline to further investigate its usefulness.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Microbial Pre-treatment of Double Refractory Gold Ores

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subject: Refractory gold ores; Pre-treatment; Cyanidation; Preg-robbing; Biooxidation

abstract: Thesis (Master, Mining Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2008-09-22 16:42:01.272

abstract:
The use of microorganisms notably bacteria in mineral processing industry is presently one of the leading emerging pre-treatment techniques being employed for the processing of double refractory gold ores and concentrates. Currently numerous studies are in progress to further improve upon the efficiency of the bacterial process and to investigate the potential of other microorganisms.
In this study, microbial pre-treatment of double refractory gold ore (sample A) and concentrate (sample B) was investigated using a white-rot fungus, Tramestes versicolor (ATTC 20869). Pulp density, temperature, pH and retention times were the process variables considered.
Preliminary studies investigated the amenability of selected pure sulfide sulfur minerals, various types of coal and ore sample A to fungal degradation. Various pre-treatment scenarios were also studied to optimize gold extraction. These were single stage, a two-step and two stage processes involving the well known chemolithotrophic bacteria Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans (ATTC 15494), Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans (ATTC 19859) and Leptospirillum ferrooxidans (ATTC 53992), the bacterium, Streptomyces setonii (ATTC 39116) and the white-rot fungus, Tramestes versicolor.
Preliminary results for sample A indicated that T. versicolor did not degrade sulfides significantly at its optimum growth conditions (pH range of 4.5 – 5.0)  and carbonaceous matter was not degraded but rather passivated as preg-robbing decreased significantly. Lignite was inert to passivation by T. versicolor unlike bituminous coal and to lower extent anthracite. Stimulated alkaline conditions (pH range of 9.5 – 10.5) recorded the overall best sulfur oxidation.

Results of both the single stage and two-step processes confirmed that carbonaceous matter was passivated by T. versicolor; as preg-robbing decreased significantly from 18.1% to ≤ 1.0%. Gold extraction by cyanidation of the pre-treated sample A was 82.5% for the two-step as against 80.5 % for the single stage and 15.0% for the untreated sample. Application of the two-step and single stage process conditions to sample B resulted in 93.3% and 89.9% gold extraction respectively as against untreated concentrate of 30.5%. For the various two stage pre-treatment processes investigated, the abiotic - S. setonii process recorded the best gold extraction of 81.5% for sample A.

S. Setonii degraded carbonaceous matter unlike T. versicolor which passivated it. However, it takes only 3 - 7 days for T. versicolor to effect passivation and eliminate preg-robbing while 14 - 56 days is required for S. setonii to degrade carbonaceous matter significantly.

The result of the novel microbial pre-treatment process indicated that sulfide sulfur was degraded under alkaline conditions and carbonaceous matter passivated by T. versicolor at its optimum growth conditions. This led to a significant improvement in gold extraction from the double refractory gold ore and concentrate investigated.

abstract: M.A.Sc.


title: Political Liberalism and the Virtues of Citizens

contributor:
Kymlicka, Will
Philosophy

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subject:
Liberalism
Virtue
Neutrality
Public Reason
Justice
Political Philosophy
Pluralism
Diversity
Public/Private
Political Liberalism

abstract: Thesis (Master, Philosophy) -- Queen's University, 2008-09-22 21:48:39.206

abstract: This paper takes as its starting point the fact of reasonable pluralism and defends political liberalism as the best means of accommodating diversity and a plurality of different conceptions of the good. I then ask what is needed for a social order characterized by diversity and a multiplicity of different ways of life to come into existence and perpetuate itself over time. First, I defend political liberalism and argue that the creation of a society that is accommodating of diversity requires that the state be mindful of the spillover effects between public institutions and the private lives of citizens. Second, I argue that the individuals living in such a society must adopt certain virtues, both publicly as well as privately. I achieve this by presenting an account of the virtues of citizens in a political liberal society. Third, I draw out the implications of having a society characterized by reasonable pluralism and many different conceptions of the good, by arguing that such a society should avoid adopting too expansive a role, since an overly ambitious conception of social justice risks stifling the diversity a political liberal society is trying to protect. I conclude with some general remarks about the current state of liberal theorizing and the need for liberal theorists to provide an account of liberalism that includes more than one’s conception of distributive justice and legitimate state coercion.

abstract: M.A.


title: A pilot project to investigate a novel computerized concussion assessment tool for use in the emergency department and other outpatient settings

contributor:
Pickett, William
Brison, Robert
Community Health and Epidemiology

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subject:
Concussion
Mild Brain Injury
Head Injury
Computerized Assessments
Emergency Department
Sport Injuries

abstract: Thesis (Master, Community Health & Epidemiology) -- Queen's University, 2008-09-23 10:40:20.199

abstract:
Background: There is currently no standard method of diagnosing the presence or severity of concussion in acute primary care settings.  This pilot project is part of a larger study to develop a Computerized Concussion Assessment Tool (CCAT).

Methods: A prospective observational clinical study was conducted to explore the validity of the CCAT among patients presenting to the Emergency Department at Kingston General Hospital and at Hotel Dieu Hospital (Kingston, Ontario) with minor head injury.  Twenty-two patients with concussion and eighteen patients with head injury (but not diagnosed with concussion) were recruited to the study.  All participants completed a background questionnaire, several neurocognitive tests and the CCAT assessment.  Performance on the CCAT was compared between these two groups.  Data collected during the development phase of the CCAT from a Normal Volunteers group (n=68) were used in an additional comparison.  CCAT Scores for Selective Attention, Divided Attention and Memory were compared with standard neurocognitive tests through correlational analyses.  In addition, the validity and clinical yield of the CCAT were investigated relative to gold standard measures.

