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2017 — Teachers' Perceptions of Mental illness: Predicting Factors in the Stigma of Mental IllnessRésumé
Developing an understanding of teachers’ perceptions toward those with mental health challenges will be helpful in working to promote more positive attitudes about mental health and in reducing the development of stigmatizing attitudes in children. The present study primarily explored teachers’ stigmatizing attitudes toward those with mental illness and examined the predictive potential of three main factors (i.e., level of previous contact with someone with mental illness, previous education about mental illness, and teachers’ beliefs about the causes of mental illness). Using a cross-sectional, web-based survey design, 237 Saskatchewan teachers participated in the study. As expected, significant associations were found … Lire la suite
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2017 — Solving the Facility Layout Problem Using Genetic and Progressive AlgorithmsRésumé
In modern markets, manufacturers and service systems are faced with the need to constantly respond to changing product mixes, consumer’s tastes and demands. Facility planning is a significant strategy used to achieve this goal. A well-planned facility minimizes the materials and personnel flow distances, inventory build-up and consequently improves the production lead time and operation cost. Therefore, this thesis explores two variations of the facility layout problem: the Equal Areas dynamic facility layout problem (EA-DFLP) and the unequal area facility layout problem (UA-FLP). The EA-DFLP involves arranging and rearranging a number of equal departments in a facility such that the … Lire la suite
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2017 — Distinguishing Linear Sets and Pattern Languages With Membership ExamplesRésumé
In Computational Learning Theory, a binary concept is often represented by a set of pairs (x; l), where x varies over a set of instances known as a universe or instance space, and l is a label, either "+" or "-", indicating whether or not x belongs to the concept. This thesis will consider a type of machine learning task known as supervised learning, where an algorithm M is fed with a set of labelled data for a target concept belonging to a given class of concepts, and M produces a hypothesis function that is used to accurately predict the … Lire la suite
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2017 — Eigenvalues of K-Uniform HypergraphsRésumé
We de ne two separate attempts to generalize the de nition of eigenvalues to hypergraphs and show several results related to each. The rst approach is rooted in 2-dimensional matrices and allows for the generalization of many results from graph theory. The second approach covered is more sophisticated and may only be applied to k-uniform hypergraphs. We include the development of a sound algorithm using the resultant of polynomials that can be used for any k-uniform hypergraph. Speci c examples are provided to demonstrate the power of the algorithm. Further, we show that certain results hold for the eigenvalues and … Lire la suite
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2017 — A Narrative Inquiry into Indigenous Nurses' Experiences of Care: A Dialogic/Performative Narrative AnalysisRésumé
One of the most fundamental social processes regularly explored in nursing practice and education is the concept of care and caring. This study suggests that the more deeply we understand the experience of caring in our own lives, the more we realize its centrality as a human condition activated through human relations. Understanding care involves attentiveness to the social and historical conditions of life that demands sensitivity to the ways in which pre-professional experiences impact values, interests, processes, needs, and desires and how these tenets are performed in the nurse’s practice. This research involved a three-year collection of the life … Lire la suite
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2017 — Emergency Evacuation Management for Nuclear Power Plant Accidents Under Multiple UncertaintiesRésumé
Nuclear power accidents are one of the most dangerous disasters posing a lethal threat to human health and have detrimental effects lasting for decades. Therefore, emergency evacuation is important to minimize injuries and prevent lethal consequences resulting from a nuclear power accident. An evacuation management system in response to a nuclear power plant accident, involves a number of processes with a variety of socio-economic and environmental implications. These processes may be influenced by a number of factors, such as availability of traffic vehicles employed, number of evacuees, destinations of evacuees, limitations of evacuation times, budgets for evacuation, shelter and hospital … Lire la suite
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2017 — Relationship between trunk acceleration and arm stroke cycle coordination in competitive front crawl swimmingRésumé
