Digital Commons Network^™

An Ethnographic Study Of Clothing Production In Lima, Peru, Brandon E. Rouleau

Digitized Theses

This thesis draws on three months of multi-sited ethnographie research conducted in Lima, Peru. Initially, the aim was to understand how micro and small-scale textile producers in Gamarra internalize global fashion trends, however, it eventually became necessary to include actors outside of Gamarra. This thesis problematizes what it means to "copy" by viewing the activities of small-scale textile producers as tactics to resist the strategies deployed by department stores, brands, and the government to channel and control their activities. In addition, I consider the relationship that local small-scale textile production may play in challenging the distinctions between different social groups …

Relationship Between Body-Seat Interface Pressure And Discomfort During Rowing, Michael E. Navy

Digitized Theses

Discomfort and pressure-related tissue injury to the buttocks are common complaints among rowers. The soft tissues of the buttocks are non-uniformly loaded during rowing. The current state of literature on seating discomfort is inconclusive as to a desirable body-seat interface pressure pattern. The purpose of this study was to determine whether localising pressure under bony protuberances or diffusing pressure over soft tissues would result in the least amount of discomfort. Force sensing arrays were used to measure body-seat interface pressures in 11 elite female rowers during rowing. Peak pressure measures were identified and pressure gradients were calculated. Discomfort was quantified …

The Effects Of Banking Regulation On The 2008 Financial Crisis By Hadi, Hadi Davarinia

Digitized Theses

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Banking Regulation On The 2008 Financial Crisis, Hadi Davarinia

Digitized Theses

No abstract provided.

The Process Of Obtaining And Retaining Employment Among The Vision-Restricted, Chelsea E. Mohler

Digitized Theses

National estimates indicate that only a small percentage of vision-restricted individuals are employed. Identified obstacles to employment include lack of access to assistive technology, inadequate transportation, and negative attitudes of potential employers. A constructivist Grounded Theory methodology was used to gain an in-depth understanding of what people with vision-restrictions, who perceived that they are successfully employed, considered to be fundamental in the search for employment. Three themes emerged from the analysis of their responses: facing and negotiating barriers, the cyclical process of seeking and keeping employment, and settling for second best. As a person with a vision-restriction, I am uniquely …

Statistical Analysis Of Aftershocks Triggered By Supershear Ruptures, Pathikrit Bhattacharya

Digitized Theses

The occurrence of supershear ruptures implies unique pre- and post-seismic stress con­ ditions on and around the host fault segment leading to off-fault aftershocks. This increases seismic hazard even at very large distances away from the main fault. This thesis tries to ascertain whether this leads to anomalous statistical behaviour of the aftershock sequences produced by these events. The aftershock sequences of the known supershear events are studied and, for each sequence, the statistical features of the aftershocks in the supershear zone are compared with those of the rest of the aftershocks. It is observed that the ¿»-value is always …

Triune Communicative Acts In The Theology Of Kevin J. Vanhoozer: Towards A Theology Of God Speaking Today, Brian Stevens Mcguffin

Digitized Theses

That God communicates with humanity through the Scriptures is the central claim defended in the theology of Kevin J. Vanhoozer. This thesis investigates the importance of the idea of triune communicative acts in Vanhoozer's approach. His theology is shown to develop in response to several distinct challenges: that of postmodernity, which is critical of the transmission of meaning through texts; that of propositionalism, which dedramatizes the biblical text; and that of demythologization, which holds God's being to be inaccessible to humans. Vanhoozer is also shown to draw on a number of positive theoretical sources, including speech-act theory, communicative action theory, …

That’S My Dad In Action! Fatherhood And Masculinity In The Action Adventure Genre 1980-2000: Schwarzenegger And Stallone, Ryan Glyn Dench

