title: Evaluation of a Stratified Multi-tank Thermal Storage for Solar Heating Applications

contributor:
Harrison, Stephen J.
Mechanical and Materials Engineering

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subject:
Solar Energy
Thermal Storage
Multi-Tank
Stratification
Sequential
Solar

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Mechanical and Materials Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2009-06-24 00:13:01.142

abstract:
A novel multi-tank thermal energy storage (TES) was evaluated experimentally and numerically. The multi-tank storage is based on the interconnection of standard hot water storage tanks by a single charge flow loop. Each tank is charged through a thermosyphon loop and natural convection heat exchanger (NCHE). Both series- and parallel-connected configurations were investigated and results show that high degrees of stratification can occur.
	To predict the performance of the series- and parallel-connected multi-tank TES, a numerical model was developed and implemented in the TRNSYS simulation environment.  Laboratory tests were also conducted to measure the unit’s performance under charge conditions representative of combinations of clear and overcast days. The effects of rising and falling charge loop temperatures and power levels on storage temperatures and heat transfer rates were studied and indicated that sequential stratification was achieved in the series-connected storage.
	Under certain conditions, reverse flow through the thermosyphon loops was identified, leading to destratification and carry-over of heat to the downstream storage tanks. Consequently, a new model was developed and showed to model reverse thermosyphon operation. A subsequent analysis showed that these effects could be minimized by careful system design.
	To quantify the relative benefits of the sequentially stratified TES, values of exergy stored versus time were determined and compared against fully stratified and fully mixed storages. Results show that the series configuration closely matches the exergy level attained by a perfectly stratified storage.
	Finally, annual simulations conducted for a typical multi-family installation showed that the multi-tank storage performed at a level comparable to a single, fully stratified, storage.

abstract: PhD


title: Turning Promising Theory Into Productive Practice: the Perspectives of Educators Piloting the Responsiveness to Intervention Model in One Ontario School District

contributor:
Wade-Woolley, Lesly
Education

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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:
Responsiveness to Intervention (RTI)
Program Implementation
Teacher Empowerment
Professional Development

abstract: Thesis (Master, Education) -- Queen's University, 2009-06-24 12:49:27.836

abstract: Education for All (2005) offers a developmentally appropriate plan based on responsiveness to intervention (RTI) research. The model, termed the tiered approach, advocates intervention as a step in the process of identification which involves closely monitoring students in the primary years and providing additional support through direct instruction and increased monitoring of students who are at-risk. There are numerous empirical studies discussing the potential benefits of the RTI model (Feiker Hollenbeck, 2007; Fuchs & Deshler, 2007). However, the promise of a theory is never enough to ensure a change in the practice of teachers or an improvement in the learning of students.  Since it is the teachers who will alter their classroom practice and systematically monitor student progress in order to decide whether suitable learning trajectories are being achieved, researchers must examine how best to support teachers in the face of such change. This study describes, through the use of focus group data, teachers’ views of their experiences participating in a pilot project of the RTI model. While exploring the supports and barriers that these teachers face in the first year of implementing the RTI model, this study describes the limitations imposed by the teachers’ perceived lack of empowerment throughout the pilot project.

abstract: M.Ed.


title: A Vertical Coarse Approach Scanning  Tunneling Microscope

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subject:
Physics
Condensed Matter
Scanning Probe Microscopy
Scanning tunneling microscopy

abstract: Thesis (Master, Physics, Engineering Physics and Astronomy) -- Queen's University, 2009-06-24 13:06:16.683

abstract:
A Pan-style scanning tunneling microscope (STM), with a vertical coarse approach mechanism, was designed, built and tested. The microscope will be operated in ultra-high vacuum and also at cryogenic temperatures (8 K) inside a continuous flow cryostat. Fundamental differences in operating principle exist between the new microscope and the beetle-type inertial sliders [1] that have been the mainstay of the group for the last eight years. While Pan-style microscopes do already exist [2], they remain challenging to build, and an active area of research [3]. This system represents a bold departure from well-trodden paths, and will greatly expand the range of experiments that our group can perform.

The operating principles of inertial piezoelectric motors are detailed. Design guidelines for a piezoelectric motor are given, and used in the design of the vertical coarse approach motor. A simple, inexpensive implementation for creating waveforms with an extremely fast fall time is discussed. Motor performance is tested, and a minimum step size of 20nm is found for frequencies ranging from 0 Hz to 3 kHz. The motor operates with high dynamic range: individual 20nm steps can be taken, as well as being able to move at a velocity of 0.4mm s−1. Little is known about the vibrational properties of Pan-style microscopes. Vibrational testing of the microscope revealed the expected scanner bending mode at 1.6 kHz (above the scanner bending mode of our beetles at 1.2 kHz), and a complicated response signal above this frequency. Custom extension springs for an eddy-current damping system are built and tested. A low resonant frequency of 1.8 Hz is found, which is ideal for the application.

Initial testing of the STM in ambient conditions is performed on two different surfaces. A moir´e supermesh [4] with periodicity 3nm is observed on a highly-oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) surface, and agrees well with previously published results. Using a flame-annealed Gold on mica surface, a low drift rate of 0.6nm s−1 is observed over a period of 13 minutes. Single-height atomic steps are observed on both surfaces.

Additionally, the microscope is shown to be capable of zooming into different features on a surface, and scanning at different length scales.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Distributed Space-Time Block Codes in Wireless Cooperative Networks

contributor:
Kim, Il-Min
Electrical and Computer Engineering

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subject:
cooperative systems
space-time codes
diversity methods
fading channels

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Electrical & Computer Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2009-06-27 19:07:47.066

abstract:
In cooperative networks, relays cooperate and form a distributed multi-antenna system to provide spatial diversity. In order to achieve high bandwidth efficiency, distributed space-time block codes (DSTBCs) are proposed and have been studied extensively.
Among all DSTBCs, this thesis focuses on the codes which are single-symbol maximum likelihood (ML) decodable and can achieve the full diversity order.

This thesis presents four works on single-symbol ML decodable DSTBCs. The first work proposes the row-monomial distributed orthogonal space-time block codes (DOSTBCs). We find an upper bound of the data-rate of the row-monomial DOSTBC and construct the codes achieving this upper bound. In the second work, we first study the general DOSTBCs and derive an upper bound of the data-rate of the DOSTBC. Secondly, we propose the row-monomial DOSTBCs with channel phase information (DOSTBCs-CPI) and derive an upper bound of the data-rate of those codes. Furthermore, we find the actual row-monomial DOSTBCs-CPI which achieve the upper bound of the data-rate.

In the third and fourth works of this thesis, we focus on error performance analysis of single-symbol ML decodable DSTBCs. Specifically, we study the distributed Alamouti's code in dissimilar cooperative networks. In the third work, we assume that the relays are blind relays and we derive two very accurate approximate bit error rate (BER) expressions of the distributed Alamouti's code. In the fourth work, we assume that the relays are CSI-assisted relays. When those CSI-assisted relays adopt the amplifying coefficients that was proposed in [33] and widely used in many previous publications, upper and lower bounds of the BER of the distributed Alamouti's code are derived. Very surprisingly, the lower bound indicates that the code cannot achieve the full diversity order when the CSI-assisted relays adopt the amplifying coefficients proposed in [33]. Therefore, we propose a new threshold-based amplifying coefficient and it makes the code achieve the full diversity order two. Moreover, three optimum and one suboptimum schemes are developed to calculate the threshold used in this new amplifying coefficient.

abstract: PhD


title: Characterization of Metal Nanoparticle Interactions with Small Molecules

contributor:
Parnis, Mark J.
Chemistry

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subject:
metal nanoparticle
electrospray ionization
sol-gel encapsulation
surface treatment
spectroscopy

abstract: Thesis (Master, Chemistry) -- Queen's University, 2009-06-26 10:30:58.295

abstract: The interaction between metal nanoparticles and small molecules has been investigated by FTIR and UV-visible absorption spectroscopy.  Electrospray deposition into an argon matrix was chosen as the initial method.  An electrospray metal source was tested in development stage.  Both the formation of a stable corona discharge as well as a stable Taylor cone were successfully completed.  Problems arose when the entire system was tested.  It was determined that the vacuum was insufficient for the length of the flight path.  Focus then shifted to nanoparticles in more conventional environments.  Sol-gel encapsulated nanoparticles were generated, in the form of both monoliths as well as thin film coatings on silicon wafers.  The gels were exposed to 1atm of carbon monoxide in a gas cell.  The method encountered problems due to spectral interference from the matrix.   The next attempt consisted of solution stabilized nanoparticles.  The solution was exposed to various amounts of both ammonium sulphate and diethylamine.  There was again the problem of solvent interference, even when attempting to observe the system using Raman spectroscopy.  Finally, surface stabilized nanoparticles were generated, using 3-mercaptopropyltrimethoxysilane to adhere the particles to glass slides.  While the coating was successfully applied to the glass slides, as confirmed with Raman spectroscopy, it was not possible to get the nanoparticles to adhere.  Future outlook for this project is briefly reviewed.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: An investigation into the fragmentation and isomerization products of small aldehydes: an electron bombardment matrix isolation study

