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- Resource Type:
- Research Paper
- Creator:
- Pettie, Jasmin
- Abstract:
- The purpose of this study was to explore the question of why women are still so underrepresented in Canadian federal politics and specifically within the Canadian House of Commons despite advances in representation in many other fields. To answer this question a study was conducted using qualitative data obtained from interviews with 17 female Members of the 42nd Parliament of Canada between October 2018 to April 2019. Data collected through these interviews was analyzed qualitatively using a combination of content and discourse analysis to summarize, categorize, and investigate the verbal, written, and behavioural data that was obtained. Findings from this study mostly confirm the findings of previous research with a few key exceptions. New findings from this study include that a more nuanced relationship exists between female MP’s and the media than previously thought; that most of the women who run for office at the federal level have very little or no knowledge of the nomination, candidate, and electoral process before they start; and that a toxic work place culture exists within the House of Commons and this negatively impacts the experience that female MP’s have and is one of the reasons women are more likely to have shorter political terms and leave politics after shorter amounts of time when compared to their male counterparts.
- Date Created:
- 2019-10-16
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- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Creator:
- Aubrey, Scott Bryce
- Abstract:
- Civil-military relations (CMR) theory often holds that internal threat reduces civil control. However, this is not always the case: Turkey, which faced constant internal threats between 1980 and 2016, saw several periods of increasing civil control, particularly under President Özal (1989-1993) and the AKP after 2002. This study proposes that 'competitive securitization' between civil and military authorities explains these disparities in civil-military outcomes. In this framework, internal threat itself does not decreases civil control. Rather, civilian and military agents each 'securitize' internal threats, legitimizing measures that shift the civil-military balance-of-power in their favour. Where military securitization is more successful, civil control decreases, and vice-versa for civilians. This study applies this framework to eight key periods in Turkish CMR between 1980 and 2016. It finds that, with the exception of the early 2000s when EU accession dominated CMR dynamics, 'competitive securitization' provides a strong explanation for changes in Turkey's civil-military balance-of-power.
- Thesis Degree:
- Master of Arts (M.A.)
- Thesis Degree Discipline:
- International Affairs
- Date Created:
- 2019
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- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Creator:
- Lunn, Michaela Olivia
- Abstract:
- Mutations in LRRK2 are linked to three distinct diseases: Parkinson's disease (PD), Crohn's disease, and leprosy. The main pathogenic variant of LRRK2 associated with PD is the p.G2019S mutant, which causes increased kinase activity. Recently, a role for LRRK2 has been implicated in the immune system; however, the exact contribution of the kinase activity in this function remains unknown. We have used mice with a Lrrk2 kinase-dead mutation and three distinct infection paradigms to investigate this role. We demonstrated that in the context of two systemic infection models, Lrrk2 kinase is not required for the host's immune response to control virulent pathogens and may in fact be protective in certain paradigms. Additionally, we have shown that Lrrk2 seems to function predominantly in the periphery rather than the brain, and that the p.G2019S mutation confers a gain-of-function. Taken together, these data will provide important insights into LRRK2 biology and PD pathogenesis.
- Thesis Degree:
- Master of Science (M.Sc.)
- Thesis Degree Discipline:
- Neuroscience
- Date Created:
- 2019
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- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Creator:
- Jalava, Shaela Tulick
- Abstract:
- I examined the impact of an explicit opt-out option on eyewitness identification performance. I predicted that an opt-out option would decrease innocent-suspect identifications more than culprit identifications, and that this effect would be more pronounced when viewing conditions were worse. I randomly assigned participants (N = 2003) to watch either a clear or degraded simulated-crime video. After a brief filler task, participants viewed either a culprit-present or culprit-absent showup and responded either "Yes" or "No". Half of the participants were randomly assigned to have an additional option to respond, "Not Sure". Contrary to my prediction, the not-sure option decreased both culprit (44% to 36%) and innocent-suspect (19% to 14%) identifications; this effect was unaffected by viewing condition quality. Despite empirical evidence and theoretical rationale indicating an opt-out option would improve the culprit and innocent-suspect identification tradeoff, the present results suggest otherwise.
- Thesis Degree:
- Master of Arts (M.A.)
- Thesis Degree Discipline:
- Psychology
- Date Created:
- 2019
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- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Creator:
- Manes, Nimrat Kaur
- Abstract:
- Fusarium Head Blight (FHB) is a devastating disease that affects wheat, barley and other small grain crops. Despite huge economic losses, current measures have not yielded desirable resistance to FHB. Resistance to F. graminearum is quantitative and thus identification of putative transmembrane receptors and signalling components involved in plant immunity will help combat this disease. A reverse genetic screen using 249 T-DNA Arabidopsis mutant plants identified two putative leucine-rich transmembrane localized receptors, RLK7 and APEX and a downstream signalling component RbohF as contributors to FHB resistance. The expression analysis suggested that RLK7 and APEX activated distinct hormone signalling pathways, ethylene and salicylic acid, to mediate the resistance. Our analyses indicated that as an intracellular signalling component, RbohF integrates signals from these hormone signalling pathways to regulate stomatal pore closures, a potential entry point for the pathogen. Overall, our findings identified key genes involved in mediating quantitative resistance to F. graminearum.
- Thesis Degree:
- Master of Science (M.Sc.)
- Thesis Degree Discipline:
- Biology
- Date Created:
- 2019
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- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Creator:
- Al Sharnouby, Mohamed Gamal
- Abstract:
- Safety-critical systems must always have predictable and reliable behavior, otherwise systems fail and lives are put at risk. Even with the most rigorous testing it is impossible to test systems using all possible inputs. Anomaly detection has been proposed as a technique for improving the fault tolerance of safety-critical systems. Past work, however, has been largely limited to behavioral parameter thresholds that miss many kinds of system deviations. Here we propose a novel approach to anomaly detection in fault-tolerant safety critical systems using patterns of messages between threads. This approach is based on techniques originally developed for detecting security violations on systems with UNIX-like system call APIs; here we show that they can be adapted to the constraints of safety critical microkernel-based hard real-time systems. We present the design, implementation, and initial evaluation of tH (thread Homeostasis) implemented on a QNX-based self-driving car platform.
- Thesis Degree:
- Master of Computer Science (M.C.S.)
- Thesis Degree Discipline:
- Computer Science
- Date Created:
- 2019
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- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Creator:
- Rivas Sanchez, Hector Eloy
- Abstract:
- This dissertation explores the political economy of the physical and mental illnesses that the migrant workers experience while living and working under conditions of illegality in Canada's late capitalism. The dissertation is divided into three parts. The first part locates four social determinants of health underpinning the structural vulnerability to which the Latin American undocumented workers are subjected in this particular context. The second part describes the mental and physical health illnesses that the undocumented workers develop while living and working in Canada without authorization, according to the type of industry they work in (1.—Multinational Corporations, 2.—Medium-size local industries and 3.—Underground workers' cooperatives) and to the type of work they do. The empirical evidence illustrates that the undocumented immigrants who work for medium-size local enterprises, those who have been affected by deportability and deportation, as well as those who lost their legal status after being engaged in refugee claimant applications, are more likely to develop the most dramatic forms of physical and mental health diseases, all linked to what is called here "short- term historical trauma." In contrast, undocumented workers who work for underground workers' cooperatives are more likely to report better physical and mental health outcomes. Cooperative labour, free time and social solidarity make this possible. Overall, this thesis indicates that --as explored in part three-- under the social conditions organized by late capitalism, social solidarity and engagement in non-waged cooperative labour constitute social mechanisms by which undocumented migrants can access to forms of refuge, care, solidarity and social recognition that partially emancipate them from illnesses, suffering and social death. This thesis is based on an ethnographic work that I carried out over 24 months in Montreal. During that period of time, I worked side by side with Latin American undocumented workers in slaughterhouses and meatpacking factories, construction and home renovation companies, employment agencies, and as industrial cleaner for multinational corporations, spaces where I carried out direct empirical observation in the points of production and conducted 47 in-depth interviews on illegality, labor and health. I also conducted ethnographic work in hospitals and deportation centers.