Digitized Theses

An analysis of recent Hollywood action adventure films starring Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger reveals that the presence or absence of fatherhood serves as a trope for representing the traditional and changing patriarchal ideology in the cultural, political, and economic uncertainty that has come to characterize life in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. By contextualizing my work through current gender and genre theory, in and considering shifts in contemporary domestic policies, socio-cultural tensions and anxieties surrounding masculinity and femininity, fatherhood and motherhood, I chart developments in the hard body action adventure genre. A close analysis of Stallone’s and Schwarzenegger’s performances …

Nlpc/P60 Enzymes Required For Cell Wall Remodeling In Burkholderia Cenocepacia, Chelsea A. Clarke

Digitized Theses

Burkholderia cepacia complex bacteria are important opportunistic pathogens in cystic fibrosis patients and are associated in some cases with acute necrotizing pneumonia, sepsis, and increased risk of death. B. cenocepacia and other Burkholderia are commonly found in the environment, particularly in the rhizosphere. It is not surprising that they have evolved high resistance against several antimicrobial agents, as well as the ability to interact with multiple hosts, including the ability to survive intracellularly in amoebae, macrophages, and epithelial cells. Like most opportunistic pathogens, B. cenocepacia must adapt to environmental stresses and have the ability to persist in the infected host. …

Role And Regulation Of Cx26 And Cx43 In Melanoma, Jack Yixian Lee

Digitized Theses

Gap junction channels are assembled from connexins (Cx) and allow for intercellular communication. In our study, we characterized the role of Cx26 and Cx43 in three isogenic melanoma cell lines (FO, F10 and BL6) that vary in aggressiveness in mice. However, all three melanoma cell lines were shown to have similar levels of cell proliferation and anchorage-independent growth in soft agar, while the BL6 cells migrated significantly slower than FO and F10 cells. Cx26-based gap junctions were present in a subpopulation of all cell lines, while, Cx43 was localized to an intracellular compartment and only able to assemble into gap …

International Chinese And Canadian Students’ Experiences Of Internationalization At A Canadian University, Linda Weber

Digitized Theses

Internationalization, as a response to globalization, is one of the key drivers and shapers of the fundamental changes transforming the world of higher education. There is a need to understand internationalization within higher education from the vantage point of the domestic and international students who are currently being educated because their experiences testify to the provision of quality education. Using a Case Study approach this research explores ways that the internationalization of higher education impacts students’ intercultural relations, identities, intercultural sensitivity, critical understandings, and notions of citizenship. A postcolonial perspective is used to explore how students perceive the influences of …

A Motion Planner For Robot Manipulators Based On Support Vector Machines, Mahdi Anooshahpour

Digitized Theses

ABSTRACT

Moving a robot between two configurations without making a collision is of high importance in planning problems. Sampling-based planners have gained popularity due to their acceptable performance in practical situations. This body of work introduces the notion of a risk function that is provided using the Support Vector Machine (SVM) algorithm to find safe configurations in a sampled configuration space. A configuration is called safe if it is placed at maximum dis­tance from surrounding obstacle samples. Compared to previous solutions, this function is less sensitive to a selected sampling method and resolution. The proposed function is first used as …

Effects Of Isoform-Selective Phosphatidylinositol-3 Kinase Inhibitors On Osteoclasts, Ryan P.P. Shugg

Digitized Theses

Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinases (PI3K) are key intracellular signaling molecules. Our objective was to determine effects of isoform-selective PI3K inhibitors on osteoclasts. The following inhibitors were investigated (targets in parentheses): wortmannin and LY294002 (pan-pllO), PIK75 (a), GDC0941 (a, 5), TGX221 (p), AS252424 (y), IC87114 (5) and CAL-120 (5). Wortmannin, GDC0941, IC87114 and CAL-120 induced dramatic retraction of rat osteoclasts. In contrast, there was no significant retraction in response to vehicle, PIK75, TGX221 or AS252424. Moreover, wortmannin and CAL- 120, but not PIK75 or TGX221, disrupted filamentous F-actin belts; and CAL-120 inhibited the formation of sealing zones. In contrast to their selective actions …

