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2020 — The Mother-Daughter Dyad as Modernized Archetypal Mythology in The Last House On The Left and CarrieRésumé
This thesis analyzes The Last House on the Left (1972, Wes Craven, USA) and Carrie (1976, Brian De Palma, USA) – two horror films from the 1970s – in terms of Carl Jung’s concepts of the collective unconscious, the shadow, the feeling function, the dual nature of the mother archetype, and specifically, its constellation as the negative mother complex of the daughter. It examines the mother-daughter relationship as female-specific and a unique psychological experience, asserting how the sexual likeness to her mother imbues the daughter with a deeper understanding of her darker unconscious contents. Stressing Jung’s notion of mythology as … Lire la suite
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2020 — Analysis of Removing Weak Associations During Consensus ClusteringRésumé
Given multiple base clusterings of a dataset, e.g., as created by multiple clustering algorithms on the same data, consensus clustering aims to generate a single robust aggregated clustering. Consensus methods measure the strength of an association between two data objects based on how often the objects are grouped together by the base clusterings. However, incorporating weak associations in the consensus process can have a negative e ect on the quality of the aggregated clustering. This thesis presents our research on an automatic approach for removing weak associations during the consensus process. In particular, we propose an e cient approach called … Lire la suite
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2020 — Screening Potential Liquid Solvents for Carbon Dioxide CaptureRésumé
The objective of this thesis is to study some aspects of developing potential liquid solvents that will facilitate large-scale CO2 removal from natural gas and flue gases streams. Experimental measurements to screen potential solvents involve studying their capacity to absorb CO2, performing kinetics studies, estimating heat of absorption and also measuring their physiochemical and thermodynamic properties. In this work, the solubility of CO2 in a promising aqueous 3-(Dimethylamino)-1-propylamine (DMAPA) solution was measured at (313.15 and 333.15) K and at a partial pressure of CO2 up to 275 kPa for two concentrations (15 wt. % and 30 wt. %). DMAPA, a … Lire la suite
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2020 — Cybersecurity Impact on Siting Distributed Generation in a Smart Grid EnvironmentRésumé
The integration of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in the smart grid exposes the power systems to various cyber threats. The operation and control of the highly complex and non-linear smart grid infrastructure are heavily dependent on the accuracy of the state estimation process. False data injection (FDI) attacks can pose serious threats to the operation of the smart grid by tampering with the state estimation process without being detected. Also, the cyber vulnerabilities of the smart grid to FDI attacks can cause severe damages to the assets connected to the power network. To deal with the threats of FDI … Lire la suite
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2020 — Deliberately Thinking About Analytic Thinking Style: Developing The Comprehensive Thinking Style QuestionnaireRésumé
Dual-process theories distinguish between more automatic, intuitive cognitive processes and analytical, reflective processes. One of the major contributions of this theoretical perspective is that people vary in the extent to which they are disposed to think in a more analytic and reflective way relative to relying more on their intuitions. Such individual differences have been linked to a large number of other important psychological factors, such as general cognitive ability (Stanovich, 1999), improved detection of fake news (Pennycook & Rand, 2019) and pseudo-profound bullshit (Pennycook, Cheyne, et al., 2015) as well as disbelief in epistemically suspect claims (Pennycook, Fugelsang, et … Lire la suite
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2020 — Pre-Service Teachers’ Perceptions And Expectations of K-12 Schooling Locales in SaskatchewanRésumé
The expectations which teachers hold affect their everyday decisions and, ultimately, the classroom, their instruction, the school, and the communities in which they serve. While there has been research into teachers’ expectations of locales of schooling in other parts of the world, there has been little research into the expectations that undergraduate education students hold towards specific locales of schooling within Saskatchewan. I conducted an exploratory phenomenographical study by interviewing four undergraduate students in the Faculty of Education at the University of Regina to learn more about their expectations and perceptions of band, rural, and urban locales of schooling in … Lire la suite
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2020 — Electrophilic Substitution and Cyclization Reactions in Tungsten-Coordinated ChlorophosphinesRésumé