- Thesis Degree:
- Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
- Thesis Degree Discipline:
- Sociology
- Date Created:
- 2019
-
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Creator:
- Zhang, Zhe
- Abstract:
- The continuous development of networking technologies and smart devices has led Internet traffic, especially for the multimedia content traffic, to increase drastically both in wired and wireless networks. Similarly, the fast developing of wireless networks, such as 5G, has led the Internet of things (IoT) to be growing at an unprecedented pace. However, the traditional host-centric IP Internet is based on host-to-host communications which is not suitable for satisfying the requirements of content delivery. Hence, information-centric networking (ICN), one of the emerging next-generation Internet paradigms, is proposed to overcome these challenges. With the ubiquitous in-network caching, ICN can facilitate content delivery and reduce network delay. Both 5G and IoT can use the concept of ICN to constitute ICN-5G and ICN-IoT networks respectively. However, the requirements of in-network caching may vary for different networks. This thesis focuses on designing in-network caching approaches for different networks, including pure ICN networks, ICN-5G networks and ICN-IoT networks, from a theoretical perspective and a practical perspective. Both reactive and proactive caching approaches are discussed in this thesis. Moreover, by leveraging the concepts of software-defined networking (SDN) and machine learning (ML), the efficiency of in-network caching can be significantly improved.
- Thesis Degree:
- Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
- Thesis Degree Discipline:
- Engineering, Electrical and Computer
- Date Created:
- 2019
-
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Creator:
- Davletov, Behruz
- Abstract:
- This study explores the relationship between Islam and the Soviet state from World War II to the 1980s. The Spiritual Administration of the Muslims of Central Asia and Kazakhstan SADUM, a centralized Islamic institution in Central Asia, played a key role in this relationship. SADUM represented an attempt to harmonize the contradictory worldviews of Islam and socialism and promote a new vision of Islam to the domestic and international Orient. The Soviet state's interaction with Islam and its institutional basis follow the trend of modernizing Muslim states in the Middle East. Secular states like Turkey and Egypt had been experimenting with modern institutions similar to SADUM to promote state-controlled Islam. SADUM's exchanges with these counterpart institutions from Middle Eastern countries and its domestic role in Central Asia as a religious authority highlight the Islamic image of the Soviet Union.
- Thesis Degree:
- Master of Arts (M.A.)
- Thesis Degree Discipline:
- European, Russian and Eurasian Studies
- Date Created:
- 2019
-
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Creator:
- Russell, Luke
- Abstract:
- This thesis proposes 1) the concept of sensory substitution to provide data extraction from multiple sensors, 2) data analytics approaches in scenarios, and 3) response vectors where rapidly deployable fixed and mobile sensors (such as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles [UAVs] as a flying sensor platform) and emerging human-in-the-loop sensing are used. A "resilience feedback loop" is used throughout to improve each of these approaches. This data can provide actionable intelligence for public safety and critical infrastructure systems. This thesis presents an algorithm called sensory substitution and resilience feedback, which improves situational awareness by solving two key design challenges - limitations on deployment of new infrastructure (sensors), and limited response vectors - using sensors in-place as a source of new information. In Internet of Things (IoT) environments, numerous sensors may be available - although required sensors may not. Sensory substitution can be a solution. To make a system resilient, any smart environment or system should provide redundancies. Sometimes adding hardware/sensors is not possible, so software must simulate other sensors, creating a multi-sensory approach, with a single sensor type. A commonly found measurement system for an application is to use a sensor designed to measure quantity X. In many real-world applications, modification constraints may limit the ability to deploy new hardware. In many cases, a sensor for X is present, though the measurement need is quantity Y. How can a sensor for X act as a substitute for Sensor Y to provide some of the missing information? An agile IoT approach can be a solution. In an effort for additional improvement for increasingly deeper situational awareness, a system called sensory substitution is developed for multiple sensing systems and generalized as part of an Agile IoT approach. However, an Agile IoT system can present privacy and security concerns. With such ubiquitous sensing, seemingly innocuous data could actually "leak" information. Since additional data can be collected with sensors already in-situ, relevant privacy and security implications are discussed.
- Thesis Degree:
- Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
- Thesis Degree Discipline:
- Engineering, Electrical and Computer
- Date Created:
- 2019
-
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Creator:
- Abdulsada, Zainab Kadhim
- Abstract:
- The increasing antimicrobial application of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and copper oxide nanoparticles (CuONPs) in industries has led to significant quantities being released into wastewater and sludge. This has raised significant concerns about their impact on soil biological activities after sludge land application. This thesis evaluates the transformation of AgNPs and CuONPs and their impact on the bacterial community during sludge treatment (anaerobic digestion, chemical conditioning, and lime stabilization) and subsequent land application. Land application of sludge was simulated in the laboratory using soil microcosms over 105 days. Bacterial population and diversity were assessed through examining specific phyla or the overall bacterial composition in the sludge and soil. The results showed that AgNPs in sludge went through dissolution, agglomeration, and surface coating. During sludge anaerobic digestion, AgNPs and CuONPs at 2, 10 and 30 mg/g TS sludge had no significant impact on the overall bacterial community structure at phylum and genus levels. AgNPs and CuONPs also did not significantly impact the biogas generation over time, except for sludge reactor that had higher concentration of CuONPs (30 mg NPs/g TS), which showed significant reduction in biogas generation over time. After applying the anaerobically digested sludge on soil, AgNPs at 20 mg/kg soil had no significant impact, while the concentrations of AgNPs at 300 mg/kg soil and CuONPs at 20 and 300 mg/kg soil decreased the average relative abundance of highly abundant phyla and genera, and lowered the population of the plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) by 10.5, 18, 42 and 41%, respectively, suggesting that CuONPs pose higher toxicity. Sludge chemical conditioning using ferric chloride, alum, and synthetic polymer efficiently removed AgNPs from the aqueous phase and concentrated them in sludge solid. Lime stabilization also removed AgNPs through association with lime molecules and sludge solids. The presence of AgNPs at 2 mg/g TS sludge showed no significant impact on the population of the phyla Acidobacteria, Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, and Proteobacteria in soil that received untreated, conditioned or lime stabilized sludge. This thesis presents important findings that can serve as a foundation for risk assessment of nanoparticles toxicity in soil and potentially plant systems.
