title: Assessing the ethical issues surrounding multi-disciplinary practices: the impact of MDPs on the profession of urban planning in Canada

contributor:
Hendler, Sue
Urban and Regional Planning

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subject:
Multi-disciplinary
MDP
Conflict of interest
Public interest
Planning ethics
Privatization

abstract: Thesis (Master, Urban & Regional Planning) -- Queen's University, 2007-09-28 11:25:12.401

abstract: Urban and regional planning, from a professional standpoint, is built on a history of preservation, with the backdrop of a perennial quest to define itself for the benefit of both laypeople and its own members. Consequently, different stages of planning throughout the twentieth century relate to simultaneous cultural changes that have caused the re-definition and re-focusing of professional efforts. From the original concentration on rational thought that coincided with the planner as objective expert with the ability to identify and promote the public interest, to the civil rights movement of the late twentieth century that embodied postmodern ideas such as advocacy, collaboration, and communication, the concept of who the planner is and what role he or she plays has developed over time. In parallel, the structures planners use to deliver their services have altered. While the shift from the traditional concept of the public sector to quasi-public and private applications has been well documented, the structures of the twenty-first century such as multinationals, public-private partnerships, and multi-disciplinary arrangements are less studied and understood. Multi-disciplinary practices (MDPs), in particular, garner little attention from the academic or professional planning spheres. While the legal and accounting professions are scrambling for a clear policy direction on cross-discipline collaboration, planners do not seem to have diverted much attention to whether or not they have a future. Indeed, the existence of MDPs provokes the return of the question of what role planners should play, and whether they should be a distinct specialized profession, or an entity with a mandate to coordinate other professions with an eye to long-term planning for the public good. This analysis attempts to qualitatively assess whether MDPs should be supported or rejected by the planning discipline, and how the profession should be addressing the answer.

abstract: M.PL.


title: Personality, stressful life events, and treatment response in major depression

contributor:
Harkness, Kate
Psychology

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

subject:
Depression
Personality
Stressful life events
Treatment

abstract: Thesis (Master, Psychology) -- Queen's University, 2007-09-28 12:08:15.84

abstract: Major Depression (MD) currently affects over 17 million individuals in North America (Greenberg et al., 2003). Identifying factors predictive of MD treatment response is important for developing more efficacious treatments and better understanding MD vulnerability. The goal of the present study was to examine the main and interactive effects of personality and stressful life events as predictors of MD treatment response. One hundred and thirty-one clinically depressed participants were randomly assigned to either 16-weeks of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT), or pharmacotherapy (PT). Personality in the form of trait self-criticism, neediness, and connectedness was assessed at pre and post-treatment using the Depressive Experiences Questionnaire (DEQ; Blatt et al., 1976). Stressful life events experienced during treatment were assessed using the Life Events and Difficulties Schedule (LEDS; Bifulco et al., 1989). Results revealed that amongst individuals scoring lower in pre-treatment self-criticism, higher pre-treatment connectedness predicted superior treatment response. As well, amongst individuals scoring lower in pre-treatment neediness, higher pre-treatment connectedness predicted superior treatment response. In terms of personality change, both a reduction in neediness and a reduction in self-criticism over the course of treatment predicted superior treatment response. A personality × stressful life event interaction was also found such that amongst those experiencing a stressful life event during treatment, higher scores on pre-treatment self-criticism predicted poor treatment response. These results suggest that personality and stressful life events play an important role in the treatment of MD. Limitations and clinical implications are discussed.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Recognition of Severe Congestive Heart Failure using Parallel Cascade Identification

contributor:
Korenberg, Michael J.
Electrical and Computer Engineering

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subject:
Congestive Heart Failure
Parallel Cascade Identification

abstract: Thesis (Master, Electrical & Computer Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2007-09-28 11:54:57.695

abstract:
In previous studies on heartbeat series, it has been proposed that the healthy heartbeat pattern represents complex nonlinear dynamics, and such cardiac nonlinearity may be used as a clinical indicator for the diagnosis of certain types of heart disease. However, it is still not quite clear whether there is any difference among the heartbeat series of patients with congestive heart failure (CHF), or whether cardiac nonlinearity represents a severe heart disease situation. In the present study, parallel cascade identification (PCI), which frequently requires only short stretches of data to obtain highly promising results, is used to distinguish severe congestive heart failure, a clinical situation associated with a high-risk of sudden death, from low-risk CHF.
Parallel cascade identification is an accurate and robust method for identifying dynamic nonlinear systems. The PCI algorithm combined with a specified statistical test may be used as a severe congestive heart failure marker by comparing a nonlinear model with a “linear” model (more precisely, a first-order Volterra series). In this thesis, PCI is applied to distinguish R-R wave intervals of CHF patients who died from those of patients who survived in a 5-year study.
The detection accuracy of the PCI detector is evaluated over a first set of 49 patients, and then over a larger set of a further 352 patients, and consistent results are obtained between the two sets. Over the larger set, Matthews' correlation coefficient of nonlinearity with unfavorable outcome (death) is  , sensitivity for predicting unfavorable outcome  is  , while the specificity is  .
The R-R wave interval exhibits nonlinearity in patients who died during the 5-year study. However, typically nonlinearity cannot be detected in patients who survived during the study. These findings show that for patients with congestive heart failure, nonlinearity is associated with unfavorable outcome (death), while patients for whom nonlinearity cannot be detected overwhelmingly have good outcomes. This is significant for clinical diagnosis and prognosis of severe congestive heart failure.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: The Bounds of Justification

contributor:
Bakhurst, David
Philosophy

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subject:
Foundationalism
Coherentism
Transcendental Awareness
Kant
Wittgenstein
Skepticism
Grounding
Naturalism
Normativity

abstract: Thesis (Master, Philosophy) -- Queen's University, 2007-09-28 11:57:18.196

abstract: In the Theaetetus, Socrates proposes that knowledge is true belief that is accounted for or justified. The question that intuitively follows is what the proper structure of a justifying account of true belief is. Answers to this question are available throughout the history of philosophy and are generally vulnerable to the Agrippan trilemma of justification that originates with Pyrrhonian skepticism. I trace the influence of Pyrrhonism on the search for the proper structure of justification as it plays out in the current debate between coherentists and “contemporary” foundationalists. I expose their principal concerns—normative and naturalist, respectively—as descendants of ancient skeptical challenges. Illuminating this lineage shows that currently competing forms of justification are locked into a dilemma that is circumscribed by the Agrippan trilemma. Immanuel Kant and Ludwig Wittgenstein grapple with precursors to the current debate, which sets an interesting precedent for John McDowell’s attempt to resolve it with what I think is a conceptualist interpretation of contemporary foundationalism. I argue that a genetic story heuristically reinforces McDowell’s interpretation in a way that frustrates normative and naturalist concerns and leaves open the threat of skepticism. I in turn portray Kant and Wittgenstein as capable of domesticating these threats with a unique structure of justification that I argue is non-epistemically foundationalist. Such a structure meets the Socratic challenge that justifying true belief itself requires true belief as to the soundness of this justification. My central aim is to show how non-epistemic foundationalism is a matter of grounding, which depicts an asymmetrical relationship between empirical belief and pre-cognitive or transcendental awareness. I conclude that a grounding model satisfies normative and naturalist concerns and thereby offers a way out of the contemporary dilemma and an escape from the Agrippan trilemma.

abstract: M.A.


title: Wisdom in practice: Socrates' conception of technē

contributor:
Leighton, Stephen
Philosophy

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subject:
Ancient philosophy
Plato
Socrates
Technē
Ethics

abstract: Thesis (Master, Philosophy) -- Queen's University, 2007-09-28 12:27:20.415

abstract:
The word ‘technē’ frequently appears in the argument and discussions of Socrates and his interlocutors in Plato’s early dialogues; the concept of technē as well as instances thereof often play a crucial role in effecting and rendering plausible Socrates’ argument and discussion. It is curious, therefore, that there are so few studies devoted entirely to examining Socrates’ conception of technē; this is a deficit that this thesis aims to play some role in correcting.

The first chapter is concerned with elaborating some of the problematic questions connected to the philosophical integrity and originality and the historical actuality of Socrates as he appears in Plato’s dialogues. Part of this project involves responding to questions regarding which dialogues count as ‘early’ and ‘Socratic’ – and what these designations mean; part involves elaborating and articulating the character of Socrates’ person and methods in the dialogues and here the importance of the concept of technē to Socratic reflection is introduced.

The second chapter examines the connection in Socratic thought between the concepts of wisdom, knowledge, and technē, and aims to bring out both their close connection as well as how they serve to illuminate each other. In this chapter, a difficulty connected with the ordinary philosophical concept of wisdom or knowledge is examined in light of the curious Socratic thesis of the sufficiency of virtue.

The third chapter discusses a controversy between two ways of understanding the significance of technē in Socratic thought and attempts to avoid the controversy by suggesting a third way of understanding the concept.

The fourth chapter develops and examines Socrates’ own explicit account of technē in Gorgias.

