Liste complète
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2023 — Modeling and simulation of methane reforming reactors under sulfur poisoning conditionsRésumé
The production of hydrogen from residual gases (i.e., solution gas produced from heavy oil, or biogas produced from anaerobic digestion of biomass) presents an opportunity to utilize a low-value feedstock otherwise contributing to climate change. Such gas streams may contain hydrogen sulfide, which is well-known to poison catalysts and reduce reaction rate. This has driven development of sulfur-tolerant catalysts, yet the incorporation of sulfur poisoning in fixed-bed reactor modeling – a critical tool used in the engineering design process – has received very limited attention. This thesis focuses on the development of a reactor modeling framework that incorporates sulfur poisoning. … Lire la suite
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2021 — Privacy-Preserving Generation of Textual Healthcare DataRésumé
Technological advancements in data science have offered us affordable storage and efficient algorithms to query a large volume of data. Our health records are a significant part of this data, which is pivotal for healthcare providers and can be utilized in our well-being. The clinical note in Electronic Health Records (EHRs) is one such category that collects a patient's complete medical information during different timesteps of patient-care available in the form of free-texts. Thus, these unstructured textual notes contain events from a patient's admission to discharge, which can prove to be significant for future medical decisions. However, since these texts … Lire la suite
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2017 — Smart Community Development Framework and Design for Responsible EngineeringRésumé
Significant attention has been put into the role of technology on addressing global environmental and social issues. Literature shows that the technology governance system must be reframed in order to comply with sustainable development principles. The majority of available technologies are not affordable in developing countries nor in poor and remote communities, which are inadequately served by conventional grids and services. Lack of access to proper technology increases social, health, economic, and environmental vulnerability of those places. The design and implementation of ecologically sustainable systems is proposed as one relevant solution for replacing the conventional systems that address the nexus … Lire la suite
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2019 — handwringersRésumé
Lying on his couch, reflecting on his life, Moses E. Herzog “thought awhile of Mithridates, whose system learned to thrive on poison. He cheated his assassins, who made the mistake of using small doses, and was pickled, not destroyed. Tutto fa brodo” (Bellow 4). Saul Bellow’s titular character offers an excellent metaphor for a complicated figure: the schlemiel. Herzog reflects on Mithridate’s inability to die with honor: having fortified himself against poisoning, he botches his suicide. The Italian phrase Bellow uses to describe Herzog’s state of mind is an idiom meaning literally “everything makes broth” suggesting that every little bit … Lire la suite
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2019 — Women Teachers' Experiences Regarding Maternal Bodies, Maternity Leave, and Returning to WorkRésumé
In 2017, I became pregnant with my first child and I became overwhelmed with questions regarding my professional and personal identity. After confiding in others, I understood that numerous women felt strong emotions regarding their pregnancies and maternity leaves. I then began to think about how women teachers are treated during, and after pregnancy and maternity leave. There is a dearth of research on women’s interpretations of pregnancy based employment discrimination and felt the need to research this topic. Despite federal, provincial, and local policies that are to protect pregnant women in the work place, I found that women are … Lire la suite
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2015 — Produced Water Treatment by Organoclay Adsorption and Dissolved Air FloatationRésumé
Global demand of energy is increasing due to population growth and industrial development. There will be an increase of 56 % in energy consumption between 2010 and 2040 from 524 quadrillion Btu to 630 quadrillion Btu (IEO, 2013). However the production process generates a large quantity of produced water (PW) which consists also of toxic, persistent and carcinogenic constituents. In this research, organoclay adsorption in stirred tank was integrated with Dissolved Air Floatation (DAF) for the treatment of synthetic produced water. Experiments were divided into four sections: Control Experiments (only DAF), Screening Experiments (Screening of OC from Jenfitch LLC, Ecologix … Lire la suite
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2024 — Absorption capacity of carbon dioxide in aqueous solution of 1,2-bis(3-aminopropylamino) ethane and Dytek EP diamine: Experimental measurements and simulation with the E-NRTL modelRésumé
