In Drosophila melanogaster, chemical cues in the form of cuticular hydrocarbons play an important role in reproductive behavior. The social and genetic processes that regulate their expression, however, are poorly understood. The social environment has been shown to influence hydrocarbon display. In this study, the effect of population density on the expression of hydrocarbons was evaluated. I demonstrate that the production of certain hydrocarbons depends on the population density in which the animal is reared. Individual hydrocarbons fluctuate in quantity independently from one another but the peaks during a light-dark cycle are static depending mostly on chain length. The regulation of fly hydrocarbons which are density-dependent is shown to be sexually dimorphic. The RNAi knockdown of various putative lipid metabolism genes was also used to study hydrocarbon expression. This study reveals that lipid metabolism genes which are not obvious mediators of HC synthesis influence cuticular hydrocarbon profiles.

Mining operations can produce highly localized, low intensity earthquakes that are referred to as microseismic events. Monitoring of microseismic events is useful in predicting and comprehending hazards, and in evaluating the overall performance of a mine design. <p>A robust localization algorithm is used to estimate the source position of the microseismic event by selecting the hypothesized source location that maximizes an energy function generated from the sum of the time--aligned sensor signals. The accuracy of localization for the algorithm characterized by the variance depends in part upon the configuration of sensors. Two algorithms, MAXSRC and MINMAX, are presented that use the variance of localization error, in a particular direction, as a performance measure for a given sensor configuration.<p>The variance of localization error depends, in part, upon the energy spectral density of the microseismic event. The energy spectral density characterization of sensor signals received in two potash mines are presented and compared using two spectral estimation techniques: multitaper estimation and combined time and lag weighting. It is shown that the difference between the the two estimation techniques is negligible. However, the differences between the two mine characterizations, though not large, is significant. An example uses the characterized energy spectral densities to determine the variance of error for a single step localization algorithm.<p>The MAXSRC and MINMAX algorithms are explained. The MAXSRC sensor placement algorithm places a sensor as close as possible to the source position with the maximum variance. The MINMAX sensor placement algorithm minimizes the variance of the source position with the maximum variance after the sensor has been placed. The MAXSRC algorithm is simple and can be solved using an exhaustive search while the MINMAX algorithm uses a genetic algorithm to find a solution. These algorithms are then used in three examples, two of which are simple and synthetic. The other example is from Lanigan Potash Mine. The results show that both sensor placement algorithms produce similar results, with the MINMAX algorithm consistently doing better. The MAXSRC algorithm places a single sensor approximately 100 times faster than the MINMAX algorithm. The example shows that the MAXSRC algorithm has the potential to be an efficient and intuitively simple sensor placement algorithm for mine microseismic event monitoring. The MINMAX algorithm provides, at an increase in computational time, a more robust placement criterion which can be solved adequately using a genetic algorithm.

In Drosophila melanogaster, chemical cues in the form of cuticular hydrocarbons play an important role in reproductive behavior. The social and genetic processes that regulate their expression, however, are poorly understood. The social environment has been shown to influence hydrocarbon display. In this study, the effect of population density on the expression of hydrocarbons was evaluated. I demonstrate that the production of certain hydrocarbons depends on the population density in which the animal is reared. Individual hydrocarbons fluctuate in quantity independently from one another but the peaks during a light-dark cycle are static depending mostly on chain length. The regulation of fly hydrocarbons which are density-dependent is shown to be sexually dimorphic. The RNAi knockdown of various putative lipid metabolism genes was also used to study hydrocarbon expression. This study reveals that lipid metabolism genes which are not obvious mediators of HC synthesis influence cuticular hydrocarbon profiles.

Planning policies in Ontario, such as the Provincial Policy Statement and the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe, enforce urban growth boundaries to preserve natural and agricultural lands while improving neighbourhood and city vibrancy. Consequently, urban areas must be intensified through high-density development, which will limit the land available for public green spaces and large private yards. As a result, homebuyers looking for spacious properties will have to rely mainly on the turnover of older homes. Therefore, this thesis explores how residents currently living in homes with private yards value private and public outdoor space, and whether they have interest in upsizing or downsizing their homes in the future. Neighbourhood and property attributes that may be influential in homebuyer decision-making are also investigated. The cities of Kitchener and Waterloo (“Kitchener-Waterloo”) were chosen as the study location, as both cities are affected by the Growth Plan and are currently being intensified. From March to August, 2012, a random sample of 1272 households living in homes with private yards were invited to participate in a survey on yard landscaping and maintenance practices and property preferences, after which a total of 206 surveys were analyzed. Most respondents were living in medium-sized homes with medium-sized yards, and results indicated that homes and yards of medium size would be the most commonly preferred options if residents were to move (considering their household size, health, finances, etc.). On the whole, the target market for high-density homes (i.e. condominiums, small houses, and small yards) came mainly from the aging population. Nevertheless, when asked if they would ever live with less yard space in the future (when their household conditions could differ from what they were at the time of the survey), 58% of all respondents indicated that they may live in a home with a small yard and 41% indicated that they may live with no yard. Such a finding further indicated that residents may find high-density dwellings more appealing as they age. Based on findings, ways of increasing the appeal of compact dwellings are discussed, such as including a small yard or balcony, providing privacy, ensuring access to public green spaces, and being located in a safe neighbourhood. Landscapes neat in appearance and designed with grass, colourful vegetation, trees, and natural gardens are also expected to increase property appeal. Overall, if development is to remain restricted to built-up areas, developers and planners will have to create desirable high-density homes located in communities that accommodate the lifestyles of potential residents. This thesis addresses such a challenge by delineating target market groups with the potential to move to high-density homes, and by providing insight into the variables that may increase the appeal of properties as landscapes are intensified.