In this study, the cyclic motion of front crawl was analyzed to determine the relationship between peak trunk acceleration and the arm stroke cycle. The data acquired in this study to quantify the timing of peak trunk acceleration, was recorded using triaxial accelerometers attached to the participants’ left and right wrist and one mounted on the swimmers’ lower back. Fifteen competitive national level front crawl swimmers were selected as participants (2 female, 13 male) to swim two trials of front crawl. For trial 1, the participants were instructed to swim at a preselected speed of their best time from competition, … Lire la suite
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2017 — Exploring subjectification processes in environmental education: How environmental education researchers come to construct their environmental subjectivitiesRésumé
In this study I explore ways in which environmental subjectivities are formulated in and through developing discourses, practices and ways of interacting. Using the poststructurally-informed concept of environmental subjectivity and narrative approaches I explore how personal and academic positions and positionings are constructed for environmental education researchers through ongoing subjectification processes. My primary research question is How do postsecondary environmental education researchers come to construct their environmental subjectivities? Two sub-question guide this exploration of environmental subjectification processes: How did the participants come to construct their environmental subjectivities across the time and space of their life? and How does their current … Lire la suite
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2017 — That's Just Your Point of View: How Visuospatial Biases and Functional Lateralization Influence the Way We Perceive the WorldRésumé
How can individual differences in visuospatial attention and other lateralized functions affect the perception of one’s environment? This research question was examined through the four studies which comprise this dissertation. Studies 1 and 2 examined how visuospatial biases (and other lateralized attributes) influence the perception of paintings, Study 3 examined how these factors influence how paintings are created, and Study 4 examined how visuospatial biases themselves can be influenced by the perception and processing of other lateralized attributes. For all studies, biases in visuospatial attention were measured using the line bisection task. In Study 1, participants rated asymmetrical paintings on … Lire la suite
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2017 — Rooted: An inquiry into nature shaping pedagogy and sustenance on the professional knowledge landscapeRésumé
This thesis is an autobiographical narrative inquiry (Clandinin & Connelly, 2000) into two research puzzles: First, how have experiences alongside nature shaped my personal knowledge landscape? Second, how is this knowledge negotiated on my professional knowledge landscape, and how does this negotiation shape or shift my pedagogy? With attention to Dewey’s (1938) theory of continuity and interaction in experience, Connelly and Clandinin’s (1988) conception of personal practical knowledge, and Connelly and Clandinin’s (1999) conception of stories to live by, I describe myself as a person who feels planted in nature. I also describe myself as a teacher of young children … Lire la suite
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2017 — What are Grade Twelve Students Reading? Surveying Saskatchewan English Language Arts B30 TeachersRésumé
The purpose of this research study is to investigate how the recent English Language Arts (ELA) curriculum renewal has been adopted throughout Saskatchewan by looking specifically at the full-length texts taught in the ELA B30 course throughout 2014-2015, as a possible indicator. The basis of this research study stems from two prior Canadian studies: “The Constancy of the School ‘Canon’: A Survey of Texts used in Grade 10 English Language Arts in 2006 and 1996” by Mackey, Vermeer, Storie, and DeBlois (2012), as well as Allison Skerrett’s 2010 study, “Of Literary Import: A Case of Cross-National Similarities in the Secondary … Lire la suite
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2017 — Exploring Police Officers' Susceptibility to Posttraumatic Stress and Growth After TraumaRésumé
Traumatic exposure is a frequently-occurring facet of policing, yet relatively little research has been done on posttraumatic outcomes in Canadian federal and municipal officers. Given that posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in police populations represents a significant health concern and economic burden, clarifying risk and resilience factors for posttraumatic adversity or resilience would inform screening, training, assessment, and treatment for Canadian police. The current dissertation presents cross-sectional, mixed-methods data investigating the relationship between psychosocial variables (i.e., anxiety sensitivity, intolerance of uncertainty, childhood adversity, personality, work disengagement, hope, optimism, perceived social support) and trauma-related outcomes (i.e., PTSD, posttraumatic growth, anxiety, depression) in … Lire la suite
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2017 — Cubical Blakers-Massey Theorem for CDGARésumé