A Frame Analysis Of Ngo Literature On Internet Censorship In China: The Case Of Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, And Reporters Without Borders, Jessica Wai-Man Lai

Digitized Theses

ABSTRACT

This thesis critically examines the way in which Amnesty International (AI), Human Rights Watch (HRW), and Reporters Without Borders (RSF) frame the issue of internet censorship in China. As three of the world’s leading non-governmental human rights organizations, how these NGOs frame this issue—i.e. what aspects they emphasize or neglect, whose actions they highlight or obscure, and what kinds of solutions they propose—can influence which institutions or actors might take up the issue, who will pay attention to it, and what kind of action is taken to address it. In order to investigate the respective framing strategies employed by …

Effects Of North American Ginseng On Sexual Behavior In Male Rats, Matthew Joseph Barnes

Digitized Theses

Two North American ginseng extracts were used to test sexual behavior in healthy rats and pre-diabetic rats, with erectile dysfunction, after four weeks of oral administration. Behavioral tests assessed sexual performance while animal tissues were used to examine eNOS and nNOS protein and mRNA in central and peripheral sites known to control erectile function. Results show an improvement in erectile function during copulation in healthy rats with chronic treatment of ethanol extract of NA ginseng but not aqueous extract. In addition, eNOS and nNOS mRNA was increased in penile tissue and nNOS staining was increased in the paraventricular nucleus of …

From His-Story To Her-Story: The Evolution Of The Psycho- Educational Concept Of The Gifted Female, Alyson Noelle Nemeth

Digitized Theses

The present study asked the question: Why does the psycho-educational concept of the ‘gifted female’ exist? In an effort to determine why the gifted female came to be a separate category within the field of educational psychology, the pearl harvesting information retrieval method (Sandieson, Kirkpatrick, Sandieson, & Zimmerman, 2010) was employed to gather extensive literature about gifted females. Academic literature and research about gifted females from the past 100 years was collected and analyzed in a chronological format. . :

It was found that literature about the gifted female fell into five chronological phases. Phase I of gifted female literature …

Assessing Proteolytic Virulence Factors Of Staphylococcus Aureus Using In Vitro Biofilm And In Vivo Infection Models, Yue Cheng Zhu

Digitized Theses

Staphylococcus aureus is implicated in many different infections and is known to readily build biofilms on host tissues and biological implants, leading to numerous transplant and implant related complications every year. Its proteases, especially those encoded by the sspABC operon, may play a role in biofilm dispersal and are the focus of this study. A protease-deficient mutant of S. aureus was constructed through allelic replacement of the sspABC operon, and the resulting mutant was used to assess changes in vitro and in vivo through biofilm growth assays under various conditions of acid stress and carbon source supplementation, and in a …

Cantonese Chinese International Language Programs: An Opportunity Or A Lost Cause To The Promotion Of Chinese Language Maintenance?, Tiffany Yuen Yung Ng

Digitized Theses

This study examines first language (LI) maintenance in a second language (L2) environment from the viewpoint of its importance, implications,'and challenges, specifically in the context of Ontario’s International Language (IL) Programs. An ethnographic case study was conducted in two IL elementary classrooms to investigate the role IL programs play in language maintenance. Program administrators, teachers, students, and parents participated through semi-structured interviews, classroom i observations, and in-class questionnaires. This study reviewed current curriculum and educational policies and suggested amendments for more relevant IL teaching and - learning policies. It also examined stakeholders’ perceptions and attitudes towards the Cantonese Chinese language, …

Commodity Audience, Commodity Everything: Interrogating T-Commerce In The United States Cable Industry, Lee Mcguigan