Results: After adjustment for covariates, no statistically significant differences were found between the three participant groups for any of the three primary CCAT Scores (Selective Attention, Divided Attention and Memory).  Correlational analyses showed that the CCAT Selective Attention Score and the CCAT Memory Score are moderately correlated with standard neurocognitive tests.  There was no correlation observed for the CCAT Divided Attention Score and its associated neurocognitive test.

Conclusion: The CCAT was unable to discriminate between concussed patients and non-concussed individuals.  However, moderate correlations observed between the CCAT Scores for Memory and Selective Attention and their respective neurocognitive tests support a view that there should be optimism for the future development of the CCAT.  Issues related to the feasibility of the study and its administration in the emergency department setting are discussed.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Forensic psychiatry and criminal responsibility in Santiago, Chile

contributor:
Arboleda-Flórez, Julio
Stuart, Heather
Lam, Miu
Community Health and Epidemiology

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subject:
forensic psychiatry
criminal responsibility
Latin America

abstract: Thesis (Master, Community Health & Epidemiology) -- Queen's University, 2008-09-23 12:52:55.423

abstract: Mental disorders are among the most prevalent of chronic diseases, and high rates of these disorders have been consistently found in jails and prisons. This study was a retrospective case series that described the population of adults charged with a criminal offense who were court ordered to undergo a psychiatric assessment within the Medical Legal Service in Santiago, Chile from 2005-2006. Chi-square tests were used to assess differences in the distribution of variables by sex and by criminal responsibility. Exploratory analyses using polytomous logistic regression were conducted in order to assess variables that might be predictive of the outcome of criminal responsibility as recommended by the psychiatrist. Of the evaluated offenders, approximately 84% were considered by a psychiatrist to be criminally responsible for their crime, 7% were regarded as having diminished criminal responsibility, 4% were considered to be not criminally responsible for their crime, and 4% were cases where criminal responsibility was not applicable. The following variables were found to be significant in the exploratory model: sex, age, occupational status, psychiatric pathology, recommendation of treatment, and recommendation of hospitalization. An offender determined by the psychiatrist to have a psychiatric pathology had the highest increase in odds of being considered to have diminished criminal responsibility or of being considered not criminally responsible. Results from this investigation will contribute to international knowledge about forensic psychiatry and mental health in Latin America.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Recent hydroclimate dynamics in southwest Alaska: understanding multidecadal climate variability through sedimentary process studies and varve sedimentology.

contributor:
Lamoureux, Scott F.
Geography

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subject:
Earth Systems Science
Paleoclimatology
Sedimentology
Limnology
Alaska
Varves

abstract: Thesis (Master, Geography) -- Queen's University, 2008-09-23 14:13:32.943

abstract:
Sedimentological analyses of sediment traps and 289 years (1717-2006) of varved sediments from Shadow Bay (60.01°N, 159.18°W), Lake Chauekuktuli were compared to available hydrometeorological data in order to investigate basin response to hydroclimatic variability in southwest Alaska. On a subannual timescale, the characteristics of the coarse basal unit typical of clastic varves were controlled by spring snowmelt and runoff, while the fine-grained cap was shaped by fall and winter conditions. Coarse subannual laminations within the clay cap were associated with autumn storm activity and winter warming events brought about by the interplay between regional maritime and continental air masses. Biogenic silica (BSi) profiles show two annual peaks in siliceous algal deposition; the first occurred at the end of the spring freshet, the second in the late summer.

On an annual timescale, varve thickness was dependent on total annual discharge (r2=0.75, n=43, p<0.0001), while maximum annual grain size was determined to be dependent on both maximum spring discharge (r2=0.63, n=43, p<0.0001) and total annual discharge (r2=0.61, n=43, p<0.0001). On interannual timescales, relationships between climate variables (temperature, precipitation, North Pacific (NP) and Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) indices) and both regional discharge and varve thickness were insignificant. When the same data sets were analyzed on multidecadal timescales, regime shifts in varve thickness and total annual discharge coherent with shifts in NP and PDO indices were identified. Periods of increased varve thickness and total annual discharge were associated with warm PDO phases and a strengthened Aleutian Low.

The 289-year varve record was used to reconstruct PDO dynamics prior to 1900. Multidecadal shifts were apparent throughout the 19th century, but were absent in the 18th century. This study provides insight into the linkages between regional climate, physical and biological deposition, and can be used to improve the interpretation of seasonal and annual-scale paleoclimate reconstructions for basins similar to Shadow Bay. This study also sheds light on the nature of multidecadal climate variability in the Pacific Northwest region prior to the instrumental record.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Molecular Characterization of Human Homologs of Yeast MOB

contributor:
Yang, Xiaolong
Pathology and Molecular Medicine

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subject:
Tumor Suppressor
MOB
LATS

abstract: Thesis (Master, Pathology & Molecular Medicine) -- Queen's University, 2008-09-23 14:18:43.896

