Liste complète
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2020 — Becomings-Unsettled? (Un) Braiding Settler-Treaty Life WritingRésumé
Rather than viewing this abstract as a simple outline of the main ideas, the nuts and bolts, the meat and potatoes, the name of the game, and the bottom line, I consider it a story. It is another moment for practicing life writing as research. On an early December morning, a large group of Canada geese gather on Pasqua Lake in the Qu’appelle Valley, near a brief narrowing of the lake in the southwest. The lake ice is thick except for a peculiar patch of open water, an oddity for the season. Here the geese float and flap mostly at … Lire la suite
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2020 — Statistical Inference for the Discrete Laplace DistributionRésumé
In this study, two estimators of the parameter p of the discrete Laplace distribution DL(p) are considered. The classical method of moments estimator (MME) was derived, and the asymptotic normality of its distribution proved by applying the delta method and juxtaposed with the maximum likelihood estimator(MLE). The accuracy and the asymptotic normality of both estimators were probed using simulation studies. The results of the comparison showed that the estimators were normally distributed when the sample size was large for all values of p. It was also revealed that the MLE was efficient for all scenarios considered. The MME was efficient … Lire la suite
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2020 — Development of Failure and Consequence Analysis Frameworks for Natural Gas Transmission PipelineRésumé
In our daily activities, natural gas is an essential part for cooking, heating, electricity production as well as manufacturing activities. In last two decades, the natural gas consumption rate has been increasing exponentially in every corner of the world. Subsequently, any natural gas pipeline failure can lead human fatalities, financial losses, and interruption of manufacturing activities as well as environmental impact. To overcome this situation or reduce the losses, a risk analysis method can play a very significant role the potential threats. The main objective of this research is to identify the natural gas pipeline failure causes, influences and consequences … Lire la suite
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2020 — Conditional Preference Networks: Constraints, Genuine Decision, and AggregationRésumé
A Conditional Preference Network (CP-net) graphically represents user's conditional ceteris paribus (all else being equal) preference statements, while a Tradeoffs enhanced CP-net (TCP-net) extends the CP-net with conditional relative importance statements. To construct the CP-net, a user specifies a (strict) partial order over the values of each variable, which is usually a total order. In case the order is not a total order, a Partial CP-net is used to capture the preferences. On the other hand, a Lexicographic Preference Tree (LP-tree) represents user's conditional lexicographic preferences. This thesis contributes to the models listed above. First, solving the Constrained CP-net model, … Lire la suite
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2020 — Molecular Characterization of the Fate and Kinetics of Oil San Process-Affected Water (OSPW) Naphthenic Acid Fraction Compounds (NAFCs) in Constructed Wetland Treatment SystemRésumé
The mining of bitumen generates oil sands process-affected water (OSPW). The OSPW contains Naphthenic acid fraction compounds (NAFCs) among its organic acid constituents as the primary toxicant. Because of concerns of its environmental footprint, OSPW is held in tailing ponds under environmental regulation that holds oil sand operators to a zero discharge of OSPW. Management of OSPW requires that the treated water is returned to the aquatic environment as a means of enhancing the industry’s water sustainability. Methods are being considered for the analysis and treatment of OSPW to guarantee their safe return to the environment. In this study, the … Lire la suite
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2020 — Functional genomics provides insights into the genetic network(s) associated with the function of the cmd operon in Rhizobium leguminosarum bv. viciaeRésumé
The bacterium Rhizobium leguminosarum forms a symbiotic association with leguminous plants such as peas and lentils, which are important food crops. Rhizobium’s cell envelope is important for establishing a symbiotic association with host plants and for helping the cell adapt to stressful conditions in the rhizosphere. A previously uncharacterized four gene operon, cmdA-D (RL3499-RL3502) in Rhizobium leguminosarum viciae 3841 has been shown to be essential for proper cell envelope function. The broadly conserved cmd operon codes for ATPases which mediate protein-protein interaction and are involved in various cellular activities. cmd mutants cannot grow on complex peptide rich media, therefore the … Lire la suite
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2020 — Defective Spore Development and Differentially Expressed Genes In The Sporophytes of mkn4-2-1, A Triple Deletion Mutant of Physcomitrella patensRésumé
