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  • Quintopolis.

    Resource Type:
    Thesis
    Creator:
    Weir, Scott A.
    Abstract:
    This thesis writes a posthumous manifesto of‘Quintopolis’ (the virtual reconstruction of Sodom in the contemporary gay male ‘city’) through essay, collage and fiction. It is an analysis of gay male identity as evidenced in the gay ghetto, the gay press, and the circuit party, and positions these with reference to the Sodom myth. The essay researches Sodom’s destruction, and investigates notions of nationhood and pilgrimage as they might apply to current gay male culture. The collaged postcards manipulate the visual iconography of gay culture to document an interpretive reconstruction of the virtual city in a series of touristic snapshots. An (auto) biographical collection of the fictional letters of Michael John Villemaire represents an attempt to describe Quintopolis through the form of a travel diary. The aim of this thesis in its entirety is to rewrite the myth of Sodom as a founding moment to a virtual nation.
    Thesis Degree:
    Master of Architecture (M.Arch.)
    Thesis Degree Discipline:
    Architecture
    Date Created:
    2000

  • Visualizing a hypertext narrative.

    Resource Type:
    Thesis
    Creator:
    Fraser, Jennifer
    Thesis Degree:
    Master of Architecture (M.Arch.)
    Thesis Degree Discipline:
    Architecture
    Date Created:
    2000

  • The architecture of war : a conflict generated architecture

    Resource Type:
    Thesis
    Creator:
    Al-Rawi, Reem
    Abstract:
    In cities of conflicts, the damage of war has become the visual common denominator that defines the region of destruction and vulnerability. According to Jonathan Budd, “the term 'Warchitecture' describes the condition of war waged specifically as the destruction of architecture."3 But the visual impact of such destruction is only the first stage in a long series of negative impacts which have social, cultural and humanitarian consequences. When the visual contact, or rather 'touch' with such conditions is made through the remains of destroyed architectural structures, it becomes understandable that it is architecture itself which is then responsible for the renewed existence, or the lack of, necessary elements that each society needs to restore and regenerate itself.
    Thesis Degree:
    Master of Architecture (M.Arch.)
    Thesis Degree Discipline:
    Architecture
    Date Created:
    2010

  • Modifactured : hacking the tools of architectural design

    Resource Type:
    Thesis
    Creator:
    Alford, Janak Babaji
    Abstract:
    This thesis considers the numerous, complex, and sometimes redundant tools of architectural design and attempts to unify them with a hacker approach. A hacker mentality allows one to consider the problems of design from the tools outward. Focusing on the ‘how’ instead of the ‘what’ to design, a hacker reconsiders the existing methods and concepts and recombines them to find new potential. Three hacker projects of architecture are considered: Katalogos, a tool to map and archive Internet media and references, nTerface, a hybrid drawing interface, and the Modifacture Machine, a fabricating instrument. Each ‘toolhack’ flows directly into the next, resulting in a critical practice that incorporates the best of human- and computer-assisted design in a singular process. Hacking the tools of design and manufacturing then becomes a way to reevaluate the looming challenges of energy generation and transportation. The hacker becomes a key individual in a de-globalized world.
    Thesis Degree:
    Master of Architecture (M.Arch.)
    Thesis Degree Discipline:
    Architecture
    Date Created:
    2011

  • Architecture doubt uncertainty.

    Resource Type:
    Thesis
    Creator:
    West, Mark
    Abstract:
    The drawings and accompanying text of this thesis describe a fictional culture (the Cypherians) possessed of an amorphous and indeterminant nature. Through this pretence the inevitable conditions of doubt and uncertainty confront the equally inevitable imperatives of determination and explanation. The charge of the enigmatic is thereby embraced, serving as the foundation for this work which is both descriptive of a condition of being and making, and speculative about its implications for an architecture which shares this same embrace.
    Thesis Degree:
    Master of Architecture (M.Arch.)
    Thesis Degree Discipline:
    Architecture
    Date Created:
    1997

  • Canadian jobs amid a pandemic: examining the relationship between professional industry and salary to regional key performance indicators

    Resource Type:
    Report
    Creator:
    Patsula, Michael, Tran, Christopher, Wang, Christopher, Khalil, Hoda, Dick, Kevin, Melone, Benjamin, Wainer, Gabriel, and Anilkumar, Rahul
    Abstract:
    The COVID-19 pandemic has contributed to massive rates of unemployment and greater uncertainty in the job market. There is a growing need for data-driven tools and analyses to better inform the public on trends within the job market. In particular, obtaining a “snapshot” of available employment opportunities mid-pandemic promises insights to inform policy and support retraining programs. In this work, we combine data scraped from the Canadian Job Bank and Numbeo globally crowd-sourced repository to explore the relationship between job postings during a global pandemic and Key Performance Indicators (e.g. quality of life index, cost of living) for major cities across Canada. This analysis aims to help Canadians make informed career decisions, collect a “snapshot” of the Canadian employment opportunities amid a pandemic, and inform job seekers in identifying the correct fit between the desired lifestyle of a city and their career. We collected a new high-quality dataset of job postings from jobbank.gc.ca obtained with the use of ethical web scraping and performed exploratory data analysis on this dataset to identify job opportunity trends. When optimizing for average salary of job openings with quality of life, affordability, cost of living, and traffic indices, it was found that Edmonton, AB consistently scores higher than the mean, and is therefore an attractive place to move. Furthermore, we identified optimal provinces to relocate to with respect to individual skill levels. It was determined that Ajax, Marathon, and Chapleau, ON are each attractive cities for IT professionals, construction workers, and healthcare workers respectively when maximizing average salary. Finally, we publicly release our scraped dataset as a mid-pandemic snapshot of Canadian employment opportunities and present a public web application that provides an interactive visual interface that summarizes our findings for the general public and the broader research community.
    Date Created:
    2022-06-08

  • Organized labour and the Laurier administration: the fortunes of a pressure group.

    Resource Type:
    Thesis
    Creator:
    Atkinson, William David
    Thesis Degree:
    Master of Arts (M.A.)
    Thesis Degree Discipline:
    History
    Date Created:
    1958

  • An examination of the role of the Board of Transport Commissioners for Canada as a regulatory tribunal.

    Resource Type:
    Thesis
    Creator:
    Wright, Arthur Robert
    Abstract:
    In order to fully comprehend the working of an administrative board or tribunal it is first necessary to establish the principles which form the basis of their operations. The concept of justice and equanimity between parties has come down to us in the form or theory of "a rule of law”. In attempting to examine the role of the Board of Transport Commissioners in so far as it affects railways in Canada the concepts of natural justice and impartiality form the test pattern in the light of which the history, development, and operation of transportation is examined and the procedure, practice and problems of the Board are discussed. An examination of the historical development, character, functions and practices of the Board, bearing in mind the evolution of the transport industry and the requirements of a "rule of law” even in administrative or quasi-judicial bodies, leads to the conclusion that it cannot be described accurately by either "administrative" or "judicial" designations. It is, nevertheless, possible to devise a "rule of law" in the administrative sense. It is the central thesis of this paper that the Board of Transport Commissioners for Canada is a judicial body possessing those aspects of administrative tribunals which are conducive to flexibility and informality in the discharge of its supervisory and regulatory functions.
    Thesis Degree:
    Master of Arts (M.A.)
    Thesis Degree Discipline:
    Public Administration
    Date Created:
    1962

  • The architect as creator of environments: Victor Gruen, visionary pioneer of urban revitalizations.

    Resource Type:
    Thesis
    Creator:
    Azrieli, David J.
    Abstract:
    This thesis will examine the social considerations which underlie Victor Gruen’s approach to urban planning and design. Known as the creator of the modern enclosed shopping mall, Gruen’s efforts were also concentrated in the revitalization and redevelopment of a number of cities and towns. Gruen’s work is of particular interest because of its social component: his consideration for the human condition and his desire to improve man’s quality of life through the design of multi-functional architecture. The requirements of the eventual "user" were, therefore, of the utmost importance and Gruen’s feasibility studies employed multi-disciplinary teams in attempting to fulfil "user" needs. Gruen’s ideal urban core positioned the commercial center as the core’s focal point, serving as a catalyst for economic and recreational activity. His vision was modern equivalent of the European market square, drawing great numbers of people for the dual purpose of commercial and social exchanges.
    Thesis Degree:
    Master of Architecture (M.Arch.)
    Thesis Degree Discipline:
    Architecture
    Date Created:
    1997

  • Aptamer Technology for Diabetes and Co-Morbidities

    Resource Type:
    Thesis
    Creator:
    Ferguson, Madison Quinn
    Abstract:
    Given that the number of people who are diagnosed with diabetes continues to rise at an alarming rate, there is a pressing need for therapeutic interventions that are either more efficient or potentially curative. Furthermore, comorbidities such as kidney failure, thrombosis, thyroid dysfunction, Alzheimer's disease, and an increased risk of severe illness from common viral and bacterial infections are more likely to occur in people who have type 2 diabetes. The advancement of nanotechnology may lead to the diagnostics and therapies that could improve the survival and quality of life of patients with diabetes. Aptamers are oligonucleotides that have the ability to bind to a particular target with a high degree of specificity as well as affinity. Systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (SELEX) is an in vitro evolution method that is responsible for the generation of aptamers. It has been shown that aptamers may function as medicines, diagnostics, theragnostics, targeted delivery vehicles, responsive materials and more. This work examines the application of aptamers to diabetes and related comorbidities. The selection and preliminary characterization of aptamers able to interact with Islet amyloid polypeptide (IAPP), a potential causative factor in the development of type II diabetes, are described. An aptamer-based diagnostic for the acute kidney failure biomarker neutrophil gelatinase lipocalin protein is also developed. An aptamer-modified janus nanoparticle system is investigated as a potential theragnostic for thrombosis that could combine photothermal therapy and magnetic resonance imaging. Finally, aptamers for the spike protein component 2 of SARS-CoV2 and a database for aptamer selection experiments are briefly described.
    Thesis Degree:
    Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
    Thesis Degree Discipline:
    Chemistry
    Date Created:
    2022

  • Using Bipartite Matching and Detection Transformers for Document Layout Analysis Transfer Learning

    Resource Type:
    Thesis
    Creator:
    Wilson, Joshua Randy
    Abstract:
    Business documents represent useful information which could benefit from automatic interpretation. The task of document layout analysis seeks to identify and localize semantic structures in documents. Contemporary techniques approach this as a strictly visual task. However, recent progress in Natural Language Processing (NLP) has enabled the incorporation of language information. Multimodal techniques have been proposed for the task of document layout analysis. These models make use of region based object detection techniques which require defining surrogate tasks such as region proposals and non-max suppression. This thesis presents LayoutLMDet, a multimodal layout analysis model. LayoutLMDet approaches object detection as a direct set prediction task as described in "End-to-End Object Detection with Transformers". Using bipartite matching, LayoutLMDet removes the need for surrogate tasks, simplifying implementation. Leveraging a pretrained transformer encoder, LayoutLMDet is able to achieve a mean average precision of 49.5 on the DocLayNet test dataset. A qualitative comparison of LayoutLMDets performance on the DocBank dataset highlights the impact of data selection.
    Thesis Degree:
    Master of Applied Science (M.App.Sc.)
    Thesis Degree Discipline:
    Engineering, Electrical and Computer
    Date Created:
    2023

  • Valuable Materials, Invaluable Relationships: Exploring Indigenous Culture and Sovereignty Through Moose and Caribou Hair Tufting in the NWT

    Resource Type:
    Thesis
    Creator:
    Wenzel, Abra
    Abstract:
    Moose and caribou hair tufting is an important Subarctic women's artform in the Mackenzie Valley, Northwest Territories. However, tuftings and tufters have historically been identified following non-Indigenous ideologies rooted in colonialism and capitalist values, resulting in labels such as "craft", and "artisan", that are difficult to change. This practice has undervalued, if not dismissed, Indigenous artists, their artistry and by and large their art. This dissertation takes a multi-sited approach using archival records, museum objects, and interviews with tourism shop employees, and especially with tufting artists to elucidate the complex ways artists have employed their art to traverse cultural borders. In tracing the history of tufting, I discuss how women have used their artistry as acts of agential resistance to re-assert their own cultural and place-rooted relationships and meanings in the face of centuries of colonial violations. The central objective of my research is to make clear the dimensions of significance engaged with in hair tuftings by Dene, Métis, and Inuvialuit artists. I show how important values such as skill, landscape, and culture are a connected whole that is embodied within each tufting. A second objective is to uncover how important Indigenous values were and continue to be impacted by colonization. In my early chapters, I explain how Western values were imposed on Indigenous peoples and livelihoods. Thus, the Indigenous values attached to artistic making were regarded as inferior as viewed through Western critics' lenses. Third, I discuss the ways tufters have used their creations as sites of sovereignty to continuously negotiate and challenge colonial endeavors and carry these vital knowledges and values into the future. A critical outcome of this research has been the deconstruction of the colonial spaces that have silenced Indigenous peoples and their textile creations. Here I have offered a revisionist narrative that is informed by artists, Elders, and community members to provide a critical understanding of the multiplicity of values that are essential to Indigenous societies. Finally, this dissertation reflects on my positionality as an anthropologist and highlights to importance of "listening" as a methodology.
    Thesis Degree:
    Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
    Thesis Degree Discipline:
    Anthropology
    Date Created:
    2023