abstract: MOB (Mps One Binder) is a conserved gene family found in all major kingdoms. The MOB genes are essential components acting in mitotic exit and cytokinesis in both budding and fission yeasts. They are further identified as tumor suppressors in Drosophila (D.) melanogaster. Recently, they are found to be involved in the emerging Drosophila Hippo-LATS tumor suppressor pathway. Seven human homologs of yeast MOB (hMOB1A, 1B, 2A, 2B, 3, 4, 5) have been discovered. The hMOB1B is the gene that has been extensively studied and is reported to be required for the activation of LATS (Large Tumor Suppressor)/NDR (Nuclear Dbf2-related) protein kinase family, however, the functional significance of the gene remains unknown. This study is the first to elucidate the biological and biochemical functions of all seven human MOBs. By examining hMOB mRNA expression in various human tissues, we found that the hMOBs have exhibited different expression patterns. We also investigated the subcellular localization of hMOBs during interphase through immunofluorescent analysis. While hMOB2A is localized in the cytoplasm, hMOB4 is exclusively found in the nucleus. All of the other hMOBs are localized in both cytoplasm and nucleus. Furthermore, we identified hMOB1A and hMOB1B as the main binding partners of LATS and NDR in vitro. Additionally, we successfully identified a region on hMOB1B for the interaction with LATS or NDR and determined the crucial residue that is responsible for the binding of LATS2 with hMOB1B. Most significantly, we found that over-expression of hMOB1B in human cancer cells inhibits cell proliferation and induces cell death. Moreover, hMOB1B when targeted to the plasma membrane dramatically enhances the phenotype. Conversely, small interfering (si) RNA-mediated suppression of either endogenous hMOB1A or hMOB1B causes increased cell proliferation, whereas suppression of both hMOB1A and hMOB1B demonstrates a more significant enhancement in tumor cell growth. Moreover, co-expression of both LATS and hMOB1B targeted to the plasma membrane completely abolishes cell proliferation. Our findings provide convincing evidence that hMOB1A and hMOB1B function as negative regulators of cell proliferation and as pro-apoptotic proteins. Understanding hMOBs functions in the cell and their possible role in tumorigenesis can provide important information for the diagnosis and treatment of human cancers.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Effects of Prestrain on the Strain Rate Sensitivity of AA5754 Sheet

contributor:
Pilkey, A. Keith
Mechanical and Materials Engineering

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subject:
Strain rate sensitivity
Prestrain
AA5754

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Mechanical and Materials Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2008-09-23 20:11:30.829

abstract:
With the focus of the automotive industry on decreasing vehicle weight and improving fuel efficiency, aluminum is being used for structural components in automobiles.  Given the high strain rates associated with vehicle impact, it is necessary to understand the rate sensitivity of any potential alloy (eg. AA5754) in order to accurately predict deformation behaviour.  Furthermore, the magnitude and strain path associated with the residual strains remaining after forming of the component also play a major role in how the material will behave.
It has been found that AA5754 sheet exhibits negative rate sensitivity up to a strain rate of 0.1/s, and positive strain rate sensitivity at strain rates between 0.1/s and 1500/s.  Increasing the strain rate also has the effect of increasing the yield stress as well as the ductility.  When a strain path change is involved between the prestrain stage and subsequent uniaxial loading, it has the effect of reducing the rate sensitivity of the material as well as reducing the overall flow stress.  A rate-sensitive adaptation of the Voce material model was successfully implemented in LS-DYNA and used to predict the response of AA5754 sheet in bending for applied strain rates of 0.001/s and 0.1/s.

abstract: PhD


title: How Electrode Material Affects the Performance of Polymer Light-Emitting Electrochemical Cells

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subject: Light Emitting Electrochemical Cells

abstract: Thesis (Master, Physics, Engineering Physics and Astronomy) -- Queen's University, 2008-09-23 16:15:06.569

abstract:
Polymer light emitting electrochemical cells (LECs) are solid-state devices containing an active layer blend of luminescent polymer, ion transport material and salt sandwiched between two electrodes. They operate on the principal of in situ electrochemical doping. Doping entails the injection of electronic charge from the electrodes, causing the reduction/oxidization of the luminescent polymer, and accompanied by charge compensation through the redistribution of salt counter-ions. Due to the high conductivity of the doped polymer, a fully turned on LEC has a dramatically reduced contact and bulk resistance. This gives the LEC certain intrinsic advantages such as balanced charge injection, low operating voltage and high quantum efficiencies, even when stable metal or symmetric electrodes are used. These properties have led to the popular assumption that the electrode work function is not a critical device parameter for LEC operation.
In this thesis, I describe my original research to determine how the electrode composition influences LEC performance. A series of sandwich and planar configuration LECs with various electrodes on identical MEH-PPV (poly[5-(2-ethylhexyloxy)-2-methoxy-1,4-phenylene vinylene]):PEO (poly ethylene oxide):LiTr (Lithium trifluoromethanesulfonate) based films are constructed. I demonstrate that the doping profile, doping propagation speed, emission zone shape, emission zone location, electro-luminescence (EL) turn-on, and EL efficiency are all strongly affected by the choice of electrode materials. LECs with asymmetrical electrodes optimized for both electron and hole injection result in the best overall performance.
Using an optimized electrode configuration, I am able to realize extremely large crown ether based planar LECs. MEH-PPV: dicyclohexano-18-crown-6 (DCH18Cr6): LiTr and 108GE:DCH18Cr6:LiTr devices with various symmetric and asymmetric electrode configurations were constructed, where 108GE is the fluorene copolymer poly[(9,9-dioctyl-2,7-divinylene-fluorenylene)-alt-co-(2-methoxy-5-(ethylhexyloxy)-1,4-phenylene)]. I demonstrate
ii i
and image the first ever crown ether-based planar LECs with millimeter inter-electrode spacing. Due to minimal phase separation, crown ether-based LECs display highly uniform doping propagation and very smooth emission zones. Junction relaxation, de-doping and reverse bias operation experiments are also presented, and results compared to behavior in PEO based LECs. Additionally, I demonstrate that crown ether-based LECs do not exhibit frozen junction behavior at room temperature.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Identifying Genes That Regulate Secondary Growth In Poplar

contributor:
Regan, Sharon
Biology

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subject:
Poplar
Vascular Cambium
Secondary Growth
Populus

abstract: Thesis (Master, Biology) -- Queen's University, 2008-09-23 16:35:26.603