Electrophilic substitution reactions of tungsten coordinated phosphenium ions [W(CO)5{PR′R}]+and phosphine triflates [W(CO)5{PR′R(OSO2CF3)}] have been investigated. Chloride abstraction from [W(CO)5{PPhCl2}] (7) was carried out using silver trifluormethanesulfonate to form [W(CO)5{PPhCl(OSO2CF3)}] (9). Reactions of 9 with nucleophiles H-R led to electrophilic substitution and monosubstituted phosphine complexes [W(CO)5{PPhRCl}] (R = N,N-diethylanilinyl, anisolyl, N,N-dimethyl-p-toluidinyl, p-tolyl, biphenyl, naphthyl, indolyl, thienyl, pyrrolyl, N-methylpyrrolyl). A second chloride abstraction and electrophilic substitution with H-R′ or allyltrimethylsilane led to tertiary phosphines complexes [W(CO)5{PPhRR′}] (R′ = ferrocenyl, phenylalkynyl, allyl). The reactions of [W(CO)5{PPhR}][AlCl4] and [W(CO)5{PPhR(OSO2CF3)}] (R = p-anisolyl, p-tolyl, indolyl, thienyl, N-methylpyrrolyl) with alkynes led to fused phosphole ring systems … Lire la suite
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2020 — Computational Fluid Dynamics of High Temperature Shift Reaction of Reformate Gas in Fixed Bed and Membrane ReactorsRésumé
Crude biogas upgrade is required in order to boost its industrial use as it contains impurities such as carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, hydrogen sulphide and ammonia that limits its value. Renewable hydrogen is a clean, carbon-free energy resource that is obtainable from biogas upgrade via the reforming process. To increase hydrogen yield and CO conversion in reformate gas, the product of reforming, the water gas shift (WGS) reaction is required. The conduction of the WGS reaction in a membrane reactor (MR) is a process intensive technology that not only increases hydrogen yield and purity but also reduces costs due to … Lire la suite
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2020 — La Créolisation: Processus, Dimensions, Et Contraintes: Le Cas Du Pidgin Nigérian,Résumé
Nigerian Pidgin evolved as a result of language contact with the colonialists and foreign traders. It is one of the fast-growing languages in Nigeria, it is the only language that has no native speakers, making it a unifying language. In spite of the fact that Nigerian Pidgin is probably the language with the highest population of users in Nigeria, it does not enjoy official recognition and is excluded from the education system. It lacks prestige because it is seen by some Nigerians especially the elites as a “bad” form of English and associated with a socially deprived and uneducated set … Lire la suite
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2020 — Process Analysis and Optimization of Crude Glycerol Autothermal Reforming Using Response Surface Methodology and Artificial Neural NetworkRésumé
There is an urgent need to curtail the effects of global warming through the development of efficient, cheap and accessible alternative source of energy since the combustion of carbon containing compounds has become a problem. The combustion of hydrogen gas for example for either heat generation or use as fuel cells in automobiles produces only water vapour as by-product. Though, water vapour is also greenhouse gas, it does not last long in the atmosphere when released since hydrologic cycle ensures the excess water vapour is sent down via precipitation. Based on this and in addition to its high heat capacity, … Lire la suite
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2020 — Exertion/Velocity Profiling and Assessment of Accuracy of Intra-set Rating of Perceived Exertion in the Front Squat and Hexagonal Bar DeadliftRésumé
Autoregulation is defined as a systematic approach of incorporating individualization into a periodized strength training plan to allow progression towards maximal performance. Recent literature in the areas of velocity-based training (VBT) and the use of rating of perceived exertion (RPE), based on repetitions in reserve (RIR), have become integral components of individualizing strength training programs. The primary purposes of this study were: 1) to examine the accuracy of intra-set RPE across multiple sets to volitional fatigue at 80% 1- repetition maximum (1-RM) in the front squat and high-handle hexagonal bar deadlift (HHBD) and, 2) to determine the relationship between average … Lire la suite
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2020 — 10,000 Drowned: Commemorating the CaribouRésumé
This exhibition commemorates a caribou herd that drown during their fall migration in 1984. The disaster occurred when Hydro-Quebec opened the Caniapiscau reservoir spill gates two hundred and seventy miles upstream from Limestone Falls on the Caniapiscau River. This caused the river level to rise and send a torrent of water towards the Ungava Bay. At their traditional river crossing, thousands of caribou were swept over the falls and drowned. This paper supports my MFA graduating exhibition, 10,000 Drowned, installed in The Fifth Parallel Gallery from November 25 to December 6, 2019. 10,000 Drowned is an installation of six large … Lire la suite
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2020 — Risks Governance of Innovative Power Generation Technologies in Saskatchewan: Pathways to a Sustainable Energy FutureRésumé
