Digital Commons Network^™

Using An Internal Auditory Stimulus To Activate The Developing Primary Auditory Cortex: A Fetal Fmri Study, Estee Goldberg

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Insight into the rapidly developing brain in utero is scarce. Fetal functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is a technique used to gain awareness into the developmental process. Previous auditory task-based fMRI studies employed an external sound stimulus directly on the maternal abdomen. However, there has since been recommendation to cease doing so. We sought to investigate a reliable paradigm to study the development of fetal brain networks and postulate that by using an internal stimulus, such as the mother singing, it would result in activation of the fetal primary auditory cortex. Volunteers carrying singleton fetuses with a gestational age of …

Analysis Of The Chemotactic And Anti-Ovarian Response To Honeybee Queen Mandibular Pheromone (Qmp) And Its Constituent Components In Drosophila Melanogaster, Suhayr Solangi

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Drosophila melanogaster can mimic qualities of honeybee altruism mediated by queen mandibular pheromone (QMP), a honeybee pheromone, which includes suppression of oogenesis and chemotactic attraction of males to sources of QMP. In this study, I assessed chemotaxis to the components of synthetic QMP (sQMP): the phenols; methyl-p-hydroxybenzoate (HOB) and 4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenylethanol (HVA), and decenoic acids; 9-hydroxy-decenoic acid (9-HDA) and 9-oxo-decenoic acid (9-ODA). I found that the chemotactic response to these components is sexually dimorphic and they have complex interactions with one another. I conducted a screen to inhibit olfactory receptor neurons (ORN) using tetanus toxin (TeTx) and OrGAL4 drivers. Of the …

Niche Segregation Among Three Sympatric Species Of Swallows In Southern Ontario, Kaelyn H. Bumelis

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Barn Swallows (Hirundo rustica), Cliff Swallows (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota) and Tree Swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) breed sympatrically in southern Ontario but it is unclear how these species differ ecologically, and their coexistence implies niche segregation. I investigated potential interspecific differences in nestling diet and post-fledging movements. Using DNA barcoding of nestling feces and stable isotope analysis (δ¹³C, δ¹⁵N, δ²H) of nestling feathers, I found evidence of differences in dietary sources of provisioned young. Barn Swallows showed evidence of provisioning more terrestrial-based prey, Cliff Swallows provisioned an intermediate diet, and Tree …

Rational Interface Design For High-Performance All-Solid-State Lithium Batteries, Changhong Wang

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

All-solid-state lithium batteries (ASSLBs) have gained substantial attention owing to their excellent safety and high energy density. However, the development of ASSLBs has been hindered by large interfacial resistance originating from the detrimental interfacial reactions, poor solid-solid contact, and lithium dendrite growth. The research in this thesis aims at achieving high-performance ASSLBs via rational interface design and understanding the interfacial reaction mechanisms.

At the cathode interface, an ideal dual core-shell nanostructure was first designed. Moreover, single-crystal LiNi_0.5Mn_0.3Co_0.2O₂ (SC-NMC532) cathode was compared with polycrystalline NMC532, the former exhibits much enhanced Li⁺ diffusion kinetics …

Effects Of Dietary Thiaminase On Reproductive Traits In Three Populations Of Atlantic Salmon Targeted For Reintroduction Into Lake Ontario, Kimberly T. Mitchell

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The fitness of reintroduced salmonids in Lake Ontario can be reduced by high levels of thiaminase in exotic prey consumed at the adult stage. If sensitivity to dietary thiaminase differs among the three Atlantic salmon populations targeted for reintroduction into Lake Ontario, this could significantly influence their performance. I quantified the effects of experimental diets that contained high or low (control) levels of thiaminase on thiamine concentrations, survival, growth rate, and reproductive traits (sperm and egg quality) in Atlantic salmon from the three candidate source populations. Fish that consumed the high-thiaminase diet had comparable growth rates, but lower survival and …

ʿAbdulḥalīm Abū Shuqqa’S The Liberation Of Women In The Age Of Revelation: A Translation And Critical Commentary, Ibtehal Noorwali

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

One of Muslim scholars’ modern endeavors is to identify Islam’s egalitarian and liberating views on women as espoused by its earliest sources— the Qur’an and hadith. ʿAbdulḥalīm Abū Shuqqa makes such an attempt in his six-volume, Arabic book titled “The Liberation of Women in the Age of Revelation” (Taḥrīr al-Mar’a fī ‘Aṣr al-Risāla) published in 1995. He shows evidence from the Qur’an and authentic hadith reports for women’s autonomy, involvement in communal worship, public life, politics, battlefields, and professional work, among other activities. In an attempt to analyze and bring what was considered a ‘breakthrough’ in the Islamic …

The Experiential Learning Connections Between University And Community: Recent Ontario Experience, Emmanuel Asafo-Adjei