- Thesis Degree:
- Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
- Thesis Degree Discipline:
- Engineering, Environmental
- Date Created:
- 2019
-
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Creator:
- Alwattar, Yaser
- Abstract:
- Inverse Visual Question Answering (iVQA) is a contemporary task emerged from the need for improving visual and language understanding. It tackles the challenging problem of generating a corresponding question for a given image-answer pair. Current state-of-the-art iVQA models use the conventional way of representing images by using a convolutional neural network (CNN) to extract visual features. Although some models leverage semantic concepts as an enhancement for the answer cue, they give the same importance weights to these concepts without considering their correlation with the answers. Moreover, the existing iVQA models mainly rely on the conventional recurrent neural networks for question modelling. Nevertheless, the attention-based sequence learning mechanism for question modelling which could help to reduce model parameters remains unexplored. In this research, we address these issues by developing two novel deep multilevel attention models for the task of inverse visual question answering.
- Thesis Degree:
- Master of Computer Science (M.C.S.)
- Thesis Degree Discipline:
- Computer Science
- Date Created:
- 2019
-
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Creator:
- Witte, Thomas Edward
- Abstract:
- Vegetative Incompatibility (VI) can occur when filamentous fungi fuse during the asexual (mitotic) growth phase. In Cryphonectria parasitica, VI is modulated by six vic loci; hyphal fusion between strains that differ at one or more vic loci results in cell death. VI is considered an immune-like response that restricts heterokaryon formation and transmission of deleterious cytoplasmic elements through unknown mechanisms. A transcriptomic analysis of vic3-associated incompatibility identified a set of differentially expressed genes within biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs). Using UPLC-HRMS, we detected significant shifts in secondary metabolite production during vic3 incompatibility. Among these metabolites, HPLC purification and NMR structure elucidation revealed that a new variant of calbistrin is linked to VI-upregulated BGCs, as is a farnesyl-S-oxide analog resembling mating pheromones. Similarly, detection of putative lysophosphatidylcholines and other modified lipids implicates membrane alteration during VI. Together, these findings suggest VI involves synthesis of novel secondary metabolites and complex membrane-associated signaling.
- Thesis Degree:
- Master of Science (M.Sc.)
- Thesis Degree Discipline:
- Biology
- Date Created:
- 2019
-
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Creator:
- Diaz Gonzalez, Stephanie Andrea
- Abstract:
- Folate is an essential water soluble B-vitamin required for the de novo synthesis of purines and dTMP and the synthesis of methionine. Folate intake,, generally folate deficiency, has been associated with CRC and ALL risk. Here, we used the MutaMouse model to determine the mutagenic potential of dietary FA in the colon, and to determine if there is a tissue- and diet-specific effect induced by FA intake in colon and bone marrow. Male mice were fed experimental FA defined diets (deficient, control, supplemented) for 20 weeks from weaning. NGS was used to sequence the lacZ reporter gene and we determined the FA-induce mutation spectra in both tissues. Here, we demonstrated, for the first time, the mutagenic potential of FA-intake, the FA-induced mutation spectra by different FA intake levels and that the mutagenic potential of FA is tissue-specific.
- Thesis Degree:
- Master of Science (M.Sc.)
- Thesis Degree Discipline:
- Biology
- Date Created:
- 2019
-
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Creator:
- Dinh, My Le
- Abstract:
- Sulfolane is an industrial solvent used in a variety of applications. Improper handling, storage, and disposal of pure sulfolane solvent and sulfolane-containing wastes have created contaminated sites. The objective of this research was to investigate the adsorption of sulfolane on a wide variety of adsorbents. In some experiments, the solution consisted of either diisopropanolamine or benzene. It was observed that while the adsorption capacity of GACs and Ambersorb 560 were comparable, the adsorption equilibrium was established much faster on GACs than on Ambersorb 560. The major solutes in groundwater influenced sulfolane adsorption. Additionally, diisopropanol and benzene inhibited sulfolane adsorption. Another objective was to develop a method for the analysis of sulfolane in aqueous solution. The method developed herein is highly reproducible and has a detection limit (MDL) of 30 µg/L, and a quantitation limit (MQL) of 70 µg/L.
- Thesis Degree:
- Master of Applied Science (M.App.Sc.)
- Thesis Degree Discipline:
- Engineering, Environmental
- Date Created:
- 2019
-
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Creator:
- Zhou, Siyu
- Abstract:
- This research introduces novel container performance metrics and proves that these metrics are beneficial in the development of automatic tuning systems. Hadoop and Spark show different patterns in the static and dynamic values of container creation rate, container completion rate, container average response time and relative standard deviation of response-time(RSD). By applying five kinds of machine learning algorithms, container creation rate was found to be the most sensitive metric to identify and classify the workload type at an average accuracy of 83%. RSD can be used to detect workload transitions with an average accuracy of 74%. Our research results will decrease tuning overhead and promote the development of automatic tuning systems.
- Thesis Degree:
- Master of Computer Science (M.C.S.)
- Thesis Degree Discipline:
- Computer Science
- Date Created:
- 2019
-
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Creator:
- Large, Delaney Nicole
- Abstract:
- Due to ubiquitous use of organophosphate esters (OPEs) as flame retardants and plasticizers, they have been found at high concentrations in a variety of environmental media while having low or non-detectable levels in biota, including fish. The exposure and fate of OPEs in fish depends on understanding the toxicokinetics, though studies on OPE metabolism are lacking. A model in vitro microsomal-based metabolism assay for rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) was utilized to investigate OPE metabolism. Metabolic depletion was only noted for 2 alkyl OPEs and formation of corresponding diester metabolites was low, indicating other unidentified metabolites were formed. Comparison with avian and mammalian models showed fish generally had slower and less complete metabolism, illustrating species-specific differences in biotransformation. Structure also influenced OPE metabolism in that bulky, aryl OPEs were not metabolized. These results provide important information of toxicokinetic processes that can affect the exposure and fate of OPEs in rainbow trout.
- Thesis Degree:
- Master of Science (M.Sc.)
- Thesis Degree Discipline:
- Biology
- Date Created:
- 2019
-
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Creator:
- Pirouz Hamidi, Hamideh
- Abstract:
- Two bench-scale biofiltration columns were monitored to examine the influence of water-quality parameters, including pH and alkalinity to enhance drinking water biofiltration efficiency. The biofilters were operated at four pH values with low and high alkalinity levels. Applying a higher pH level of 7.5 compared to 6.0 led to similar total organic carbon (TOC) removal efficiency. Raising the pH to 10.0 resulted in a significantly lower TOC removal efficiency. Increasing pH was also observed to influence ammonia removal significantly such that ammonia removal efficiency improved from 13% at pH 6.0 to 93% at pH 10.0; however, the higher pH was no longer attributed to biological removal but ammonia stripping. The assessment of theoretical oxygen demand revealed that dissolved oxygen (DO) availability was an influential factor in nitrification efficiency. No direct correlation was observed between adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and TOC removal. Overall, pH 7.5 demonstrated optimal biofilter conditions.
- Thesis Degree:
- Master of Applied Science (M.App.Sc.)