Literature on socio-technical transitions acknowledge that negative risk perception is important to socio-technical transitions. However, beyond acknowledging risk as a potential barrier to the deployment of innovative technologies, this study points out that the acceptance or rejection of innovative technologies due to their associated risks can be a predictor of the socio-technical transition pathway that will be followed. This dissertation uses socio-technical transitions in the electric power generation sector of Saskatchewan as a case study. It finds that existing literature in the field of energy systems transitions fail to fully map the relationship between risk analysis and socio-technical transition pathways. … Lire la suite
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2020 — Aen Loo Pawatamihk: Inherited and Personal Memories Shared Through Storytelling and Mediated Interactions with More-Than-Human-BeingsRésumé
This critical engagement paper represents the fundamental framework conducted for my MFA thesis project, Aen loo Pawatamihk: Inherited and Personal Memories Shared Through Storytelling and Mediated Interactions with More-Than-Human Beings. My project connects storytelling, photography, video, and audio recordings of personal encounters with animals and the land. Autoethnographic research paves a path for reconciliation as I discover my Métis identity. This qualitative research with more-thanhuman interactions is a creative, cultural, social, and ecological narrative analysis, exploring hidden colonial truths of inherited and personal trauma. Representation of mediated interactions demonstrates personal stories and connections with animals and the land, reflecting on … Lire la suite
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2020 — Étude Descriptive et Comparative du Programme de Français au Nigeria et en SaskatchewanRésumé
Teaching and learning a new language in a culturally and linguistically diversified country can be very challenging, and Nigeria is no exception to this. Although the country has declared French as its second official language in 1996 in an official declaration by the late Head of State Sani Abacha, over two decades later, Nigeria still struggles to have in place a good French language program that favours the production of students who are efficient and confident in their practical knowledge of French language. This study concerns the language in education policy of two communities: Nigeria and Saskatchewan, Canada. More specifically, … Lire la suite
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2020 — A Machine Learning Classifiers Approach for Cardiovascular Disease DiagnosisRésumé
This Thesis study investigates the application of Machine Learning in cardiology and the role that ensemble classifiers can play to help diagnose cardiovascular disease. The computing power and technology available to humans has helped in the development of the application of computers in cardiology. With this development comes a redundancy of some data. When there is a large amount of data as input variables, a Machine Learning model performs poorly instead of helping us to make better decisions. In light of the above, this Thesis study investigated how to select the essential variables from among a set of routine clinical … Lire la suite
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2020 — Effects of Creatine and Caffeine Supplementation During Resistance Training in Trained Young AdultsRésumé
The purpose of the study was to determine the separate and combined effects of creatine and caffeine supplementation during resistance training on body composition, muscle thickness and muscle performance (strength, endurance) in trained young adults. Twenty-eight participants were randomized to supplement with Creatine and Caffeine (CR-CAF; n = 9; 22 ± 4 yrs; 0.1 g·kg-1·d-1 of creatine monohydrate powder + 3 mg·kg-1·d-1 of caffeine anhydrous micronized powder); Creatine (CR; n = 7; 22 ± 4 yrs, 0.1 g·kg-1·d-1 of creatine + 3 mg·kg-1·d-1 of caffeine placebo [micronized cellulose powder]), Caffeine (CAF; n = 6; 19 ± 1 yrs, 3 mg·kg-1·d-1 … Lire la suite
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2020 — Cameron-Liebler Sets for 2-Transitive GroupsRésumé
This research was conducted on 2-transitive groups whose minimal normal subgroup is abelian. Suppose G is such a group and ΓG is its derangement graph. Any maximum coclique S of ΓG has a characteristic vector xS. Each xS is a boolean vector contained in a particular module, which is called the permutation module MP. This module has a dimension of 1 + (n − 1)2, where n = deg(G), and it is spanned by {xij | i,j∈{1,...,n}}, where each xij is the characteristic vector of Sij, the set of permutations that map i to j. Apart from the xij, which … Lire la suite
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2020 — Examination of the Fouling and Treatment Performance of a Hybrid Membrane Bioreactor for Decentralized Greywater ReclamationRésumé
An examination of the fouling behaviour and treatment performance of a hybrid membrane bioreactor (HMBR) was made to assess its viability for decentralized greywater reclamation. In comparison to a conventional membrane bioreactor (MBR), the HMBR was able to operate 1{11 days (4{42%) longer between cleaning cycles. These reductions in the rate of membrane fouling could not be attributed to any scouring e ects caused by the biocarriers, since they were prevented from contacting the membranes throughout operation. An examination of the biofoulants within each bioreactor indicated that the ratio of proteins to polysaccharides was signi cantly lower in the extracellular … Lire la suite
