An important goal of the Human Genome Project is the physical mapping of the human genome. This thesis describes the preparation of a set of overlapping yeast artificial chromosomes (YACs), spanning approximately a 7 centiMorgan (cM) region of chromosome 8p22, delimited distally by D8S550 and proximally by D8S552. This set of overlapping YACs, or YAC contig, is a useful contribution to the human genome physical map. It will have valuable applications for the identification of sequence ready clones and for the detection of disease genes that may be mapped to 8p22. To construct the YAC contig, the Whitehead Institute/ Massachussetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Center for Genome Research genomic database was searched for YACs containing markers that were previously localized to the region of interest. A singly-linked contig, WC8»1, was found, which identifies a set of 62 overlapping YACs within this region. Database information for these YACs was examined in order to exclude from analysis any YACs for which significant evidence of chimaerism was available. A subset of YACs was chosen for further analysis; these included eight YACs with no evidence for chimaerism, and two YACs with relatively weak evidence for chimaerism. DNA sequence from the insert ends (terminal sequence) of a number of these YACs was isolated by a modified bubble PCR protocol (Riley et al.,1990), a procedure that amplifies terminal sequences. These sequences were then used to develop new markers for the region. PCR was performed, using selected markers from WC8«1 and the new markers designed from terminal sequences. PCR amplification of markers in the set of ten YACs resulted in the identification of overlapping YACs, forming a contig that completely spanned the region of interest. In addition, terminal sequences from YAC 729el2 were found to be highly similar to the murine guanine nucleotide release factor 2 (GRF2) gene; a marker designed from this sequence was amplified in a human chromosome 5 somatic cell hybrid, localizing this putative human gene to chromosome 5. / Medicine, Faculty of / Medical Genetics, Department of / Graduate

Numerous researchers have argued that restricted access to Physical Education (PE) classes results in lower fitness levels for students with visual impairments, this is particularly true for students with severe visual impairments (SVI), who often have lower fitness levels than their peers with partial sight and normal sight. This study investigated the extent to which students With SVI are included in regular public school PE classes. The study focuses on grades seven to twelve students with SVI who do not have additional disabilities. The present study also sought to determine the relative importance of the factors identified by Bishop (1986) and Watkinson and Behtz (1986) which promote or prevent full inclusion, in addition, this study examined the strategies commonly employed to facilitate the inclusion of exceptional learners in regular PE classes; namely the development and distribution of adapted PE resource literature, the study will consider the utilization of a manual, "Moving to Inclusion Manual for Students with Visual Impairments", designed to facilitate the inclusion of students with SVI. The study was exploratory and is intended to investigate the following research questions: 1. How do District Resource Teachers- Vision (DRT-VIs) and PE Teachers characterize or categorize the participation of their students with SVI? 2. Which activities or sports are the most difficult for teachers to adapt for students with SVI? 3. In terms of facilitating the inclusion of students with SVI in PE, how important are factors relating to: • the student with a SVI; • the family of a student with SVI; • the school environment; • the community; and • the features of adapted PE resource materials (e.g., manuals)? 4. How helpful are the adapted resource manuals to DRT-VI's and PE teachers? 5. Is the Moving to Inclusion Manual for Students with Visual Impairments (MTI-VI) useful? Why or why not? District Resource teachers- Vision (DRT-VIs) and PE Teachers (from eight Lower Mainland school districts) who have experience teaching students with SVI in PE participated by completing a survey designed to address the aforementioned research questions. The study found that there is a link between (severe) disabilities and restricted levels of participation in PE. The study clearly demonstrates that access to PE programs can be established in inclusive schools. In addition, the study identified areas that require attention and modification in PE programming. For example, limited participation of students with SVI may be connected to variables relating to the student with a SVI, the student's family, school environment, and community, and adapted resource materials. Moreover, particular sports activities may pose unusual challenges to inclusion. Findings call attention to the need for continued investigation into the status of students with (S)VI in PE programs. The results of this study underscore the necessity of developing and sharing teacher expertise and adapted PE resources in order to fully include students with visual impairments in PE programs. / Education, Faculty of / Educational and Counselling Psychology, and Special Education (ECPS), Department of / Graduate

