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Engineered resistance mediated by RNA interference to control viral diseases in plants has shown great promise. However, the discovery that most known plant viruses encode RNAi suppressors which interfere with RNAi raised the issue to whether this type of engineered resistance can be durable in the presence of heterologous viruses in mixed infection. The overall goal of this study was to investigate the mechanism of suppression of RNAi-mediated resistance in transgenic plants in the presence of a virus carrying a strong suppressor of RNAi. Nicotiana benthamiana plants were transformed with a 1.2 kb from the 5' end of RCNMV RNA-1. Transgenic resistant lines were obtained. Resistance in two different transgenic lines was shown to be mediated by two different types of RNAi: constitutive RNAi in D2 line induced by doubles-stranded (ds) transgene transcripts and virus-induced RNAi in B1 line. We demonstrated that PVY differentially affected RNAi-mediated resistance in the two lines. D2 line is completely immune to RCNMV infection. D2 line contained multiple copies of the 1.2 kb transgene which are rearranged and produced dsRNAs. PVY did not break the resistance in this transgenic line however data showed that PVY interfered with RNAi which correlated to an increase of the 1.2 kb transgene mRNA. In addition, PVY infection induced accumulation of 21 nt siRNAs and did not alter the transcription of the transgene. In contrast, PVY infection suppressed resistance mediated by virus-induced RNAi in B1 line. B1 contains a single copy of the1.2 kb transgene and is initially susceptible to RCNMV infection however became resistant to RCNMV in newly merging leaves after 14 days post inoculation. PVY infection did not affect the accumulation of the 1.2 kb transgene mRNA nor the accumulation of 21 nt siRNA corresponding to the transgene. The differential effect of PVY infection on the two RNAi-mediated resistances in the two transgenic lines suggests that properly designed resistant plants might withstand mixed virus infections and the presence of a strong suppressor of RNAi. In addition, the differential effect of PVY on RNAi suggests that parallel but distinct pathways are involved in dsRNA-induced, virus-induced, and sense RNAi.

To be successful, future leaders of the school, district, or other levels will require very different characteristics than those expected of leaders in the last decade (Fullan, 2000). The purpose of this study was to identify the key characteristics needed by school district superintendents to meet the demands of this position in the twenty-first century. The key characteristics were identified by exemplary superintendents who had been recognized for their effectiveness. The ten most frequently identified characteristics were then analyzed for commonalities and anomalies. A selected group of survey respondents also participated in semi-structured interviews to develop an understanding of the context surrounding the characteristic selections.This study of the key characteristics of effective superintendent indicates that an effective Arizona school superintendent for the 21st century must be centered on having the capacity, knowledge and aspirations to develop a collaborative relationship-driven culture. This study suggested both quantitatively and qualitatively that the development of positive relationships with all educational stakeholders was imperative to the success of the superintendent. Practicing and future superintendents will need to have superior interpersonal skills to be successful in the 21st century. Practicing and future superintendents will need to have superior interpersonal skills and it is the responsibility of university programs and professional organizations to provide opportunities for the development of these skills.

The city remains one of humanity’s greatest challenges, demanding solutions to complex problems that arise from a network of interoperating systems at different scales. As urban centres densify across Canada, the dialogue of how to create vital, highly functioning mixed-use communities within urban environments is of utmost importance. This thesis assesses the methodologies designers have used to handle this issue, and proposes analytical and generative tools that contribute to a framework for emergent outcomes to assist balancing multi-scalar overlapping variables. This framework is tested on a site rich in conflicting contextual cues: the False Creek Flats in Vancouver, British Columbia. Following a hierarchy of urban, building, and pedestrian scales, information from analysis is implemented into design processes and critical response. Focusing on issues of connectivity, responsivity, and identity, the design proposal synthesizes the outcomes into a new district and building typology based on three dimensional environmental and social constraints.

A public-private interface is a dynamic threshold between the private residence and the public city. It can be critically examined in terms of social scales, defensibility and ownership of space. As cities densify, they face the challenge of providing dwelling space while intensifying community integration. Current approaches to housing often rarify cultural and social richness in the resultant communities. A new framework is needed for residential development, including an awareness of social dynamics, and building respectfully on positive patterns in existing contexts. This thesis proposes a densifying mixed-used residential scheme on the vacant site of Halifax’s St. Patrick’s-Alexandra School, governed by a framework of social scales and responding to typological and physical conditions in the community. It seeks to integrate public services into existing structures, and to articulate the threshold between public and private programs, making a case for a socially vibrant model of urban housing.

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The purpose of this thesis is to analyze my piece for orchestra and chorus, Apokalypsis, which was written in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Music in Composition. An attempt will be made to present a complete analysis of the pitch and rhythmic structures, as well as important orchestration procedures, and to formulate a method of analyzing music that integrates elements of both "Function" and "non-functional" tonality.

En una Noche Oscura, Canticle II, is a musical composition scored for a capella chorus in eight parts, with occasional solo passages in some voices. The piece takes its title from St. John-of-the-Cross, and is in one sense a musical response to the spiritual journey undertaken by the pilgrim of St. John's text, of Job, of David, and of countless other mystics, Christian and otherwise. / I have divided the accompanying analysis of the work into two parts: first, an introductory discussion of the technical ideas behind the composition of Canticle II, and second, a more thorough, section-by-section analysis of the composition itself. The introduction outlines the formal, rhythmic, and harmonic approaches taken in the composition of this piece, while the close analysis shows more specifically how these ideas are reflected in the actual score.

The Yellow Quill Mixed Grass Prairie Preserve is a remnant of an endangered community that is located in southwestern Manitoba and owned by The Nature Conservancy of Canada. In 2005 and 2006, this study was conducted to investigate the effect that the currently-practiced twice-over rotational cattle grazing regime is having on the carabid beetles and spiders. This study primarily compared grazed and ungrazed treatments on three paddocks. A secondary experiment investigated whether the spring graze, fall graze, or the combination of the two had the greatest impact on the carabids and spiders. Three periods were examined in three periods each season: before grazing had begun, after the spring graze, and after the fall graze. A total of 81 species of carabids and 156 species of spiders were recorded, including potentially new provincial records (two carabid species and 20 spider species). Seventy two species of plants were recorded in the study.

Unlicensed, non-credentialed counsellors pose a substantial risk for harm to those seeking counselling in Canada. Professional associations and legislative bodies in Canada are seeking protection of the public through certification and regulation processes that require evidence of professional competence. I examine and discuss the development process for and reliability and validity measures of a prototype for a Canadian standard entry-to-practice counselling competency assessment. Unique to this study is a focus on process orientation. Using a mixed methods approach, I observe and document the steps used by a pan-Canadian test development team to create a prototype for a valid, reliable, credible, and fair national assessment of counselling competency at the entry-to-practice level. Beginning with the formation of a national competency profile that delineates a scope of practice for the counselling profession, I move through the assessment creation process from conceptual foundations and rationale to assessment blueprint, item writing, beta testing, and strategic checks for validation and reliability. The culmination of this study is a replicable process for the creation of fair, valid, and reliable test instruments for the counselling profession in Canada.