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2020 — The Role of Anxiety Sensitivity and Disgust on Facets of Covid-19-Related AnxietyRésumé
The COVID-19 pandemic has created a climate of fear, uncertainty, and panic as people cope with the spread and threat of a highly infectious disease. The influx of COVID-19-specific anxiety in the general population is of significant concern. Proponents of the behavioural immune system (BIS) argue that reactions to pandemics, such as excessive COVID-19-related anxiety, are shaped by psychological factors that help protect against infectious disease. Anxiety sensitivity specific to physical concerns (AS-physical concerns; i.e., the fear of perceived somatic signals of potential bodily harm) and disgust proneness (i.e., tendency to experience disgust frequently and intensely) are proposed to be … Lire la suite
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2020 — Fuzzy PID Controller Optimization for Robot Dynamics with Aid of Differential EvolutionRésumé
In this Thesis, a Fuzzy proportional-integral-derivative (FPID) controller is presented to control the dynamics of a 3-DOF robot. A Differential Evolution (DE) optimization method was used to optimize the performance of the FPID controller. The results are compared and validated with three other optimization methods: Genetic Algorithm (GA), Particle Swarm Algorithm (PSO), and Imperialistic Competition Algorithm (ICA). In the proposed FPID, the Membership functions (MFs) for two inputs and one output, fuzzy rules, and scaling factors have been optimized. The Error is implanted in a cost function and the results have been compared. The DE method shows the best performance … Lire la suite
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2020 — Semicontinuum Modeling of Acid Catalyzed Aqueous Reaction: Ethene Hydration and Mechanochemical Lignin CleavageRésumé
Careful studies are still needed to know how to accurately predict energies of reaction and activation in aqueous chemistry. This thesis applies semicontinuum modelling to acid-catalyzed reactions involving consumption or production of water. First, ethene hydration (ethene + H2O + H3O+ TS+ ethanol + H3O+) is explored, with 19 different water-placement semicontinuum models for the challenging activation thermodynamics, to learn which are appropriate to reproduce the known Δ‡G, Δ‡H, and Δ‡S values (from temperature-dependent kinetics studies). New tools are developed, particularly (i) a solvent confinement correction (SCC) of 3 kcal mol-1 per confined water and (ii) a Trouton’s … Lire la suite
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2020 — Study of Neutron Reflector for the HALO-1kT Supernovae Neutrino DetectorRésumé
The Helium and Lead Observatory 1 Kilotonne (HALO-1kT) is a lead-based detector to study electron neutrinos emitted from core-collapse supernovae. It is proposed to follow the same purpose as the HALO detector located at SNOLAB but with higher detection efficiency. The sensitivity to electron neutrinos makes HALO-1kT (and also the current HALO detector) unique in the sense that all other detectors with capability to detect supernova neutrinos are sensitive to anti-electron neutrinos through charged- current inverse beta-decay such as the Super-Kamiokande, LVD, IceCube and KamLAND. HALO-1kT's sensitivity to supernova neutrinos is larger than that for HALO due to its proposed … Lire la suite
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2020 — Material Property Modeling of Ground Tire - Recycled Polymer - Natural Fiber CompositeRésumé
Composites made of thermoplastic with ground tire rubber (GTR) have attracted increasing interest as recycled rubber with reclaimed polymer offer advantages of better tensile properties, better toughness, low energy requirement for molding, more economical, and provides an opportunity to add value to disposed material. Thermoplastic material studied herein is primarily recycled linear low-density polyethylene (RLLDPE) from agricultural films with 10% being virgin LLDPE. The agricultural plastic obtained from scrap grain bags contain naturally oxidized macromolecules that provides better adhesion with GTR. In addition, hemp fiber processed from crop residue provides reinforcement to enhance the tensile strength and stiffness of the … Lire la suite
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2020 — A Grounded Theory Analysis of a Trauma-Sensitve Yoga Intervention for Paramedics within an Indigenous Cultural Responsiveness FrameworkRésumé
Paramedics have high levels of posttraumatic stress. It is estimated that approximately 22% or more than one-fifth of Canadian paramedics in the profession of paramedicine will be affected by posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (Drewitz-Chesney, 2012). Individuals experiencing PTSD have difficulty with self-regulation, experiencing states of hyper- or hypo-arousal (van der Kolk, 2001). It has been suggested that in the recovery from trauma it is essential to allow the presence of uncomfortable bodily sensations and emotions (van der Kolk, 2001). Mindfulness training (of which yoga is a form) is recognized by experts in trauma treatment as an effective approach to selfregulation … Lire la suite