The fifth, and final, chapter connects Socrates’ own account to the controversy discussed in the third chapter and the difficulty examined in the second chapter and suggests a way of overcoming these controversies.

abstract: M.A.


title: Artful places: creativity and colonialism in British Columbia's Indian residential schools

contributor:
Godlewska, Anne
Kobayashi, Audrey
Geography

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subject:
Post colonial geographies
Residential schools
First Nations and Aboriginal peoples
Place

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Geography) -- Queen's University, 2007-09-28 12:31:18.229

abstract: Residential schools for Aboriginal children were a primary site of negotiations between Indigenous and Non-Indigenous subjects. These schools, and the records of peoples who occupied them, provide opportunities to better understand colonialism in British Columbia. Residential schools were places created to transform Aboriginal children, through assimilation, into a modernizing and colonial society. They are simultaneously places that offer access to Indigenous articulations of self and Indigeneity, expressions of resistance, and exertions of agency. Cultural products created by children in residential schools, particularly creative art products, allow us to visualize and understand Indigenous response to and evasions of colonial education. When taken together with Aboriginal peoples’ testimonies about the residential school experience, and with colonial records of the schools’ intents, children’s creative materials and expressions allow some access to the complex places that constituted the cultural geography of colonialism in British Columbia.

abstract: PhD


title: A study of the conformational distribution of substituted 2,2'-spirobiindan-1,1'-diones in ferroelectric liquid crystals

contributor:
Lemieux, Robert P.
Chemistry

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subject:
Ferroelectric liquid crystals
Conformational analysis
Chirality transfer

abstract: Thesis (Master, Chemistry) -- Queen's University, 2007-09-28 12:26:06.486

abstract:
Ferroelectric liquid crystals (FLCs) exhibit a bulk electric polarization (PS) that can be coupled to an electric field to produce an ON-OFF light shutter, and are being investigated as an alternative to nematic liquid crystals in display applications.  Commercial FLC mixtures normally consist of a small amount of chiral dopant in an achiral smectic C (SmC) liquid crystal host.  Because the switching time of FLC display is inversely proportional to the induced polarization, the design of chiral dopants with high polarization powers (p) is a key aspect of FLC research.  Such work requires an understanding of the relationship between molecular structure and polar order in the chiral SmC* phase.
            Previous work in the Lemieux group focused on 2,2’-spirobiindan-1,1’-diones dopants, and a conformational model was proposed to explain the observed host dependence of the polarization power (p) of these dopants.  In order to test this model, the 2,2’-spirobiindan-1,1’-dione core has been modified by introducing polar substituents and by modifying the functional groups linking the core to the alkyl side-chains.  Specifically, this thesis focuses on implementing this approach via the synthesis and characterization of chloro- and methyl-substituted 2,2’-spirobiindan-1,1’-dione dopants.

            Four chiral dopants (2.1a, 2.1b, 2.2a and 2.2b) were synthesized, resolved and their absolute configurations assigned by CD spectroscopy.  Their polarization powers were measured in four SmC hosts with different core structures.  For both the ether-linked and ester-linked dopants, the addition of a substituent at the 6-position of one indanone ring results in lower polarization powers regardless of the size and polarity of the substituent, which is contrary to the original conformational distribution model.
            A comparative study of the data suggests that the ester-linked dopants exert much stronger perturbations on the host environment than the ether-linked dopants, especially when the 6-position is substituted.  We postulate that this perturbation is chiral in nature, and that the feedback effect of chirality transfer causes a shift in the conformational distribution of the dopant favoring conformers with negative polarity. Probe experiments were performed to detect the effect of chirality transfer feedback (CTF) in the case of the chloro-substituted diester dopant (2.1b), showing consistent results with the postulate.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: The use of EMG for load prediction during manual lifting

contributor:
Morin, Evelyn
Electrical and Computer Engineering

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subject:
EMG
Manual lifting
Load prediction

abstract: Thesis (Master, Electrical & Computer Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2007-09-28 16:15:23.077

abstract:
The Ergonomics Research Group at Queen’s University, supported by the Workplace and Safety Insurance Board, has been developing an on-line system to estimate peak and cumulative joint loading in the workplace. This study will aid the project by examining the muscle activation levels (MALs) in upper extremity and trunk muscles during a manual lifting task using both hands. It was hypothesized that MAL’s are correlated with the magnitude of the load in the hands and thus could be used to predict the load which in turn will be used to predict the lower back moments. Alterations in the muscle activation patterns due to lifting different loads were examined.
Electromyographic signals (EMG) and kinematic data were recorded from different sites on the trunk and upper limb as subjects lifted a load from the floor to a shelf using squat, stoop and freestyle lift techniques. All raw EMG data were processed to obtain the linear envelopes (LE) which provides estimates of the MAL’s. The peak, mean and area of the linear envelopes were calculated. Using regression analysis, a relationship between the parameters and load lifted was found to exist. A non-linear parallel cascade type architecture was used to develop a model to predict the load in the hands. The model uses the EMG parameters as inputs and fits the data via linear and non-linear cascades to the output, i.e. the load in the hands.
A model was successfully developed for the squat lift posture using the area, peak and mean of the zero-normalized EMG LE recorded from the erector spinae (L4 level), with a prediction error of ± 1.03kg and for the stoop posture, a prediction error of ± 2.34kg. Given the predicted loads, moments in the lower back were computed using the method of Hof (1992).

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Archaeal signal peptides and cell surface structures

contributor:
Jarrell, Ken F.
Microbiology and Immunology

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subject: archaea peptidase flagella pili

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Microbiology & Immunology) -- Queen's University, 2007-09-28 12:59:16.801

abstract:
Archaeal protein trafficking is a poorly understood process that is only beginning to unfold. Integral to this process are the various signal peptidases. Two types of archaeal signal peptidases are identified thus far: signal peptidase I (SPI) and the preflagellin peptidase.
SPI is responsible for processing the majority of secreted proteins. Sequence analysis of archaeal SPI enzymes indicates a Sec-11 type enzyme with two conserved Aspartic acid and a Histidine in place of the conserved Lysine in bacteria. Site directed mutagenesis and in vitro assays identified three conserved residues (Ser52, His122 and Asp148) critical for M. voltae SPI activity, distinguishing the archaeal enzyme from its bacterial and eukaryal counterparts.
The archaeal preflagellin peptidase is a type IV prepilin peptidase-like enzyme, initially characterized for its essential role in preflagellin processing prior to flagellar filament assembly. Unusual substrates have been proposed for this enzyme, including preflagellins of peculiar signal peptide lengths in certain archaeal species, as well as sugar binding proteins with extremely short signal peptides in S. solfataricus. In this thesis, in vitro comparisons of the signal peptide length requirements for the two different preflagellin peptidases, FlaK in M. voltae and PibD in S. solfataricus, are presented. While a signal peptide length cut-off of 5 amino acids was found for FlaK below which preflagellins remained unprocessed, substrates with shorter (4 and 3 aa) signal peptides were recognized and properly cleaved by PibD, suggesting a diversification of the preflagellin peptidases among the archaeal species. The ability of FlaK and PibD to complement FlaK activity in an M. maripaludis flaK mutant was evaluated.
M. maripaludis flaK is a markerless, stable mutant displaying pili as the sole cell surface appendage, providing the unique opportunity to closely study this structure without the interference of flagella. Here, purification and characterization of the archaeal pili is described for the first time in any archaeon. A putative pilus gene cluster with characteristics of type IV pilus genes was identified in M. maripaludis.  In-frame deletion of the putative major pilin gene, MMP0237, resulted in a nonpiliated phenotype that could be restored by complementation, providing a direct link of this gene to piliation.

abstract: PhD


title: Experimental and Numerical Investigations of Velocity and Turbulent Quantities of a Jet Diffusion Flame

contributor:
Matovic, Miodrag
Mechanical and Materials Engineering

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subject:
CFD
Diffusion flame
LDA
Laser Doppler Anemometer

abstract: Thesis (Master, Mechanical and Materials Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2007-09-28 13:05:54.365

abstract: A turbulent diffusion flame that is typically used in a thermal spray coating system was analyzed in this study, as part of a diagnostic and development program undertaken by a research group at Queen’s University. Contributions made by this researcher were to numerically and experimentally investigate velocity and turbulent fields of the gaseous phase of the jet. Numerical and experimental analyses have been further developed upon previous research, with improved numerical methods and advanced experimental instrumentation. Numerous numerical simulations were performed in both two dimensional axisymmetric and three dimensional wedge geometries, while testing the dependence of the final solution on various physical models. Numerical analyses revealed the requirement for simulating this problem in three dimensions and improved turbulence modeling to account for relatively high levels of anisotropy. Velocity and turbulent measurements of non-reacting and combusting jets were made with a laser Doppler anemometer to validate numerical models. Excellent agreement was found between predicted and measured velocity and turbulent quantities for cold flow cases. However, numerical predictions did not agree quite as well with experiments of the flame due to limitations in modeling techniques and flow tracking abilities of tracer particles used in experimentation.

abstract: M.A.Sc.


title: Machineries of War and Mechanisms of Change in World Politics

contributor:
Haglund, David G.
Political Studies

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subject:
International Relations
Defence Economics
Defence Industry

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Political Studies) -- Queen's University, 2007-09-28 14:05:43.945

abstract:
The purpose of this dissertation is to anticipate changes in the international system by examining changes in Western defence industries.  The defence industries are a mechanism for producing power.  In an anarchic international system, power is the means by which states find security.  To produce power through a defence industry, a state must possess a range of attributes of power.  The investment needed to produce an array of defence equipment is considerable, and so a state must possess appropriate economic resources.  The cost also necessitates acts of political will, to direct resources away from other ends which might be more readily enjoyed.  Finally, the defence industry must produce equipment that is strategically relevant—which requires a high level of technology derived from domestic research and development.  The structure of the international system is fundamentally a question of the nature of the distribution of power, and the factors that make up state power are all to be found in defence industries.  The question posed here is “to what extent is change in the system predictable through looking at trends in the defence industrial base?”