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subject:
matrix isolation
spectroscopy
aldehydes
electron bombardment
fragmentation
isomerization

abstract: Thesis (Master, Chemistry) -- Queen's University, 2009-06-26 10:51:32.331

abstract:
The gas-phase chemistry of butanal, propanal, and acetaldehyde has been investigated using electron bombardment matrix isolation techniques. Each aldehyde was diluted in excess argon gas and subjected to electron bombardment with 300eV electrons.  The products of subsequent reaction processes were matrix isolated and analyzed by FTIR absorption spectroscopy.  Ionized butanal produced a variety of decomposition products including propane, propene, propyne, ethene, ethyne, CCCO, ketene, formaldehyde, CO, CH2=CHCH2•, CH2CHO•, HCO• and methane.  Products resulting from ionized propanal included the ethyl radical, ethane, ethene, ethyne, CO, CH2CHO•, HCO• and methane.  In both cases the products are believed to be formed from C—C cleavages of the parent ion followed by hydrogen atom scavenging and/or hydrogen atom abstraction from proximally located species.  Dehydrogenation products of propane and ethane are proposed to result from product secondary ionization, a process dependent on high electron currents.  Surprisingly, in the case of butanal, the McLafferty Rearrangement, a dominant process in electron ionization mass spectrometry, was not observed to occur.
Electron bombardment of acetaldehyde:Ar mixtures produced many decomposition products including methane, CO, HCO•, CH3CO•, CH2CHO•, CH3• and ketene.  The isomerization product, vinyl alcohol, was also observed.  As way of investigating the mechanisms of the above products, experiments were performed in which the acetaldehyde:Ar mole ratio was varied.  Variations in the acetaldehyde:Ar mole ratio produced dramatic variations in the products formed, demonstrating a transition from unimolecular chemistry at low acetaldehyde mole ratios, to processes consistent with bimolecular processes at intermediate mole ratios.  Variations in the total flow rate of gas resulted in nonsystematic changes in product yields but provided further evidence for unimolecular methane formation via the elimination of neutral CO.  Finally, an investigation into the mechanism of vinyl alcohol using the acetaldehyde isotopomer, CD3CHO, in conjunction with computational methods provided further evidence that enol formation occurs as a result of a direct 1,3-H-transfer and not consecutive 1,2-H-transfers.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: When Singing Becomes Knowing: Developing Self-knowledge Through Vocal Pedagogy

contributor:
Smithrim, Katharine
Education

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subject:
Self-Knowledge
Singing
Spirituality
Vocal Pedagogy

abstract: Thesis (Master, Education) -- Queen's University, 2009-06-26 18:29:47.772

abstract:
The purpose of this research was to explore vocal pedagogy that places development of self-knowledge at the center of the investigation. I looked at the personal growth that occurred as a result of the distinctive qualities inherent in singing lessons that included spiritual practices. The goal for unity of body, mind, and spirit in performance bears a close resemblance to the basic meditative practices of mastery through repetition, intense listening, and deep connective breathing that have been used for thousands of years in all mystical traditions. The singing studio is a place where self-discovery can be encouraged and held with respect. This exploration examined vocal pedagogy as a means to finding one’s personal voice. Little literature exists on voice and self-knowledge, and a search for relevant sources revealed that there appears to be no professional training available in the area of voice and self-knowledge, although many people appear to be developing their own strategies for this purpose. My own experience and practice as a voice teacher with a strong spiritual identity, places me as someone who may benefit from further information about voice and self-development.
The study consisted of two phases. Phase one consisted of interviews with three educators who use singing lessons as a tool for development of self-knowledge. The findings of these interviews informed phase two, which was a series of ten singing lessons given to one female adult student who had requested a type of singing study that would promote self-knowledge. The lessons used both traditional vocal techniques and spiritual practices.
I discovered that the use of spiritual practice combined with traditional vocal technique deepened the experience of the lessons and enhanced every aspect of my traditional vocal pedagogy. Research that involved the researcher and the process of research so intimately allowed a pedagogy to emerge that is responsive, deliberately non-linear, in which curriculum is shaped dialogically by both student and teacher in an intimate evolving relationship.

abstract: M.Ed.


title: Combating Adult Obesity:  An Examination of Program Implementation

contributor:
Lévesque, Lucie L.
Kinesiology and Health Studies

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subject:
Obesity
Health Promotion

abstract: Thesis (Master, Kinesiology & Health Studies) -- Queen's University, 2009-06-26 23:21:43.09

abstract:
Background: The prevalence of adult overweight and obesity is increasing worldwide.  Innovative weight reduction interventions are needed to decrease the physical, psychological, and financial costs associated with this condition.  Individually-adapted physical activity interventions delivered by Health Educators in a primary care setting have shown promise in addressing adult overweight and obesity.  Process evaluations are needed to clarify results obtained from randomized controlled trials and to provide insight regarding optimal programming strategies for obesity reduction interventions.
Purpose: To investigate the process evaluation components dose, fidelity, and quality of implementation of the PROACTIVE intervention to increase physical activity among overweight and obese adults in a primary care setting.
Methods: One hundred ninety-four overweight or obese adults (135 women, mean age = 51.3 years, SD = 10.8; 59 men, mean age = 54.3 years, SD = 10.6) were randomized to attend 22 individualized behavioural counselling sessions over 12 months.  The Physical Activity Recall questionnaire, Session Summary Forms, and Health Care Climate Questionnaire were utilized to measure physical activity and intervention dose, fidelity, and quality.  Hierarchical multiple regressions were conducted.
Results: Overall physical activity and total active hours did not significantly change after 6 and 12 months of participation in PROACTIVE; however, physical activity intensity did significantly change.  Light intensity physical activity decreased while moderate intensity physical activity increased from baseline to 6 months; this shift was maintained from 6 to 12 months.  Dose and fidelity of implementation did not predict physical activity involvement at 6 and 12 months.  Three-quarters of the intervention was implemented as planned and women received a significantly greater percentage of intervention content then men.  Quality of the Health Educator-client relationship significantly predicted total number of hours spent being physically active at 12 months, but should be interpreted with caution due to the small sample size.
Conclusion: Preliminary results suggest that dose and fidelity do not predict physical activity involvement and that additional research is warranted to investigate quality.  It is recommended that future studies examine the critical intervention content that correlates to an increase in physical activity among overweight and obese adults.

abstract: M.A.


title: Development of Micro Thermal Actuator with Capactive Sensor

contributor:
Mechefske, Chris K.
Lai, Yongjun
Mechanical and Materials Engineering

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subject:
MEMS
Thermal Actuator
Capacitive Sensor
Integration

abstract: Thesis (Master, Mechanical and Materials Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2009-07-03 16:17:02.633

abstract: This thesis describes a finite element analysis (FEA) model of an indirect heating thermal actuator. The heat transfer mechanisms are investigated and the conductive heat transfer is found to be the dominant heat transfer mode. A model simplification method is discussed and used in the analysis to reduce the degrees of freedom and avoid meshing failures. The device is fabricated with the MetalMUMPs process. Measurements of the displacement as a function of the driving voltage are made to verify the FEA model. The results show that the simulation result of the FEA model produced a reasonable agreement with the experimental data. The difference between the FEA result and test result is investigated. A novel thermal actuator with integrated capacitive position sensor is also investigated. This new thermal actuator with an integrated capacitive sensor uses the indirect heating thermal actuator discussed in the first part of the thesis to achieve a new integration method. The displacement of the actuator provided by the sensor enables a feedback control capability. The analytical model, FEA and test results for the capacitive sensor are presented to validate the design concept. The test results show a reasonable agreement with the analytical analysis and the FEA. Finally, a manual displacement tuning application and a PI feedback control application with the designed thermal actuator with integrated capacitive sensor are documented.

abstract: M.A.Sc.


title: A Study of Polymer-Small Molecule Interactions for Solid-Liquid Two Phase Partitioning Bioreactors With Emphasis on the Bioproduction of  2-Phenylethanol

contributor:
Daugulis, Andrew J.
Chemical Engineering

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subject:
Chemical Engineering
Biochemical Engineering

abstract: Thesis (Master, Chemical Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2009-07-02 11:37:33.83

abstract:
Biphasic systems have been studied for in situ product removal (ISPR), and have shown improvements in bioreactor performance. With immiscible solvents, concerns associated with solvent biocompatibility, bioavailability and operation have been identified. One alternative is a solid-liquid system in which polymer beads are used, absorbing and removing target compounds from the aqueous phase while maintaining equilibrium conditions. In such systems, the capability of a polymer to absorb the compound of interest is an important parameter. This work has identified polymer properties that may be important to the interaction between polymers and target compounds for selected biotransformation molecules including 2-phenylethanol, cis-1,3-indandiol, iso-butanol, succinic acid and 3-hydroxybutyrolactone. Furthermore, the biotransformation from L-phenylalanine to 2-phenyethanol, an important aroma compound in industry, was examined in detail.
It was found that relatively hydrophobic compounds tend to be absorbed by polymers better than hydrophilic ones based on partition coefficient tests. Since all of the biotransformation molecules tested have polar functional groups such as alcohol, acid and lactone, polar polymers such as Hytrel® performed better than non-polar polymers such as Kraton® possibly due to the hydrogen-bonding interaction between the polymer and the solute. Crystallinity and intermolecular hydrogen-bonding were also found to be important polymer properties.
Hytrel® 8206 was identified as the best working polymer to absorb 2-phenylethanol. A solid-liquid batch mode two phase partitioning bioreactor (TPPB) with 500 g Hytrel® generated an overall 2-PE concentration of 13.7 g/L, the highest reported in the current literature. This was based on a polymer phase concentration of 88.74 g/L and aqueous phase concentration of 1.2 g/L. Better results were achieved via contact with more polymers with the aqueous phase applying a semi-continuous reactor configuration. In this system, a final 2-PE concentration (overall) of 20.4 g/L was achieved. The overall productivities of these two reactor systems were 0.38 g/(L-h) and 0.43 g/(L-h), respectively. This experiment successfully demonstrated that with the appropriate selection of polymer, solid-liquid TPPB systems were able to greatly enhance bioproductions associated with end product inhibition in terms of final product concentration and productivity. The ease of operation is also attractive compared to two liquid phase systems.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: The Role of Ca²⁺/CaM-Stimulated Phosphodiesterase 1C in Vascular Smooth Muscle cells of the Synthetic/Activated Phenotype

contributor:
Maurice, Donald H.
Pharmacology and Toxicology

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subject: PDE1C

subject: VSMC

abstract: Thesis (Master, Pharmacology & Toxicology) -- Queen's University, 2009-07-02 19:02:52.281

abstract: Manipulations to cyclic nucleotide populations show considerable promise in the treatment of vasculopathies associated with luminal narrowing and PDE inhibition currently represents one of the most selective methods of clinically modifying levels of these second messengers.  Many cardiovascular diseases are associated with a change in vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) phenotype, resulting in a hyperproliferative cell devoid of contractile properties. This cell has been defined as “synthetic/activated” and differs from the normal  “contractile/quiescent” VSMC in several aspects.  Previous investigations have established that phosphodiesterase 1C (PDE1C), a PDE not produced in contractile/quiescent VSMCs is upregulated, and the functionally dominant PDE in the presence of calcium in these cells.  This study looked to establish a role for PDE1C in synthetic/activated VSMCs as it relates to the management of VSMC phenotype.  Herein, we show that RNAi mediated knockdown of PDE1C decreased expression of phenotype-dependent markers in HASMCs including PDGF-alpha receptor, l-caldesmon, and TRPC1, while the expression of other markers, including PKG, vinculin, and beta-1 integrin were unaffected.  Treatment with PDE1C siRNA also reduced cell migration, proliferation, and the ability of HASMCs to bind extracellular matrix proteins.  These effects were mediated without any major changes in global cAMP levels.  Furthermore, a novel interaction between PDE1C and the TRPC cation channel was identified that may establish a role for PDE1C in calcium-cAMP mediation.  These findings establish an important role for PDE1C in the synthetic/activated HASMC, both phenotypically, and at the sub-cellular level.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: System-Level Power, Thermal and Reliability Optimization

contributor:
Shang, Li
Electrical and Computer Engineering

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subject: Power Thermal Reliability