- Thesis Degree Discipline:
- Engineering, Environmental
- Date Created:
- 2019
-
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Creator:
- Mallozzi, Andre Skyler
- Abstract:
- Lava tubes are targets for future manned missions on Mars because they offer protection from ultraviolet radiation and meteor impacts. As a contribution to the Astrobiology Training in Lava Tubes project, this project aimed on the characterization and detection of lava tubes at Lava Beds National Monument (LBNM) using electromagnetic (EM) induction and magnetic techniques. Interior EM surveys were successful in characterizing cave floors with different conductivity signatures. The EM data was inverted in 1D to reveal structures in the basaltic bedrock. Forward modelling of magnetic showed that the signature associated with a lava tube is a magnetic low slightly offset from the axis of symmetry. Visual inspection of surface magnetic data did not identify this signature. Inversion of magnetic data showed good fit over the area of influence of a lava tube with one passage. Inversion also identified susceptibility and remanence signatures that could be related to eruption sequence.
- Thesis Degree:
- Master of Science (M.Sc.)
- Thesis Degree Discipline:
- Earth Sciences
- Date Created:
- 2019
-
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Creator:
- Alomary, Ghifar
- Abstract:
- The present research studies La Ceinture of Ahmed Abodehman as a text incarnating the village. Its main focus is the text and the author, and it is divided into three chapters. The first chapter examines the production and the critical reception of La Ceinture. The second presents the theoretical context and the analysis methodology used to read the characteristics of the text. The last chapter analyzes theses characteristics which represent the village. The study ends with a conclusion explaining how La Ceinture preserves the village, shares it and reinvents the world.
- Thesis Degree:
- Master of Arts (M.A.)
- Thesis Degree Discipline:
- French and Francophone Studies
- Date Created:
- 2019
-
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Creator:
- Haider, Syeda Fatima
- Abstract:
- In a constant race to overcome pesticide resistance by pests and pathogens, this research aimed to discover bioactive inhibitory compounds from natural products. I tested extracts from 10 different fungal isolates that were previously shown to have antifungal activity, and 5 commercially available natural products. Assays were developed to test natural products for antibiotic activities against model pathogens and pests including fungi, insects, and molluscs. The objectives of this research were to develop and determine the effectiveness of bioassays, and to identify potentially interesting natural products. Of the 10 fungal isolates tested, reconstituted broths ofPenicillium virgatum,Ramularia vizellae, andTrichodermasp. showed pronounced anti-fungal activity. Further,P. virgatumandTrichodermasp. shows anti-insect activity while broths ofRamularia vizellaeandTrichodermasp. exhibited anti-mollusc activity. A preliminary metabolomic study identified potentially interesting metabolites that requires further investigation to determine the chemical structure(s), mode of action, and other attributes.
- Thesis Degree:
- Master of Science (M.Sc.)
- Thesis Degree Discipline:
- Biology
- Date Created:
- 2019
-
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Creator:
- Amali, Saif
- Abstract:
- The current research study made use of daily diaries and personality assessment to examine academic procrastination behaviour in the everyday lives of university students. Undergraduate students (n = 84) completed self-report measures on trait affect intensity, distress tolerance and emotion regulation difficulties before engaging in ten days of daily diaries. Multilevel regression analyses were used to examine whether within-person variations in the intensity of experienced negative moods and temptations predicted levels of self-reported procrastination behaviour, and whether these relations were moderated by individual differences in affect-related personality traits. As hypothesized, at the day-level of analysis, both the extent of negative affect and the strength of experienced temptations positively predicted levels of academic procrastination behaviour. Contrary to what was hypothesized, none of the affect-related personality traits directly or indirectly predicted procrastination behaviour, except for trait levels of emotion regulation difficulties which positively predicted average levels of daily procrastination behaviour.
- Thesis Degree:
- Master of Arts (M.A.)
- Thesis Degree Discipline:
- Psychology
- Date Created:
- 2019
-
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Creator:
- Hutchinson, Scott
- Abstract:
- This thesis is composed of manuscripts investigating the impact of climate events throughout the past ~2800 years on conditions within the lacustrine environment of Pocket Lake as reflected in changes of diatom assemblage. The first manuscript presented in chapter 2 is composed of a broad, paleoclimatic reconstruction at a resolution of ~20-30 years per sample based on changes in diatom assemblage integrated with geochemical and particle size datasets from the same core. In the second chapter a high-resolution investigation into the impact of the deposition of airfall tephra into Pocket Lake is presented. Together, these studies provide insight into the impact of broader decadal scale climate cycles and instantaneous, episodic events allowing for a more comprehensive understanding of their impact on lakes in sensitive, northern locations. These reconstructions will help inform predications regarding the potential impact of 21st century climate change.
- Thesis Degree:
- Master of Science (M.Sc.)
- Thesis Degree Discipline:
- Earth Sciences
- Date Created:
- 2019
-
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Creator:
- Yadegari, Behzad
- Abstract:
- Blood sterilization systems irradiate blood with Gamma or X-ray radiation to prevent transfusion-associated graft versus host diseases (TA-GvHD).Present day irradiators use tags applied to the blood bags which change color when exposed to radiation of 25 to 50 Gy. This method is neither accurate nor efficient and results in considerable blood wastage.This thesis investigates alternative solutions that are low power, easy to handle, compact and efficient. A floating-gate (FG) metal-oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET) is studied for its application as a radiation sensor. FG MOSFETs have been employed for this application, but never using an RF-CMOS 0.13μm process suitable for RF-ID wireless readout. This work studies device optimization for best possible performance in radiation dosimetry. Devices are fabricated with different layer configurations to see how these affect sensitivity, linearity and power consumption. The final sensor measurements demonstrate a sensitivity of 6.5μA/Gy-1with a maximum power consumption of 37μW.This work also explores novel sub-threshold operation of FG MOSFET sensors for this application. This technique is shown to reduce the power consumption of such sensors, hence improving their figure of merit. Additionally, FG MOSFET devices are configured as an inverter, rather than a stand-alone transistor, to work as radiation sensors. This provides great reduction in the power requirements and is completely novel. These sensors are seen to consume channel current in the range of nA in comparison to μA consumed by the single MOSFET, while providing acceptable sensitivity values. Furthermore, the thesis explores photodiodes as X-ray power harvesting devices which could be provided with the sensor chip itself for a battery-less solution.Finally, an e-fuse RF-CMOS based non-volatile (NVM) memory is realized for tag identification and control in a multi-sensor context. The memory has been tested under irradiated conditions to show its operation in the proposed environment. The results demonstrate the system-on-chip implementation of key components of an electronic blood irradiator system in a small form factor, with ultra-low power consumption. The proposed solution can improve dosimeter accuracy, allow automation of the process, and reduce blood wastage.
- Thesis Degree:
- Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
- Thesis Degree Discipline:
- Engineering, Electrical and Computer
- Date Created:
- 2019
-
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Creator:
- Hassanzadeh, Zahra
- Abstract:
- Data breaches happen when information is accessed by an unauthorized party. They are growing rapidly and becoming a high-impact problem that raises concerns for individuals as well as companies. We explored users understanding of Internet data breaches. We studied 20 participants to explore users' mental models of Internet data breaches, and we analyzed different documents for data breach notifications and news. We found that companies use crisis communication strategies to reduce their reputational damage as well as financial loss. We next conducted a quantitative study of 100 participants in an online. We found that the extracted mental models from our first study cannot be generalized to a bigger public. Our findings of this study regarding the influence of the communication strategies was in line with our second study, and suggest that it affects the users' perception of victimization, attitudes in data protection, and responsibility.