This thesis has detailed the extensive analysis of the XAS and RIXS spectra of LiFePO4 and FePO4, with the primary focus on LiFePO4. One of the primary motivations for this study was to understand the electronic structure of the two compounds and, in particular, shed some light on the nature of electron correlation within the samples. Two classes of band structure calculations have come to light. One solution uses the Hubbard U parameter, and this solution exhibits a band gap of about 4 eV. Other solutions that use standard DFT electron correlation functionals yield band gaps between 0 and 1.0 eV. <p>The RIXS spectra of LiFePO4 and FePO4 were analyzed using Voigt function fitting, an uncommon practice for RIXS spectra. Each of the spectra was fit to a series of Voigt functions in an attempt to localize the peaks within the spectra. These peaks were determined to be RIXS events, and the energetic centers of these peaks were compared to a small band gap band structure calculation. The results of the RIXS analysis strongly indicate that the small gap solution is correct. This was a surprising result, given that LiFePO4 is an ionic, insulating transition metal oxide, showing all of the usual traits of a Mott-type insulator. <p>This contradiction was explained in terms of polaron formation. Polarons can severely distort the lattice, which changes the local charge density. This changes the local DOS such that the DOS probed by XAS or RIXS experiments is not necessarily in the ground state. In particular, polaron formation can reduce the band gap. Thus, the agreement between the small gap solution and experiment is false, in the sense that the physical assumptions that formed the basis of the small gap calculations do not reflect reality. Polaronic distortion was also tentatively put forward as an explanation for the discrepancy between partial fluorescence yield, total fluorescence yield, and total electron yield measurements of the XAS spectra of LiFePO4 and FePO4.

Mining operations can produce highly localized, low intensity earthquakes that are referred to as microseismic events. Monitoring of microseismic events is useful in predicting and comprehending hazards, and in evaluating the overall performance of a mine design. <p>A robust localization algorithm is used to estimate the source position of the microseismic event by selecting the hypothesized source location that maximizes an energy function generated from the sum of the time--aligned sensor signals. The accuracy of localization for the algorithm characterized by the variance depends in part upon the configuration of sensors. Two algorithms, MAXSRC and MINMAX, are presented that use the variance of localization error, in a particular direction, as a performance measure for a given sensor configuration.<p>The variance of localization error depends, in part, upon the energy spectral density of the microseismic event. The energy spectral density characterization of sensor signals received in two potash mines are presented and compared using two spectral estimation techniques: multitaper estimation and combined time and lag weighting. It is shown that the difference between the the two estimation techniques is negligible. However, the differences between the two mine characterizations, though not large, is significant. An example uses the characterized energy spectral densities to determine the variance of error for a single step localization algorithm.<p>The MAXSRC and MINMAX algorithms are explained. The MAXSRC sensor placement algorithm places a sensor as close as possible to the source position with the maximum variance. The MINMAX sensor placement algorithm minimizes the variance of the source position with the maximum variance after the sensor has been placed. The MAXSRC algorithm is simple and can be solved using an exhaustive search while the MINMAX algorithm uses a genetic algorithm to find a solution. These algorithms are then used in three examples, two of which are simple and synthetic. The other example is from Lanigan Potash Mine. The results show that both sensor placement algorithms produce similar results, with the MINMAX algorithm consistently doing better. The MAXSRC algorithm places a single sensor approximately 100 times faster than the MINMAX algorithm. The example shows that the MAXSRC algorithm has the potential to be an efficient and intuitively simple sensor placement algorithm for mine microseismic event monitoring. The MINMAX algorithm provides, at an increase in computational time, a more robust placement criterion which can be solved adequately using a genetic algorithm.

