The purpose of this study was to examine the acute effects of five days of creatine supplementation on volume of work and anaerobic performance in vegetarian males and females. Twenty recreationally-active non-vegetarians (age 29.2 ± 9.6 yrs) and twelve vegetarians (age 28.0 ± 9.9 yrs) were tested on 5 x 10 RM seated chest press (total work) and 6 x 6 s all-out sprint (anaerobic performance) on a Monark cycle ergometer prior to and after five days of treatment. Treatment consisted of five grams of creatine monohydrate plus one gram of glucose or a placebo consisting of six grams of glucose dissolved in 250 ml of a warm liquid ingested four times per day for five days. Participants were divided in a double blind fashion to one of the four groups: non-vegetarians on creatine NVCr (n = 10); non-vegetarians on placebo NVPIa (n =10); vegetarians on creatine VCr (n = 6); and vegetarians on placebo VPIa (n = 6). Significant improvement was observed (p<0.05) in volume of work and anaerobic performance variables of peak power (PP), mean power (MP), anaerobic capacity (AC), and relative peak power (RPP) in NVCr and VCr. However, there was no significant difference between the vegetarians and non-vegetarians on Cr. Volume of work (total repetitions) also improved significantly in NVP1a and VP1a but to a lesser extent than the Cr groups. There was no significant change in anaerobic performance in the placebo groups. Furthermore, there was no significant main effect on anaerobic fatigue for any of the four groups. The results of this study indicate that acute creatine supplementation improved total volume of work and anaerobic performance in vegetarian and non-vegetarian participants to the same extent.

Relations between language brokering and psychological adjustment were examined among 183 immigrant Chinese families residing in Canada. Adolescents (average age 15 years, 52% females) reported the frequencies with which they translated or interpreted materials for parents, with their materials varying in their levels of sensitivity. Mothers, fathers and adolescents also independently completed measures hypothesized to affect the emotional context in which language brokering takes place. and measures of individual and relational adjustment. Overall, more frequent language brokering appears to have stronger negative implications for adolescent adjustment and parent-child relationship quality, than for parents' adjustment. Material sensitivity, family obligation values, perceived parental psychological control, and parent versus friend orientation were found to moderate some of these relations. The findings are discussed in the context of the amount of pressure that is associated with language brokering, as well as vulnerabilities that may manifest from the parent-child role reversals inherent in language brokering.

This thesis explores the phenomenon of change and transformation on the level of subjective consciousness, focussing in particular on the questions of how such change and transformation might come about, and of what it might entail for the subject’s experience of self and world. Building on work from the fields of cognitive psychology and neuroscience, I not only inquire into the disruptive (and transformative) potential of extreme, emotionally significant experiences, but also construct a conceptual framework for characterizing the changes and transformations that such experiences can provoke. After establishing this framework as a means of addressing the questions above, I deploy it in relation to the models of subjective transformation set forth by Georges Bataille, Michel Foucault, Judith Butler, and Slavoj Žižek, demonstrating how it helps to enrich these models by contributing to a more expansive understanding of their dynamics and implications on the level of subjective consciousness.