We state and prove an algebraic version of the Blakers-Massey Theorem. The Blakers-Massey Theorem is a classical result in homotopy theory that measures the obstruction to homotopy excision. It also measures how far a homotopy pushout square of topological spaces is from being a homotopy pullback. This theorem can be generalized to higher-dimensional cubical diagrams of topological spaces, where it measures how far a cubical homotopy colimit is from being a homotopy limit. This work is inspired by Quillen's rational homotopy theory, where commutative di erential graded algebras (or CDGAs for short) over the eld Q of rational numbers are … Lire la suite
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2017 — Le mot et sa définition: Le cas des verbes préfixésRésumé
Au fil des siècles, des arguments linguistiques ont mis en avant que le concept d'un «mot» ou de son «usage» est problématique. Les perspectives et les présentations linguistiques ont argumenté et analysé que le"mot" dans la formation, la définition, l'expression, la traduction et dans beaucoup d'autres usages est ambigu. On soutient que ce qui est connu sous le nom "mot" dans la linguistique générale est appelé “unité lexical” en lexicologie et “terme”en terminologie, et ce, dans une tentative d'éviter la confusion associée à l'utilisation du "mot". La littérature linguistique disponible explique en outre que la nature problématique du «mot» s’étend … Lire la suite
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2017 — Detection of Textureless Occluded Objects by Deformable Part ModelsRésumé
Detection of objects in images has been a popular area of research in computer vision. Researchers have been working on the automatic detection of both fully visible and occluded objects. In this thesis work, detection of occluded objects is further examined. This work targets occluded objects which are simple in shape and do not contain complex textures. Texture-rich objects are, in general, more easily detected; but occlusion of texture-less objects is a more challenging task. In this work we focus on the texture-free occluded images of mugs and cups. This thesis examines the effectiveness of part-based detection technique for the … Lire la suite
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2017 — On A Statistical Test To Discriminate Lifetime DistributionsRésumé
Gamma, Weibull and Generalized Exponential distribution have been widely used in analyzing lifetime data in various aspect of professions. Model specifi- cation plays an importance role in this regard. The liability theorem used in analyzing data has a significant impact on the submission of statistical inference. The effect of model misspecification can be quite severe. Hence, this triggered the need to discriminate liability models for correct model specification in lifetime analysis. This thesis investigates the consistency of statistical test on sample data to be taken from one of the distributions of Reliability Theory. The test is based on the ratio … Lire la suite
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2017 — An Afrocentric Cultural Study of Buum Oka Dance Yaounde and Perceptions of its Relevance to African (-Canadian) Students Between the Ages of 18 and 25 in the City of ReginaRésumé
This is an Afrocentric cultural study of Buum Oku Dance Yaounde in Cameroon and perceptions of its relevance to African (-Canadian) students between the ages of 18 and 25 in the City of Regina. The study is pitched against a national backdrop in which African (-Canadian) students experience disproportionately high school drop/push out rates. This is just one of many others problems associated with various forms of racist discourses and practices which harken back to the days of black enslavement. An enduring legacy of slavery and Western colonialism has been the continuous distortion of African history and culture, which are … Lire la suite
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2017 — Lithostratigraphic and structural controls of uranium mineralization in the Kiggavik East Zone, Centre Zone, and Main Zone deposits, Thelon Basin, NunavutRésumé
The Kiggavik uranium deposits are located in the north-central Rae Subprovince of the Western Churchill Province and are hosted in highly deformed Archean and Paleoproterozoic basement rocks proximal to, and underlying the Thelon Basin. This field-based study documents the lithostratigraphic and structural character of Kiggavik’s basement rocks and their controls on the uranium deposits. Field investigation, coupled with structural analysis, geochemistry and geochronology indicates that the basement rocks comprise two main tectonostratigraphic packages: a structurally ‘lower-package’ comprising ~2.71 Ga Pipedream assemblage metagreywacke and a structurally ‘upper-package’ consisting of multiple intervals of ~2.6 Ga Snow Island Suite felsic epiclastic and metarhyolite … Lire la suite
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2017 — The Depiction of Expert Women in Canadian NewspapersRésumé
This study focuses on gender inequality in representations of “expert” women in the media. Existing scholarly literature has demonstrated that, in general, women are underrepresented or portrayed as objects or victims in the media. Very little of this literature has examined depictions of “expert” women. The research is guided by this question: How are “expert” women depicted in contemporary Canadian newspapers? The methodologica l framework of the research is a mixed-methods approach using discourse analysis as methodology and content analysis as the concrete method. The data were collected from all news pages of the National Post and the Globe and … Lire la suite