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2020 — Characterization of Herbaspirillum huttiense L4.2, evaluation of plant growth promotion when associated with Oryza sativa and exploration of radiolabelling techniques to study plant−microbe interactionsRésumé
Studying plant−microbe interactions is essential to understanding the mechanisms of plant growth promotion by bacteria. The aim of this work was to explore the relationship between Herbaspirillum huttiense L4.2 (HH L4.2) and rice. This was accomplished by: i) characterizing HH L4.2; ii) analyzing confocal images of green fluorescent protein (GFP)-labelled cells to understand colonization and endophytic behaviors; and iii) using positron emission tomography (PET) imaging that allowed for visualization and quantification of radioactive tracers to understand nutrient distribution and exchanges between HH L4.2 and rice. A promoterless GFP gene was randomly integrated in the genome of HH L4.2 via transposition … Lire la suite
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2020 — Targeted Knockouts of Selected GDSL Esterases and Class III Peroxidases In The Moss Physcomitrella patens Reveal Their Roles in Spore Wall Formation and GerminationRésumé
Early land plants evolved a number of key innovations to invade the land and diversify. One such innovation was a robust spore wall containing sporopollenin. Sporopollenin is the main lipidic component of spore and pollen walls and has been proposed to be the decisive factor for the successful terrestrialization by early plants. Until now, no enzyme involved in sporopollenin metabolism (polymerization and degradation) has been studied at the genetic and biochemical levels. I hypothesized that sporopollenin metabolizing enzymes might be homologs of cutin and lignin metabolizing enzymes belonging to GDSL esterases and class III peroxidase families, respectively. In this study, … Lire la suite
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2020 — Corrosion Inhibitor for Potash Solution MiningRésumé
Corrosion has always been a costly operational problem in potash solution mining operations. With the aim of reducing operating cost, this work proposed to apply a corrosion inhibitor that is compatible to potash brine environments, less toxic than the base substrate potash, commercially available, and provides sufficiently high corrosion inhibition performance. To identify such inhibitor, three sets of chemicals totaling 19 chemicals were experimentally tested for their inhibition performance on carbon steel (CS 1018) immersed in a saturated potash brine at 85°C, 1 bar and a rotational speed of 1940 rpm. Hexamethylenetetramine (HMTA) satisfied all screening criteria with an inhibition … Lire la suite
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2020 — Innovative Value-Added Grain Bags Recycling with SandRésumé
Plastics are used in nearly every sector with multiple usages as they are versatile, economical and very stable. This stability means the material is not easily decomposed, and the result is accumulating harmful waste. Yearly, over 8 million metric tons (MMT) of plastic waste pollute water bodies (Andrady et al., 2015). The exponential plastic production has not been matched with plastic reuse and recycling. From 1950 to 2015, 8,300 MMT of plastic was produced; 4600 MMT discarded in landfills or water bodies, 300 MMT incinerated; 600 MMT recycled; and 2500 MMT remains in use (Geyer et al., 2017). Completely banning … Lire la suite
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2020 — The Influence of Knowledge Acquisition on Attitudes Towards Radiation and Nuclear Technologies Among Non-Experts in SaskatchewanRésumé
The information deficit model attempts to explain the difference in attitudes that are held between experts and the lay public towards the use and application of matters of science. This model suggests that a paucity of scientific understanding and knowledge can lead to skepticism regarding a particular matter of science, and rejection of its use in a societal context. For example, in the case of radiation, non-experts view nuclear power plants and nuclear waste as riskier than do scientific experts on radiation, while the opposite is true when radiation is being applied in a medical context. The information deficit model … Lire la suite
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2020 — Investigation of Polymeric Reagents for KCI Collection Furing Potash FlotationRésumé
Potash is an integral component of agricultural fertilizers, and remains in high demand throughout the world. Presently, the majority of potash refinement is achieved via froth flotation, which is typically facilitated by tallow amine collectors. Recent developments in mineral extraction have begun to incorporate polymeric reagents within the refinement process. However to date, the use of polymers has yet to be evaluated for potash flotation. In this research, the selectivity for KCl of four dimethylamine-epichlorohydrin and six polydiallyldimethylammonium chloride (polyDADMAC) polymers were examined to investigate the feasibility to be used as collectors during potash flotation. It was found that the … Lire la suite
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2020 — Characterization of the Microbial Communities Within Managed Bioremediation Systems: A Culture- and Genomics-Based ApproachRésumé