KNOTTED1-like homeobox (KNOX) genes encode homeodomain transcription factors involved in maintaining the shoot apical meristem of flowering plants. They are widely distributed in land plants where they perform diverse roles. A triple knockout of KNOX genes, mkn4-2-1, in the moss, Physcomitrella patens, produced malformed sporophytes and defective spores with under-developed perine (Singer and Ashton, 2007, Plant Cell Rep, 26: 2039). I hypothesized that moss KNOX homologues (MKN genes) could be the executive regulators of spore wall formation in Physcomitrella, and that the biosynthesis and regulatory networks of spore/pollen grain wall formation might be conserved in plants. The mkn4-2-1 spores shed … Lire la suite
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2020 — Compact Homogeneous Leviflat CR-ManifoldsRésumé
We consider compact Leviflat homogeneous CR-manifolds. In this setting the Levi-foliation exists and we show that all its leaves are homogeneous and biholomorphic. We analyze separately the structure of orbits in complex projective spaces and parallelizable homogeneous CR-manifolds in our context. We then combine the projective and parallelizable cases using the fact that every homogeneous CR-manifold is a homogeneous CR-fiber bundle, the so-called CR-normalizer fibration, consisting of a projective base and a parallelizable fiber. In codimensions one and two we also give a classification. Lire la suite
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2020 — Three-Dimensional Model Development for Buried Pipeline: Applied Loadings and Fluid Structure InteractionRésumé
Pipeline systems are widely used to transport water, sewage, oil, natural gas, and other valuable fluids. The buried pipelines can run over long distances in different soil behaviours and climate conditions. Pipelines should be designed in such a way that they remain functional even when they are subjected to high-intensity soil movements, excessive fluid flows, and different loading conditions. This thesis will illustrate the main parameters that cause failure in buried pipelines, starting by giving an overview of the piping system, that includes pipeline materials, pipeline design procedure, soil properties and pipeline interaction, soil and traffic loading on underground pipelines … Lire la suite
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2020 — LA PLACE DE L’INSTITUT FRANÇAIS DANS LA DIFFUSION ET LA PROPAGATION DU FRANÇAIS AU NIGÉRIARésumé
In today’s world, speaking more than one international language has become a necessity as a result of globalization. More and more people around the world engage in learning foreign languages in order to have an edge and become more competitive in the employment market, both home and abroad. In an English-speaking West African country surrounded by only French-speaking countries like Nigeria, the political decision by the government to make French a second official language is understandable and highly commendable. However, poor implementation of the policy has generated many other problems and challenges, including the lack of qualified teachers. Yet, the … Lire la suite
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2020 — Lived Experiences of Sexual Violence in Tondo, Manila, Philippines Envisioning Change Through Body MappingRésumé
This thesis addresses a gap in research about sexual violence (SV) in low-middle income countries. It explores women’s lived experiences of SV in Tondo, a community in the Filipino capital Manila. Using a transnational feminist lens and the arts-based methodology (ABR) of body mapping, the study sought to answer the research question: What can we learn about sexual violence prevention in the Philippines from women living in Tondo, Manila as they envision their community without sexual violence? Findings provide detailed information about prominent forms of SV in Tondo, the social contexts in which these incidents occur, and how women perceive … Lire la suite
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2020 — Schurian Association Schemes Arising From Abstract Regular PolytopesRésumé
The objective of this thesis is to address Schurian association schemes arising from a string Coxeter group G. We will talk about the problem of when the adjacency algebra of the Schurian association scheme C[G==H] generated by the double cosets of G with respect to a vertex stabilizer subgroup H is commutative. We will show C[G==H] is commutative in every case of a finite string Coxeter group G except one. Moreover, if G is an infinite string Coxeter group with vertex stabilizer H that has the property that every H-H-double coset is self-inverse, then it is clearly the case that … Lire la suite
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2020 — "Suck it up, Buttercup": The Role of Gender in the Mental Health of Police OfficersRésumé
Police officers are at higher risk for several different mental disorders relative to the general population, arguably due to the nature of their work. Women police officers report elevated mental disorders symptoms when compared to men police officers. Empirical research on which factors may be involved in the gender differences in police mental health is sparse and seldom gender balanced. The current explanatory sequential mixed methods research examined how the contrast in the experiences of men and women police officers may influence gender differences in mental disorder prevalence. Among surveyed Canadian police officers (1377; 36% women), women reported elevated symptoms … Lire la suite