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2017 — Multi-Physical Simulations of Dense Granular Flows by Mesh-Free MethodRésumé
Recently, applying mesh free method coupled with a constitutive rheology has achieved success in modeling dynamics in dry granular flows. However, research on comprehensive validation on the coupled model in different aspects, such as pressure, velocity, shear stress, surface, friction factor and different geometries is limited. In this study, three different cases, including gravity driven flow, 2D column collapse and granular dam-break are simulated to validate the coupled model of MPS method with (I) rheology model, by comparing the simulated results with analytical solutions and experimental results. In the simulations, flow characteristics are successfully captured in dry granular flows in … Lire la suite
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2017 — Reviewing and Reshaping My Teaching Towards a More Socially-Just Practice: A Self-StudyRésumé
This research text is a self-study into my development as a critical pedagogue. In it, I seek to investigate two research questions: (1) how do tensions in my teaching illustrate the systemic challenges of race and gender, which I face on a day-to-day basis, as I work towards a more socially-just teaching practice; and (2) how does the analysis of racial and gender-based teaching tensions help guide my growth toward a more socially-just professional practice? My evolving understanding of my social position in relation to systems of oppression and its effect on my teaching are central to this study. Through … Lire la suite
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2017 — Petrographic, geochemical and geochronological study of albitization associated with vein type uranium mineralization in the Beaverlodge district, northern SaskatchewanRésumé
Albitization has long been noted as having a spatial association with uranium mineralization in the Beaverlodge uranium district; however, a genetic relationship between the two has yet to be demonstrated. Previous studies mainly focused on albitization in 1.94-1.92 Ga granite, but new field and petrographic studies have shown that albitization is found to also occur in the ca. 2.33 Ga Murmac Bay Group amphibolite and the ca. 1.82 Ga Martin group sedimentary rocks. There are two types of albitization: pervasive, replacement-type (R) and vein-type (V), which are grouped into two generations: generation 1 (Ab1-R and Ab1-V) and generation 2 (Ab2-R … Lire la suite
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2017 — Dewatering Behaviour of Clay SlurriesRésumé
The main objective of this research was to develop a fundamental understanding of the dewatering behaviour of clay slurries. A comprehensive research methodology was developed to understand the natural dewatering processes of consolidation, desiccation and consolidation-desiccation. Laboratory investigation methods were improved, data analysis techniques were enhanced, and numerical methods were customized. An active clay slurry was prepared at different initial conditions (3 LL to 1 LL) to mimic field conditions ranging from a thin slurry to a paste-like consistency. Thin samples were used in a conventional oedometer test and in the evaporation test. A correlation was developed between the oedometer … Lire la suite
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2017 — Role of the Neurotransmitter Glutamate in Neural Stem and Progenitor Cells Differentiation into OligodendrocytesRésumé
Various regions of the mammalian brain, including the subventricular zones (SVZs) of the hippocampus and the dentate gyrus (DG), contain niches of undifferentiated neural stem and progenitor cells (NSPCs) which persist from development, all throughout adulthood. These cells can differentiate into the three main cell types found within the brain: neurons, oligodendrocytes (OLs), and astrocytes. Adult NSPCs can be driven to specific cells of interest which can be used to replace lost myelin in some cases of neurodegenerative diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS) or insults such as spinal cord injury. I investigated the requirements to drive immature NSPCs into … Lire la suite
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2017 — Teachers' and Students' Experience of Teaching and Learning in Culturally Diverse ClassroomsRésumé
The purpose of the study was to develop a deeper understanding of culturally diverse classrooms in Saskatchewan. This qualitative case study involved two elementary classrooms in two urban schools in Saskatchewan. The participants were two homeroom teachers and two Nepali immigrant students in those classrooms. Data were collected through classroom observation and interviews. Based on the data, the research generated four themes: Challenges for teachers and students, common strategies for teaching and learning, walking in two cultural worlds, and relationships in the culturally diverse classroom. Both teachers and students faced challenges during teaching and learning processes. The findings also show … Lire la suite
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2017 — Exploring the Experiences of Young Adults Living in a Relationship With A Visually Impaired PartnerRésumé
