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2016 — Experiencing Pain Alone and in the Presence of Others: A Study of Older AdultsRésumé
Pain, defined as “an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage, or described in terms of such damage” (Merskey & Bogduk, 1994, p. 210), is a central clinical issue among older persons. Many older adults undergo several painful medical and surgical procedures, yet it remains uncertain whether social support influences an older person’s experience and expression of pain when undergoing such procedures. This study, therefore, was aimed to investigate the role of social support in pain experiences and expressions among community-dwelling older adults. The study was carried out within the framework of the communications model … Lire la suite
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2016 — Auction Shill Detection Framework Based on SWMRésumé
Online auctioning has attracted serious in-auction fraud, such as shill bidding, given the huge amount of money involved and the anonymity of users. Due to the fact that shill bidding is difficult to detect as well as to prove, very few researchers have been successful in designing online shill detection systems that can be adopted by auction sites. We introduce an efficient SVM-based two-phased In-Auction Fraud Detection (IAFD) model. This supervised model is first trained offline for identifying ‘Normal’ and ‘Suspicious’ bidders. For this process, we identify a collection of the most relevant fraud classification features rather than uncertain or … Lire la suite
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2016 — Role of Impurities in CO2 Stream During CO2 Injection Process in Heavy Oil SystemsRésumé
In this study, the impact of impurities/mixtures in CO2 streams during the CO2 injection process as an enhanced oil recovery technique in heavy oil formations was examined. For this purpose, detailed theoretical and experimental studies were conducted to explore the possible effect of impurities/mixtures on the performance and recovery mechanisms of the injection process. Three different mixtures of CH4–CO2 with a CH4 concentration of 15, 30 and 50%, N2–CO2 with an N2 concentration of 15%, and N2–CH4–CO2 with an N2–CH4 concentration of 15–25% were used. First, a thorough phase behavior analysis of the heavy crude oil–CO2 impurities/mixtures was conducted. The … Lire la suite
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2016 — Re/Creating Worldviews with Children: Environment as an Integrating ContextRésumé
We are situated in experiences – many not of our own choosing, especially as children. These experiences have profound effects on our worldviews, our relationships, and our holistic learning and development. “Young children experience their world as an environment of relationships. These relationships affect every aspect of learning and development…If we believed that knowing requires a personal relationship between the knower and the known, our students [children] would be invited to learn by interacting with the world not by viewing it afar” (Palmer, 2007, p.8). It is, therefore, of prime importance for educators to consider the influences of the environment … Lire la suite
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2016 — Investigating Acoustic Properties of Biocomposite from Waste StreamsRésumé
Biocomposites are a type of material. Recently, research and development into biocomposites have experienced a resurgence, as they are environmental friendly material. As part of the “green” industries, biocomposites decrease the demands on traditional, synthetic or petroleum carbon based products. The biocomposite, as studied herein, consists of a reinforcing biofibres with a matrix and binder (polymers and elastomers) and were formed using thermal compression moulding. All the materials were reclaimed, except for the virgin polypropylene and polyethylene. The effects of varying the compositions of the biofibre and matrix/binding elements on the material and mechanical properties are analyzed and modeled. These … Lire la suite
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2016 — Numerical Simulation of Landslide Impulsive Waves by WC-MPS MethodRésumé
Numerical simulation has been widely used and becomes a major approach for solving engineering related problems in the past few decades. Because of the flexibility, efficiency and compatibility of numerical simulation, it has been involved in various engineering and science areas. This approach is capable of interpreting the natural phenomena, and also offering an alternative way of theoretical studies and experiments. In hydrodynamic simulations, there are two kinds of approaches have been established. The traditional mesh-based methods (e.g., finite element and finite volume method) that have been the dominant methods for decades but not capable of large deformations and fragmentations … Lire la suite
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2016 — Experimental Study of the Effect of the Invasive Shrub Frangula Alnus on the Growth of Planted Understory Tree Seedlings and Herbaceous PlantsRésumé
