title: Development and Design of BrailleBunny: a Device for Braille Literacy Education

contributor:
Davies, T. Claire
Pinder, Shane
Mechanical and Materials Engineering

subject:
Braille
Literacy
Education
Assistive Technology
Technology
Blindness
Visual Impairment
Communication
Aid
Co-Design
Parallel Design
Iterative Design
Reading
Writing
Learning
Electronic Aids to Daily Living
Usability
Training
Technology Application
Children
Educational Aspects
Disability
Special Education
Students
Developing Countries
Developing Nations
Youth
Device
Teaching
Instruction

abstract:
Braille is crucial for social and economic opportunity and has been linked to higher rates of employment, education, financial self-sufficiency, and self-esteem. Braille literacy is decreasing, and the National Federation of the Blind has declared a braille literacy crisis. One area of the world particularly impacted by braille illiteracy is the Philippines. In 2016, Digital Learning for Development and All Children Reading released a “Grand Challenge for Development” that challenged researchers to address the need for assistive technologies to help children with sensory disabilities learn to read in the Philippines.
The work of this thesis aimed to address the need for a device that helps children in the Philippines learn to read braille. A comprehensive set of ideal design criteria for a device for braille literacy education in the Philippines was developed. A parallel, iterative, and co-design process was undertaken to develop a prototypical device, BrailleBunny. The extent to which the device fulfilled the design criteria developed, and directions for future development were determined through a series of case studies with end-users.
The results of this thesis highlight that a device for braille literacy education in the Philippines should promote transferable braille literacy skills including writing with a slate and stylus, provide real time auditory and tactile feedback, be accessible, durable and reliable, safe, easily and independently operable, and enable co-play and cooperative learning. To entice students to use the device, it should be engaging, motivational, and portable. The device achieved all criteria with the exception of being accessible, durable and reliable, and enabling co- play or cooperative learning. Directions for future development to further meet all criteria are presented.
The design criteria developed, and suggestions for improvement provide important insight for designers developing devices for braille literacy education.

abstract: M.A.Sc.


title: Assessing the use of Viviparus georgianus snails as a means for biomanipulation of cyanobacterial species Microcystis aeruginosa

contributor:
Lefebvre, Daniel
Wang, Yuxiang
Biology

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

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

rights: Intellectual Property Guidelines at Queen's University

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

subject: biology biomanipulation gastropod cyanobacteria microcystis toxin freshwater remediation

abstract: Cyanobacterial blooms can produce toxins which can be fatal to organisms, including humans. Biomanipulation of cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (CHABs) aims to proactively prevent their formation by maintaining continuous foraging pressure on cyanobacterial populations by increasing the number of some selected foraging organisms in the affected water body. Previous successful cases are limited to small scale operations, and organisms have included only herbivorous fish and zooplankton. Freshwater gastropods are diverse and abundant, and can be used in biomanipulation because they are easily collected and transported. Specifically, the freshwater snail species Viviparus georgianus has demonstrated filter-feeding characteristics and can live at high densities in eutrophic lakes. The aim of this thesis is to assess the potential use of this snail species as a potential means for biomanipulation of the cyanobacterial species Microcystis aeruginosa. We assessed this by using chlorophyll a (chl-a) as a measure for cyanobacteria in the upper and lower water columns of an ex-situ microcosm experimental system with and without the presence of snails, over an approximate 9-day time period. Our results demonstrated that in a clearwater system, the snails were unable to reduce the amount of chl-a present by ingestion. However, with the addition of silt and clay at varying turbidity levels, greater elimination of chl-a by snail ingestion was observed. Specifically, the addition of clay provided the most promising results. Overall, it was concluded that V. georgianus is able to eliminate Microcystis cells through ingestion, under specific conditions. Therefore, the application of this potential CHABs control method would have to be used in combination with the addition of sediment (silt or clay), or in a habitat that already has the minimal required amount of sediment present for successful results.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Ultrafast Dynamics in Single Layer Molybdenum Disulfide

contributor: Physics, Engineering Physics and Astronomy

subject:
Molybdenum disulfide
MoS2
Ultrafast dynamics
Single layer
monolayer
2D Materials
Exciton Dynamics

abstract:
Molybdenum disulfide, a transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD), has a direct band gap of 1.89 eV when thinned down to a single molecular layer. Exciton recombination pathways and lifetimes have been previously studied, but a consensus has not yet been reached on the physical origins of the reported lifetimes, which range from 2 ps to 10 ns.

We study the excitonic properties of a particular TMD, MoS2. We conduct photoluminescence experiments to characterize the number of layers in our samples, and understand their exciton recombination pathways. We observe PL that is non-linearly dependent on pump fluence, which we attribute to exciton-exciton annihilations. We use a technique that is novel to single layer TMDs, femtosecond excitation correlation spectroscopy (FEC), which exploits the non-linear pump-power dependence. With FEC, we extract exciton-exciton annihilation rates in the high exciton density regime, and a decay rate for lower density regimes. We obtain a low density decay rate of Γ = 0.18 ± 0:02 1/ps, and an exciton-exciton annihilation rate of Γₙₗ = 2.4 ± 0.4 nm²/ps.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Evolving High Arctic Landscapes: A Fluvial Geomorphic Perspective

contributor:
Lamoureux, Scott
Orwin, John
Geography and Planning

subject:
High Arctic
Hydrology
Water Quality
Carbon
Permafrost Disturbance

abstract:
Recent climate warming and changing precipitation patterns have both thermally and physically disturbed permafrost watersheds across much of the Arctic, increasing the mobility of dissolved and particulate material from terrestrial to aquatic environments. The overarching objective of this research was to determine the spatial and temporal scale of the impact permafrost disturbances, both thermal and physical, have on all of the major components of fluvial material fluxes. This research significantly expanded on long-term field observations (2003- 2017) at the Cape Bounty Arctic Watershed Observatory (CBAWO) in the Canadian High Arctic (~75 ºN).

Thermal disturbance (deep active layer thaw) significantly alters the export of dissolved ions at all spatial scales observed and fluxes remain elevated after a decade of observation, post-disturbance. Localized physical disturbances (active layer detachments: ALDs) were shown to change fluvial systems from dissolved to particulate dominated export in small, headwater-slope streams. Particulate fluxes respond immediately to and recover rapidly from localized ALDs, but remain elevated ten-years post physical-disturbance. Despite increased particulate erosion from small, headwater-slope streams, localized ALDs have not increased the downstream, watershed-scale flux of particulate material beyond an immediate, short-lived pulse at the outlet of both watersheds. This indicates that the impact of localized ALDs on particulate material fluxes does not spatially scale-up to the larger watersheds at the CBAWO, which is largely explained by: (1) the propensity toward net in-channel and extra-channel sediment storage along the main drainage network, (2) changing hydrometeorological conditions, and (3) limited contemporary fluvial energy to mobilize additional sediment in this setting.

This research has substantially advanced our understanding of how different types of permafrost disturbance alter the composition and magnitudes of fluvial fluxes in discernible ways that improve our understanding of changes to circum-Arctic environments. This thesis provides essential constraints on the temporal persistence of the impact of differing permafrost disturbances on fluvial systems. Results from this thesis will help inform coupled climate-terrestrial models and will help to spatially-scale the impact of permafrost changes on fluvial systems across the circum-Arctic.

abstract: PhD


title: Biosynthesis of Fluorinated Natural Product Nucleocidin

contributor:
Zechel, David
Chemistry

rights: Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United States

subject: Fluorinated Natural Product

abstract: Nucleocidin is a fluorinated adenosine analogue produced by Streptomyces calvus. It is one of only six known fluorinated natural products. The 4’-fluorine substituent on nucleocidin requires a unique two-step fluorination mechanism: C-H bond cleavage followed by stereospecific glycosylation of the fluoride ion. Although the gene cluster encoding for nucleocidin has been predicted, the fluorinase gene remains unknown. The biosynthetic gene cluster of nucleocidin has been successfully cloned into a phage P1 artificial chromosome library of the S. calvus genomic DNA, yielding six clones containing the predicted gene cluster. In this thesis, the plasmids containing the nucleocidin gene cluster and large flanking genomic sequences have been introduced into Streptomyces albus and Streptomyces lividans 1326 for the purpose of heterologous expression of nucleocidin. Identification of which clones possess the ability to produce nucleocidin coupled with genomic insert sequencing data has allowed the location of the fluorinase gene to be narrowed down to a ~35 kbp region of the Streptomyces calvus genome. On a second front, an amidinotransferase enzyme encoded by the nucN gene within the predicted nucleocidin gene cluster has been successfully purified, and an initial assessment of its function within the biosynthetic pathway has been conducted.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Analysis of Relaxed User Orthogonality for Wireless Multi-user MIMO Downlink Transmission

contributor:
Blostein, Steven
Electrical and Computer Engineering

subject:
Interference
Wireless
Relaxed orthogonality
Beta distribution
MIMO

abstract: Efficient resource allocation at the physical layer of wireless communication systems is closely linked to performance. Time and space are examples of such resources. In a densely-deployed multi-antenna, multi-user wireless downlink, finding a low-interference group of spatially distributed users in conjunction with spatial-domain multiple access beamforming represent techniques for efficient use of spatial resources. However, in practice, finding a perfectly orthogonal interference-free group of users to receive concurrent service is unlikely, thus wasting the transmission period or temporal resource. In this work, we set out to analyze the allocation of competing spatial and temporal resources in the context of the wireless downlink. The intention of this analysis is to investigate the orthogonality criteria that underpin many practical user selection algorithms. Deeper understanding of such criteria has potential for designing improved interference-mitigating algorithms in this sense, and in other related scenarios. A relaxed definition of orthogonality between users in group is investigated for practical amplitude and quadrature modulation schemes. Motivated by widely-linear processing techniques, new relaxed user orthogonality on the complex hyper-sphere illustrates temporal benefits and trade-offs associated with various system parameters. Beamforming and user selection are analyzed jointly for key scenarios of interest to gain insights into the interaction between these spatial resource management techniques. System throughput and reliability performance analysis is also developed, and applied to these scenarios to gain further insights.