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Experiential Learning (EL), including a range of pedagogical approaches such as co-ops and community service learning, connect the university and its external community. Universities are considering such approaches to meet a number of needs and priorities both on and off-campus. As it unfolds rapidly at the present time, EL becomes the connection between the university and the community beyond its gates, both locally and more extensively. However, university-community or so-called town-gown (TG) connections traditionally focus on research and/or science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). This thesis focuses on the teaching and learning connections, especially in Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences …

Ethnoprimatology And Nature-Based Tourism: An Exploration Of Macaque Ecology And Behaviour At The Sepilok Orang-Utan Rehabilitation Center In Sabah, Malaysia, Lauren J. Gilhooly

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

A rise in tourism revenue worldwide has included an increase in the number of travellers seeking experiences with the natural world. Commonly referred to as ecotourists, these visitors typically hail from Western countries and favour locations that allow them to connect with nature in ways that they consider sustainable and ethical. However well-meaning, these ecotourist ventures are complex because, while tourism revenue may help protect fragile ecosystems, an increase in tourists can expose local fauna to potentially deadly diseases.

Primates are a salient example of this double-edged sword because they are a popular attraction among travellers, meaning they may …

Stratigraphic Studies Of Late Albian Strata, North-Eastern Alberta., Arwa Zourob

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Late Albian rocks of the Upper Viking, Westgate and lower Fish Scales alloformations were deposited about 101-100 Ma in the Western Canada Foreland Basin. Sediments in the study area span the forebulge, and are dominated by mudstone which forms 5-15 m thick, siltier-or sandier-upward sucessions bounded by marine flooding surfaces. Stratification is on a mm scale and represents storm deposits and fluid muds. Viking allomember VD and Westgate allomembers WA, WB and WC all thin towards the E and S and progressively onlap the forebulge. They record relative sea-level rise and gradual drowning and subsidence of the forebulge. In contrast, …

Putting 'Dopamine Overdose' To The Test: A Psychopharmacological Investigation In Parkinson's Disease And Healthy Volunteers, Andrew Vo

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Dopaminergic therapy prescribed to address motor symptoms in Parkinson’s disease (PD) is done at the expense of some cognition functions. It has been hypothesized that whether a given function is improved or impaired by medication depends on the baseline dopamine levels within underlying brain regions. Areas most affected by PD and severely dopamine depleted are predicted to benefit from dopaminergic therapy. Regions with less dopamine deficiency are predicted to worsen from excessive dopamine stimulation. This theoretical framework is known as the dopamine overdose hypothesis. The central aim of this thesis was to critically test the straightforward predictions put forward by …

Dc-Dc And Ac-Dc Converters Based On Three-Phase Dc-Dc Topologies, Adel Ali Abosnina

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Power electronics is the field of electrical engineering that uses power semiconductor devices along with passive elements such as inductors, capacitor and transistors to convert electrical power that can be generated by a source to a form that is suitable for user loads. The main focus of this thesis is on the development of new DC-DC and AC-DC topologies that are based on three-phase DC-DC converters. Three-phase DC-DC converters take an input DC voltage, convert it into a high-frequency AC voltage that is then stepped up or down, then rectify and filter this voltage to produce an output DC voltage. …

Newcomer Integration Programs And London, Ontario’S Diversity Agenda: Views From Within And Without, Jutta Zeller-Beier

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

London, Ontario presents itself as a multicultural city with a strong emphasis on diversity and inclusion. My thesis examines London’s diversity agenda through the everyday practices of the work of immigrant integration which are situated against the historical trajectory of Canada and Ontario’s immigration policies. Based on personal interviews, participation in events hosted by immigrant-serving organizations, and visits to related offices at City Hall, my research investigates the framework applied to realize the social inclusion of immigrants in London. A look at the work of governing and the impact of neoliberal policies shows that responsibility for successful integration falls on …

Effects Of Drinking Water Treatment Processes On Removal Of Algal Matter And Subsequent Water Quality, Ziming Zhao

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Seasonal algal blooms in drinking water sources have increased significantly over the recent past as a result of increased temperature and nutrient loading in surface water due to agricultural and surface runoff. More than 95% of algal cells can be removed by coagulation and flocculation processes. However, algal organic matter (AOM) is not removed well during coagulation, thus causes several operational challenges in drinking water treatment. This research was conducted to investigate the effectiveness of coagulation, granular activated carbon adsorption, and filtration processes on AOM removal and to evaluate disinfection by-products formation potential with/without UV irradiation.