Glossy buckthorn is an invasive exotic shrub which is efficient at colonizing both open and forested habitats, and may impede native tree and forest herb growth. Buckthorns growing in an open field and in the understory of a hybrid poplar plantation were compared. It was found that buckthorn is capable of allometric plasticity, which may explain its invasion success in both environments. Two experiments were done to test the effect of buckthorn on tree seedlings and herbaceous plants, all planted in spring 2014 in the understory of a hybrid poplar plantation invaded by buckthorn. Both experiments had two treatments: 1) … Lire la suite
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2016 — Technological Adaptation for Water Storage and Distribution in the Oldman River Basin in Response to Extreme Climate ExposuresRésumé
Technology has played a significant role in the development of the Oldman River Basin since early settlements. The development of new and expanding industries, changes in agricultural activity and practices, and transformation in demographics and population density across the region have led to the installation and use of new technologies to manage water effectively and efficiently for multiple consumers. Existing technologies are challenged by extreme climate conditions that abruptly change water flow to increase droughts and floods that also affect vulnerable social systems. It is in this context that technology for water storage and distribution has taken a greater role … Lire la suite
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2016 — An Examination of the Impacts of the Protection of Communities and Exploited Persons Act on Community-Based OrganizationsRésumé
In Canada (AG) v. Bedford (Bedford Ruling), the Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) ruled that three of the provisions included in Canada’s Criminal Code, ones that criminalized certain acts related to prostitution, violated the Charter of Rights and Freedoms (the Charter). The SCC determined that the Government of Canada (GoC) needed to make some fundamental legislative changes in order to bring Canada’s prostitution laws into harmony with the Charter. If the GoC failed to make legislative changes within one calendar year, the provisions in question would have been stricken from the record. The GoC successfully made legislative changes within the … Lire la suite
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2016 — Domestic Violence and Intergenerational Trauma Amongst Aboriginal Women in Regina, SaskatchewanRésumé
The combined effects of colonialist efforts, namely the Indian Residential School System, have had a negative impact on Aboriginal populations in Canada. This project identified a relationship between experiencing intergenerational trauma as a result of attendance at an Indian Residential School and subsequent domestic violence and its normalization in an intimate partner relationship. Through the use of the interview methodology, the researcher collected data from five First Nations women who had previously been victims of domestic violence in an intimate partner relationship and had some connection to the Indian Residential School System in Canada. Results from the interviews were analyzed … Lire la suite
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2016 — Characterization of Gas-Oil Flow in Cyclic Solvent Injection (CSI) for Heavy Oil RecoveryRésumé
Cyclic Solvent Injection (CSI) has emerged as an effective post-CHOPS recovery method. It has shown a great potential with the aid of the solvent injection under the huff-n-puff operation. The use of solvent that maintains a strong nature of gas results in the solvent chamber which under the huff-n-puff operation locates at an inner region towards the well. The CSI process is therefore governed by the gas-oil flow as the solvent chamber is dominated by the free gas-oil flow and the heavy oil zone by the dispersed gas-oil flow referred to as the foamy oil flow. The gas-oil flow in … Lire la suite
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2016 — A Novel Algorithm for Solving the Multi-Objective Assembly Line Balancing ProblemRésumé
The assembly line balancing (ALB) problems address the issue of assigning work elements and workers into different workstations to optimize a predetermined set of objective parameters such as the number of workstations, the cycle time and the production efficiency. Most of these combinatorial optimization problems possess NP-hard computational complexity. This rationalizes the growing interest of researchers to use metaheuristics to solve ALB problems. The problems studied in literature over the years are often limited by simplifying assumptions, which brings in a challenge to the models developed in academia while applying to real life problems. In this thesis, we have intensively … Lire la suite
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2016 — People's Voices Under Control: An Analysis of Chinese Internet Users and Public Figures' Responses to Media CensorshipRésumé