  • Bring on the Apocalypse: Nostalgia and Tragedy in Hugo Santiago's Aquilea

    Resource Type:
    Thesis
    Creator:
    Rojas Anaya, Daniel
    Abstract:
    Hugo Santiago's films about the apocalypse of the fictional city of Aquilea work as an allegory to Argentina's blood bath during General Onganía's and General Videla's dictatorships (1966-1983). Invasion (1969) and The Sidewalks of Saturn (1985) portray an obsessive nostalgia that motivates the character's ideological performance of memento mori and pro patria mori. These tropes perpetuate a tradition that I have coined as the defeated defender myth, which expresses the glorification of the willingness to self-sacrifice as a heroic act and is reminiscent of the Argentine emblematic gaucho-martyrs tradition. Thus, philosopher Steve Rose's model of suicide (2015) contributes to understanding the influence of nostalgia and future nostalgia in enforcing the major and minor phenomenological forces that shape these tragic identities. Ultimately, this thesis finds that this romanticization of self-sacrifice illustrates Hugo Santiago's project of constructing an insurrectionary national identity that conversely practices a murderous cult of memory.
    Thesis Degree:
    Master of Arts (M.A.)
    Thesis Degree Discipline:
    Film Studies
    Date Created:
    2023

  • A Web Based Architecture to Operationalize Geospatial Simulation Environments

    Resource Type:
    Thesis
    Creator:
    St-Aubin, Bruno
    Abstract:
    Simulation is inherently multi-disciplinary. It requires knowledge about the system under study, expertise in simulation theory to define models and programming skills to implement models. Geospatial simulation requires an additional layer of expertise in topology, geospatial data structures, spatial analysis, computational geometry, and other related topics. Commercial modeling and simulation software can be used to provide an environment to facilitate simulation studies for users. However, these software tend to be narrowly scoped to specific business applications and tightly couple model and simulator. As such, it is difficult to expand their usage and reuse them outside of the application domain they were intended for. The Discrete Event System Specification (DEVS) is a modular and hierarchical simulation formalism that clearly separates the model, simulator and experiments. It can be used break down the disciplinary silos within which single-use simulators are built and allow users to study real-world systems from a broad range of application domains. In this research, we present an architecture that facilitates the operationalization of DEVS based, geospatial simulation environments in multidisciplinary projects. The architecture relies on a clear definition of roles and responsibilities to leverage the different skillsets in an organization. It considers a series of business processes for modelers, subject matter experts, web developers and end users. It relies on a web-based architecture to provide simulation as a service capability and support users across the entire simulation lifecycle. It seeks to democratize DEVS simulation by making use of the strengths and skills available in larger organizations and by providing the necessary tools for collaboration. Importantly, it preserves key features of DEVS (genericity, modularity, flexibility, etc.) and encourages users to follow best practices in model documentation to foster model reusability and improve model discoverability. It relies on modeling and simulation as a service to overcome technological barriers of entry for DEVS simulation and provide a set of reusable tools to design simulation-based, web applications for end users.
    Thesis Degree:
    Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
    Thesis Degree Discipline:
    Engineering, Electrical and Computer
    Date Created:
    2023

  • A Retrospective Longitudinal Study of Federally Incarcerated Men Eligible for Intermediate Mental Health Care: A Description of Services and Short-Term Outcomes

    Resource Type:
    Thesis
    Creator:
    Petropoulos, Amanda
    Abstract:
    Intermediate care units have been proposed to meet the needs of incarcerated individuals with moderate mental health needs. Few studies have examined their profiles, and nature and effectiveness of interventions received. In the current study, the profiles of 295 incarcerated men in Canadian federal institutions were examined. File reviews were conducted over a 12 month period to extract treatment information as well as assess changes in number of incidents of self-harm, attempted suicide, overdose, and violence, and mental health needs. Coarsened exact matching and descriptive analyses revealed differences in the profiles across three treatment levels (mental health care delivered in: intermediate care units, treatment centres or mainstream institutions); roughly 30% improvement on all outcomes was observed across the groups. Overall findings highlight the need to further explore how best to meet the needs of incarcerated individuals assessed with moderate mental health needs, as this remains important for future management.
    Thesis Degree:
    Master of Arts (M.A.)
    Thesis Degree Discipline:
    Psychology
    Date Created:
    2023

  • Exploring Latent Biometric Constructs in a Model Predicting Mental States of Aviators

    Resource Type:
    Thesis
    Creator:
    Pejemsky, Anya Danilovna
    Abstract:
    Single-crew aircraft persistently have a high accident rate; these accidents are associated with high mental workload (MWL). The aviation industry would benefit from a passive MWL monitoring system that would predict flight performance. Passive biosensors offer an economical and non-intrusive method for indexing MWL. Many studies have overemphasized tonic data while ignoring phasic data. The present study explores the viability of a phasic data centered model in indexing MWL to predict flight performance. The study had non-pilots fly a simulator. Cardiovascular and epidermal data, objective and subjective MWL states, subjective reports of simulator sickness, and a variety of flight performance indicators were measured. The data were decomposed into several components to build formative latent variables that were pruned based on an objective MWL measure to then predict flight performance measures. The results indicate that phasic components explain more variance in flight performance than objective and subjective MWL and tonic data.
    Thesis Degree:
    Master of Arts (M.A.)
    Thesis Degree Discipline:
    Psychology
    Date Created:
    2023

  • A Comprehensive Solution to Predict Short-term and Long-term user Intention with Environmental Context

    Resource Type:
    Thesis
    Creator:
    Zhang, Hang
    Abstract:
    Prediction of user intention is an important task in business intelligence and analysis. Our research divides user intention into short-term and long-term, corresponding to the first purchase and repurchase scenarios respectively. To model short-term user consumption intention prediction, we present a comprehensive solution based on extracting user sequence behavior features and computing user different types of interest scores. At the same time, we take environmental context into consideration to explore the occurrence environment of user behavior. To detect long-term intention, we use a combined topic modeling method to extract aspects from user reviews with an unsupervised method. Our research builds a HGNN and RGCN using sentiment polarity, aspects, and items as nodes and edges of the graph neural network. This method entirely considers the close relation between user sentiment polarity change and item features, and the solution shows good performance when compared with the baseline model in the experiments.
    Thesis Degree:
    Master of Information Technology (M.I.T.)
    Thesis Degree Discipline:
    Digital Media
    Date Created:
    2023

  • Space Architecture and the Development of a Martian Habitat using Computational Design

    Resource Type:
    Thesis
    Creator:
    Zerrad, Yakine
    Abstract:
    Living in space is a subject that attracts the attention of many researchers, astronomers, entrepreneurs, and engineers because it allows the development of new technologies that will be available to humanity in the future. The idea of living beyond the earth is now connected to the planet of Mars, reaching which has become possible, and according to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, humans can make the journey to Mars; the problem is related to money. The aim of my thesis is to enable students and other interested parties to acknowledge the three points of computational design, space architecture, and the planet Mars to help them to better understand the subject before moving to the design of the Mars habitat, called Z habitat. Moreover, through a series of workshops, I have created a framework that use Rhinoceros 3D and Grasshopper to design a habitat for Mars.
    Thesis Degree:
    Master of Architecture (M.Arch.)
    Thesis Degree Discipline:
    Architecture
    Date Created:
    2023

  • Differential Introgression Between the Northern and Southern Extents of the Lodgepole x Jack Pine Hybrid Zone Suggests Environmentally-driven Selection and Local Adaptation.

    Resource Type:
    Thesis
    Creator:
    Yaremchuk, Danya Daria
    Abstract:
    Lodgepole and jack pine form a mosaic hybrid zone in western Canada. Introgression occurs between lodgepole and jack pine through this hybrid zone by repeated backcrossing with advanced generation hybrid progeny. Using environmentally-associated SNPs identified by redundancy analyses, we examined patterns of introgression between the northern and southern extents of this hybrid zone to identify differential introgression. Through genomic cline analyses, we found extensive introgression of these SNPs through the hybrid zone. Twenty-eight SNPs had significantly different patterns of introgression between the northern and southern extents. Fine-scale patterns revealed several SNPs that were introgressing more frequently than expected, suggesting adaptive introgression. We found that adaptive introgression is occurring more frequently in the northern hybrid extent compared to the southern hybrid extent, suggesting different environmental pressures. Using gene annotations and major allele frequency maps, we identified evidence of differing environmental pressures resulting in putative local adaptation within this hybrid zone.
    Thesis Degree:
    Master of Science (M.Sc.)
    Thesis Degree Discipline:
    Biology
    Date Created:
    2023

  • Simulating 3D Tailings Dam Breach With Thixotropic Bifurcation Rheology using the Material Point Method

    Resource Type:
    Thesis
    Creator:
    Xia, Xuexin
    Abstract:
    Mining is a booming industry and it indirectly involves everyone living in modern society. Tailings, the primary solid waste generated as the side effect of extracting valuable minerals, often require vast facilities to store the large quantity of waste. Failure of tailings storage facilities often causes significant damage both environmentally and economically, and frequently results in fatalities. Nowadays numerical simulation of tailings flows resulting from potential failures has become widespread in practice to assist the design of tailings storage facilities. In this thesis, tailings runout simulations are attempted using a numerical method suitable for large deformation analysis (Material Points Method) employing an advanced rheological model. This study aims to simulate the runout of tailings dam breach incident such as Merriespruit in South Africa using realistic geotechnical properties and producing results that fulfill the expectations from both geo-mechanical and hydrodynamical requirements.
    Thesis Degree:
    Master of Applied Science (M.App.Sc.)
    Thesis Degree Discipline:
    Engineering, Environmental
    Date Created:
    2023

  • Early life programming of neurodevelopment and growth: understanding nutritional, inflammatory, and placental contributions in complex pregnancies

    Resource Type:
    Thesis
    Creator:
    White, Marina
    Abstract:
    There is substantial evidence to show that inadequate nutrition in the periconceptional, pre- and post-natal periods can profoundly influence developmental and health trajectories of the embryo, fetus, and infant. However, improved knowledge on how nutritional factors may exacerbate, or lessen, suboptimal fetal and infant outcomes in pregnancies complicated by additional adversities is needed. To help address this knowledge gap, two core projects were undertaken to investigate relationships between perinatal nutritional factors (at the molecular, individual, and household levels), the placenta, and fetal or infant neurodevelopment and growth in: 1. pregnancies carrying a fetus with a neural tube defect (NTD), and 2. pregnancies affected by maternal HIV infection. In the first population, we show for the first time that fetal NTDs associate with placental maldevelopment and dysfunction, evidenced by an increased risk of placental pathologies and dysregulation in fundamental placental gene networks, including nutrient transport. Several dysregulated placental gene networks in fetuses with NTDs were sensitive to multiple nutrients, emphasizing the need for research to expand beyond a folic acid-centric view to identify new targets for NTD prevention and improve outcomes in fetuses with NTDs. In the second population, we found that infants who were exposed to maternal HIV infection and antiretroviral therapies in early life are susceptible to the adverse effects of suboptimal nutritional exposures both pre- and postnatally, evidenced by poorer growth outcomes in infants exposed to HIV and household food insecurity. We also found that there is potential for early life nutritional factors to be leveraged to improve outcomes in these infants. An integrated understanding of how nutritional exposures at the molecular, individual, and household/community levels contribute to fetal and infant programming in children exposed to suboptimal prenatal environments is key for developing interventions to improve developmental trajectories and lifecycle health globally.
    Thesis Degree:
    Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
    Thesis Degree Discipline:
    Health Sciences
    Date Created:
    2022

  • Analysis of Open-Source Data in Wind Power Prediction Modeling

    Resource Type:
    Thesis
    Creator:
    von Zuben, Elizabeth Lynn
    Abstract:
    As identified in the 2021 IPCC AR6 WGIII report, wind energy has a high potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The deployment of wind energy, however, has fallen behind its potential in part because of the need for improved wind power predictions. This thesis combines historical power production data, meteorological station data, reanalysis data, and numerical weather prediction output data (WRF model) to determine the optimal combination of data sources and variables for wind power prediction using a random forests model. A study then further evaluates reanalysis data and methods of bias correction for this type of data, to improve power predictions at 52 wind farms across Canada using power curve and machine learning methods. Recommendations are proposed for: the use of data sources and important input variables; the utility of global reanalysis data sources by terrain features; and the utility of bias correction methods for downstream wind power prediction.
    Thesis Degree:
    Master of Applied Science (M.App.Sc.)
    Thesis Degree Discipline:
    Engineering, Mechanical
    Date Created:
    2022

  • Unveiling Macrophage-Biofilm Interactions: Implications for Cellular Metabolism and Wound Healing

    Resource Type:
    Thesis
    Creator:
    Versey, Zoya
    Abstract:
    Chronic wounds are challenging to treat, prolong hospitalization, and may lead to infection and/or amputations. Bacterial biofilms impair wound healing and promote a low-grade inflammatory response. Macrophages are chronically activated in a pro-inflammatory state and are unable to promote tissue repair. It is unclear the macrophage-biofilm interactions that drive this persistent pro-inflammatory activation. In this study, we found that treatment of bone marrow-derived macrophages with conditioned medium from single-species biofilms of Staphylococcus aureus or Pseudomonas aeruginosa resulted in different patterns of mitochondrial reprogramming and inflammatory responses. S. aureus induced a low-grade inflammatory response, associated with a transient reprogramming of the mitochondria. Alternatively, P. aeruginosa induced a hyperinflammatory response associated with sustained mitochondrial reprogramming. Both SA and PA treatments induced terminal reprogramming towards sustained inflammation in macrophages. Our findings imply that secreted factors from biofilms of different species alter mitochondrial function to rewire macrophages to promote prolonged inflammation in chronic wounds.
    Thesis Degree:
    Master of Science (M.Sc.)
    Thesis Degree Discipline:
    Health Sciences
    Date Created:
    2023