Initially, coagulation performance for …

Behavioural And Molecular Consequences Of Postnatal Stress In A Mouse Model Of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, Bonnie Alberry

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) are caused by prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) and affect 1‑5% of the North American population. Children born with FASD often face maternal separation throughout childhood. How this early life stress (ELS) affects the severity of FASD-related deficits is poorly understood. Using a mouse model, this dissertation establishes that behavioural deficits accumulate following prenatal alcohol exposure and early life stress, assessed using tests for activity, anxiety-like behaviour as well as learning and memory. Hippocampal gene expression was evaluated using RNA-seq followed by clustering of expression profiles through weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA). A set of …

The Role Of Heat Shock Protein 90 In The Keap1/Nrf2 Mediated Oxidative-Stress Response, Zheng Song

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Oxidative and proteotoxic stress are common hallmarks of Neurodegenerative diseases (NDs). Cellular proteostasis is maintained through Heat shock protein (Hsp) 90 and Stress-inducible protein 1 (STIP1) modulating the stability of their substrates (clients). Hsp90/heat shock factor (HSF)1 pathway activation attenuates proteotoxicity. Meanwhile, activating the Kelch-like ECH associated protein 1 (Keap1)/ nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 (Nrf2) pathway combats oxidative stress. Numerous studies attempted to individually manipulate the expression of Hsp90 or Nrf2 to treat NDs.

Novel interactions of Hsp90 with Nrf2 and Keap1 were discovered via yeast-2-hybrid screening (unpublished data). We analyzed their interactions through NMR spectroscopy, ITC, protein-binding assay, …

The Influence Of Porous Media Heterogeneity On Smouldering Remediation, Jiahao Wang

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Smouldering remediation is a promising technique for destroying organic contaminants in soil. Forced airflow is vital to supporting the smouldering reaction and to propagate it through the contaminated zone. This research focuses on investigating the effects of permeability heterogeneity on smouldering. A series of unique column experiments, combined with numerical model simulations, were conducted. The results suggest that smouldering can successfully propagate through layers in series despite more than a 1000:1 permeability contrast. However, extinction can occur in the finer layer when smouldering propagates through layers in parallel with a permeability ratio above 3:1. Extinction may occur due to insufficient …

Seismic Performance Of Superelastic Shape Memory Alloy Reinforced Concrete Shear Wall Systems, Emad A. Abraik

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

A major sustainability issue for reinforced concrete (RC) structures is the residual deformations caused by the yielding of the steel bars during extreme seismic events. Numerous efforts have been made to develop self-centering structures, which minimize these deformations and the associated seismic damage. Superelastic shape memory alloys (SE-SMA) can be utilized in concrete elements to achieve such behaviour. This thesis focuses on the use of SE-SMA bars in RC walls.

First, the thesis starts by conducting a fragility analysis to assess the seismic performance and vulnerability of ten and twenty-story SE-SMA RC walls. SE-SMA bars are used within the plastic …

Does Canada Meet International Standards On Employment Rights For Migrant Workers? An Analysis Of The Effects Of Labour Market Inequality, Ria Haque

MA Major Research Papers

The goal of this paper is to carefully assess the international standards of labour and the effects of the rise in labour market inequality specifically in Canada while also looking at what is going on in China and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as case studies. By analyzing empirical and qualitative data, this paper ultimately concludes that the dominant explanation and interpretation of related literature in this subject depicts a broad sense of injustice to migrant workers who are only increasing internationally. These migrant workers face countless hardships while only pursuing jobs in foreign countries in the attempts of going …

The Sino-Lankan Relationship: Challenging Liberal Foundations Of Transitional Justice, Thurka Brabaharan

MA Major Research Papers

Sri Lanka continues to demonstrate the challenges of implementing legitimate transitional justice mechanisms in a post-conflict state ruled by its victors. While the island-nation of Sri Lanka has managed to sustain relative peace for over a decade, the government’s outstanding human rights record remains a concern for the country’s minority ethnic groups. While there is substantial evidence against the Sri Lankan Army to validate the human rights abuses and war crimes alleged by Tamil civilians, little has been done to hold these individuals accountable. Within the sphere of liberal international order, a victor’s peace, such as Sri Lanka’s, would likely …

The Effects Of Invasive Border Security Policies On Vulnerable Communities Today, Salena Halbouni

MA Major Research Papers

The following literature review is grounded in a case of a Syrian/Canadian man of the name Maher Arar who was wrongly convicted of having associations with the terrorist group Al-Qaeda.5 The purpose of the case is to highlight flaws within counterterrorism policies and strategies. Despite the government’s attempts at protecting innocent civilians, it has also created many challenges for those in office with respect to protecting civil and human rights. As previously mentioned, in an attempt to overcome such challenges it is essential to implement safeguards within practices, and policies to ensure the protection of the most vulnerable.

Theories Of Foucault And Agamben: The Issues Of Borders And Sovereignty”, Melinda Ann Callahan

MA Major Research Papers

Michel Foucault and Giorgio Agamben have developed theoretical lenses for depicting how we should understand individuals in sovereign states, and the way in which these states interact with said individuals. Through an approach that assesses the framework of biology, race and ethnicity contribute to the notions of biopolitics and of ‘bare life,’ and exemplifies the constructs of how discrimination against the ‘other’ is embedded in western thought. These systematic processes are utilized through notions of biopower and the ‘state of exception’ as a means of maintaining hierarchical power structures. This paper will be assessing the role of the international in …