The fundamental subunit of chromatin, known as a nucleosome, is comprised of DNA wrapped around two H2A-H2B dimers and one H3-H4 tetramer. This structure perpetuates itself and together with linker histones (histone H1) give rise to the chromatin fibre. This causes compaction of DNA within the nucleus of a eukaryotic cell, which have inhibitory effects in terms of both its accessibility and metabolism. By modifying chromatin structure, cells can regulate and fine-tune different cellular processes, such as DNA repair, replication, transcription and spermatogenesis. Chromatin structure can be modulated by three main mechanisms: covalent post-translational modification of histone tails, incorporation of histone variants and recruitment of chromatin remodelling complexes. In this thesis, the contribution of histone variants and their post-translational modifications to chromatin structure will be discussed. In Chapter 1, I review the role of H2A.X in DNA double stranded break (DSB) repair and other less studied cellular processes, such as transcription and cell cycle. In addition, this chapter also introduces a putative model for the role of H2A.X phosphorylation in DNA DSB repair. In Chapter 2, our results demonstrate that S139 and T136 of H2A.X are both phosphorylated during DNA DSB repair. These two post-translational modifications are functionally different in that S139E and T136A/S139E mutants partition to different chromatin fractions. Furthermore, we show that nucleosomes containing H2A.X are less stable compared to nucleosomes with canonical H2A. The destabilizing effect is more prominent in the nucleosomes containing H2A.X phosphorylated by DNA-dependent protein kinase suggesting that the post-translational modifications of histone variants and histone variant itself have a direct structural role in chromatin integrity. Recombinantly expressed H2A.Bbd has also been shown to modify chromatin structure by destabilizing nucleosomes in a way that resembles that of H2A.X. However, the native form of this H2A.Bbd has never been identified in vivo. Chapter 3 provides evidence for the presence of native H2A.Bbd in mammalian testis and human sperm. Histone variant hTSH2B, which was found in only a fraction of mature human sperm, has been characterized most recently. In Chapter 4, we report the structural characterization of this variant in the context of other core histones (histone octamer) and in a nucleosome. Although an hTSH2B-containing nucleosome did not show structural alterations compared to its canonical counterpart, hTSH2B octamers were shown to be less stable. Finally, we addressed the disagreement in the literature as to whether or not H1t, a linker histone variant specific to mammalian testis, is phosphorylated during spermatogenesis. Chapter 5 shows that native H1t is phosphorylated. The sites of phosphorylation of H1t were determined. The phosphorylation of histone H1 at the C-terminal domain has been shown to significantly weaken its affinity for the chromatin fibre thus inferences chromatin structure. It is not surprising that the newly identified phosphorylation sites of H1t within this region also serve similar function. The four histone variants analyzed in this thesis: H2A.X, H2A.Bbd, hTSH2B and H1t, are all expressed in mammalian germ cells and hence play an important role in spermiogenesis. Their structural contribution may help explain some of the complex chromatin transitions involved in this multifaceted cell differentiation process.

The image super-resolution (SR) problem is a generalization of the image restoration problem which is concerned with blur, noise, and aliasing effects. In the context of digital imaging, the purpose of image SR algorithms is to compensate for degradations such as blur resulting from camera motion and inaccurate focusing, sensor noise, and undersampling. Multiframe image SR algorithms can be used to obtain a higher-quality higher-resolution (HR) image by fusing several images that are sub-pixel-shifted versions of the same scene. By means of these algorithms, the task of super-resolving an image is often approached as an inversion problem in which a set of low-quality low-resolution (LR) images is considered to be the result of processing a high-quality high-resolution image through a dynamic image acquisition model. A special class of SR algorithms. known as 'maximum-likelihood super-resolution' (MLSR) algorithms, utilize a stochastic approach for the inversion of such a model. Basically, the HR image that is most likely to produce the observed LR images is found by solving an optimization problem. In this thesis, an overview of the most representative SR algorithms is presented. Then. the performance of two state-of-the-art MLSR algorithms based on steepest-descent optimization for grayscale and color images is evaluated and later improved by the introduction of sophisticated quasi-Newton optimization algorithms. The Davidon-Fletcher-Powell (DFP) and Broyden-Fletcher-Goldfarb-Shanno (BFGS) algorithms are appropriately reformulated to cope with the large-scale nature of the SR problem and are then applied to the SR schemes. Experimental results show that by means of the proposed algorithms, grayscale reconstruction is considerably accelerated and the quality achieved in color SR is significantly improved. Moreover, by the introduction of a practical inexact line search, the need for selecting an important parameter is eliminated. Storage-efficient variants of the BFGS algorithm are also investigated. SR algorithms based on the memoryless BFGS (MBFGS) and limited-memory BFGS (LBFGS) methods are formulated Experimental results indicate that the proposed algorithms, like the BFGS algorithm, perform the grayscale reconstruction consid¬erably faster and obtain color images of better quality. At the same time, the storage requirements for the MBFGS are comparable to those of the steepest-descent based algorithms while the LBFGS algorithm offers a meaningful trade-off between reconstructed image quality and storage requirements.