After establishing the theoretical perspective, this paper goes on to look at the changes that are taking place in the strategic environment.  This is followed by an analysis of the forces that act upon the defence industrial base, and of the implications of the adverse trends that they generate.  From these, the indicators which signal change in the international system are derived.  Then the responses of both state and industry are examined to test for the presence of these indicators.  Finally, the conclusion is an assessment of how changes in the defence industrial structures of the West reflect and may be able to anticipate change in the international system.

abstract: PhD


title: Hamstring Activity and Lower Extremity Loading in Knee Osteoarthritis: The Effect of Foot Rotation

contributor:
Costigan, Patrick
Kinesiology and Health Studies

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subject:
Biomechanics
Knee Osteoarthritis

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Kinesiology & Health Studies) -- Queen's University, 2007-09-28 14:31:23.908

abstract:
Knee osteoarthritis (OA) causes more disability in community dwelling older adults than any other condition.  The high costs associated with treating this disability suggest that research needs to focus on ways of preventing the development and progression of knee OA using low cost interventions such as exercise and modifications to certain activities of daily living.  One such activity of daily living that has been implicated in the OA disease process is normal level walking or gait.
Those with medial compartment knee OA are known to make certain modifications in their gait patterns in an attempt to unload the diseased compartment of their knee.  Two of these modifications include the tendency of those with knee OA to walk with an externally rotated foot, and to increase the activity of their lateral hamstrings, while decreasing the activity of their medial hamstring during gait.  Therefore, this work attempted to clarify this relationship between foot position, lower extremity loading and hamstring muscle activation patterns during both level walking and lower limb exercise.
First, the changes in lower extremity loading with both internal and external rotation of the foot during gait were investigated in a group of young healthy subjects.  It was discovered that internal rotation increased the magnitude of both the adduction moment and the medial-lateral shear force at the knee; while external rotation decreased both these measures.  This suggests that external foot rotation may be an effective compensation strategy for those with medial knee OA and internal foot rotation may be an effective compensation strategy for those with lateral knee OA.
Second, the same study was then repeated in a group of knee OA subjects and age matched healthy normal subjects; but in this work, hamstring EMG was also collected along with the external knee loads.  Hamstring EMG data was used to calculate the medial-lateral (M-L) hamstring activation ratio.  An increased M-L activation ratio would indicate an internal muscle moment tending to load the medial compartment more than the lateral; while a low M-L activation ratio would tend to unload the medial compartment.  Those with knee OA had an increased late stance knee adduction moment and a decreased M-L hamstring activation ratio as compared to the healthy control group.  Also, external foot rotation decreased the late stance knee adduction moment, lateral-medial shear force at the knee, and M-L hamstring activation ratio for both groups; but, internal foot rotation did not increase these measures.
Lastly, since it is apparent that the hamstring may play a role in unloading the diseased knee compartment, the M-L activation ratio was calculated with changes in foot position during lower limb exercise in young healthy subjects to determine if selective activation of the medial or lateral hamstrings was indeed possible.  It was discovered that internal foot rotation increases the M-L hamstring activation ratio and external rotation decreases it.
Foot rotation has the ability to shift the external loads on the knee to one side of the joint or the other, and it also has the ability to alter internal knee loads created by hamstring muscular activation.  Therefore, foot rotation during gait and lower limb exercise may be an effective intervention that could be used to delay the onset and progression of knee OA, keeping older adults active and healthy much longer.

abstract: PhD


title: Nuclei-Specific Response to Pain in the Bed Nucleus of the Stria Terminalis

contributor:
Cahill, Catherine M.
Dumont, Eric
Neuroscience Studies

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subject:
Neuroscience
c-Fos
Neuropathic Pain
BST

abstract: Thesis (Master, Neuroscience Studies) -- Queen's University, 2007-09-28 14:36:55.632

abstract:
The bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BST) is a basal forebrain cluster of several distinct nuclei.  It has been proposed that the BST coordinates autonomic, neuroendocrine, and behavioral functions through the integration and organization of homeostatic responses necessary for survival.  Dysfunction of the BST contributes to pathophysiological states such as addiction, anxiety and aggression.  Based on anatomical and behavioral studies, the BST could be a key contributor to descending modulation of nociception as well as the physiological responses related to the affective aspect of the pain experience.
The objective of the present study was to further understand the neurophysiological bases underlying the involvement of the 7 anterior nuclei of the BST in pain.  Using c-Fos as an indicator of neuronal activation, the results demonstrate that acute noxious stimulation produced an increase in the number of c-Fos immunoreactive cells (c-Fos-IR) in the dorsal anteromedial (dAM) and fusiform (FU) nuclei, while non-noxious stimulation did not increase c-Fos-IR in any of the nuclei examined.  Chronic neuropathic pain induced by chronic constriction injury (CCI) did not alter basal c-Fos-IR in the FU or dAM.  Unlike in the naïve condition, the number of c-fos-IR cells in the FU induced by acute noxious stimulation was attenuated in animals with either CCI or sham surgery compared to naive rats.  In contrast, c-Fos-IR induced by acute noxious stimulation in the dAM was not affected by CCI or sham surgery.  Acute noxious stimulation in animals that received CCI exhibited increased c-Fos expression in the ventromedial (vAM) nucleus of the BST, a finding not evident in naïve or sham control groups.  Finally, there was an increase in c-Fos-IR in the oval (OV) nucleus of sham-operated, but not naive or CCI rats.
This study reveals for the first time that pain induces neuronal activity in the BST in a nuclei- and condition-specific way.  Given the efferent projection patterns from the BST, this system may relay supraspinal information to the periphery to produce physiological responses related to the affective pain experience.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Analysis and Design of Multiple Description Codes for Wired and Wireless Channels

contributor:
Chan, Wai-Yip Geoffrey
Electrical and Computer Engineering

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subject: Multiple description coding

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Electrical & Computer Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2007-09-28 15:07:27.322

abstract: The increasing demand on multimedia communication over wired and wireless networks imposes a continuous pressure on developing more robust coding schemes. Recently, joint source-channel coding with multiple description codes has become an attractive solution to ensure robust communication over noisy channels. In this thesis, we conduct analysis and design of multiple description codes for wired and wireless communication channels. First, a multiple description quantizer (MDQ) design method based on channel optimized quantization is developed. The proposed multiple channel optimized quantizer design scheme does not require index assignment and offers the benefit of resilience to both symbol and erasure errors. Low complexity MDQ is further explored and used to build a multiple description audio coder. Next, the advantages of employing multiple description coding over multiple-input multiple-output wireless channels are investigated. Information theoretical analysis is conducted and practical MDQ codes are designed. Finally, a new E-model based performance measure accounting for both rate-distortion performance and delay impairment is proposed to compare multiple description coding and layered coding for communication over packet networks.

abstract: PhD


title: Evaluating outcomes of a return-to-work rehabilitation program for patients with work-related low back pain

contributor:
Stevenson, Joan M.
McColl, Mary Ann
Kinesiology and Health Studies

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subject:
Back pain
Return to work
Outcomes

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Kinesiology & Health Studies) -- Queen's University, 2007-09-28 15:40:39.13

abstract: Purpose: The overall aim of this thesis is to contribute new knowledge by examining psychosocial factors and return-to-work profiles of occupational low back pain patients in a rehabilitation clinic. Outcome measures for injured workers with subacute low back pain included: change in measures, program utilization, pain profiles and return-to-work.  Methods: A total of 147 patients who met the eligibility criteria and consented, participated in a clinic-based, individualized, exercise-based treatment that included patient education and reassurance. A before-and-after design was used, with data collection on admission to and discharge from the program.  Results:  Pre-to-post analyses revealed that statistically significant improvements had occurred. However, subgroup analyses revealed differences in responses to treatment among the subgroups. Specifically, two sets of cluster analyses were conducted; each yielded two distinct subgroups of patients, one set with different lengths of time in the program, and another showing two pain intensity profiles. Furthermore, return-to-work rates varied between the groups although the overall return-to-work rate appeared high. Conclusion: Significant improvement was achieved following participation in the return-to-work rehabilitation program. However, participants with subacute nonspecific low back pain do not form a homogenous group in terms of their clinical presentation and responses to rehabilitation. Therefore, special attention might be warranted for subgroups within the sample, whom are at an increased risk for prolonged disability.

abstract: PhD


title: Automotive Light Assembly Failure detection

contributor:
Surgenor, Brian W.
Mechefske,Chris K.
Mechanical and Materials Engineering

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subject:
Failure detection
Monitoring system

abstract: Thesis (Master, Mechanical and Materials Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2007-09-28 16:13:47.511

abstract:
after vibration endurance testing involves manual inspection only after the test is completed. An adaptable, reliable and low cost real time monitoring and
diagnostic system that would interrupt the testing operation at the first onset of a failure is
desired. This thesis describes accelerometer based, microphone (single and dualmicrophone)
based and acoustic emission sensor based monitoring systems for
automotive light assembly failure detection during endurance testing. Preliminary results
from accelerometer based and dual-microphone based diagnostic systems show that
significant differences between healthy and faulty fog light assemblies can be detected.
Based on these initial testing results, subsequent testing and data analysis were conducted
for accelerometer based and dual microphone based systems. Four data analysis methods
have been used: (1) Averaging signals in the time domain, (2) FFT of time domain
waveforms over a specified time, (3) Averaging frequency spectra, and (4) Statistical
methods for time domain signals. Individual frequency spectra (from FFT) and the
average of multiple frequency spectra have shown potential to distinguish between
signals from faulty and healthy light assemblies. Statistical measures, such as, Arithmetic
mean (μ) and Kurtosis (K) can also be used to differentiate healthy and faulty light
assemblies. In general, this work has shown the good potential to develop methods for
adaptable, reliable and low cost real time monitoring and diagnostic systems that would
interrupt the testing operation at the first onset of a failure.

abstract: M.A.Sc.


title: Engaging Communities in Health Geography? Assessing the Strategy of Community-Based Participatory Research

contributor:
Rosenberg, Mark W.
Geography

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subject:
Health Geography
Participatory Research