abstract: M.A.Sc.


title: Development and Feasibility Trial of a Cognitive Behavioural Self-Management Program for Inflammatory Bowel Disease

contributor:
Tripp, Dean
Psychology

subject:
inflammatory bowel disease
cognitive behavioural therapy
psychotherapy
health psychology
group therapy

abstract:
Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) is a chronic illness marked by inflammation of the digestive system that is associated with physical and psychosocial symptoms. Psychotherapy interventions for IBD have yielded inconsistent results that could be contributed to by clinical and methodological limitations. Specifically, most studies did not include pre-screening for study inclusion, protocols were either not developed or not sufficiently described, and Randomized-Controlled Trial (RCT) designs were not implemented in many studies.
The primary aim of this dissertation was to develop an empirically supported psychotherapy intervention for IBD. Several objectives were completed to facilitate program development. First, mediators of the relationship between pain and Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) were examined using cross-sectional and longitudinal mediation models to identify intervention targets. In a cross-sectional mediation model, pain catastrophizing and illness-focused coping mediated the relationship between pain and HRQoL. In longitudinal models with pain at time 1, pain catastrophizing and illness-focused coping at time 2, and HRQoL at time 3, parallel mediation was not evident. However, there was a serial mediation effect. Pain predicted future pain catastrophizing, which predicted contemporaneous illness-focused coping, which then predicted future HRQoL. This suggests the importance of targeting these constructs during therapy in order to create long-term improvements in HRQoL.
The second objective was to develop a research-informed therapy program. This resulted in the selection of a CBT orientation, a group self-management modality, and a manualized protocol. In addition, pre-screening for anxiety, depression and HRQoL was implemented to ensure study participants had psychosocial symptoms of adequate severity to require psychotherapy. The third objective was to examine the usefulness and applicability of the program using with an advisory panel. IBD patients provided feedback on the therapy program and several changes were implemented based on suggestions that were consistent with the research literature.
The final objective was to conduct a feasibility trial of the program. Results indicated the program was effective for improving anxiety, depression, generalized catastrophizing, stigmatization, and shame. Long-term improvements at 3-months and 6-months post-therapy were evident for systemic HRQoL and a composite measure of anxiety and depression. The results led to considerations for future studies.

abstract: PhD


title: Applications of Mass Spectrometry in the Studies Concerning bldA Regulation of Natural Product Biosynthesis in Streptomyces sp.

contributor:
Zechel, David
Oleschuk, Richard
Chemistry

subject:
Natural Products
Mass Spectrometry
Biosynthesis
Proteomics
Genomics

abstract:
The Streptomyces are a genus of soil-dwelling Gram-positive bacteria that produce a variety of secondary metabolites; they have even been dubbed as ‘antibiotic factories’ as a typical genome can contain as many as 30 clusters of genes responsible for biosynthesis of metabolites.  Yet many of these compounds are not observed in laboratory cultures suggesting the products are locked by regulatory signals.  One unique regulatory mechanism present in these organisms, the bldA gene, depends on the translation TTA codons within the genome.  These codons are quite rare but are frequently found in other regulatory regions and in regions responsible for the biosynthesis of natural products.

This thesis applies mass spectrometry to explore changes in the whole proteome of Streptomyces calvus in response to the bldA gene.  S. calvus pTESa-bldA can undergo morphological differentiation and produces different secondary metabolites than the native strain.  Hypothesized to be due to the action of a TTA codon containing pleotropic regulator AdpA, we observed that AdpA is expressed in the wild type at the protein level.  Additionally, there was an increase in expression of other regulatory systems in reaction to bldA including the two-component system regulators controlling the phosphate management system and MtrAB system known to control cell division.  Both systems have been previously demonstrated to have an impact on secondary metabolism and morphological differentiation.

Furthermore, a combination of bioinformatics and high-resolution mass spectrometry were used to identify and guide purification of two natural products from Streptomyces curacoi in response to bldA.  A non-ribosomal peptide, curacomycin, and a ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptide, curacozole, both were isolated and characterized from S. curacoi pTESa-bldA.  Curacozole was produced with a high titre, 42 mg/L, that allowed for extensive antibacterial testing where it was found to be highly active against antibiotic resistant Gram-positive bacteria.  Lastly, custom electrospray emitters were fabricated with significant signal enhancement to aid mass spectrometric investigations of these biological systems.

abstract: PhD


title: Winning Friends and Influencing Others: Normative Balancing in the United Nations Security Council

contributor:
von Hlatky, Stéfanie
Political Studies

subject:
Balance of power
Great powers
Norms
Normative balancing
Power transition
Secondary powers
Soft power
United Nations Security Council

abstract: As the game of power politics plays on, scholars have another chance to identify other early warning indicators of a seismic shift. In this dissertation, I offer a soft power mechanism that helps us understand the process of how great power rivalry leads to systemic change, which I call normative balancing. Normative balancing is when states align with a competitor vis-à-vis its norms. Alignment happens when a state voluntarily agrees with the norms of another state or complies with those norms. The argument rests on three core claims. One, competing great powers endorse different norms. Two, secondary states align with the norms of one competitor and balance against another. And three, secondary state alignment increases a competitor’s soft power at the other competitor’s expense. To test my argument, I turn to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC): a microcosm of global politics and great power competition. In terms of data collection, I coded all vetoed draft resolutions and meeting records between 1961 and 2018, inclusive, and all non-unanimously passed and failed draft resolutions and meeting records between 1994 and 2018, inclusive, which sums to 546 primary source documents. My data reveals some interesting trends. China and the US (United States) endorse different UN norms at different times, much like the US and the Soviet Union (USSR) did during the Cold War. Through the endorsement of different norms, great powers identify themselves as alternatives. My analysis also reveals that secondary states use normative balancing in response to great power rivalry as a way to contribute to the systemic outcome of the competition. In the lead up to the end of the Cold War, Council member-states aligned with the US and engaged in normative balancing against the USSR. Since the turn of the millennium but most notably over the past five years, alignment with China has increased substantially. Following from that, I find that such alignment is giving way to a more equal distribution of power between China and the US in the context of the UNSC. In sum, this dissertation highlights the role of soft power in the system’s balance of power, the ability of secondary states to impact the structure of the system, and the possibility of a new leader to operate under an existing world order.

abstract: PhD


title: “Evolution Takes Love:” Tracing Some Themes of the Solarpunk Genre

contributor:
Wallace, Molly
English Language and Literature

subject:
Solarpunk
Literature
Social Ecology
Cyberpunk
Consumption
Posthuman

abstract:
This project aims at examining some of the core themes and concerns of Solarpunk, a newly emerging genre. Placing Solarpunk in contrast to one of its nearest literary predecessors, Cyberpunk, I work to unify the disparate definitions of the Solarpunk genre, while examining the ways in which it departs from its Cyberpunk roots while retaining a radical critical mode. By mapping and defining some of Solarpunk’s primary concerns in this way, this project aims to set the groundwork for additional critical work on the Solarpunk genre, providing a foundation from which other scholars may work.
Throughout the thesis I work primarily with the four English language Solarpunk anthologies, Solarpunk: Ecological and Fantastical Stories in a Sustainable World, Wings of Renewal: A Solarpunk Dragons Anthology, Sunvault: Stories of Solarpunk and Eco-Speculation, and Glass and Gardens: Solarpunk Summers.
In Chapter One, I examine the interrelationship of social ecology, technological progress, and social progress with questions of community and society, in order to demonstrate the ways in which Solarpunk promotes its ideal, social ecology inspired future.
In Chapter Two, I build on the generic interest in progress in order to examine Solarpunk’s optimistic treatment of the posthuman in relation to questions of physiological and capitalist consumption, and fears over the loss of humanity.

abstract: M.A.


title: The Dynamics of Quantum States of Light in Lossy Coupled-Cavity Systems

subject:
Coupled-cavity system
Nonclassical light
Squeezed state
Continuous variable entanglement
Coupled resonator optical waveguide

abstract:
Nonclassical states of light possess unique properties such as squeezing, antibunching, and entanglement,  which have led to various interesting applications in quantum computing, quantum teleportation, and quantum information. However, practical implementation of some of these potential applications are hindered due to our lack of insight into how to treat loss in the system. The inclusion of loss is very important, as it can in some cases largely destroy the nonclassical properties of the light.
The focus of this thesis is on squeezed states, as these are one of the most useful and important quantum states of light. First, I present a theoretical treatment of the nonclassical properties of squeezed states generated via parametric down conversion in a leaky cavity. By solving the Lindblad master equation for such a system, I analytically demonstrate that the exact time dependent solution is a squeezed thermal state. In addition, I examine the dynamics of generated nonclassical states of light in lossy coupled-cavity systems. I then apply the formalism developed to a coupled resonator optical waveguide structure and present the results for squeezed vacuum states. I next examine the coupled-cavity optical waveguide system as a platform to produce counterpropagating continuous variable entangled states. Using a tight-binding approximation, I develop analytic time-dependent expressions for the number of photons in each cavity, as well as for the correlation variance between the photons in different pairs of cavities. These expressions can be used to engineer the pumping configurations as well as the physical properties of the structure. Finally, employing a numerical singular value decomposition method, I show how the biphoton wave function can be Schmidt decomposed numerically, which together with the previously-developed analytic expressions provides a powerful computational platform. This is important as it can not only be used to check the validity of the approximations made in obtaining analytic expressions but can also be used to explore some interesting cases that were not possible to treat analytically.

abstract: PhD


title: A Smart Agent Framework for Personalized Service Composition

contributor:
Zou, Ying
Electrical and Computer Engineering

subject:
multi-agent framework
service composition
IoT services
deep learning
reinforcement learning
recommendation systems

abstract:
End-users face a massive amount of services when selecting and composing the desired services to meet their personal preferences. For example, people frequently use the Internet to perform on-line activities (e.g., on-line shopping and banking) and control their IoT devices (e.g., turning off home light). The ever increasing amounts of services available could be overwhelming to end-users. To relieve end-users' cognitive overloading when performing on-line activities, agents can be designed and developed to act autonomously on end-users' behalf.

