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2013 — Characterization and Centrifuge Dewatering of Oil Sands Fine TailingsRésumé
Oil sands mining operations in northern Alberta, Canada generates an ever growing volume of fine tailings that are disposed off hydraulically in the tailings ponds. The caustic extraction process results in dispersed tailings that do not dewater under conventional gravity settling. Centrifugation along with polymer addition has recently demonstrated promising results for these tailings at the pilot-scale level. The complex colloid-water-polymer interactions govern the dewatering behaviour of the tailings during this process. The main objective of this research was to characterize and improve the dewatering properties of oil sands fine tailings using centrifuge technology in conjunction with polymer amendment. MFT … Lire la suite
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2013 — The Influence of Reproductive Condition and Roost Type on Thermoregulation and Foraging in Big Brown Bats (Eptesicus Fuscus)Résumé
Reproduction is energetically expensive for mammalian females and seasonality limits the amount of time available to successfully reproduce. Temperate mammals often have methods to cope with time constraints, such as thermoregulatory and foraging flexibility, but typically at a cost. However, foraging and thermoregulation are often studied separately, which leads to limited knowledge about what, if any, relationship exists between these two factors. The purpose of my research was to determine how thermoregulation and foraging patterns vary among reproductive stages in big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus) that switched between building and tree roosts. I equipped pregnant and lactating bats with temperature … Lire la suite
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2013 — Dexter in LoveRésumé
Showtime’s Dexter (2006-) is a television series about a serial killer named Dexter Morgan that has become a cult-hit in the landscape of popular North American television. The series’ narrative follows Dexter’s life as he struggles to manage his identity as a killer with his growing desire to evolve as a human being capable of experiencing love. In this thesis, I will offer an interpretation of Dexter that varies from most of what has been written on the series by focusing on the theme of love and its role in shaping Dexter’s developing sense of self. To consider the influence … Lire la suite
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2013 — Reconciling the Divide: An Analysis of Farmers’ Land Strategies Within the Corporate-Environmental Food RegimeRésumé
After twenty-five years of contested change following the collapse of the mercantile-industrial food regime, a corporate-environmental food regime appears to be consolidating. The new food regime consists of two distinct yet complimentary paradigms: the Ecologically Integrated paradigm, and the Life Sciences Integrated paradigm. Through the use of in-depth interviews with organic and conventional farmers living in southern Saskatchewan, this thesis examines how the management strategies utilized by Saskatchewan farmers fit within the larger world food regime in relation to farmers’ self-described identities. This study also explores the heterogeneity of management strategies, and the consistency of these strategies with the ideologies … Lire la suite
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2013 — Catalysts for Hydrogen Production by the Auto-Thermal Reforming of GlycerolRésumé
Due to a number of major environmental issues, essentially greenhouse gas emissions and fossil fuel reliance, the implications of hydrogen as a promising clean energy carrier have significantly increased. In this respect, the use of bio-renewable feedstock such as glycerol for hydrogen production is becoming important. The majority of natural glycerol is produced as a by-product of the bio-diesel industry. Presently, almost all crude glycerol is refined before its ultimate end use. It is the ultimate goal of the present study to develop an effective catalytic auto-thermal reforming process to convert glycerol into top value bio-based products. Glycerol can be … Lire la suite
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2013 — Reflections on a Collaborative Project between Elementary Students from an International School and Students from a Host CountryRésumé
This thesis is an autoethnographic self-study intended to create conversations amongst educators teaching in international schools overseas, and to possibly bring about change in the way we, as expatriate teachers, view service learning; in the way we attempt to incorporate the host culture, and in the way we promote intercultural literacy with young students. The participants in this study included 17 international school students, aged seven to nine, who collaborated with 25 local students of the same age, on five separate occasions to plan and implement environmental projects in the local community. While mainly project-based and experiential, responsible citizenship through … Lire la suite
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2013 — Exploring the Effects of Time and Money Pressures on Environmentally Responsible Behavior within a Group Resource Conservation ContextRésumé