The increasing threat of climate change has elevated the importance of carbon dioxide (CO2) capture technologies. This thesis explores the solubility of CO2 on aqueous solution of two novel amines 1,2-Bis(3-AminoPropylamino) Ethane and Dytek EP diamine at two different temperatures of 313.15 K and 333.15 K, and two different concentrations of 10 wt% and 30 wt%. These amines were selected for their potential to enhance CO2 absorption efficiency and reduce energy consumption in carbon capture and storage (CCS) processes to provide valuable data for developing more efficient CO2 capture systems. Utilizing the Electrolyte Non-Random Two-Liquid (eNRTL) model for the liquid … Lire la suite
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2015 — Trajectory Planning for Hyper-Redundant Manipulators in Constrained WorkspacesRésumé
Trajectory planning for robotic manipulators is defined as the process of breaking down an arbitrary movement task into discrete motions while satisfying movement constraints and optimizing a cost function. Rapid advances in robotics technology recently have resulted in increasing applications of vast variety types of robot manipulators. In spite of the fact that various aspects of trajectory planning for robot arms have been investigated, the problem of quickly planning a collision avoiding path for hyper-redundant manipulators in cluttered environments, has not been intensely addressed. This research has developed a comprehensive computationally tractable collision free path planner for robot manipulators with … Lire la suite
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2017 — Qualitative Examination of Mental Health Disclosure in the WorkplaceRésumé
Disclosure of mental health concerns in the workplace has been shown to benefit those who disclose, and such benefits can lead to a reduction in societal costs. In Canada, it is estimated that 20% of the population will suffer from a mental health issue leading to social and occupational impairments. These impairments may lead to increased absenteeism and presenteesim (i.e., employees present to work despite illness), which cost Canadian employers approximately $6 billion in lost productivity. It has been posited that disclosure of mental health concerns to employers may help reduce societal costs through workplace accommodations, the discovery of informal … Lire la suite
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2021 — A Randomized Controlled Trial of an Online Psychoeducation Course for Improving Knowledge and Access to Mental Health AccommodatonsRésumé
Available research on mental health accommodations within the workplace suggests that employees with mental health concerns require accommodations to improve work functioning. Unfortunately, only a fraction of employees requiring mental health accommodations will receive the accommodations they have requested. Reported barriers to receiving mental health accommodations include lack of knowledge about appropriate accommodations, concerns regarding stigma, and financial constraints of the employer. There is a paucity of research available on interventions aimed at improving accommodation knowledge and usage for mental health concerns. The primary goal of the current study was to assess the efficacy of a four-lesson, online, psychoeducational course … 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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2012 — A Graph-Theoretic View of TeachingRésumé
In computational learning theory, concepts are subsets of a set of instances and a concept class is a set of concepts. In many computational learning models, learning algorithms have the goal to identify the target concept in a concept class from a small number of examples, i.e., labelled instances. We study graph-theoretic representations of concept classes and their connections to a particular notion of learning complexity, namely teaching complexity. Teaching complexity is a complexity measure for the number of training examples needed in teaching models in which a helpful teacher provides examples to the learner. One type of graph that … Lire la suite
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2021 — Multiband RF/Microwave Front-end Receiver Design for Multi-Standard ApplicationsRésumé
With the demand for the wireless communication system to support multiple frequency bands introduced by new standards, multi-standard transceivers with low cost, low power, and high integrity start to receive more attention in recent years. As the number of operating frequency bands increases, the number of external filters and low-noise amplifiers in a commonly used multi-standard receiver with parallel architecture increases. It leads to high power consumption and low feasibility for high integration design. Compared to the RF transmitter, the design of the RF receiver front end is considered to be more challenging due to the increased signal interference/noise in … Lire la suite
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2015 — Reflected Group Delay method with Space Mapping Techniques for Coupled-Resonator Filter DesignRésumé
The RF (radio frequency) and microwave filter is widely used in various applications in the fields of radio broadcasting, radar, telecommunication and satellite technologies. The design methods of RF and microwave filters are important topics, especially for electromagnetic (EM) based design. In this thesis, a novel design method for sequential resonator-coupled bandpass filter is proposed by implementing the reflected group delay design approach with space mapping techniques. The theory of the reflected group delay method is discussed in detail. An improvement to the traditional reflected group delay method is proposed in which reflected group delay values at selected sweep frequency … Lire la suite