abstract: Plant growth and development is largely controlled in regions of totipotential cells around the plant body called meristems. The well characterized shoot and root apical meristems are responsible for vertical growth, in which many key players have been well studied.  Lateral (secondary) growth is controlled by the vascular and cork cambiums, which are much less understood. A rapid growth of interest in a new model angiosperm tree, poplar, has facilitated the study of the two cambiums, specifically into their regulation at the genomic and proteomic levels. This study describes recent work carried out to explore the genetic regulation of secondary growth in poplar. Two genes have been identified that were previously not associated with the process of secondary growth. The first, a gene lacking annotation (FM#2), was identified through the investigation of a mutant from an activation-tagged population of poplar. This mutant showed aberrant secondary growth, with an increase in the phloem:xylem ratio. It also developed a thick, rough bark, and was subsequently named corky. Constructs to recapitulate this phenotype have been produced to allow the link between the gene FM#2 and the corky phenotype to be firmly established. The second gene was identified through a reverse genetics strategy to test if the Arabidopsis shoot apical meristem regulator, CLAVATA1 also played a role in the regulation of the vascular cambium. When it was downregulated in Arabidopsis, a significant increase in secondary growth was observed. Antisense and hairpin-RNAi constructs were produced to attempt downregulation of the gene in poplar using both traditional Agrobacterium-mediated transformations, and the recently developed strategy of induced somatic sector analysis.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: The Orient Imagined, Experienced and Remembered in the Work of Alexandre Gabriel Decamps (1803-1860): A Study of the Artist’s Personal Orient

contributor:
Schütze, Sebastian
Brooke, Janet M.
Art History

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subject: Nineteenth Century French Painting

subject: Alexandre Gabriel Decamps and Orientalism

subject: Orient Oriental

subject: Middle East Greece Constantinople

subject: Travel Literature Artists

subject: Interpreting Interpretation Visual Images

subject: Landscape

subject: Costume customes physiognomy

abstract: Thesis (Master, Art History) -- Queen's University, 2008-12-11 20:43:05.08

abstract: Alexandre-Gabriel Decamps (1803-1863) set out on his only trip to Greece and Turkey in 1828 to return to France and produce visual images of the Orient at a time when no major European artist had traveled to the Near East and at a time when the Orient had yet to be experienced, understood, and interpreted. Decamps’ highly original and personal interpretation of the Orient in painting has been studied by present-day scholars exclusively within the context of Romantic Orientalist genre painting. Studying criticism written on his work throughout the 19th century and working closely with his paintings, certain issues in his Orientalist paintings question the longstanding categorization of his work as solely Romantic Orientalist genre paintings. The fact that the artist never returned to the Orient; the fact that he invested his Orientalist landscapes with a Rembrandesque rather than Oriental light; his constant inclusion of contrasting opposites in the ostensibly subdued compositions he produced; the striking differences between his Oriental visual expressions and those of his Romantic contemporaries; and his own sentiment of being a failed artist, reveal alternative, less settled, readings of his work.  Studying Decamps’ Orientalist oeuvre in its social and political contexts and taking into account the artist’s personal ambitions demonstrates the lasting resonance of this work, of the artist’s highly original working methods, and of his innovative technique.  This study provides an assessment of Decamps’ Oriental work; it also delineates its relevance and influence in movements beyond Romanticism and into trends that developed during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

abstract: M.A.


title: Cultural Preservation and Self-Determination Through Land Use Planning: A Framework for the Fort Albany First Nation

contributor:
Whitelaw, Graham S.
Urban and Regional Planning

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subject:
land use
first nations
planning
northern Ontario
advocacy
empowerment
James Bay
Mushkegowuk
Aboriginal
Fort Albany

abstract: Thesis (Master, Urban & Regional Planning) -- Queen's University, 2008-09-23 19:11:37.053

abstract:
The Fort Albany First Nation (FAFN) in Ontario’s western James Bay region is interested in undertaking a community-based process of land use planning for its traditional territory, in order to respond to increasing resource development pressure within the area.  To construct a framework for such a process, semi-structured interviews were held with 12 members of the FAFN and two staff members of the Mushkegowuk Council, which represents the FAFN at the regional level.  Interviews focused on the substantive values that community members see as worthy of protection or management through the land use plan, and on the procedural values that ought to guide the process.  In addition, three group discussions on valued ecosystem components were observed, to supplement interview data on substantive values.
	The results indicate that the community is concerned with preserving their way of life in the face of resource development pressure and social change, by protecting subsistence resources and strengthening the transmission of culture.  Substantively, this means that the land use plan needs to protect wildlife and its habitat, navigable waterways, and water quality.  Procedurally, this means that the planning process should engage the entire community in discussions of its cultural identity and connection to the land, in order to build a genuine consensus on appropriate land uses.  It was felt that the process should be grassroots-based, that the FAFN should initiate the process autonomously, and that the planning process should pursue the twin goals of community self-determination and cultural continuity.  It was also felt that neighbouring first nations should be invited to participate in the process or to conduct separate planning activities streamlined with those of the FAFN, because of overlap in traditional territories.
	At the conclusion of this thesis, a set of recommendations outlines a planning process that is appropriate to the needs and values expressed by participants.  This framework draws upon the principles of empowerment, advocacy, and collaborative planning, applying them to the local cultural context.  It relies upon social learning as a vehicle by which to develop a community-wide vision for the traditional territory of the FAFN.

abstract: M.PL.


title: Betti numbers and regularity of projective  monomial curves

contributor:
Roberts, Leslie G.
Mathematics and Statistics

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subject:
Commutative Algebra
Combinatorics

abstract: Thesis (Master, Mathematics & Statistics) -- Queen's University, 2008-09-24 09:49:35.462

abstract:
In this thesis we describe how the balancing of the $\operatorname{Tor}$ functor can be used to compute the minimal free resolution of a graded module $M$ over the polynomial ring $B=\mathbb{K}[X_0,\dots,X_m]$ ($\mathbb{K}$ a field $X_i$'s indeterminates).  Using a correspondence due to R. Stanley and M. Hochster, we explicitly show how this approach can be used in the case when $M=\mathbb{K}[S]$,
the semigroup ring of a subsemigroup $S\subseteq \mathbb{N}^l$ (containing $0$) over $\mathbb{K}$ and when $M$ is a monomial ideal of $B$.