  • Ontario youth workers' discourses on overrepresentation of Indigenous youth in the criminal legal system

    Resource Type:
    Thesis
    Creator:
    Venczel, Elizabeth
    Abstract:
    In an age of reconciliation, following the TRC's recommendations and the work of activists, the issue of Indigenous youth overrepresentation in the criminal legal system is being problematized more than ever. Although the use of incarceration towards criminalized youth has decreased since the adoption of the YCJA which emphasizes diversion, the overrepresentation of Indigenous youth has increased. This thesis explores the discourses and experiences of youth workers in Ontario in order to understand their perspectives on the problem of overrepresentation, focusing particularly on the critical role of the police in filtering in or out criminalizable youth. Although the youth workers interviewed in this project identify many contemporary issues in the policing of Indigenous youth, their discourses reveal the limits of attempts to tackle the problem of overrepresentation through reforms of criminal legal frameworks and institutions.
    Thesis Degree:
    Master of Arts (M.A.)
    Thesis Degree Discipline:
    Legal Studies
    Date Created:
    2023

  • Human Factors in Drone Delivery of Automatic External Defibrillators for Out of Hospital Cardiac Arrest: Older Adult Considerations

    Resource Type:
    Thesis
    Creator:
    Tierney, Lauren Jamie
    Abstract:
    Automatic External Defibrillators (AED) delivered by drone have the potential to improve survival rates of Out of Hospital Cardiac Arrests (OHCA) due to earlier access to defibrillation. There is a lack of user-centred, and older adult-focused research in this area. The present study evaluated the perceptions and interactions of older adults with a drone delivered AED operation to identify human factors considerations that may enable the design development of a more inclusive and accessible drone delivered AED service. A Drone Bystander Centred Design Framework (DBCD) was developed and informed design concepts for key service touchpoints, including the drone, the drop mechanism, AED packaging, and dispatch communication. Results from this study provide novel insight into older adult characteristics and how they may relate to this emerging service model, older adults' service experience of a simulated drone delivered AED, as well as cognitive, psychographic, sensory, perception, and movement control considerations.
    Thesis Degree:
    Master of Design (M.Des.)
    Thesis Degree Discipline:
    Industrial Design
    Date Created:
    2023

  • Quantitative Assessment of Teleworking on Energy Consumption and Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions

    Resource Type:
    Thesis
    Creator:
    Simon, Sharane
    Abstract:
    Teleworking offers various socioeconomic benefits to society, but its environmental impact remains poorly understood. Using eleven participants from Ottawa, Canada, a year-long pilot study was designed and implemented to quantify energy usage and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in three domains: home office, transportation, and information and communications technology (ICT). The results show that transportation and home heating and cooling account for >94% of the energy associated with teleworking. Home office equipment, lighting, and ICT account for the remaining 6%, with an insignificant impact on GHG emissions (<2%) due to the low-carbon electricity grid. The results indicate teleworking will likely result in a net reduction in energy use and GHG emissions compared to conventional working arrangements due to reduced daily commute, especially when employees travel long distances to their company offices via personal vehicles. However, teleworking's net impact is highly variable, dependent on personal choices, routines, purchasing decisions, and household structure.
    Thesis Degree:
    Master of Applied Science (M.App.Sc.)
    Thesis Degree Discipline:
    Engineering, Building
    Date Created:
    2022

  • Towards a More Inclusive Museum: Developing Multi-Sensory Approaches to the Visual Arts for Visually Impaired Audiences

    Resource Type:
    Thesis
    Creator:
    Berube, Patricia
    Abstract:
    This thesis investigates the contribution of multi-sensoriality to the understanding and appreciation of two-dimensional artworks, such as drawings or paintings, by people with visual impairments. This exploratory study was conducted from a disability studies perspective, in which the researcher's role was that of a facilitator and the participants were experts of their own experience. This participatory action project draws on interdisciplinary research practices in several interrelated fields, including accessibility and disability studies, blindness studies, anthropology of the senses, tactile perception and haptics, and translation studies. Previous research focused primarily on initiatives to translate visual arts into tactile content to make them accessible to people with visual impairments. The present study contributes to multi-sensory initiatives for the low-vision and blind community, drawing on research findings of sensory museology and cognitive psychology to deepen our knowledge about multi-sensory translation. Data collected from three rounds of individual interviews and one co-design session with visually impaired participants was examined using a qualitative methodology. A thematic analysis was developed to inform design decisions and identify barriers to inclusion in art museums. The study also included the co-creation of multi-sensory translations of Franklin Carmichael's painting In the Nickel Belt (1928) and Outport Icon #2 (2001-2002) by Duncan de Kergommeaux. The broader findings of this study provide evidence to support the notion that touch and hearing can play a valuable role in conveying the nature of art to visually impaired visitors, giving them greater autonomy in their interpretation. This study challenges the long-standing tradition of museums relying on vision as the only acceptable sense through which visitors can access visual arts. While further work may be needed to assess the degree of equivalence between experiencing a painting through sight and accessing it through touch and hearing, this project establishes a foundation for further research and initiatives pertaining to the implementation of anti-ocularcentric approaches in museums. Keywords: Accessibility, Anti-ocularcentrism, Blindness, Co-design, Mediation, Multi-sensory, Museums, Museology, Painting, Visual arts, Visual impairments, 3D printing.
    Thesis Degree:
    Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
    Thesis Degree Discipline:
    Cultural Mediations
    Date Created:
    2023

  • No Decision About Us Without Us: Informing Rare Disease Policies in Canada with the Lived Experiences of Patients and Families with Rare Genetic Lysosomal Storage Diseases

    Resource Type:
    Thesis
    Creator:
    Khaddouj Awada, Nahya
    Abstract:
    Canadians born with rare diseases (RDs) experience a myriad of challenges as they navigate the healthcare system to access lifesaving drugs and related services. Canada lags behind other advanced industrialized countries in implementing a comprehensive national strategy to manage RDs and facilitate access to drugs for rare diseases (DRDs). The existing provincially managed system for accessing DRDs is fragmented, uneven, and uncoordinated. It is not reflective of patient experiences but rather aggravates patient challenges, including delayed access to treatment and inconsistent decision-making for drug coverage. The central purpose of this dissertation is to understand how lived experiences of RD patients can inform health policy and the healthcare system to improve RD care. Drawing from semi-structured interviews with RD (lysosomal storage diseases) patients and their families and a review of policy documents, this dissertation uncovers four major challenges encountered by RD patients beyond gaining access to DRDs. These include 1) difficulty in obtaining a timely correct diagnosis; 2) lack of coordinated, efficient, and holistic patient care; 3) lack of consideration of patient voice in decision-making processes; and 4) difficulty in navigating the healthcare system due to stigmatization. This dissertation also finds that the patchwork of programs that govern access to DRDs in Canadian provinces has been ineffective and has failed to support patients in receiving timely and equitable access to DRDs. The above factors demonstrate the necessity for a comprehensive national strategy for RDs that goes beyond an orphan drug framework and addresses the holistic needs of the patient population. Patients and families must be centrally included in the continuum of care and the policymaking process. Such a framework empowers people affected by RDs and reduces their marginalization and exclusion. This dissertation fills important gaps in the existing literature. It delivers important data and insights 1) by collecting extensive, hitherto unavailable, experiential data from RD patients and their families by bringing their unique voices to the policy table; 2) by making patient-centered recommendations for the proposed national RD strategy; and 3) by offering a structured patient engagement framework in the RD sector to meaningfully engage RD patients in decision-making.
    Thesis Degree:
    Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
    Thesis Degree Discipline:
    Public Policy
    Date Created:
    2023

  • Green Space, Physical Activity, and Complete Mental Health: Evidence from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging

    Resource Type:
    Thesis
    Creator:
    Forget, Genevieve
    Abstract:
    Bioecological theory (Bronfenbrenner, 1979) suggests that local green space and physical activity may be associated with complete mental health; however, evidence is mixed. Mixed findings may be attributable to the different operationalizations of variables and/or covariates that have been used. The current study used specification curve analysis to assess the robustness of associations between green space, physical activity, and complete mental health among middle-aged and older adults. Data came from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging and the Canadian Urban Environmental Health Research Consortium (n = 28,635). Green space and physical activity did not interact in most instances. Main effects of green space were mixed (49.71 - 75.26%), and median effect sizes were small (β = -0.016, 0.025). Main effects of physical activity were robust (89.47 - 97.22%), and median effect sizes were small (β = -0.036, 0.036). Results highlight that specification decisions influence the strength of associations between variables.
    Thesis Degree:
    Master of Arts (M.A.)
    Thesis Degree Discipline:
    Psychology
    Date Created:
    2023

  • A System for Bounding the Execution Cost of Web Assembly Functions

    Resource Type:
    Thesis
    Creator:
    Shortt, John
    Abstract:
    WebAssembly is a programming language and virtual machine architecture that allows code to be executed in any environment that implements a WebAssembly runtime. WebAssembly has been formally specified using an abstract syntax, and a soundness proof of this specification has been written and mechanized. We build on this to create a system that determines a bound on the runtime cost of a WebAssembly function. We show that for a broad class of real-world programs this cost can be computed efficiently and we develop a software tool called WANALYZE that does so. The software tool is comprised of a set of algorithms that perform a series of transformations on the raw WebAssembly bytecode into forms that are more suitable for analysis. We test WANALYZE against a suite of programs of varying size and complexity and find that WANALYZE is able to successfully analyze over 99.9% of the functions in these programs.
    Thesis Degree:
    Master of Computer Science (M.C.S.)
    Thesis Degree Discipline:
    Computer Science
    Date Created:
    2023

  • Exploring Accessibility and Companionship in Boardgames via Alexa

    Resource Type:
    Thesis
    Creator:
    Karim, Saman
    Abstract:
    The inaccessibility of rulebooks hinders the rule learning experience of boardgame players who are blind or low vision (BLV). We explore the design of conversational agents (CAs) to support players' learning needs and provide companionship by conducting two qualitative studies. In study 1, 14 boardgame players who are BLV first identified their rule learning challenges and co-designed desired social and functional characteristics of CAs to combat these challenges. Based on these findings, we developed a CA using Amazon Alexa and 9 players who are BLV evaluated our CA in study 2. Our findings generated five design principles for CAs to support boardgame rule learning: conciseness, ease of navigation, customization, supplementary features, and social characteristics. These principles guide designers and researchers in exploring the novel design space. Our research also demonstrates the feasibility of our method for conducting accessible remote co-design and evaluation with participants who are BLV.
    Thesis Degree:
    Master of Computer Science (M.C.S.)
    Thesis Degree Discipline:
    Computer Science
    Date Created:
    2023

  • The Role of Terraces in the Inca Empire

    Resource Type:
    Thesis
    Creator:
    Jensen, Philip D.
    Abstract:
    This thesis assesses the theoretical and empirical evidence that would support the proposition that terraces played a number of important roles in the Inca empire. The Incas borrowed and developed much more extensively, practices and statecraft from earlier Andean civilizations. Although the Incas relied on their predecessors, they also advanced their own distinctive statecraft which tied together ideology and practical means to grow and manage the empire. Terrace use and construction by the Incas were both more sophisticated and served several purposes beyond those in earlier civilizations. This paper finds little evidence that Wittfogel's hydraulic society theory was applicable to the Inca empire but is more persuaded that Andean spirituality, ideology and terrace use had natural links to aspects of Actor Network Theory. Important roles terraces played in the Inca empire included: economic, political, scientific, architectural, support to the military and state administration, aesthetic/ornamental, ecological, and spiritual.
    Thesis Degree:
    Master of Arts (M.A.)
    Thesis Degree Discipline:
    Anthropology
    Date Created:
    2023