Digitized Theses

This thesis is a theoretical and historical investigation of interactive television commerce (t-commerce). T-commerce lets viewers buy the commodities appearing in advertisements and program content. Additionally, t-commerce utilizes advanced advertising formats that target consumers precisely with customized advertisements. This thesis is grounded in theories of the audience commodity. It is argued that t-commerce is consistent with the historical trajectory of advertiser-supported television in which profits are generated by producing audiences of consumers. The business of commercial television has always been structured to produce consumers as economic and social products. The linchpin of their value as commodities is their capacity to …

Persuasive Effects Of Source Likeability On Implicit And Explicit Evaluations: The Role Of Cognitive Elaboration During Encoding Versus Judgment, Laura A. Creighton

Digitized Theses

The present research examined the persuasive effects of source likeability on implicit and explicit evaluations. Addressing a frequent confound in persuasion research, I argue that these effects can be understood only if one distinguishes between elaboration during encoding versus judgment. I predicted that source likeability would influence implicit evaluations irrespective of elaboration during encoding or judgment. Further, I predicted that elaboration during judgment would determine whether the influence of source likeability on implicit evaluations translated into corresponding explicit evaluations, such that implicit and explicit evaluations would show consistent effects of source likeability under conditions of low, but not high, elaboration …

The Effect Of Socio-Economic Status As Measured By Education On Outcomes In Scleroderma (Systemic Sclerosis), Samah Mansour Assaad Mansour

Digitized Theses

The goal of this study was to assess socioeconomic status (SES) as a social determinant of outcomes in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc). In systemic lupus erythematosus, SES has a large effect on outcomes. It is unknown what the effect of SES is on outcomes in SSc. SES is often measured by income, occupation and education. In SSc, highest education would be attained decades prior to disease onset whereas current income and occupation could be low due to SSc and thus would confound interpretation of effect of SES on SSc. Therefore, education was used as a measure of SES in …

The Effects Of Bone Grafting On Calvarial Healing In A Rat Model, Stephanie M. Reid

Digitized Theses

It remains unknown whether bone grafting influences dural osteogenesis following cranial reconstruction. The purpose o f this study is to 1) develop a model to study non-vascularized and vascularized calvarial grafts; and 2) compare effects o f bone graft vascularity on calvarial healing.

Thirty-six rats were divided into Control and Experimental (EXP) groups. Parietal defects were left empty on one side. Contralateral defects in Control, EXP1, and EXP2 were partially filled with native parietal bone (sham), non-vascularized, and vascularized bone grafts, respectively. Healing parameters were measured from serial micro-CT scans.

Greater bone production resulted in Control and EXP2 versus EXP1 …

The Effects Of Shear Forces On Pharmaceutical High Shear Granulation, Ryan Alexandre Logan

Digitized Theses

Impeller and chopper speeds were varied during the wet high shear granulation of a placebo formulation. The resulting granules were extensively analyzed for differences caused by the varying shear with emphasis on flowability. Microscopy showed that initial granules were formed primarily from microcrystalline cellulose at all tested impeller speeds. A low impeller speed of 300 rpm was insufficient to incorporate all the components of the formulation into the granules and to promote granule growth to a size that significantly improved flowability. The flow regime at higher impeller speeds promoted granule growth. Varying the chopper speed resulted in minimal differences in …

The Meaning Of Health And Help Seeking Behaviours Among Refugees Who Have Experienced Collective Violence In Their Countries Of Origin: A Canadian Perspective, Gracia Mabaya

Digitized Theses

This study aimed at understanding the meaning of health and the help seeking behaviours, pre and post migration, of refugees who have experienced collective violence in their countries of origin. An interpretative phenomenological approach with a purposive sample of three men and three women was used. Prior to migration, the participants’ meaning of health was deeply influenced by their experience of collective violence, which rendered their embodied experience of life as non-existent and meaningless. Access to health care was limited by the unavailability of sound medical infrastructures and lack of finances. Post migration, the perception of their health and help …

Transgenic Plants As A Novel Bioreactor To Produce Antidiabetic Proteins For The Treatment Of Type 2 Diabetes, Jeehye Choi

Digitized Theses

Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and exendin-4 (Ex-4) are small peptides with potent insulin secretory effect which makes them attractive drug candidates for the treatment of Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). However, the synthesis of these small peptides is difficult due to recombinant protein degradation and instability.