We also study the class of affine semigroup rings for which $\mathbb{K}[S]\cong B/\mathfrak{p}$ is the homogeneous coordinate ring of a monomial curve in $\mathbb{P}^n_{\mathbb{K}}$.  We use easily computable combinatorial and arithmetic properties of $S$ to define a notion which we call stabilization. We provide a direct proof showing how stabilization gives a bound on the $\mathbb{N}$-graded degree of minimal generators of $\mathfrak{p}$ and also show that it is related to the regularity of $\mathfrak{p}$.   Moreover, we partition the above mentioned class into three cases and show that this partitioning is reflected in how the regularity is attained.   An interesting consequence is that the regularity of $\mathfrak{p}$ can be effectively computed by elementary means.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Inhibition of Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase (PI3K) Signalling Leads to Resistance to Chemotherapeutic Agents in Human Cancer Cells

contributor:
Graham, Charles H.
Anatomy and Cell Biology

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subject: PI3K

subject: Chemoresistance

abstract: Thesis (Master, Anatomy & Cell Biology) -- Queen's University, 2008-09-24 14:00:39.679

abstract: One of the major challenges associated with cancer therapy is the acquisition of chemoresistance by tumour cells.  Many novel therapeutic approaches to overcome chemoresistance have involved targeting specific signalling pathways such as the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) pathway, a stress response pathway known to be involved in the regulation of cell survival, apoptosis and growth.  The present study sought to determine the effect of PI3K inhibition on the resistance of human cancer cells to various chemotherapeutic agents.  Treatment with the PI3K inhibitors LY294002 or Compound 15e resulted in resistance to doxorubicin, etoposide, 5-fluorouracil, and vincristine in breast (MDA-MB-231) carcinoma cells as determined by clonogenic assays.  Increased survival following PI3K inhibition was also observed in prostate (DU-145), colon (HCT-116) and lung (A-549) carcinoma cell lines exposed to doxorubicin. Drug resistance mediated by LY294002 was correlated with a decrease in cell proliferation, which was linked to an increase in the proportion of cells in the G1 phase of the cell cycle.  Inhibition of PI3K signalling also resulted in higher levels of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors p21Waf1/Cip1 and p27Kip1.  Knockdown of p21Waf1/Cip1 expression with siRNA resulted in a significant decrease in LY294002-induced resistance.  However, the effect of p27Kip1 knockdown on LY294002-induced resistance was inconclusive because of high inter-experimental variability.  Furthermore, knockdown of either p21waf1/cip1 or p27Kip1 did not overtly prevent LY294002-induced cell cycle delay.  Incubation in the presence of LY294002 after exposure to doxorubicin resulted in decreased cell survival.  These findings provide evidence that PI3K inhibition leads to chemoresistance in human cancer cells by causing a delay in cell cycle.  However, the timing of PI3K inhibition (either before or after exposure to anti-cancer agents) is a critical determinant of chemosensitivity.  Since the efficiency of most chemotherapeutic agents depends on the rate of cell proliferation, delays in cell cycle progression may be an important mechanism of chemoresistance.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Redesigning Assessment: the Design and Implementation of a Rubric-Based Assessment System to Improve Engineering Design Education

contributor:
Strong, David S.
Civil Engineering

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subject:
Design Engineering
Engineering Education
Design Projects
Capstone Design

abstract: Thesis (Master, Civil Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2008-09-24 16:21:34.954

abstract:
Engineering education serves to provide society with competent engineering graduates, capable of making a difference to their profession and the world around them. Since the Grinter Report of the 1950s in the United States, engineering education has focused its approach upon improving the technical and analytical competencies of engineering students.  Many practicing engineers find that recent graduates are adequately developing their technical skills but are lacking in a deep-knowledge of engineering’s core creative process: design.
Although there has been an increase in design instruction in some engineering programs, there is typically a lack of focus on related assessment, which forms a key part of the educational process. Students focus their efforts upon that which is being graded, resulting in students focusing on achieving deliverable requirements rather then on deeply learning the process and techniques of engineering design. The research question asked was: will students be more likely to achieve core course objectives and learning goals in an intensive, multidisciplinary course by using a well tailored rubric-based assessment process, in comparison to a more “traditional” course assessment scheme?  Traditional course assessments often focus upon the success of a final deliverable for students to achieve a good mark, and in design courses can focus on the success of the final product. Student opinion towards its implementation and value in helping them reach learning goals was surveyed to determine the usefulness of the rubric in helping to reach course objectives and learning goals. These surveys indicated: strong student support for the use of a rubric system; a positive student response to the feedback being provided to them through weekly rubric-based advice; the rubric provided a suitable level of detail to be helpful to students in achieving course objectives; students were capable of internalizing the learning goals and using the assessment system to evaluate their peers; and finally that the assessment system was a viable alternative to traditional course assessments.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Improved Document Summarization and Tag Clouds via Singular Value Decomposition

contributor:
Skillicorn, B. David
Computing

format:
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subject:
Automated Summarization
Singular Value Decomposition
Tag Clouds
Summaries

abstract: Thesis (Master, Computing) -- Queen's University, 2008-09-24 16:31:25.261

abstract: Automated summarization is a difficult task.  World-class summarizers can provide only "best guesses" of which sentences encapsulate the important content from within a set of documents.  As automated systems continue to improve, users are still not given the means to observe complex relationships between seemingly independent concepts.  In this research we used singular value decompositions to organize concepts and determine the best candidate sentences for an automated summary.  The results from this straightforward attempt were comparable to world-class summarizers.  We then included a clustered tag cloud, using a singular value decomposition to measure term "interestingness" with respect to the set of documents. The combination of best candidate sentences and tag clouds provided a more inclusive summary than a traditionally-developed summarizer alone.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Pain in the Spinal Cord and Brainstem

contributor:
Stroman, Patrick W.
Cahill, Catherine M.
Neuroscience Studies

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subject:
pain
fMRI
spinal cord
brainstem
humans
peripheral sensitization

abstract: Thesis (Master, Neuroscience Studies) -- Queen's University, 2008-09-24 20:13:08.655

abstract:
Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies performed to date have focused on brain structures rostral to the thalamus, although the first level of sensory information and pain transmission occurs at the spinal cord (SC).  The primary goal of this project is to map activity using fMRI, from the entire cervical SC and brainstem following innocuous and noxious stimuli before and after peripheral sensitization in normal human volunteers.  This study is unique in that it determines functional activity throughout the lower neural axis in response to mechanical stimuli that are perceived as painful only after sensitization.