This research explores the lived experiences of young adults living in an intimate relationship with a visually impaired partner. The aim of this research was to explore how young adults viewed their role in the relationship in terms of how they accommodate their partners with a visual impairment to understand feelings of and experiences with community supports; and to explore what partners felt they required for personal supports. This study employed a transcendental phenomenological approach, using semi-structured interviews with five adults age 23 to 39. The findings revealed the overall essence of participants’ experiences to be second nature. The essence … Lire la suite
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2017 — The Efficacy of Aerobic Exercise and Resistance Training for Anxiety-Related Disorders and Constructs: A Randomized Controlled TrialRésumé
Anxiety-related disorders are highly prevalent and comorbid, affecting nearly one third of individuals over their lifetime. Evidence suggests that anxiety-related disorders share common etiology, latent structure, higher-order dimensions, and response to treatment. These similarities have fostered the development of transdiagnostic treatments that can effectively target a relatively wide array of anxiety-related psychopathological concerns and can also be widely and efficiently disseminated to individuals in need treatment. There is empirical evidence to support the use of physical activity, primarily aerobic exercise, as an effective intervention to treat a variety of mental health concerns; however, what effect exercise has on anxiety-related disorders … Lire la suite
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2017 — Evaluation of City of Regina Stormwater Retention and Treatment Pond PerformanceRésumé
Municipal storm water retention ponds are required to protect property, reduce negative water quality characteristics and impacts of first flush materials on receiving waters, and mitigate against peak flow challenges for treatment systems and receiving waters under high precipitation or spring flow conditions. To that end, research was completed to review the current operating performance and identify potential concerns with water quality outflows from several of the City of Regina municipal ponds. Additionally, optimization and maintenance suggestions are made to improve performance, where appropriate. The research focuses on retention ponds that are designed to serve as constructed wetlands, as these … Lire la suite
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2017 — Exclusive Backward-Angle Omega Meson ElectroproductionRésumé
Exclusive meson electroproduction at different squared four-momenta of the exchanged virtual photon, Q^2 , and at different four-momentum transfers, t and u, can be used to probe QCD’s transition from hadronic degrees of freedom at the long distance scale to quark-gluon degrees of freedom at the short distance scale. Backward-angle meson electroproduction was previously ignored, but is anticipated to offer complimentary information to conventional forward-angle meson electroproduction studies on nucleon structure. This work is a pioneering study of backward-angle omega cross sections through the exclusive 1H(e, e′ p)omega reaction using the missing mass reconstruction technique. The extracted cross sections are … Lire la suite
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2017 — Pretreatment of Oilfield Produced Water using Ionic Liquids for Dissolved Air FloatationRésumé
Energy consumption is rising due to population increase and industry development. There will be an increase of nearly 66% of energy consumption related to fossil fuel such as oil and gas between 2003 and 2030 from 7.6*1013 to 12.6*1013 kilowatt-hours worldwide. With the increase in the production of oil and gas, a larger amount of produced water (PW) will be generated. Produced water poses a risk to the environment, because it contains persistent toxic and carcinogenic constituents. The dissolved air floatation (DAF) process is the most widely used technique in the world for produced water treatment. In order to reach … Lire la suite
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2017 — Reading, Writing and a Heretic: Problematizing Assumptions in New Testament CanonizationRésumé
This thesis examines the influences behind the canonization of the New Testament literature through examinations of Hellenistic educational and textual practices, Jewish scribalism, and scholarly disputes between early Christian intellectuals. This is to problematize the assumption of the development of the New Testament as something orderly and vectored. To that end, first, Hellenistic textual and educational practices will be examined to show how Homeric poetry was redacted and collected in the academy, with specific eyes to the creation of lists by Cicero and Quintilian for lists of books to read in a liberal education. Secondly, this process of scholarship continues … Lire la suite
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2017 — Probing Detector for Image Local Frequency AnalysisRésumé