  • Anisotropy and Non-coaxial Behaviour of Sand Along Different Strain Paths

    Resource Type:
    Thesis
    Creator:
    Selvarajah, Premnath
    Abstract:
    Anisotropic characteristics of granular soil, consolidated to various initial stress states, were evaluated under generalized strain paths using hollow cylinder torsional shear tests. Fraser River sand samples prepared by water pluviation were subjected to isotropic and anisotropic consolidation stresses and sheared under undrained con- ditions along specific strain paths characterized by constant intermediate principal strain parameter (𝑏𝜀) and various fixed principal strain directions (𝛼𝜀). A series of tests along different inclinations of the major principal strain with respect to the vertical depositional direction permitted an assessment of the interaction between principal strain directions and fabric. A decrease in strain hardening tendency is ob- served as the major principal strain aligned towards the bedding plane. Considering different levels of anisotropic consolidation stresses also allowed a detailed examina- tion of how initial static shear affects the responses. In particular, generated principal stresses and their direction, as well as the pore pressure responses, were closely exam- ined. Novel findings, that highlight range of intermediate principal stress parameter (𝑏𝜎) associated with the undrained plane strain condition, and the interaction be- tween 𝑏𝜎 and 𝑏𝜀 during shearing are presented. It was found that 𝑏𝜎 systematically decreases with shear strain in constant 𝑏𝜀 tests. The 𝑏𝜎 value in plane strain tests (𝑏𝜀=0.5) was found to be in the range of 0.2 to 0.4 depending on the loading path, and the stage of shearing. The relationship between principal stress directions and plastic-strain increment directions was assessed to identify the nature of plasticity in the material. In order to ensure confident assessment of non-coaxiality, total strain was decomposed into elas- tic and plastic strain. The existence of non-coaxiality in Fraser River sand (FRS) was observed when the sand was subjected to undrained shear at fixed principal strain di- rections that do not coincide with the fabric axis of symmetry. Non-coaxiality was not observed when the principal directions of stress/strain coincided with the fabric axis of symmetry. It was also noticed that irrespective of the initial condition, the degree of non-coaxiality reduces with increasing shear strain. The influence of initial fabric and principal strain direction on the degree of non-coaxiality was analyzed in detail. Test results show that irrespective of initial condition, the degree of non-coaxiality reduces as the principal strain direction aligns towards the bedding plane direction. The degree of non-coaxiality in FRS at the phase transformation (PT) state and the effect of intermediate principal stress on non-coaxiality were also examined. Different values of degree of non-coaxiality at PT state indicate that the phase transformation state can not be thought of as a good representation of the critical state even though the friction angle at phase transformation has been found to be similar to that at the critical state. The results revealed that the non-coaxial behaviour of soil is also influenced by the intermediate principal stress parameter (which could alternatively be represented by the Lode angle). The influence of non-coaxiality on stress-dilatancy of sand was investigated under generalized loading conditions, and it was found that the effect of non-coaxiality on stress-dilatancy characteristics of the sand was influenced by its initial fabric anisotropy. The effect of non-coaxiality in stress-dilatancy relationship has been investigated within the theoretical framework developed by Gutierrez and Ishihara (Gutierrez and Ishihara, 2000, Soils Found., 40(2):49–59) and Gutierrez and Wang (Gutierrez and Wang, 2009, Granul. Matter, 11(2):129–137) who extended the Rowe’s stress-dilatancy relation to the non-coaxial conditions. Our research study verifies this framework beyond its original context of 2D simple shear tests.
    Thesis Degree:
    Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
    Thesis Degree Discipline:
    Engineering, Civil
    Date Created:
    2023

  • Factors Affecting Axial and Lateral Load Transfer of Hollow Fibre-Reinforced Polymer Piles In Soft Clay

    Resource Type:
    Report
    Creator:
    Lowry, Kelly
    Abstract:
    The growing interest in the long-term performance of pile foundations and their ability to resist the negative effects of water exposure and aggressive soils has led to considering non-corrosive materials such as fibre-reinforced polymer (FRP). The most common applications are light-bearing structures in waterfront environments, while applications for larger structures have not been widely accepted in industry due to the lack of long-term records and design guidelines available. Previous research has primarily focused on the load transfer of concrete-filled FRP tubes—making it difficult to quantify the performance of FRP as a piling material on its own. In this study, a numerical model using the finite element method was developed to simulate small-scale load tests of hollow carbon-fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP) and glass-fibre reinforced polymer (GFRP) piles in soft clay. Verification of the model was attained using results from axial and lateral load tests on small-scale hollow CFRP and GFRP piles and pile-soil interaction was modelled using experimental data from interface shear tests conducted at Carleton University. A parametric analysis was performed to investigate and determine the key factors that influence the axial and lateral load response of hollow FRP piles. The findings of this research indicate that the number of FRP layers impacts loading behaviour significantly, while inner tube soil height has a reasonable influence on axial load response and fibre orientation has a minor effect under lateral load conditions.
    Date Created:
    2022-12-23

  • Research Publications

    Digital Collection
    Description:
    Articles, book chapters, working papers, reports, and other research works by members of the Carleton University academic community.
    0Collections
    421Works

  • Ice Island and Iceberg Fluxes from Canadian High Arctic Sources

    Resource Type:
    Report
    Creator:
    Crawford, Anna, Copland, Luke, Mueller, Derek, and Van Wychen, Wesley
    Date Created:
    2023-02-22

  • The emerging technology collection at Carleton University Library: supporting experiential learning in the university curriculum

    Resource Type:
    Poster
    Creator:
    Cross, Emma
    Abstract:
    The emerging technology collection at Carleton University is a successful collaboration between the Library, Discovery Centre for Undergraduate Research & Engagement and Information Technology Services. Starting with a pilot project in Jan. 2015, the collection now provides access to over 40 pieces of technology equipment for loan. The poster will discuss benefits and challenges associated with this project and the value of shared Library space for the development and delivery of an innovative new service. Conference poster presented at the Ontario Library Association SuperConference on Friday February 3, 2017.
    Date Created:
    2017-02-03

  • Threshold Concepts for Teaching Information Literacy in the Classroom

    Resource Type:
    Poster
    Creator:
    Tudin, Susan
    Abstract:
    Poster presented at the Teaching & Learning Symposium, Carleton University, May 11, 2016
    Date Created:
    2016-05-11

  • Research can be fun!: Recruiting future students by showcasing Library resources at Carleton

    Resource Type:
    Poster
    Creator:
    Tudin, Susan and McLeod, Margaret
    Abstract:
    A 9 person team of library specialists taught 10 half-day mini sessions to 15 students during the week of May 3-7, 2010 and explored different areas of the MacOdrum Library’s collection that incorporated innovative, academic research techniques. Poster presented at the Canadian Library Association National Conference. Ottawa: May 30-June 2, 2012.
    Date Created:
    2015-05-30

  • Report on the State of Alternative Energy in the Arctic

    Resource Type:
    Report
    Creator:
    Keyte, Lawrence, Dufresne, Vincent, Mallett, Alexandra, Cherniak, David, and Schott, Stephan
    Abstract:
    This report provides a contemporary snapshot of domestic energy usage in Canada’s Arctic (spanning Yukon in the west to Nunatsiavut in the east) with a focus on how Northern jurisdictions meet their electricity and space heating needs. Specifically, the research team investigated the role of alternative energy options, including the governance, policies and financial analysis of these sectors. The team also examined the emerging field of energy conservation and efficiency measures, which have featured prominently in recent years. The report also examines eight case studies from across Canada’s Arctic regions, which represent a cross-section of northern alternative energy and energy efficiency technologies, including both public and privately-driven projects. Each case study includes a project description, objectives and drivers, the role of policy, and a description of barriers, outcomes, success factors and lessons learned. The case studies are divided into five operational case studies, describing projects already constructed and producing renewable heat or power, or reducing demand-side energy loss, and three forward-looking case studies, representing projects still under active development. The report concludes with suggested areas for research and policy recommendations regarding energy system planning, financial policy, and education, engagement and collaboration, in the Canadian Arctic context.
    Date Created:
    2015-09-21

  • Exhibits and Events at MacOdrum Library: A Practical Guide

    Resource Type:
    Other
    Creator:
    Draayer, Ingrid
    Abstract:
    This guide combines the knowledge gathered during my long career coordinating the Carleton University Library exhibits program and my recent sabbatical research on exhibits and events in academic libraries. Between 1983, when I was hired as Exhibits Librarian at Carleton University Library, and 2002, when the Library had little space available for exhibits and I became Head of Access Services, I was responsible for running the Library’s exhibits program. After the latest renovation to MacOdrum Library was completed in the Fall of 2013 and included dedicated space for exhibits, I was once again asked to coordinate and produce exhibits for the Library. During my 2014/2015 sabbatical I investigated the current state of exhibits and events in academic libraries through literature and Web searches and site visits to a number of universities. The end result is this guide, which I hope is both practical and inspirational.
    Date Created:
    2015-09-10

  • Branding History at the Canadian Museum of Civilization

    Resource Type:
    Article
    Creator:
    Aronczyk, Melissa and Brady, Miranda J.
    Abstract:
    In October 2012, the Canadian Heritage Minister announced that the Canadian Museum of Civilization, the country’s largest and most popular museum, would be renamed the Canadian Museum of History. In addition to the new name, three strategies—a strategy of engagement, a strategy of authority, and a strategy of expansion—were elaborated by museum and government officials as part of the transformation. We examine these three strategies as an example of the Harper government’s attempt to “brand” Canadian identity and history in its own image, arguing that the strategies were designed expressly to paper over near-unilateral changes in the museum’s mandate and transformation. Ultimately, these changes have problematic implications for the democratic management of cultural production in Canada.
    Date Created:
    2015-09-01

  • University Biology Patrons in the Library Literature 2000-2010: A Content Analysis & Literature Review

    Resource Type:
    Article
    Creator:
    Newton Miller, Laura
    Abstract:
    The researcher conducted a content analysis and literature review of papers written from 2000-2010 that focused on university biology students, faculty, and their papers. Scholarly articles were divided into the library research domains. The largest number of papers was from the Education domain, followed closely by Collections. Only two papers were categorized as Reference/Enquiries, and no papers were found in Management and Professional Issues. This research will enable science librarians to better understand what has already been written about biology subjects in a university setting. Gaps in the literature can help other librarians who are interested in pursuing more research with biology subjects.
    Date Created:
    2011-10-16

  • Labour Costs for Inventory Control Less Expensive than Repurchasing [Evidence Summary]

    Resource Type:
    Other
    Creator:
    Newton Miller, Laura
    Abstract:
    Review of article describing an inventory system that was created within the library and to show the cost-effectiveness of using the inventory system compared to the price of reacquiring mis-shelved books.
    Date Created:
    2010-10-16

  • NAT Traversal in Peer-to-Peer Architecture

    Resource Type:
    Report
    Creator:
    Daigle, Alexandre, Poulin, Marc-André, Maldague, Lucas Rioux, and Gagnon, François
    Abstract:
    Peer-to-peer networks are well known for file sharing between multiple computers. They establish virtual tunnels between computers to transfer data, but NATs makes it harder. A NAT, Network Address Translation, is a process which transforms private IP addresses, such as 192.168.2.1, into public addresses, such as 203.0.113.40. The idea is that multiple private addresses can hide behind a single public address and thus virtually enlarge the number of allocable public IP addresses. When an application in the local network establishes a connection to Internet, the packet passes through the NAT which adjusts the IP header and maps an external port to the computer which sent the request. When packets are received from the Internet by the NAT, they are forwarded to the internal host which is mapped to the port on which the packet was received, or dropped if no mapping exists. In this paper, we will introduce you to NAT and P2P, we will discuss the numerous ways NATs use to translate private IP addresses into public ones, we will discuss known techniques used to fix the problem and we will also present how popular peer-to-peer programs bypass NATs. This paper is written so anybody with a reasonable knowledge of networking would grasp the essentials. It is important to keep in mind that the traversal methods presented in this document work for UDP and TCP and require no manual configuration of the Network Address Translator itself.
    Date Created:
    2012-10-30

  • Entropy, triangulation, and point location in planar subdivisions

    Resource Type:
    Article
    Creator:
    Langerman, S., Morin, P., Dujmovic, V., Iacono, J., and Collette, S.
    Abstract:
    A data structure is presented for point location in connected planar subdivisions when the distribution of queries is known in advance. The data structure has an expected query time that is within a constant factor of optimal. More specifically, an algorithm is presented that preprocesses a connected planar subdivision, G, of size n and a query distribution, D, to produce a point location data structure for G. The expected number of point-line comparisons performed by this data structure, when the queries are distributed according to D, is H' + O(H^{1/2}+1) where H'=H'(G,D)$ is a lower bound on the expected number of point-line comparisons performed by any linear decision tree for point location in G under the query distribution D. The preprocessing algorithm runs in O(n log n) time and produces a data structure of size O(n). These results are obtained by creating a Steiner triangulation of G that has near-minimum entropy.
    Date Created:
    2013-02-25

  • The "Xochimilco model" for managing irregular settlements in conservation land in Mexico City

    Resource Type:
    Article
    Creator:
    Wigle, Jill
    Abstract:
    Mexico City has long been known as one of the world’s largest mega-cities. Although, the city’s growth rates have slowed since the 1980s, this process is not manifested evenly in spatial terms. Peripheral municipalities continue to grow at higher rates, including those municipalities in the southern part of the Federal District that contain its remaining conservation land. This growth is largely, but not exclusively, driven by the ongoing search for housing among lower-income households in the form of irregular settlement. Over time, this incremental pattern of settlement expansion has fragmented conservation land and impaired its ecological functioning. Given their role in land use planning with the reintroduction of elected local governments in the Federal District in 1997, this situation has placed municipalities quite literally at the ‘‘frontlines” of this planning and sustainability challenge. This paper examines the approach for managing land use regularization processes related to irregular settlement in conservation land adopted by the municipality of Xochimilco in its 2005 urban development plan, with reference to the experience of a specific case study community. Based on a series of interviews with residents and planning officials, the paper documents the highly-negotiated nature of ‘‘normative” planning that focuses on mitigating the impact of settlement in the conservation zone rather than stopping it completely. Given the enormous social pressures to access land for housing, the paper concludes that realistic efforts to preserve the remaining conservation land must involve a more comprehensive approach that better integrates environmental and social equity issues within and among municipal and upper-levels of government.
    Date Created:
    2010-04-17

  • Social Relations, Property and 'Peripheral' Informal Settlement: The Case of Ampliación San Marcos, Mexico City

    Resource Type:
    Article
    Creator:
    Wigle, Jill
    Abstract:
    This article explores the complexities of informal urbanisation at the metropolitan periphery of Mexico City through a case study of Ampliación San Marcos, a former agricultural area on the city's south-eastern periphery. While the physical annexation of small towns and their environs is a common feature of Mexico City's growth, the settlement of Ampliación San Marcos is more accurately described as a two-pronged process involving the extension of a nearby pre-Hispanic town and the expansion of Mexico City itself. The case study shows that the rural periphery of Mexico City is no tabula rasa upon which urban growth simply 'takes place', rather, settlement processes are influenced by longstanding in situ social relations and practices related to property. The paper highlights the importance of considering the relationships among social relations, property and informal settlement for understanding the complexity of metropolitan growth and change in large cities such as Mexico City.
    Date Created:
    2009-03-01

  • Information Management in the Canadian Federal Government: Principles, Practices and the Role of Information Professionals

    Resource Type:
    Report
    Creator:
    Stricker, Ulla de and Jordan, Isla
    Abstract:
    Information management (IM) in the Canadian public sector is a complex area involving many professions such as librarians, archivists, records managers and information technology professionals. This exploratory study looks at the literature and experiential (qualitative) evidence from IM professionals in order to paint a picture of information management principles and practice in the Canadian federal government. Personal interviews were conducted with 20 librarians, information managers, records managers and other information professionals. Responses indicated that although the public sector has made tremendous strides in IM, there is often a gap between IM policy and practice as shown by inconsistencies and confusion in day to day operations compounded by the decimation of federal libraries (which are repositories of external as well as government information). The study also looks at roles of librarians and other IM professionals now and in the future. These professionals are well positioned to help close the gap between information policy and practice, moving forward toward more coordinated and integrated practices in information management as well as making information accessible and usable for their clients. Such functions aid the Canadian public sector in becoming a more effective knowledge organization.
    Date Created:
    2013-04-02

  • Personal Learning Environments (PLEs): Ecologies for building student capability for lifelong learning

    Resource Type:
    Report
    Creator:
    Renon, Flavia
    Abstract:
    The purpose of this working paper is to examine the role of Personal Learning Environments (PLEs) in higher education. This information will serve as a framework to inform a study of PLE use at Carleton University.
    Date Created:
    2013-04-30

  • Self Portraits: The Cinemas of Canada since Telefilm.