Functional MRI studies of the SC were carried out in 18 healthy individuals in a 3T Siemens Magnetom Trio.  Innocuous touch and brush (n=8), and noxious touch (n=10) stimuli were applied before and after peripheral sensitization.  Peripheral sensitization was induced by topical application of capsaicin.  Functional image data spanned from the C7/T1 disc to the superior edge of the thalamus and analyzed using a general linear model to discriminate signal intensity changes from physiological motion.  Normalized results were combined to demonstrate the number of volunteers showing activity at each location on a voxel-by-voxel basis.  Areas of activity were superimposed onto anatomical transverse drawings and identified visually with comparison to several stereotaxic atlases.

The results from this study confirm previous reports that a non-noxious stimulus translates into a pain response after peripheral sensitization.  The brush stimulus, before sensitization activated areas in the ipsilateral dorsal horn (DH), gracile and cuneate nuclei in the medulla and areas surrounding the dorsal column medial lemniscal pathway.  Peripheral sensitization produced activity in the contralateral ventral horn (VH), typical of a pain response.  The innocuous von Frey stimulus produced activity in typical sensory centres in the DH and brainstem before sensitization, and areas more consistent with a noxious response after sensitization.  When examining equi-nociceptive stimuli in a control versus sensitized state, the noxious touch stimuli showed similar activation patterns even though the force of the filaments were different.  In all experiments there was indication of descending modulation as activity was observed in the periaqueductal gray, midbrain red nuclei and pontine reticular formation.  This study demonstrates how non-painful and pain information is transmitted from the dorsal spinal horn to the brain in healthy individuals and how peripheral sensitization induces changes in non-noxious stimuli that correlate with pain sensory transmission.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Towards a Multi-Party Policy Monitoring Framework for Evaluating Infrastructure Environmental Assessments on the Oak Ridges Moraine

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subject:
Urban Planning
Oak Ridges Moraine
Environmental Planning
Infrastructure

abstract: Thesis (Master, Urban & Regional Planning) -- Queen's University, 2008-09-28 09:57:19.652

abstract:
The Oak Ridges Moraine, located in south-central Ontario, is recognized for its ecological importance in providing “clean and abundant water resources, healthy and diverse plant and animal habitat, an attractive and distinct landscape, prime agricultural land, and sand and gravel resources” (Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, 2002). It is protected by the
Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan (2002). A number of initiatives are ongoing to develop monitoring capabilities across the Oak Ridges Moraine (Monitoring the Moraine
Project, 2008; Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs, 2008). The purpose of this thesis is to develop and test a multi-party policy monitoring framework to determine if infrastructure environmental assessments on the Oak Ridges Moraine comply with the policies of the Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan (ORMCP) and meet best practices of environmental assessment identified in the literature. The multi-party policy monitoring framework
developed for this research has two dimensions:
1. A moraine-wide survey and map of infrastructure environmental assessments
contributing to a “governance watch” (Francis, 2006a; Francis, 2006b) perspective of infrastructure; and
2. An evaluation of an infrastructure environmental assessment case study (York
Region’s Lower Leslie Street Trunk Sewer and 19th Avenue Interceptor Sewer) against a set of criteria to determine if it complies with the ORMCP and environmental assessment best practices.

The results of the environmental assessment map show a distinctive pattern of infrastructure development, concentrated in the eastern half of the moraine, and within
designated settlement areas. That being said, infrastructure networks are expanding to connect settlement areas outside the Greater Toronto Area. The environmental assessment map shows the importance of thinking of infrastructure as a networked system, rather than as discrete projects.

The results of the case study evaluation showed that the Lower Leslie Street Trunk Sewer and 19th Avenue Interceptor Sewer Environmental Assessment complied with the minimal requirements of Section 41 of the ORMCP, and in some cases went above and beyond the requirements of the ORMCP. The results suggest, however, that some criteria drawn from the literature, would be better addressed by strategic environmental assessment of infrastructure master plans.

abstract: M.PL.


title: A Configurable Router for Embedded Network-on-Chip Support in Field-Programmable Gate Arrays

contributor:
Manjikian, Naraig
Electrical and Computer Engineering

format:
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subject: FPGA multiprocessing network-on-chip

abstract: Thesis (Master, Electrical & Computer Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2008-09-24 23:24:01.907

abstract:
The scaling of VLSI technology has allowed extensive integration of processing resources
on a single chip. Consequently, programmable chips is able to have a high logic and memory
capacity for implementation of complex systems. Field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) with their embedded memory and other specialized functionality have become viable
alternatives in many cases to costly application-specific integrated circuits as a system-on-chip (SoC) substrate. However, on-chip bus-based interconnects are no longer suitable for complex SoC design because of its limited scalability. The network-on-chip (NoC)paradigm has therefore emerged as a scalable approach for addressing this challenge.

FPGAs can also adopt the NoC paradigm in order to support more complex SoC implementations. The elements for NoC support can be implemented in conventional programmable logic within an FPGA, however, a dedicated approach for these NoC elements
can lead to better performance and more efficient utilization of on-chip FPGA resources. A fixed network topology can be a disadvantage in NoC platforms due to misalignment with application requirements. It is therefore desirable to incorporate a certain level of configurability even for embedded NoC support within an FPGA.