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Electrical & Computer Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2009-07-02 19:24:18.632

abstract:
An integrated circuit can now contain more than one billion transistors. With
increasing system integration and technology scaling, power and power-related issues
have become the primary challenges of integrated circuit design. In this dissertation,
techniques and algorithms, from system-level synthesis to emerging integration
and device technologies, are proposed to address the power and power-induced thermal
and reliability challenges of modern billion-transistor integrated circuit design.
In Chapter 1, the challenges of semiconductor technology scaling are introduced.
Chapter 2 reviews the related works. Chapter 3 focuses on the reliability optimization
issue during system-level design. A reliable application-specic multiprocessor
system-on-chip synthesis system is proposed, called TASR, which exploits redundancy
and thermal-aware design planning to produce reliable and compact circuit designs.
Chapter 4 introduces three-dimensional (3D) integration, a new integrated circuit
fabrication and integration technology. Thermal issue is a primary concern of 3D integration.
A 3D integrated circuit heat flow analytical framework is proposed in this
chapter. Proactive, continuously-engaged hardware and operating system thermal
management techniques are presented and evaluated which optimize system performance
than state-of-the-art techniques while honoring the same temperature bound.
Chapter 5 presents reconfigurable architecture design using single-electron tunneling
transistor, an ultra-low-power nanometer-scale device. The proposed design has the
potential to overcome the power and energy barriers for both high-performance computing
and ultra-low-power embedded systems. Conclusions are drawn in Chapter 6.

abstract: PhD


title: Health Education In The Practice of Development: Afghanistan, Child Participation and the Child-to-Child Approach

contributor:
Adams, Mary Louise
Kinesiology and Health Studies

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subject:
Afghanistan
Health Education

abstract: Thesis (Master, Kinesiology & Health Studies) -- Queen's University, 2009-07-08 13:46:27.149

abstract:
For over thirty years Afghanistan has been challenged by war, political and civil instability, mass displacement, human rights abuses, drought, and famine. It is not surprising that health and quality of life of vulnerable groups in this region are among the worst in the world. In general, women and children have had especially limited access to education and healthcare. The situation in Afghanistan is difficult, but by no means impossible and renewed international focus combined with shifting internal dynamics provide a real opportunity to change the trajectory of the country and lives of millions of Afghans. With regard to internal dynamics, the health and education of children, I believe, provide one of the greatest opportunities for Afghanistan to build a new and peaceful path in the twenty first century.
At the heart of a successful development strategy in Afghanistan will be stitching together local capabilities and resources and tailoring projects to context. Afghan children present an ideal starting ground.  This thesis asks the question: how might children’s participation and the Child-to-Child approach to health education and community development be used effectively in Afghanistan? I analyze the possibilities and limitations of the Child-to-Child approach were it to be implemented in the traditional/Islamic context of Afghanistan. More broadly, I highlight external and internal forces that are affecting and will continue to shape future health intervention and development projects such as Child-to-Child in Afghanistan.
I conclude that, at this time, Afghan children will receive adequate and long term health care (through initiatives such as Child-to-Child) only when essential and basic services/needs are met, geo-political conflicts between industrial nations over Afghanistan are resolved and future intervention programs are designed using culturally sensitive strategies not only to provide health services but also to address the underlying non-medical determinants of health related to Afghanistan’s development process.

abstract: M.A.


title: Design and Evaluation of the Kingston Brace

contributor:
Deluzio, Kevin J.
Mechefske,Chris K.
Mechanical and Materials Engineering

subject:
Lisfranc Injury
Foot/Ankle Brace

abstract: Thesis (Master, Mechanical and Materials Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2009-07-06 15:01:57.866

abstract:
Lisfranc injuries affect at least 1 out of every 55,000 people each year. Although they
are rare foot injuries, their effects can be devastating. 20-40% of Lisfranc injuries are
missed upon first presentation. This increases the number of poor outcomes, resulting in a disproportionate number of malpractice lawsuits and compensation claims.

The Kingston Brace was designed to support an injured foot during a CT scan with the
goal of providing the diagnosing physician with the best diagnostic information possible.

A prototype was designed and built to support a variety of foot orientations in order to determine which orientation is optimal for Lisfranc joint CT scanning.

Three fresh frozen cadaver feet were put through several experiments with the Brace.
The 2D diagnostic quality of CT scans taken using the Kingston Brace was compared
against that of CT scans using the existing protocol. The Kingston Brace allows for a
greater visualization of the injured Lisfranc joint than the existing CT protocol. Lisfranc joint spreading was used as a measure of potential pain in injured patients. The joint spreading was minimal, suggesting that injured patients would not feel as much additional pain during imaging. Also, the adoption of the Kingston Brace resulted in no change in the morphological parameters resulting from more advanced 3D analysis.

The experimentally determined optimal Kingston Brace orientation was found to be 9◦
of plantarflexion and 13◦ of eversion. These orientations can be incorporated into the next generation of Kingston Brace design.

abstract: There is the potential to patent the device designed and described in the thesis.

abstract: M.A.Sc.


title: Identification of Genes Involved in the Assembly and Biosynthesis of the N-linked Flagellin Glycan in the Archaeon, Methanococcus maripaludis

contributor:
Jarrell, Ken F.
Microbiology and Immunology

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subject:
N-glycosylation
archaea
sugar biosynthesis
glycosyl transferase

abstract: Thesis (Master, Microbiology & Immunology) -- Queen's University, 2009-07-07 15:45:19.052

abstract:
N-glycosylation is a metabolic process found in all three domains of life. It is the attachment of a polysaccharide glycan to asparagine (Asn) residues within the amino acid motif, Asn-Xaa-Ser/Thr. In the archaeon, Methanococcus maripaludis, a tetrasaccharide glycan was isolated from purified flagella and its structure determined by mass spectrometry analysis. The linking sugar to the protein is surprisingly, N-acetylgalactosamine (β-GalNAc), with the next proximal sugar a derivative of N-acetylglucosamine (β-GlcNAc), being named β-GlcNAc3Ac, and the third sugar a derivative of N-acetylmannosamine (β-ManNAc), with an attached threonine residue on the C6 carbon (β-ManNAc3NAm). The terminal sugar is an unusual diglycoside of aldulose ((5S)-2-acetamido-2,4-dideoxy-5-O-methyl-α-L-erythro-hexos-5-ulo-1,5-pyranose). Previous genetic analyses identified the glycosyltransferases (GTs) responsible for the transfer of the second and third sugars of the glycan, as well as the oligosaccharyltransferase (OST) which attaches the glycan to protein. Left unidentified were the first and fourth GTs, the flippase as well as any genes involved in glycan sugar biosynthesis and modification.  In this work, genes suspected to be involved in the biosynthesis of N-linked sugars, as well as those that might encode the missing GTs and flippase were targeted for in-frame deletion. Mutants with a deleted annotated GT gene (MMP1088) had a small decrease in flagellin molecular weight as determined by immunoblotting. Mass spectrometry (MS) analysis confirmed that the N-linked glycan was missing the terminal sugar as well as the threonine found on the third sugar of wildtype cells. Mutants with a deleted gene annotated to be involved in acetamidino synthesis (a functional group that is present on the third sugar), also had a decrease in flagellin molecular weight. MS analysis determined that the N-linked glycan was missing the acetamidino group on the third sugar as well as its attached threonine, along with the terminal sugar. Both mutants were able to assemble functional flagella but had impaired motility compared to wildtype cells in mini-swarm agar. Deletions were also constructed in four other GT genes considered candidates in assembly of the linking sugar. However, none of these mutants had the expected decrease in flagellin molecular weight.
With the work done in this study, the glycosyl transferase that attaches the last sugar of the M. maripaludis N-linked assembly pathway has been identified as well as a gene involved in the biosynthesis and modification of the glycan sugars.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Dietary Patterns and Risk of Diabetes and Mortality: Impact of Cardiorespiratory Fitness

contributor:
Janssen, Ian
Lam, Miu
Community Health and Epidemiology

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subject:
Dietary Patterns
Cardiorespiratory Fitness
All-Cause Mortality
Diabetes
Reduced Rank Regression

abstract: Thesis (Master, Community Health & Epidemiology) -- Queen's University, 2009-07-08 07:11:06.809