    Resource Type:
    Book
    Creator:
    Loiselle, Andre and McSorley, Tom
    Date Created:
    2006-01-01

  • Quebecus Horribilis: Theatricality, the «Moment of Horror» and Quebec’s «Satanist» Cinema.

    Resource Type:
    Article
    Creator:
    Loiselle, Andre
    Abstract:
    In their book, Grand-Guignol: The French Theatre of Horror (2002), Richard J. Hand and Michael Wilson argue that horror plays performed at the Théâtre du Grand-Guignol from the late 19th century to the theatre’s closure in the early 1960s generally oscillated in style between realism and melodrama. The former would prevail during most of the drama, as the “normal” narrative would unfold, until the “moment of horror” when the tone would switch drastically to melodramatic dread. This article argues that a similar shift operates in Quebec horror films, especially those films that deal with Satanism. At “moments of horror,” these films replicate the theatricality of stylized melodrama, breaking with the realism of secure normality. The shift from realism to theatricality is all the more unsettling in French Canadian horror films that Quebec cinema has traditionally tended towards realism and has generally avoided the “fantastique”. This break from the realist tradition of Quebec cinema parallels the films’ break from French Canada’ religious tradition, as moments of horror coincide with moments of blasphemy. Looking at three Quebec “Satanist” films from the past thirty-five years (Le Diable est parmi nous, The Pyx, and Sur le seuil), the author identifies elements of montage and mise-en-scène that represent instances of cinematic theatricality, where the set, the cinematography, the editing, the actor’s gestures and speech, through theatrical artifice, stand out as aberrations within the realistic, Catholic milieu depicted on screen.
    Date Created:
    2008-03-20

  • Publishing Graduate Student Research in Geography: The Fundamentals

    Resource Type:
    Article
    Creator:
    Tudin, Susan and Ballamingie, Patricia
    Abstract:
    This paper offer practical advice on publishing graduate student research within the discipline of geography, addressing the following questions: why, when, where, what, how and with whom? Section 'The paper chase' delineates the importance of publishing, identifies potential material to publish, suggests venues in which to publish and offers pragmatic advice on how to negotiate the publishing process (with regards to peers, supervisors and editors). Section 'In library resources' discusses the effective use of library resources, demystifies the significance of impact factors and elucidates the history of Open Access publishing.
    Date Created:
    2013-09-18

  • Assessment Practice in Canadian University Libraries: Survey Results

    Resource Type:
    Report
    Creator:
    McKenna, Julie and Jordan, Isla
    Abstract:
    Accountability and data-informed decision-making are increasingly important for Canadian public institutions such as governments and universities. Canadian university libraries also appear to be placing more emphasis on evaluating and assessing their services and products. To discover more about the current assessment culture in Canadian university libraries, in 2007 Isla Jordan from Carleton University and Julie McKenna from the University of Regina conducted an online survey of services assessment practices in Canadian university libraries. The goals of this project were to gain a sense of assessment practices within the libraries and to provide a baseline for future comparisons and research into services assessment practice. Results showed that survey respondents were at different stages in assessing a variety of services and products. Respondents indicated that their libraries intended to increase their assessment activities in the future, particularly the LibQUAL survey.
    Date Created:
    2013-09-30

  • The Paradoxical Nature of the Canadian Identity

    Resource Type:
    Article
    Creator:
    Nimijean, Richard
    Date Created:
    2005-02-01

  • Athermal silicon waveguides with bridged subwavelength gratings for TE and TM polarizations

    Resource Type:
    Article
    Creator:
    Ibrahim, Marc, Janz, Siegfried, Cheben, Pavel, Xu, Dan-Xia, Schmid, Jens H., Ma, Rubin, Aleali, Alireza, Lamontagne, Boris, Bock, Przemek J., Lapointe, Jean, Densmore, Adam, and Ye, Winnie N.
    Abstract:
    In this paper, athermal silicon waveguides using bridged subwavelength grating (BSWG) structures are proposed and investigated. The realization of temperature-independent BSWG waveguides for both polarizations is demonstrated numerically and experimentally. SU-8 polymer is used as the cladding material to compensate for the positive thermo-optic (TO) coefficient (dn/dT) of silicon. We investigate the dependence of the effective TO coefficient of BSWG waveguides on both the bridge width and grating duty cycle. The BSWG waveguides have a width of 490 nm, a height of 260 nm, and a grating pitch of 250 nm. Athermal behavior is achieved for both the transverse-magnetic (TM) and the transverse-electric (TE) polarized light for a variety of bridge width and duty cycle combinations. Furthermore, the BSWGs can be designed to be athermal for both TE and TM polarization simultaneously.
    Date Created:
    2012-07-30

  • Explicit and implicit issues in the developmental cognitive neuroscience of social inequality

    Resource Type:
    Article
    Creator:
    D'Angiulli, Amedeo, Lipina, Sebastian J., and Olesinska, Alice
    Abstract:
    The appearance of developmental cognitive neuroscience (DCN) in the socioeconomic status (SES) research arena is hugely transformative, but challenging. We review challenges rooted in the implicit and explicit assumptions informing this newborn field. We provide balanced theoretical alternatives on how hypothesized psychological processes map onto the brain (e.g., problem of localization) and how experimental phenomena at multiple levels of analysis (e.g., behavior, cognition and the brain) could be related. We therefore examine unclear issues regarding the existing perspectives on poverty and their relationships with low SES, the evidence of low-SES adaptive functioning, historical precedents of the “alternate pathways” (neuroplasticity) interpretation of learning disabilities related to low-SES and the notion of deficit, issues of “normativity” and validity in findings of neurocognitive differences between children from different SES, and finally alternative interpretations of the complex relationship between IQ and SES. Particularly, we examine the extent to which the available laboratory results may be interpreted as showing that cognitive performance in low-SES children reflects cognitive and behavioral deficits as a result of growing up in specific environmental or cultural contexts, and how the experimental findings should be interpreted for the design of different types of interventions—particularly those related to educational practices—or translated to the public—especially the media. Although a cautionary tone permeates many studies, still, a potential deficit attribution—i.e., low-SES is associated with cognitive and behavioral developmental deficits—seems almost an inevitable implicit issue with ethical implications. Finally, we sketch the agenda for an ecological DCN, suggesting recommendations to advance the field, specifically, to minimize equivocal divulgation and maximize ethically responsible translation.
    Date Created:
    2015-08-21

  • Forging A Template for Undergraduate Collaborative Research: A Case Study

    Resource Type:
    Article
    Creator:
    Graham, Debra, Couchman, Ronald, and Hempstead, Janet
    Abstract:
    Undergraduate collaborative research is highlighted in many university initiatives; how-ever there is a lack of exemplars in disciplines that do not employ the scientific method. “Pop Music Reviews” was an attempt to forge a template for Women’s and Gender Stud-ies. This paper presents a description of the pilot project and provides qualitative assess-ments by the first- and second-year students, fourth-year teaching assistant (TA), refer-ence librarian, and professor. Together, the appraisals indicate that there are two different but equally necessary components for a successful collaborative research endeavour: the structural setting and the social and emotional environment. In both these components, there were weaknesses in the areas of planning and background training. Yet, the benefits as perceived through the experiences of the various participants were significant. Report-ed gains included increased understanding of research processes and applications, en-hanced critical thinking skills, expanded disciplinary knowledge, improved student moti-vation and confidence, greater interest in graduate studies, and the fostering of collegial interactions and mentoring.
    Date Created:
    2012-09-09

  • Vividness of visual imagery and incidental recall of verbal cues, when phenomenological availability

    Resource Type:
    Article
    Creator:
    Zakizadeh, Jila, Runge, Matthew, Faulkner, Andrew, D'Angiulli, Amedeo, Morcos, Selvana, and Chan, Aldrich
    Abstract:
    The relationship between vivid visual mental images and unexpected recall (incidental recall) was replicated, refined, and extended. In Experiment 1, participants were asked to generate mental images from imagery-evoking verbal cues (controlled on several verbal properties) and then, on a trial-by-trial basis, rate the vividness of their images; 30 min later, participants were surprised with a task requiring free recall of the cues. Higher vividness ratings predicted better incidental recall of the cues than individual differences (whose effect was modest). Distributional analysis of image latencies through ex-Gaussian modeling showed an inverse relation between vividness and latency. However, recall was unrelated to image latency. The follow-up Experiment 2 showed that the processes underlying trial-by-trial vividness ratings are unrelated to the Vividness of Visual Imagery Questionnaire (VVIQ), as further supported by a meta-analysis of a randomly selected sample of relevant literature. The present findings suggest that vividness may act as an index of availability of long-term sensory traces, playing a non-epiphenomenal role in facilitating the access of those memories.
    Date Created:
    2013-01-02

  • Adaptive Plasticity in Wild Field Cricket’s Acoustic Signaling

    Resource Type:
    Article
    Creator:
    Fitzsimmons, Lauren P., Harrison, Sarah J., Thomson, Ian R., and Bertram, Susan
    Abstract:
    Phenotypic plasticity can be adaptive when phenotypes are closely matched to changes in the environment. In crickets, rhythmic fluctuations in the biotic and abiotic environment regularly result in diel rhythms in density of sexually active individuals. Given that density strongly influences the intensity of sexual selection, we asked whether crickets exhibit plasticity in signaling behavior that aligns with these rhythmic fluctuations in the socio-sexual environment. We quantified the acoustic mate signaling behavior of wild-caught males of two cricket species, Gryllus veletis and G. pennsylvanicus. Crickets exhibited phenotypically plastic mate signaling behavior, with most males signaling more often and more attractively during the times of day when mating activity is highest in the wild. Most male G. pennsylvanicus chirped more often and louder, with shorter interpulse durations, pulse periods, chirp durations, and interchirp durations, and at slightly higher carrier frequencies during the time of the day that mating activity is highest in the wild. Similarly, most male G. veletis chirped more often, with more pulses per chirp, longer interpulse durations, pulse periods, and chirp durations, shorter interchirp durations, and at lower carrier frequencies during the time of peak mating activity in the wild. Among-male variation in signaling plasticity was high, with some males signaling in an apparently maladaptive manner. Body size explained some of the among-male variation in G. pennsylvanicus plasticity but not G. veletis plasticity. Overall, our findings suggest that crickets exhibit phenotypically plastic mate attraction signals that closely match the fluctuating socio-sexual context they experience.
    Date Created:
    2013-07-22

  • The social biology professor: Effective strategies for social media engagement

    Resource Type:
    Article
    Creator:
    Katti, Madhusudan and Bertram, Susan
    Abstract:
    Evolutionary biology and ecology have always been collaborative enterprises, benefitting enormously from active communication of ideas among traditional academic networks of peers. The Internet age, with its thriving online social networks, offers new tools that can help our current generation of biologists to collaborate, and communicate with the public, more effectively. Having a dynamic web presence, being part of an active blogging, Facebook, or Google+ community, and being a strategic tweeter can help your research, teaching, and service programs. Below we outline how to be a strategically savvy and active social media scientist, and discuss some of the pitfalls to avoid wasting time. We highlight some ecologists and evolutionary biologists who are active in social media to help you understand the many ways social media can help you in your academic life.
    Date Created:
    2013-07-07

  • Circannual changes in stress and feeding hormones and their effect on food-seeking behaviors.