This thesis explores various aspects of media censorship and surveillance tactics, exercised by the Chinese government, including the establishment of a wide variety of invasive laws and regulations, and the usage of online commentators. The thesis also examines the consequential patterns of reaction, adopted by Chinese Internet companies, regular citizens, and public figures. As a result of extensive literary and field research, this thesis argues that, with the few exceptions of artists and intellectuals, the general public (exemplified by Internet companies and regular users) chooses self-regulatory practices to avoid potential persecution. This, in turn, negatively affects the balance between the … Lire la suite
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2016 — Analytical and Semi-Analytical Models for Composite Reservoirs with Complex Well CompletionsRésumé
With the current increasing productivity and the proliferation of shale and tight sand resource plays in Canada, and North America in general, the need to understand and characterize these resource plays, for the purpose of recovery optimization, has taken center stage in reservoir management. It is, however, important to note that these hydrocarbon environments are fundamentally different from conventional reservoirs for which there is an abundance of high-yield technical know-how. In a technical sense, these plays are not reservoirs but source rocks; their permeabilities are in the micro- to nano-darcy range. Hence, they cannot sustain economic hydrocarbon production unless they … Lire la suite
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2016 — Characterization and Behaviour of Clayey SlurriesRésumé
The purpose of this research is to develop a fundamental understanding of the characteristics and behaviour of clayey slurries. A comprehensive research methodology consisting of laboratory investigations and computational analyses was adopted. A clayey slurry (uranium leach residue) was selected from the extraction process to capture the distinct slurry features at the onset of deposition. The practical impact of this research is that the investigated slurry (new waste stream) exhibited various components of settling that are important for developing depositional plans and determining storage capacity of the containment facility. Likewise, the scientific contribution is the understanding that solid-liquid composition influences … Lire la suite
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2016 — Representations of McLain GroupsRésumé
Basic modules of McLain groups are defined and investigated. These are a (possibly infinite dimensional) generalization of Andre’s basic modules of the multiplicative group of upper triangular square matrices over a finite field with 1’s on the main diagonal. The ring R need not be finite or commutative and modules of a McLain group are allowed to be infinite dimensional over an arbitrary field F. The set , totally ordered by , is allowed to be infinite. We show that distinct basic modules are disjoint, determine the dimension of the endomorphism algebra of a basic module, find when a basic … Lire la suite
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2016 — A Knowledge Acquisition System for Price Change RulesRésumé
Knowledge acquisition is the process of extracting and organizing knowledge from one source and storing it in some other location such as a knowledge base. Our research developed a new approach to knowledge acquisition concerning motor fuel pricing and implemented it in the Knowledge Acquisition System for Price ChangE Rules (KASPER) software system. Store managers want to understand the pricing strategies at competing stores or brands. The main goal of our research is to provide decision rules with high predictive accuracy on unseen data that may explain why a store or brand made a price change in a speci c … Lire la suite
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2016 — Phosphorus-Carbon Bond Formation Using Metal-Coordinated Phosphenium Ions and Phosphine TriflatesRésumé
Chloride abstraction reactions have been investigated towards the formation of metal-coordinated phosphenium ions ([M]–PR2+) from metal-coordinated chlorophosphines. The electron-poor metal fragment W(CO)5 was used on all studied chlorophosphine complexes. Chlorophosphines [W(CO)5{P(Cl)C(Ph)C(Ph)}] (4), [W(CO)5{PPh2Cl}] (32), [W(CO)5{PPhCl2}] (60), [W(CO)5{PCl3}] (100) and [W(CO)5{P(NEt2)Cl2}] (101) were synthesized using existing or new methods. Chloride abstraction from 4 with excess AlCl3 leads to the phosphirenyl cation complex [W(CO)5{PC(Ph)C(Ph)}][AlCl4] (8). Compound 8 undergoes electrophilic aromatic substitution with ferrocene to form a ferrocenylphosphirene complex. Chloride abstraction from 4 with AgOSO2CF3 leads to a phosphirenyl triflate complex 12, which reacts with ferrocene in the same fashion as 8 but … Lire la suite
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2016 — Lithofacies, Cyclicity and Diagenetic Characteristics of the Mississippian Mission Canyon Formation, Southeast SaskatchewanRésumé
In southeastern Saskatchewan, the Mississippian Mission Canyon Formation was deposited in the northern platform margin of the Williston Basin and includes, from bottom to top, Tilston Beds, Alida Beds, Kisbey interval and Frobisher Beds. The formation is dominated by carbonate lithofacies, subordinate evaporites and economically important sandstone lithofacies (Kisbey interval) also occur within the formation. Cores, cuttings, wireline logs and petrographic studies of these strata in the research area have allowed identification of lithologic attributes, cyclicity and diagenetic features of the strata. Eight lithofacies have been identified: i) oolitic and bioclastic packstone/ grainstone (Facies PG), ii) oncolitic rudstone (Facies RD,) … Lire la suite