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Geography) -- Queen's University, 2007-09-28 16:24:40.67

abstract:
Community-based participatory research (CBPR) positions community members on an equal footing with their academic colleagues and makes them responsible for the decisions which shape the direction and substance of research. The approach is founded on ideals of empowerment and the raising of critical awareness amongst stakeholders while contributing to social and community change.
This thesis examines the practice of CBPR; specifically, the inconsistencies between its ideals and the achievement of meaningful outcomes, and its relative absence within health geography. While the thesis relies most heavily on theories of social capital for its conceptual framing, it also draws on three key concepts stigma, and critical and oppositional consciousness. Three CBPR case studies were initiated to uncover the challenges, benefits, and shortcomings of the approach involving people living with HIV/AIDS, persons with disabilities, and residents of social housing. The projects were evaluated using a range of strategies including participant observation, interviews with key stakeholders, questionnaires, and focus group discussions. The implementation of these projects ranged in success from being sidelined by managerial difficulties, community mobilization efforts proving unsuccessful, to a fully realized CBPR case study.
ii
The case studies illustrate the tenuous position of a researcher engaged in grassroots community mobilization and the need for core levels of social capital to precede the researcher’s intervention. Interviews with CBPR stakeholders exposed the sense of purpose and value of being united against a given cause and even the social benefits of connecting with others. The interviews brought into question the imposition of stringent research expectations upon community members who may face multiple barriers to carrying out research and gain little benefit from the practice. I conclude by suggesting that CBPR is a long way from being the perfect marriage of academia and community, failing adequately to meet the needs of both parties. In particular, the third case study demonstrates that stakeholders are critically aware of issues that affect their lives, their capabilities to carry out research and the roles that the researcher might play. Ultimately, this raises questions about what role CBPR might play in community mobilization, especially when the resources of groups are limited socially, economically and politically.

abstract: PhD


title: Performance study on a dual prohibition Multiple Access protocol in mobile Ad Hoc and Wireless Mesh networks

contributor:
Yeh, Chihsiang
Electrical and Computer Engineering

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subject:
Medium Access Control protocols (MAC)
Wireless Ad Hoc network
Wirless Mesh networks

abstract: Thesis (Master, Electrical & Computer Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2007-09-28 16:25:02.515

abstract:
Wireless networks are less reliable than wired networks because channels are “exposed” to the surrounding environment that is susceptible to interference and noise. To minimize losses of data due to collisions, wireless networks need a mechanism to regulate the access on the transmission medium. Medium Access Control (MAC) protocols control access to the shared communication medium so that it can be used efficiently.

In this thesis, we first describe the collision-controlled Dual Prohibition Multiple Access (DPMA) protocol [45]. The main mechanisms implemented in DPMA, such as binary dual prohibition, power control, interference control, and support for differentiated services (DiffServ), are presented in detail. We conducted a thorough simulation study on DPMA protocol from several aspects. First, we conduct simulations to observe the effects of binary competition number (BCN), unit slot length and safe margin on the performance of DPMA. Secondly, the DiffServ capability of DPMA is demonstrated through simulation results. Finally, we compare the DPMA protocol with the CSMA/CA protocol and find that DPMA with optimal configuration has better performance than CSMA/CA under both low and high network density.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Hybrid Digital-Analog Source-Channel Coding  and  Information Hiding: Information-Theoretic Perspectives

contributor:
Alajaji, Fady
Linder, Tamás
Mathematics and Statistics

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subject:
information theory
joint source channel coding
watermarking
information hiding

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Mathematics & Statistics) -- Queen's University, 2007-09-28 23:11:21.398

abstract:
Joint source-channel coding (JSCC) has been acknowledged to have
superior performance over separate source-channel coding in terms of
coding efficiency, delay and complexity. In the first part of this
thesis, we study a hybrid digital-analog (HDA) JSCC system to
transmit a memoryless Gaussian source over a memoryless Gaussian
channel under bandwidth compression. Information-theoretic upper
bounds on the asymptotically optimal mean squared error distortion
of the system are obtained. An allocation scheme for distributing
the channel input power between the analog and the digital signals
is derived for the HDA system with mismatched channel conditions. A
low-complexity and low-delay version of the system is next designed
and implemented. We then propose an image communication application
demonstrating the effectiveness of HDA coding.

In the second part of this thesis, we consider problems in
information hiding. We begin by considering a single-user joint
compression and private watermarking (JCPW) problem. For memoryless
Gaussian sources and memoryless Gaussian attacks, an exponential
upper bound on the probability of error in decoding the watermark is
derived. Numerical examples show that the error exponent is positive
over a (large) subset of the entire achievable region derived by
Karakos and Papamarcou (2003).

We then extend the JCPW problem to a multi-user setting. Two
encoders independently embed two secret information messages into
two correlated host sources subject to a pair of tolerable
distortion levels. The (compressed) outputs are subject to multiple
access attacks. The tradeoff between the achievable watermarking
rates and the compression rates is studied for discrete memoryless
host sources and discrete memoryless multiple access channels. We
derive an inner bound and an outer bound with single-letter
characterization for the achievable compression and watermarking
rate region. We next consider a problem where two correlated sources
are separately embedded into a common host source. A single-letter
sufficient condition is established under which the sources can be
successfully embedded into the host source under multiple access
attacks. Finally, we investigate a public two-user information
hiding problem under multiple access attacks. Inner and outer bounds
for the embedding capacity region are obtained with single-letter
characterization.

abstract: PhD


title: Officious men of state: Early Modern Drama and Early English Bureaucratic Identity

contributor:
Hanson, Elizabeth
English

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subject:
Renaissance Drama
Bureaucracy
Identity

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, English) -- Queen's University, 2007-09-30 12:50:35.596

abstract:
This dissertation investigates representations of bureaucracy in early modern drama and culture.  Focusing on a group of plays that feature bureaucratic figures among their characters, and reading those plays in the context of contemporary discussions of administration, this project attempts to understand the role played by the increasingly bureaucratic state in developing conceptions of individual subjectivity.  Specifically, this dissertation seeks to show that bureaucratic administrative structures and the methods deployed to maintain them provide a conceptual space in which early modern writers could conceive of themselves as possessing a private, inscrutable interiority.
Chapter Two argues that whereas the binary relationship of secretary and master is often characterized in contemporary accounts as intensely, and problematically, intimate, the multivalent bureaucratic relationship is characterized, for the most part, as impersonal.  Chapter Three links bureaucratic labour with one product of that labour, the bureaucratic document, in order to analyze the way in which early modern representations and discussions of bureaucratic documents constitute a medium through which a form of bureaucratic identity is conceptualized.  Chapter Four examines a problem inherent to the bureaucratic delegation of authority – the combination of a desire to see everything and an inability to trust in the observations of others to aid you in fulfilling that desire – and seeks to find a solution to that problem in the way in which Much Ado About Nothing presents a vision of a disciplinary surveillance that is diffused throughout society, rather than residing in one privileged figure.  Chapter Five shifts the focus of inquiry from the bureaucracy and those in its employ to the subject of bureaucratic authority.  The chapter reads Hamlet’s claims to inscrutable interiority in the context of the state’s desire to see, and document, its subjects.  In it, I argue that, rather than deflecting questions, Hamlet’s assertions serve to align him with other targets of disciplinary surveillance.  The dissertation ends by considering links between the representational crisis engendered by the growth of the early modern bureaucracy and the representational practices of the early modern theatre.

abstract: PhD


title: Fences, gates, and contested terrain: overcoming identity-based differentiation between anaesthesiologists and surgeons

contributor:
Cooper, William
Management

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subject:
Professional identity
Differentiation
Integrative behaviors

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Management) -- Queen's University, 2007-09-30 22:47:33.394

abstract:
Integrative behaviours in professional medical practice are those actions taken by a physician to better coordinate practice with other physicians to ensure that the most appropriate care is offered to patients. It has long been argued that the nature of differentiation measured between collaborating physicians affects such integrative activities and integrative success.  This research employs professional identity as a basis for describing the nature of differentiation between members of two medical specialists – general surgeons and anesthesiologists – and then examines the impact of such differentiation on integrative behaviours in medical practice. A qualitative approach, employing an embedded case design, was used to observe the practice of anesthesiologists, general surgeons, and their respective residents over a period of eight months.
A model of identity-in-use comprising three co-mingled and overlapping identities (professional, role, personal) is developed, and then used to describe the implications for  Integrative practice. The demands of medical practice experienced by the general surgeons and anesthesiologists are powerful, almost factory-like in the value placed on speed of action and efficiency of patient throughput. These demands shaped and increased the strength of the contribution role identity made to each participants’ identity-in-use.
Personal identity appears to play an important role in blunting the harshness of role demands in at least some of the participants. Personal identity also appears to draw out elements of the professional identity in some individuals, fed by curiousity, empathy, and the ability to be self-reflective.
Despite observing little successful integrative behaviour, there are indications that differences in identity are associated with participants’ willingness to collaborate and possession of the skills necessary to collaborate. Potential implications for both the training and development of medical practitioners and the design of hospital work are outlined.