Wastewater treatment facilities (WWTF) and biobeds are engineered systems developed to mitigate nutrient and pesticide pollution, respectively, through microbial biodegradation. While understanding the microbiomes of these systems may help inform on optimization and maintenance, genomic characterization of these systems is generally lacking, particularly in reference to biobeds, with many questions regarding which microbes are present, and how these microbial communities change across the treatment process over time. Within this, an additional point of interest relates to the unintended negative effects these systems might pose, specifically as potential environments for the enrichment of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). WWTFs have become known … Lire la suite
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2020 — Training Tomorrow's intelligence-Amplified Policy Analyst: A Public Administration Curriculum for the Digital EraRésumé
Technology change has continually affected the practice of public administration and policy analysis, and it is anticipated that an acceleration of this change will affect the required skill sets of public servants in the coming decade. This thesis focuses on two aspects of technology change as it might affect public policy analysis and the skill requirements of public servants: the transition from policy analysis to policy analytics; and the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) by knowledge workers as a complement to (rather than substitute for) their activities, conceptualized as Intelligence Amplification (IA). Interviews were conducted with Canadian public sector executives … Lire la suite
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2020 — Motion Path Planning of Two Manipulators Working in a Common WorkspaceRésumé
Two robot arms working in a common workspace may collide because each of them is a dynamic obstacle for the other one. Motion Path Planning (MPP) is the process of finding a track that a robot/robot arm can follow to get to the target starting from any point in its workspace. In this Thesis, a collision-free MPP for two manipulators sharing a workspace is trained with reinforcement learning, specifically a Team Q-Learning algorithm, and two methods are considered for state discretization. For complicated models, a great deal of machine time is spent on calculation and decision making, while Look Up … Lire la suite
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2020 — Sources of Water Conflict: Flooding within Riparian CommunitiesRésumé
The purpose of this research project was to provide a comprehensive examination on the sources of water conflict in the Quill Lakes watershed during a multi-year extreme flooding event. Located within South-Central Saskatchewan, the Quill Lakes has endured persistent flooding for over ten years. Regardless of previous attempts to mitigate the initial concerns, flooding impacts have intensified to exacerbate and create new exposures in the watershed. As a result, native grass and wetlands, farmable crops and pastures, wildlife and livestock, as well as local businesses and infrastructure, have experienced negative consequences. Grounded in the interpretive grounded theory (IGT) methodological framework, … Lire la suite
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2020 — Age Differences in Pain ResponsesRésumé
One in five Canadians report experiencing chronic pain, which is associated with numerous negative psychological and physical consequences (Schopflocher et al., 2011). Older adults are more likely to experience pain than younger people and the degree of pain-related interference increases with age (Thomas et al., 2004). This is concerning given that pain is routinely underassessed and undertreated in older persons (American Pain Foundation, 2008; Kaye et al., 2010; Lautenbacher, 2014; Malec & Shega, 2015). Researchers have found many age-related differences in pain responses, such as pain perception and reporting and attitudes toward pain (Gibson & Farrell, 2004; Gibson & Helme, … Lire la suite
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2020 — Modeling of Groundwater Heavy Metals and Methane Pollution for a Municipal Landfill Utilizing Data Driven and Numerical Modeling TechniquesRésumé
This thesis shows original results to the advancement of modeling of groundwater heavy metal pollution and methane generation as the main two concerns in landfilling for a municipal landfill. To better understand the context of thesis, it has been divided into six major studies. The first part of the thesis is on spatial-temporal analysis of dissolved metal pollutants near an unlined municipal landfill in a semi-arid climate. The data was collected from 5 groups of wells located upstream and downstream of the landfill in 2012 and 2015. The results represented that in 2015, Mn, U, As and Fe exceeded the … Lire la suite
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2020 — High-Precision Half-Life Measurement of Oxygen-14Résumé