The Fourier transform is a century-old mathematical theory. Among many of its applications, it has been the foundation of signal processing since the middle of 20th century. Specifically, it has been hugely successful to perform voice recognition using frequency spectrum. However, its application in 2D image analysis is limited. This observation motivated the research presented in this thesis. Most natural images contain non-stationary signals that require local image analysis techniques. The primary approach is the Short Time Fourier Transform (STFT), most notably the Gabor transform. A critical analysis presented in this thesis reveals that Gabor transform produces a spectrum with … Lire la suite
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2017 — Humanist or Exclusivist? A Critical Analysis of The Commentary of Father Monserrate S.J. on His Journey to the Court of AkbarRésumé
On November 17, 1579, at the invitation of the Akbar, the Mughal emperor, three Jesuit missionaries set out from Goa on a journey that would lead them across much of the Indian subcontinent as they travelled to Fatehpur Sikri, the capital of the Mughal Empire. In true Jesuit form, the three missionaries produced copious writings during the mission, which included detailed journals and letters. Before the fathers departed, the Provincial superior of Goa had charged Father Antony Monserrate with keeping a comprehensive record of the mission. Between 1582 and 1590, Monserrate compiled his Commentary based on the notes that he … Lire la suite
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2017 — Projecting Regional Climate Change through Statistical and Dynamical Downscaling TechniquesRésumé
Climate change has comprehensive and profound influences on every aspect of the natural and human systems such as the hydrological systems, ecosystems, food systems, infrastructure, human health and livelihoods. Not only are the impacts diverse in expressions, they are also geographically heterogeneous. In order to manage and reduce the risk of climate change impacts with the consideration of its heterogeneity, region-specific mitigation and adaptation strategies needs to be taken. The foundation of regional climate impact studies and the subsequent design of regional mitigation and adaption strategies is the projection of future regional or local climate. To this end, this study … Lire la suite
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2017 — Construction of Confidence Intervals and Hypothesis Testing for the Mean of a Normal Population When the Coefficient of Variation is KnownRésumé
Approximation of con dence interval and hypothesis testing for a normal mean when the coe cient of variation is known, is quite di erent from the situation when the variance is known. Mostly, the situation when the variance is known is only of theoretical interest. There are many practical situations when the coe cient of variation is known. This situation arises in medical, biological and environmental studies. In the theoretical part of the thesis, we proved that the considered estimates are unbiased estimator with minimum variance and asymptotically normal. We con- struct statistical tests for the normal mean based on … Lire la suite
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2017 — Optimum Cyclic Solvent Injection (CSI) and Waterflooding/Gasflooding in the Post Cold Heavy Oil Production with Sand (Chops) ReservoirsRésumé
In this thesis, the technical synergy of combining cyclic solvent injection (CSI) and waterflooding (WF) or gasflooding (GF) in a two-well configuration for the post-cold heavy oil production with sand (CHOPS) reservoirs was explored. In the experiments, the original heavy oil samples were collected from the Colony and McLaren formations in Alberta, Canada. The PVT data and viscosities of CH4/CO2/C3H8-saturated Colony/McLaren heavy oil were measured at different equilibrium pressures and Tres = 21 °C. A total of 17 sandpacked laboratory tests were conducted to examine the technical and economical merits of the combined CSI and WF/GF. Both the CSI + … Lire la suite
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2017 — Nutritional and Fall Risk Among Older Women Living in Long-Term Care Facilities of IndiaRésumé
The objectives of the study were to assess the nature of nutritional and fall risk in older adults living in LTC facilities in New Delhi, evaluate the inter-relationship of nutritional and fall risk, and assess whether depression, fear of falling, and physical function predict fall risk, and to test the reliability of nutrition and fall risk measures. Eighty five women aged 60 years and over living in six LTC facilities in New Delhi were recruited. Measures included the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA), Falls Efficacy Scale International (FES-I), Downton Index, SF-36 Health Survey, Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), Mini Mental State Exam … Lire la suite
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2017 — Dogma, Dada, and Disneyland: Investigating the Impact of Space on Ideological FormationRésumé
Academic investigations of ‘ritual’ and ‘religion’ have at times conflated each with the other. Within modern academic study, there is emerging research that attempts to decouple this association by underscoring the importance of processes of ritualization—the specific ways humans elevate actions and thought processes to importance—on identity-making and social participation. Through a combination of literature review and analysis of current social and legal issues, this thesis looks at the construction of space on three levels—the experienced, perceived, and imagined—in an effort to show that ritual, community, and identity are shaped and constrained more by economic and social influence and the … Lire la suite