Resources we use every day such as air and water are public resources so we are all active participants in the commons. A commons dilemma is a situation in which an individual has a choice between boosting personal gain and prolonging the common resource for the good of the commons and all who share it. Commons dilemma research is thus extremely relevant to the well-being of the natural environment. Participating in socially and ecologically responsible behavior involves costs. Individuals are often confronted with inconveniences when it comes to choosing to act in an environmentally-friendly manner. The present study examines the … Lire la suite
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2013 — The Effect of Hyperthermia on Cerebral Hemodynamics, Biological Fatigue and Cardiovascular Strain During 40km Time- Trial Cycling in Trained TriathletesRésumé
The 40 kilometer cycling time-trial (40kmTT) is a sanctioned event in the summer Olympics and is an integral part of the olympic distance triathlon. It is often performed in hot humid climates. Thus, both the exercising muscle and the brain are subject to significant biological fatigue and task failure. This study examined the influence of a 40kmTT performed in the heat on central (brain) and peripheral (muscle) variables. It was hypothesized that middle cerebral artery velocity (MCAv) and the degree of muscle activation ( integrated electromyography - iEMG) of the vastus lateralis would decrease during 40kmTT cycling in hyperthermia (HYP) … Lire la suite
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2013 — Initial perceptions of Internet-Based Cognitive-Behaviour Therapy for Chronic pain Among Potential Users: Examining Interest, Perceived Barriers, and StrengthsRésumé
Chronic pain is an important area of study given that 15 to 18% of the Canadian population will develop a chronic pain condition during their lifetime. One difficulty in the self-management of chronic pain is the lack of resources available for those who suffer from this condition. Although preliminary research has demonstrated Internet Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (ICBT) for chronic pain to be a viable treatment option, potential users’ initial perceptions towards this mode of delivery may pose a barrier for the adoption of such programs. The purpose of the study was threefold: to develop a measure of initial perceptions towards … Lire la suite
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2013 — Teachers’ Attitudes Towards Students with Special Needs and Their Inclusive Education ProgramRésumé
Our attitude impacts our daily lives and is reflected in our behaviour. This study examines teachers’ attitudes about aspects of inclusive education. Attitude towards the inclusive programs, towards students with special needs as well as towards the teachers’ additional responsibilities surrounding inclusive education were examined. Data were collected through a survey instrument using a six point Likert scale. The points were assessed a numerical value to allow the researcher to make calculations of attitude scores. The survey, which included demographic details and questions about attitudes, was administered to a teacher population in East Central Saskatchewan. The data were analyzed to … Lire la suite
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2013 — Canadian Approaches to Arctic Foreign PolicyRésumé
Throughout the Cold War the Arctic was treated as an international ‘no man’s land’. The tension created by the proximity of the Soviet Union to the other Arctic states made the development of effective Arctic foreign policies within the Arctic states almost impossible. However, the end of the Cold War resulted in the opening of political space that enabled the ‘lesser’ Arctic states to begin to have influence in the region. The Arctic states began to work together to develop forums for international cooperation on issues that impacted the Arctic region as a whole. This cooperation began with the implementation … Lire la suite
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2013 — Understanding Parental Self-efficacy in FathersRésumé
Parental self-efficacy (PSE) is a cognitive construct that can be defined broadly as an individual’s appraisal of his or her competence in the parental role. Researchers interested in child developmental outcomes have highlighted the important role that PSE plays in psychosocial child adjustment. Despite its importance, the PSE construct has been understudied in men. Given the enduring gendered nature of parenting, it seems likely that fathers’ PSE may differ from mothers’ PSE in important ways. This study was the first to develop and validate a self-report scale that assesses the PSE of fathers with preschool aged children. The research was … Lire la suite
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2013 — NMR Analysis of Various Amine-CO2-H2O Systems Interactions for Studies of Vapour-Liquid Equilibrium and Catalyst Aided and Unaided Solvent RegenerationRésumé