- Thesis Degree:
- Master of Computer Science (M.C.S.)
- Thesis Degree Discipline:
- Computer Science
- Date Created:
- 2019
-
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Creator:
- Chhina, Harinder
- Abstract:
- Increasing international migration has resulted in globalization of the workplace. This study was focused on investigating factors that are potentially related to an immigrant leader's effectiveness in the host nation workforce. Such factors included the state of an immigrant's adaptation to the host nation culture; group members' perceptions of leader group prototypicality and leader stereotypicality; effects of group ethnic diversity; and moderating influence of an organizational climate that is inclusive or otherwise.The data for this quantitative study came from 51 groups, ranging in size from 4 to 9 members, within diverse work settings in the Canadian workplace. The group leaders were first generation South Asians. Using a convenience sample and a cross sectional design, this multilevel data was analysed using mixed model analysis with R.The results indicated that immigrant leaders unanimously chose to fully integrate with host nation culture. Leader group prototypicality and leader stereotypicality were found to be important factors which contributed significantly to individual and group level perceptions of a leader's effectiveness. However, group demographic diversity was not found to be related to follower perceptions of leadership effectiveness. Another significant finding was that perceptions of leader effectiveness were not biased by leader gender. While majority of leaders found organizational climate as being inclusive, this factor was not found to significantly moderate the relationship between follower perceptions of leadership and follower ratings of leadership effectiveness.These findings have important implications for academic scholarship, business landscape, and policy makers. Specifically, this study provides empirical evidence that if immigrants are guided and encouraged to accept and absorb the host nation culture and values, they are a potential resource that can significantly contribute to the human capital of the host nation. Similarly, the negative effects of diversity are minimized in inclusive work environments. Furthermore, the finding that dissimilar leaders in ethnically diverse groups were perceived as group prototypical seems to suggest that the concept of group prototypicality itself has different connotations in varied settings.Keywords:Leadership, Diversity, Relational demography, Organizational climate, Leader prototypicality
- Thesis Degree:
- Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
- Thesis Degree Discipline:
- Management
- Date Created:
- 2019
-
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Creator:
- Clark, Patrick
- Abstract:
- Food sovereignty is a concept that has been popularized by the international coalition family-farmer and peasant organizations, La Via Campesina, or peasant way in English, since the organization was founded in the 1990s. The concept proposes agricultural production and agri-food economies controlled by small producers, understood as family farmers or "peasants", as an alternative to the consolidation of agricultural production. This study analyzes the impacts of the institutionalization of food sovereignty in Ecuador on public policies for agriculture and rural development during the "postneoliberal" government of Rafael Correa between 2006-2016. Drawing on the work of Peter Evans and others on the developmental state, I proposed that in order for this program to be implemented successfully policies for food sovereignty would necessitate the construction of what Evans calls "embedded autonomy" between organizations of smallholder agricultural producers and public institutions. In order to evaluate whether this dynamic emerged under the Correa government I analyze national-level policies and political dynamics and compare three cases of producer organizations at the sub-national level and the impacts of the post-neoliberal government's policies. In each case I analyze the relationship between the organization, national government programs, local governments and the politics of policy implementation considering whether the postneoliberal turn strengthened or hindered these organizations and their respective via campesina strategies. I argue that the Correa government transformed the neoliberal model of rural development interventions dominated by non-governmental organizations through increased public investment and new national programs for agricultural production. However, for the most part, these new post-neoliberal programs undermined the space in which embeddedness between state interventions and rural social organizations could have emerged. The government's rural development policies largely favored conventional agriculture and domestic agri-business firms which incorporated smallholders to produce agricultural commodities. I conclude that the gap between the policy framework for food sovereignty in Ecuador and the actual policies implemented by the Correa government reflect unresolved contradictions within food sovereignty.
- Thesis Degree:
- Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
- Thesis Degree Discipline:
- Political Science
- Date Created:
- 2019
-
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Creator:
- Nabavi, Mohammad-Amin
- Abstract:
- This thesis examines the use of neural network modelling and ordinal logistic regression on a single season of data (2015-16) to score or rank soccer players. These scores and ranks are then compared with ones from FIFA EASports. We also demonstrate the use of association rule mining on one team's data to identify players that are associated with winning (or not winning) a match. Analyses are based on data from the Italian Serie A League 2015-2016 season.
- Thesis Degree:
- Master of Science (M.Sc.)
- Thesis Degree Discipline:
- Statistics
- Date Created:
- 2019
-
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Creator:
- Janevski, Spase
- Abstract:
- The advances in 3D printing technology have an enormous potential to impact how designers learn and develop practical knowledge during the design process. The purpose of this research study was to investigate the potential of 3D printing as a tool for meaningful making. Through investigation of handmade objects and their qualities, this study set out to determine how designers can invent 3D printed objects that make sense to stand alongside handmade objects. Data for the study was obtained using both ethnographic and design research methods, including: an observation, experimental studies and a survey. Results showed that 3D printing has a potential not only to develop meaningful outcomes, but also to drive design processes that make sense to designers. Through engagement and understanding of 3D printing machine, designers can develop not only practical knowledge, but also an understanding of the meaning of their making.
- Thesis Degree:
- Master of Design (M.Des.)
- Thesis Degree Discipline:
- Industrial Design
- Date Created:
- 2019
-
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Creator:
- Deng, Qi
- Abstract:
- The rapid proliferation of social media over the last ten years has revolutionized the way that brands and consumers connect, communicate, and interact with each other. Nowadays, approaching creative brand posts in a way that maximizes consumer engagement has become a growing challenge to social media marketers. This thesis addresses this challenge and aims to understand how to enhance consumer engagement with brand posts on social media through the lens of linguistics. To achieve this goal, three independent but related papers were conducted to 1) investigate how the linguistic styles of brand social media posts influence consumer engagement; 2) examine the interactive impacts of consumer comment valence and brand response language style on consumers' evaluation of brand and their intention for future engagement with the brand; and 3) explore whether and how incorporating emojis in brand social media posts affects consumer engagement with the posts. The findings of this thesis indicate that, for brands, using proper language when communicating with consumers on social media can improve consumers' perceptions of brands and enhance their engagement with brands. The results of this thesis deepen our understanding of the role that brand language plays in influencing consumer engagement on social media as well as provide many practical guidelines for social media marketers regarding the language they use in communicating with consumers on social media.
- Thesis Degree:
- Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
- Thesis Degree Discipline:
- Management
- Date Created:
- 2019
-
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Creator:
- Juma, Hanif
- Abstract:
- PET is one of the most sensitive clinical tools for early detections of small tumours, but its performance is dependent on multiple factors including image quality and human perception. Current methods relying on physical and numerical image quality phantoms are inadequate for evaluating clinical task-based performance, such as limits of lesion detection, due to lack of physiologic realism of the images.In this work, we describe development and validation of the Lesion Synthesis Toolbox, an easy-to-use software to synthetize well-characterized, user-defined lesions in real patient PET data prior to image reconstruction and in corresponding CT images on GE Discovery line of PET/CT scanners.