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2017 — Movement, habitat selection, and resource use by western painted turtles (Chrysemys picta bellii) in an urban environment near their northern range limitRésumé
Understanding resource use is necessary to properly manage and conserve habitats for long-lived species, especially for populations residing urban settings. I studied habitat selection, space use, and isotopic resource use of an urban population of western painted turtles (Chrysemys picta bellii) residing in Wascana Creek in Regina, Saskatchewan from May 2015 to April 2017. Using radio-telemetry to track movements, I determined habitat selection at multiple spatial (Johnson’s second and third order habitat selection) and temporal scales (active season; encompassing emergence, nesting, and post-nesting) using compositional analysis. I found that turtles selected for shoreline habitat over urban/parkland and open water (second … Lire la suite
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2017 — Modelling Artificial Intelligence in Games Using MindSet Behavior TreesRésumé
Behavior trees are a popular way of structuring artificial intelligence in games and other virtual reality applications. A behavior tree is a model of plan execution and is graphically represented as a tree. Nodes in a behavior tree either encapsulate actions to be performed or act as control flow components that direct traversal over the tree. The popularity of behavior trees stems from their maintainability, scalability, reusability, and extensibility. However, constructing behavior trees only using a programming language is difficult because the behavior tree cannot be easily visualized. We introduce MindSet, a new architecture for constructing behavior trees. Accompanying the … Lire la suite
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2017 — A Single Bout of Sprint Interval Training or Continuous Moderate Intensity Training for Reducing Anxiety Sensitivity: A Randomized Controlled TrialRésumé
Anxiety sensitivity (AS) is the fear of arousal related sensations based on the belief that these sensations may have harmful or negative consequences, such as death, insanity, or social rejection (Reiss & McNally, 1985). Significant reductions in AS have been observed following as little as one session of moderate intensity exercise (Broman-Fulks et al., 2015); however, the effect of high intensity exercise on AS has not yet been investigated. Reductions in AS are associated with successful treatment outcomes in clinical populations, as well as a decreased risk of developing mental disorders in nonclinical populations (Schmidt, Keough, Timpano, & Richey, 2008). … Lire la suite
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2017 — An Examination of School Safety Preparedness in CanadaRésumé
Although a rare occurrence, at least 32 Canadians have died in school shootings since 1902. School shootings and incidents of serious school violence in Canada are not as prevalent as they are in the United States, however, educators and school staff should be prepared for these critical incidents. This study uses an online survey to collect information from school staff across Canada about their preparedness for incidents of school violence. Topics solicited in the survey are: respondent beliefs about the prevalence of violence at their schools, their awareness of school safety plans, and strategies used to promote school safety. The … Lire la suite
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2017 — Internet-Delivered Exposure Therapy Training for Parents of Children With Anxiety: Therapist and Parent Perceptions of UsabilityRésumé
Cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) has been identified as an effective form of treatment for childhood anxiety disorders, but many families are unable to access it. One possible way of increasing access to treatment is by providing online CBT training to parents so that they can implement CBT with their children at home. Exposure therapy is a particularly beneficial component of CBT but poses unique challenges in the development of a parent-administered, Internet-delivered CBT (ICBT) program, as research suggests that parents may be hesitant to implement exposure techniques with their children. Few studies have investigated ways to address such challenges. The … Lire la suite
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2017 — Be-Coming To Care: Teachers' Perspectives on CaringRésumé
This research is a qualitative study aimed at growing towards a deeper understanding of how teachers be-come caring teachers. Using current thinking in affect studies, particularly the work of Massumi (1995, 2005) and Ahmed (2004), narratives are created to highlight the subtle gestures, miniscule slidings, and everyday occurrences that can be overlooked and that intimate the relationship between teacher and students. Through teachers’ own performance of their narrative and using the diffractive framework of Barad (2003) and Lenz Taguchi (2012), a flattening of the relationship between researcher, participants, theory, and data (Jackson & Mazzei, 2013) emerges and an opening is … Lire la suite