The past decade has seen a transition of Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) from special purpose graphics processors, to general purpose computational accelerators. GPUs have been investigated to utilize their highly parallel architecture to accelerate the computation of the Transmission Line Matrix (TLM) methods in two and three dimensions. The design utilizes two GPU programming languages, Compute Unified Device Architecture (CUDA) and Open Computing Language (OpenCL), to code the TLM methods for NVIDIA GPUs. The GPU accelerated two-dimensional shunt node TLM method (2D-TLM) achieves 340 million nodes per second (MNodes/sec) of performance which is 25 times faster than a commercially available 2D-TLM solver. Initial attempts to adapt the three-dimensional Symmetrical Condensed Node (3D-SCN) TLM method resulted in a peak performance of 47 MNodes/sec or7 times in speed-up. Further efforts to improve the 3D-SCN TLM algorithm, as well as investigating advanced GPU optimization strategies resulted in performances accelerated to 530 MNodes/sec, or 120 times speed-up compared to a commercially available 3D-SCN TLM solver.

The junior elite female athlete is faced with the unique challenge of fuelling and hydrating for sport performance as well as growth and development. Very little published data have comprehensively described the nutrition and hydration status of adolescent female athletes, therefore, the aim of this study was to report fluid balance and sweat sodium concentration data, anthropometrics, hematological analysis as well as dietary intake of thirty-four junior elite female soccer athletes (15.7 ± 0.7 years). Hydration assessment (pre-training urine specific gravity, USG), fluid balance and sweat sodium concentration) was conducted during two 90 minute, on-field, group training sessions in mild/cool temperatures (9.8 ± 3.3 °C, 63.0 ± 12.4% relative humidity). Athletes completed four-day food records, hematological analysis (iron status markers, prealbumin and 25-hydroxyvitamin D), and anthropometric assessment. Results revealed mean body composition of players was 103.1 ± 35.2mm (sum of seven skinfolds) and 20.2 ± 5.4% body fat. The mean pre-training USG was 1.018 ± 0.009, with 45.4% of players in a hypohydrated state (USG >1.020). Players experienced a mean body mass loss of 0.84% ± 0.07%, sweat rates of 458.8 ± 284.9 ml/hour and sweat sodium concentration of 47.6 ± 11.9mmol/L during training sessions. Mean fluid intake within the 90 minute training sessions was 195 ± 0.24ml. Less than 1 litre of fluid was consumed by 100% of all participants during training sessions. Limited opportunity for fluid consumption was observed during training, with 6 of 7 sessions providing only a single fluid break. Mean energy intake was 2079 ± 460kcal/day. Mean macronutrient intake, carbohydrate (5.0 ± 1.6g/kg), protein (1.38± 0.3g/kg) and fat (29.9± 5.8%), met current Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) and sport nutrition recommendations however, 51.5% of athletes reported consuming <5g/kg carbohydrate. When compared to DRIs, mean intake of several micronutrients were below recommendations including pantothenic acid, vitamin D, folate, vitamin E, and calcium. The majority of athletes presented with serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D, prealbumin and iron markers within normal clinical ranges however when compared to recommendations for athletic populations, 89.3% and 50.0% of participants had suboptimal iron and 25-hydroxyvitamin D stores respectively. In summary, junior elite female soccer players experienced similar sodium losses and fluid losses to research reported in female adult players. The hypohydrated state, low consumption of fluids during training, which was typically devoid of sodium, and the limited access to fluids during training provide evidence of less than optimal hydration practices. Players were not in energy balance, and many athletes failed to meet carbohydrate and micronutrient requirements. When compared to recommendations for athletic populations, players may be at risk for iron depletion and suboptimal vitamin D status. More research is needed to confirm and support these findings and further develop an understanding of the unique nutrition and hydration needs of the female adolescent athlete. These findings can be used to inform nutrition and hydration practice guidelines and research for players, coaches and sport nutrition professionals.