abstract: PhD


title: Pain after cesarean: a pilot study assessing pain and health-related quality of life in women after cesarean section

contributor:
Van Den Kerkhof, Elizabeth
Nursing

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subject:
Chronic post-operative pain
Cesarean section

abstract: Thesis (Master, Nursing) -- Queen's University, 2007-10-01 13:12:33.096

abstract:
Purpose:  This thesis addresses feasibility issues of conducting a descriptive study of pain and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in women after Cesarean section (c-section).
Objectives:  Feasibility issues surrounding population access, chart completeness for review, and preference for online data collection were investigated.  Prevalence and prediction of postoperative pain and HRQOL at six-weeks was addressed to generate hypotheses for future study.
Methods:  A descriptive pilot design was used, collecting a convenience sample of 41 women recruited two hours prior to a planned c-section at Kingston General Hospital.  Consenting women completed preoperative questionnaires via computerized tablet or paper and pen.  Preoperative data included pain, HRQOL, anxiety, depression, somatization, HCU, and demographics.  Six weeks postoperatively, women completed pain, HRQOL, and HCU questionnaires through the internet, postal mail, or telephone.  A chart review was used to collect health and obstetrical history, and acute postoperative pain.
Results:  An average of two participants per week were recruited, with a participation rate of 83.7%.  Online questionnaires were preferred by 34 women (83%) preoperatively, and 15 women (48.4%) postoperatively.  Almost 40% of patient charts were incomplete, missing symptoms reported in the immediate postoperative period.  Twenty-four percent of the sample was lost to follow-up.
Mild postoperative pain was reported by seven women (23) within 24 hours of completing the questionnaire.  Bodily pain and the physical component of HRQOL were worse both pre- and post-operatively than age- and sex-matched norms.  Postoperative pain at six weeks was predicted by tubal ligation, pain expectancy, and severe postoperative acute pain.  Postoperative HRQOL scores were correlated with preoperative HRQOL score, depression, somatization, and preoperative pain.  HRQOL physical composite score, bodily pain scores, and trait anxiety were predictive of healthcare use.
Conclusion:  The planned c-section population is accessible for research purposes, however timing and mode of follow-up should be carefully considered due to the demands of newborn care.  A larger study evaluating the prevalence of chronic pain after c-section is needed, in which the role of depression, anxiety, somatization, and pain expectancy in pain outcomes and the impact on healthcare use is investigated.

abstract: MNSc.


title: Targeted over-expression of hsp22 and the maintenance of locomotor activity of third instar larvae of Drosophila melanogaster at high temperatures

contributor:
Robertson, R. M.
Seroude, Laurent
Biology

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subject:
Heat shock protein 22
Drosophila melanogaster
Larval locomotion
High temperature stress

abstract: Thesis (Master, Biology) -- Queen's University, 2007-10-01 14:24:15.801

abstract: Hsp22 has been implicated in stress tolerance and longevity in various organisms though its role in Drosophila melanogaster larval thermal tolerance has not yet been investigated. I undertook this project to determine if over-expression of hsp22 in either muscle or motor neurons could alter locomotor ability at high temperature in third instar larvae of D. melanogaster. A combination of the UAS-gal4 and tet-On promoter systems was used to over-express transgenic hsp22 in the larvae. A β-galactosidase assay was used to determine the level of gene expression following administration of different amounts of tetracycline. A concentration of 100 μg/ml of tetracycline was found to elicit appreciably higher expression of the reporter gene than 0 and 0.1 μg/ml of tetracycline. Locomotor ability of larvae was assessed at a temperature of approximately 400C by measuring the time to movement failure (TMF). Larvae that were fed 100 μg/ml of tetracycline showed a significant decline in the TMF, which could be attributed to the presence of tetracycline at a concentration of 100 μg/ml. Possible reasons behind the lack of a noticeable effect of hsp22 over-expression on the TMF are discussed. The detrimental effect of tetracycline could be attributed to the decline in mitochondrial translation or a decline in the population of endogenous bacteria, which are known to exert positive effects on the development and function of Drosophila larvae.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Making the scene : Yorkville and Hip Toronto, 1960-1970

contributor:
Dubinsky, Karen
McKay, Ian G.
History

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subject:
Counterculture
Toronto
Hippies
Yorkville
Drugs
Motorcycle Gangs
Performance
Identity
Gay and Lesbian
Grateful Dead
1960s
Rock'n'roll
Youth Culture
Neil Young

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, History) -- Queen's University, 2007-10-02 09:46:00.077

abstract: For a short period during the 1960s Toronto’s Yorkville district was found at the centre of Canada’s youthful bohemian scene. Students, artists, hippies, greasers, bikers, and “weekenders” congregated in and around the district, enjoying the live music and theatre in its many coffee houses, its low-rent housing in overcrowded Victorian walk-ups, and its perceived saturation with anti-establishmentarian energy. For a period of roughly ten years, Yorkville served as a crossroads for Torontonian (and even English Canadian) youth, as a venue for experimentation with alternative lifestyles and beliefs, and an apparent refuge from the dominant culture and the stifling expectations it had placed upon them. Indeed, by 1964 every young Torontonian (and many young Canadians) likely knew that social rebellion and Yorkville went together as fingers interlaced. Making the Scene unpacks the complicated history of this fraught community, examining the various meanings represented by this alternative scene in an anxious 1960s. Throughout, this dissertation emphasizes the relationship between power, authenticity and identity on the figurative stage for identity performance that was Yorkville.

abstract: PhD


title: Spatio-Temporal Interactions in Immediate Serial Recall

contributor:
Mewhort, Douglas J. K.
Psychology

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subject:
Memory
Immediate Serial Recall
Short-Term Memory

abstract: Thesis (Master, Psychology) -- Queen's University, 2007-10-03 13:01:00.716

abstract:
In an immediate serial recall task, participants are asked to recall lists of items in order.  In the Hebb repeating-list variant of the task, subjects are read a series of lists, and every third list is repeated. Performance improves across repetitions but is stable for the non-repeated trials. The repetition advantage—the increased accuracy for the repeated list—is known as the Hebb effect.
Several models have been advanced to explain how participants order successive items, but how participants take advantage of the repetition has largely been ignored. Although the task is usually discussed in terms of recall of verbal items, the Hebb effect has been observed with sequences of visuo-spatial positions.
The present work assesses whether immediate serial recall of verbal material benefits
from visuo-spatial context. Sequences of letters were presented in different spatial positions in a visual version of the Hebb task. Presenting lists in random spatial positions on the periphery of an
imaginary circle did not boost performance, but if the sequence was predictable, overall accuracy increased. The spatial path of successive items influenced the Hebb effect. When the distance between successive positions was minimized, participants were able to exploit the repetition early
in practice. The results deny an account based on item distinctiveness. I discuss the results in terms of contemporary models of ISR.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Development of Optoelectronic Devices and Computational Tools for the Production and Manipulation of Heavy Rydberg Systems

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subject:
Rydberg state
Optical spectrum analyzer
Acousto-optic modulator
Adiabatic theorem
Coherent population trapping
STIRAP

abstract: Thesis (Master, Physics, Engineering Physics and Astronomy) -- Queen's University, 2007-10-03 17:17:56.841

abstract: Experimental and theoretical progress has been made toward the production and manipulation of novel atomic and molecular states. The design, construction and characterization of a driver for an acousto-optic modulator is presented which achieves a maximum diffraction efficiency of 54 % at 200 MHz, using a commercial modulator. A novel design is presented for a highly sensitive optical spectrum analyzer for displaying laser mode structure in real time. Utilizing programmable microcontrollers to read data from a CMOS image sensor illuminated by the diffraction pattern from a Fabry-Perot interferometer, this device can operate with beam powers as low as 3.3 micro-watts, at a fraction of the cost of equivalent products. Computational results are presented analyzing the behaviour of a model quantum system in the vicinity of an avoided crossing. The results are compared with calculations based on the Landau-Zener formula, with discussion of its limitations. Further computational work is focused on simulating expected conditions in the implementation of the STIRAP technique for coherent control of atoms and molecules in the beam experiment. The work presented provides tools to further the aim of producing large, mono-energetic populations of heavy Rydberg systems.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Experimental and Theoretical Studies of Highly-Excited Molecules at a Wide Range of Internuclear Distances

subject:
atomic collisions
Rydberg states
laser cooling
polarimetry
molecular physics
charge transfer

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Physics, Engineering Physics and Astronomy) -- Queen's University, 2012-01-31 11:30:22.479

abstract:
Experimental and theoretical investigations of highly-excited molecules are presented
that advance the current state of knowledge of intramolecular interactions in highly-excited molecular states.
A quantitative analysis of intramolecular interactions in excited hydrogen fluoride
is presented, in which the rotational levels of the B singlet-Sigma+, v = 29 vibronic level are shown to mix with the corresponding e-parity components of the C singlet-Pi, v = 0 level. Extrapolating the experimentally-derived mixing parameter to the unperturbed limit reveals an unperturbed value of the aF hyperfine parameter of 4132(25) MHz.
Coupling energies between the ion-pair curve and long-range asymptotes of covalent states are calculated for a large number of alkali–alkali collision channels, revealing
the dependence on the internuclear distance at which the crossing takes place and
forming a foundational step for the calculation of cross-sections and rate coefficients for different charge-exchange and other processes.
To advance the experimental investigation of these systems, optical instrumentation
and associated control systems have been designed and constructed for cooling
and trapping lithium in preparation for experimental studies of cold-collisions that
will be informed by, and ultimately a test of, some of these calculated ionic–covalent
coupling energies. A novel scheme for systematic optimization of peak-locking has been developed and implemented, providing a rigorous assessment of the optimal experimental parameters. A side-of-filter offset-locking scheme was implemented,
characterizing and correcting for a previously unexplained offset in the error-signal.
A novel calibrated polarimetry scheme is demonstrated, correcting for the primary
sources of uncertainty relating to manufacturing tolerances and experimental errors. The calibrated set of polarization measurements is used to examine the purity of the optical polarization state in the light sources to be used for trapping lithium.

abstract: PhD


title: Jean Vanier and The Transformational Model of Rehabilitation: Principles of Care for Concerned Professionals

contributor:
McColl, Mary Ann
Rehabilitation Science

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subject:
Modes of Rehabilitation Therapy
Jean Vanier
Transformational rehabilitation

