Year: 2016, 2016
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>Men who become fathers undergo a transitional period during which they adjust to their new role as the caregiver of a child, a time that is usually viewed as a major life transition (Lamb, 2010). Much of the published literature focuses on fathers with identified issues (e.g., divorced fathers); therefore, there is a need for research that looks at the experiences of more typical fathers… more Full Text: THE FATHERING EXPERIENCE OF THE TRANSITION INTO PARENTHOOD A Thesis Submitted to the Committee on Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in the Faculty of Arts and Science TRENT UNIVERSITY …
Year: 2016, 2016
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>Previous research has suggested that childhood sensory sensitivity may predict adult obsessive compulsive (OC) behaviours. To date, however, research has not addressed how the separate dimensions – harm avoidance and incompleteness - may influence this relationship or why it exists. The current study used a retrospective design to test a) if sensory sensitivity in childhood predicts… more Full Text: CHILDHOOD PRECURSORS OF ADULT TRAIT INCOMPLETENESS A Thesis Submitted to the Committee of Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of the Master of Science in the Faculty of Arts and Science TRENT UNIVERSITY Peterborough, …
Year: 2016, 2016
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>The assessment of visuomotor function can provide important information about neurological status. Several visuomotor tasks exist for testing in the laboratory, although attempts to make these tests portable to allow quick and reliable assessment have been limited. We developed an assessment tool using two laboratory visuomotor tests as a tablet application: the double-step task, and an… more Full Text: COMPARING TWO TABLET-BASED VISUOMOTOR TASKS TO STANDARD LABORATORY VERSIONS A Thesis Submitted to the Committee on Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in the Faculty of Arts and Science TRENT …
Year: 2016, 2016
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Name(s): Creator (cre): Otis, Josée-Anne, Thesis advisor (ths): Murray, Dennis, Degree committee member (dgc): Thornton, Daniel, Degree committee member (dgc): Bowman, Jeff, Degree committee member (dgc): Conolly, James, Degree granting institution (dgg): Trent University Abstract: <p>Currently there are large areas of the North American landscape that are occupied by Canis spp. hybrids of several varieties, leading to the logical question as to the genetic structure and ecological function of Canis populations across the continent, and to what extent hybrids reflect contemporary landscapes. This study illustrated patterns of niche differentiation between parental… more Full Text: INVESTIGATING ECOLOGICAL NICHE DIFFERENTIATION AMONG WILD CANIDS EXPERIENCING HYBRIDIZATION IN EASTERN NORTH AMERICA A Thesis Submitted to the Committee on Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in …
Year: 2016, 2016
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>After active tool-use visual stimuli near a tool are processed more quickly and accurately than those farther away from a tool. Can these near-tool effects be modulated by training demands? To investigate this we asked the participants to complete a tool training task followed by a cross-modal interference task. During the training task the participants performed quick and accurate… more Full Text: TOOL-USE AND NEAR-TOOL EFFECTS: EXPLORING THE INFLUENCE OF TRAINING DEMANDS A Thesis Submitted to the Committee on Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in the Faculty of Arts and Science TRENT …
Year: 2016, 2016
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>Built upon remote sensing and GIS littoral zone characterization methodologies of the past decade, a series of loosely coupled models aimed to test, compare and synthesize multi-beam SONAR (MBES), Airborne LiDAR Bathymetry (ALB), and satellite based optical data sets in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, Canada, eco-region. Bathymetry and relative intensity metrics for the MBES and ALB data sets… more Full Text: MODELLING SUBMERGED COASTAL ENVIRONMENTS: REMOTE SENSING TECHNOLOGIES, TECHNIQUES, AND COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS A Thesis Submitted to the Committee on Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in the …
Year: 2016, 2016
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>In this work, various aspects of neural networks, pre-trained with denoising autoencoders (DAE) are explored. To saturate neurons more quickly for feature learning in DAE, an activation function that offers higher gradients is introduced. Moreover, the introduction of sparsity functions applied to the hidden layer representations is studied. More importantly, a technique that swaps the… more Full Text: SPAF-network with Saturating Pretraining Neurons A Thesis Submitted to the Committee of Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in the Faculty of Arts and Science TRENT UNIVERSITY Peterborough, …
Year: 2016, 2016
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>The appearance of a two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) in oxide interfaces between strontium titanate (STO) and other materials has become a major area of study. The behaviour of the 2DEG in STO is not well understood in part because the dielectric properties of STO are not well characterized. The differential susceptibility has a major impact on the electric fields within strontium… more Full Text: A Model for the Differential Susceptibility of Strontium Titanate A Thesis Submitted to the Committee on Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in the Faculty of Art and Science Trent University …
Year: 2016, 2016
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>Early diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), while providing many benefits, presents challenges to clinicians such as predicting the stability of symptoms. Accurately predicting symptom severity allows clinicians to confidently diagnose and assign the most appropriate treatment. Little research exists to date to predict symptom severity in children with ASD who have not been… more Full Text: SOCIAL COMMUNICATIVE FACTORS AS PREDICTORS OF SYMPTOM SEVERITY IN AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER A Thesis Submitted to the Committee of Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in the Faculty of Arts and …
Year: 2016, 2016
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>The objective of this thesis was to assess current spatial trends and historic trends in the accumulation of trace metals related to the Athabasca Oil Sands Region (AOSR). The AOSR hosts some of the largest industrial developments in Canada, yet relatively little is known about the transport and fate of trace metal emissions from the region – particularly in the relatively remote areas… more Full Text: AN ASSESSMENT OF SPATIAL TRENDS IN THE ACCUMULATION OF OIL SANDS RELATED METALS IN THE CLEARWATER RIVER VALLEY AND TEMPORAL TRENDS IN SIX NORTHERN SASKATCHEWAN LAKES A Thesis Submitted to the Committee of Graduate Studies In Partial Fulfillment of the …