The removal of CO2 by chemical absorption and regeneration has been researched for decades. CO2-amine interactions in solvent chemistry have been studied via the Vapour-Liquid Equilibrium (VLE) model. Databases for VLE models have been generated either through software simulators or conventional pH meter + Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) experiments. Studies have focused mostly on single amines solutions (MEA, MDEA, BEA, AMP, etc.) below 40 degrees C. limitations have restricted research in VLE modeling. Solvent regeneration or CO2 stripping studies have also been of research interest for years. However, the heat duty is very high, even with stripping performed at reboiler … Lire la suite
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2013 — Elicitation of Constraints and Qualitative Preferences in Multi-Attribute AuctionsRésumé
Multi-Attribute Reverse Auctions (MARAs) allow negotiation between the buyer and sellers over price along with other non-price attributes such as delivery time, sellers' reputation, and product quality. The seller with the most preferable product speci cation over multiple attributes wins. Much research has been done in the con- text of MARAs, but several challenging problems still need to be addressed. Eliciting the buyer's requirements, which consist of constraints and preferences, and deter- mining the winner, which has been shown to be computationally complex, are hot research topics. Multi-Attribute Utility Theory (MAUT), which has been used in MARAs, only permits the … Lire la suite
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2013 — A Workshop to Improve Experienced Therapists’ Capacity to Integrate a Client’s Cultural and Spiritual IdentityRésumé
Spirituality has not been extensively included in the training curriculum of academic programs for therapists. Therapists have expressed a desire for continuing education to support their capacity to be responsive to clients’ spirituality (e.g., Plumb, 2011). In light of a need and desire for training, experienced therapists should have access to continuing educational opportunities to hone their capacity. Workshops are an option for such continuing education (Orlinsky, Botermans, & Ronnestad, 2001). I sought to understand the relevance of a continuing education workshop that was designed to enable therapists to better integrate their clients’ spirituality into therapy. Therapists who participated in … Lire la suite
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2013 — Development of CO2 EOR Techniques for Unlocking Resources in Tight Oil FormationsRésumé
Tremendous resources of tight oil are located in North America and widely distributed in 24 oil reservoirs, which are characterized by both low permeability and low porosity. Although long horizontal wells together with massively fracturing techniques have been utilized to promote fluid injectivity and productivity, primary recovery factor of a tight oil reservoir still remains as low as only 5-10 % of original oil in place (OOIP). Due to low permeability, waterflooding results in low injectivity. Although CO2 injection may be the most suitable enhanced oil recovery (EOR) option under immiscible or miscible conditions, its flooding mechanisms and performance have … Lire la suite
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2013 — An Agent-Based Wellness Visualization SystemRésumé
This research presents the conceptual design of a personal wellness indicator and the proof of concept. An agent-based wellness indicator is an information visualization system designed to present wellness information to people in a simple graphical format complemented by anomalies found, simple descriptions, suggestions and supporting tools. The visualization system is designed to give people a better understanding of their wellness conditions and fast access to relevant information, which could potentially help them improve their wellness levels. The wellness and decision-support information of individuals are also visualized to their caregivers by elaborating the data provided by existing resources. The wellness … Lire la suite
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2013 — Physical and Chemical Resistance of Elastomers in Carbon Dioxide-Loaded Aqueous Monoethanolamine Solutions During Amine-Based Carbon Dioxide CaptureRésumé
Developing processes for the removal of carbon dioxide (CO2), the most abundant greenhouse gas (GHG), has been of tremendous research interest due to the serious global warming problems associated with CO2 emissions. Among other sources, CO2 that is produced from human activities such as energy production (especially from large point sources) are the main targets for CO2 emissions mitigation. One of the mature methods for CO2 removal from low-pressure gas steams is absorption using a chemical solvent such as monoethanolamine (MEA). Most of the literature has focused on corrosion characteristics of equipment exposed to the MEA environment. However, the characteristics … Lire la suite
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2013 — LA DIMENSION LANGAGIÈRE DANS L’ENSEIGNEMENT ET L’APPRENTISSAGE DES MATHÉMATIQUES : UNE ÉTUDE EXPLORATOIRERésumé