Precision measurements of the ft values for Superallowed Fermi beta decays between nuclear isobaric analogue states of spin-parity Jπ= 0+, T = 1 provide fundamental tests of the electroweak interaction. These transitions are used to constrain the conserved vector current (CVC) hypothesis and provide the most precise value of Vud, the updown element of the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa (CKM) quark-mixing matrix. A high precision half-life measurement for one of these superallowed emitters,14O, has been performed in 2017 at the Isotope Separator and Accelerator (ISAC) facility at TRIUMF. The half-life of 14O was deduced using a 4π gas-filled proportional counter and fast tape … Lire la suite
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2020 — Blurring Divisions in a Fuzzy World: Climate Change, Nuclear Power, Public Engagement, and Energy JusticeRésumé
This study addresses the lack of trust, stakeholder conflict and binary ways of thinking that are creating barriers to the implementation of policy solutions to climate change. The divisive nature of the public debate over nuclear energy was explored through the inclusion of participants who held a diversity of opinions on the role of nuclear energy in climate change mitigation. This study uses a method of public engagement called deliberative mapping (Stirling and Davies 2004b) to bring citizens and specialists together to assess options for the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in small, remote or off-grid communities, including assessment … Lire la suite
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2020 — Experimental Study of Foamy oil Characteristics and Post-CHOPS CSI Processes Based on CO2-C3H8 Mixture SolventRésumé
As the demand of crude oil increases sharply nowadays, heavy oil, an unconventional liquid hydrocarbon representing more than 70% of the world’s total oil, needs to be further produced in the coming decades. Although some laboratory experiments have been conducted to find out the mechanism of foamy oil during pressure depletion processes. There are still some difficulties in understanding the characteristics of foamy oil flow in Cold Heavy Oil Production (CHOP). Large amounts of heavy oil samples used in previous studies were mixed with methane, carbon dioxide and butane. Only several studies were conducted under heavy oil-mixture solvent systems. Therefore, … Lire la suite
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2020 — Three-Way Analysis of an Ordered Information Table with Categorical and Numerical AttributesRésumé
Ordered data analytics is frequently mentioned in many areas including theoretical research, commercial analysis, and industrial application. In 2001, Yao and Sai proposed a method for mining ordering rules in an ordered information table. The foundation of an ordered information table is a standard information table adding order relations. In 2012, Yao proposed a theory of three-way decision based on three pair-wise disjoint regions in rough set theory. The theory is then generalized as thinking in threes. This thesis focuses on building an ordered information table with two types of attributes. Order relations are binary relations that reveal the user … Lire la suite
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2020 — Multivariate Zero-Inflated Double Poisson Distribution With ApplicationRésumé
In this thesis, a new multivariate zero-inflated double Poisson distribution is proposed, which is considered as the generalization of univariate zero-inflated double Poisson distribution. The statistical properties of new distribution, such as joint probability mass function, expectation, covariance matrix, marginal distribution and conditional distribution, are derived. The maximum likelihood estimates of parameters are obtained. The score test statistic is derived to test zero inflation of multivariate count data with many zeros by using score function and information matrix. The empirical powers of score test are gained by a simulation study. The application of real data is performed to test zero … Lire la suite
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2020 — Faculty Engagement in Professional Development: A Bangladesh Case StudyRésumé
Professional development for faculty members in higher education institutions is a normal part of their careers. Effective teaching depends on effective teachers, which in turn depends on the extent to which those teachers engage in professional development. The objectives of this study involved exploring faculty members’ engagement in professional development (PD) at the University of Dhaka in Bangladesh. Specifically, the study examined the nature and outcomes of professional development interventions at that institution, as well as the opportunities and challenges faculty members faced in relation to their engagement in professional development programs. The study uses the findings to offer some … Lire la suite
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2020 — Lower respiratory system disease (LRSD) diagnosis using fuzzy inference systemRésumé
Lower Respiratory System Diseases (LRSD) are one of the most deathcausing diseases in the world. In a large number of cases, people stay unaware of their body reactions and symptoms as they begin with a cold, cough, and fever. These symptoms on later stages lead to cause Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Diseases (COPD), Influenza, Pneumonia, Asthma, Lung Cancer, and other threatening respiratory tract diseases. Past researches and studies related to Common cold and Influenza show that they have several similarities and can also develop into acute Bronchitis and Pneumonia. There are over 8 million deaths in the year 2016 related to … Lire la suite