This thesis presents the design and implementation of a configurable router intended as a dedicated embedded module for NoC support in an FPGA. The goal is to provide a general NoC infrastructure for the FPGA platform that balances trade-offs with regard to logic complexity, resource utilization, and flexibility. The configurable router provides flexibility in implementing a variety of network topologies with the convenience of a 3-bit input to the router for configuration. All of the necessary routing functionality for each topology is implemented in logic for performance and area efficiency. The overall
router design provides general NoC support with reduced complexity, thereby achieving
area efficiency and an adequate clock frequency for typical operation in conjunction with embedded soft processors.

Synthesis results are presented at the router level in order to characterize the hardware overhead for implementations in programmable logic as well as standard-cell technology, and at the system-level in order to evaluate overall system resource utilization. Operational results are shown at router level to demonstrate correctness and at system level to demonstrate
functionality of the multiprocessor systems that utilizes the configurable router.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Global Institutions and Human Rights

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subject:
Pogge
Global Justice

abstract: Thesis (Master, Philosophy) -- Queen's University, 2008-09-24 23:40:45.915

abstract:
Thomas Pogge has famously argued that the present arrangement of international institutions that allows for human rights violations to occur on an ongoing basis is unjust, and further, that powerful states that create and maintain these institutions are responsible for the resulting human rights violations.  By setting the rules of economic and political interaction in the global forum, the world’s rich and powerful stack the deck against the global poor, making sustainable development difficult and making extreme poverty, malnutrition, and premature death common outcomes.  Pogge concludes that this implication of responsibility creates a moral requirement for powerful nations to take immediate steps to reform the global institutional order in such a way as to minimize the number of foreseeable human rights violations that occur within it.
	I believe that Pogge is only partly correct in his analysis.  In this paper, I argue that the global institutional order, which is comprised of a complex web of global and regional organizations with both political and economic aims, is not unjust as Pogge suggests.  However, even if the maintenance of these institutions does not constitute an injustice, I believe that there remains an important sense in which powerful states that support the present arrangement of international institutions are responsible for ongoing subsistence rights violations.  Establishing this responsibility means that states that continue to support present institutions are then also morally responsible for ensuring these human rights violations are remedied as a matter of justice.
	In his 2007 book National Responsibility and Global Justice, David Miller provides the sort of account of responsibility that I believe is lacking in Pogge’s work.  Differentiating between moral responsibility, outcome responsibility, and causal responsibility, Miller shows that what we mean when we determine a party is “responsible” for a particular outcome can depend on several factors, viz., the foreseeability and the justification for harm.  I argue that the sorts of remedies that are required in cases of moral responsibility, outcome responsibility, and causal responsibility turn out to be quite different from one another.

abstract: M.A.


title: Gerrit Dou's Violin Player: Music and Painting in the Artist's Studio in Seventeenth Century Dutch Genre Painting

contributor:
Dickey, Stephanie S.
Art History

format:
13963211 bytes
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subject:
Dutch Art
Painting
Dou
Music
Studio
Seventeenth Century
Rembrandt School
Artist as Musicians

abstract: Thesis (Master, Art History) -- Queen's University, 2008-09-24 23:56:10.869

abstract: This study is an examination of Gerrit Dou’s Violin Player (1653, Liechtenstein, Vaduz Castle, Princely Collection). The painting is a visual testimony to Dou’s manual skills and trompe l’oeil manner of painting in his own innovative fijnschilder painting style. The composition incorporates and reinvents devices from a variety of sources from portraiture, genre painting, and emblem literature, such as the arched niche window framing the violinist. The work demonstrates the connection between music and painting in the relationship between the violinist and the background setting of an artist’s workshop. Through an iconographic analysis of works depicting the artist in the studio by Dou and his contemporaries the correlation between music playing and painting becomes evident. In this context, this relationship acts as an important device in fashioning the painter’s image as an elevated and scholarly artist and brings to light the power of music as a mode of inspiration for the painter in the studio. Additionally, tobacco smoking, which appears in many seventeenth-century Dutch self-portraits, in the context of the studio, was also perceived as an inspirational tool for the artist, thus contrasting with smoking in genre scenes of the lower classes as a symbol of waste and idleness. The work, similarly to other Dutch seventeenth-century paintings, is not a realistic representation but a cleverly constructed image that acts as an allegorical master deception for the amusement and entertainment of an educated, upper-class clientele.

abstract: M.A.


title: Measurement Reliability and Effect of Hip Strengthening Exercises in Knee Osteoarthritis

contributor:
Culham, Elsie
Olney, Sandra
Rehabilitation Science

format:
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subject:
Knee
Osteoarthritis
Muscle Strength
Knee Alignment
Gait Analysis
Exercise Intervention

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Rehabilitation Science) -- Queen's University, 2008-09-25 01:29:13.675

abstract:
The progression of knee osteoarthritis (OA), the most common cause of physical disability in older adults, is influenced by muscular and biomechanical factors.  Reliability of muscular and biomechanical measures, including knee muscle strength and limb alignment, is critical.  Furthermore, conservative interventions that slow the course of OA disease progression and prevent disability are urgently needed.  The objectives of this thesis were to:  1) investigate the reliability of measures of knee muscle strength and alignment in persons with knee OA, and 2) determine the influence of an exercise intervention targeting hip muscles on knee joint loading in those with medial knee OA.
	In the first study reliability of knee muscle strength measures was evaluated within one testing session in 40 persons with knee OA.  Isometric and isokinetic peak torque values for the quadriceps and hamstring muscles demonstrated high degrees of intra-session reliability.
	Reliability of lower limb alignment measures was determined following a bone landmark-based approach with use of a computer program.  Excellent reliability coefficients were found which compared favorably with reliability of manual measures from schematics of limb deformities drawn with AutoCAD® software.  When the computer method was applied to 100 full-limb radiographs of persons with or at risk for knee OA, alignment measures demonstrated high inter- and intra-reader reliability.
	Hip muscle weakness may influence loading of the medial knee compartment.  Hip abductor strength was evaluated in 40 individuals with medial compartment knee OA in comparison to a control group of 40 healthy older adults. The effect of an 8-week home-based hip abductor strengthening program on the knee adduction moment was also assessed in this group with knee OA, compared with the control group which received no intervention.  Following the exercise program the OA group demonstrated improvements in hip abductor strength and functional performance on a sit-to-stand task.  There were no changes in the knee adduction moment.  Thus, hip muscle strengthening did not influence joint loading, but may improve function in persons with knee OA.
	Results from this thesis provide increased understanding of knee OA, from muscular and biomechanical perspectives, in the areas of measurement reliability and exercise intervention.