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2020 — Distinguishing Catheters from Their Echoes in Ultrasound ImagesRésumé
In brachytherapy of prostate cancer treatment, needles, called catheters, are inserted into the prostate of a patient. The accuracy of the catheters’ position is critical for the effectiveness of the treatment. Ultrasound images are commonly used to measure their positions. However, scattering of ultrasound signal in human tissue produces echoes of catheters that are sometimes, to the human eye, difficult to distinguish. The primary goal of this research is to investigate a novel approach for distinguishing ultrasound image regions corresponding to actual objects from the regions corresponding to their echoes. One of the challenges in ultrasound image analysis is the … Lire la suite
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2020 — Distress and Coping Among Infertile Women Attempting to Conceive NaturallyRésumé
Approximately one in five Canadian couples experience infertility, defined as being unable to achieve pregnancy despite 12 or more months of attempts to conceive. Experiencing infertility has been disproportionately associated with an array of psychological difficulties in women, however, there has been little research examining which coping strategies and behaviours may be helpful during these high-distress times of a woman’s cycle. Fifty-eight women were recruited for a study, via social media, examining the daily coping strategies and fertility monitoring methods (e.g., use of ovulation predictor tests), in relation to daily infertility distress among women with infertility. Over the course of … Lire la suite
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2020 — Sustaining Clinical Competency in Wide Open Spaces: A Communities of Practice Case Study of Rural School PsychologistsRésumé
The practice of a rural school psychologist is challenging and can be fraught with aspects of isolation, role confusion, and burn out (Hargrove, 1986). In many rural communities, the only qualified mental health professional may be a school psychologist. Thus, rural school psychologists require particular and generalist skill sets to meet the diverse needs of their community. This reality is in contrast to dominant discourses within the broader field of psychology, which promote limited scopes of practice within defined areas of clinical competency. A collective case study of rural school psychologists from across Saskatchewan using a Communities of Practice (Wenger, … Lire la suite
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2020 — A Wi-Fi Active Antenna to Model 5G Beam ManagementRésumé
In this thesis, an active antenna model is created using a Wi-Fi omnidirectional antenna to fashion a 5G-like set up and to test its beam management capability. This active antenna is a dynamic antenna that operates based on the real-time user location and throughput data rate. This mechanical model is based on the concepts of beamforming, beam steering, control theory and user tracking. 5G communication will be utilizing the mmWave spectrum. Therefore, beam directivity, because of mmWave path loss, is of paramount importance for the success of 5G. This model can be used to re-align the antenna towards the user … Lire la suite
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2020 — Dirt PharmacyRésumé
My creative thesis, Dirt Pharmacy, is a historical fiction novella about a murder in seventeenth-century London. As a Renaissance-era crime thriller, my work is influenced by a number of writers who work in the genre and period, such as Patricia Finney, C.J. Sansom, and Rory Clements. Where my work differs from theirs is that I examine early modern crime the other way around; their protagonists are proto-detectives, while Dirt Pharmacy is written from the point of view of the women committing the murder. My aim is to shine a light on two parts of history that typically go unseen, and … Lire la suite
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2020 — In Between: A Case Study of Frontline Workers and Response to SuicideRésumé
Suicide is a tragic, multi-faceted and complex global issue which disproportionately impacts marginalized communities. This case study examines the experience, impact and recommendations from frontline workers who endured a prolonged youth suicide crisis within a marginalized, northern Indigenous community. This thesis examines how frontline workers experienced a youth suicide crisis, with the hope that the findings might influence policy with respect to how provincial and federal governments engage with communities that struggle with the same challenges. A thematic analysis of eight interviews with professionals who worked in a variety of frontline services that were impacted during a youth suicide crisis … Lire la suite
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2020 — The Impact of a Nitrogen-Removal Wastewater Upgrade on Primary Producers in Phosphorous-Rich Streams of the Northern Great PlainsRésumé