    Resource Type:
    Article
    Creator:
    Holahan, Matthew, Cahill, Shaina, and Tuplin, Erin
    Abstract:
    Seasonal fluctuations in food availability show a tight association with seasonal variations in body weight and food intake. Seasonal variations in food intake, energy storage and expenditure appear to be a widespread phenomenon suggesting they may have evolved in anticipation for changing environmental demands. These cycles appear to be driven by changes in external daylength acting on neuroendocrine pathways. A number of neuroendocrine pathways, two of which are the endocrine mechanisms underlying feeding and stress, appear to show seasonal changes in both their circulating levels and reactivity. As such, variation in the level or reactivity to these hormones may be crucial factors in the control of seasonal variations in food-seeking behaviours. The present review examines the relationship between feeding behavior and seasonal changes in circulating hormones. We hypothesize that seasonal changes in circulating levels of glucocorticoids and the feeding-related hormones ghrelin and leptin contribute to seasonal fluctuations in feeding-related behaviors. This review will focus on the seasonal circulating levels of these hormones as well as sensitivity to these hormones in the modulation of food-seeking behaviors.
    Date Created:
    2013-07-23

  • Flavonol-rich dark cocoa significantly decreases plasma endothelin-1 and improves cognitive responses in urban children.

    Resource Type:
    Article
    Creator:
    D'Angiulli, Amedeo, Aragón-Flores, Mariana, Mukherjee, Partha S., Cross, Janet V., Gómez-Garza, Gilberto, Zhu, Hongtu, Chao, Chih-kai, Mora-Tiscareño, Antonieta, Franco-Lira, Maricela, Engle, Randall, Jewells, Valerie, Solorio, Edelmira, Weili, Lin, Medina-Cortina, Humberto, Torres-Jardón, Ricardo, Calderón-Garcidueñas, Lilian, and Ferreira-Azevedo, Lara
    Abstract:
    Air pollution exposures are linked to systemic inflammation, cardiovascular and respiratory morbidity and mortality, neuroinflammation and neuropathology in young urbanites. In particular, most Mexico City Metropolitan Area (MCMA) children exhibit subtle cognitive deficits, and neuropathology studies show 40% of them exhibiting frontal tau hyperphosphorylation and 51% amyloid-β diffuse plaques (compared to 0% in low pollution control children). We assessed whether a short cocoa intervention can be effective in decreasing plasma endothelin 1 (ET-1) and/or inflammatory mediators in MCMA children. Thirty gram of dark cocoa with 680 mg of total flavonols were given daily for 10.11 ± 3.4 days (range 9–24 days) to 18 children (10.55 years, SD = 1.45; 11F/7M). Key metabolite ratios in frontal white matter and in hippocampus pre and during cocoa intervention were quantified by magnetic resonance spectroscopy. ET-1 significantly decreased after cocoa treatment (p = 0.0002). Fifteen children (83%) showed a marginally significant individual improvement in one or both of the applied simple short memory tasks. Endothelial dysfunction is a key feature of exposure to particulate matter (PM) and decreased endothelin-1 bioavailability is likely useful for brain function in the context of air pollution. Our findings suggest that cocoa interventions may be critical for early implementation of neuroprotection of highly exposed urban children. Multi-domain nutraceutical interventions could limit the risk for endothelial dysfunction, cerebral hypoperfusion, neuroinflammation, cognitive deficits, structural volumetric detrimental brain effects, and the early development of the neuropathological hallmarks of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases.
    Date Created:
    2013-08-02

  • Charting the role of the number line in mathematical development

    Resource Type:
    Article
    Creator:
    LeFevre, Jo-Anne, Kamawar, Deepthi, Jimenez Lira, Carolina, Sowinski, Carla, Cankaya, Ozlem, and Skwarchuk, Sheri-Lynn
    Abstract:
    Individuals who do well in mathematics and science also often have good spatial skills. However, the predictive direction of links between spatial abilities and mathematical learning has not been firmly established, especially for young children. In the present research, we addressed this issue using a sample from a longitudinal data set that spanned 4 years and which includes measures of mathematical performance and various cognitive skills, including spatial ability. Children were tested once in each of 4 years (Time 1, 2, 3, and 4). At Time 3 and 4, 101 children (in Grades 2, 3, or 4 at Time 3) completed mathematical measures including (a) a number line task (0–1000), (b) arithmetic, and (c) number system knowledge. Measures of spatial ability were collected at Time 1, 2, or 3. As expected, spatial ability was correlated with all of the mathematical measures at Time 3 and 4, and predicted growth in number line performance from Time 3 to Time 4. However, spatial ability did not predict growth in either arithmetic or in number system knowledge. Path analyses were used to test whether number line performance at Time 3 was predictive of arithmetic and number system knowledge at Time 4 or whether the reverse patterns were dominant. Contrary to the prediction that the number line is an important causal construct that facilitates learning arithmetic, no evidence was found that number line performance predicted growth in calculation more than calculation predicted number line growth. However, number system knowledge at Time 3 was predictive of number line performance at Time 4, independently of spatial ability. These results provide useful information about which aspects of growth in mathematical performance are (and are not) related to spatial ability and clarify the relations between number line performance and measures of arithmetic and number system knowledge.
    Date Created:
    2013-08-29

  • Covariation and repeatability of male mating effort and mating preferences in a promiscuous fish.

    Resource Type:
    Article
    Creator:
    Godin, Jean-Guy and Auld, Heather L.
    Abstract:
    Although mate choice by males does occur in nature, our understanding of its importance in driving evolutionary change remains limited compared with that for female mate choice. Recent theoretical models have shown that the evolution of male mate choice is more likely when individual variation in male mating effort and mating preferences exist and positively covary within populations. However, relatively little is known about the nature of such variation and its maintenance within natural populations. Here, using the Trinidadian guppy (Poecilia reticulata) as a model study system, we report that mating effort and mating preferences in males, based on female body length (a strong correlate of fecundity), positively covary and are significantly variable among subjects. Individual males are thus consistent, but not unanimous, in their mate choice. Both individual mating effort (including courtship effort) and mating preference were significantly repeatable. These novel findings support the assumptions and predictions of recent evolutionary models of male mate choice, and are consistent with the presence of additive genetic variation for male mate choice based on female size in our study population and thus with the opportunity for selection and further evolution of large female body size through male mate choice.
    Date Created:
    2013-10-03

  • Can convict cichlids (Amatitlania siquia) socially learn the degree of predation risk associated with novel visual cues in their environment?

    Resource Type:
    Article
    Creator:
    Barks, Patrick M. and Godin, Jean-Guy
    Abstract:
    For many animals, the ability to distinguish cues indicative of predation risk from cues unrelated to predation risk is not entirely innate, but rather is learned and improved with experience. Two pathways to such learning are possible. First, an animal could initially express antipredator behaviour toward a wide range of cues and subsequently learn which of those cues are non-threatening. Alternatively, it could initially express no antipredator behaviour toward a wide range of cues and subsequently learn which of them are threatening. While the learned recognition of threatening cues may occur either through personal interaction with a cue (asocial learning) or through observation of the behaviour of social companions toward a cue (social learning), the learned recognition of non-threatening cues seems to occur exclusively through habituation, a form of asocial learning. Here, we tested whether convict cichlid fish (Amatitlania siquia) can socially learn to recognize visual cues in their environment as either threatening or non-threatening. We exposed juvenile convict cichlids simultaneously to a novel visual cue and one of three (visual) social cues: a social cue indicative of non-risk (the sight of conspecifics that had previously been habituated to the novel cue), a social cue indicative of predation risk (the sight of conspecifics trained to fear the novel cue), or a control treatment with no social cue. The subsequent response of focal fish, when presented with the novel cue alone, was not influenced by the social cue that they had previously witnessed. We therefore did not find evidence that convict cichlids in our study could use social learning to recognize novel visual cues as either threatening or non-threatening. We consider alternative explanations for our findings.
    Date Created:
    2013-10-03

  • Neuroplasticity and the next wave of antidepressant strategies

    Resource Type:
    Article
    Creator:
    Hayley, Shawn and Litteljohn, Darcy
    Abstract:
    Depression is a common chronic psychiatric disorder that is also often co-morbid with numerous neurological and immune diseases. Accumulating evidence indicates that disturbances of neuroplasticity occur with depression, including reductions of hippocampal neurogenesis and cortical synaptogenesis. Improper trophic support stemming from stressor-induced reductions of growth factors, most notably brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), likely drives such aberrant neuroplasticity. We posit that psychological and immune stressors can interact upon a vulnerable genetic background to promote depression by disturbing BDNF and neuroplastic processes. Furthermore, the chronic and commonly relapsing nature of depression is suggested to stem from “faulty wiring” of emotional circuits driven by neuroplastic aberrations. The present review considers depression in such terms and attempts to integrate the available evidence indicating that the efficacy of current and “next wave” antidepressant treatments, whether used alone or in combination, is at least partially tied to their ability to modulate neuroplasticity. We particularly focus on the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) antagonist, ketamine, which already has well documented rapid antidepressant effects, and the trophic cytokine, erythropoietin (EPO), which we propose as a potential adjunctive antidepressant agent.
    Date Created:
    2013-10-30

  • Two-mode division multiplexing in a silicon-on-insulator ring resonator

    Resource Type:
    Article
    Creator:
    Dorin, Bryce A. and Ye, Winnie N.
    Abstract:
    Mode-division multiplexing (MDM) is an emerging multiple-input multiple-output method, utilizing multimode waveguides to increase channel numbers. In the past, silicon-on-insulator (SOI) devices have been primarily focused on single-mode waveguides. We present the design and fabrication of a two-mode SOI ring resonator for MDM systems. By optimizing the device parameters, we have ensured that each mode is treated equally within the ring. Using adiabatic Bezier curves in the ring bends, our ring demonstrated a signal-to-crosstalk ratio above 18 dB for both modes at the through and drop ports. We conclude that the ring resonator has the potential for filtering and switching for MDM systems on SOI.
    Date Created:
    2014-02-13

  • Development of a Biocompatible Layer-by-Layer Film System using Aptamer Technology for Smart Material Applications

    Resource Type:
    Article
    Creator:
    DeRosa, Maria C. and Foster, Amanda
    Abstract:
    Aptamers are short, single-stranded nucleic acids that fold into well-defined three dimensional (3D) structures that allow for binding to a target molecule with affinities and specificities that can rival or in some cases exceed those of antibodies. The compatibility of aptamers with nanostructures such as thin films, in combination with their affinity, selectivity, and conformational changes upon target interaction, could set the foundation for the development of novel smart materials. In this study, the development of a biocompatible aptamer-polyelectrolyte film system was investigated using a layer-by-layer approach. Using fluorescence microscopy, we demonstrated the ability of the sulforhodamine B aptamer to bind its cognate target while sequestered in a chitosan-hyaluronan film matrix. Studies using Ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectrophotometry also suggest that deposition conditions such as rinsing time and volume play a strong role in the internal film interactions and growth mechanisms of chitosan-hyaluronan films. The continued study and development of aptamer-functionalized thin films provides endless new opportunities for novel smart materials and has the potential to revolutionize the field of controlled release.
    Date Created:
    2014-05-08

  • Non enim ab hiis que sensus est iudicare sensum. Sensation and Thought in Theaetetus, Plotinus and Proclus.

    Resource Type:
    Article
    Creator:
    MacIsaac, D. Gregory
    Abstract:
    I examine the relation between sensation and discursive thought (dianoia) in Plato, Plotinus, and Proclus. In Theaetetus, a soul whose highest faculty was sensation would have no unified experience of the sensible world, lacking universal ideas to give order to the sensible flux. It is implied that such universals are grasped by the soul’s thinking. In Plotinus the soul is not passive when it senses the world, but as the logos of all things it thinks the world through its own forms.Proclus argues against the derivation of universal logoi from the senses, which alone can’t make the sensible world comprehensible. At most they give a record of the original sense-impression in its particularity. The soul’s own projected logoi give the sensible world stability. For Proclus, bare sensation does not depend on thought, but a unified experience of the sense-world depends on its paradigmatic logoi in our souls.
    Date Created:
    2014-05-14

  • Level up! Designing a gaming lab at Carleton University Library

    Resource Type:
    Poster
    Creator:
    Smith, Robert and Cross, Emma
    Abstract:
    Poster presented by Emma Cross and Robert Smith at the Ontario Library Association Superconference 2014 in Toronto, Ontario.
    Date Created:
    2014-02-03

  • Power up! Building a games collection at an academic library

    Resource Type:
    Poster
    Creator:
    Cross, Emma and Smith, Robert
    Abstract:
    Poster presented at Canadian Library Association Conference 2012. Winner of best poster presentation.
    Date Created:
    2012-06-01

  • In the company of my peers: implementation of RDA in Canada

    Resource Type:
    Article
    Creator:
    Grover, Trina, Riva, Pat, Andrews, Sue, Cross, Emma, and Oliver, Chris
    Abstract:
    This article describes the progress made toward implementing Resource Description and Access (RDA) in libraries across Canada, as of Fall 2013. Differences in the training experiences in the English-speaking cataloging communities and French-speaking cataloging communities are discussed. Preliminary results of a survey of implementation in English-Canadian libraries are included as well as a summary of the support provided for French-Canadian libraries. Data analysis includes an examination of the rate of adoption in Canada by region and by sector. Challenges in RDA training delivery in a Canadian context are identified, as well as opportunities for improvement and expansion of RDA training in the future.
    Date Created:
    2014-01-10

  • Getting ready for RDA: a modular approach to training library staff

    Resource Type:
    Poster
    Creator:
    Cross, Emma
    Abstract:
    Resource Description and Access is the new content standard coming Spring 2013, with national libraries using RDA effective March 30, 2013. Libraries need to address training for staff in all departments on how to interpret, catalogue and use RDA records.
    Date Created:
    2013-02-13