- Thesis Degree:
- Master of Applied Science (M.App.Sc.)
- Thesis Degree Discipline:
- Engineering, Biomedical
- Date Created:
- 2019
-
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Creator:
- Asfand, Muhammad Ahmed
- Abstract:
- The research study investigates the ways World Design Organization's (WDO) World Design Capital (WDC) programme can improve in incorporating United Nations' Sustainable Development Goal 11 (SDG 11): Sustainable Cities and Communities as part of its design agenda which can help in the sustainable development of cities.
- Thesis Degree:
- Master of Design (M.Des.)
- Thesis Degree Discipline:
- Industrial Design
- Date Created:
- 2019
-
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Creator:
- Fernandez-Escobar, Esteban
- Abstract:
- Despite the growing interest in end-of-life care in Colombia, the concept of hospice care is still relatively new. It is an emerging topic that is controversial and debated due to cultural and societal traditions. The study seeks to find common ground relative to life and death as it tries to redefine and change the perception of death in Colombian society. This thesis is an evolving exploration into conceptualizing and designing a transitional place with spaces that allow for end-of-life care and the acknowledgement of death as a way of generating embodied memories in the city of Medellín. As a guiding principle, the project examines these ideas through elements that are part of the local culture, social construct, and the aesthetic of both the natural and built environment.
- Thesis Degree:
- Master of Architecture (M.Arch.)
- Thesis Degree Discipline:
- Architecture
- Date Created:
- 2019
-
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Creator:
- Burnside, Daniel
- Abstract:
- The highly annotated budding yeastSaccharomyces cerevisiaehas emerged as the primary model for systems biology, the study of how individual cellular components function within the context of a dynamic cellular system. Several genome/proteome-scale tools developed using theS. cerevisiaemodel have produced extensive information on gene function and interaction networks that is stored in publicly accessible databases. Bioinformatic tools can exploit these databases to infer novel biological activity but these predictions must be tested in functioning cellular systems to assess the effectiveness of any method. The work herein uses systems-based computational tools to make predictions on novel protein/gene function that are tested using yeast functional genomic approaches. This thesis describes the development and validation of a new tool to design synthetic binding proteins that bind to and inhibit targeted yeast proteins Psk1 and Pin4 as well as the identification and functional analysis of three yeast DNA repair genes,PSK1,ARP6, andDEF1. Thein-silicoprotein synthesizer, InSiPS successfully engineered two synthetic proteins known as anti-Psk1 and anti-Pin4. This demonstrated the ability of our approach to translate from computational prediction, to a specific biological interaction and importantly, a functionally significant phenotype. Chemical-genetic interaction analysis showed that cells expressing α-Psk1 and α-Pin4 phenocopyΔpsk1andΔpin4mutants and yeast-two-hybrid confirmed binary interactions in vivo whilein vitroassays verify that binding is occurring at predicted loci. Further analysis of the anti-Psk1/Psk1 interaction motif showed strong, specific binding. Psk1 was inferred to participate in yeast non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) repair of double-strand breaks (DSB), an essential DNA repair pathway. Our functional genetic analysis showed thatPSK1is an important novel NHEJ gene that contributes to repair fidelity while appearing to function throughRAD27activity. We also report thatARP6, affects NHEJ through the RSC chromatin remodeling complex. Lastly, we identify new properties of the Def1 DNA repair protein in yeast NHEJ and a physical and genetic interaction between Yku80 and Def1. Together, these findings demonstrate the ability to predict novel gene/protein function using computational tools and expand our understanding of eukaryotic DSB repair.
- Thesis Degree:
- Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
- Thesis Degree Discipline:
- Biology
- Date Created:
- 2019
-
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Creator:
- Wilkinson, Raven-Paige
- Abstract:
- Patois, the unofficial language of Jamaica, has been hybridized since its inception due to the slavery, violence, and subversion that took place during colonialism. It is thus influenced by various cultures, styles, and identities. Over time, its significance surpassed the Caribbean and influenced localities such as the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), which has incorporated many aspects of Jamaican culture and language. As such, this project asks,in what ways is Patois, a language long used to define Jamaican culture, now contributing to cultures in locations abroad, through various processes and connections?Using an online survey and interviews, this empirical project weaves postcolonial thought with cultural studies and personal narratives to provide new insights on Patois' connection to the Toronto community, and what it means for a language to transform significantly throughout space and time. This research contributes a fresh perspective to the wider discourse on modern social and cultural exchange.
- Thesis Degree:
- Master of Arts (M.A.)
- Thesis Degree Discipline:
- Communication
- Date Created:
- 2019
-
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Creator:
- Somers-Neal, Shawn Michael
- Abstract:
- In a reactor core meltdown under postulated severe accidents, the molten material (corium) could be ejected or relocated through existing vessel penetrations (cooling pipe connections). There exists, however, a potential for plugging of melt flow due to its complete solidification, providing the availability of an adequate heat sink. Therefore, a numerical model was created to simulate the flow of corium through an initially empty horizontal pipe. The numerical model was verified using a previously developed analytical model and validated with experimental tests with gallium. Simulations were updated for corium to conduct a sensitivity study on the Reynolds number, thermal conductivity, inlet temperature, and diameter. The study provided insight into the lower bound of the penetration distance, which was found to be 0.384 m, and the upper bound was 1.148 m when predicting the potential penetration length of corium in horizontal pipes.
- Thesis Degree:
- Master of Applied Science (M.App.Sc.)
- Thesis Degree Discipline:
- Engineering, Aerospace
- Date Created:
- 2019
-
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Creator:
- Fraser, Bailey May
- Abstract:
- The purpose of the current study was to examine the influence of olfactory stimuli used as a form of context reinstatement (CR) on eyewitness identification and recall accuracy. Participants (N = 184) attended two sessions. In session one, participants viewed a crime video and then completed the recall task. Participants returned for session two one week later where they completed the recall and lineup task. In each session, participants were randomly assigned to either the scent or no scent condition. A trend was found for a higher correct identification rate and a higher correct rejection rate when encoding and retrieval sessions matched versus mismatched. Scent did not influence the number of descriptors or proportion of accurate descriptors recalled. Overall, the results from the current study suggest that scent may have a minimal influence on eyewitness accuracy when used as a form of CR. Implications and future directions are discussed.
- Thesis Degree:
- Master of Arts (M.A.)
- Thesis Degree Discipline:
- Psychology
- Date Created:
- 2019
-
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Creator:
- Ghanbari Vahid, Shahla
- Abstract:
- As technology is integrated into all aspects of our lives, researchers are working to explore emerging technologies—such as the creation of functional apparel—in the field of fashion design. The substantial growth in the field of functional apparel design—such as the use of smart textiles—encourages researchers and fashion designers to incorporate technology within their designs.Literature shows that the field of interactive fashion design is new and requires interdisciplinary knowledge such as electrical engineering and computer science to be successful. Therefore, we created ready-to-use kinetic fabric samples for designers, to assess how convenient it could be for designers to implement emerging technologies into their designs. We explored this research gap through two preliminary user studies with seven experienced designers. The information gathered from this study could be used to identify design guidelines for kinetic fabric samples that would assist designers incorporating technology in their design.
