The number of automated features in surface vehicles are increasing as new vehicles are released each year. Some of these features allow drivers to temporarily take their attention off-road and en-gage in other tasks. However, there are times when it is important for drivers to immediately take control of the vehicle, if required. To safely take control, drivers must understand what is required of them and have situation awareness (SA) to understand important changes or factors within the environment around them. We can present drivers with needed takeover information using a head-up display (HUD), keeping the driver's eyes on the road. However, drivers operating conditionally automated vehicles on various roadways, such as highways and urban arterial roads, require differ-ent information to be conveyed to them as they drive due to inherent differences in roadway and obstacle features within the driving scene, such as the addition of vulnerable road users on urban arterial roads. This work aimed to (1) investigate impacts of novel HUDs on driver situation awareness during takeover on a highway, (2) identify system design criteria to fulfill driver's needs during takeover on an urban arterial road, and, (3) examine the effects of HUDs on driver situation awareness during takeover on an urban arterial road. We investigated these goals by collecting em-pirical data for takeover performance metrics, self-reported situation awareness, participant prefer-ences, and expert's opinions. From our studies we conclude that HUDs can increase aspects of takeover performance on high-ways, with participants demonstrating lower response times and higher time to collision metrics. We did not find significant impacts of HUDs on driver situation awareness on highways. Results from our semistructed interviews indicated that experts felt systems should communicate the need for driver attention to relevant information, communicate obstacle information, and provide information using a variety of driver senses. HUDs can also increase driver situation awareness during takeover on an urban arterial road and support improved takeover performance. This work allowed us to identify potential use cases and design criteria for new designs of novel HUDs to deliver important information during takeover. / Doctor of Philosophy / More features that take some of the tasks of vehicle operation off drivers are being released with every new model year of vehicle. Currently, these features still require drivers to maintain attention to the road and, in some cases, immediately take control of the vehicle, called takeover. However, research has not identified how best to communicate the need for takeover on all types of roads. Research has utilized a head-up display (HUD) to present vehicle information, communicate navigation, and highlight objects around the world to drivers while keeping driver's eyes on road. Keeping driver's eyes on road allows drivers to maintain situation awareness (SA) where they would perceive, understand, and react to changes in the driving scene. Currently, we can convey information to drivers both using traditional head-down displays (HDDs) in the instrument cluster and some vehicles are equipped with HUDs that can deliver in-formation within driver's field of view. This work aimed to first understand how takeover request delivered via HUD affect takeover performance and drivers' situation awareness on highways compared to HDDs. Next, we investigated expert's opinions on driver needs from the automated system during takeover on urban arterial roads to develop design criteria for new types of takeover requests. Finally, we took the design criteria to develop, test, and compare driver's takeover performance and situation awareness in new takeover requests delivered by HDDs and HUDs. HUDs may be useful in presenting information to drivers during takeover. Results support that on highways, HUDs are beneficial for increasing safer driver responses, where they responded quick-er and kept a greater distance to an object in the road in front of them. From design criteria identified by experts, we designed alerts that directed driver's attention to bicyclists, pedestrians, and vehicles crossing the path of their vehicle. After testing the alerts, results indicated that drivers had higher levels of situation awareness and performance metrics during takeover on urban arterial roads. Though HUDs show promise in increasing driver's takeover performance and situation awareness, we must take careful consideration into design of future HUDs to give appropriate and relevant information to drivers.