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2017 — Cooling Bodies StoriesRésumé
Cooling Bodies is a collection of six short stories that explore contemporary technology, Internet culture, and social media through various subjective positions ranging in age, gender identity, sexual orientation, and social background. Cooling Bodies employs classic short story theorists, sociological and philosophical theorists, and the inspiration of prominent authors in the genre, as a means of situating its stories in the broader tradition, as well as reexamining common conventions of this tradition through a contemporary lens. The stories of Cooling Bodies align sociological concerns regarding human alienation with familiar ideas vested in short fiction criticism, exploring digital technology as a … Lire la suite
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2017 — How do High School Counsellors Perceive Their Role? It Can Start in the Parking LotRésumé
This doctoral research was designed to acquire authentic data about the roles of practicing high school counsellors. Through a qualitative collective case study design, twelve practicing high school counsellors were interviewed about their perceptions of their role. Using open and axial coding, data were thematically reported and analyzed and were embedded in three conceptual frameworks: an interpretivist approach, elements of Durkheim’s structural functionalism, and principles of grounded theory. The results found that school counsellors perceived tension in ten of eleven thematic topics: advocacy practices, role ambiguity, the overwhelming demands placed upon them, their work as front-line mental health workers, parental … Lire la suite
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2017 — Through "The Forest of Things, Acts, and Signs": A Study of Edmonton's The Works Art and Design Festival and Nuit BlancheRésumé
This thesis explores large-scale public arts festivals that function under a narrative of greater inclusivity and accessibility for audiences. More specifically, it examines the ways in which these emergent curatorial strategies reconfigure the role of the spectator, while maintaining an emphasis on such cultural practices within the prairie region of Canada. Since 2003, numerous festivals have begun popping up across the country, from Halifax to Whitehorse, yet there is relatively little academic scholarship on the presence of these events in a Canadian context. By taking Edmonton, Alberta, as its case study, this analysis will investigate how the dissemination of interdisciplinary … Lire la suite
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2017 — Handling Qualitative and Quantitative Preferences with Constraints in Interactive ApplicationsRésumé
Preference elicitation is very important for interactive systems. A potential buyer typically has speci c expectations in the attributes of the product he or she is interested in. While the current interactive systems allow users to provide some keywords and other information in order to lter and obtain only what they need, users feel the product they get does not necessarily meet their satisfaction. This thesis proposes a new interactive system that enables buyers to express their needs and desires. Users are given the ability to elicit their requirements and preferences in a friendly and interactive way. The system will … Lire la suite
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2017 — The heat shock response in embryonic and young of the year juvenile round whitefish (prosopium cylindraceum)Résumé
I investigated the effects of acute, increased temperatures on round whitefish embryos at the protruding mouth stage and young-of-the-year (YOY) juveniles at 3.5 months post hatch by characterizing the kinetics of the heat shock response (HSR). The HSR provides protection from a variety of stressors (i.e., thermal stress) at the cellular level and is characterized by the upregulation of a suite of proteins called heat shock proteins (Hsps). Round whitefish embryos were exposed to two heat shock (HS) temperatures (6 or 9 °C above control temperature) for 4 different lengths of time (1, 2, 3, or 4 h) followed by … Lire la suite
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2017 — Development of Criteria for Selection of Components for Formulation of Amine Blends Based on Structure and Activity Relationships of Amines, and Validation of Formulated Blends in a Bench Scale CO2 Capture Pilot PlantRésumé
Due to modernisation and industrialisation, an increase in the global energy demand is inevitable. Nuclear, fossil fuels, renewables, hydro and biomass are the major sources of energy. However, considering the current energy framework, fossil fuels appear to be the most reliable and stable energy source. As a result, emphasis on the reduction of emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2, a major type of greenhouse gas (GHG)) is very crucial because almost all fossil fuel activities lead to generation of this environmentally harmful GHG. Scientists have shown that the average global temperature has increased by up to about 1 degree over the … Lire la suite