abstract: The primary objective of this study was to assess the relationship between dietary patterns with diabetes and mortality risk from all-cause and cardiovascular disease while controlling for the confounding effects of fitness.  The secondary objective was to examine the combined effects of dietary patterns and fitness on chronic disease and mortality risk.  Participants consisted of 13,621 men and women from the Aerobics Center Longitudinal Study who completed a standardized medical examination and 3-day diet record between 1987 and 1999.  Reduced rank regression was used to identify dietary patterns that were predictive of unfavorable profiles of cholesterol, white blood cell count, glucose, mean arterial pressure, HDL-cholesterol, uric acid, triglycerides, and body mass index.  One primary dietary pattern emerged, which was labeled the “Unhealthy Eating Index”.  This pattern was characterized by a large consumption of processed meat, red meat, white potato products, non-whole grains, added fat, and a small consumption of non-citrus fruits.  After adjustment for covariates, the odds ratio for diabetes and the hazard ratio for all-cause mortality were 2.55 (95% confidence interval: 1.81-3.58) and 1.40 (1.02-1.91) in the highest quintile of the Unhealthy Eating Index when compared to the lowest quintile, respectively.  After controlling for fitness, these risk estimates were reduced by 51.6% and 55.0%.  The Unhealthy Eating Index was not a significant predictor of cardiovascular disease mortality before or after controlling for fitness.  Examining the combined effects of dietary patterns and fitness revealed that both variables were independent predictors of diabetes (Ptrend <0.0001), while fitness (Ptrend <0.0001) but not unhealthy eating (Ptrend=0.071) significantly predicted all-cause mortality risk. These results suggest that both diet and fitness must be considered when studying disease.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: The circular law: Proof of  the replacement principle

contributor:
Mingo, James A.
Speicher, Roland
Mathematics and Statistics

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subject: random matrices, semicircle law, circular law conjecture

subject: emprical spectral distribution, Stieltjes transform

abstract: Thesis (Master, Mathematics & Statistics) -- Queen's University, 2009-07-11 14:57:44.225

abstract:
It was conjectured in the early 1950¡¯s that the empirical
spectral distribution (ESD) of an $n \times n$ matrix whose entries
are independent and identically  distributed with mean zero and
variance one, normalized by a factor of $\frac{1}{\sqrt{n}}$,
converges to the uniform distribution over the unit disk on the
complex plane, which is called the circular law. The goal of this
thesis is to prove the so called Replacement Principle introduced by
Tao and Vu which is a crucial step in their recent proof of the
circular law in full generality. It gives a general criterion for
the difference of the ESDs of two normalised random matrices
$\frac{1}{\sqrt{n}}A_n$, $\frac{1}{\sqrt{n}}B_n$ to converge to 0.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Groundwater recharge, flow and discharge in a large crystalline watershed

contributor:
Novakowski, Kent S.
Civil Engineering

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subject:
Fractured rock
Watershed
Conceptual model
Hydrogeology
Hydrology
Isotopes
Structural geology
Geomatics

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Civil Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2009-07-13 14:51:25.244

abstract: The objective of this thesis is to constrain the fundamental hydrogeological processes of a large crystalline fractured rock watershed in the Canadian Shield. The fundamental hydrogeological processes of groundwater recharge, flow and discharge are examined individually as well as holistically using a revised conceptual model. The study area is the topographically-subdued Tay River watershed in eastern Ontario where a thin veneer of soil overlies Precambrian crystalline rocks and Paleozoic sediments. Spatial scales from local-scale (100s m2 to 1 km2) to watershed-scale (>100 km2) are examined. Recharge processes are defined using hydrogeological characterization, numerical simulation and isotopic, thermal and hydraulic responses to a snowmelt event. Soil thickness and bedrock transmissivity are highly heterogeneous at the local scale. Cold, 2H depleted snowmelt locally recharged the bedrock aquifer to depths of at least 20 m within two days. This rapid recharge process is localized to areas where the soil is very thin whereas slow recharge is likely widespread. The impact of lineaments on groundwater flow at the watershed-scale is examined using geomatic analysis, hydrogeological characterization, numerical simulation and fracture mapping. Lineaments are interpreted as structural features because the two principal lineament sets are oriented parallel to fracture and fault orientations. The fractured bedrock underlying lineaments generally consists of poorly connected zones of reduced permeability suggesting lineament can be barriers to recharge and flow in this setting. Natural conservative, radioactive, and thermal tracers are integrated with streamflow measurements and a steady-state advective model to delimit the discharge locations and quantify the discharge flux to lakes, wetlands, creeks and the Tay River. The groundwater discharge rate to most surface water bodies is low. Groundwater discharge is distributed across the watershed rather than localized around lineaments or zones of exposed brittle fractures. In the revised conceptual model, recharge is considered two separate processes, groundwater flow is compartmentalized and the discharge flux is considerably lower than porous media watersheds. This thesis provides a better understanding of fundamental hydrogeological processes in a large crystalline fractured rock watershed which impacts the sustainability of water resources and ecology.

abstract: PhD


title: Wnt5a Interaction with Intestinal Ror2 Regulates Villin Expression

contributor:
MacLeod, John R.
Physiology

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subject: Villin

subject: Ror2

subject: Wnt5a

subject: Intestine

subject: Differentiation

abstract: Thesis (Master, Physiology) -- Queen's University, 2009-07-14 23:34:39.397

abstract: Regulation of expression of the intestinal actin-binding protein, villin, a marker of intestinal epithelial differentiation, is poorly understood.  Activation of the extracellular calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR) on sub-epithelial myofibroblasts stimulated the secretion of Wnt5a, while activation of the CaSR on intestinal epithelia increased expression of Ror2, a Wnt-family co-receptor.  Immunocytochemistry has localized Ror2 expression in the epithelia lining the small intestine from the crypt base to the villus tip.  The aim of this study was to determine whether Wnt5a binding Ror2 in intestinal epithelia stimulated transient increases in phospho-ERK1/2 (pERK1/2) which lead to increased expression of villin transcript and protein.  To examine Wnt5a-Ror2 regulation of villin expression, we transgenically overexpressed wild-type, truncated, or mutant Ror2 constructs in HT-29 adenocarcinoma cells and nontransformed fetally-derived human intestinal epithelial cells (HIECs), added conditioned media containing Wnt5a and measured changes in ERK1/2 phosphorylation, villin amplicons and protein expression by RT-PCR and Western blot techniques. Wnt5a addition caused a transient increase in pERK1/2, which was maximal at 10 min but diminished by 30 min. Transient transfection with a siRNA duplex against Ror2 diminished Ror2 amplicons and protein and reduced the extent of pERK1/2 activation.  Structure-function analysis revealed that deletion of the cysteine-rich, kringle, or tyrosine kinase domain or substitution mutations of tyrosine residues in the intracellular Ser/Thr-1 region of Ror2 prevented the Wnt5a-stimulation of pERK1/2.  Deletion of the intracellular proline and serine/threonine rich regions of Ror2 had no effect on Wnt5a-stimulation of pERK1/2 in HT29 cells.  Western blot analysis demonstrated that villin protein was increased by over-expression of wild-type Ror2 in HT-29 cells and HIECs in the presence of Wnt5a.  The increase in villin expression was blocked by pharmacological inhibition of MEK1&2 and casein kinase 1, but not by PKC and p38 inhibitors.   Neither Wnt3a nor EGF addition increased villin protein.  This work suggested that stromal Wnt5a will stimulate pERK1/2 via the Ror2 tyrosine kinase domain to generate increased villin protein. These findings suggested that Ror2 homeostasis and Wnt5a interaction with Ror2 are important determinants of the regulation of villin expression in the intestine.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: The Role of Phosphodiesterases in Cyclic Nucleotide Compartmentation Across Different Pathways in the Adult Rat Ventricular Myocyte

contributor:
Ward, Christopher Andrew
Physiology

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subject:
cAMP compartmentation
Cardiac Myocytes

abstract: Thesis (Master, Physiology) -- Queen's University, 2009-07-15 11:01:49.571

abstract: In cardiac myocytes, multiple receptor mediated signalling pathways converge on cyclic nucleotide production.  These second messengers act to achieve changes in cellular function.  Despite this, each signalling molecule and receptor can achieve distinct sub-cellular effects.  This has led to the theory of cyclic nucleotide compartmentation, which has been postulated to be mediated by phosphodiesterases (PDEs).  Research in this field has focused on compartmentation using β-adrenergic stimulation.  As an extension of this work, we investigated the effects of two agonists, prostaglandin E2 (PGE2; 10 nM) and forskolin (FSK; 30 nM), on various cellular parameters in the presence of either cilostamide (1 µM) a selective PDE3 inhibitor, or Ro 20-1724 (10 µM) a selective PDE4 inhibitor.  In myocytes treated with PGE2, unloaded cell shortening and intracellular calcium transients exhibited significantly different (p<0.05) values of 147 ± 10% and 138 ± 5% of pre-treatment (t=0) values, respectively, in the presence of PGE2 and Ro 20-1724 (all n=5).  However, values were not significantly different in cells pre-treated with cilostamide.  Conversely, FSK resulted in significant increases of 153 ± 9% (n=5; P>0.05) and 189 ± 20% (n=5; P>0.05) of t=0 in cells treated with cilostamide and Ro 20-1724, respectively.  PGE2 enhanced ICa,L was not altered using either PDE inhibitor.  However, with FSK as an agonist, a significant increase in peak ICa,L from -6.0 ± 0.8 pA/pF to -7.7 ± 0.4 pA/pF (n=5; P>0.05) was observed in cells pre-treated with Ro 20-1724.  SR calcium loading was also increased, but only in cells pre-treated with Ro 20-1724, with values of 127 ± 11%  and 156 ± 47% of t=0 (n=5) for FSK and PGE2, respectively.  Our results demonstrate that a unique pattern of regulation exists for PGE2 and that it is different from what was found previously with isoproterenol.  We have shown that this is achieved by functionally localizing PDEs to distinct compartments.  Specifically, PDE4 is localized at the SR, PDE3 at the sarcomere, and a combination of both at the calcium channel.  However, our ICa,L results also indicate that the location of the receptor and adenylate cyclases must be considered relevant to compartmentalizing the cAMP signal.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Between Virtue and Vice: Moral Worth for the Rest of Us

contributor:
Kumar, Rahul
Philosophy

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subject:
Philosophy
Ethics
Moral psychology
praise
irrationality
weakness