Human serum transferrin (hTf) is an iron-transport protein that has great potential as an efficient carrier system for protein-based drugs. The use of hTf as a fusion partner will provide a new strategy to enhance the therapeutic potential of GLP-1 and Ex-4. This project investigates the development of transgenic tobacco plants as bioreactors for generating …

The Meaning Of The Client-Nurse Relationship For Senior Home Care Clients With Chronic Disease, Liza Turpin

Digitized Theses

The purpose o f this study was to acquire an in-depth understanding o f the meaning o f the

client-nurse relationship for seniors with chronic disease receiving in-home care. In this phenomenological study, eight participants aged 65 to 86 years, were purposefully selected from the SW-CCAC in London, Ontario. Narrative data were collected through audio-taped, in-depth interviews using a semi-structured interview guide. The analysis and interpretation of the interviews revealed that the meaning of the client-nurse relationship for these seniors encompassed two patterns: having comfort and being connected within this relationship. These two patterns of the meaning of the client-nurse …

The Outcome Of Rotator Interval Closure In Bankart Lesion Repair, Tyler Groves

Digitized Theses

Study Design: Randomized Clinical Trial Objectives: To determine the effect o f Bankart lesion repair compared to Bankart lesion repair with rotator interval closure in patients who have suffered anterior shoulder dislocations on: 1) quality of life (QOL), 2) function and pain scores, 3) range of motion (ROM), and 4) incidence of re-dislocation. Background: Surgical shoulder stabilization with Bankart repair has demonstrated improved stability following acute traumatic anterior dislocation. Recently there has been debate as to whether the addition of rotator interval closure would offer even greater stability or whether closure of the rotator interval may over tighten the shoulder …

Trade-Off Analysis Of Relational Database Storage For Privacy Purposes, Md Sadim Mahmud

Digitized Theses

In business organizations, person-specific data are collected as part of service re­ quirements from customers or data providers. To maintain the privacy of these per­ sonal data from intra-organizational or external unauthorized access, an Role-based access control (RBAC) extension with privacy purposes has been introduced. Re­ search on role-based access control and privacy has been conducted. Despite all this research, not much investigation into efficient ways to store person-specific data with privacy labels has been conducted. To the best of our knowledge, there is no such re­ search to analyze the characteristics and impact of different storage patterns on RBAC …

The Study Of Gas-Phase Oxidation In Incoloy 800 By Surface Analytical Techniques, Michael W. Edwards

Digitized Theses

A comprehensive assessment of the oxide grown on Incoloy alloy 800 has enhanced the understanding of the oxide film’s composition and growth, specifically for application as a protective pre-treatment. Surface morphology, chemical composition, oxide film thicknesses and kinetics have all been studied using, principally, X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) and Time of Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (ToF-SIMS). Gas-phase oxidations were performed at temperatures of 300°C in atmospheres of 1% O2 at 1 atm for up to 24h. All samples displayed similar oxidation behaviour over the exposure period. A multi-layered oxide film was detected and was composed primarily

of an exterior …

Viscosity Of Sulfur At 4.5 Gpa In The L And L’ Liquid Regions, Reynold E. Sukara

Digitized Theses

Sulfur is an element with the most complex phase diagram, both in solid and liquid form, of any element. Unique to liquid sulfur is the ^-transition, characterized by a sharp jump in specific heat and almost four orders of magnitude increase in viscosity in the narrow temperature range from 159°C to 187°C at room pressure. As a likely constituent of the Earth’s outer core, the behavior of sulfur under high pressure is important as it can elucidate the potential effect of sulfur on the dynamics and the viscosity of the Earth’s outer core. The viscosity of liquid sulfur was measured …