Nitrogen (N) and phosphorous (P) from human sources has impaired streams and rivers worldwide resulting in major infrastructure projects to manage agricultural and urban wastewater. Recently, diverting urban N from wastewater using biological nutrient removal (BNR) technologies has been proposed as an effective strategy to reduce harmful algal and cyanobacterial blooms. However, mechanisms regulating lotic phototrophs can be complex due to interactions between natural controls (temperature, hydrology, transparency) and anthropogenic activities. Additionally, little is known about the effects of selective N removal, particularly on phytoplankton in small streams. This thesis investigates the impact of a wastewater upgrade from tertiary (high … Lire la suite
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2020 — Screen Space Reflection TechniquesRésumé
Ray tracing is a rendering technique in computer graphics that can simulate a variety of optical effects, such as reflection from smooth surfaces, refraction through transparent objects, and light scattering on rough surfaces. Ray tracing can produce visual realism of a higher quality than other rendering techniques, such as rasterization techniques, but at a much higher computational cost. Screen Space Reflection (SSR) is a group of approximation techniques that utilize data already generated by common rasterization techniques, such as deferred shading, to produce limited reflection effects. Most rasterization algorithms use two basic data structures, an image buffer storing the colour … Lire la suite
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2020 — Prevention is Difficult, But Possible: A Multiple Case Study Examining The Integration of Prevention Activities in School Social Work Practice in an Urban Centre in SaskatchewanRésumé
This study, which focuses on school social work practice, responds to recent research findings that prevention is a minority focus in many areas of social work. A qualitative multiple case study of school social workers in an urban centre in Saskatchewan was employed to gain insight into the topic by examining their level and types of practice, and their experiences and perceptions of integrating prevention activities in their work. A review of relevant literature identified several major gaps: inconsistent definitions of prevention with little insight into how practitioners themselves understand prevention; reactive, incident-driven interventions being prioritized over prevention approaches; lack … Lire la suite
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2020 — Constraint Solving and Optimizationn Using Nature-Inspired TechniquesRésumé
Constraint solving and optimization is tackled by scientists in almost every area, including scheduling and planning, configuration, resource allocation, finance, computational biology and machine learning. Since classical systematic and mathematical methods cannot effectively provide suitable solutions for these types of problems, metaheuristic algorithms were introduced. Due to the fact that metaheuristic algorithms have different characteristics, they can address specific optimization problems more effectively than others. This is the main motivation for developing new robust metaheuristic algorithms with the objectives of addressing problems faster specially when they scale up. However, one challenge with metaheuristics is their immature convergence. This issue can … Lire la suite
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2020 — Treaty Education and Reconciliation: Things Non-Indigenous People Should Know (But Don't) About Treaty #4Résumé
This qualitative research study explores the question of what quality Treaty Education looks like and if done well, how it can aid in the reconciliation process. Conducted with an Indigenous framework by a non-Indigenous public school administrator in Treaty 4 territory, this study was a process of beginning to decolonize my thoughts and actions through learning about the standpoint of Indigenous participants as compared to mine, in regards to the history, and current realities, of the Treaty 4 area located in Saskatchewan, Canada. Through a critical lens, this study explores the topics of colonization, decolonization, reconciliation, and Indigenous epistemologies to … Lire la suite
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2020 — Embodied Becomings of Women in Yoga: A Postqualitative PursuitRésumé
The intent of this inquiry was to engage diffractively with women’s mutual understandings in the physical and emotional embodied experiences of yoga, simultaneously incorporating my own experiences. More generally, this study occurred during a time when my interest became focused on the concept of embodiment, as it applied to embodied learning in adult education more generally. Beginning from a qualitative research framework of feminist phenomenology, which evolved as I read new research along postqualitative lines, I discovered new openings for inquiry that incorporated such concepts as the rhizome, agential realism, affective intensities, and agentic assemblages. These concepts replaced more traditional … Lire la suite
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2020 — Sharp-Tailed Grouse (Tympanuchus phasianellus) Habitat Selection and Population Trends in SaskatchewanRésumé