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2016 — The Effects of 'High-Low' Resistance Training and Creatine Supplementation in Aging AdultsRésumé
The purpose was to investigate the effects of high-low resistance training (2 sets of leg press, chest press, hack squat and lat pull-down exercises performed to muscle fatigue at 80% baseline 1-repetition maximum [1-RM] immediately followed by repetitions to muscle fatigue at 30% baseline 1-RM) and creatine supplementation in aging adults. Participants were randomized to one of two groups: Creatine (CR: n = 14, 7 females, 7 males; 0.1 g/kg/day of creatine + 0.1 g/kg/day of maltodextrin; age = 58.0 ± 3.0 years) or Placebo (PLA: n = 17, 7 females, 10 males; 0.2 g/kg/day of maltodextrin; age = 57.6 … Lire la suite
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2016 — A Calculation Model for Steam Property Variation Along Wellbore Trajectory in SAGD ProcessRésumé
Steam-Assisted Gravity Drainage is an effective approach for recovering heavy oil and bitumen and its essence idea is to introduce steam heat into cold reservoir and reduce oil viscosity. In a typical SAGD process, two horizontal wells were drilled inside the target formation, one is put on the top as steam injection well and another is usually put on the bottom of target formation as oil production well. During SAGD process, a large amount of high pressure high temperature steam is injected into reservoir which occupies a big part of the whole SAGD project cost. The steam pressure and quality … Lire la suite
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2016 — Étsxe, on the Path of, Revitalizing Secwepemc Ways of Caring for Children and Families: A Community-Based Model of Child CareRésumé
This research project employs Indigenous and Secwépemc methodologies to give power and voice back to the family and community, while bringing forward Secwépemc culture, ways of knowing, being, and doing as a foundation for child welfare policy and practice. It explores the history of legislation, policies, and practices and uses a Social Determinants of Health approach to illustrate the impact of service structure on Aboriginal children and families and identifies the need for a new approach to more effectively address the growing over representation of Aboriginal people at all levels of child welfare services. This research endeavors to answer this … Lire la suite
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2016 — Photocontrol of Ion Permeation in Lipid Vesicles Incorporating Amphiphilic Dithienylethene and Spirooxazine DerivativesRésumé
The photocontrol of ion permeation across a lipid bilayer membrane incorporating amphiphilic photochromic compounds, such as dithienylethenes (DTEs) and spirooxazines (SpOxs), has been investigated. In general, photochromic compounds change their molecular structure during photoisomerization. The effect of this photoisomerization on the membrane permeability of lipid vesicles has been examined. Specifically, three DTE derivatives 21–23 and three SpOx derivatives 24–26 were incorporated into a variety of lipid vesicles to study their potential as membrane disruptors. Initially, a regioselective approach was used to synthesize 21–23 that contain a dodecyl or hexyl chain terminated with a quaternary ammonium substituent, and methyl or phenylethynyl … Lire la suite
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2016 — Catalystic Pyrolysis for the Production of Stable Phenol Rich Bio-Oil from Wood BiomassRésumé
Biomass studies over the last two decades shows its use as an alternate source for the production of chemicals and fuels. This can help in reducing our load on the conventional hydrocarbon use and be shared with renewable sources such as forest and agricultural wastes. In Saskatchewan, there is abundant availability of wood waste from the timber industry; hence wood can be used as biomass raw material for the production of bio-chemicals. Pyrolysis is the most promising technology for the conversion of biomass into liquids. In this research, wood pellets obtained from a lumber company were used as the feed … Lire la suite
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2016 — Autonomous Visual-Inertial Navigation for Quadrotor MAVsRésumé
The aim of this thesis is to develop a system which would enable a quadrotor MAV (Micro Aerial Vehicle) to estimate its position and orientation and to autonomously navigate in unknown environments using vision as the primary source of information. To navigate in three-dimensional space, an autonomous MAV should not only possess knowledge of its current position and orientation (pose for short), but also of the world around it. While the former can be obtained using a GPS for large outdoor environments and the latter can be provided as a map, a truly autonomous navigation system should enable an MAV … Lire la suite