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2015 — Uncertainty Quantification of Hydrologic Predictions and Risk AnalysisRésumé
Hydrologic models are designed to simulate the rainfall-runoff processes through conceptualizing and aggregating the complex, spatially distributed and highly interrelated water, energy, and vegetation processes in a watershed into relatively simple mathematical equations. A significant consequence of process conceptualization is that the model parameters exhibit extensive uncertainties, leading to significant uncertainty in hydrologic forecasts. Consequently, to facilitate more reliable probabilistic hydrologic predictions and multivariate hydrologic risk analysis, innovative uncertainty quantification approaches are desired in order to reveal the inherent uncertainty in hydrologic models. Water is the life-giving resource required by all species on our planet and is the integral link … Lire la suite
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2017 — Characterization of Multiphase Flow in Porous Media and Its Applications in Determining Reservoir Petrophysical PropertiesRésumé
Characterization of multiphase flow in porous media has attracted numerous attentions since primary, secondary, and tertiary recovery methods are developed and applied in the petroleum industry. Physically, three-phase flow (i.e., oil, gas, and water) occurs in porous media during the secondary or tertiary recovery processes, e.g., water-alternatinggas (WAG) injection, while mobilized solids contribute to the flow in heavy oil reservoirs during the primary production, e.g., cold heavy oil production with sand (CHOPS). Considering the complexity of WAG injection and CHOPS processes resulted from hysteresis effect, sand failure, and foamy oil flow, it is still challenging to efficiently and accurately determine … Lire la suite
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2018 — Performance of Carbon Dioxide Absorption into Monoethanolamine Solution in a Spray ChamberRésumé
Carbon dioxide (CO2) capture technology is considered an effective method to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions from industrial sources and mitigate the global warming problem. Currently, CO2 absorption is the most promising method for CO2 capture. Although many different types of amine can be used for this process, monoethanolamine (MEA) is considered as a common solvent due to its high reaction rate with CO2. The spray chamber is one of the most efficient gas-liquid contactors that can be used effectively for CO2 capture. In this thesis, mass-transfer performance of a spray chamber for CO2 absorption into MEA solution was measured … Lire la suite
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2016 — Maintenance Policy Selection Using Fuzzy FMEA and Key Performance IndicatorsRésumé
For decades, maintenance management has been applied in diverse industries to maximize the equipment productivity through maintenance planning, maintenance control, and several improvements regarding to economical features. In maintenance management, Maintenance Policy Selection (MPS) has a key role in determining a proper maintenance strategy based on the real equipment condition. This study is intended to address the concept of Maintenance Policy Selection (MPS) by proposing an approach to improve current maintenance selection methods. Further, an integrated three-step model is introduced for MPS using Fuzzy Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FFMEA) and Fuzzy Analytical Hierarchy Process (FAHP). In the first step, … Lire la suite
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2024 — Deep transfer learning-based DDoS attack detection in 5G and beyond networksRésumé
Network slicing is a crucial technology for enabling 5G and beyond mobile networks which support a wide range of new services such as Enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB), Ultra-Reliable and Low Latency Communications (URLLC), and Massive Machine-Type Communications (mMTC) on the same physical infrastructure. However, this technology also makes networks more vulnerable to cyber threats, especially Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attacks. These kinds of attacks can degrade service quality by overwhelming essential network functions necessary for the seamless operation of network slices. To address this issue, an Intrusion Detection System (IDS) is needed to protect against various DDoS attacks. A promising solution … Lire la suite
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2016 — The Caregiver Program: How Social Relations of Childcare are Reconfigured to the Detriment of Canadian WomenRésumé
A gendered lens helps highlight the underlying asymmetrical power relations within the economy for marginalized groups. Using a feminist political economy (FPE) approach under a critical realist paradigm, it is argued that the Caregiver Program (CP) reconstructs social relations of childcare, thereby creating gender, race, and class divisions. This reconfiguration is examined in past domestic work immigration and childcare policies to demonstrate escalating neoliberal ideals. The theoretical framework provided by a feminist analysis of social reproduction helps uncover how the CP supports privatization, individualization, familialization, and commoditization. The consequences of these transformations are grave, which includes upholding the gendered division … 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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2015 — A Reckoning of Personal Volition: A Critical Auto-Ethnographic Study of Teacher Resiliency in Critical EducationRésumé