Juvenile snowshoe hares (Lepus americanus) in southwestern Yukon were monitored using radio telemetry to determine the effects of litter group on natal dispersal and postweaning survival. A total of 84 juveniles representing the four litter groups bom in 1995 were monitored from June 1995 to April 1996 on control areas and areas in which supplemental food was provided. Natal dispersal distance, age and date of emigration, survival rate, and proximate cause of death were examined. Natal dispersal distances (distance from nest site to site of first breeding) of hares ranged from 23 m to over 16 km. Fifty percent (9/18) of juveniles whose nest sites were known and survived until their first breeding season were classified as emigrants (dispersed a distance further than two adult home range diameters). Emigrants did not suffer significantly higher mortality than those individuals which did not emigrate. Neither dispersal distance nor the proportion of hares which emigrated differed between food addition and control areas. On the control areas, there was no evidence of sex-biased natal dispersal. However, on the food addition areas, a higher proportion of males than females emigrated and males dispersed significantly farther than females. This pattern possibly resulted from the increased population density on the food addition areas. Age at emigration varied from 31 days to 140 days, but was not related to the sex of the individuals. Food addition had no observable effect on emigration age, however there was a significant effect of litter group. Third litter juveniles emigrated at an older mean age (84 days) than first (48 days) and second (42 days) litter juveniles. Twenty-eight day survival did not differ between food addition and control areas for any litter group. Over the study period, 28-day survival of juveniles (all litters combined) did not differ significantly from adults (juveniles: 0.91, adults: 0.93). However, when examined by litter group, third litter survival was significantly lower than adult and second litter survival, while fourth litter survival was significantly lower than adult, first, and second litter survival. These differences were the result of differential survival among the litter groups during a three month period in the fall (September-November). Predation was the primary proximate cause of death for weaned juvenile hares, accounting for 86% (37/43) of deaths. Although the dominant predators of juvenile snowshoe hares were annual residents, avian predation was low after November while mammalian predation was constant from mid-August through April. No collared weaned juveniles died before mid-August. / Science, Faculty of / Zoology, Department of / Graduate

Traditional forest planning models, based on mathematical programming techniques for constrained optimization, have failed to adequately address the new realities of managing forest landscapes so as to sustain in perpetuity a full range of intrinsic values and human benefits. This thesis proposes a general simulation modelling framework for the analysis and management of forest landscapes. The framework, based on state space techniques for modelling of complex dynamic systems, addresses many of the requirements of modern forest planning analysis. Application of the general framework is demonstrated in the development of a specific simulation model for designing spatially explicit harvest schedules that balance biodiversity and timber production objectives. A state space model is developed to predict the dynamics stand level structure over a landscape represented in raster format. This portion of the model is shown to provide realistic predictions of the temporal development of stand structure, and demonstrates the potential of the state space format for representing the physical attributes and complex dynamics of forest landscapes. An heuristic control procedure based on simple multi-criteria decision making techniques is developed to determine the spatial and temporal sequence of management actions according to their combined effect on the objectives for the landscape. To demonstrate and evaluate the feasibility of the proposed approach, the completed model is used to simulate the management of a 3850 hectare landscape over 150 years using a 5 year time step. Scenarios are presented to show achieved levels of serai stage, patch size, and timber outputs under different weightings of the corresponding management objectives. The model was able to maintain the system output within the desired limits when harvest volume was the only specified management objective. The desired harvest levels were achieved primarily through clearcut and heavy thinning activities. In the case of managing for serai stage, patch size, and timber objectives the model was an effective tool for exploring the trade-offs required to find a balance between all seven objectives. Serai stage objectives were fully met, although at the expense of violating the upper bound on harvest levels in several simulation periods. Patch size objectives were met in some periods, and were significantly improved in all other periods compared to the scenario involving only the volume objective. This broad mix of landscape outputs was achieved using a much wider range of harvest treatment intensities than in the single objective case. The case study demonstrates that it is feasible to represent a detailed description of stand level dynamics in a spatially explicit forest level model using readily available desktop computing systems. Such a simulation model is intended to have application as a tool for designing alternative management strategies to provide input to an iterative multi-objective planning process. / Science, Faculty of / Resources, Environment and Sustainability (IRES), Institute for / Graduate