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Philosophy) -- Queen's University, 2009-08-31 12:18:30.156

abstract:
Most of us fall short of virtue—we are, at various times, weak-willed, selfish, self-absorbed, hypocritical, morally complacent, cowardly, and self-deceived. But most of us are not vicious, either. In this dissertation I argue that the actions of flawed, morally imperfect agents can be as praiseworthy as the actions of more perfectly virtuous people.
The first, introductory chapter explains my account of moral worth, which depends on the assessment of an agent’s deliberative outlook in acting. In the second chapter, I argue that being praiseworthy on every possible occasion is not a precondition for being praiseworthy on any particular occasion. This may seem obvious, but it is also inconsistent with a common interpretation of the nature of virtue.
The third chapter argues that someone’s actions can be morally worthy despite displaying a failure of practical rationality quite similar to weakness of will, or akrasia. By exploring cases of so-called inverse akrasia, I argue that sometimes, an agent can be praised for acting in ways that he himself believes are morally wrong, and that while these actions display serious failures of practical reason, they can still be both done for a good reasons and deserving of praise.
The fourth chapter explores the moral status of hypocrisy. I reject the standard interpretation of hypocrites as blameworthy manipulative deceivers, and argue instead that they are people who misdirect their ethical attention by caring too much about their image for having certain values, and not enough about the values themselves.
The second, third, and fourth chapters draw a close connection between moral imperfection and failures of self-knowledge. The fifth and final chapter therefore considers the nature of such failures of self-knowledge by exploring the moral significance of self-deception. I argue that, in a central range of cases, it is impossible to be self-deceived about the content of one’s own mind. Instead, I argue that the morally relevant form of self-deception is a failure of self-assessment. This has important implications for our understanding of moral development, since it means that such development centrally involves the cultivation of a specific kind of self-knowledge.

abstract: PhD


title: Perfectionism within Neutrality

contributor:
Sypnowich, Christine
Philosophy

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subject:
Liberal Neutrality
Perfectionism
Disability
Justice

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Philosophy) -- Queen's University, 2009-07-21 10:11:07.921

abstract:
This dissertation explores and defends a form of perfectionism, which I call ‘public value perfectionism’. It is an approach that emerges from Sen’s capability critique of Rawls’s doctrine of primary goods and I argue that this form of perfectionism is not only compatible with, but also demanded by, a general defence of liberal neutrality. It is designed to fulfill a demand of justice that is beyond the reach of neutralist tools, yet it belongs within a larger neutralist framework in virtue of being justified by the same types of reasons that support neutralism. One of the main justifications for state neutrality is that it can serve as a means to remove or reduce disadvantage imposed on vulnerable groups. I will argue that in the case of disability limited state perfectionism can serve as a means toward that same goal.
    The series of arguments that I make to defend public value perfectionism concern issues relevant to debates about neutrality and perfectionism, the metric of advantage, justice and disability, and health resource rationing. These issues each play a role in the argument I develop, which states, simplifying somewhat, that in order for society to make defensible rationing decisions about social spending that aims to reduce disability, we need an approach to advantage—i.e., public value perfectionism—that contains important elements of perfectionism and yet is grounded on neutralist considerations.

abstract: PhD


title: Ultrasonically Enhanced Mass Transport and Degradation of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Solid-Liquid Two Phase Partitioning Systems

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subject: Ultrasound

subject: Mass Transport

subject: PAH Degradation

abstract: Thesis (Master, Chemical Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2009-08-26 13:04:26.229

abstract:
The remediation of soil contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) is endorsed by environmental protection agencies worldwide. Recent studies demonstrated the removal of these contaminants from soil utilizing polymer beads, with subsequent PAH release and degradation in solid-liquid two phase partitioning bioreactors (TPPBs). Although such a process was successful, significant mass transport limitations involving PAH release from the polymers hampered productivity. The current work examined the possibility of applying sonication in solid-liquid partitioning systems to enhance delivery and degradation of PAHs.

	Small scale physical testing revealed delivery rates of PAHs from Desmopan, increased by 5 fold under intermittent sonication relative to non-sonicated conditions. Enhancements were also displayed as shifts to higher release equilibria under sonicated conditions, agreeing with sonochemistry concepts. Improvements were demonstrated across a range of polymers, suggesting that sonication could enhance PAH release with any polymers deemed feasible for environmental applications. A PAH-degrading microbial consortium was enriched, and it was demonstrated that sonication also improved the rate of phenanthrene degradation delivered from Desmopan by four times, confirming transport improvements while minimizing cellular inactivation effects.

	A mass transport analysis showed that without sonication, delivery of PAHs was restricted by the external resistance at the solid-liquid interface. Ultrasound was shown to enhance both external and internal transport properties, allowing rates not achievable through increased liquid mixing. Diffusivities quantified with and without ultrasound decreased as a function of permeant molecular size. Additionally, partitioning coefficients under sonicated and non-sonicated conditions decreased with PAH molecular size. Finally, an examination of permeant property data demonstrated that polarizability was the best descriptor of thermodynamic and transport behaviour in solid-liquid systems.

	The possibility of inducing equivalent improvements was investigated in a bench scale TPPB, in which sonic exposure improved degradation rates of phenanthrene by 2.7 fold when delivered from Desmopan. A window of on/off operation for ultrasonic cycling was also demonstrated, providing potential for optimizing sonication via rational selection of exposure times. DNA analysis also revealed that the consortium composition was maintained in the presence of sonication and also demonstrated that the consortium was comprised of bacteria belonging to the Pandoraea, Sphingobium, and Pseudoxanthomonas genera.

abstract: M.A.Sc.


title: Attracting and Retaining Academic Talent in the City of Kingston, Ontario

contributor:
Donald, J. Betsy
Geography

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subject:
City-Regions
Race
Talent Attraction
Tolerance
Whiteness

abstract: Thesis (Master, Geography) -- Queen's University, 2009-07-22 11:33:21.839

abstract: Recent analyses of creativity in the North American economy have underscored the importance of city-regions in the generation of economic dynamism. These studies have been concerned with at least two principal assertions. The first assertion is that the social dynamics of city-regions constitute the foundations of economic success. The second assertion is that the distribution of human capital (talent) is a crucial element in regional economic prosperity; yet the distribution of human capital across cities is uneven. Therefore, the question emerges: what factors influence the locational choices of talented individuals? In recent years, this question has received considerable scholarly attention. This thesis has identified two existing gaps within this field of inquiry. Conspicuously absent from studies in this area are theoretical insights offered by cultural geographers in the field of whiteness and race. Economic geographers have created an essentialized reading of racial diversity in the economic performance of city-regions. Moreover, work in this area has been constrained by a quantitative focus and a lack of empirical evidence. Accordingly, the purpose of this thesis is to develop a more nuanced understanding of how social processes and institutions underlie and are shaped by the economic performance of city-regions. This is achieved by drawing on insights from an empirical study of 44 semi-structured interviews with academic talent in the City of Kingston, Ontario and 12 interviews with community insiders. The results on the one hand reveal complex dynamics linked to why academics live in particular places, but on the other hand point to one overriding explanation for why academics locate where they do: namely, academics are attracted to Kingston, first and foremost, because of academic jobs, not urban amenities or other characteristics of place.

abstract: M.A.


title: A Barkhausen Noise Testing System for CANDU Feeder Pipes

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subject:
Barkhausen noise
CANDU feeder pipes
ferromagnetism
magnetic flux
anisotropy
non-destructive evaluation
residual stress

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Physics, Engineering Physics and Astronomy) -- Queen's University, 2009-07-22 15:34:28.967

abstract: A Barkhausen noise (BN) testing system was developed for the non-destructive evaluation (NDE) of residual stresses in CANDU reactor feeder pipes. The system consists of a four-channel arbitrary waveform flux control system (FCS), and the spring-loaded tetrapole prototype (SL4P) BN probe. The combination of the FCS and SL4P was shown to provide repeatable BN measurements on feeder pipe samples, with variations in air gaps between the SL4P poles and the sample from 0.43 mm to 1.29 mm, and typical pickup coil coupling uncertainties for the total BN energy from ±2% to ±7%. Precision for elastic strain estimation in feeder pipes was found to be between ±7 MPa and ±9 MPa in tension, depending on the excitation field configuration, and negligible in compression. Modelling of the BN penetration depth as a function of the excitation field was used to estimate the BN penetration depth between 5 μm at 300 kHz to a maximum of 500 μm at 3 kHz. The modelling, engineering, and procedures developed for this BN testing system provide an improved basis for the future advancement of BN testing, and ferromagnetic NDE in general.

abstract: PhD


title: The Decorative Imagination: American Modernist Poetry and the Art of Adornment

contributor:
Rae, Patricia
English

subject:
Modernism
Poetry
Decorative Art
Wallace Stevens
Marianne Moore
Mina Loy

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, English) -- Queen's University, 2009-08-07 13:23:15.868

abstract:
Focusing on the work of Wallace Stevens, Marianne Moore, and Mina Loy, this thesis argues that late nineteenth-century decorative art had a profound influence on American modernist poetry. Despite the fact that many modernist artists and critics actively disavowed any decorative influence, I argue that a decorative ethos lives on in modernist poetry. Many of the aesthetic features that we associate with modernist poetics (such as figurative abstraction, spatial form, and fragmentation) actually owe a debt to nineteenth-century decorative theories and practices.

The first chapter provides an historical and theoretical context for these poets' ambivalent engagement with decorative art, and will consider some of the unconscious ideologies that shape the tensions and anxieties that define this inter-art relationship. In my second chapter, I argue that the gaudy interiority of Stevens' early poetry is influenced by Aestheticism's material culture of decoration. Rather than perpetuate the critical model of Stevens as a retiring dandy aesthete, however, my analysis reveals the ways that his poetry both evokes and disrupts Aestheticism's decorative ideals by opening up his verse to the imperatives of social reality. The third chapter argues that Marianne Moore turns to the logic and rhetoric of evolution as a basis for legitimating what she perceived as the ornamental aspects of her poetry, including descriptive detail, rhetorical complexity, and graphic patterning. She does so in order to prove the social utility of her style, which might otherwise be deemed frivolous or effeminate. The fourth and final chapter considers Mina Loy's poetics of fragmentation and decomposition in light of nineteenth-century decorative theory and practice. Like Charles Baudelaire and Oscar Wilde, who emulated the ideal of the modern artist as rag-picker/decorator, Loy recuperates the aesthetic value of broken and discarded materials by submitting them to decorative techniques.