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2016 — A Qualitative Exploration of Doctor-Patient Relationship Experiences in Trauma Survivors and Primary Care PhysiciansRésumé
The Diagnostic Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition, defines trauma as “any event or events that may cause or threaten death, serious injury, or sexual violence to an individual, or his or her close family member or close friend” (American Psychiatric Association, 2013, p. 830). As a result of trauma exposure, there may be a change in the ways survivors think, behave, and relate to others. Survivors’ ability to trust others may be distorted such that they may be unwilling to trust others, including professionals who can provide help. Trauma survivors are also at risk for developing multiple medical … Lire la suite
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2016 — "Thrice-Male...Thrice-Powerful": Gender and Authority in Apocryphon of JohnRésumé
The following paper examines Apocryphon of John through two different analytic frameworks that make this complex and at times, seemingly bizarre 2nd century C.E. Egyptian text intelligible: (Middle) Platonism and gender. First, the text is analyzed in continuity with the ideological content and rhetorical strategies of contemporary Middle Platonic literature. Next, the text is analyzed as a gendered piece of literature, with attention paid to the rhetorical usefulness of gender in deploying motifs of femininity, masculinity, and androgyny in Apocryphon of John and other contemporary literature. Each mode of analysis shows how Apocryphon of John sets up an oppositional narrative … Lire la suite
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2016 — Skill retention: A test of the effects of overlearning and skill retention interval on maintenance of infrequently used complex skillsRésumé
While researchers have suggested that overlearning increases the likelihood of skill retention, there is little consensus or evidence as to how much overlearning is required, and how such overlearning interacts with distributed practice schedules. Additionally, most research has measured skill retention based on relatively short re-testing intervals of 56 days or less; however, little is known about whether overlearning can mitigate skill degradation when the retention interval is 6 or 12 months in duration. This research examined the relationship between overlearning and retention by measuring the amount of overlearning attained in a pistol training program and measuring skill across retention … Lire la suite
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2016 — Confidence Ellipses Under the Inverse Gaussian DistributionRésumé
The aim of this thesis is to study con dence regions under the Inverse Gaussian Distribution and how it applies to the construction of con dence ellipses of parameters associated with the Inverse Gaussian Distribution. This thesis consists of two parts, the rst part being the theoretical with where we seek to operate a classical estimation method known as the maximum likelihood. This is achieved by deriving maximum likelihood equations and estimating the Fisher Information matrix for the construction of a normal approximation which gives ellip- tical con dence regions by approximating the Inverse Gaussian Distribution. The second part which … Lire la suite
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2016 — Ready or Not: Cooperating Teachers and Stories of ExperienceRésumé
This narrative inquiry explores the stories and experiences of two cooperating teachers, “Journey” and “Isla.” Research puzzles being explored include wondering why educators may or may not choose to become cooperating teachers and what challenges and successes they may encounter along the way. It seeks to understand the various roles cooperating teachers must play, and explores the concept of “readiness” and what the phrase means in the context of cooperating teachers and mentorship. Support emerges as a central theme, emphasizing the relational nature of mentorship. Both participants discussed positive outcomes from their experiences as cooperating teachers, but acknowledged difficulties in … Lire la suite
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2016 — Value Pluralism: What It Is and Why Its Main Arguments FailRésumé
Value pluralism is the philosophic position that there is a multiplicity of distinct goods that can neither be reduced to a common property nor be arranged into an ethical system that gives unconditional moral principles. Value monism is the position that there are common features belonging to all those things that are good which make them good, or at least that those goods can be arranged into a single, absolute moral system. According to pluralism there are a variety of competing moral systems, but no single system is authoritative. While pluralism is often dismissed as relativistic, this thesis argues that … Lire la suite
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2016 — An Examination of the Mineralogy and Lithology of the Bakken Shale with Implications upon the Bakken Petroleum System, Southeastern SaskatchewanRésumé