  • Bachelor of Information Technology - Information Resource Management: a joint initiative between Carleton University and Algonquin College

    Resource Type:
    Poster
    Creator:
    Merriam, Helena and Cross, Emma
    Abstract:
    Carleton University and Algonquin College are collaborating on the development of a new joint degree program, the Bachelor of Information Technology - Information Resource Management (BIT-IRM). This unique 4 year program will enable students to graduate with both a Bachelor of Information Technology degree and a Library and Information Technician diploma. Poster presented at the Canadian Library Association Conference in 2014.
    Date Created:
    2014-06-02

  • Carleton University Library: Library Technician Internship Pilot Project

    Resource Type:
    Poster
    Creator:
    Cross, Emma
    Abstract:
    Overview of a project to establish an internship for library technicians at Carleton University Library. Poster presented at the Ontario Library Association Super Conference January 2012.
    Date Created:
    2012-01-31

  • Graduate students and copyright: informing graduate students about copyright issues in relation to their thesis

    Resource Type:
    Poster
    Creator:
    Cross, Emma
    Abstract:
    Poster presentation “Graduate students and copyright: informing graduate students about copyright issues in relation to their thesis” by Emma Cross given at the Canadian ETD and Open Repositories Workshop held May 10-11, 2010 at Carleton University. Poster describes a project to promote awareness of copyright issues amongst graduate students at Carleton University Library and the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research.
    Date Created:
    2010-05-15

  • 70% and Climbing: E-Resources, Books, and Library Restructuring

    Resource Type:
    Article
    Creator:
    Sharp, David, Jones, Wayne, and Newton Miller, Laura
    Abstract:
    Within the past decade, academic libraries have seen a shift in purchasing from mostly print to mostly electronic. Although Carleton University Library (Ottawa, Canada) has experienced this shift, it had continued until recently to work within the confines of an organizational structure based on a print purchasing model. This paper will describe in detail the restructuring of the Library's collections and technical services departments to better meet growing electronic demands. Changes included dedicating more staff from print resources to e-resources, changing a librarian position to focus specifically on collections assessment, and shifting budgets to manage growing e-resources more efficiently. The authors will explore accomplishments and hurdles that needed to be overcome, cite lessons learned in making organizational shifts, and make some cautious predictions about future changes.
    Date Created:
    2014-07-03

  • “Lagging Behind” : An Examination of Why Women Continue to be So Underrepresented in Canadian Federal Politics

    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

  • Student Research

    Digital Collection
    Description:
    A collection of outstanding papers and journal articles written by Carleton University students. Many of these papers were supported, in part, by the Carleton University Research Impact Endeavour (CURIE) Fund. For information about the CURIE Fund and Carleton's support for open access and scholarly publishing, see  https://library.carleton.ca/services/scholarly-communications/curie-fund
    0Collections
    20Works

  • Flowering and fruiting responses to climate change of two Arctic plant species, purple saxifrage (Saxifraga oppositifolia) and mountain avens (Dryas integrifolia)

    Resource Type:
    Article
    Creator:
    Panchen, Zoe A. and Gorelick, Root
    Abstract:
    In temperate regions, there are clear indications that spring flowering plants are flowering earlier due to rising temperatures of contemporary climate change. Temperatures in temperate regions are rising predominantly in spring. However, Arctic regions are seeing unprecedented temperature increases, predominantly towards the end of the growing season. We might, therefore, expect to see earlier flowering of later-season flowering Arctic plants. Parks Canada has been monitoring purple saxifrage (Saxifraga oppositifolia) and mountain avens (Dryas integrifolia) flowering and fruiting times for 20 years at Tanquary Fiord, Qut- tinirpaaq National Park, Ellesmere Island. Saxifraga oppositifolia flowers in early spring, while D. integrifolia flowers in midsummer. Over the 20-year period, Tanquary Fiord’s annual and late-summer temperatures have risen significantly. During the same timeframe, D. integrifolia showed a trend towards earlier flowering and fruiting, but S. oppositifolia showed no changes in flowering or fruiting time. Flowering time was related to monthly temperatures just prior to flowering. The number of flowers produced was related to the previous autumn’s monthly temperatures. We found no relationship between flowering time and snowmelt date. Our findings suggest that Arctic community level ecological effects from climate change induced phenology changes will differ from those in temperate regions.
    Date Created:
    2016-05-17

  • On the Importance of Training Data Sample Selection in Random Forest Image Classification : A Case Study in Peatland Ecosystem Mapping

    Resource Type:
    Article
    Creator:
    Millard, Koreen and Richardson, Murray
    Abstract:
    Random Forest (RF) is a widely used algorithm for classification of remotely sensed data. Through a case study in peatland classification using LiDAR derivatives, we present an analysis of the effects of input data characteristics on RF classifications (including RF out-of-bag error, independent classification accuracy and class proportion error). Training data selection and specific input variables (i.e., image channels) have a large impact on the overall accuracy of the image classification. High-dimension datasets should be reduced so that only uncorrelated important variables are used in classifications. Despite the fact that RF is an ensemble approach, independent error assessments should be used to evaluate RF results, and iterative classifications are recommended to assess the stability of predicted classes. Results are also shown to be highly sensitive to the size of the training data set. In addition to being as large as possible, the training data sets used in RF classification should also be (a) randomly distributed or created in a manner that allows for the class proportions of the training data to be representative of actual class proportions in the landscape; and (b) should have minimal spatial autocorrelation to improve classification results and to mitigate inflated estimates of RF out-of-bag classification accuracy.
    Date Created:
    2016-05-17

  • Perceptions of the International Baccalaureate (IB) in Ontario Universities

    Resource Type:
    Article
    Creator:
    Fitzgerald, Saira
    Abstract:
    This article presents the results of the first phase of a research project on perceptions of the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program (IBDP) in Canadian universities. Establishing explicit university recognition policies for IBDP students has been an ongoing task for the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO), which conducted two studies on university perceptions of the IBDP in the UK (2003) and Australia/New Zealand (2007). The present study replicates these studies in the Canadian context, to discover how admissions officers in Ontario universities perceive the IBDP in relation to other curricula. Preliminary results reveal a high degree of uniformity in responses, consistent with the previous studies. The IBO is indicated as being the primary source of information, suggesting that it plays an important part in forming perceptions of the IBDP.
    Date Created:
    2016-05-17

  • Major Alterations of Phosphatidylcholine and Lysophosphotidylcholine Lipids in the Substantia Nigra Using an Early Stage Model of Parkinson’s Disease

    Resource Type:
    Article
    Creator:
    Smith, Catherine A., Hayley, Shawn, Smith, Jeffrey, and Farmer, Kyle
    Abstract:
    Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease affecting the nigrostriatal pathway, where patients do not manifest motor symptoms until >50% of neurons are lost. Thus, it is of great importance to determine early neuronal changes that may contribute to disease progression. Recent attention has focused on lipids and their role in pro- and anti-apoptotic processes. However, information regarding the lipid alterations in animal models of PD is lacking. In this study, we utilized high performance liquid chromatography electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-ESI-MS/MS) and novel HPLC solvent methodology to profile phosphatidylcholines and sphingolipids within the substantia nigra. The ipsilateral substantia nigra pars compacta was collected from rats 21 days after an infusion of 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA), or vehicle into the anterior dorsal striatum. We identified 115 lipid species from their mass/charge ratio using the LMAPS Lipid MS Predict Database. Of these, 19 lipid species (from phosphatidylcholine and lysophosphotidylcholine lipid classes) were significantly altered by 6-OHDA, with most being down-regulated. The two lipid species that were up-regulated were LPC (16:0) and LPC (18:1), which are important for neuroinflammatory signalling. These findings provide a first step in the characterization of lipid changes in early stages of PD-like pathology and could provide novel targets for early interventions in PD.
    Date Created:
    2016-05-17

  • The relationship between nature connectedness and happiness : a meta-analysis

    Resource Type:
    Article
    Creator:
    Capaldi, Colin A., Dopko, Raelyne L., and Zelenski, John M.
    Abstract:
    Research suggests that contact with nature can be beneficial, for example leading to improvements in mood, cognition, and health. A distinct but related idea is the personality construct of subjective nature connectedness, a stable individual difference in cognitive, affective, and experiential connection with the natural environment. Subjective nature connectedness is a strong predictor of pro-environmental attitudes and behaviors that may also be positively associated with subjective well-being. This meta-analysis was conducted to examine the relationship between nature connectedness and happiness. Based on 30 samples (n = 8523), a fixed-effect meta-analysis found a small but significant effect size (r = 0.19). Those who are more connected to nature tended to experience more positive affect, vitality, and life satisfaction compared to those less connected to nature. Publication status, year, average age, and percentage of females in the sample were not significant moderators. Vitality had the strongest relationship with nature connectedness (r = 0.24), followed by positive affect (r = 0.22) and life satisfaction (r = 0.17). In terms of specific nature connectedness measures, associations were the strongest between happiness and inclusion of nature in self (r = 0.27), compared to nature relatedness (r = 0.18) and connectedness to nature (r = 0.18). This research highlights the importance of considering personality when examining the psychological benefits of nature. The results suggest that closer human-nature relationships do not have to come at the expense of happiness. Rather, this meta-analysis shows that being connected to nature and feeling happy are, in fact, connected.
    Date Created:
    2016-05-17

  • Anisotropic effective permittivity of an ultrathin gold coating on optical fiber in air, water and saline solutions

    Resource Type:
    Article
    Creator:
    Zhou, Wenjun, Barry, Seán T., Mandia, David J., and Albert, Jacques
    Abstract:
    The optical properties of an ultrathin discontinuous gold film in different dielectric surroundings are investigated experimentally by measuring the polarization-dependent wavelength shifts and amplitudes of the cladding mode resonances of a tilted fiber Bragg grating. The gold film was prepared by electron-beam evaporation and had an average thickness of 5.5 nm ( ± 1 nm). Scanning electron imaging was used to determine that the film is actually formed of individual particles with average lateral dimensions of 28 nm ( ± 8 nm). The complex refractive indices of the equivalent uniform film in air at a wavelength of 1570 nm were calculated from the measurements to be 4.84−i0.74 and 3.97−i0.85 for TM and TE polarizations respectively (compared to the value for bulk gold: 0.54-i10.9). Additionally, changes in the birefringence and dichroism of the films were measured as a function of the surrounding medium, in air, water and a saturated NaCl (salt) solution. These results show that the film has stronger dielectric behavior for TM light than for TE, a trend that increases with increasing surrounding index. Finally, the experimental results are compared to predictions from two widely used effective medium approximations, the generalized Maxwell-Garnett and Bruggeman theories for gold particles in a surrounding matrix. It is found that both of these methods fail to predict the observed behavior for the film considered.
    Date Created:
    2015-05-21

  • “The Nothingness of Fame, At Least to Woman”: Felicia Hemans and the Price of Celebrity

    Resource Type:
    Article
    Creator:
    Grammatikos, Alex
    Date Created:
    2015-05-21

  • Mean Annual Precipitation Explains Spatiotemporal Patterns of Cenozoic Mammal Beta Diversity and Latitudinal Diversity Gradients in North America

    Resource Type:
    Article
    Creator:
    Gorelick, Root, Hassal, Christopher, Fraser, Danielle, and Rybczynski, Natalia
    Abstract:
    Spatial diversity patterns are thought to be driven by climate-mediated processes. However, temporal patterns of community composition remain poorly studied. We provide two complementary analyses of North American mammal diversity, using (i) a paleontological dataset (2077 localities with 2493 taxon occurrences) spanning 21 discrete subdivisions of the Cenozoic based on North American Land Mammal Ages (36 Ma – present), and (ii) climate space model predictions for 744 extant mammals under eight scenarios of future climate change. Spatial variation in fossil mammal community structure (b diversity) is highest at intermediate values of continental mean annual precipitation (MAP) estimated from paleosols (,450 mm/year) and declines under both wetter and drier conditions, reflecting diversity patterns of modern mammals. Latitudinal gradients in community change (latitudinal turnover gradients, aka LTGs) increase in strength through the Cenozoic, but also show a cyclical pattern that is significantly explained by MAP. In general, LTGs are weakest when continental MAP is highest, similar to modern tropical ecosystems in which latitudinal diversity gradients are weak or undetectable. Projections under modeled climate change show no substantial change in b diversity or LTG strength for North American mammals. Our results suggest that similar climate-mediated mechanisms might drive spatial and temporal patterns of community composition in both fossil and extant mammals. We also provide empirical evidence that the ecological processes on which climate space models are based are insufficient for accurately forecasting long-term mammalian response to anthropogenic climate change and inclusion of historical parameters may be essential.
    Date Created:
    2015-05-21

  • On the number of channels required for interference-free wireless mesh networks

    Resource Type:
    Article
    Creator:
    Chaudhry, Aizaz, Hafez, Roshdy HM, and Chinneck, John W
    Abstract:
    We study the problem of achieving maximum network throughput with fairness among the flows at the nodes in a wireless mesh network, given their location and the number of their half-duplex radio interfaces. Our goal is to find the minimum number of non-overlapping frequency channels required to achieve interference-free communication. We use our existing Select x for less than x topology control algorithm (TCA) to build the connectivity graph (CG), which enhances spatial channel reuse to help minimize the number of channels required. We show that the TCA-based CG approach requires fewer channels than the classical approach of building the CG based on the maximum power. We use multi-path routing to achieve the maximum network throughput and show that it provides better network throughput than the classical minimum power-based shortest path routing. We also develop an effective heuristic method to determine the minimum number of channels required for interference-free channel assignment.
    Date Created:
    2015-05-21

  • Democratization in Serbia: An Analysis of Rational Choice and Structuralist Explanations

    Resource Type:
    Article
    Creator:
    Apostolov-Dimitrijevic, Dunja
    Abstract:
    This paper explains political democratization in Post-Milosevic Serbia utilizing two different accounts of the democratization process: one rooted in the rational choice framework and the other in structuralism. While rational choice explains the decisive role of political leadership in overcoming path dependence, the structuralist explanations show the transnational linkages that encourage democratization in the face of domestic setbacks. This particular debate between the two types of explanations represents the larger debate concerning the role of internal factors and external linkages in propelling democratization in transitional societies. The paper concludes by integrating the two sets of explanations offered by each theoretical perspective, in order to develop a coherent understanding of Serbia's democratization.
    Date Created:
    2015-05-21

  • The impact of multiple memory formation on dendritic complexity in the hippocampus and anterior cingulate cortex assessed at recent and remote time points.