The influence of decorative art on American modernist poetry has long been neglected in the scholarship. This study seeks to fill this critical gap and aligns itself with the general effort in modernist studies today to expand and redefine new social, theoretical and cultural modernities previously ignored or suppressed in twentieth-century criticism.

abstract: PhD


title: A new, improved precatalyst for Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reactions

contributor:
Baird, Michael C.
Chemistry

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subject:
palladium precatalysts
cross-coupling

abstract: Thesis (Master, Chemistry) -- Queen's University, 2009-07-23 12:57:10.248

abstract:
Carbon-carbon bond formation is one of the most important reactions in organic chemistry, and the Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reaction has become a forerunner in this area.  Considerable research has been directed at the mechanistic aspects and synthetic utility of the reaction; however, little attention has been given to the formation of the putative PdL2 catalysts.  Due to their high reactivities, these catalysts are typically difficult to store and therefore are often generated in situ in unknown yields and at unknown rates via any number of available palladium precursors.  This thesis describes research directed towards determining the optimum conditions to quantitatively generate compounds of the type Pd(0)Ln (L = PMePh2, PPh3, PCy3, PMeBut2, PBut3, dppe, dppp, dppf) from Pd(h5-C5H5)(h3-1-Ph-C3H4).  Pd(h5-C5H5)(h3-1-Ph-C3H4) has been found to be a superior precursor for synthesizing catalytically active PdL2 compounds due to its ease in handling and reactivity with tertiary phosphines.
Furthermore, investigations into the role of water in the transmetallation step of the Suzuki-Miyaura reaction are presented.  The research indicates that water is necessary to effect the transmetallation step when coupling [NBu4][PhBF3] with 4-bromotoluene in toluene; however, the amount of water above one equivalent has no significant effect on the rate or yield of the reaction.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: A Two-Dimensional Horizontal Wave Propagation and Mud Mass Transport Model on Muddy Coastal Regions

contributor:
Hall, Kevin
Civil Engineering

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subject:
wave_mud interaction
wave propagation
visco elasic plastic
wave attenuation

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Civil Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2009-07-24 11:18:18.622

abstract:
It is well known that surface water waves interact with  fluid mud on the sea bed. Wave mud interaction results in high wave energy dissipation and mud mass transport. This kind of wave energy dissipation, which generally is much more significant than wave dissipation due to bottom friction, should be considered in the simulation of wave evolution and transformation in muddy coastal environments.
In this research, a two-dimensional horizontal wave propagation and morphodynamic model for muddy coasts was developed.  The model can be applied on a general three dimensional bathymetry of a soft muddy coast to calculate wave damping, fluid mud transport and resulting bathymetry change under wave action.  In addition to the effect of wave-mud interaction on wave propagation, the dissipation due to wave-mud interaction was also implemented in SWAN (a third generation numerical model for Simulating WAves Nearshore) using a multilayered wave mud interaction model. These two models combined can be used for generation and propagation of waves in muddy coastal areas. The nonlinear constitutive equations of the visco-elastic-plastic model are adopted for the rheological behavior of fluid mud in this research.
The results of the numerical model are compared against a series of wave-basin experiments, wave flume experiments and field observations.  Comparisons between the simulated results with the both field and laboratory data reveal the capability of the proposed model to predict the wave transformation and mud mass transport.

abstract: PhD


title: Effects of BMI Status on the Occurence and Recovery From Injuries in Youth

contributor:
Pickett, William
Janssen, Ian
Community Health and Epidemiology

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subject: Injury Obesity

abstract: Thesis (Master, Community Health & Epidemiology) -- Queen's University, 2009-08-26 10:59:39.956

abstract:
Background:  Injury and obesity are two of the leading public health problems in youth around the world. To reduce the burden of obesity, efforts are underway to increase physical activity participation; however, physical activity is also the leading cause of injury in youth.  Recovery from injury is also important as long periods away from regular activity can have major effects on the health of youth.
Objectives: This thesis is in manuscript format. The objective of the first manuscript was to determine whether relationships between physical activity and physical activity injuries are modified by BMI status in Canadian youth. The objective of the second manuscript was to examine the effect of BMI status on the time to recovery within youth who have suffered an injury.
Methods:  Data were obtained from the 2006 and 2002 Canadian Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children (HBSC) surveys. The 2006 Canadian HBSC was a nationally representative survey of 9672 youth in grades 6 through 10 from across Canada. The 2002 Canadian HBSC was an analogous survey of 7235 youth, of which approximately 50% experienced a medically treated injury. Analyses were driven by theory, and considered relationships among the major variables.
Results:  In manuscript 1, cross-sectional analyses indicated that those who reported high levels of physical activity experienced greater risks for physical activity injury in
comparison to those with low levels of activity. BMI status was not identified as an effect modifier in any analyses. In manuscript 2, recovery for youth who were obese and suffered a combined injury (broken bone and strain/sprain) were longer than recovery times for normal weight youth.  Times to recovery for obese youth were not significantly elevated for broken bones and sprain/strains.
Conclusions: Physical activity participation relates to injury experiences in a consistent manner across BMI groups. Special safety precautions are not justified for obese youth in physical activity programs.  BMI status was found to influence times for injury recovery.  These are important clinical results that demonstrate that obesity may have a role in the osteoarticular health of youth and should be considered as a factor in treatment plans.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Causal Uncertainty in Social Interactions: The Impact of Interpersonal Expectations and Uncertainty Reduction on Liking

contributor:
Jacobson, Jill A.
Psychology

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subject:
causal uncertainty
uncertainty reduction
interpersonal communication
social psychology

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Psychology) -- Queen's University, 2009-07-24 15:13:51.847

abstract:
High causally uncertain (CU) individuals experience lingering doubts about their ability to determine the causes of social events (Weary & Edwards, 1994). Furthermore, these people tend to perceive their interactions and conversational partners more negatively (Boucher & Jacobson, 2009). However, the reasons for these negative reactions remain unclear. Therefore, the purpose of the current set of studies was to explore two possible explanations for these reactions. Specifically, in three studies, I examined if insufficient uncertainty reduction or negative interpersonal expectations mediate the relationship between causal uncertainty and liking for a recent acquaintance. In Study 1 (N = 114), participants engaged in a brief unstructured dyadic conversation, whereas in Study 2 (N = 176), they engaged in three conversations with different partners. Finally, in Study 3 (N = 220), I examined the effects of temporarily activating causal uncertainty beliefs during initial interactions.
As predicted, causal uncertainty was negatively associated with liking and uncertainty reduction. In Studies 1 and 2, high CU participants reported more uncertainty about themselves and their partner, and less liking than did low CU participants. Although chronic levels of causal uncertainty in Study 3 were not associated with liking or uncertainty reduction, participants who reported more current feelings of uncertainty also reported more uncertainty about themselves and their partner, and less liking. More importantly, uncertainty reduction fully mediated the effect of causal uncertainty on liking in Study 1 and partially mediated the effect of current uncertainty feelings on liking in Study 3. Therefore, high CU people’s negative social perceptions appear to stem, at least in part, from an inability to reduce their social uncertainty during initial interactions.
	In contrast, the relationship between causal uncertainty and interpersonal expectations remains unclear. Although causal uncertainty (as well as current uncertainty feelings) in Studies 1 and 3 were not associated with negative interpersonal expectations, high CU participants in Study 2 did report more negative expectations for their first conversation relative to low CU participants. Furthermore, although causal uncertainty was positively related to rejection sensitivity, rejection sensitivity was unable to account for the causal uncertainty effects on liking.

abstract: PhD


title: Personal Information Environment: A Framework for Managing Personal Files across a Set of Devices

contributor:
Martin, Patrick
Computing

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subject:
Personal Information Environment
Data Recharging
Data Replication
Data Transmission

abstract: Thesis (Master, Computing) -- Queen's University, 2009-08-06 00:18:00.19

abstract:
The advancement in computing in the last three decades has introduced many devices in our daily lives including personal computers, laptops, cellular devices and many more. The data we need for our processing needs is scattered among these devices. The availability of all the scattered data in the devices in use associated to an individual user as one is achieved in a Personal Information Environment. Data recharging is a technique used to achieve a Personal Information Environment for an individual user using data replication.

In this thesis, we propose a data recharging scheme for an individual user’s Personal Information Environment. We study the data availability to a user by conducting a simulation using the data recharging algorithm. This data recharging approach is achieved by using master-slave data replication technique.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Effects of Apolipoprotein(a) on Vascular Endothelial Cell Function: Insights Into Possible Physiological and/or Pathological Roles for Lipoprotein(a)

contributor:
Koschinsky, Marlys
Biochemistry

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subject:
Apolipoprotein(a)
Endothelial Cell
Angiogenesis
Signaling
Lipoprotein(a)
Integrin

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Biochemistry) -- Queen's University, 2009-09-25 18:29:47.106

abstract: Numerous studies have identified that elevated plasma concentrations of lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] are an emerging risk factor for a variety of atherothrombotic disorders. Apolipoprotein(a) [apo(a)], the unique glycoprotein component of Lp(a), consists of tandem repeats of a plasminogen kringle (K) IV-like domain, followed by sequences homologous to the plasminogen KV and protease domains. Apo(a)/Lp(a) has been consistently shown to regulate endothelial function and inhibit plasminogen activation. In the present study, we have demonstrated that apo(a), signaling via integrin alphaVbeta3, is the functional unit in Lp(a) to stimulate in vitro endothelial cell (EC) proliferation and migration, and activate focal adhesion kinase (FAK) and mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) in cultured ECs. Both apo(a) and Lp(a) have also been shown to reduce the levels of active and total transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta in cultured EC medium in an integrin alphaVbeta3–dependent manner. Despite the stimulatory effects of apo(a) on EC proliferation and migration, we have further confirmed an inhibitory effect of apo(a) on EC in vitro angiogenesis using a fibrin gel tube formation assay. We have provided evidence proving apo(a) inhibits angiogenesis through inhibition of plasminogen activation, and this inhibitory effect is dependent on the presence of apo(a) KV domain. Lastly, apo(a) is shown to reduce the protein levels of annexin A2 and S100A10 in ECs, which implies another potential mechanism by which apo(a)/Lp(a) could impair plasminogen activation on cell surface. In summary, we have discovered the first complete outside-in signaling pathway elicited by apo(a)/Lp(a) in ECs and have built up a connection between the ability of apo(a) to inhibit plasminogen activation and its inhibition of angiogenesis.

abstract: PhD


title: Domain Boundaries of the 5x5 DAS Reconstruction

subject:
Surface Science
Domain Boundaries
Semiconductor Reconstructions
Nanoscale Patterning

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Physics, Engineering Physics and Astronomy) -- Queen's University, 2009-07-29 08:50:16.874

abstract:
Steps on surfaces have long been explored for their own sake, and exploited as growth
mediators. However, another type of linear surface defect - the domain boundary - has been largely neglected. Here we introduce domain boundaries of the 5x5 dimer-adatom-stacking fault reconstruction, explore their properties and demonstrate that they too can be used to mediate growth in a useful manner.