Late Devonian and Early Mississippian Bakken shales are important source rocks to the oil accumulations in southeastern Saskatchewan. However, to date there is lack of knowledge concerning the mineralogy and lithology of the Bakken shales, which may impact the source effectiveness and heterogeneity of the Upper and Lower Bakken shales. This research investigates the mineralogy and lithology of the Bakken shales in southeastern Saskatchewan based on results from detailed core and rock thin-section examination, scanning electron microscope-back-scattered electron imagery and energy-dispersive spectrometry analysis (SEM-BSEI/EDS), and X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD) of sixty-eight selected samples from seven wells. Based on the mineralogy … Lire la suite
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2016 — Transient Pressure Modeling for CO2 Miscible Flooding ProcessesRésumé
Since CO2 flooding has been one of the most successful techniques for enhancing oil recovery, analyzing the pressure responses of CO2 injector is very important to understand the CO2 flooding performance and optimize the design and operation. The existing well test models of CO2 flooding have seen their limitation in accurately characterizing a miscible zone, e.g., negligence or over-simplification of the transient viscosity in the miscible zone. This study aims at establishing a comprehensive well testing model for a CO2 flooding process by incorporating a convection–diffusion mass transfer model with a transient pressure model. This thesis first compares four existing … Lire la suite
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2016 — Geometric and hydrodynamic modelling of fluid-structural relationships in the southeastern Athabasca Basin, Saskatchewan, Canada, with implications for uranium ore genesisRésumé
The high-grade unconformity-related uranium deposits in the Athabasca Basin in northern Saskatchewan, Canada, generally show close spatial relationships with reactivated basement faults. However, the nature of this relationship has not been well understood. This thesis aims to address this problem through two interrelated components of research. The first phase of the research involved 3-dimensional (3D) geometric modelling of the unconformity surface in the southeastern Athabasca Basin, in conjunction with basement structures interpreted from regional-scale geophysical data. The second phase was accomplished through 2-dimensional (2D) numerical modelling of fluid flow involving basement faults, with thermal convection and faulting-related deformation as the … Lire la suite
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2016 — Stochastic Modeling and Risk Management for Water Resources Systems Under Changing Climatic ConditionsRésumé
Water resources are indispensable for the sustainable development of the human society. A variety of hydrological modeling and water resources management tools based on simulation and optimization have been developed to address the current water issues worldwide. However, there are many challenges arising from climate change, human disturbances and enormous uncertainties and complexities. Thus, there is a global need for advanced methodologies that can support the modeling and management of water resources systems in an effective and efficient way. In this dissertation research, a spectrum of methods have been developed to deal with the stochastic modeling and risk-based management problems … Lire la suite
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2016 — Statistical Analyses of Gambling BehavioursRésumé
This study examines Casino players' monthly club data from January 2003 to January 2008 to investigate active players' gambling behaviours. Exploratory analysis is performed to study the change in players and gambling behaviours over time, and the di erences in gambling behaviours across gender and various age groups. Multiple linear regression models are built to investigate independent responses and generalized estimating equations (GEE) method is applied to analyze the longitudinal data. The results of this study indicate that females and older players have a propensity for spending more time in Casinos. Moreover, the more the members lose, the more they … Lire la suite
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2016 — Classification of Subcategories in Abelian Categories and Triangulated CategoriesRésumé
Two approaches for classifying subcategories of a category are given. We examine the class of Serre subcategories in an abelian category as our first target, using the concepts of monoform objects and the associated atom spectrum [13]. Then we generalize this idea to give a classification of nullity classes in an abelian category, using premonoform objects instead to form a new spectrum so that there is a bijection between the collection of nullity classes and that of closed and extension closed subsets of the spectrum. Additionally, we impose a natural sheaf structure induced by the center of a category on … Lire la suite
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2016 — Knowledge Management Using SpiCERésumé