However, the autonomous and cooperative natures of agents make it complex to design and implement by developers.
General speaking, developers face the following challenges to adopt agents for service composition: 1) difficult to program agents; 2) lack of domain knowledge to identify necessary tasks for composite services; and 3) lack of a standard interface to integrate various services (e.g., IoT devices) with web services by agents.

In this thesis, we present a smart agent framework that facilitates the design and implementation of agents for service composition. More specifically, our approach consists of 5 aspects: 1) we propose an easy-to-understand semi-natural language syntax that allows developers to specify the functionalities of agents; 2) we use natural language processing techniques and machine learning algorithms to identify service related tasks from on-line sources, e.g., on-line how-to instructions; 3) we propose an approach to transform functionalities of IoT devices to web services using the standard web service infrastructure; 4) we propose a deep learning based model (i.e., DeepCont) to predict end-users' ratings on services, using user reviews and service descriptions; and 5) we use a ranking algorithm (i.e., RankBoost) to automatically learn user preferences from the service usage history, and integrate the learned user preferences to recommend a collection of services for end-users. A series of case studies demonstrate that our approaches are effective to develop agents and recommend personalized services for end-users. Our approaches relieve the required efforts from developers to design agents for personalized service composition.

abstract: PhD


title: Exploring How Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners Practise Trauma-Informed Care

contributor:
Duhn, Lenora
Tranmer, Joan
Nursing

subject:
nursing
nurse
sexual assault nurse examiners
trauma
trauma informed care

abstract:
Sexual violence is an over-arching term describing sexual acts where consent is not freely given. Registered nurses employed as Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANEs) provide care to help address the medical and legal needs of victims/survivors of sexual violence. Trauma-informed care (TIC) is an organizational approach recommended in the care of individuals who have experienced trauma, however, little is known about how SANEs use TIC in their practice. The purpose of this study was to understand how SANEs incorporate trauma-informed approaches in the care of adult and post-pubescent adolescent victims/survivors of sexual violence in Ontario, Canada.
The research question was addressed with a qualitative interpretive description approach. Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners employed in Ontario were purposively recruited to participate in semi-structured interviews. Eight consenting participants completed interviews, which were recorded using online teleconferencing. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using qualitative data analysis as outlined by Miles, Huberman, and Saldana. The methods of enhancing the trustworthiness of the research included, for example, member checking and verbatim transcriptions, reflexivity activities, and frequent peer debriefing.
Six main themes emerged: (1) the importance of understanding the patient’s experience; (2) personalized connection: developing a safe nurse-patient relationship; (3) choice: the framework of how we do things; (4) re-building strengths and skills to support healing and post-traumatic growth; 5) a wonderful way to practise: facilitators and benefits of trauma-informed practice; and (6) challenges to trauma-informed practice. The main themes were expanded into sixteen sub-themes.
Overall, the findings help our understanding of how the principles of TIC are incorporated into the practise of a sample of SANEs. From the findings, four summary key points are discussed: (1) valuing trauma-informed care; (2) choice as a paramount priority; (3) the need for education and continuing competence; and (4) the realities and vicarious trauma. The results of this research indicate the need for support of providers who deliver TIC, and for education about TIC beginning in undergraduate curriculums. More research about this topic is warranted to strengthen the evidence base for trauma-informed practice in SANE programs and across health care settings.

abstract: MNSc.


title: Reading Beyond Irony: Exploring the Post-secular “End” of Postmodernism in David Foster Wallace

subject: David Foster Wallace

abstract:
David Foster Wallace’s self-described attempt to move past the “ends” of postmodernism has
made for much scholarly fodder, but the criticism that has resulted focuses on Wallace’s
supposed attempts to eschew irony while neglecting what else is at stake in thinking past these
“ends.” Looking at various texts across his oeuvre, I think about Wallace’s way “past”
postmodern irony through his engagement with what has come to be variously known as the
“postsecular.” Putting some of his work in conversation with postsecular thought and criticism,
then, I aim to provide a new context for thinking about the nature of Wallace’s relationship to
religion as well as to late postmodernism. My work builds on that of critics like John McClure,
who have challenged the established secular theoretical frameworks for postmodernism, and
argue that such post-secular interventions provide paradigmatic examples of the relationship
between postmodernism and post-secularism, where the latter, as an evolution or perhaps a
mutation of the former, signals postmodernism’s lateness—or at least its decline as a culturalhistorical
dominant. I also follow other Wallace critics in noting his spiritual and religious
preoccupations, building on some of the great work that has already been done to explore his
religious and post-secular leanings. Noting similarities between the post-secular perspective,
which admits that the role of religion in the postmodern (and beyond) must be reconsidered, and
a key function of irony, which is to create an ambiguous space of reflection and complexity, I
show that irony in Wallace’s work is a strategy not necessarily to undermine in order to ridicule
the spiritual or religious ideas his characters represent in these texts; but rather, because irony is
not only a dissembling tool but also a way of destabilizing meaning in the text, it serves to create
a constructive tension which opens up a tenuous middle position that ironists and post-secularists
always inhabit.

abstract: PhD


title: Fabrication and Optimization of Organic FET and Organic Electrolyte Gated FET Devices for Applications as Label-free Biosensors

contributor:
Morin, Evelyn
Prakash, Ravi
Electrical and Computer Engineering

subject:
Organic Devices
OEGFET
Biosensors
Biomolecule Quantification
OFET
Conductive Polymers
Flexible Substrates
Aptamers

abstract:
Organic Thin-Film Transistors are carbon-based semiconductor devices. Their simple fabrication makes them an ideal candidate for disposable, wearable technologies; an implementation being aptamer-based biosensors. This project produces organic semiconductor aptamer-based biosensors for quantifying biomolecules in synthetic samples mimicking bio-fluids.
There are two main effects in a field effect transistor; capacitance and resistance. The semiconductor between the source-drain electrodes is a transient resistor. Capacitance is created by voltage differences across the gate dielectric insulator. Charge buildup at the semiconductor-insulator interface induces a conducting channel through the semiconductor. Channel current can be increased by modulating the source-gate voltage until the current saturation point is reached. The transconductance, ratio of voltage to current change, is device-specific and based on resistance and capacitance.
Electrolyte media incorporated within the OFET framework as part of the gate dielectric permits label-free analyte sensing. The liquid-sample/solid-dielectric interface has an electric double layer capacitive effect that alters with biomolecule concentration change, causing the OFETs to experience transconductance change.
These sensor devices were fabricated using simple, low-temperature processes. The semiconductor and dielectric stacks were spun on the source-drain electrodes to form the bottom surface, and the top gate was an in-house designed conductive polymer bilayer with a thin PMMA layer then functionalized with aptamers, DNA oligomers that specifically interact with a certain biomolecule. This produces label-free sensors with highly correlated current modulation due to changes in device transconductance.
The characterized devices were used to create current vs concentration curves for biomolecule solutions of known concentration. The generated response curves were used to directly correlate device output current to biomolecule concentration.
The extensive material and processing optimization work conducted in the thesis yielded several performance outcomes comparable to high fabrication requirement OFETS, such as charge mobilities of ~ 0.1 – 0.2 cm2/V-s. The OFET on/off ratios is 1.3x104. The OEGFET device detects 1-2 orders of magnitude change in dosage with a limit of detection of 0.01 µM. An OFET device optimized with a novel dielectric stack demonstrated significant improvements in operating parameters and shelf life.

abstract: M.A.Sc.


title: On an Emerging Paradigm of Tepid Stars: Assessing the Magnetic Desert and the Magnetic Origin of Surprisingly Common Star Spots

subject:
astronomy
stars
magnetic fields

abstract: The past decade has seen several significant shifts in the field of stellar magnetism, particularly on the observational front. A new generation of dramatically more efficient, high-resolution spectropolarimetric instruments have enabled measurements of magnetic fields hosted by intermediate mass stars to be obtained with unprecedented precision. Moreover, the Kepler and TESS spacecraft have yielded optical light curves that are sensitive to flux variations on the order of parts per million. Both of these advancements have facilitated potentially paradigm shifting discoveries including (1) the emerging picture of a "magnetic dichotomy" in which the magnetic fields hosted by a small fraction of intermediate mass stars are either very prominent (B > 200 G) or ultra-weak (B < 1 G); and (2) that a large fraction of these tepid stars may not be as quiescent as previously believed, as demonstrated by the surprising detection of variability that is consistent with rotational modulation, which is interpreted to be a consequence of magnetic activity. In this thesis, I will present the results obtained from three related studies that have expanded upon these recent discoveries. The first study was designed to test the validity of the magnetic dichotomy and elaborate on properties of the "strong field" population of stars by carrying out a volume-limited survey of magnetic intermediate mass stars within 100 pc. The second study focuses on the unexpected result obtained using Kepler -- the widespread detection of rotationally modulated light curves of A- and B-type stars -- which suggests that a much larger fraction of intermediate mass stars than has previously been believed may be magnetic. The third study consists of a search for A-type stars that exhibit similar rotational modulation in their light curves obtained with the recently launched TESS spacecraft.

abstract: PhD


title: A Methodological Reconsideration of Early English-Indigenous Communication in Sixteenth Century Northeastern America

contributor:
Errington, Jane
History

subject:
early encounters
sixteenth century
explorers
indigenous peoples
north america
england
elizabethan
martin frobisher
john davis
roanoke
carolina algonquin
communication
miming
nonverbal communication
manual signs
interpreters
exploration
colonization
richard grenville
ralph lane
thomas hariot
meta incognita
south baffin inuit
greenland inuit
norse
northwest passage
first contact
intercultural contact
atlantic world
early americas
richard hakluyt
the principal navigations
explorer journals
expedition narratives
first peoples
Inuit
First Nations
Outer Banks of North Carolina
john white
arthur barlowe
pemisapan
granganimeo
wingina
manteo
wanchese

abstract:
In August 1576 five men serving the Elizabethan explorer Martin Frobisher disappeared following an Inuk guide at Baffin Island. Over the next two years the English tried various methods of communication with the Inuit – including miming, drawing, writing and kidnapping “interpreters” – but were unable to recover their lost men or even learn their fate. During this frustrating period English-Inuit relations deteriorated steadily from friendliness to bloodshed. Frobisher’s experiences with the South Baffin Inuit illustrate how limited communication could be between European explorers and Indigenous peoples during early contact and offer a unique glimpse at the mechanics of how this nonverbal communication functioned.