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Rehabilitation Science) -- Queen's University, 2007-10-05 08:51:06.833

abstract:
Abstract
The focus of this thesis is stress in rehabilitation professionals. Within the thesis, burnout encompasses compassion fatigue and moral stress. Therefore, burnout is the emotional and ethical fatigue which is produced through organizational and clinical expectations present when working with individuals who live with disabilities.  This thesis argues that current rehabilitation service delivery models exacerbate burnout through their neglect of emotional and ethical needs in professionals.
  The goal of this thesis is to develop an alternative model of service delivery which addresses burnout in rehabilitation professionals. The thesis answers the following question. How does Jean Vanier's thinking about relationships between individuals, living with and without disabilities, contribute to the field of rehabilitation therapy and, more specifically, to reducing stress currently experienced by rehabilitation professionals? To answer this question and meet the thesis goal, the research is situated within a constructivist paradigm and uses a single, interpretive case study design.
   This research has produced the transformational model of service delivery.  This model states rehabilitation is a transformational process. Whereas traditional rehabilitation views the client as the focus of the change process, the transformational model states both the client and the professional benefit from their participation in a transformational change process. The change process is directed at the personal identity of both client and professional and is characterized by increased awareness and acceptance of key aspects within self and other.  Whereas in more traditional rehabilitation models, creating the relational conditions necessary for change is the professional's responsibility, within the transformational rehabilitation model, both client and professional contribute to the relationship which is characterized by commitment, co-operation and compassion. In addition, client and professional experience the outcome of transformation, maturity.  A mature person is defined by his/her capacity for agency and authenticity.
  This thesis argues that Jean Vanier is relevant to rehabilitation professionals. The articulation of an alternative model of service delivery, based on Vanier's thinking about relationships between individuals living with and without disabilities, makes a significant contribution to reducing stress in rehabilitation professionals.

abstract: PhD


title: Development of safety limits for load carriage in adults

contributor:
Stevenson, Joan M.
Rehabilitation Science

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subject:
Load carriage
Backpack
Safety
Payload

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Rehabilitation Science) -- Queen's University, 2007-10-06 15:33:31.933

abstract: In society, personal load carriage systems (backpacks) are commonly used to transport loads by foot, however, they have also been implicated in causing injuries. The aim of this study was to develop a model for load carriage which could be used to determine safety limits in humans. To start, a number of experiments were conducted to determine the appropriateness of using pressure mapping technology to measure peak and mean pressures acting on humans during load carriage limits. Tests of accuracy and repeatability were performed using three common pressure mapping technologies: capacitance, piezoresistive and resistive ink. Pressure mapping was tested statically and dynamically on a human-like flat surface, as well as on human shoulder-shaped model. Error was found to be ≥ 20% on static flat and curved surfaces and it rose to 36-51% under dynamic conditions. Since pressure mapping would require significant modifications before it could be used to study human load carriage, a psychophysical approach was used instead. For this approach, an epidemiological study of pain was conducted based on 48 subjects who used multiple backpack designs to complete occupationally relevant tasks. As a result, pain trends and new methods of data analysis were identified that had potential use on human trials. In a final study, pain mapping, quantification of pain intensity, and physiological/motor testing were conducted on humans performing endurance exercise with light to heavy payloads. Results showed that all subjects were able to exercise with a 15-35 kg payload for 45 minutes and with a 50 kg payload for 30 minutes, without stopping. As well, pain was found to be highest in the anterior acromial (shoulder) region, particularly for the 50 kg payload (mean peak pain = 3.4/10). Based on these findings, two models were proposed: an assertive model and a conservative model to allow prediction of human load carriage limits for endurance exercise.

abstract: PhD


title: Phenomenal consciousness in Chalmers

contributor:
Mercier, Adele
Philosophy

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subject:
Philosophy of mind
Consciousness

abstract: Thesis (Master, Philosophy) -- Queen's University, 2007-10-09 00:24:44.795

abstract:
This essay is on ‘Phenomenal Consciousness’. By introducing the ‘hard problem’ of phenomenal consciousness, I will focus on Chalmers’ efforts on developing a theory of consciousness, which he believes is a project toward finding a solution to the hard problem.
As a result of focusing on the hard problem, this paper deals with the questions such as “how and why cognitive functioning is accompanied by conscious experience”, “how the physical systems or the physical brain processes give rise to conscious experience”, “why these processes do not take place ‘in the dark’ without any accompanying states of experience”, “what is the relation between the physical, the psychological and the phenomenal” and finally “what is the phenomenal experience or phenomenal feel”. There are two main streams trying to find a solution to (or dissolve) these kinds of questions about consciousness: the reductive doctrines (materialists) and the nonreductive doctrines.
Before exploring Chalmers’ answer to these questions, which is by his nonreductive theory of consciousness, I will explore some of the most important reductive (materialist) theories by focusing on Chalmers’ arguments against them and I will indicate his main objection to materialist theories by pointing out what he thinks is missing in these theories. This issue will be followed by the part in which I will argue that what makes Chalmers’ arguments against materialists views applicable, actually applies to his own theory of consciousness as well. I will argue that what is missing in all theories of consciousness, (including Chalmers’) which could play a significant role in a theory of consciousness, is a ‘first person point of view’ and an ‘ability to have a first person point of view’, by which I mean an ability for a being to have a first person (subjective) access to the results of his own physical cognitive information processing system. As a result, I will argue that phenomenal consciousness is actually an epistemic phenomenon which is the result of being in a sort of epistemic relation to one’s own cognitive system.

abstract: M.A.


title: Evaluating nationalism in the Liberal framework

contributor:
Kymlicka, Will
Philosophy

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subject:
Political Philosophy
Nationalism
Rights of National Minorities
Cultural Rights

abstract: Thesis (Master, Philosophy) -- Queen's University, 2007-10-09 00:53:12.467

abstract:
This essay is an attempt to explain and assess the liberal nationalists’ view on the problems of the legitimacy of nationalism and cultural rights. I want to look at some theories over the past fifteen years that normatively evaluate ‘nationalism’ according to the liberal principles. The main focus of the first part will be on three questions, which are: the question of legitimacy (is nationalism permissible?), the question of justice (is nationalism required?), and the question of appropriate format (what forms of nationalism and nationalistic policies are considered as legitimate and just?).
In the second part, by considering the alleged conflict between the ‘minority nation-building’ and the ‘majority nation-building’ in multination countries, I will examine two models for resolving this conflict: ‘Multinational Federalism’ and ‘Transnational Federalism’. I will argue that, though most liberal nationalists support the former model, they fail to provide a convincing normative ground for justifying Multinational Federalism and stopping national minorities from secession. The liberal nationalists’ arguments for necessity of nationalism, ironically, undermine their own claim about normative importance of Multinational Federalism in comparison to Transnational Federalism. This is what I call ‘the paradox of liberal nationalism’.

abstract: M.A.


title: Fetal Learning: Unimodal and Multimodal Stimulus Effects

contributor:
Kisilevsky, Barbara
Nursing

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subject:
Fetal Learning
Music
Intersensory Redundancy Hypothesis

abstract: Thesis (Master, Nursing) -- Queen's University, 2007-10-18 16:52:55.68

abstract:
ABSTRACT

Introduction:  Human newborn and animal studies provide support for the intersensory redundancy hypothesis, which posits that learning is more effective when information is presented simultaneously in two modalities than one alone. Whether the same is true in the human fetus is unknown and was examined in this study.
Methods:  63 low-risk fetuses (≥36 weeks gestation) were randomly assigned to one of 6 experimental groups: each group included one of 3 stimulus conditions [unimodal (music), unimodal (maternal sway) or bimodal (music and maternal sway)], and one of 2 pieces of music (music A, 4/4 time; music B, 3/4 time) composed for the study. Laboratory pre-testing included a 2 min no-music, 2 min music (A or B), 2 min no-music observation while fetal heart rate (FHR) and body movements were recorded.  Subsequently, mothers carried out the assigned intervention at home, twice a day for 5 days. On day 6, laboratory testing was repeated first with the familiar (A or B) and then the novel music.
Results: The initial testing showed a difference between Music A and Music B, F (1, 61) = 8.203, p <.01, where FHR decreased to Music A and increased to Music B.  The same FHR response was found when fetuses were exposed to the opposite music for the first time in the novelty testing, F (1, 44) = 4.543, p <.05, following intervention. Music A elicited a response in both the unimodal music only and sway only groups, F (29, 203) = 1.871, p < .01, and F (29, 174) = 1.818, p < .01, respectively. In music B only the multimodal group showed an effect of intervention, F = (29, 203) = 1.914, p < .005.
Conclusions: Fetal response to music A and B was qualitatively different. During pretesting, FHR decreased to music A and increased to music B. When the stimulus elicited an attention response (FHR decrease) learning was observed in both the unimodal or multimodal conditions. This is seen with music A (4/4 time) music where the fetus learns the stimulus.  When the stimulus did not elicit a FHR decrease (Music B, 3/4 time), there was evidence that a multimodal stimulus was more effective providing some support for the intersensory redundancy hypothesis.

abstract: MNSc.


title: Ediacaran Fronds From the Mistaken Point Assemblage, Newfoundland

contributor: Geological Sciences and Geological Engineering

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subject:
Paleontology
Ediacara Biota

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Geological Sciences & Geological Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2007-10-09 15:06:08.885

abstract:
The Ediacara Biota is a distinct group of soft-bodied organisms that flourished in late Precambrian (Ediacaran) oceans. The succession at Mistaken Point, Newfoundland, contains the most extensive collection of Ediacaran fronds in the world, with hundreds of complete specimens spanning at least 10 million years.