When analyzing short term heart rate variability (HRV) signals using the FFT technique, the linear trend appears to be perfect 1/f signals. The non-linear trend in short term HRV signals produces the regression 1/f components. De-trending the data using a moving average is an effective technique for removing the 1/f components. However, though removing the trend may sometimes produce clearer spectral pictures of respiratory sinus arrhythmia or the breathing frequency, it has little impact otherwise. The linear trend is fractal, but not chaotic. The 1/f components in the signal does not imply the signal fractal; nor does a fractal signal implies it chaotic. No evidence in the present research suggests that the non-linear trend is fractal, nor is there evidence to suggest that the HRV signal is fractal, or chaotic. / Science, Faculty of / Zoology, Department of / Graduate

This thesis concerns the first ever development of a variable spacing diffraction grating device created with the use of elastomeric surface waves. A variable spacing grating has the ability to deflect a laser beam to a continuous range of angles, thus allowing to steer the beam. This is achieved by diffracting an obliquely incident laser beam from a surface on which a mechanical wave is propagating. Silicone rubber has an extremely low Young's modulus compared to non-elastomeric solids, and it can be easily cast. Using this material, surface waves can be created with low power, and such waves travel very slowly (~ 1 m/s) compared to conventional surface wave devices (-1000 m/s). Four different types of elastomeric surface wave devices were constructed to examine their suitability as variable spacing diffraction gratings. Two of these produced surface waves that were suitable to diffract a laser beam. The device which produced the biggest effect and most stable propagating surface wave a thin membrane of silicone rubber, supported on water. It is shown that the propagation speed of such waves is consistent with the White/Wenzel model, which predicts a dispersion relationship in terms of the membrane thickness, tension and modulus. Overall, this structure appears to be promising for controlled diffraction, as well as other applications. / Science, Faculty of / Physics and Astronomy, Department of / Graduate

The infant cry has received strong research interest from scientists, medical doctors and engineers for a number of decades. As an infant's primary vehicle for communication, it is believed that the cry contains valuable information of the infant's physical and emotional well-being. As a result, the cry has been proposed as a useful means for monitoring an infant's level of distress (LOD). Recently, a novel approach for estimating the LOD has been introduced based on the proven concept of the cry being composed of recognizable cry-words. Using an established set of ten crywords, a single value indication of an infant's LOD is obtainable called the H-value. Previous methods for demonstrating the usefulness of this measure required complex algorithms and a complete tool was not developed. In this thesis the development of such a desirable tool is reported. This tool uses no single recognition technique but rather an eclectic variety of correlation methods and simple decision rules in conjunction with common features and techniques such as the fundamental frequency, FFT, short-time energy and a modified power spectral density. Without computationally intensive routines, the complexity of the system was reduced from previous methods resulting in a practical cry research tool. Testing of this system made use of actual cry data. Comparisons are given with previous systems and experienced parents' LOD ratings. The tool was also implemented on both a SUN and a PC to demonstrate the portability of the tool between different systems. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Electrical and Computer Engineering, Department of / Graduate