The sharp-tailed grouse (Tympanuchus phasianellus) is a symbol of Saskatchewan and has important cultural and economic status in the province. Over the last few decades this species has been declining in Saskatchewan, especially in southern grassland regions. While the decline in sharp-tailed grouse populations has been variously attributed to habitat loss, degradation, and fragmentation, the major factors affecting population trends remain to be definitively identified. Two areas of importance for research were highlighted by provincial government scientists to inform long-term management and conservation of sharp-tailed grouse in Saskatchewan: (1) identify sharp-tailed grouse habitat and its distribution in the province; and … Lire la suite
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2020 — The Effects of Creatine Monohydrate Supplementation and Resistance Training in Stroke SurvivorsRésumé
The purpose was to investigate the effects of progressive resistance training and creatine supplementation in individuals’ post-stroke. Participants were randomized to one of two groups: creatine (n = 5; 51 ± 15 yrs, 173.04 ± 10.75 cm, 84.74 ± 19.24 kg) or placebo (n = 3; 73 ± 8 yrs, 171.26 ± 5.31 cm, 73.33 ± 5.83 kg) during 10 weeks of supervised, progressive resistance training. Prior to and following training and supplementation, assessments were made for body composition (lean tissue, fat mass, bone mineral; dual energy x-ray absorptiometry), muscle thickness (elbow and knee flexors and extensors; ultrasound), muscle strength … Lire la suite
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2020 — Evaluation of Bioherbicidal Properties of Pseudomonas syringae pv. tagetis for Control of Canada thistle (Cirsium arvense)Résumé
Canada thistle (Cirsium arvense, family Asteraceae) is a particularly aggressive invasive plant species that is problematic in Canadian agriculture. It can be particularly challenging for organic farmers, as it cannot be eliminated using methods like tillage, due to its ability to regrow using adventitious shoots from root fragments. One strategy would be to use an organic bioherbicide. One bacterial pathogen that has been explored as a replacement for conventional herbicides is Pseudomonas syringae pv. tagetis, as it produces tagetitoxin, which causes chlorosis and stunting in plants of the Asteraceae. The objective of my thesis was to assess P. syringae pv. … Lire la suite
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2020 — Membrane Surface Functionalization Through Nanomaterials for Wastewater TreatmentRésumé
Water shortage is a global challenge with growing concern due to population growth, economic development, environmental pollution, and climate change. Membrane-based filtration technology has been regarded as one of the most efficient and cost-effective ways to retain water resources, because it offers excellent separation efficiency of pollutants with distinct advantages in easy maintenance, low chemical consumption, and small environmental footprint. However, typically polymeric membranes surfer from membrane fouling during filtration processes due to their surface hydrophobicity, which reduces the wastewater treatment efficiency and increases system operational cost. Therefore, membrane surface functionalization/modification has been studied to alter the surface properties for … Lire la suite
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2020 — Retail Therapy or an Urge to Splurge: A Study of Impulse Buying Among University StudentsRésumé
A prevalent phenomenon described as “an unplanned purchase” that is based on sudden, powerful and persistent urge to possess an item immediately without deliberate decision-making, impulse buying tendency is often aroused by an exposure to external stimuli and associated with an emotional response. It has linkage to retail therapy, as consumers make impulse purchases to elevate unpleasant mood states or to compensate for psychological deficiencies. However, impulse buyers tend to neglect long-term consequences of impulse purchases ultimately impacting their mental and financial wellbeing. The present study responded to the need for more theoretical and empirical assessments of factors influencing impulse … Lire la suite
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2020 — Sedimentology and Diagenesis with Respect to the Reservoir Development of the Mississippian Midale Beds in the Pinto-Roche Percee Area, Southeastern SaskatchewanRésumé
Throughout the Pinto-Roche Percee area, the Midale Beds can be separated into three main lithology types; anhydrite, limestone and dolostone. These lithofacies are interpreted to represent a variety of depositional environments. Lithofacies distribution within the Midale Beds throughout the Pinto-Roche Percee study area give insight into the location of certain lithofacies and show the development of several transgressive-regressive sequences throughout the area’s depositional history. The Midale Beds in the Pinto-Roche Percee area can be subdivided into several transgressiveregressive sequences that developed in response to sea level fluctuations. The Midale Beds throughout southeastern Saskatchewan are typically dominated by shallow marine facies, … Lire la suite