The goals of the completed thesis were to investigate the growth strategies, preservational biases, function, and taxonomy of Ediacaran fronds through the use of qualitative morphological descriptions and quantitative morphometrics. Several of these mathematical techniques had not been previously applied to the Ediacara Biota, and strengthen traditional descriptive techniques through mathematical scrutiny. The second chapter applies standard biometric and principal components analyses to the cosmopolitan frond Charniodiscus from Newfoundland, which allowed for rigorous definition of two new closely related species that evolved differently shaped petalodiums to extract nutrients from different levels in the water column. The third chapter utilizes "landmark morphometrics" to interpret the original 3D shape of Charnia. These techniques suggest that traditional descriptions of Ediacaran fronds as sheet-like organisms are incorrect, and are a direct result of preservational processes. It was demonstrated that branch rigidity is species specific, resulting in the description of a new species of ancestral Charnia. The fourth chapter describes a new species of multifoliate rangeomorph frond that was preserved in four unique taphonomic settings. Only through comparison of specimens from all four preservational regimes was it possible to reconstruct the original morphology of this frond, and isolate taphonomically based features from true morphological characters.

The final chapter reviews the biological significance of the frond morphoshape, and proposes that the present emphasis on overall shape in Ediacaran taxonomy is inherently flawed. It is recommended that a new system be erected to classify Ediacaran fronds based on branching architecture, as frond morphology most likely represents a common need to extract nutrients from the water column, and therefore represents a shared ecology, not ancestry.

abstract: PhD


title: Dimensions of perfectionism and life stress: predicting symptoms of psychopathology

contributor:
Harkness, Kate
Psychology

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subject: Perfectionism Stress

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Psychology) -- Queen's University, 2007-10-10 20:09:19.604

abstract:
Research has consistently shown an association between the personality trait of perfectionism and a variety of emotional, psychological, and interpersonal difficulties.  Using a longitudinal design, the present investigation aimed to examine the validity of a diathesis-stress model linking perfectionism to specific psychopathological symptoms in a large sample of university students.  The specific stress processes of stress enhancement and stress generation were examined as potential mechanisms linking perfectionism with emotional maladjustment (see Hewitt & Flett, 2002).  In addition, two different frameworks for conceptualizing perfectionism were tested: (1) a multidimensional framework by Hewitt and Flett (1991) which posits that perfectionistic tendencies and behaviours are influenced both by intrapersonal and interpersonal factors, and (2) a adaptive-maladaptive perfectionism typology (Frost et al., 1993) which posits the existence of both a positive and a negative form of perfectionism.
	Results of this investigation indicated that particular dimensions of perfectionism were directly predictive of stress enhancement.  In addition, particular dimensions of perfectionism were also predictive of stress generation, albeit indirectly via the experience of general negative affect.  Finally, perfectionism was indeed predictive of increases in emotional maladjustment over time.  More specifically, particular perfectionism dimensions were directly predictive of psychopathological symptoms, while other dimensions were only predictive of symptoms via their interactions with relevant measures of life stress (i.e., via a diathesis-stress interaction).
	The results of the present investigation do not support the adaptive-maladaptive perfectionism typology in that the measure of adaptive perfectionism used was predictive of both stress and psychopathological symptoms.  The results of this study are more consistent with the perfectionism framework highlighting intrapersonal-interpersonal dimensions.  Overall, the results of this study suggest that a diathesis-stress model provides a fruitful framework from which to investigate perfectionism and its relation to psychopathology.

abstract: PhD


title: Modelling the Concentration Distribution of  Non-Buoyant Aerosols Released from Transient Point Sources into the Atmosphere

contributor:
Andrews, William S.
Roy, Gilles
Chemical Engineering

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subject: puff dispersion modelling, Gaussian dispersion

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Chemical Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2007-10-17 12:13:42.923

abstract:
Neural network models were developed to model the short-term concentration distribution of aerosols released from point sources. Those models were based on data from a wide range field experiments (November 2002, March, May and August 2003). The study focused on relative dispersion from the puff centroid. The influence of puff/cloud meandering and large-scale gusts were not considered, the modelling was limited to studying the dispersion caused by small-scale turbulence. The data collected were based on short range/time dispersion, usually shorter than 150 s. The ANN (Artificial Neural Network) models considered explicitly a number of meteorological and turbulence parameters, as opposed to the Gaussian models that used a single fitting parameter, the dispersion coefficient.   The developed ANN models were compared with predictions generated from COMBIC (Combined Obscuration Model for Battlefield Induced Contaminants), a sophisticated model based on Gaussian distributions, and a traditional Gaussian puff model using Slade’s dispersion coefficients. Neural network predictions have been found to have better agreement with concentration measurements than either of the other two Gaussian puff models. All models underestimate the maximum concentration, but ANN predictions are much closer to observations. Simulations of concentration distributions under different stability conditions were also checked using the developed ANN model, and it showed that, for a short time, Gaussian distributions are a good fit for puff dispersion in the downwind, crosswind and vertical directions.

For Gaussian puff models, the key issue is to determine appropriate dispersion coefficients (standard deviations). ANN models for puff dispersion coefficients were trained and their average predictions were compared with the results of measurements. Very good agreement was observed, with a high correlation coefficient (>0.99). The ANN models for dispersion coefficients were used to analyze which input variables were more significant for puff expansions. Dispersion time, particle position relative to the centroid, turbulent kinetic energy and insolation showed the most significant influence on puff dispersion. The Gaussian puff model with dispersion coefficients from the ANN models was compared with COMBIC and a Gaussian puff model using Slade’s dispersion coefficients. Generally speaking, predictions generated by the Gaussian puff model with dispersion coefficients generated by ANN models showed better agreement with concentration measurements than the other two Gaussian puff models, by giving a much higher fraction within a factor of two, and lower normalised mean square errors.

abstract: NSERC, DGNS

abstract: PhD


title: Variance Analysis for Nonlinear Systems

type:
journal article
thesis

contributor:
Harris, Thomas J.
Chemical Engineering

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subject:
Variance ananlysis
variance decomposition
nonlinear control perfromance
sensitvity analysis

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Chemical Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2007-10-17 16:02:26.376

abstract:
In the past decades there has been onsiderable commercial and academic interest in methods for monitoring control system performance for linear systems. Far less has been written on control system performance for nonlinear dynamic / stochastic systems. This thesis presents research results on three control performance monitoring topics for the nonlinear systems:
i) Controller assessment of a class of nonlinear systems: The use of autoregressive moving average (ARMA) models to assess the control loop performance for linear systems is well known. Classes of nonlinear dynamic / stochastic systems for which a similar result can be obtained are established for SISO discrete systems. For these systems, the performance lower bounds can be estimated from closed-loop routine operating data using nonlinear autoregressive moving average with exogenous inputs (NARMAX) models.
ii) Variance decomposition of nonlinear systems / time series: We develop a variance decomposition approach to quantify the effects of different sources of disturbances on the nonlinear dynamic / stochastic systems. A method, called ANOVA-like decomposition, is employed to achieve this variance decomposition. Modifications of ANOVA-like decomposition are proposed so that the NOVA-like decomposition can be used to deal with the time dependency and the initial condition.
iii) Parameter uncertainty effects on the variance decomposition: For the variance decomposition in the second part, the model parameters are assumed to be exactly known. However, parameters of empirical or mechanistic models are uncertain. The uncertainties associated with parameters should be included when the model is used for variance analysis. General solutions of the parameter uncertainty effects on the variance decomposition for the general nonlinear systems are proposed. Analytical solutions of the parameter uncertainty effects on the variance decomposition are provided for models with linear parameters.

abstract: This work was sponsored by NSERC Discovery, NSERC Equipment, Shell Global Solutions, OGSST and QGA

abstract: PhD


title: Study of a non-interacting, nonuniform electron gas in two dimensions

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subject:
two dimensional electron gas
kinetic energy
functional density
functional theory

abstract: Thesis (Master, Physics, Engineering Physics and Astronomy) -- Queen's University, 2007-11-07 09:47:00.316

abstract:
The non-interacting, nonuniform electron gas exhibits simplifications in two dimensions, that are of particular interest in the application of density functional theory. The results of linear response theory for an attractive impurity in a two-dimensional gas have been shown to be surprisingly accurate even though there are bound states, and were shown to be exact in the high density limit (Zaremba et al. Phys. Rev. B, 71:125323, 2005 and Zaremba et al. Phys. Rev. Lett., 90(4):046801, 2003).  The density resulting from linear response theory and the Thomas-Fermi approximation coincide in the high density limit.

As an alternative to linear response theory, the Kirzhnits gradient expansion gives corrections to Thomas-Fermi in gradients of the potential.  In two dimensions, all of the gradient corrections vanish at zero temperature, which is a new result presented in this work.  We have performed numerical calculations which show that while Thomas-Fermi appears to be a surprisingly accurate approximation in two dimensions, it is not exact.  The differences between two and three dimensions that lead to the vanishing of the gradient corrections, however, are of great interest since these may lead to better understanding and simplifications of the corresponding three-dimensional problem.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: The development of an elastomeric scaffold for small diameter blood vessel tissue engineering

contributor:
Amsden, Brian
Chemical Engineering

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subject:
Tissue engineering
Scaffold
Blood vessel

abstract: Thesis (Master, Chemical Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2007-11-18 20:27:30.635