abstract: PhD


title: Generation of Concurrency Controls using Discrete-Event Systems

contributor:
Dingel, Juergen
Rudie, Karen
Computing

format:
1893011 bytes
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subject:
Computer Science
Concurrency
Discrete-Event Systems
Code Generation

abstract: Thesis (Master, Computing) -- Queen's University, 2008-09-25 09:03:51.593

abstract:
The development of controls for the execution of concurrent code is non-trivial. This work shows how existing discrete-event system (DES) theory can be successfully applied to this problem. From code without concurrency controls and a specification of desired behaviours, a DES representation of the problem is obtained, and then used to generate concurrency control code. By applying rigorously proven DES theory, the resulting code comes with guarantees not present in similar works.  All control schemes generated in DES are nonblocking, yielding code that is free of both livelock and deadlock. Additionally, the generated control scheme is minimally restrictive, meaning only problematic behaviours are prevented.

If the specifications cannot be enforced as presented, the largest controllable subset is instead enforced.  The result, which requires no further interaction to generate, is the best possible control scheme given the interaction between the specifications and the original code. Existing methods encounter difficulties when faced with multiple specifications that interact to form deadlocks.  Modular DES theory is successfully applied, allowing resolution of these conflicts without requiring the user to introduce new specifications. Moreover, the approach is independent of specific programming or specification languages. A Java implementation is given, along with two problems showing the process in action.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Luminescent Transition Metal Complexes of 2-(2’-Pyridyl)Benzimidazolyl and 2-(2’-Pyridyl)Indolyl Based Ligands and Their Applications

contributor:
Wang, Suning
Chemistry

format:
8117821 bytes
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subject: Phosphorescent Cu(I) OLED Emitters

subject: Atropisomeric Pyridyl Ligands

subject: Cyclometallated Pd(II) and Pt(II) Complexes

subject: Luminescence

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Chemistry) -- Queen's University, 2008-09-25 09:54:21.464

abstract:
The objective of this thesis is to examine the photophysical and structural properties of Cu(I) complexes of 2-(2’-pyridyl)benzimidazolyl based ligands and Cu(I), Pd(II) and Pt(II) complexes of 2-(2’-pyridyl)indolyl based ligands, for possible use as phosphorescent emitters in OLEDs.  The discovery of the atropisomeric 3,3’-bis(2-(2’-pyridyl)indolyl based ligands led to the examination of C-C coupling reactions and the investigation of the new chiral ligands with transition metal ions.
     Cu(I) complexes of 2-(2’pyridyl)benzimidazolyl-benzene with varying phosphine ligands were prepared.  The structures were studied with X-ray crystallography and NMR.  Experimental and computational results established that steric and electronic properties of the phosphine ligands influence the photophysical properties of the Cu(I) complexes. Polynuclear Cu(I) complexes with 2-(2’-pyridyl)benzimidazolyl based ligands and two PPh3 ancillary ligands were synthesized, the photoluminescent and electroluminescent properties were examined.
    A series of 2-(2’-pyridyl)indolyl based ligands; 2-(2’-pyridyl)indolyl-benzene (pib), 1,4-bis[2-(2’-pyridyl)indolyl]benzene (bib) and 1,3,5-tris[2-(2’-pyridyl)indolyl]benzene) (tib) and the corresponding C-C coupled dimers bis[3,3’(2-(2’-pyridyl)indolyl-benzene)] (bpib), bis[3,3’(1,4-bis[2-(2’-pyridyl)indolyl]benzene (bbib) and bis[3,3’(1,3,5-tris[2-(2’-pyridyl)indolyl]benzene)] (btib) were synthesized in a one-pot reaction with the formation of both C-N and C-C bonds.  The photophysical properties of these new molecules were investigated.  The dimers display intramolecular exciplex formation.  The rotation barrier around the C-C bond in the 3 position of the bis-indole was calculated using DFT which support that bpib is an atropisomeric ligand.
     Cu(I), Pd(II) and Pt(II) complexes were synthesized with pib and bpib.  [Cu(pib)(PPh3)2]+ contains a three-coordinate Cu(I) ion and doesn’t display MLCT but rather 3π-1π phosphorescence.  In Pd(pib)(acac) and Pt(pib)(DMSO)Cl the pib ligand forms C,N chelated neutral complexes that display red emission in frozen solution and in solid state.  The X-ray crystal structure for [Cu(bpib)2]+ revealed a homo-chiral crystal and for Pd(bpib)Cl2 and Pt(bpib)Cl¬2 show a trans-chelating geometry around the metal centre.  Frozen solutions of [Cu(bpib)2]+ and Pd(bpib)Cl2 display MCLT phosphorescence.
     Finally the atropisomeric ligands bpib and bbib were examined as sensors to determine the enantiomeric excess of Zn(2-bromo-3-methylbutyrate)2 by CD spectroscopy.  CD and fluorescent titration experiments verified that these ligands have selective interactions with different Zn(II) carboxylates.  DFT computations showed that diastereomeric excess caused by chiral discrimination leads to the CD spectral-response of the atropisomeric ligands toward chiral Zn(II) carboxylates.

abstract: PhD