Year: 2016, 2016
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>The recent northward expansion of the white-footed mouse (Peromyscus leucopus) in response to climatic changes provides a natural experiment to explore potential adaptive genetic variation within the clock gene Per1 in Peromyscus undergoing latitudinal shifts, as well as, the possibility of hybridization and introgression related to novel secondary contact with its sister species the… more Full Text: Testing for Interspecific Hybridization and a Latitudinal Cline Within the Clock Gene Per1 of the Deer Mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus) and the White-Footed Mouse (Peromyscus leucopus) A Thesis Submitted to the Committee on Graduate Studies in Partial …
Year: 2016, 2016
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>Improving current understanding of the factors that control soil carbon (C) dynamics in forest ecosystems remains an important topic of research as it plays an integral role in the fertility of forest soils and the global carbon cycle. Invasive earthworms have the potential to alter soil C dynamics, though mechanisms and effects remain poorly understood. To investigate potential effects… more Full Text: THE IMPACT OF INVASIVE EARTHWORMS ON SOIL RESPIRATION AND SOIL CARBON WITHIN TEMPERATE HARDWOOD FORESTS A Thesis Submitted to the Committee on Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in the Faculty …
Year: 2016, 2016
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>Long-term studies of demographic processes such as survival and abundance conducted in unexploited systems provide unique insight into the natural population ecology of fish, but are rarely available. I used historical tagging records of a sanctuary population of brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) in Algonquin Park, Ontario to investigate long-term population dynamics in an unexploited… more Full Text: LONG-TERM POPULATION DYNAMICS OF AN UNEXPLOITED LACUSTRINE BROOK TROUT (SALVELINUS FONTINALIS) POPULATION A Thesis Submitted to the Committee on Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in the Faculty …
Year: 2016, 2016
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>It is universally accepted that human motor performance is variable in both its timing and spatial qualities. However, it is unclear to what extent motor variability impedes performance when learning a new skill and to what extent it enables our ability to learn. The first experiment examined whether performance during a test task depended on whether participants practiced to constrain… more Full Text: PRACTICING AND REWARDING TASK-RELEVANT MOTOR VARIABILITY TO OPTIMIZE MOTOR PERFORMANCE A Thesis Submitted to the Committee on Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in the Faculty of Arts and …
Year: 2016, 2016
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>This study assesses the bioavailable metal (Cu, Ni, Zn, Pb) species in the Athabasca-Mackenzie watersheds using diffusive gradient in thin films (DGT) devices. Metal toxicity is not only based on the concentration of metal in natural waters, but also on the nature of metal species. Four main forms in aquatic systems are: free ion, inorganic species, DOM bound (humic) species and metal… more Full Text: In situ measurements of trace metal species in the Athabasca and Mackenzie Rivers using diffusive gradient in thin films (DGT) devices A Thesis submitted to the Committee of Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of …
Year: 2016, 2016
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>While previous studies have focused on how road salt affects water quality and vegetation, limited research has characterized road salt distribution through soil and the resulting impacts. The potential for sodium (Na+) to be retained and impact soil physical and chemical properties is likely to vary depending on the soil's parent material, and more specifically on the extent of… more Full Text: EFFECTS OF ROAD SALT SODIUM ON SOIL: THE INFLUENCE OF PARENT MATERIAL A Thesis Submitted to the Committee on Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences TRENT …
Year: 2016, 2016
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>Decomposition of aquatic macrophytes has an important role in defining lake carbon (C) storage and nutrient dynamics. To test how diversity impacts decomposition dynamics and site-quality effects, I first examined whether the decomposition rate of aquatic macrophytes varies with species richness. Generally, I found neutral effects of mixing, with initial stoichiometry of component… more Full Text: Effects of biodiversity and lake environment on the decomposition rates of aquatic macrophytes in the Kawartha Lakes, Ontario A Thesis Submitted to the Committee on Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Degree of …
Year: 2016, 2016
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>Micropollutants are discharged into the aquatic environment with industrial and domestic wastewater and these compounds may cause toxic effects in aquatic organisms. In this study, the toxic effects to fish of micropollutants extracted from ozonated and nonozonated municipal wastewater effluent (MWWE) were measured in order to assess the effectiveness of ozonation in reducing toxicity.… more Full Text: An Evaluation of Wastewater Treatment by Ozonation for Reductions in Micropollutant Toxicity to Fish A thesis submitted to the Committee of Graduate Studies In Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in the Faculty of …
Year: 2016, 2016
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>This thesis explored the contribution of mixed methods approaches to marine mammal science through the use of concurrent and sequential designs to study distribution and feeding ecology of bowhead whales (Balaena mysticetus) in the Arctic region of Nunavik, Quebec, Canada. The study combines Inuit knowledge (IK), collected through semi-directed interviews with Inuit harvesters, and… more Full Text: MIXED METHODS APPROACHES IN MARINE MAMMAL SCIENCE: A CASE STUDY OF THE BOWHEAD WHALE DISTRIBUTION PATTERNS AND FEEDING ECOLOGY IN THE EASTERN CANADIAN ARCTIC (NUNAVIK) A Thesis Submitted to the Committee on Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfillment of the …
Year: 2016, 2016
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>Fishers (Pekania pennanti) were extirpated from many parts of Ontario in the early 20th century, but as of the early 2000s the species had recolonized most of its historical range. While the primary population genetic structure of fishers in central and eastern Ontario has not changed drastically over the past ten years, we did find evidence of increased secondary structure and a… more Full Text: Genetic diversity and differentiation of Ontario’s recolonizing fishers (Pekania pennanti) A Thesis Submitted to the Committee on Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in the Faculty of Arts and …