Le but de cette étude est d’explorer les résultats de l’incorporation d’une variété de stratégies promouvant la communication orale et écrite dans l’enseignement et l’apprentissage des mathématiques. Les stratégies utilisées proviennent de l’outil PRIME Professional Resources and Instruction for Mathematics Educators (version française) et de la littérature portant sur la communication dans l’enseignement et l’apprentissage des mathématiques. L’étude, menée en situation langue minoritaire (SLM), est guidée par les trois questions suivantes : 1) Quels sont les effets d’un enseignement des mathématiques suivant les stratégies communicatives suggérées par l’outil PRIME, ainsi que celles d’autres experts, sur la communication orale et écrite … Lire la suite
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2013 — Quantum-Mechanical and Thermodynamic Study of Amines and Ionic Liquids for CO2 CaptureRésumé
There is worldwide interest to develop improved CO2-capture solvents to help reduce cost of capture and environmental footprint. This thesis aims to contribute to this goal by studying computationally and experimentally a few aspects related to solvent development, considering both aqueous amines and ionic liquids. For pKa prediction of aliphatic amines, the performance of quantum-chemistry (QM) continuum-plus-correction methods was evaluated by comparison with the 1981 pencil-and-paper group-additivity method of Perrin, Dempsey, and Serjeant (PDS). The best continuum-plus-correction method has been achieved, and while it offers improvement over the original 1981 PDS method, it is inferior to a trivial update of … Lire la suite
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2013 — Mapping Predictive Ambient Concentration Distribution of Particulate Matter and Sulfur Dioxide for Air Quality Monitoring Using Remote SensingRésumé
Particulate matter (PM) and sulfur dioxide (SO2) are harmful to human health, especially at exposure levels of 30 μg/m3 of PM and 150 μg/m3 of SO2 for 24 hours. Agriculture and transportation are primary sources of PM while industries are the primary sources of SO2. A network of air quality monitoring stations was established to measure ambient PM and SO2 concentrations continuously but they are not enough to cover remote areas of Saskatchewan. To provide a cost-effective solution to this problem, principles of remote sensing for predicting ambient concentrations of air pollutants and mapping their distributions over the areas of … Lire la suite
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2013 — On The Combinatorics of Sample Compression SchemesRésumé
A sample compression scheme of size k for a concept class C is a pair of functions (f; g) called the compression function and the reconstruction function. The functions have the property that for any sample S consistent with a concept in C, f compresses S to some subset of S, for which g returns a set of domain points, labelled consistently with the original sample S. The sample compression scheme is called labelled if the compression sets are labelled subsets of S and unlabelled if the compression sets are subsets of the instance set of S. M. Warmuth and … Lire la suite
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2013 — Generation of Crack Random Numbers Using Three- Parameter Crack DistributionRésumé
The two-parameter crack lifetime distribution had led to the development of the three-parameter crack lifetime distribution. The developments has been a very use- ful and e ective tool in statistical analysis in conjunction with engineering concept relating to the fatigue crack which usually happen in the materials used for most engineering products like lorry, air craft and other heavy machineries. The crack is said to occur when excessive load or force is exerted beyond the materials ability or tendency. This three-parameter crack lifetime distribution was developed from the already-known two-parameter distributions, which was also used for modeling fatigue failure. This … Lire la suite
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2013 — Screening of Polymeric Membranes and Optimization of Operating Conditions for the Treatment of Produced WaterRésumé
Produced water is the largest volume of waste stream obtained from oil and gas production. It affects both aquatic and terrestrial eco-systems if discharged directly into the environment. If the water is treated, it could represent a solution for water scarcity, and would reduce the impact on the environment. Membrane filtration is a type of physical treatment in which two different phases are separated upon application of an external pressure. Polymeric membranes have significant advantages such as low cost and ease of fabrication, but also major disadvantage such as fouling which directly affects the operating cost. Microfiltration (MF), ultrafiltration (UF), … Lire la suite
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2013 — On Being an ESL Teacher in Saskatchewan: Exploring Professional Identity Using Metaphor AnalysisRésumé
This inquiry is an exploration of the professional metaphors ESL teachers in Saskatchewan choose to conceptualize and position themselves as language teachers. By situating the metaphors narratively, within a collective case study, the ways in which they are (in-)formed by experiences as students (the apprenticeship of observation), teachers, and Others are revealed. With the understanding that teacher knowledge is largely tacit and that cultural Othering (native-speakerism) in TESOL persists, this inquiry demonstrates how metaphor analysis can contribute to the reflective practices and professional development of teachers. Key words: metaphor, narrative, identity, TESOL, Othering Lire la suite