Despite its centrality to understanding early contact, studies specifically focused on the initial experiments with nonverbal communication are rare. Many historians gloss over the subject, assuming miming occurred and that little can be discerned about this process. However, a close reading of certain explorer narratives reveals descriptions of how these makeshift exchanges took place. These texts also indicate the types of assumptions made by communicators when creating and interpreting messages and the preconceived notions that produced such assumptions. This dissertation examines communication in three English ventures in sixteenth century Northeastern America: The Frobisher Encounters with the South Baffin Inuit (1576-8), The Davis Encounters with the Greenland Inuit (1585-7) and the Roanoke Encounters with the Carolina Algonquin (1584-7). This study will serve as a point of departure for researchers to consider the uncertainties surrounding early communication and the implications this has for both methodological approaches and traditional historiographical interpretations.

abstract: PhD


title: Model-Level Debugging in the Context of the Model-Driven Development

contributor:
Dingel, Juergen
Computing

subject:
Model-Driven Development
MDD
Model-Level Debugging
UML-RT
Debugging
Live Modeling
Partial Models
MDE

abstract:
Model-driven Development (MDD) is a software development approach that advocates using models rather than source code. MDD can decrease complexity by raising the level of abstraction, and increase productivity by automation, e.g., code generation.
Developers spend around 50% of their time on debugging and fixing bugs, and the cost of debugging, testing, and verification account for almost 50-75% of the software development budget. Existing MDD tools do not provide proper support for the debugging of models. Thus, developers often debug the generated source code in order to debug their models, which contradicts MDD principles, as many of the benefits of the abstraction are lost. This thesis introduces a novel approach to platform-independent model-level debugging, with the help of model transformation that equips the model with support for debugging services. The approach does not rely on program debuggers, and any changes to, e.g., the code generator or the hardware platform, leave the debugger unaffected. Based on the approach, a model-level debugger MDebugger is created that allows the debugging of UML-RT models.
The typically iterative and incremental nature of software development implies that many development artifacts are incomplete until later stages of development. None of the model-level debuggers, including MDebugger, allows the debugging of incomplete (i.e., partial) models, because the model execution techniques (interpretation and code generation) cannot execute partial models. This often prevents useful analyses that would allow the detection of design flaws and bugs early in the development process, when they are easiest to fix. We propose a conceptual framework to execute partial models. Based on the framework, an execution engine of partial models (PMExec) is developed that allows the debugging and execution of partial UML-RT models at any stage of the software development process, assuming that the structural models are defined and proper input is provided.
Finally, to keep pace with program debugging services, and optimize the PMExec and MDebugger we introduce a new approach for live modeling that allows the updating of model elements during the execution.

abstract: PhD


title: Investigating the Role of Camp-Signaling in the Regulation of Angiogenic Sprouting

contributor:
Maurice, Donald
Biomedical and Molecular Sciences

subject: Angiogenesis

abstract: Angiogenesis, the growth of blood vessels from pre-existing vascular structures, can contribute adaptively or mal-adaptively to a myriad of conditions, including ischemic heart disease and cancer. During angiogenic sprouting, vascular endothelial cells (ECs) either function as “tip cells”, which guide blood vessel lumen formation, or proliferative “stalk cells” that lengthen the newly forming vessel. While the molecular mechanisms that govern tip and stalk cell specification are well-established, the systems that regulate individual EC functions during sprouting remain poorly understood. Importantly, the cAMP second messenger system has been implicated in the regulation of angiogenesis; however, the role of individual cAMP effector proteins, and the involvement of distinct cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase (PDE) isoforms in controlling cAMP effector function during angiogenic sprouting, remain ill-defined. The studies presented in this thesis investigated the ability of the cAMP-signaling to regulate EC functions during angiogenic sprouting, Here, we identify a role for protein kinase A (PKA), but not exchange protein activated by cAMP (EPAC), as an intrinsic, negative regulator of EC sprouting both in vitro and ex vivo. At a cellular level, we demonstrate that constitutive PKA activity regulates EC sprouting by restricting podosome rosette biogenesis, proteolytic breakdown of the extracellular matrix (ECM), and the invasive capacity of vascular ECs. Upon investigating the molecular mechanisms through which PKA regulates EC sprouting function, we found that PKA reduces the level of active cdc42 by promoting its interaction with the regulatory inhibitor, Rho GDP-dissociation inhibitor α (RhoGDIα). Given that specificity of cAMP-signaling is achieved when PDEs act to locally control the “pool” of cAMP, which in turn activates a specific cAMP-effector protein, we investigated whether distinct PDEs were responsible for regulating PKA during angiogenic sprouting. We found that reduced expression of PDE3B or inhibition of PDE3 enzyme activity led to a corresponding increase in PKA activity, which markedly impaired EC sprouting. We further demonstrated that PDE3B and PKA interact within perinuclear regions of vascular ECs to regulate downstream cdc42 activity during EC sprouting. Overall, our work identifies a novel PDE3B-PKA signaling complex in vascular ECs and provides mechanistic insight into cAMP-dependent regulation of angiogenic sprouting.

abstract: PhD


title: The Circulating Factors and Tissue Mechanisms Associated With Vascular Calcification

contributor:
Adams, Michael
Holden, Rachel
Biomedical and Molecular Sciences

subject:
Vascular Calcification
Chronic Kidney Disease
Mineral and Bone Disorder
Phosphate
Sclerostin
DKK1
Vitamin D

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Reducing Diagnostic Uncertainty in First-Episode Psychosis: A Neuropsychological Approach to Differentiating between Cannabis-Induced and Primary Psychotic Disorders

contributor:
Bowie, Christopher
Psychology

subject:
first-episode psychosis
cannabis
schizophrenia
cannabis-induced psychosis
speech
cognition
eye movement

abstract:
Background: Cannabis use is highly comorbid with psychotic disorders, especially among young people experiencing their first episode of psychosis. The high rate of cannabis use in this population has led to uncertainty between diagnoses of cannabis-induced psychosis and primary psychosis, often with cannabis comorbidity (primary psychosis). The similarity of the clinical presentations of these disorders often renders them indistinguishable, creating difficulties in intervention and treatment. Attempts to identify differentiating features have been variable and narrow in scope, with a focus limited to self-report, patient history, and symptoms. Despite the abundance of research identifying cognitive deficits and abnormalities in eye movements and speech as core biological and neurological symptoms of primary psychotic disorders (e.g., schizophrenia), limited research has pursued such biomarkers as potential targets for differentiation in first-episode psychosis.
Purpose: The current study aimed to assess individuals diagnosed with either cannabis-induced or primary psychosis using cognitive, visual processing, eye movement, and speech tasks, which are each associated with well-recognized and specific deficits in primary psychotic disorders.
Method: Sixteen participants with cannabis-induced psychosis and twelve participants with primary psychosis were recruited in the Kingston, Ontario community. Cognitive performance, backward visual masking, pro- and anti-saccade eye movements, and semantic coherence were assessed for the first time in this population, alongside clinical symptoms, trauma, substance use, premorbid functioning, and illness insight.
Results. Relative to individuals with primary psychosis, individuals with cannabis-induced psychosis demonstrated significantly better performance on the pro-saccade task, a faster reaction time on both the pro- and anti-saccade task, more coherent speech, better premorbid adjustment, more cannabis use, and a higher degree of insight into their illness. The use of these variables in a discriminant analysis successfully classified cases with 88.5% accuracy.  The ability to reliably differentiate these disorders is crucial to early intervention and treatment in first-episode psychosis.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Ruin and Redemption: Losing and Regaining Honour in the  Canadian Officer Corps, 1914—1945

contributor:
English, Allan
History

subject:
court martial
crime and punishment
dismissal
First World War
honour
dishonour
masculinity
military culture
officers
Second World War

abstract: This dissertation is the first comprehensive study to trace the evolution of military dishonour and dismissal from an historical perspective in the Canadian armed forces during the First and Second World Wars. Using extensive general court martial records, archival documentation, and restricted personnel files, this study examines judicial sentences of cashiering and dismissal as well as administrative punishments used to deprive officers of their commissions for misconduct, inefficiency, and incompetence. An officer’s failure to follow the formally and informally enshrined rules and values recognized as honourable in military culture deprived him of the right to respect among peers and the right to command subordinates. As this thesis is concerned with the construction of the concepts of honour and dishonour within the officer corps of the Canadian army and air force, I analyze the complicated social, economic, medical, and cultural consequences of officers’ disgraceful termination from military service. Examining institutional responses to officers’ misconduct offers important insights into the espoused values, beliefs and practices prioritized in both military culture and in the wider society. Derived from a British military heritage the idealized form of martial masculinity was best exemplified by dual identity of a man as an officer and a gentleman. Within the martial justice context, examining the nature of officers’ crimes and misbehavior provides historians with the opportunity to explore the boundaries of acceptable forms of gentlemanliness. Perceptions of what exactly constituted ungentlemanly and scandalous conduct in the military exposed the contradictions that underpinned divergent codes of masculinity. The model officer and gentleman was at once expected to be restrained and dignified while also exhibiting aggressiveness and virility. Misbehaviour whether in the officers’ mess, in public settings before civilians or on the battlefield revealed how the social conventions and commitments fundamental to an officer’s identity often depended on a sense of honourableness that was not nearly as stable as government and military authorities preferred to believe.