When a thin layer of Ge is grown on Si(111) lattice strain induces the overlayer to reconstruct as Ge5x5.  Using solid phase epitaxy, many domains of 5x5 can be grown.  The domain interiors have excellent order, and with careful annealing, the boundaries that separate them are straight and uniform. Well-ordered boundaries propagate along the two high symmetry directions <1 -1> or <1 1> and are called A-type or B-type respectively. Boundaries of the second type are unique to Ge5x5. Registration with the substrate restricts the misfit between domains to discrete possibilities which are labeled according to a modified version of the system used for domain boundaries of Si(111)7x7.  The distribution of observed boundary types is strongly peaked and reﬂects the relative energies of boundaries of different character. The expanded labeling scheme can be used to sketch the kinetic processes which lead to the distribution peaks. The dominant boundary by far is the one known as B[-2 2], which accounts for almost half of all observed boundaries.  The atomic structure for this type of boundary has been established as a truncated 7x7 unit cell. Thus, these boundaries are linear arrays of quasi-7x7 embedded in a sea of 5x5.

On the Si(111)7x7 surface the Group 13 elements, when deposited at sub-ML coverages and low temperatures, form magic clusters.  The perfect uniformity and precise registration that earns them the moniker ‘magic’ make these clusters unusual among self-organized atomic scale objects. The clusters that form on 5x5 lack the uniformity of their counterparts on 7x7. However, with many domains, deposited In or Ga segregate to the quasi-7x7 B[-2 2] boundaries and there form magic clusters. The boundary thus acts as a template for growing straight lines of precisely spaced, atomically identical, nanoscale clusters.

abstract: Work is to be published.

abstract: PhD


title: Towards a Relational and Dynamic Perspective of Leadership

contributor:
Barling, Julian
Management

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subject: Followership Leadership

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Management) -- Queen's University, 2009-08-05 17:20:43.173

abstract:
This dissertation is composed of three manuscripts, all of which focus on the role of followers in leadership.  Manuscript 1 investigates followers’ preferences for leader characteristics.  Guided by social identity theory and the similarity-attraction paradigm, followers’ preferences were examined using a vignette-type approach.  The results show that follower self-worth moderated the relationship between leader-follower similarity and follower preference for leader characteristics.  Under conditions of low self-worth, followers preferred leaders whose characteristics were opposite from their own; conversely, under conditions of high self-worth, followers preferred leaders whose characteristics were similar to their own.  Despite the importance of leaders, attention is drawn towards followers’ cognitions about themselves.
	Manuscript 2 argues that followers are equal exchange partners with their leaders, thus actively contributing to the nature of their relationships with their leader.  Consistent with social exchange theory, there was a significant relationship between followers’ pro-social behaviors associated with secure attachment style and conscientiousness and leaders’ pro-social behaviors such as helping and trust.  In addition, anti-social follower behaviors begat anti-social leader behaviors; followers’ fearful attachment style predicted abusive supervisory behaviors.  These findings contrast leader-centric notions, and they emphasize that followers can participate in determining the nature of their relationships with leaders.
	Manuscript 3 evaluates bidirectional influence between leaders and followers on three work values: humanistic beliefs, organizational beliefs, and work ethic.  Although there was no support for upward influence, the short-term nature of the study may have limited the opportunity for sequential bidirectional influence to occur.  There was, however, a significant downward influence upon followers’ organizational beliefs.  These results suggest that leader influence may be particularly effective, or followers may be particularly vulnerable to leader influence on some dimensions (e.g., the importance of the collective) versus others (e.g., individualism at work, and the extent to which work fulfills people).
	Finally, in the general discussion, directions for future research are discussed.

abstract: PhD


title: The Effects of Alternative Joint Models in the Study of Lower-Limb Joint Moments in Knee Osteoarthritis

contributor:
Deluzio, Kevin J.
Mechanical and Materials Engineering

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subject: Biomechanics Osteoarthritis Gait Model

abstract: Thesis (Master, Mechanical and Materials Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2009-07-29 14:08:56.683

abstract:
Knee osteoarthritis is a disease that affects nearly 40% of the global population over the age of seventy.  It is believed that the incidence and progression of osteoarthritis can be partially attributed to changes in mechanical joint loading.  Consequently, changes in lower-limb joint moments are important outcome measures for its treatment and prevention.   The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of four different anatomic joint models on the detection of changes in lower-limb joint moments due to knee osteoarthritis.

Moments during gait were calculated for 44 subjects with moderate osteoarthritis and 44 asymptomatic subjects, then expressed using four joint models: Joint Coordinate System, Plane of Progression, Distal, and Proximal.  Discrete peak measures and principal component scores were compared between groups.

Hip adduction magnitude, knee adduction magnitude, peak early-stance knee internal rotation, and peak ankle plantarflexion moments were different between groups regardless of joint model.  Differences detected using principal component analysis were less sensitive to the choice of joint model. Results support adoption of the Joint Coordinate System as a standard for joint moment expression due to its clinical relevance and ability to detect differences due to moderate knee osteoarthritis.

abstract: M.A.Sc.


title: Brace Yourself: Reducing Medial Knee Loading for Treatment of Osteoarthritis

subject:
Knee Contact
OpenSim
Osteoarthritis
Musculoskeletal Model
Static Optimization
Knee Brace

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Mechanical and Materials Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2015-01-23 14:17:16.834

abstract:
Compared with healthy controls, subjects with medial knee osteoarthritis walk using similar kinematics but greater activation of knee-spanning muscles, especially on the lateral side of the knee (furthest from centerline of the body).  Although muscle forces generally compress the knee joint, it had been speculated that this specific activation pattern actually reduces compressive loads across the medial (closest to centerline) side of the knee where osteoarthritis is most common.  It is not feasible to measure intra-articular contact forces in biological human knee joints.  Therefore, a musculoskeletal simulation was developed to estimate the effect of elevated activation on knee contact forces.
A generic musculoskeletal model was adapted to account for subject-specific frontal-plane alignment of the knee joint, and modified to isolate the medial and lateral components of the compressive knee contact load.   The model’s predictions were validated using in vivo data obtained from a subject with an instrumented knee prosthesis.  Subsequently, the model was used to demonstrate that elevated muscle activation, as found in osteoarthritis subjects, does not protect against harmful medial loads, but actually contribute to an increase in peak load shortly after heel-strike.  Since osteoarthritis subjects did not appear to adopt a protective gait pattern, the second half of the dissertation was devoted to the evaluation of a clinical device that is known to reduce medial loads during gait: the knee unloader brace.
To accomplish medial unloading, braces apply a frontal plane abduction moment to the knee which, if large enough, would pry open the medial contact surfaces.  A novel method was developed to non-invasively compute the abduction moment applied by the brace to each subject’s leg using a mechanical stiffness calibration.  The computed brace moment was incorporated into the musculoskeletal model in order to quantify relative contributions of muscle forces, inverse dynamic joint loads, and the applied brace load in reducing medial contact forces for treatment of medial knee osteoarthritis.  The model revealed that kinematic, muscular, and inverse dynamic changes were dominated by the large applied brace moment.  The medial unloading effect of knee braces could be enhanced by reducing external and muscle forces through gait modification.

abstract: PhD


title: Theoretical and experiential perspectives on facilitating evidence-based practice in nursing: toward a conceptual framework

contributor:
Harrison, Margaret B.
Nursing

subject:
Nursing
Evidence-Based Practice
Facilitation

abstract: Thesis (Master, Nursing) -- Queen's University, 2009-07-30 15:13:59.116

abstract:
The Issue: The integration of evidence into practice is a complex process. Facilitation is a strategy that may assist practitioners with enhancing evidence uptake in nursing practice. However, the concept is not well understood from a front-line nursing perspective.

Thesis Objectives: To describe facilitation in moving evidence into nursing practice and determine the nature of the facilitator role and the process of facilitation in theory and from actual experience to develop a conceptual framework to guide practitioners.

Methods: A descriptive design utilizing mixed methods was employed:  1) Focused review of the literature that synthesized the current state of knowledge on facilitation as role and process in the implementation of evidence-based practice (EBP) in nursing. 2) Case audit and focus group interview with facilitators of cases involved in adapting guidelines and planning for implementation.
A provisional framework was developed based on the literature review which guided the case audit and focus group interview. The data from the literature was integrated with data from those actively involved in facilitation to refine the framework.

Results:
Focused literature review: A final set of 39 papers were identified. Facilitation is described as supporting and enabling practitioners to improve practice through evidence implementation. Certain aspects of the role and the strategies being employed to promote change are evident. Current literature reveals that facilitation is viewed as an individual role as well as a process involving individuals and groups.

Case audit and focus group interview: Forty-six discrete, practical facilitation activities discovered in the literature were in large part found as occurring within the cases. An additional 5 new, distinct activities related to facilitation were found in the case documentation. Findings suggest that facilitation is a multifaceted process and a team effort. Communication and relationship-building are key elements.