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2013 — Does Practice Make Perfect in Children's Eyewitness Identifcation AccuracyRésumé
Children accurately identify targets out of police lineups at much lower rates than adults. Furthermore, children presented with a target-absent lineup are much less accurate even when compared to their peers who view target-present lineups. Administering practice lineups to children prior to the real, or forensically relevant, lineup has been proposed in the past as a method to improve accuracy, but current literature has produced unsatisfactory results; improvement in target-absent accuracy is often accompanied by a performance cost for those selecting from a target-present lineup. Additionally, previous efforts have constructed practice lineups too obviously different from forensically relevant lineups, and … Lire la suite
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2013 — Development of Scales that Measure Disorder Specific Intolerance of UncertaintyRésumé
Evidence supports intolerance of uncertainty as an important feature of anxiety-based disorders and the construct may also play a role in major depressive disorder. Measures of intolerance of uncertainty have furthered understanding of the construct; however, existing questionnaires measure intolerance of uncertainty in a generalist fashion, not assessing the actual focus of uncertainty (e.g., what someone with panic disorder is uncertain about). This gap in research precludes conclusions regarding the nature of intolerance of uncertainty in anxiety-based disorders and major depressive disorder. The first objective of the study was to develop scales measuring disorder-specific intolerance of uncertainty (DSIU) for generalized … Lire la suite
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2013 — Monte Carlo Simulation of Ultra-Supercritical Pulverized Coal-Fired Power Plant: Efficiency ImprovementRésumé
Coal is the predominant energy source for the world’s electricity generation due to its abundance and low cost compared to other types of fuel. Coal-fired power plants are the primary source of anthropogenic emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2). A reduction of CO2 emissions is required to efficiently operate coal-fired power plants. Efficiency improvement will not only help reduce CO2 emissions, but also produce more electricity with less coal consumption. This can be achieved by either adjusting process operating conditions or replacing existing power plants with new technologies. Ultra-supercritical pulverized coalfired (USC-PC) power plants are one of the available technology options … Lire la suite
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2013 — An Effective Polychromatic X-ray Beam for Quantitative Analysis of Fossil CompositionsRésumé
A presentation of preliminary results of an ongoing study of fossils deposited in the Frenchman Formation near Eastend, Saskatchewan and the Wapiti Formation in westcentral Alberta, Canada, is given in this thesis. Specifically, those of a tyrannosaur and a hadrosaur from the Frenchman and Wapiti Formations, respectively, are studied and compared to others from these formations. The bulk of the analysis is done using Synchrotron X-ray Fluorescence data collected at the Canadian Light Source in Saskatchewan, Canada. Several methods to facilitate both qualitative and quantitative analysis of this data are used and developed. In particular, a method for replacing a … Lire la suite
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2013 — From Sarah Smith to Hesba Stretton: Hidden in Plain SightRésumé
Sarah Smith (1832-1911), under the pseudonym of Hesba Stretton, was a popular author of children’s and adult literature in the Victorian era and a founding member of the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. This thesis explores how Sarah created herself as the author Hesba Stretton: choosing a pseudonym and subject areas that both revealed and concealed who she was; using the popularity of her works to negotiate with publishers for a living wage for herself and her sister; and parlaying her authorial fame to argue and organize for reform on social issues important to her. Utilizing … Lire la suite
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2013 — Experimental and Thermodynamic Studies of Ionic Liquids for Carbon Dioxide SeparationRésumé
Capturing greenhouse gases and preventing climate change are becoming imperative global issues. There is a growing awareness that carbon dioxide emission from fossil fuel combustion is the biggest contributor to this environmental phenomenon. One of the most effective and potential solutions of reducing carbon dioxide emission is to capture it from industrial gas streams, such as flue gases. Among the most commonly used technologies, gas absorption via chemical solvent is the most promising technology due to its capacity to handle a large volume of carbon dioxide. Nevertheless, aqueous alkanolamines have shortcomings that make the process costly and environmentally unfriendly. Recently, … Lire la suite