abstract: PhD


title: Leveraging the Social Knowledge of Software Systems to Improve the Development Process

contributor:
Zou, Ying
Computing

subject:
Social knowledge
Software development process
Communication channels
Social networks
Data mining

abstract:
The software development process is steadily evolving into a collaborative, distributed, and knowledge-intensive venture. This evolution has led to growing demands towards supportive technologies and tools. These demands have been addressed using a spectrum of social and communication channels, that are continuously evolving and growing. As a result, a wealth of knowledge has emerged around the intensive use of the social and communication channels, and can potentially be leveraged to benefit the software development process.

 In this dissertation, we describe the empirical studies conducted to understand how mining the social knowledge of software systems can improve aspects of the development process. We look into three types of social knowledge: a) the crowdsourced feedback from the end-users, b) the organizational structure of the developers, and c) the developers' wisdom. We investigate the value of monitoring the end-users' feedback posted on non-developer oriented social media platforms, such as Twitter. Our findings demonstrate that the end-users feedback can possibly allow an earlier discovery of the bugs that are critical to a large user base. Next, we look into how the developers self-organize on social coding platforms, such as GitHub. We are able to identify the organizational structures that are associated to better project outcomes, such as faster merge time of code contributions. To learn from the wisdom of the developers, we perform user studies for two purposes. First, we focus on the mechanisms adopted for the informal communication of the developers, specifically the chat-based services. Our investigation highlights the affordances and impacts of such mechanisms, to allow for a more efficient and informed use of the chat-based services. Second, we ask the developers to reflect on their experiences using a set of communication channels. Results from the survey and from an associated quantitative analysis reveal interesting insights to guide the developers in setting up the communication flow of their projects. Overall, the research conducted in this dissertation highlights the value of accounting for the social aspects of the software development process, to improve the efficiency of the tasks and make informed decisions about the communication mechanisms used in the software projects.

abstract: PhD


title: Preparing Elementary Preservice Teachers to Integrate Information and Communications Technology in Teaching and Learning: Exploring the Intended, Enacted, and Experienced Curriculum

contributor:
Chin, Peter
Education

subject: Elementary Teacher Education

abstract: The goal of this case study was to understand and identify the supporting factors to prepare elementary preservice teachers to integrate information and communication technology (ICT) in teaching and learning. My interest in examining these factors lies within the context of the intended (what the University and/or Faculty of Education planned to do), enacted (what course instructors did to prepare and deliver their courses), and experienced (what preservice teachers reported that they learned) curriculum. Data were collected from 16 stakeholders associated with a Bachelor of Education program (primary/junior level) at a large Canadian university. Data collection included interviews with three participant groups (university administrators, course instructors, and elementary preservice teachers), researcher observations, and document analysis. The results of the qualitative analysis indicated that four key supporting factors for the integration of ICT in teaching and learning existed: Strategic curriculum, standardized technology, blended learning, and integrated learning. Findings further suggested that TPACK (Mishra & Koehler, 2006) might be envisioned as a prescriptive, rather than just a descriptive model, offering a preliminary look at effective processes to prepare preservice teachers. Finally, the results suggested that three key theoretical models: Ertmer’s (1999) First and Second Order Barriers to Technology Integration, Puentedura’s (2006, 2009) Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, and Redefinition (SAMR) framework, and Mishra and Koehler’s (2006) TPACK model, might be best used in conjunction with one another to effectively prepare preservice teachers to integrate ICT in teaching and learning. Theoretical and practical implications, as well as limitations associated with this case study are discussed.

abstract: PhD


title: Using Microfluidics to Study Magnetotactic Bacteria

contributor:
Davies, Peter
Amsden, Brian
Chemical Engineering

subject:
MICROFLUIDICS
MAGNETOTACTIC BACTERIA

abstract:
The purpose of this thesis was to investigate the swimming behavior of magnetotactic bacteria 1) in flow conditions and 2) in porous media; and further 3) to exploit their unique characteristics towards bio-actuation of small droplets. Bacteria are found in every habitable niche on Earth. In their planktonic lifestyle they often inhabit dynamic environments where their motility is influenced by flow and the proximity to different surfaces. Recently, considerable interest has been demonstrated in the use of bacteria to perform complex tasks, such as carrying cargo for targeted drug delivery.
Magnetotactic bacteria (MTB) found in both freshwater and marine environments can orient to, and swim along, the geomagnetic field lines, a behavior called magnetotaxis. While foraging in their native habitats, their ultimate swimming path originates from the competition between magnetotaxis and hydrodynamic influences related to flow and nearby surfaces. MTB have advantages over other bacteria as microbiorobots for controlled transport due to their motility and steerability. However, how MTB interact with complex environments in aquatic environments has remained poorly defined. Therefore, to better exploit the abilities of MTB for in vivo applications, understanding their behavior in relevant environments is crucial.
By using microfluidics and microscopy techniques, I have demonstrated in this thesis that magnetotaxis enables directed motion of Magnetospirillum magneticum over long distances in flow conditions relevant to both aquatic environments and biomedical applications. These MTB can overcome higher flow velocities when directed to swim perpendicular to the flow as compared to upstream. In addition, I showed that magnetotaxis enables MTB to migrate effectively through both homogenous and heterogeneous porous micromodels, interacting with obstacles and overcoming tortuous flow fields. These results bring new insight into MTB navigation in environments similar to their natural habitats, and their potential in vivo applications as microbiorobots. Lastly, I have presented a biologically-driven magnetic actuation of droplets on a superhydrophobic surface using MTB. With magnetotaxis for navigation, it is possible to harness MTB to transport microdroplets, thus suggesting their potential for lab-on-a-chip applications.

abstract: PhD


title: Lewis on the Construction of Worlds:  the Metaphysical, Epistemic and Practical Costs of Modal Realism

contributor:
Mercier, Adele
Philosophy

subject:
Modal Metaphysics
Philosophy
Modal Realism
David Lewis
Counterpart Theory

abstract: This thesis considers the metaphysics and logic of modalities. In the first section, I give a background to modal realism and present Lewis’ motivations for proposing such a view. In the second section, I explain what it means for a theory of modality to be ‘successfully reductive’, why a reduction of modality is important and why Lewis’ view is considered successfully reductive. In the third section, I explain Lewis’ commitments regarding trans-world individuals. In the fourth section, I explain Lewis’ views on impossibility. The final sections will be dedicated to clarifying Lewis’ metaphysical commitments towards the largest domain of possibility and working out their metaphysical, ontological and practical implications. To be clear, this thesis is not intended as a refutation of modal realism. Such a refutation is impossible. Lewis defends modal realism on the grounds of a cost benefit analysis. He believes that the benefits that come with accepting modal realism are enough to justify one’s belief in it. An empirical refutation is impossible because there is no way to verify or falsify the existence of Lewis’ plurality. Every possible world is spatiotemporally isolated from the actual world. Instead of attempting to refute modal realism, this thesis is intended to clarify the fundamental metaphysics of modal realism for the purpose of highlighting the fact that some metaphysical, epistemological and practical costs come with embracing modal realism. The costs I outline are aspects of modal realism that ought to be considered before embracing modal realism.

abstract: M.A.


title: Reconstruction of Heterogeneous Scattering Media

contributor:
Stewart, James
Rappaport, David
Computing

subject:
Reconstruction
Computer Graphics
Computer Vision
Optics
Physics
Simulation
Inverse Rendering
Computational Photography
Optimization
Scattering
Imaging

abstract: A scattering medium is a material in which light does not travel in straight paths. The light travels a certain distance, changes direction, and has a chance of being absorbed by the medium. Three coefficients and a phase function determine the behaviour of light in this medium. The primary contribution of this thesis is an algorithm to determine these material coefficients and phase functions in a heterogeneous medium from a series of measurements. These measurements are the position, direction, and intensity of light exiting the medium, measured for various positions and directions of light entering the medium. Other contributions include a noise analysis for scattering media with multiplexed illumination, an experimental setup to scan photon distributions in a liquid scattering medium, and a distribution-based linear reconstruction approach.

abstract: PhD


title: Geological Controls on Strainbursting in Deep Mining Drifts

contributor:
McKinnon, Stephen D.
Mining Engineering

subject:
Strainburst
Rockburst
Deep Mining
Nonlinear Elasticity
Engineered Damage
Destress Blasting

abstract:
Strainbursts are sudden dynamic failures of rock that pose a serious hazard to mine workers and mine production. The current state of research is limited, and it is not possible to identify when, where, and particulars about how a strainburst occurs. This limits the tools available to engineers for identifying hazardous conditions and designing risk mitigation strategies. The knowledge gap is addressed by identifying strainburst mechanisms based on local geological characteristics and improving the understanding of the underlying rock behaviour. Understanding the mechanisms leading to strainbursting provides leverage for the design of hazard identification and risk mitigation strategies.