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2020 — Connected Educators: Teachers’ Decisions Around Social Media Use and the Perceived Effect on Classroom PracticesRésumé
Teacher professional development is a much-discussed topic by researchers, educational leaders, and teachers themselves. Teachers need to have access to quality professional development that affects teachers’ classroom practices to meet shifting demands. This study’s objectives involved exploring teachers’ social media use for professional development (PD) and the perceived effect of this PD on their classroom practices. Specifically, the study examined teachers’ use of the social media platforms Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and Voxer for professional development and how they perceived their classroom practices were affected by this PD. The findings from the study offer suggestions for using social media platforms … Lire la suite
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2020 — Aspect Social et Dimension Du Pidgin-English et Camfranglais Face Aux Langues Officielles Du CamerounRésumé
Home to several languages, Cameroon has a complex linguistic situation that resulted in the creation of other languages (Cameroon pidgin and camfranglais) to facilitate easy communication. Cameroonian Pidgin is considered to be a flexible, fast growing and unifying language, undergoing a rapid transformation in a constantly changing society. It is a language which grows in the eyes of Cameroonians, spoken by the rich and poor, educated and uneducated, young and old, and it transcends geographical and political boundaries because it is not a language of a particular ethnic group. Cameroonian pidgin is considered the lingua franca in everyday life in … Lire la suite
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2020 — U-Pb Geochronology, Geochemistry, and Isotopic Composition of Archean and Paleoproterozoic Granitoids of NW Saskatchewan: Implications for Arrowsmith Orogenesis and the Origin of the Nolan-Zemlak Domain BoundaryRésumé
This regional-scale geochemical-isotopic study aims to constrain the igneous petrogenesis of west-southwest Rae granitoids to test if the Nolan-Zemlak domain boundary is an Arrowsmith-aged (2.5-2.3 Ga) suture zone. The oldest (3.0 Ga) granitoids in the region, located in the Beaverlodge domain, have a ‘subduction-like’ signature along with high Na2O concentrations, Sr/Y and La/Yb ratios and low Y and Yb concentrations indicative of a TTG (Tonalite-Trondhjemite-Granodiorite) suite. The 2.6 Ga Nolan granitoids have similar geochemical signature suggestive of an ‘subductionlike’ tectonic environment for emplacement. However, they lack the high Na2O concentrations typical of a TTG suite. The ca. 2.52 Ga Zemlak … Lire la suite
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2020 — An Analysis of User-Oriented Attribute Importance Based on Three-Way DecisionRésumé
Attributes play a significant role in data mining and machine learning. In real-world problems, it is reasonable to consider different attributes with different importance. Most of the existing attribute importance research focuses on statistics or information theory perspectives, that is, an attribute with a higher prediction ability is considered to be more critical. User preference, which involves a user to specify his or her preferential attitude towards a set of attributes, is also a meaningful perspective in attribute importance analysis. However, this field has not received its due attention. Three-way decision theory provides a unified framework for thinking, problem solving, … Lire la suite
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2020 — The Social Impacts of Flood on the Canadian PrairiesRésumé
Climate extremes are costly environmental hazards, which create social stressors due to impacts on all human uses of land and water resources. Humans are adaptable, but their capacity for adaptation is constrained by various social factors, including social inequality. This research project asked: “How do gender and other social factors shape the experience of flooding for individuals in a rural agricultural community?” A case study approach was used to develop an in-depth understanding of one rural area’s unique experience of climate hazards. The research focused on the rural community of Maple Creek, Saskatchewan, and its surrounding area. A total of … Lire la suite
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2020 — Co-Composing Narratives of Strengths: A Narrative Inquiry into Lived Experiences Authentically Grounded in the Strengths PerspectiveRésumé
We live in a society that is so ingrained in a certain way of thinking that we rarely question our thought processes and how they permeate all that we do (Anderson & Heyne, 2012). One of those perspectives is the problem-orientated approach to services for people with disabilities. Historically, service professionals have concentrated on participants’ deficits; however, focusing on participants’ strengths is a paradigm shift. According to Anderson and Heyne, this practice is now beginning to occur in various professions. Astonished! is a user-led organization that is authentically grounded in the strengths perspective to support young adults living with complex … Lire la suite