Aluminum complexes, [O3PMe]AlR(R = OtBu, OPh), containing tris-(3,5-di-tert-butyl-2-hydroxy-phenyl)phosphine ([O3P]H3) which is a novel tridentate ligand have been synthesized and characterized by NMR, X-ray diffraction and elemental analysis. Theses complexes were used as catalysts for ring-opening polymerization of £`-caprolactone. We suggested that the stereo effect of catalysts is the main factor in the ring-opening polymerization and compared the mechanism with DFT. In additional, we studied the electronic states and electronic chemistry of [O3PMe]AlR by DFT, UV and PLE. The novel ligand, bis(3,5-tert-butyl-2-phenoxy) tert-butylphosphine ([tBuOPO]H2), reacted with alkali metals such as n-BuLi, NaH and KH to form a series metal complexes, [tBuOPO]M2(Solvent)x (M = Li, Na, K). These metal complexes are all dimeric molecules characterized by X-ray diffraction, NMR and elemental analysis. Moreover, we reacted {[tBuOPO]Li2(DME)}2 with metal complexes of group 4, TiCl3 and MCl4(THF)2 (M = Ti, Zr, Hf), and we received [tBuOPO]2M and [tBuOPO]MCl2(THF) (M = Ti, Zr, Hf). We also synthesized alkoxide complexes of the series metal complexes and studied the catalytic reactivity for ring-opening polymerizations. Furthermore, tantalum complexes, [tBuOPO]2TaX (X = F, Cl) and [tBuOPO]TaCl3, have been synthesized and characterized. Especially synthesizing [tBuOPO]TaCl3 should be carefully controlled by lowering the concentration of TaCl5.

The atomic and electronic structures of Au-intercalated graphene buffer layer on SiC(0001) surface were investigated using first-principles calculations. The unique Dirac cone of the graphene near K point reappeared as the buffer layer was intercalated by Au atoms. Coherence interfaces were used to study the mismatch and strain at the interfaces. Our calculations showed that the strain at graphene/Au and Au/SiC(0001) interfaces also played a key role in the electronic structures. Futhermore, we found that at Au coverage of 3/8 ML, Au intercalation leads to strong n-type doping of graphene. At 9/8 ML, it exhibited weak p-type doping, meaning that graphene is not fully decoupled from substrate. The shift of Dirac point resulting from electronic doping is not only due to different electronegativities but also strains at the interfaces. Our calculated positions of Dirac points are consistent with those observed in the ARPES experiment [Isabella Gierz et al., Phys. Rev. B 81, 235408 (2010).].

Fluorometric density gradient ultracentrifugation is used to measure the lipoprotein density profile for cardiovascular disease risk assessment. The work presented establishes the effectiveness of using a single-spin separation as both an analytical tool and a preparative tool, while yielding valuable density information. This research expands on the analytical power of density gradient ultracentrifugation (DGU) by combining novel ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) gradient solutions, a fluorescent probe for analysis, and modern statistical methods for classification of heart disease risk. Sub-classes of lipoproteins are analyzed based on their density from the fluorescent lipoprotein density profile. The application of linear discriminant analysis (LDA) and sliced average variance estimation (SAVE) to the fluorometric DGU data yields a powerful classification tool. This method is capable of determining differences between control and cardiovascular disease patients that do not exhibit the traditional risk factors. The combination of these methods has great potential to serve as analytical tools for researchers in understanding the mechanisms of disease development and as a diagnostic tool for clinicians.

Density functional theory (DFT) is used to study the reactivity of Pt and Pt-M (M: Pd, Co, Ni, V, and Rh) alloy catalysts towards the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) as a function of the alloy overall composition and surface atomic distribution and compared to that on pure Pt surfaces. Reactivity is evaluated on the basis of the adsorption strength of oxygenated compounds which are intermediate species of the four-electron oxygen reduction reaction, separating the effect of the first electron-proton transfer from that of the three last electron-proton transfer steps. It is found that most homogeneous distribution PtxM catalysts thermodynamically favor the dissociation of adsorbed OOH in comparison with pure Platinum and adsorb strongly O and OH due to the strong oxyphilicity of the M elements. On the other hand, in all cases skin Platinum surfaces catalysts do not favor the dissociation of adsorbed OOH and do favor the reduction of M-O and M-OH with respect to Platinum. Considering the overall pathway of the reactions to catalyze the ORR most of the skin Platinum monolayer catalysts provide more negative free energy changes and should behave at least in a similar way than Platinum in following order: Pt3V (skin Pt) > Pt3Co (skin Pt) > Pt3Ni (skin Pt) > Pt > PtPd (skin) > Pt4Rh (skin Pt) > PtPd3 (skin ). In all cases, the reactivity is shown to be not only sensitive to the overall composition of the catalyst, but most importantly to the surface atomic distribution. Proposed electrochemical dissolution reactions of the catalyst atoms are also analyzed for the ORR catalysts, by computing the free energy changes of Platinum and bimetallic Pt-X (X: Co, Pd, Ni, and Rh) catalysts. It is found that Platinum is thermodynamically more stable than Pt-alloys in Pt3Co, Pt3Pd, Pt3Ni and Pt4Rh.