Cancer is a major cause of morbidity and mortality with increasing incidence worldwide. Early detection of cancers and better treatments would improve the outcome for patients. The overall 5-year survival rates of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma have not improved in the past several decades due to diagnosis at advanced stages and recurrent disease. Early detection and improved chemotherapy drugs are two key areas that are required to help to improve the prognosis for this disease. This thesis focuses on the enzyme telomerase which is known to contribute to one of the hallmarks of cancer (immortality). Elevated telomerase activity has been observed in the majority of cancer cells but not in most normal human cells so there is an opportunity to use telomerase as a biomarker for disease. This first part of this study assessed telomerase activity in saliva and tissues of head and neck squamous cell cancer patients. The Telomerase PCR-ELISA kit was used to assess telomerase activity in the saliva of patients with confirmed oral carcinomas and its expression was analysed in paraffin embedded tissue using immunohistochemistry (IHC). Whilst telomerase was detected in cell lines, no telomerase activity was detected in saliva samples from patients but was detectable in IHC specimens. The second part of the study focused on the pharmacological evaluation of a series of small molecule G–quadruplex DNA binding agents as potential telomerase inhibitors. A total of 19 telomerase inhibitors were identified but of these, only 4 were specific inhibitors of telomerase. These compounds also caused toxicity to cell lines following a 2 hour drug exposure at doses that also inhibit telomerase activity. Further studies are required to explore these compounds further. In conclusion, the results of this study have demonstrated that detection of telomerase activity I the saliva of patients with oral cancers is unlikely to be useful in terms of detecting oral cancers before symptoms of the disease are clinically manifest. A series of novel and specific inhibitors of telomerase have been identified and further studies are required to develop these compounds further.

Fusarium head blight (FHB) is a horribly destructive fungal diseases of barley. FHB is caused by a species complex of Fusaria, of which Fusarium graminearum Schwabe is the main causal species of FHB epidemics in Canada. Field surveys show that two or more Fusarium species often co-exist within the same field or grain sample and F. poae is reported as another important species in barley in Ontario and Quebec. The aim of this study was to observe the pathogenicity of F. graminearum, F. poae and a co-inoculation of both species causing FHB in barley. Two susceptible barley cultivars were spray-inoculated at 10 to 14 days after heading. Phenotypic disease severity was rated on a scale of 0-9 at 4, 7, 14, 21, and 28 days after inoculation. There was a significant difference in FHB severity between F. graminearum and F. poae, where infection with F. graminearum produced more severe disease ratings. F. poae generated lower disease ratings and was not statistically different from the control. When heads were co-inoculated with both Fusarium species, the resulting FHB severity was unchanged 54relative to heads inoculated with F. graminearum only. The ratio of F. graminearum to F. poae genomic DNA was also no different than when heads were inoculated with F. graminearum alone, as quantified with ddPCR using markers specific to each species. Metabolomic analysis of sample extracts corroborated our other findings where F. graminearum appeared to outcompete F. poae in barley also at the mycotoxin level. Barley cultivar did not have a significant effect on visual FHB disease ratings and fungal DNA detection, however there were some chemical differences between cultivars in response to challenge by both F. graminearum and F. poae.

In this research study, the correlation and significance of head injuries in adult sex offenders that have committed crimes against children were measured and compared to a group of criminal offenders that have committed non-sex-related criminal offenses. Data on 30 randomly selected individuals from each of the two groups (60 individuals total) were collected to measure and compare the number of individuals with a head injury in each group. The purpose of this research was to gain a better understanding of why criminally deviant behaviors occur in adults. This research also hoped to encourage further research on this topic or similar topics that can lead to new ideas in prevention, intervention, and treatment plans in sex offenders.

Cross-sectional and geographical data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics were combined with school-district level data from the Census Bureau’s F-33 Survey of Local Government. Use of this unique dataset, allows for the examination of the longterm effects of preschool participation while controlling for the quality of schooling encountered post-program. Former Head Start participants report better health status than individuals with no preschool experience or experience in preschools other than Head Start. Individuals who attended these other preschools outperformed the Head Start group when it came to high school graduation and overall educational attainment. No differences were detected in regard to the groups’ employment status and income. School quality did not appear to be a strong determinant of future success. Neither did it appear to explain the fadeout effect found in many other studies. Long-term effects did not vary much by Head Start region indicating that program quality is of similar quality across the nation. Some differences in benefits were found between rural and urban programs. Respondents who attended Head Start in urban and suburban areas report better health status than their rural peers. Individuals from rural areas were more likely to graduate from high school and have higher incomes than people from urban areas. Intergenerational benefits were also examined. Children whose mothers attended Head Start as a child are more likely to be eligible for the program than children whose mothers had no preschool experience. Among the eligible population, children of Head Start mothers are statistically more likely to actually attend the program than children whose mother did not attend Head Start.

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