The idea of Knowledge Management (KM) is continually evolving. A traditional and popular idea of KM is one that emphasizes the activity of transforming data to in- formation, and information to knowledge. Another popular idea of KM emphasizes the building of capabilities through learning; how KM can help people learn individ- ually and collaboratively toward an individual or shared outcome. This dissertation presents an integrative framework for KM that builds on these ideas. The framework that is introduced is called SpiCE, an acronym for spime wrangling, culture of par- ticipation, and ethical decision making. SpiCE uses the idea of spime … Lire la suite
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2016 — Dynamic Modeling and Vision-Based Mobile-Target Tracking in UAVs Using Wide FOV CamerasRésumé
Control of unmanned aerial vehicles is a very active topic in research with lots of applications ranging from civilian to military. To control a UAV, its attitude is often controlled using gyroscopes, but to control its position, inertial sensors together with GPS are often used. However, obtaining accurate current position is difficult using inertial sensors because of the integration drift. GPS on the other hand is not functional in indoor applications since it cannot connect to GPS satellites. Since vision has been proved to be an inexpensive and consistent source of relative position information, vision-based control is getting more popular … Lire la suite
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2016 — Exploring Justice Practices: Stakeholder Conceptualizations of the Regina Mental Health Disposition CourtRésumé
Mentally ill people are overrepresented in the criminal justice system. Correctional statistics report that these individuals compose 13% and 29% of the male and female population respectively at the time of admission into a prison facility, which is two to three times the prevalence of the general Canadian population. Mental health courts can help alleviate this problem as they seek to divert individuals from the criminal justice system to the various community services and resources that are required. This thesis investigated the Regina Mental Health Disposition Court. Stakeholders in this study included the professional individuals who are involved with the … Lire la suite
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2016 — Conversations Storied: Meeting New Students Who Arrive Carrying a Suitcase of Memories and a Backpack Over-Stuffed With EmotionsRésumé
Welcoming new students into schools and classrooms is a common occurrence in the lives of Canadian educators. The profile of the new student varies as does the reason for the school move. Some students may make many school changes; some students may only move once. Regardless of the reason or number of moves, they will all experience being the new student. This research study seeks to inquire into the experience of being a new student and opens with my own experience of a school move in the third grade. Literature is presented about mobility and considerations for researching with children. … Lire la suite
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2016 — Undressing an American icon: Addressing the representation of Calamity Jane through a critical study of her costumeRésumé
This investigation studies Martha Jane Canary, known as Calamity Jane, with focus on her apparel, the buckskin outfit of a scout. This thesis looks at Calamity Jane’s costume because it was so seminal to her emergence as an American frontier icon. Unlike one-off costumes such as Dorothy’s ruby slippers or Marilyn Monroe’s JFK birthday dress, Calamity Jane’s costume re-occurred and was the determining factor in her rise to fame. What is innovative in this research is the use of critical costume theory as a methodology to revisit the history of Calamity Jane. This thesis considers Calamity Jane’s garments as a … Lire la suite
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2016 — Comorbidity of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Social Anxiety Disorder: Implications for Diagnosis and TreatmentRésumé
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and social anxiety disorder (SAD) demonstrate a high degree of comorbidity. Indeed, rates of past-year SAD among individuals with PTSD have been shown to range from 14.8 to 46.0% within treatment-seeking and veteran samples (Collimore, Carleton, Hofmann, & Asmundson, 2010). Although PTSD and SAD are individually associated with negative mental health outcomes, preliminary data suggests that the co-occurrence of these disorders can result in a significant increase in distress and impairment beyond the impact of either disorder alone (Zayfert, DeViva, Hofmann, 2005). Despite accumulating evidence that PTSD and SAD frequently co-occur, and growing interest into the … Lire la suite
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2016 — A FIS Risk Analysis Approach as a Tool to Prioritize RisksRésumé
In this work, a Fuzzy Inference System (FIS) as a risk analysis tool was developed to prioritize risks. The developed FIS risk analysis tool was applied to assess the risks in a drug dispensing process in a pharmacy, and also in a chemical process industry. The tool uses Bow-tie analysis and fuzzy concepts to analyze and prioritize a risk by computing its score. The risks, risk factors, and impacts were identified based on reported events and expert's knowledge. Bow-tie analysis was used to determine the factors that cause the occurrence of a risk and the impacts of a risk. Fuzzy … Lire la suite