With the advent of the CC-130(H)T (Hercules) aircraft in the role of air tanker in support of the CF-18A fighter aircraft, a flight testing programme was initiated in order to establish the compatibility of the two aircraft for Air-to-Air Refuelling (AAR). Concurrently, scale testing was conducted in a low speed wind tunnel at the University of British Columbia to investigate the effect of the CC-130H(T)'s wing-tip vortex on the CF-18A aircraft in the AAR pre-contact position. The scale testing was accomplished by subjecting a 1/12 scale model of the CF-18A to the tip vortex of a generating wing placed upstream in a wind tunnel. Custom-designed mounts allowed for variation of the model's vertical position and of the generating wing's lateral position inside the wind tunnel. Force and pressure sensors installed on the model served to measure the positional effects of the vortex for three AAR conditions defined by tanker vortex strength and CF-18A angle-of-attack. The present study has shown that, when considering the wing-tip vortex exclusively, the optimal AAR pre-contact region is far inboard of and below the tanker wing tip, while the most unstable region of the tip vortex is just outboard of and roughly level with the tanker's wing tip. Furthermore, the magnitude of the aerodynamic forces on the model was observed to be proportional to the strength of the generated vortex, and insignificant Reynolds number effects were observed between half-speed and full-speed tests. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Mechanical Engineering, Department of / Graduate

English-as-a-Second Language (ESL) students who attend academic institutions are required to communicate orally about the texts they read but are often anxious about their oral language proficiency. They, as well as their instructors, have noted that oral production for ESL students can be problematic particularly in classrooms where English is the dominant language. While previous research has examined the written work of ESL students, this study explores the production of their oral language. Fourteen intermediate level ESL students at a mid-sized college/university in British Columbia received explicit instruction in discourse marker use through either a question-and-answer series or a graphic representation of the knowledge structure of principles or cause and effect (Mohan, 1986). Participants analyzed the text for key ideas and for markers that are conventionally recognized in cause and effect discourse, then recalled the text orally. Through pre and post-tests, a written questionnaire, a semi-controlled task in constructing graphics and in-depth analyses of participants' oral samples, the effects of explicit instruction on the production of oral language were researched. Findings were expressed as observations with implications for facilitating ESL students' oral production of cause and effect discourse and possibly for their notemaking so that they might integrate the language and content they require for their academic studies. / Education, Faculty of / Language and Literacy Education (LLED), Department of / Graduate

The exposure of cells to a wide range of stressors results in a highly synchronized, genetically determined response, initiated by detection of the stressor, which in turn leads to a regulatory response that involves the elevated synthesis of a specific set of proteins, termed heat shock proteins (HSPs), which serve to counteract the initial damage,and re-establish cellular homeostasis. The expression of HSP30, 60, 70, and 90 was measured in the heart, liver, kidney, lung, and gonads of Japanese quail exposed to seven different stressors (mild restraint, loud noise, inescapable irritation, cold temperature, isolation in darkness and two stressful social situations), and in the heart, liver, kidney and lung of non-diabetic and diabetic rats exposed to seven individual stressors. Tonic Immobility (Tl) tests were also conducted on Japanese quail to assess whether or not the stressors increased fear response. Increased expression of HSP70 was found in the heart tissue of birds exposed to loud noise, inescapable irritation, cold temperature and isolation in darkness. The expression of other HSPs was not apparent in the heart or any of the other tissues examined. Longer Tl was observed only in birds exposed to the noise stress. Increased expression of HSP30 and HSP70 was found in the heart tissue of non-diabetic, stressed rats. Increased expression of HSP30 and HSP70 was also found in acute (4 weeks) and chronic (12 weeks) streptozotocin rats. In the liver, increased HSP70 expression was found for acute and chronic diabetic treatments. In the kidney, increased HSP70 expression was found only in chronic diabetes. No change in HSP 60 or 90 was detected in any tissues examined and the lung did not show any HSP increase. These results support the possibility of a tissue- and class-specific HSP response when exposed to a variety of stressors. / Land and Food Systems, Faculty of / Graduate