- Thesis Degree:
- Master of Applied Science (M.App.Sc.)
- Thesis Degree Discipline:
- Engineering, Human-Computer Interaction
- Date Created:
- 2019
-
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Creator:
- Khanizadeh, Ariane-Jade
- Abstract:
- Thin slice studies are studies that examine judgments based on brief exposure to expressive behaviours or still images. One previous study has examined the prediction of outcomes within a law enforcement context from thin slices of a police-public encounter (Suss & Ward, 2012). The present study extends this research by examining how variables - including operational years of experience, training, familiarity with the encounter, confidence in the prediction, and thin slice length - impact prediction accuracy. Participants were asked to predict whether the subject would harm/attempt to harm the officer(s) after each video they viewed. My results demonstrated that more training, greater familiarity, and greater confidence in one's predictions was associated with greater odds of providing an accurate response. Most of these variables' relationships with accuracy disappeared when examining longer thin slices. Finally, specialized police training, years of experience, and familiarity were found to predict greater confidence in one's predictions.
- Thesis Degree:
- Master of Arts (M.A.)
- Thesis Degree Discipline:
- Psychology
- Date Created:
- 2019
-
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Creator:
- Alkadamani, Mohamad
- Abstract:
- This thesis had the objective of determining whether indoor SHF wireless systems can provide the same or greater system capacities as current 2 GHz systems. In the interest of avoiding obstruction losses, the focus was on the use of directive antennas at frequencies above 2 GHz to receive radio signals from reflectors and scatterers that could be stronger than those received over direct Tx-to-Rx antenna paths. Models for indirect path transmission loss, spatial variations, shadowing, and temporal fading were derived from propagation measurements conducted in the 2-30 GHz bands.As a final step, models derived from the propagation measurements were used in multi-user conventional and distributed MIMO system capacity simulations. It was shown that with currently achievable transmit powers and antenna gains and beamwidths, narrow band systems at 18 and 28 GHz can be designed to offer the same or greater capacity as those operating in the 2 GHz band.
- Thesis Degree:
- Master of Applied Science (M.App.Sc.)
- Thesis Degree Discipline:
- Engineering, Electrical and Computer
- Date Created:
- 2019
-
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Creator:
- El Kouzi, Malek
- Abstract:
- The purpose of this thesis is to investigate the role of educational computer games as a tool to help newcomer children adjust socially. One of the tense conditions which the newcomer children face is experiencing difficulties in understanding the right behaviour in the new place of living. We have developed an educational game calledNew Beginningthat sought to help newcomer tweens learn more about selected behavioural issues. The game includes social behaviour advice. The participating children were assigned either to play the computer game or to read a brochure related to the topic. Analyzing the pre and post questionnaires for both game group and brochure group showed that while the brochure found to be easy to read, children found the digital game more useful and enjoyable than the brochure. As such, the study confirmed the potential value of educational games in enhancing newcomer children's social adjustment compared to conventional methods.
- Thesis Degree:
- Master of Information Technology (M.I.T.)
- Thesis Degree Discipline:
- Digital Media
- Date Created:
- 2019
-
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Creator:
- Shegaf, Ali Mohamed Masoud
- Abstract:
- Osteoarthritis (OA) is the leading cause of disability, worldwide. OA leads to breakdown of the articular cartilage (AC), the highly structured tissue that lines the end of bones of the synovial joints. The cartilage cells synthesize and maintain the homeostasis of articular cartilage, a function that is largely influenced by mechanical forces.Mechanobiological studies of cartilage are conducted toward a better understanding of osteoarthritis pathological mechanism. However, the typically applied loading protocols omit the relative surface motion that is essential for cartilage tribological function. Therefore, this work aimed to examine the effects of a more physiological loading mode on cartilage mechanobiological function.Finite element analysis (FEA) was performed to investigate the biomechanical response of cartilage to loading regimes that permits migrating contact area compared to uniaxial cyclic compression. Interstitial fluid pressure was maintained high under sliding contact while it reduced by 20% in cyclic compression model. Also, maximum fluid flow was reduced by 44% in uniaxial cyclic compression where fluid imbibition was limited to a small region near the lateral periphery. Cartilage surface curvature may contribute to cartilage Mechanobiological function by increasing tissue rehydration.Motivated by FE results, two low-cost mechanical testing devices were designed and constructed to allow forin vitromechanobiological experimentation of cartilage. Healthy and degenerated human cartilage samples were subjected to two types of intermittent loading, load-controlled sliding and displacement-controlled unconfined cyclic compression. Changes in biochemical signals that are believed to control chondrocytes functionality were measured. The level of growth factor (TGF-β) was significantly higher in specimen subjected to sliding contact compared to cyclic compression. Also, the level of all measured cytokines and TIMPs was always lower in sliding contact loading mode, although not statistically significant. These results suggest that the sliding contact loading mode does influence chondrocytes anabolic activities.Results obtained from this thesis demonstrate the importance of incorporating realistic loading conditions inin vitromechanobiological testing of cartilage. Findings of this work should contribute to the ongoing research on the role of chondrocytes in OA onset and progression toward developing therapeutic interventions and tissue engineering approaches for OA.
- Thesis Degree:
- Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
- Thesis Degree Discipline:
- Engineering, Mechanical
- Date Created:
- 2019
-
Being Alone with Others: A Unique Form of Social Contact and Its Impact on Momentary Positive Affect
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Creator:
- Sobocko, Karin
- Abstract:
- Social relationships are essential to human well-being. Although people receive the most benefit from interactions with others who are close to them (Reis, Sheldon, Gable, Roscoe, & Ryan, 2000), the need for human contact can also be satisfied through minimal interactions with others (Sandstrom & Dunn, 2014a, 2014b). This dissertation extended the research regarding the benefits of contact with acquaintances by proposing that being alone with others, i.e. being around others without verbally interacting with them, could be an alternative way of satisfying the need for social contact and improving positive affect. In an experience sampling study (N = 453), being alone with others was associated with similar positive (PA) and negative affect (NA), and lower sense of belonging, than being completely alone. Additional results supported existing research associating the best affective outcomes with interactions with close others, and higher positive affect after talking to acquaintances than not talking to them (Sandstrom & Dunn, 2014a). A second study was designed to test: whether merely sharing a space with others produces a higher sense of belonging; whether this belongingness could explain better outcomes of being alone with others compared to being alone; whether effects depend on performing the same task as others. Participants (N = 265) were randomly assigned to watch a pleasant video: alone, together with a confederate, or alone when a confederate was doing something else. I found no differences in the amplification of PA and sense of belonging, or in reduction of NA between the social conditions; however, these outcomes were also not different in the alone condition. Sharing a space with others, regardless of simultaneously performing a task together, did not lead to better outcomes than being alone. Trait introversion-extraversion was also explored, and two main trends were found in both studies: extraverts reported higher PA and sense of belonging than introverts in all situations, and introverts and extraverts reported similar amplifications of affective states in different social and experimental conditions. Overall, both studies revealed that being alone with others was worse for people's affective outcomes and sense of belonging than being completely alone, contrary to hypotheses.