Two distinct underlying sources of localized instability are identified, with the common theme that local geology causes local instability. First, shear localization on smooth planar discontinuities or plastic shear strain in weak narrow veins, can cause mixed compression – extension loading. Second, the local loading system stiffness (LSS) is softened by shear displacement on discontinuities. The local LSS close to the discontinuities is not a constant and can soften suddenly to trigger time-delayed strainbursting.

Nonlinear elasticity is identified as an important factor when investigating brittle rock failure. This behaviour is implemented in FLAC3D using a nonlinear, rotating, transversely isotropic, elastic constitutive model, and shown to differentiate high and low potential for mixed compression – extension strainbursting. Nonlinear elasticity demonstrates that the linear-elastic Kirsch equation overestimates tensile stress around a circular opening in an anisotropic stress field. Linear-elastic fracture propagation models overestimate Mode I crack propagation and underestimate shear stress at the tip of a sliding crack.

This model is further applied to continuum plasticity models for brittle rock. In the Damage Initiation Spalling Limit model (DISL), the spalling limit depends on the degree of nonlinearity. As nonlinearity increases, the confinement required to suppress spalling is reduced, reducing potential for brittle failure. The Cohesion Weakening, Friction Strengthening model (CWFS), is updated to include a normal stress dependent Mode II fracture toughness, confinement dependent plastic limits, and time dependence. Nonlinear elasticity also increases friction mobilized during shear failure. These effects improve the realistic prediction of localized brittle rock failure during notch formation around underground excavations.

abstract: PhD


title: Divergent Synthesis of B, N, B-doped [4]Helicenes as Efficient Luminescent Materials

contributor:
Wang, Suning
Chemistry

subject:
boron compounds
divergent synthesis
luminescence

abstract: We herein developed a synthetic method to access new B, N, B-doped derivatives of [4]helicene in three steps from commercially available starting material. The key synthetic step comprises in an advanced version of a Friedel Crafts Borylation and allows the decoration of the B, B´ positions with various electron withdrawing and electron donating groups in a highly divergent manner. All 7 derivatives were bright luminophores with emission colours ranging from sky blue to yellow and low singlet triplet energy gaps ΔEST between 130 meV and 190 meV. Furthermore, donor substitution enabled a rare temperature turn-on fluorescence which, in combination with the low ΔEST rendered the corresponding compounds as promising candidates for thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF).

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Shear Transfer Strength of Concrete After Exposure to Elevated Temperature

contributor:
Green, Mark
Civil Engineering

subject:
Shear Transfer Strength
Elevated Temperature
Recycled Concrete Aggregate

abstract:
The most consumed construction material in the world, concrete, is largely composed of coarse aggregate. Thus, the physical and mechanical properties of aggregates play a significant role in determining the performance of concrete. Nowadays, recycled concrete aggregate (RCA) is increasingly replacing natural aggregate to reduce the pressure on natural quarries and to minimize the demolition of waste and create resource recovery.  Most research studies have been conducted on the mechanical behaviour of RCA concrete made with full or partial replacement with RCA. However, the shear strength of RCA concrete at or after exposure to high temperature has not been studied extensively. Thus, more knowledge regarding the residual strength after exposure to high temperature will provide important information to assess the capacity of concrete structures after fire exposure.
This thesis examines the residual shear strength of concrete made with different types of coarse aggregate after exposure to elevated temperature. In total, 48 initially un-cracked push-off specimens were prepared from six concrete mixes (round river gravel, Kingston red granite, crushed limestone, and RCA concrete with three RCA replacement ratios (30%, 70%, and 100%)). Half of the specimens were tested at ambient temperature (22±2oC) and the remainder were tested after heating to 500oC. In addition to linear potentiometer (LP) measurements for the shear slip and crack width at the middle of the specimen, digital image correlation (DIC) techniques were performed to observe the field level shear displacement. Eighty-eight cylinders were prepared to observe the compressive and splitting tensile strength on the same test regime.
The shear transfer strength of concrete was found to be independent on the type of coarse aggregate for both heated and unheated specimens. RCA concrete has comparable compressive, splitting tensile and shear transfer strength compared to similar concrete made with other types of natural coarse aggregate. The reduction in residual shear transfer strength of the concrete is more severe than the reductions in compression and splitting tensile strength of the concrete. Greater load versus crack width and slip responses were recorded for heated specimens compared to their unheated counterpart specimens.

abstract: M.A.Sc.


title: Can genomic tools aid conservation of an arctic seabird, the northern fulmar (Fulmarus glacialis)?

contributor:
Friesen, Vicki
Biology

subject:
conservation
genomics
seabirds
arctic
population genetics
population assignment

abstract: Human activities and climate change threaten Arctic ecosystems. Population genetics and genomics may help conservationists appropriately manage threatened species both by (1) determining the population genetic structure of a species, so that management can be designed to maximize conservation of genetic variation, and (2) enabling assessment of impacts on breeding populations of mortality during the nonbreeding season in migratory species. The northern fulmar (Fulmarus glacialis) is a seabird that breeds in colonies throughout the North Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Though not currently considered at risk, several concerns, such as increased levels of toxins and ingested plastics, warrant investigation to aid conservation of northern fulmars. Up to 1% of the global population is killed annually through unintentional capture in commercial fishing activities, and northern fulmar survival appears to be negatively affected by climate change. As northern fulmars are migratory, the impact of these mortality sources on specific colonies is often unknown but may be important to inform management strategies. In this thesis, I use restriction site-associated DNA sequencing (RADseq) to provide 6614 genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) to investigate the genetic structure of the Atlantic northern fulmar, using 127 samples from six breeding colonies, one non-breeding location, and fishing activities in the Baffin Bay-Davis Strait region. I found weak genetic differentiation and suggest that Atlantic northern fulmar populations are genetically connected, experiencing high levels of gene flow. Determining the exact breeding origin of the bycatch birds was difficult due to the lack of differentiation between colonies. However, the birds appear to be from Arctic Canadian colonies, suggesting that the impact of the fisheries is on local colonies, and may be contributing to the 3% annual decline that has been observed at these locations.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: The PICO Dark Matter Search: Reflections and Projections

contributor: Physics, Engineering Physics and Astronomy

subject:
dark matter
direct detection
discovery limit
neutrino
neutrino floor
neutrino backgrounds
profile likelihood
annual modulation
retroreflectivity
retroreflector
bubble chamber
nuclear recoil
ray tracing
weakly interacting massive particle
WIMP
coherent neutrino scattering
CEvNS

abstract: Dark matter remains one of the most intriguing mysteries of modern physics, and has sparked numerous experimental efforts to uncover its particle nature. Direct detection experiments using low threshold detectors in clean, underground environments to look for nuclear recoils have proved to be an effective way to search for particle dark matter. The PICO experiment is one such effort, operating bubble chambers with fluorocarbon targets and offering unique sensitivity to spin dependent dark matter scattering. This thesis describes the motivation behind PICO and then presents a new retroreflector design for PICO-40L, the most recent PICO detector. The new design gives improved optical coverage in the detector with fewer radioactive contaminants than in PICO-60, the previous detector. The physics reach of future detectors is then explored, with particular focus on the sensitivity to coherent neutrino scattering and annual modulations within a dark matter signal. A new neutrino floor is calculated using timing information, and the sensitivity to annual modulations of a dark matter signal in the future PICO-500 detector is quantified.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Evidence for effects of phoenixin on neurons of the paraventricular nucleus

contributor:
Ferguson, Alastair V.
Neuroscience Studies

subject:
Extracellular Electrophysiology
Paraventricular Nucleus
Phoenixin

abstract: The paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of the hypothalamus has been implicated in autonomic regulation. Through projections to the pituitary gland, median eminence and hindbrain, the PVN plays a role in stress response and other autonomic functions. Recent findings have indicated that both phoenixin (PNX), a peptide involved in such responses, and its receptor, GPR173, are expressed throughout the PVN. PNX is thought to sensitize the pituitary gland to releasing hormones, as well as contribute to regulation of reproductive and stress hormone release. Recently, specific stress-related effects of this peptide in the nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS) have been demonstrated. In this study we investigated the effects of PNX on PVN neuronal activity using in vitro extracellular recordings. Recordings from a total of 824 neurons showed that 16% (n= 130) of these cells were activated by bath administration of PNX, while 14% (n= 117) were inhibited. Remaining cells tested showed no obvious changes in spike frequency. Furthermore, we observed that both these excitatory and inhibitory effects are still observed when recordings are obtained in low-Ca2+/ high-Mg2+ artificial cerebral spinal fluid (to block synaptic release of neurotransmitters and thus synaptic transmission). A total of 187 neurons showed that 5% (n= 7) are excited and 22% (n= 43) are inhibited in the low calcium condition, supporting the conclusion that the effects of PNX on PVN neurons are both direct and indirect as both response types are observed in both conditions. These results implicate PNX in autonomic function, specifically in the central regulation of stress response, fluid and electrolyte balance, food intake, and reproductive function.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Investigation of Natural Products from Pseudoalteromonas luteoviolacea and The Expression and Purification of a Serine Protease HtrA Protein from Faecalibacterium prausnitzii

contributor:
Ross, Avena
Chemistry

subject:
Natural Products
Chemistry
Marine Bacterium

abstract:
To mimic the native environment of P. luteoviolacea 2ta16 and to potentially turn on silent gene clusters, including an alterochromide-like cluster, cotton scaffolds were added to the culture media. Modification of culturing conditions such as time, temperature, and culture size, along with the addition of cotton scaffolds, appears to produce significant changes in culture phenotype, and with UPLC-PDA-MS analysis, differences in metabolite production are also observed. Supplementation of the cultures with coumaric acid, a key molecule involved in the biosynthesis of alterochromides, was also investigated. New metabolites with distinctive UV absorbance have been observed, and efforts are ongoing to isolate, purify, and characterize these peaks using HPLC, high-resolution mass spectrometry and NMR analysis.