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2013 — Applicability of Solvent-Assisted Polymer Flooding to Improve Heavy Oil RecoveryRésumé
Recently, one of the non-thermal oil recovery techniques, polymer flooding, has shown its potential for improving heavy oil recovery. This study investigated the potential of combining solvent-based processes and polymer flooding, called Solvent- Assisted Polymer Flooding, to improve the oil recovery from thin heavy oil reservoirs in Western Canada. This was accomplished through a series of carefully designed laboratory experiments and a lab-scale numerical simulation. This study attempted to validate the feasibility of the solvent-assisted polymer flooding method with respect to enhancing heavy oil recovery and the impact of fluid and operational parameters on the performance of this suggested technique … Lire la suite
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2013 — Bond Formation Reactions to Phosphorus Using an Electrophilic Phosphinidene ComplexRésumé
Electrophilic phosphinidene complexes play a central role in organophosphorus chemistry. The chemistry of transient phosphinidene complexes has been well studied, but stable, cationic phosphinidene complexes are not as well understood. Therefore the reactivity of a cationic phosphinidene complex [CpFe(CO)2{PNiPr2}]+ (Cp = η5-cyclopentadienyl, iPr = isopropyl), toward bond activation, cycloaddition and nucleophilic addition has been examined. The complex [CpFe(CO)2{PNiPr2}]+ reacts with primary, secondary, and tertiary silanes to form the silyl phosphine complexes [CpFe(CO)2{P(H)(SiR3)NiPr2}]+ (SiR3 = SiPhH2, SiPh2H, Si(C2H5)3), in which the phosphinidene has inserted into the Si-H bond. A computational study shows that the insertion is concerted. The same phosphinidene complex … Lire la suite
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2013 — Possibilités pour l'intégration du contenu autochtone dans l'immersion françaiseRésumé
Cette étude discute des possibilités pour l‟intégration du contenu autochtone en immersion française en Saskatchewan. L‟étude privilégie les contributions suite à des entretiens de quatre participants-textes dans le but de faire ressortir ce qui est pertinent à l‟inclusion du contenu des savoirs autochtones dans les salles de classe d‟immersion de la province. Je relève tout d‟abord l‟importance de reconsidérer ce qui est la connaissance (St. Pierre, 2008), suivi par le besoin, en Saskatchewan, de revoir les narratifs qui, dans leur ensemble, forment l‟histoire de la province. Je fais suivre cette discussion avec l‟analyse de La trousse éducative sur les traités … Lire la suite
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2013 — Rural Water Governance in the Saskatchewan Portion of the Palliser Triangle: An Assessment of the Applicability of the Predominant ParadigmsRésumé
This thesis describes the paradigmatic forms of water governance and management employed by town and country communities, irrigation districts, regional pipeline systems and private water management systems in the Saskatchewan portion of the Palliser Triangle. It demonstrates that the trajectory of water policy development affecting the region since 2002, when the province developed its Safe Drinking Water Strategy, has reflected the influence of the market-based paradigm within the province’s water governance policy community. The application of policy measures that conform to the principles of the market-based water governance paradigm have failed to consistently produce the beneficial outcomes predicted by the … Lire la suite
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2013 — Enhancement of Solubilization and Sorption Behaviors of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons Through Involvement of Gemini Surfactants in Soil-Water SystemsRésumé
Contamination of soil, sediment and water by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) has been recognized as a major, widespread, environmental waste concern. As a consequence, surfactant enhanced remediation (SER) has emerged as a promising technology for the removal of toxic PAHs. Gemini surfactants as a new generation of surfactants have structures and properties that are unique to the world of surfactants, such as greater efficiency in reducing surface tension and unusual aggregation morphologies in comparison with conventional surfactants. They have generated a growing interest owing to their superior performance in soil and water remediation applications. In this research, systematic studies have … Lire la suite
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2013 — Walking My Talk as an Intentional, Embodied (Co)constructed Environmental EducatorRésumé
Exploring the question (how) can I use personal change to inspire educational and social/cultural change, this work was embodied and action orientated with a thesis that the doing (action) is as important as the thinking and talking about it. A threedimensional model of exploring personal change through transformative education leading to social/cultural change was employed throughout this research. A critical poststructural ecofeminist frame undergirded an autoethnographic self-study where I changed my living practices to become more sustainable while living within society, and used this as a platform for how I could become a better environmental educator and activist. I reduced … Lire la suite