Conclusion: The transparency and detail displayed in the revised framework may contribute to systematically developing, implementing, and testing facilitation interventions in nursing contexts. Facilitation is clearly an important strategy to advance EBP and the improved understanding of facilitation offered in this thesis provides a guiding framework for future investigations of evidence implementation where facilitation is a key element.

abstract: For a manuscript submission to be prepared and submitted for review

abstract: MNSc.


title: Low Temperature Cleavage Fracture of Microalloyed Bainitic Plate Steels

contributor:
Boyd, Doug
Mechanical and Materials Engineering

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subject:
Bainite
Cleavage
Electron Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD)
Linepipe
Microalloyed Steel
Brittle Toughness
Low Temperature
Conventional Bainite
Acicular Ferrite
Austenite
Accerelated Cooling
Rolling Strain
Plate Steel
Thermomechanical Processing

abstract: Thesis (Master, Mechanical and Materials Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2009-07-30 19:17:01.25

abstract:
Low temperature cleavage fracture behaviour was investigated using four experimental microalloyed bainitic plate steels. The four plate samples were produced by different thermomechanical processing (TMP) schedules and had yield strengths in the range 540 - 670 MPa.
Microstructures were characterized by optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and electron back scattered diffraction (EBSD). Quantitative data was obtained for prior austenite grain (PAG) size, volume fractions of two bainite types (conventional bainite and acicular ferrite) and EBSD 15° domain size. Charpy impact tests (using two notch orientations) were carried out over a range of temperatures. Cleavage facet sizes were measured on -196°C Charpy samples.
The range of TMP schedules produced variations in PAG width, type of bainite and 15° domain size. The effects of these three microstructural features on cleavage crack propagation are discussed. Results indicate that the microstructures are controlled by i) deformation below TNR and ii) accelerated cooling rate. Domain structure reflects TMP. There is no clear correlation between domain size and cleavage facet size.

abstract: M.A.Sc.


title: Minimal Presentations of Sofic Shifts and Properties of Periodic-Finite-Type Shifts

contributor:
Kashyap, Navin
Mathematics and Statistics

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subject:
sofic shift
periodic-finite-type shift
shannon cover
shift of finite type
periods
zeta function

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Mathematics & Statistics) -- Queen's University, 2009-08-08 14:08:36.876

abstract:
Constrained codes have been used in data storage systems, such as magnetic tapes,
CD’s and DVD’s, in order to reduce the likelihood of errors by predictable noise.
The study of constrained codes is based on the study of sofic shifts, which are sets of
bi-infinite sequences that can be presented using labeled directed graphs called presentations. In this thesis, we will primarily focus on two classes of sofic shifts, namely shifts of finite type (SFT’s) and periodic-finite-type shifts (PFT’s), and examine their properties.

We first consider Shannon covers of sofic shifts. A Shannon cover of a sofic shift
is a deterministic presentation with the smallest number of vertices among all deterministic presentations of the shift. Indeed, a Shannon cover is used as a canonical presentation of a sofic shift, and furthermore, it is used when computing the capacity of the shift or when constructing a finite-state encoder. We follow an algorithm by Crochemore, Mignosi and Restivo which constructs a deterministic presentation of
an SFT and we see how to derive a Shannon cover from the presentation under their
algorithm. Furthermore, as a method to determine whether a given deterministic
presentation is a Shannon cover of a sofic shift, we will provide, based on research by
Jonoska, a sufficient condition for a given presentation to have the smallest number
of vertices among all presentations of the shift.

We then move our focus towards PFT’s, and investigate new properties of PFT’s from various perspectives. We define three types of periods that can be associated with a PFT and do pairwise comparisons between them. Also, we consider the zeta function of a PFT, which is a generating function for the number of periodic sequences in the PFT, and present a simple formula to compute the zeta function of a PFT.

abstract: PhD


title: Effects of Ammonia on Growth and Metabolism in Tilapia, Oreochromis Niloticus

contributor:
Tufts, Bruce L.
Biology

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subject:
Tilapia
Ammonia
Aquaculture
Growth
Metabolism
Oxygen Consumption
Ammonium
Total Ammonia

abstract: Thesis (Master, Biology) -- Queen's University, 2009-08-04 11:33:48.94

abstract:
Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) is an important species in the expansion of aquaculture, which supplements strained natural fish stocks worldwide. Although nitrogen accumulation in aquaculture has been documented as hazardous, recent studies have highlighted its potential to positively affect fish growth. The current study investigates the growth and oxygen consumption of juvenile Nile tilapia exposed to high (sub-lethal) and low levels of total water ammonia (TAmm).
	The first series of experiments aimed to determine the effects of high TAmm toxicity on indicators of metabolic rate and whole-body growth. Results of non-acclimation exposures to ammonia suggest that high levels of TAmm (1000, 2000 and 4000 μM) negatively affect oxygen consumption and ventilation rates, with reduced respiratory efficiency at 4000 μM. This effect on oxygen consumption was not present after a 48hr acclimation period to TAmm concentrations. Tilapia grown under the TAmm treatment conditions had significantly reduced weight and length after 84 days at concentrations of 2000 and 4000 μM.
	The second series of experiments investigated metabolic rate and growth under conditions of low-level TAmm (75, 150, 300, 600, 1200 and 2400 μM) to determine potential positive effects on growth. The results of these experiments indicated that oxygen consumption was reduced in non-acclimated fish at concentrations of 75, 150 and 300 μM, which were therefore examined in subsequent growth experiments. This oxygen consumption reduction was not present after 48hrs of ammonia acclimation. Tilapia grown at low TAmm (≤300 μM) did not exhibit significant differences in weight, length, condition factor or specific growth rate within the 56-day experiment.
	This study demonstrates that high levels of TAmm significantly impair tilapia whole-body growth. Furthermore, low levels of TAmm (≤300 μM) do not appear to affect growth. In both series, an initial reduction in metabolic rate was noted in non-acclimated fish, but was not present after 48hr TAmm acclimation. While fish “recovered” from initial effects of high TAmm on oxygen consumption and ventilation, significant negative effects on growth were noted. This study suggests that tilapia adapt to the initial effects of TAmm through a process that, at high levels, is energetically costly and compromises growth.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Cooperative Diversity in Wireless Transmission: Multi-hop Amplify-and-Forward Relay Systems

contributor:
Kim, Il-Min
Electrical and Computer Engineering

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subject:
Cooperative diversity
Multi-hop
Amplify-and-Forward
Relay Systems

abstract: Thesis (Master, Electrical & Computer Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2009-08-04 12:02:41.495

abstract:
A multi-hop, amplify-and-forward (AF), cooperative diversity system with K relays
is studied. An accurate approximate expression for the symbol-error-rate (SER) is
derived for the multi-hop system. Also, a lower bound for the outage probability of the
system, that is tight throughout nearly the entire signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) range,
is presented. Neither an SER expression nor an outage probability expression had
previously been reported in the literature for the multi-hop system. To assist in the
derivation of the SER expression, the cumulative density function (CDF), probability
density function (PDF), and moment generating function (MGF) are found for the
random variable (RV), Z = X Y / (X + Y + c), where X and Y are RVs which have
PDFs that are sums of terms of the form x^n exp(-b x). It is shown that with the CDF,
PDF, and MGF of this type of RV, it is possible to derive an expression for the SER
of the multi-hop system for several important scenarios with respect to what type
of fading is present in the channels of the system. To assist in the derivation of the
lower bound of the outage probability, the CDF is found for an interesting new RV,
presented in a recursive formula, that is used to represent the upper bound of the
instantaneous end-to-end SNR of the multi-hop system. These mathematical results
are useful beyond the scope of the multi-hop system researched in this thesis. Also,
many of the results found in this thesis for the previously-scarcely-studied multi-
hop sytem are shown to be generalizations of results that had been found for the
previously-often-studied two-hop, AF, cooperative diversity system with K relays.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Enabling Healthier Living through Group Empowerment: A Critical Ethnographic Study of Adolescents with Disabilities in the Urban Slums of North India

contributor:
Paterson, Margo
Medves, Jennifer M.
Rehabilitation Science

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subject:
Adolescents with Disabilities
Empowerment
Community-Based Rehabilitation
International Health
Occupational Therapy
Critical Ethnography

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Rehabilitation Science) -- Queen's University, 2009-08-05 15:30:32.786

abstract:
Given the importance placed on participation and empowerment in global health initiatives, the perspective of young people with disabilities has emerged as a vital field of study.  This critical ethnographic study gained insight into the perspectives of adolescents with disabilities aged 12 to 18 years who were affiliated with a community-based rehabilitation program in the urban slums of North India.  The purpose of this research was to highlight the collective voices of adolescents with disabilities about their rehabilitation challenges, to explore how the culture influenced the rehabilitation challenges faced by adolescents, and to support collaborative work among adolescents with and without disabilities that would inform organizational activities.  Fieldwork was conducted from January to May 2005 and October 2006 to March 2007 with 21 adolescents with disabilities, 11 adolescents without disability, and 10 community-based rehabilitation team members.  Multiple data collection methods were utilized to ensure that participants could comfortably express their views.

A conceptual framework called the ‘Adolescent Group Empowerment Pyramid’ was developed that illustrates one process for empowering adolescents with disabilities and their peers without disabilities within a community setting.  Group empowerment involves adolescents with disabilities working towards assuming greater ownership over their rehabilitation while collaborating with their peers.  The ‘group’ concept provided the foundation for the framework because adolescents viewed the group setting as enjoyable and effective.  Three areas associated with meaningful group empowerment included: group participation, group demonstration, and group recognition.  Three external support factors and ten areas for nurturing the group empowerment process are also described.

Participants promoted a more liberal approach to empowering adolescents that embraced the notion of collaboration (rather than competition), interdependence (rather than independence), shared benefits (rather than individual gain), and the interaction of community groups.  This approach promotes a harmonious balance between empowerment and the community, rather than an aggressive approach to gaining power over or from other marginalized individuals.  Group empowerment, achieved through enabling group-centered occupations, encourages adolescents to collectively work for social and occupational justice.  To ensure the sustainability of community-based rehabilitation initiatives, programs must be aware of personally meaningful factors that empower and maintain the interest of the target population.

abstract: I would like to publish the results from my research prior to my thesis being publicly accessible.  Thanks.

abstract: PhD