Emerging data has begun to show the bidirectional interactions between the gut, the microbiome, and the brain. Decreased levels of Faecalibacterium prausnitzii (F. prausnitzii) in the gut have been associated with irritable bowel disease, irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn’s disease, and ulcerative colitis. It appears that secretory products of F. prausnitzii act on protease-activated receptor-4 (PAR-4) on gut neurons; PAR-4 activation is anti-nociceptive.
Genomic analysis of F. prausnitzii revealed several possible serine proteases encoded in the genome. Two of the encoded serine proteases appear to be the most plausible proteins responsible for the observed anti-nociceptive effects. One serine protease is hypothesized to be membrane-bound, while the other is a high temperature requirement A (HtrA) serine protease. Since previous studies examined the supernatant of commensal bacteria, it was postulated that the serine protease would not be membrane-bound and the HtrA serine protease was investigated. To determine what role the serine protease HtrA might play in the gut, the protein was cloned and heterologously expressed in Escherichia coli.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Holocene paleohydrological variability and change in the Timmins region, Ontario, Canada

subject:
Holocene
Paleohydrology
Water balance
Groundwater
Water chemistry
Stable isotopes
Sediment chemistry
Paleolimnology
Northeast Ontario

abstract:
Climate models suggest that temperatures will increase by at least 1.5-2°C by the end of the 21st century due to climate change. Similar patterns were observed during the mid-Holocene when the American prairie region displayed drier conditions while the American northeast was wetter. Published pollen records in northeast Ontario give conflicting perspectives and, it remains poorly understood whether this area was drier or wetter during this period. The overall objective of this dissertation is to better understand paleohydrological variability and change over the Holocene in the Timmins region of Ontario and to investigate the role of groundwater connectivity in how lakes respond to hydroclimatic changes.

Based on lake-water geochemistry, Chapter 2 shows that elevation is the main control on lake-water-groundwater interactions at the landscape level and that the water balance in lakes varied between field campaigns with upland lakes showing a greater sensitivity to short-term and seasonal hydroclimatic change as well as to evaporative drawdown.

In order to understand how water levels varied over a long-term perspective, sediment cores were retrieved from two adjacent lakes: one located upland and limited to the local groundwater system (Irrigation Lake); and the other positioned at a lower elevation and embedded in a regional aquifer (Charland Lake). Chapters 3 and 4 aim at reconstructing past hydrological conditions using pollen along with carbonate stable isotopes, and sediment elemental chemistry respectively. Both chapters concluded that water levels were lower between 9,500 and 6,500 years Before Present (BP) after which they rose rapidly between 6,500 and 5,200 years BP to reach stable water highstands between 5,200 and 1,600 years BP, after which levels decreased slightly while remaining relatively high from 1,600 years BP to present. This implies that northeast Ontario is synchronous with the American northeast and asynchronous with the American prairie region. However, those changes were less pronounced in Charland Lake, indicating that buffering from groundwater dampens even sustained long-term hydroclimatic change, in comparison to the higher elevation record from Irrigation Lake. This suggests that lakes will respond differentially to future climate change based on their degree of connectedness to the groundwater system.

abstract: PhD


title: Exploring the Consent to Touch in the Modern Postural Yoga Class: Perspectives in the Era of #MeToo

contributor:
Adams, Mary Louise
Kinesiology and Health Studies

subject:
modern postural yoga
consent
touch
yoga teacher
yoga adjustments
yoga enhancements
yoga ethics

abstract: This study explores the issue of touch in yoga classes in the context of #MeToo. Presently, there are no ethical standards which guide yoga teachers in “adjusting” or “enhancing” bodies in a yoga class. The use of touch as a teaching method in Modern Postural Yoga (MPY) classes has increasingly been a topic of discussion in the broader yoga community, particularly through the rise of #MeToo. The purpose of this study was to explore how yoga teachers are approaching touch during yoga classes and if yoga teachers have changed their “hands-on” teaching practices in response to #MeToo. I recruited eleven yoga teachers in Kingston, Ontario and divided these teachers into two focus groups and four individual interviews to explore why yoga teachers touch their students, how yoga teachers approach touching students, and what yoga teachers think about the issue of consent in yoga. Five themes emerged from the data: trust, intention, observation, power, and scope of practice. For the teachers in this study, #MeToo was not a factor in their decision to use or not to use touch during a yoga class. This study suggests that yoga teachers do not follow a consistent approach to receiving consent when offering hands-on assists during a yoga class, but that many yoga teachers would like to challenge existing standards in order to enhance teachers’ qualifications and skills in the areas of safe practice, ethical teaching, and student-centered instruction. The results show that a teacher’s decision to touch is informed by their personal intentions related to teaching, their relationship with students, and their careful observation of students’ bodies during a yoga āsana (shape). While some teachers are questioning the use of touch in relation to social context and social movements like #MeToo, this study suggests that yoga teachers may benefit from evaluating their teaching practices (including touch) in relation to broader public movements like #MeToo.

abstract: M.A.


title: Leader Inconsistency, Subjective Attitude Ambivalence and Follower Outcomes

contributor:
Barling, Julian
Fabrigar, Leandre
Psychology

subject: leadership ambivalence gender

abstract: Leadership research has a long and impressive history in identifying how followers are affected by their leaders’ behaviours. Such research, however, has tended to study one leadership “style” at a time, which does not answer the question of the effects of leader inconsistencies on followers. The study of attitude ambivalence has the potential to meaningfully enhance our understanding of how followers view and react to their leaders. In the current research, I consider how inconsistencies in leaders’ behaviours and attributes influence followers’ attitudes toward their leaders and their own well-being. To do so, I draw on the work stress framework, the attitude literature, implicit leadership theories and empirical evidence.  Results across three studies using different methodologies (experimental and survey), different samples (full-time employees and students) and different operationalizations of leader inconsistency (i.e., leader behaviours and leader attributes) provide support for a conditional indirect effect such that leaders’ inconsistent behaviours and attributes predict an array of follower outcomes through the mediating effect of followers’ subjective ambivalence. In Study 3, leader gender moderated the relationship between leaders’ perceived warmth and competence, and followers’ subjective ambivalence, with the impact of leader inconsistencies being more pronounced for female than male leaders. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

abstract: PhD


title: An Advanced Practice Physiotherapy Spine Triage Service for Adults with Neck and Back Pain: A Feasibility Study

contributor:
Wilson, Rosemary
Edge, Dana
Nursing

subject:
Physiotherapy
Advanced Practice
Interprofessional Models
Feasibility

abstract:
Background
Adults with degenerative spine disease constitute a significant proportion of referrals to Ontario neurosurgeons.  By 2024, the demand is projected to increase by 67%.  Wait times for patients to be seen by a spine surgeon in southeastern Ontario are the longest in the province.
Purpose of Study
A three-phase intervention study was designed to determine whether an Advanced Practice Physiotherapist (APP) Spine Triage model was feasible within the context of the Neurosurgical Referral Clinic.
Methods
Sample. In Phase I and III, three categories of participants were sampled using a consecutive sampling technique: patients scheduled for a spine assessment; healthcare providers who referred patients to the Neurosurgical Referral/APP Spine Triage Clinic; and, Neurosurgical Referral/APP Spine Triage Clinic and hospital stakeholders.   In Phase II, key stakeholders were recruited to participate in the planning and development of the new APP role using a purposive sampling technique.
Procedure. Phase I assessed the current Neurosurgical Referral practice using a descriptive observational cross-sectional design.  Phase II used a modified case study design to determine the satisfaction with the APP role development process amongst stakeholders while Phase III utilized a cross-sectional multiple methods study design to determine the acceptability and feasibility of this new role.
Instruments. Various quantitative and qualitative tools were used to collect data related to demographic and symptom characteristics, self-perceived pain, function, quality of life, wait times, and stakeholder satisfaction.
Results
The APP Spine Triage Service for adults with neck and back pain was feasible within the context of the Neurosurgical practice with higher rates of stakeholder satisfaction and very strong support for the new model of care.  The findings in the current study are in line with existing literature that the APP model provides access to patient-centred care that is timely, informative, coordinated and integrated to better meet the health needs of patients with neck and back pain.
Implications
The APP model of care will provide early identification of patients for whom non-surgical management has been deemed the most appropriate approach along with education, reassurance, and evidence-based self-management strategies that will be linked to local programs and resources.

abstract: PhD


title: BitDrones: Design of a Tangible Drone Swarm as a Programmable Matter Interface

contributor:
Morin, Evelyn
Electrical and Computer Engineering

rights: Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 United States

subject:
programmable matter
drones
tangible
PMI
user interface
human-computer interaction
HCI
real-reality
RRI
BitDrones
embodied interaction
swarm

abstract: This thesis details the design and functionality of BitDrones, a programmable matter interface (PMI) composed of micro cuboid drones. Each self-levitating BitDrone represented a tangible voxel and possessed four degrees of freedom to position itself in three dimensions and control its orientation about the z-axis. A single BitDrone consisted of a custom designed quadcopter suspended inside a carbon fiber wireframe cube with onboard RGB LEDs for illumination. As a swarm, these drones formed a human-computer interface that could be physically manipulated via manual user input as a Real Reality Interface (RRI). RRIs render interactive digital experiences via the manipulation of physical matter but faced several functional limitations until now. Historically, RRI elements were not self-levitating and could only create structurally stable models, or such elements had self-levitating capabilities but were not tangible and could only create sparse three-dimensional models. The spatial independence, tangibility and self-motility of each BitDrone voxel granted more versatility than previous RRIs, and this versatility enabled BitDrones to meet the functional criteria of a PMI as defined in the Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) literature. This work presents the evolving design of the BitDrones, the key components of the computational architecture that governed the system, as well as the tangible interactions, tools and controllers designed to use the BitDrones display. Several academic explorations over the development timeline are also presented which were completed as the BitDrones system matured.