abstract:
In coronary artery bypass surgery the autologous saphenous vein is the most commonly used vascular graft. However, in a growing number of patients this vein is not available due to disease or availability. To date, there are no commercially available vascular grafts to replace the autologous saphenous vein. Nevertheless, it is widely accepted that a successful small diameter blood vessel alternative will be found using a tissue engineering approach. A photo-cross-linked biodegradable elastomer of acrylated star-poly(ε-caprolactone-co-D,L-lactide) (ASCP) has recently been developed. The elastomer possesses many desirable properties, such as manufacturability and mechanical properties, making it an interesting scaffolding material candidate for this application.
To test the feasibility of the ASCP elastomer as a scaffolding material, a porous scaffold with 90% porosity was constructed using paraffin microbeads combined with an emulsion of ASCP prepolymer and water. Native arterial mechanical properties were matched with an 1800 Da ASCP elastomeric scaffold (ELAS 1800) having 85% porosity. In vitro degradation of scaffolds prepared with two different ASCP Mn (1800 and 4500 Da) was investigated for 8 weeks. Bulk hydrolysis was the mode of degradation regardless of configuration, with the porous scaffold degrading slower than the nonporous control. In addition, the ELAS 4500 scaffold also degraded faster than the ELAS 1800 scaffold with the same porosity.
 In order to promote the cellular response to this potential vascular scaffold, the surface of the elastomer was modified to enhance bovine coronary artery smooth muscle cell (SMC) attachment and proliferation. Base etching the surface was not as effective as adding a small peptide sequence Gly-Arg-Gly-Asp-Ser (GRGDS) known to enhance cell adhesion. The surface modifications did not change SMC phenotype as all surfaces expressed the contractile marker proteins smooth muscle α-actin and h-caldesmon. The SMCs also expressed these marker proteins when seeded on porous scaffolds.
Finally, it was possible to integrate the porous scaffold into a biomimetic blood vessel design. With this initial testing, it appears that the ASCP elastomer is a feasible scaffolding material for small diameter blood vessel tissue engineering. Nevertheless, more detailed testing of mechanical properties and cell behaviour must be conducted to ascertain that the ASCP elastomer and the proposed biomimetic blood vessel design can be appropriate replacements for the autologous saphenous vein.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Distributed Contention-Free Access for Multi-hop IEEE 802.15.4 Wireless Sensor Networks

contributor:
Safwat, Ahmed
Electrical and Computer Engineering

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subject:
IEEE 802.15.4
Medium Access Control (MAC)
Peer-to-peer (P2P)
Contention-free access
Wireless sensor networks (WSN)
Synchronization
Distributed reservation
Multi-hop

abstract: Thesis (Master, Electrical & Computer Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2007-10-25 14:55:36.811

abstract: The IEEE 802.15.4 standard is a low-power, low-rate MAC/PHY standard that meets most of the stringent requirements of single-hop wireless sensor networks. Sensor networks with nodal populations comprised of thousands of devices have been envisioned in conjunction with environmental, vehicular, and military applications, to mention a few. However, such large sensor network deployments necessitate multi-hop support as well as low power consumption. In light of the standard's extremely limited joint support of the two aforementioned attributes, this thesis presents two essential contributions. First, a framework is proposed to implement a new IEEE 802.15.4 operating mode, namely the synchronized peer-to-peer mode. This mode is designed to enable the standard's low-power features in peer-to-peer multi-hop-ready topologies. The second contribution is a distributed Guaranteed Time Slot (dGTS ) management scheme designed to function in the newly devised network mode. This protocol provides reliable contention-free access in peer-to-peer topologies in a completely distributed manner. Assuming optimal routing, our simulation experiments reveal perfect delivery ratios as long as the traffic load does not reach or surpass its saturation threshold. dGTS sustains at least twice the delivery ratio of contention access under sub-optimal dynamic routing. Moreover, the dGTS scheme exhibits minimum power consumption by eliminating the retransmissions attributed to contention, which in turn reduces the number of transmissions to a minimum.

abstract: M.Sc.


title: A Methodology for Environmental Protection of Ontario Watercourses With Respect to the Permit to Take Water Program

contributor:
Watt, Ed
Anderson, Bruce
Civil Engineering

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subject:
PTTW
Instream Flow Requirements

abstract: Thesis (Master, Civil Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2007-10-22 23:08:00.728

abstract:
The Ontario Water Resources Act requires a Permit To Take Water (PTTW) for withdrawals greater than 50,000 L/day.  The permitting process includes a requirement to minimize the environmental effects of the withdrawal, but does not include a specific framework to do so.  A methodology is proposed for estimating the water supply, the water demand, both anthropogenic and ecological, and the amount available for withdrawal.  Water supply is estimated using statistical analysis of recorded daily flows in the watershed of interest, in adjacent watersheds, and in the region.  Anthropogenic demand is given by the Ontario Ministry of the Environment’s PTTW database. Ecological demand is also estimated using statistical analysis of recorded daily flows, and through field measurement methods such as the Wetted Perimeter method. A case study of Millhaven Creek in eastern Ontario shows that the methodology is appropriate for this area and, with minor modifications, would apply to the rest of Ontario.
Evaluation of the existing methods for water supply estimation showed that using long-term data for analysis is the best method, and that the regional analysis work completed for Ontario is out of data and needs revising.  Estimation methods for ecological demand are not necessarily appropriate for all areas.  A single instream flow requirement based on the Mean Annual Flow is not appropriate for Millhaven Creek, and even a set of flows based on Mean Monthly Flows needs modification to be acceptable for Millhaven Creek.  Supply minus demand varies from month to month, and therefore the decision on whether to issue a permit depends on the season as well as the duration of the withdrawal (e.g. seasonal vs. continuous) and type of use proposed (e.g. golf course irrigation vs. municipal drinking water).

abstract: M.Sc.


title: The development of sulfamates as latent directed metalation groups.  Total synthesis of  schumanniophytine.  Divergent synthesis of substituted chromone 3- and 8-carboxamides.

contributor:
Snieckus, Victor A.
Chemistry

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subject:
Organic Chemistry
Directed Ortho Metalation

abstract: Thesis (Ph.D, Chemistry) -- Queen's University, 2007-11-30 11:18:51.673

abstract:
N,N-Diethyl-O-sulfamate (OSO2NEt2) has been established as a new directed metalation group (DMG).  Its similarity to the established O-carbamate DMG has prompted investigation into its potential as a partner in transition metal-catalyzed cross coupling reactions with aryl organometallics with the intention to develop a new route to contiguously substituted aromatics.  Furthermore, aryne formation of ortho-magnesiated O-sulfamates at higher temperatures can be trapped with furan to afford cycloaddition products having substitution patterns difficult to prepare by similar methods.
Schumanniophytine is a structurally interesting alkaloid possessing anti-viral activity.  Thus far, only a single synthesis has been reported which proceeds in poor yield and offers little opportunity for the synthesis of structurally diverse schumanniophytine derivatives.  Herein we report the total synthesis of schumanniophytine by a directed ortho metalation (DoM) – cross coupling strategy using a key directed remote metalation (DreM) step.  The synthesis proceeds in 10 steps with 24% overall yield, offering plenty of opportunity for structural variation.
Naturally abundant chromone derivatives contain an array of biological activities.  The ability to prepare differentially substituted chromones in a rapid manner is of great interest in medicinal chemistry.  Reported is a general and divergent synthesis of chromone carboxamides, from easily prepared 2-but-2-ynoyl aryl O-carbamates.  The reaction proceeds by carbamoyl translocation and anionic Fries rearrangement followed by Michael addition of the initially generated cumulenolate for which evidence is provided.  Further metalation and borylation reactions of the synthesized compounds allow the regioselective construction of polysubstituted chromones.

abstract: PhD


title: Factors affecting activities and participation in persons with disabilities - informing models and measures

contributor:
Paterson, Margo
Olney, Sandra
Rehabilitation Science

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subject:
Activities
Persons with disability
Factors
Participation

abstract: Thesis (Master, Rehabilitation Science) -- Queen's University, 2007-10-23 15:54:17.836

abstract:
Purpose- The World Health Organization describes ‘activities’ as what one does, and ‘participation’ as life situations or roles.  This thesis explores and describes important influencers of activities and participation from the perspective of persons with disabilities. It also suggests how to include such information when reporting results of tools measuring activities and participation, so that health professionals working with persons with disabilities might collaborate and communicate more effectively with each other and the people they serve.

Method- The World Health Organization framework of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) was used. Participants with mobility problems living in the community with their disability for a least 1 year were involved in this mixed methods study to gain a broad understanding of how persons with disabilities perceive and experience factors that affect their general and specific activities and participation. Semi-structured interviews guided by categories contained in two standard measures, the Barthel Index (BI), and the Participation Scale (P-scale) were employed, and grounded theory methods were used.  From their responses, relationships between important concepts were used to inform a theoretical model. Upon this framework, relevant important shared factors, derived through combining several methods, were incorporated into reporting tools.

Results- 24 participants identified 258 individual factors. Grounded theory analysis resulted in The Successful Adaptation Model, describing relationships amongst factors and activities and participation. For the BI, devices, home modifications, and treatments were most contributory. For the P-scale, personality, community and home accessibility, level of impairment, mobility aids, and transportation were among the most influential factors.

Conclusion- This study incorporates perspectives of persons with disability into the Successful Adaptation Model, describing factors affecting activities and participation and their interactions. It also suggests a method of reporting important factors in conjunction with standardized measures of activities and participation.

abstract:
Clinical Teachers Association at Queen's University/Southeastern Ontario Academic Medical Association
Queen's University Inter-professional Patient-Centred Education Direction

abstract: Manuscripts contained within the thesis will be submitted for publication

abstract: M.Sc.


title: Their Images, Our Selves: Canadian Print Media's Construction of Feminism Surrounding the Cuts to the Status of Women Canada

contributor:
Goodyear-Grant, Elizabeth
Political Studies

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subject:
Media
Feminism
Status of Women
Feminist Media Theory
Canadian Print Media

abstract: Thesis (Master, Political Studies) -- Queen's University, 2007-10-23 20:03:09.21

abstract:
Media play an important role in transmitting information for citizens in a country as large as Canada. Much of what Canadians know about the larger country comes to them through the media they view. What then, is the information that media carries forward. How do the media depict political movements and political actors who are not politicians?

This thesis explores the implications of media coverage for feminist organizations in Canada, using as a case study media’s response to the cuts to the Status of Women Canada by the Harper government in the fall of 2006. This analysis specifically focuses on the image of feminism created in media and the importance (or lack thereof) communicated by media about such organizations.

abstract: M.A.