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2020 — A Qualitative Exploration of the Information and Service Needs of Youth Siblings of Individuals with Cystic FibrosisRésumé
Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is a progressive, fatal inherited disease common amongst Caucasian children and young adults in Canada. In addition to being one of the most difficult chronic health conditions to manage, siblings of children and adolescents with CF have been shown to experience elevated psychological symptoms (e.g., depression and anxiety), negative social adjustment, and internalizing behaviours. While the need to address these concerns by providing appropriate information and services is evident, to date there are no tailored mental health programs designed for siblings of children and adolescents with CF. There were five main objectives for the present research: To … Lire la suite
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2020 — Understory Composition, Seedling Growth, and Snag Frequency Across a Water-Limited Forest LandscapeRésumé
Global change is expected to increase drought intensity and make precipitation more uncertain. These changes can affect forest plant communities directly by altering demographic rates, and indirectly through interspecific interactions. Impacts can vary among forest strata. Here, I asked how different forest strata respond to topographic variation in soil moisture and other resources across a water-limited landscape. The objective of the second chapter was to compare responses of understory plant communities to soil moisture, nitrogen, and light, and to understand whether responses to soil moisture depend on the latter two. I measured functional traits (individual-level plant characteristics) of understory vascular … Lire la suite
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2020 — Protein Classification Based on Compressed Amino Acid SequencesRésumé
Classification is a core task in data science and decision-making processes. Ma- chine learning algorithms can be applied to sets of already classified data items in order to train a classi er that can then predict class labels for new data items. With an increase in data volume and complexity, it might be favourable, in some application domains, to apply both the machine learning algorithms and the resulting classifiers on data in compressed form rather than their original form. The central question addressed in this thesis is whether the performance quality of machine-learned classifiers is affected by training and applying … Lire la suite
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2020 — Modeling Material Properties of Natural Fiber-Polymer (Grain Bags) CompositesRésumé
The current generation is under extreme pressure to find an effective way for disposal of existing plastic and a suitable, sustainable alternatives for plastic. During the recent past, natural fiber reinforced recycled plastic composites (NFCs) have emerged as a lucrative option to not only increase the life cycle of waste plastic but also provide a market for agriculture waste by utilizing fibers from crops as a reinforcement for these composites. Changing weather conditions, varied geographical locations and different harvesting techniques results in inherently inconsistent mechanical properties of natural fibers resulting in varied mechanical properties for NFCs. The main focus presented … Lire la suite
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2020 — Long-term Effects of Concussions on Cerebral Autoregulatory Mechanisms in Retired Contact Sport AthletesRésumé
Increase in public awareness of the immediate effects of concussions has fueled researchers to better understand the injury from both a clinical and physiological standpoint in hopes to improve preventative and rehabilitation practices. However, there is very little information regarding the long-term change in the physiological systems in individuals with a history of previous concussions. Therefore, the purpose of this thesis was to explore how multiple concussions effected cerebral haemodynamics in the three major cerebral autoregulatory mechanisms in retired contact sport athletes. Specifically, three studies were conducted to focus on the different cerebral autoregulatory control mechanism. Study one (Chapter 3) … Lire la suite
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2020 — Development of a Collaborative Decision-Making Framework to Improve the Patients’ Service Quality in the Intensive Care Unit During the COVID-19 PandemicRésumé
Healthcare is one of the biggest and complex service sectors, where decisions need to be made quickly, accurately and efficiently including multiple stake-holders. Especially during this COVID-19 pandemic, service improvement decisions in Intensive Care Units (ICU) are considered to be a critical factor. Many implemented solutions in the healthcare sector become unsustainable in the long term due to a lack of consensus among the stake-holders. In this thesis, a collaborative decision-making framework is developed to improve the Patients’ Service Quality in the ICU including multiple stake-holders. The key criteria, alternatives that can advance the service quality in the ICU are … Lire la suite