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2013 — Quality Over Quantity: An Experimental Evaluation of Interviews Containing a Practice NarrativeRésumé
Investigative interviews with children are meant to give children the opportunity to provide forensically relevant information to investigators. One recommendation to improve the quality and quantity of information gained during forensic interviews is to provide children with the opportunity to learn and practice responding to open-ended prompts in an informative way (i.e., a practice narrative). In the present study, the topic of the practice narrative (unique event vs. commonplace event) and the duration of the practice narrative (0 minutes vs. 2 minutes vs. 5 minutes) was manipulated to determine which components of a practice narrative are essential for increasing the … Lire la suite
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2013 — The Plastic Castle and Less Obvious DisastersRésumé
This creative project is a manuscript of short fiction works, which explores the style of literary minimalism and its affiliate, ‘dirty realism’. The stories utilize compact sentence structure, the element of exclusion, and compressed meaning to convey their significance. As well, several of the works in the manuscript employ ekphrasis, as a tool to expand and reflect the narrative. Lire la suite
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2013 — Sleep and Health Service Use In Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence - A Longitudinal Feminist AnalysisRésumé
The lifetime prevalence of intimate partner violence (IPV) in Canada is estimated to be 25% (Ellsberg & Heise, 2005; Seager, 2003). Survivors of IPV report experiencing sleep difficulties (M. A. Woods, & Hampton, 2008) that impact their health, subsequently increasing health service use (Bonomi, Andreson, Rivara, & Thompson, 2009; Colten & Altevogt, 2006; Moorcroft, 2005; Rosa, 2006; Soares, 2005). Being able to isolate the effect of IPV on health service and long term sleep disruption may shed light on the economic as well as social cost of IPV to society. The purpose of the present study was to measure the … Lire la suite
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2013 — A WC-MPS Model for Viscous Free Surface FlowsRésumé
Computer-based numerical simulation has become a significant and very popular approach for solving engineering problems in the past few decades. It provides a safe and efficient tool to engineering investigations. It can even provide the knowledge that cannot be obtained directly through other methods. In other words, numerical simulation provides the assistance to interpret the theoretical phenomena and offers an alternative way to insightfully study the theories or experiments. In hydrodynamics simulations, the tradition mesh-based methods have been the dominant methods for decades, but they will fail in the simulation of free surface flow problems due to the large deformation … Lire la suite
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2013 — Identifying Structure and Semantics in Bayesian Network InferenceRésumé
Bayesian networks are a semantic modeling tool for managing uncertainty in complex domains. While the numerous techniques for exact inference vary when they apply the multiplication and marginalization (addition) operators, they all center around eliminating variables. These inference algorithms start and end with clear structure and semantics, yet all intermediate distributions, whether normalized or unnormalized, are denoted as potentials. In this thesis, we reveal the structure and semantics of the intermediate factors constructed during exact inference in discrete Bayesian networks. Our discussion is primarily based on Variable Elimination (VE), which is a standard approach to Bayesian network inference. We first … Lire la suite
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2013 — Integration of Numerical Simulation and Wireline Formation Testing Measurements for Permeability InterpretationRésumé
Wireline formation testing (WFT) has gained increasing popularity in the oil and gas industry in the last two decades because of its economical and environmental benefits. Recently, there has been growing interests in using the WFT pumpout transient data to interpret formation permeability and productivity with the conventional pressure transient analysis (PTA). Such an interpretation is based on the assumption of perforating the entire pay zone interval, though it is suspected not to be the case in reality, especially in thick formations where a limited section is sensed by a WFT probe. As for the laminated formations, one challenge to … Lire la suite
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2013 — Performance Evaluation of an Enhanced Cyclic Solvent Process (ECSP) for Thin Heavy Oil ReservoirsRésumé