abstract: M.A.Sc.


title: An Exploration of the Victim-Offender Relationship in Sexual Offending: Predicting Severity and the Presence of Violence

contributor:
Sytsma, Victoria
Sociology

subject: sexual offending, sexual offender, sex crime, sexual violence, victim-offender relationship, rational choice, deterrence

abstract: Research indicates that 19% of women and 2% of men will have been raped in their lifetime (The National Center for Victims of Crime 2018). The most recent literature on sexual offenders examines the effectiveness of current sex offender registration and notification laws. However, the bulk of the literature on sexual offending addresses the potential risk factors and predictors associated with the development of sexual offending, with a niche pocket of research exploring the decision-making processes of sex offenders. Only limited research exists with respect to the victim-offender relationship, and no research to date has applied rational choice and deterrence models to the exploration of the victim-offender relationship. Thus, the current study examines 1,758 randomly sampled registered sex offender profiles from the official New York State Sex Offender Registry database in order to determine whether the victim-offender relationship can predict the level of severity and presence of violence in sexual offence cases. While the study yields mixed findings, results open the doors for multiple avenues for future research.

abstract: M.A.


title: Analysis, Design & Control of Low-Q LLC DC-DC Resonant Converter for Wide Input Voltage and Load Range Applications

contributor:
Jain, Praveen
Electrical and Computer Engineering

subject: DC-DC Resonant Converter

subject: Light-Load Efficiency

subject: Duty-Cycle/Switching Frequency Modulation

subject: Time-Domain Analysis

subject: Wide-Input Range

subject: Wide-Load Range

subject: Zero-Voltage Switching

abstract:
Constant frequency LLC converters reported in literature guarantees optimal efficiency only at nominal operating conditions and lose zero voltage switching (ZVS) at reduced load and high-end of the input voltage range. Traditional variable frequency LLC resonant converter requires wide switching frequency range and a high quality-factor (Q) of resonant circuit for voltage regulation at light loads. A high Q results in large size of the resonant circuit, increased magnetic losses and high circulating current for a wide range of load and input voltage variations. Low-Q LLC resonant circuits may allow efficient operation of the converters due to low voltage stress across the magnetics and capacitors, but they will lose ZVS operation at light loads. This thesis presents the analysis of low-Q LLC resonant converters and also proposes a new control technique.
Frequency domain modeling of the low-Q LLC resonant circuit is not possible without considerably sacrificing the accuracy of the design results. This is because for low-Q LLC resonant circuit, the voltage waveform at the output of the circuit is not defined. An accurate time-domain analysis of the resonant converter is, therefore, required and proposed in this thesis.
A novel light-load modulation scheme is proposed for achieving ZVS operation from part-load to extremely light-load conditions at high end of the input voltage range. In the proposed scheme, both duty cycle and switching frequency of the full bridge inverter are varied. A time domain model has been developed and resulting non-linear transcendental equations solved using Newton Raphson method.
An experimental prototype of 380V/300W LLC converter operating between input voltage 20-40V, is developed for validating the analysis and performance of the proposed LLC converter. An efficiency improvement of upto 6% is observed for the loads below 10% of the full-load.

abstract: M.A.Sc.


title: The developmental and functional characterization of glutathione-s-transferase omega 2 (GSTO2) within eutherian spermatozoa

contributor:
Oko, Richard
Biomedical and Molecular Sciences

subject:
spermatozoa
GST
perinuclear theca

abstract:
The eutherian sperm head has three main components: the nucleus, acrosome and perinuclear theca (PT). The PT is a dense cytosolic protein layer that lies between the nucleus and acrosome and houses proteins involved in spermiogenesis and fertilization. This thesis identifies two new PT constituents as isoforms of glutathione-s-transferase omega 2 (GSTO2) and characterizes their developmental and functional importance.
We demonstrate that GSTO2 localizes to the postacrosomal sheath (PAS) of the PT and adheres to the developmental mechanisms of other PAS constituents, utilizing the microtubular manchette for protein transport during spermiogenesis. The PAS is of high functional significance, as the first region of the sperm head to solubilize after gametic fusion.
The early release of GSTO2 from the sperm head and its ability to facilitate glutathione-centered reduction reactions suggests it may function in glutathione-dependent processes of early embryonic development. Past findings demonstrated that the sperm nuclear transition is centered on these reduction reactions but the enzymes involved remain elusive. Therefore, we hypothesized that PT-anchored GSTO2 facilitates the sperm nuclear transition, as ooplasmic constituents are being recruited. Through the use of intracytoplasmic sperm injections coupled with enzymatic inhibition, we have shown that blocking GSTO2’s functionality causes a delay in sperm nuclear decondensation in the mouse fertilization model. Additionally, we demonstrated that delays accrued persist through development leading to decreased embryo viability and blastocyst development.
A secondary localization of GSTO2 was also discovered on the sperm plasmalemma. GSTO2’s high dehydroascrobate reductase activity coupled with an elevated concentration of ascorbic acid in seminal fluid suggested that GSTO2 may also function in a regulatory capacity on the plasmalemma during sperm capacitation. To test this hypothesis, we catalytically inhibited GSTO2 during in vitro capacitation and investigated the consequence on sperm performance parameters. GSTO2 inhibition resulted in a significant decrease of tyrosine phosphorylation activity and in turn negatively impacted acrosome exocytosis and motility, leading to the sperms inability to penetrate the oocyte. We conclude that surface-borne GSTO2 may function in a regulatory capacity during capacitation.
Together, this thesis provides a comprehensive developmental and functional assessment of the importance of GSTO2 before, during and after fertilization.

abstract: PhD


title: The Regulation of Sexual History Evidence: A Historical-Doctrinal Study of its Origins, Judicial Treatment, and Contemporary Limitations

contributor:
Kelly, Lisa
Law

subject:
Sexual assault
Sexual history evidence
Rape shield legislation
Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms
Inter-rights conflict

abstract: This is a long-term historical-doctrinal study of the law governing the admissibility of sexual history evidence. It begins in the period before 1982, when Canada’s original rape shield legislation was enacted. It (mostly) ends in 2000, when the Supreme Court held that Canada’s current rape shield legislation, enacted in 1992, was constitutional. (A brief coda to this thesis surveys more recent developments.) The historical parts of this thesis examine, among other things, the social and political processes that compelled Parliament to begin regulating the use of sexual history evidence, how a feminist defence of rape shield legislation was organized in the late-1980s amidst challenges to its constitutionality, and the legal and ideological contexts in which all this occurred. In telling this story, this thesis focuses largely on the lobbying and litigation efforts of self-consciously feminist legal actors, examining the nature and ideological origins of the legal claims they made to Parliament and the Supreme Court, and describing the receptivity of each of those institutions to those claims. The doctrinal parts of this thesis, which are weaved into its historical narrative, address two interrelated topics. First, they consider the extent to which the Supreme Court has over time understood the purpose of rape shield legislation in terms of women’s right to equal benefit and protection of the law, and how this has affected the Court’s assessment of it. Second, they engage with the way in which legal actors have historically understood the law around sexual history evidence as effecting a balance between the rights and interests of (a) people accused of sexual assault, (b) sexual assault complainants, and (c) Canadian society more generally. They also examine critically a more recent view that rape shield legislation does not, in fact, put these rights and interests into conflict. The purpose of this study is to work toward a comprehensive portrait of how this area of law has developed to its current form, in order to better understand its functioning and underlying purposes.

abstract: LL.M.


title: The Relationship Between fMRI and Symptoms of Major Depressive Disorder (CAN-BIND12)

contributor:
Milev, Roumen
Neuroscience Studies

subject:
CAN-BIND
Major Depressive Disorder
Sleep Architecture
Symptom Severity

abstract:
Objective: Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a mental health issue which features a breadth of symptoms and variable presentations. Subsequently, the method of diagnosis/treatment is not one with a clear and infallible structure. The primary objective of this study is to evaluate resting-state functional connectivity and symptom severity, as determined by sleep architecture and clinical scales, in order to investigate group differences of participants currently in a major depressive episode (MDE). The secondary objective is to provide preliminary data to aid in the analysis following the unblinding of all investigators in CAN-BIND12.
Methods: This was an 8-week, double blind randomized control trial. Participants were placed in two separate groups, such that mean MADRS scores did not significantly differ. Resting-state functional connectivity changes across the 8 weeks were evaluated for each group. Differences in clinical scores (mood, anxiety, and sleep quality) and sleep architecture were determined between-groups as well as within-groups. All measures were collected at baseline and week 8.
Results: GROUP B displayed higher symptom severity, as seen by significantly greater MADRS and PSQI scores, compared to GROUP A. GROUP B was also the only group to show any significant changes in functional connectivity. The regions identified in the analysis have either been implicated in the Default Mode Network, the Salience Network, or sensory processing. Sleep architecture measures did not greatly differ in both the between-groups and within-groups analyses.
Conclusion: The incidence of functional connectivity changes in the group with greater symptom severity across the 8 weeks, may be indicative of a relationship between whole-brain functional connectivity and depressive symptoms. Due to the fact that this difference was seen in a group solely compromised of clinically depressed individuals, fMRIs may be a useful tool when parsing through the many individual differences experienced by those with MDD. These results will also provide a basis upon which further conclusions can be made at the completion of CAN-BIND12, specifically the relationship between probiotics and functional connectivity.

abstract: M.Sc.