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2020 — The West in Bronze: Analyzing the Market and Networks of Western American Bronze Sculptures, 1895-2019Résumé
This thesis examines the market growth of Western American bronze sculpture over the course of 124 years (1895-2019), from Frederic Remington’s Bronco Buster until now. The genre of Western American art is a highly marginalized genre that has received limited study, and the market analysis even less so. The research for this thesis was primarily conducted through the use of digital methodologies falling under the realm of the digital humanities and, in particular, digital art history. Such methodological approach, particularly productive for art market studies, brings to the fore quantitative data in relation to artist’s sales, dealer’s activities, auctions, and … Lire la suite
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2020 — European Union: Toward a Rescue of the Political ProjectRésumé
The European Union as it is today is facing challenges. Often criticized within the different European member states, the role of the Union is more and more discussed. If it is undeniable that the European Union enables its members to gain economic powers in our globalized world, its political legitimacy is questionnable. What exactly are the criticisms made toward the European Union? This thesis explores the structural flaws of the Union as well as its inconsistencies in the way politics is handled. This thesis also shows that the European Union is driven by economic motives at the cost of legitimation. … Lire la suite
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2020 — Tectonic Evolution of the South Tazin Lake Shear Zone Along the Nolan-Zemlak Domain Boundary, SW Rae Province, SaskatchewanRésumé
Archean to Paleoproterozoic rocks of the south Rae Province of NW Saskatchewan record the effects of four major orogenic events, leaving a complex record of deformation and metamorphism, locally focused along major crustal shear zones. This thesis represents an investigation of one such fundamental structure, the ‘South Tazin Lake shear zone’ (STLsz), coincident with the boundary between the Nolan and Zemlak lithotectonic domains in the Tazin Lake area (NTS 74N) and thought to coincide with a cryptic early-Arrowsmith (ca. 2.52 Ga) suture. Multi-scale structural analysis documents the progression of strain and related lithostructural zonation across this shear zone and evaluates … Lire la suite
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2020 — Do you mind? Examining public perceptions of mindfulness-based programsRésumé
Mindfulness-based programs (MBPs) are designed to cultivate the capacity for mindfulness, defined as paying attention to present-moment experiences with purpose, openness, and non-judgement. Mindfulness has been associated with a host of benefits for users, such as improved indices of mental well-being. The current study examined public perceptions of the acceptability (i.e., how appropriate the treatment is for a given problem) and credibility (i.e., how logical and convincing a treatment seems) of MBPs as a psychological intervention for improved mental health. The current study assessed whether higher specificity of psychoeducational material can improve perceptions of MBPs. Demographic (age, gender) and psychological … Lire la suite
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2020 — Exploring Parental Intentions to Engage In A Parent-Administered Internet Cognitive Behavioural Therapy ProgramRésumé
More than 6% of Canadian children experience anxiety at a severity which warrants a diagnosis. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is an effective treatment for childhood anxiety but it can be difficult for parents to access due to factors such as cost and geographical obstacles. Parents have successfully and effectively implemented CBT to their children in the past, and we wanted to know if parents were interested in fusing parent-administered CBT with the Internet to overcome accessibility issues. The objective of this study was to investigate parents’ interest in assuming the role of laytherapist in online therapy and the factors associated … Lire la suite
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2020 — Biological Treatment of Reclamation of Industrial Wasterwater From Post-Combustion Carbon CaptureRésumé
Carbon capture and storage (CCS) system is a technology that has been developed to reduce the carbon emission in carbon-intensive industries. Although CCS is a sustainable option for power plants, it still produces contaminants in the form of its wastewater stream. The CCS wastewater contains several contaminants that could affect both environmental and human health. This study will focus on the biological treatment of two contaminants: amines and sulfates. The main objective of this study is to design and develop an effective biological system to treat CCS wastewater to a quality that can be recycled back to the CCS process … Lire la suite
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2020 — Optimizing Inference in Bayesian Networks: From Join Tree Propagation to Deep LearningRésumé