Canada’s energy future depends on heavy oil resources, which are mainly located in Western Canada, i.e., Saskatchewan and Alberta, and account for almost half of the total world heavy oil reserves. At present, only 8-9% of the original oil in place (OOIP) can be recovered in such heavy oil reservoirs with the current available technology because the oil is very viscous and contained in thin formations. It has been found that cyclic steam stimulation and steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) and vapour extraction (VAPEX) often do not work for recovering heavy oil in such thin reservoirs. The enhanced cyclic solvent process … Lire la suite
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2013 — BIOWINTM Modeling of the Startup of an Anaerobic Digester Used in Wastewater Treatment PlantsRésumé
Anaerobic digestion involves biochemical and physiochemical processes. It is an effective process for sludge stabilization and methane gas production. However, the digester capacity decreases with time due to the buildup of solid deposits at the bottom of the digester. Therefore, routine shutdown and cleanup are commonly practiced at Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTPs). Currently, WWTP operators face the challenge of starting up an anaerobic digester in a timely, cost-effective manner with effective methane gas production. This challenge can be addressed by computer modeling and simulations of different operating conditions, which is a cost-effective solution in comparison to experimentation. In this research, … Lire la suite
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2013 — Modeling of Multi-Stage Fractured Horizontal WellsRésumé
Horizontal wells stimulated by multiple fractures unlock tight formations and shale gas reservoirs that used to be considered as uneconomic plays. However, the popularity of such techniques presents new challenges to the reservoir and fractures evaluation. Fractured horizontal wells’ pressure and production rate behaviour exhibit complex trends that are quite different from previous horizontal and fractured vertical wells. To facilitate the pressure and rate analysis, this work developed semi-analytical models under different assumptions and comprehensively described the fluid flow of a multi-stage fractured horizontal well in a bounded reservoir. The governing Partial Differential Equations (PDEs) in this work are highly … Lire la suite
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2013 — Diagenetic Evolution of the Middle Devonian Stone and Dunedin Formations of the Liard Basin, Northeast British ColumbiaRésumé
The Middle Devonian Stone and Dunedin formations are correlative to the Chinchaga and Keg River formations in Northwest Alberta, as well as the Headless and Nahanni formations in Southern Yukon. Core study has identified twenty carbonate sedimentary facies in the Stone and Dunedin formations. The lower to middle Stone Formation comprises of a subtle vertical facies transition from intertidal mudstones to lagoonal wackestones and amphiporid floatstone. The upper Stone Formation in c-10-E/94-N-7 comprises of dominantly clast-rich silty dolomudstone to silty dolomudstone, which is interpreted to have deposited in peritidal settings and represent the middle Chinchaga depositional break caused by the … Lire la suite
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2013 — Rural Chinese Restaurants: Current Perspectives on Family and Business StructureRésumé
Chinese immigrants have been a presence in Canada since the mid-1800s. Early immigrants faced numerous barriers due to race, limited work skills, and a lack of English-language fluency. Chinese immigrant entrepreneurism in the restaurant industry emerged as response to these barriers. Although current Chinese immigrant restaurant owners possess higher skill levels and more English-language facility, Chinese restaurant entrepreneurship continues. The restaurants allow immigrant entrepreneurs to build relationships in the communities as well as to provide a service. This research presents a current perspective on Chinese immigrant labour in the rural restaurant industry. This study addresses the role of family and … Lire la suite
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2013 — Performance Evaluation of Wells With Single and Multiple Fractures in Tight FormationsRésumé
Hydraulic fracturing technology together with horizontal wells leads to the exploration and development of unconventional resources economically feasible. Due to complex fracture network and geology nature, evaluating performance of fluids flow in such a hydraulic fracture system is really a challenge. Numerical modeling and simulation usually requires very fine grid to reduce the truncation error and enhance the simulation accuracy. Sometimes even with fine grid, the associated computation accuracy is compromised. On the other hand, numerous studies have been conducted on pressure transient analysis with analytical and/or numerical methods, though some underlying mechanisms have not been well understood since fluid … Lire la suite
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2013 — Decoherence of Quantum Markov SystemsRésumé
The main purpose of this thesis is to discuss quantum decoherence in the frame- work of operator algebras. We will define several types of decoherence of quantum Markov systems based on the original notion introduced by Ph. Blanchard and R. Olkiewicz; then we will give a number of suffiecient conditions for a quantum Markov system to display decoherence, and explain the relation between them. Lire la suite