- Thesis Degree:
- Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
- Thesis Degree Discipline:
- Psychology
- Date Created:
- 2019
-
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Creator:
- Peart, Christian
- Abstract:
- Quantifying topographic change in permafrost environments is important because it can provide insight about the loss of excess ice. Ground-based methods that detect change in surface elevation are often applied at individual points rather than over an area, giving rise to questions about their representativeness. Remote sensing methods can overcome this problem, although confounding signals may arise from changing vegetation and microtopography. This study examines the uncertainty of mean elevation measured with a terrestrial laser scanner and with a total station on 28 plots with different surface characteristics in a tundra environment. Observations from terrestrial laser scanning and surveying with a total station are analyzed statistically to reveal confidence intervals for the derived mean elevations. On average, terrestrial laser scanning can detect vertical movements in the centimeter range and the total station method in the low decimeter range.
- Thesis Degree:
- Master of Science (M.Sc.)
- Thesis Degree Discipline:
- Geography
- Date Created:
- 2019
-
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Creator:
- Swaie, Malak Turki Ali
- Abstract:
- This study investigated the purposes and methods of classroom-based assessment (CBA) used by Jordanian English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers in secondary schools and explored their perceptions about assessment for learning. Data were collected through an online questionnaire (n=54) and semi-structured interviews (n=3). The study found that 1) teachers used classroom assessment to achieve various purposes, primarily those related to students' learning; and 2) although teachers used a variety of methods to assess students in reading, writing, listening and speaking, tests were the most frequently used methods. The findings suggest that although teachers were favorably inclined towards assessment for learning, their perceptions might not be aligned with their reported assessment practices. It is hoped that the findings from this study will help raise awareness among Jordanian EFL teachers and educational policy makers about the importance of CBA and the need to develop teacher preparation and professional development programs.
- Thesis Degree:
- Master of Arts (M.A.)
- Thesis Degree Discipline:
- Applied Linguistics and Discourse Studies
- Date Created:
- 2019
-
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Creator:
- Moyes, Carinna
- Abstract:
- Critical period (CP) plasticity in the auditory cortex (A1) is critical for functional brain development and cognitive function. Impaired A1 development during the CP has been implicated in neurological disorders of learning and memory. Here, we explored the effects of early-life stress (ELS) on α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptor (AMPAR) functioning during this CP. ELS was induced at P3-15 in a c-Fos based transgenic mouse model. Using whole-cell patch-clamp recordings, we recorded pyramidal cells in A1 to measure AMPAR function. We found that AMPAR functional maturation is highly correlated to the opening of the A1 CP during normal development. We further identified that ELS selectively activated a subpopulation of A1 pyramidal neurons as evidenced by selective activity-dependent green fluorescent protein tagging. We observed that ELS activated neurons showed enhanced AMPAR functioning compared to non-activated neurons. These results provide a potential synaptic mechanism following exposure to a stressor during a CP of neurodevelopment.
- Thesis Degree:
- Master of Science (M.Sc.)
- Thesis Degree Discipline:
- Neuroscience
- Date Created:
- 2019
-
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Creator:
- Alam, Sajin
- Abstract:
- Fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2) is exclusively expressed by astrocytes and has hypophagic and weight reducing effects. The objective of this study is to further elucidate the role of FGF2 on feeding and energy balance using FGF2 KO animals. Mice were exposed to regular chow or a 60% high fat diet over the course of 6 weeks. We hypothesized FGF2KO animals would exhibit hyperphagia and weight gain, and that this would augment in the presence of a high fat diet. Results demonstrated both WT and FGF2KO animals gained weight similarly and had similar caloric intake when ingesting high fat diet. Carbohydrate expenditure was increased in male KO's and female KO's had increased ambulatory counts during the night phase. Future studies should investigate the effects of stressed FGF2KO animals on HFD and should continue to explore the circuitry involved in energy balance and regulation.
- Thesis Degree:
- Master of Science (M.Sc.)
- Thesis Degree Discipline:
- Neuroscience
- Date Created:
- 2019
-
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Creator:
- Little, Amanda
- Abstract:
- The combination of silver mining and lack of environmental regulations in the early 1900s resulted in a legacy of century-old, arsenic-rich mine tailings around Cobalt, Ontario, Canada. In order to examine the impacts that arsenic has had on aquatic ecosystems in the region, diatom, cladoceran, chironomid, and zooplankton assemblages from lakes along a gradient of surface water arsenic contamination (0.4 - 1,113 µg/L) were sampled. Our results show that present-day arsenic concentration is not a significant driver of biotic community change across the study lakes, suggesting that other variables are more important in the structuring of the biological community in this region. These results suggest that while legacy contamination has greatly increased arsenic concentration beyond the acceptable guideline for aquatic life (5 µg/L), variability in lake morphometry among the study lakes and other environmental factors appear more influential in the structuring of aquatic ecosystems in Cobalt, Ontario, Canada.
- Thesis Degree:
- Master of Science (M.Sc.)
- Thesis Degree Discipline:
- Geography
- Date Created:
- 2019
-
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Creator:
- Yousef, Talia
- Abstract:
- This research compares the socioeconomic realities of indigenous women resisting settler colonialism, such as Palestinian women resisting Israel, and women of varying indigenous nations resisting Canada. The purpose of the research aims to address the socio-economic impact of settler-colonialism on indigenous women as a causal relationship. In doing so, the research addresses factors such as indigenous relationships to land, genocide, and continued mechanisms of systemic oppression and discrimination. This comparative analysis, uses lenses of anti-colonial feminism and marxism, while relying on the academic work of indigenous authors as well as statistical data indicating various measures of socio-economic welfare. The observed outcomes situate the rights of indigenous women at the heart of liberation from settler colonialism, and inversely address settler-colonialism as a key mechanism oppressing the rights of indigenous women.
- Thesis Degree:
- Master of Arts (M.A.)
- Thesis Degree Discipline:
- Political Economy
- Date Created:
- 2019
-
- Resource Type:
- Thesis
- Creator:
- Baglole, John Sebastian
- Abstract:
- Psychopathic traits are typically associated with antisocial and offending outcomes. In contrast, resilience (adaptive functioning despite risks) has been found helpful for pursuing positive outcomes (e.g., desistance). To determine the relationship between psychopathy, resilience, and antisocial or offending outcomes, two studies were conducted using two diverse samples: young-adult university students (N = 488) and youth offenders (N = 1,354). In the student young-adult sample, resilience mediated the relationship between psychopathy and antisocial behaviour. In the criminal youth sample, psychopathy had a stable relationship (i.e., consistent predictive validity) with offending over time; resilience was dynamic, its effect deteriorating over longer periods. Agency-related (internal) resilience was found to be more prevalent in females than males and significantly predicted desistance. This runs counter to relational-cultural theory, given that Social-related (external) resilience did not predict desistance in females. Future research should continue to examine gendered effects of internal and external resilience traits.
- Thesis Degree:
- Master of Arts (M.A.)
- Thesis Degree Discipline:
- Psychology
- Date Created:
- 2019