    Resource Type:
    Article
    Creator:
    Wartman, Brianne C. and Holahan, Mathew R.
    Abstract:
    Consolidation processes, involving synaptic and systems level changes, are suggested to stabilize memories once they are formed. At the synaptic level, dendritic structural changes are associated with long-term memory storage. At the systems level, memory storage dynamics between the hippocampus and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) may be influenced by the number of sequentially encoded memories. The present experiment utilized Golgi-Cox staining and neuron reconstruction to examine recent and remote structural changes in the hippocampus and ACC following training on three different behavioral procedures. Rats were trained on one hippocampal-dependent task only (a water maze task), two hippocampal-dependent tasks (a water maze task followed by a radial arm maze task), or one hippocampal-dependent and one non-hippocampal-dependent task (a water maze task followed by an operant conditioning task). Rats were euthanized recently or remotely. Brains underwent Golgi-Cox processing and neurons were reconstructed using Neurolucida software (MicroBrightField, Williston, VT, USA). Rats trained on two hippocampal-dependent tasks displayed increased dendritic complexity compared to control rats, in neurons examined in both the ACC and hippocampus at recent and remote time points. Importantly, this behavioral group showed consistent, significant structural differences in the ACC compared to the control group at the recent time point. These findings suggest that taxing the demand placed upon the hippocampus, by training rats on two hippocampal-dependent tasks, engages synaptic and systems consolidation processes in the ACC at an accelerated rate for recent and remote storage of spatial memories.
    Date Created:
    2014-04-21

  • Robust silicon waveguide polarization rotator with an amorphous silicon overlayer

    Resource Type:
    Article
    Creator:
    Schmid, Jens H., Ye, Winnie N., Xiong, Yule, Xu, Dan-Xia, Cheben, Pavel, and Janz, Siegfried
    Abstract:
    We propose a robust polarization rotator based on the mode-evolution mechanism. The polarization rotation in a silicon wire waveguide is achieved by forming an amorphous silicon (a-Si) overlayer and an SiO_2 spacer on top of the waveguide. A strip pattern of a constant width is designed to be etched through the overlayer at a specific angle with respectto the Si waveguide. The asymmetry in the a-Si overlayer affects the waveguide mode by rotating the modal axis. This polarization rotator design is amenable to comparatively simple fabrication compatible with standard silicon photonic processing for integration. The length ofthe rotation section is 17 µm, and the broadband operation is achieved with a rotation efficiency higher than 90% for a wavelength range exceeding 135 nm. A maximum polarization rotation efficiency of 99.5% is predicted by calculation.
    Date Created:
    2014-02-19

  • Inquiry-based training improves teaching effectiveness of biology teaching assistants

    Resource Type:
    Article
    Creator:
    Ellefson, Michelle R. and Hughes, William
    Abstract:
    Graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) are used extensively as undergraduate science lab instructors at universities, yet they often have having minimal instructional training and little is known about effective training methods. This blind randomized control trial study assessed the impact of two training regimens on GTA teaching effectiveness. GTAs teaching undergraduate biology labs (n = 52) completed five hours of training in either inquiry-based learning pedagogy or general instructional "best practices". GTA teaching effectiveness was evaluated using: (1) a nine-factor student evaluation of educational quality; (2) a six-factor questionnaire for student learning; and (3) course grades. Ratings from both GTAs and undergraduates indicated that indicated that the inquiry-based learning pedagogy training has a positive effect on GTA teaching effectiveness.
    Date Created:
    2013-11-11

  • Interruption of Ghrelin Signaling in the PVN Increases High-Fat Diet Intake and Body Weight in Stressed & Non-Stressed C57BL6J Male Mice

    Resource Type:
    Article
    Creator:
    Isaacs, Albert M., Abizaid, Alfonso, Patterson, Zachary R., and Parno, Tamara
    Abstract:
    Chronic social stress has been associated with increased caloric intake and adiposity. These effects have been linked to stress induced changes in the secretion of ghrelin, a hormone that targets a number of brain regions to increase food intake and energy expenditure and promote increased body fat content. One of the brain sites targeted by ghrelin is the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN), a region critical for both the regulation of the stress response and the regulation of energy balance. Given these data, we examined the contribution of ghrelin receptors in the PVN to the metabolic and behavioral changes that are seen during chronic social stress in mice. To do this, mice were implanted with cannulae attached to osmotic minipumps and delivering either vehicle or the ghrelin receptor (growth hormone secretagogue receptor) antagonist [D-Lys-3]-GHRP-6 (20 nmol/day/mouse). Following a week of recovery, half of the animals in each group were exposed to chronic social defeat stress for a period of 3 weeks whereas the other half were left undisturbed. During this time, all animals were given ad libitum access to standard laboratory chow and presented a high-fat diet for 4 h during the day. Results showed that the ghrelin receptor antagonism did not decrease stressed induced caloric intake, but paradoxically increased the intake of the high fat diet. This would suggest that ghrelin acts on the PVN to promote the intake of carbohydrate rich diets while decreasing fat intake and blockade of ghrelin receptors in the PVN leads to more consumption of foods that are high in fat.
    Date Created:
    2013-09-17

  • Calling, Courtship, and Condition in the Fall Field Cricket, Gryllus pennsylvanicus

    Resource Type:
    Article
    Creator:
    Harrison, Sarah J., Thomson, Ian R., Bertram, Susan M., and Grant, Caitlin M.
    Abstract:
    Theoretically, sexual signals should provide honest information about mating benefits and many sexually reproducing species use honest signals when signalling to potential mates. Male crickets produce two types of acoustic mating signals: a long-distance mate attraction call and a short-range courtship call. We tested whether wild-caught fall field cricket (Gryllus pennsylvanicus) males in high condition (high residual mass or large body size) produce higher effort calls (in support of the honest signalling hypothesis). We also tested an alternative hypothesis, whether low condition males produce higher effort calls (in support of the terminal investment hypothesis). Several components of long-distance mate attraction calls honestly reflected male body size, with larger males producing louder mate attraction calls at lower carrier frequencies. Long distance mate attraction chirp rate dishonestly signalled body size, with small males producing faster chirp rates. Shortrange courtship calls dishonestly reflected male residual mass, as chirp rate and pulse rate were best explained by a curvilinear function of residual mass. By producing long-distance mate attraction calls and courtship calls with similar or higher effort compared to high condition males, low condition males (low residual mass or small body size) may increase their effort in current reproductive success at the expense of their future reproductive success, suggesting that not all sexual signals are honest.
    Date Created:
    2013-03-20

  • Understanding the neuroinflammatory response following concussion to develop treatment strategies

    Resource Type:
    Article
    Creator:
    Patterson, Zachary R. and Holahan, Mathew R.
    Abstract:
    Mild traumatic brain injuries (mTBI) have been associated with long-term cognitive deficits relating to trauma-induced neurodegeneration. These long-term deficits include impaired memory and attention, changes in executive function, emotional instability, and sensorimotor deficits. Furthermore, individuals with concussions show a high co-morbidity with a host of psychiatric illnesses (e.g., depression, anxiety, addiction) and dementia. The neurological damage seen in mTBI patients is the result of the impact forces and mechanical injury, followed by a delayed neuroimmune response that can last hours, days, and even months after the injury. As part of the neuroimmune response, a cascade of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines are released and can be detected at the site of injury as well as subcortical, and often contralateral, regions. It has been suggested that the delayed neuroinflammatory response to concussions is more damaging then the initial impact itself. However, evidence exists for favorable consequences of cytokine production following traumatic brain injuries as well. In some cases, treatments that reduce the inflammatory response will also hinder the brain's intrinsic repair mechanisms. At present, there is no evidence-based pharmacological treatment for concussions in humans. The ability to treat concussions with drug therapy requires an in-depth understanding of the pathophysiological and neuroinflammatory changes that accompany concussive injuries. The use of neurotrophic factors [e.g., nerve growth factor (NGF)] and anti-inflammatory agents as an adjunct for the management of post-concussion symptomology will be explored in this review.
    Date Created:
    2012-12-12

  • Frontal EEG/ERP correlates of attentional processes, cortisol and motivational states in adolescents from lower and higher socioeconomic status

    Resource Type:
    Article
    Creator:
    Van Roon, Patricia Maria, Oberlander, Tim F., Grunau, Ruth E., Hertzman, Clyde, D’Angiulli, Amedeo, Weinberg, Joanne, and Maggi, Stefania
    Abstract:
    Event-related potentials (ERPs) and other electroencephalographic (EEG) evidence show that frontal brain areas of higher and lower socioeconomic status (SES) children are recruited differently during selective attention tasks. We assessed whether multiple variables related to self-regulation (perceived mental effort) emotional states (e.g., anxiety, stress, etc.) and motivational states (e.g., boredom, engagement, etc.) may co-occur or interact with frontal attentional processing probed in two matched-samples of fourteen lower-SES and higher-SES adolescents. ERP and EEG activation were measured during a task probing selective attention to sequences of tones. Pre- and post-task salivary cortisol and self-reported emotional states were also measured. At similar behavioural performance level, the higher-SES group showed a greater ERP differentiation between attended (relevant) and unattended (irrelevant) tones than the lower-SES group. EEG power analysis revealed a cross-over interaction, specifically, lower-SES adolescents showed significantly higher theta power when ignoring rather than attending to tones, whereas, higher-SES adolescents showed the opposite pattern. Significant theta asymmetry differences were also found at midfrontal electrodes indicating left hypo-activity in lower-SES adolescents. The attended vs. unattended difference in right midfrontal theta increased with individual SES rank, and (independently from SES) with lower cortisol task reactivity and higher boredom. Results suggest lower-SES children used additional compensatory resources to monitor/control response inhibition to distracters, perceiving also more mental effort, as compared to higher-SES counterparts. Nevertheless, stress, boredom and other task-related perceived states were unrelated to SES. Ruling out presumed confounds, this study confirms the midfrontal mechanisms responsible for the SES effects on selective attention reported previously and here reflect genuine cognitive differences.
    Date Created:
    2012-11-19

  • The rights and freedoms gradient of health: evidence from a cross-national study

    Resource Type:
    Article
    Creator:
    Bezo, Brent, Roberts, William L., and Maggi, Stefania
    Abstract:
    This study examined the combined influences of national levels of socioeconomic status (SES), social capital, and rights and freedoms on population level physical and mental health outcomes. Indicators of mental health were suicide rates, alcohol consumption, and tobacco use. Indicators of physical health included life expectancy, infant mortality rates, and prevalence of HIV. Using pathway analysis on international data from a selected sample of European, North American, South American, and South Caucasus countries, similar models for mental health and physical health were developed. In the first model, the positive effects of SES and social capital on physical health were completely mediated via rights and freedoms. In the second model, the positive effect of SES on mental health was completely mediated, while the impact of social capital was partially mediated through rights and freedoms. We named the models, the "rights and freedoms gradient of health" in recognition of this latter construct's crucial role in determining both physical and mental health.
    Date Created:
    2012-11-07

  • Procedure Recommendations for Conducted Energy Weapons

    Digital Collection
    0Collections
    3Works

  • Test Procedure for Conducted Energy Weapons, Version 3.0

    Resource Type:
    Report
    Creator:
    Dawson, David, Adler, Andy, and Sinclair, Ian
    Description:
    This paper is provided on the terms "As Is, Where Is", and the Authors give no warranty or representation of any kind whatsoever as to the appropriate policies for the use of, nor the safety of the use of CEWs. The Authors expressly disclaim all express or implied warranties relating to the contents of the paper. The Authors give no warranty or representation of any kind whatsoever that the recommendations contained in this report are comprehensive. The Authors give no warranty or representation of any kind whatsoever that the recommendations are up to date beyond the date on which the paper is published.
    Abstract:
    Several studies including the Braidwood Commission report, the Report of the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security of the Conducted Energy Weapon, the report of the Commission for Public Complaints against the RCMP and other provincial reports and coroners’ recommendations have discussed the need for reliable uniform testing of Conducted Energy Weapons (CEWs) independent of the manufacturer. This version (3.0) adds an appendix which describes testing of the Taser 7 CEW. The CEW Test Procedure: - Establishes a methodology by which testing facilities and personnel across Canada will be able to test CEWs and determine whether they are operating within manufacturers’ specifications; - Defines data collection requirements so that data collected during the testing of any CEW in Canada may be used in forensic analysis of that weapon and may also be added to a central data base for future research and data mining programs.
    Date Created:
    2021-02-17