Many di erent platforms, techniques, and concepts can be employed while modelling and reasoning with Bayesian networks (BNs). A problem domain is modelled initially as a directed acyclic graph (DAG) and the strengths of relationships are quanti ed by conditional probability tables (CPTs). We consider four perspectives to BN inference. First, a central task in discrete BN inference is to determine those variables relevant to answer a given query. Two linear algorithms for this task explore the possibly relevant and active parts of a BN, respectively. We empirically compare these two methods along with a variation of each. Second, we … Lire la suite
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2020 — Pipe Inspection Automation with Mobile Ground VehiclesRésumé
The goal of this research is to develop a series of mobile robotics projects for inspection of infrastructure to release humans of dirty, dangerous and dull tasks and give them more time to think and to create. To achieve this, one should consider the design of two different elements which are essential for the inspection of infrastructures like pipes, a locomotion unit and the way to control this locomotion unit and an imaging sensor in order to acquire information to make decisions. This is why three experiments are presented, 1) a robotic platform to scan pipes with collimated laser-lines in … Lire la suite
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2020 — Cost-Sensitive and Semi-Supervised Learning for FraudRésumé
Given the magnitude of e-auction transactions, it becomes challenging to safeguard consumers from dishonest sellers, such as shill bidders. Shill Bidding (SB) is a predominant auction fraud that is driven by modern-day technologies and clever scammers. The difficulty of identifying the behavior of sophisticated fraudsters and the scarcity of training dataset, hinder the research on SB detection. The first part of this thesis aims to address these two difficult problems. We first define two new SB patterns and implement other existing SB patterns. Next, we develop a reliable SB dataset. This development requires crawling commercial auctions and bidder history, preprocessing … Lire la suite
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2020 — De la terminologie à la socioterminologie: étude de l’implantation terminologiqueRésumé
Terminology (as a discipline) can be described as the scientific study of all the terms of a particular domain, used in the specialty languages, while socioterminology is a branch of terminology that is characterized by the study of the social circulation of terms and their appropriation, which implies the analysis of language practices, discursive functioning and the historical course of terms related to history of ideas. Terminological implantation therefore is seen as one of the means by which official terms can be circulated in a language of a specialized field or society. This means that implantation of official terms (proposed … Lire la suite
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2020 — Internet of Things (IoT) Device Fingerprinting for Anomaly DetectionRésumé
Diverse Internet of Things (IoT) devices are continuously introduced in a variety of environments, e.g., home, industry, military, etc. Unfortunately, these devices can be exploited to perpetrate severe attacks, as shown with the MIRA attack. Mobile network operators need to protect their assets and customers, but they do not have full control on these devices, as they are deployed on the customers' premises. Data generated by IoT devices and collected at the operator's end can be analyzed to learn their behaviours and infer their identities (fingerprints). The latter helps in detecting malicious and faulty devices. This thesis presents IoT security … Lire la suite
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2020 — Effects of Velocity-Based Resistance Training Programs on Muscle Mass and Performance in Healthy, Older AdultsRésumé
The purpose was to investigate the effects of different velocity-based resistance training programs on muscle mass and muscle performance in aging adults. Twenty-seven participants were randomized to one of three groups: slow-velocity (n = 9, 6 female, 3 male; 55.8 ± 6.8 yrs, 171 ± 9.9 cm, 75.0 ± 11.4 kg; taking 2 seconds to perform the concentric and eccentric phase of each muscle contraction), fast-velocity (n = 9, 7 female, 2 male; 55.3 ± 4.9 yrs, 167.2 ± 6.4 cm, 79.1 ± 15.9 kg; performing the concentric phase as fast as possible and taking 2 seconds to perform the … Lire la suite
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2020 — Numerical Evaluation of Various Well Control Methods with Emphasis on Application in Managed Pressure Drilling OperationRésumé
Managed Pressure Drilling (MPD) is a modified drilling process designed to accurately manage the annular pressures of the wellbore with a combination of surface back pressure (SBP), flow rate and drilling mud density. MPD is designed to identify and circulate out kicks (uncontrolled flow of formation fluids into the wellbore) that possess blowout risk. Since MPD allows fast changes in the bottom hole pressure, the reaction to an undesirable inflow is not automatically to shut in the well and increase the density of the mud which is the well control procedure in conventional drilling. This feature of MPD can aid … Lire la suite