In the context of growing concerns regarding global climatic change, developing methods to assess the carbon storage of various ecosystems has become important. This research attempts to develop low or no cost methods to estimate carbon stock in forests using satellite-based data. More specifically, this research explores the utility of spaceborne Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) data for forest canopy height and aboveground biomass estimation. High-resolution (sub meter) airborne LiDAR data were collected and validated for a 75 000 ha area near Clearwater, British Columbia. Airborne LiDAR has been widely demonstrated to yield accurate aboveground biomass estimates. 110 temporally coincident Geospatial Laser Altimeter System (GLAS) waveforms from the study site were used in this research. First, I demonstrate that airborne LiDAR can be manipulated to represent waveform curves with a high degree of similarity to GLAS waveform curves. Based on the relationship between the GLAS and simulated waveforms I am able to visualize the ground contribution to GLAS waveforms. Second, I calculate a suite of novel GLAS waveform metrics and develop models of terrain relief, canopy height, and terrain adjusted canopy height. These models compare favourably to other GLAS studies (terrain relief R2=0.76, canopy height R2= 0.75-0.88) and indicate that terrain relief should be included in GLAS derived canopy height models. Third, I attempt to extrapolate the spatially discrete GLAS estimates to spatially continuous estimates using Landsat TM data. Landsat data have been used extensively for AGBM estimation, although they are known to have limitations for studies in high biomass or structurally complex forests. I develop models to predict GLAS AGBM estimates from Landsat bands and indices (R2=0.6). I then use an airborne LiDAR derived AGBM map to generate a map of over and under prediction of AGBM, and evaluate the success of the model in areas of differing forest species and structure. I conclude that GLAS data is appropriate for AGBM estimation in forests over a wide range of biomass values, but that GLAS and Landsat integration for AGBM estimation should only be conducted in forests with less than approximately 120 Mg/ha of AGBM, 60 years of age, or 60% canopy cover.

The biggest scientific experiment in history will begin taking data in late 2009 using the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN near Geneva, Switzerland. The LHC is designed to collide protons at an unprecedented 14 TeV centre of mass energy, enabling physicists to explore the constituents of matter at smaller scales than ever before. The Parton Distribution Functions (PDFs) are parametrizations of the proton structure and are best determined from experimental data. The PDFs are needed to calculate cross-sections or in other words the likelihood of observed physical processes, which are crucial in exploiting the discovery potential of the LHC. The prospects for measuring the Drell-Yan (DY) spectrum are assessed in the low invariant mass region below the Z boson resonance using e+e− pairs from the initial LHC data in order to probe the proton structure and further constrain the PDFs. The analysis is based on the full simulation of the ATLAS detector response to DY electrons and background processes. Assuming 100 pb−1 of LHC data, the total DY crosssection in the invariant mass range from 10 GeV to 60 GeV is expected to be measured as DY = 5.90±0.24(stat)±0.18(syst) nb. The result predicts an improvement over a current theoretical uncertainty of 7.6% and indicates that the PDF uncertainties can be reduced significantly with the early LHC data.

Clearcut harvesting can create conditions unfavourable to forest regeneration. In response, variable retention harvest methods are being investigated in montane forests on Vancouver Island, Canada. The effect of this overstory removal is unknown for canopy microarthropods, especially oribatid mites. As mites contribute significantly to nutrient cycling and decomposition processes in the canopy, changes in community structure and abundance may have dramatic effects on forest productivity. I studied the effects of two variable retention treatments, patch-cut and shelterwood systems, on arthropod communities associated with Abies amabilis (amabilis fir) branches and lichens. Changes in community structure were evident among the treatments and an old-growth control site. I also investigated the use of lichen abundance as a surrogate for oribatid mite abundance because it is time consuming and laborious to collect, count and identify microarthropods. Lichen abundance was a good predictor of mites in the old-growth and shelterwood, but not in the patch-cuts. Lichen abundance estimates should not replace biotic inventories, but can he used as an indicator when rapid biodiversity assessments are required.