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2016 — Genetic population structure of the round whitefish (Prosopium cylindraceum) in North America: multiple glacial refugia and regional subdivisionRésumé
The round whitefish (Prosopium cylindraceum) is an understudied species of freshwater fish found throughout northern North America and eastern Eurasia. Little is known about the ecology or population genetics of this species. Round whitefish are sensitive to environmental disturbance and have declined in regions of eastern North America, prompting interest in their conservation and management. Understanding the population genetics and phylogeography of round whitefish will inform planning for this species. I genetically characterized round whitefish from 16 locations across North America, and one site in eastern Russia, using microsatellites, mtDNA sequencing, and thousands of SNP loci using a nextRAD approach. … Lire la suite
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2016 — Coping With Everyday Stressors In Adiposis Dolorosa: Is There a Role for Leisure?Résumé
Adiposis Dolorosa (AD) is a rare and painful disease characterized by multiple benign tumours (lipomas) that primarily occur on the trunk, upper arms and legs, but eventually spread throughout the body (National Organization for Rare Disorders - NORD, 2012). The lipomas press against nerves and cause cardinal, nerve pain - the most common symptom of AD. Pain is also accompanied by chronic fatigue, brain fog and generalized obesity (Hansson, Svensson, & Brorson, 2012). With no known cure, patients receive symptomatic treatment with substantial risk due to multiple medications (NORD, 2012). The complications of AD are burdensome and impact the overall … Lire la suite
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2016 — Precision-Based Selection Criteria for Classification with Ensembles of LearnersRésumé
A core problem in machine learning is to learn classi ers that categorize data into two or more classes. An ensemble of classi ers is made by integrating a set of base classi- ers to build a predictive model. In this thesis we review the principle of ensemblebased methods, especially boosting algorithms. We also introduce a new approach to ensemble learning based on the fact that it is often the case that one base classi- er h is particularly good for one particular class c. We modify the state-of-the-art ensemble method AdaBoost.M1 to take such class-speci c information into account … Lire la suite
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2016 — Bayesian Network Inference Using Marginal TreesRésumé
Bayesian networks (BNs) are formal probabilistic graphical models for reasoning un- der uncertainty. BNs are used in a variety of applications, including the state-of- the-art forensic software tool, a ranking system for games, and landing the Mars Exploration Rover. A problem domain is modeled initially as a directed acyclic graph (DAG) and the strengths of relationships are quanti ed by conditional probability tables (CPTs). One key feature of BNs is that multiplying all CPTs yields a joint probability distribution (JPD). Moreover, the DAG encodes independencies present in the JPD. Di erent techniques can be employed while reasoning with BNs. Variable … Lire la suite
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2016 — A Narrative and Post-/Anti-Colonial Approach to Understanding the Experiences of Foreign Certified Teachers in Rural Saskatchewan SchoolsRésumé
This study takes a narrative approach toward understanding experiences of foreign certified teachers in rural Saskatchewan classrooms. It grew out of my own experiences as a teacher of refugee students in my native country of Kenya and as an international graduate student and teacher assistant at a Canadian university. The study explores experiences of four foreign certified teachers in rural Saskatchewan. The experiences are situated within postcolonial and anti-colonial frameworks. Field text inquiry involved two main processes: highlighting “commonalities, connections and patterns” (Lewis & Adeney, 2014, p. 168) in the experiences of the foreign certified teachers, and identifying the “unique … Lire la suite
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2016 — Pesticide Utilization Practices, Exposure and Vulnerability of the Cocoa Farming Community of Ikwuano in Abia State, NigeriaRésumé
The pesticide utilization practices, exposure and vulnerability of farmers to pesticide hazards were investigated in the Ikwuano community of Abia state in Nigeria. The social vulnerability theory, as developed by Wisner et al., (2003), was adopted as the theoretical framework, with an emphasis on the Pressure and Release (PAR) and Access Models (AM). A qualitative research approach was used which included interviews and focus group discussions. The study indicated that the awareness of pesticide hazards needs to be raised for farmers and the government. Farmers still use banned pesticides and they are seriously affected by these chemicals. It was also … Lire la suite