The overriding purpose of this research was to study sources of motivation for teacher resiliency in the practice of critical and anti-oppressive education. As a White teacher faced with a curriculum in which engagement with difficult topics such as these is optional, I determined that it would be valuable for me to understand the elements which helped to contribute to my meaningful and sustained engagement in these practices. The research draws on the qualitative research methodology and methods of critical auto-ethnography and thematic narrative analysis. A critical perspective was used to analyze all texts and themes throughout the process. Lire la suite
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2016 — Collision Free and Energitaclly Optimized Motion Planning of Manipulators in Partially-Known Environment Using Modified D* Life AlgorithmRésumé
Robotics is a relatively young field of studies in modern technology and it has tremendously grown during the past fifty years. Manipulators are categorized as a group of robots designed to accomplish the manipulation tasks without direct contact by a human. Generating an optimized algorithm to transform high-level motion tasks to low-level description that are understandable by the robots, including manipulators, has been one of the most interesting problems in this field. Motion planning in robotics, is referred to the process of breaking down a desired movement task into discrete motions in order to satisfy some specific criteria and optimize … Lire la suite
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2019 — Living in XTC: An Autoethnography and Institutional Ethnography of My Experience Residing in a Government Funded Long-Term Care InstitutionRésumé
This thesis is an autoethnography and institutional ethnography of my experience as a disabled young adult within a publicly funded long-term health care facility. By way of explication and analysis of a number of factors, including my personal experience, health region and long-term health care facility formal policies, practices, reviews, reports and nurse charting, I investigate and illuminate a relatively obscure unjust societal phenomenon: disabled young adults living in an old folks’ home. My research examines how the ruling power relations in a government funded health region and a long-term health care facility, organized through a bureaucracy, form a total … Lire la suite
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2024 — Culturally relevant/responsive pedagogy in an EFL context: College English education in ChinaRésumé
In China, College English, a core course in many university-level foreign language education, is a requirement for most non-English majors at the undergraduate level in China. In this doctoral research study, Ladson Billings’ (2014) culturally relevant pedagogy and Gay’s (2010) culturally responsive teaching was adapted for use in a college English course to develop student’s English language ability while enhancing intercultural awareness and competence. Guided by sociocultural theory (Vygotsky, 1986), this study employed action research methodology (Lewin, 1946; Stringer, 2014). The study took place at a comprehensive university in southwestern China. Participants consisted of 39 first-year students enrolled in the … Lire la suite
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2013 — An examination of youth alcohol and drug use in Prince Albert.Résumé
Information obtained from the Prince Albert Police Service and addictions services agencies show that a high number of Prince Albert youth come into contact with the police for substance abuse and referrals for youth alcohol and drug treatment are much higher than in other Saskatchewan health regions. This study examines data collected from a survey of 921 Prince Albert public high school students conducted in June 2012 to shed light on youth alcohol and drug use. The results showed that Prince Albert youth used alcohol, marijuana, illicit drugs, and binge drank at much higher rates than samples of Saskatchewan or … Lire la suite
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2012 — Atmospheric Detection of Carbamates and Phenylureas in the Okanagan Valley Using LC-ESI+-MS/MSRésumé
This thesis describes a new analytical method for the determination of twelve carbamates, seven degradation products, and four phenylureas using liquid chromatography-positive electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry with selected reaction monitoring. Chromatographic separation was achieved using a SynergiTM Fusion-RP column with a gradient elution where mobile phase A was 5 mM ammonium acetate with 0.1 v% formic acid and mobile phase B was 0.1 v% in acetonitrile. Method detection limits of 1 to 30 μg/L or 3.7 to 110 pg/m3 for a weekly air sample were achieved. This research project involves the first detection of S-ethyldipropyl thiocarbamate (EPTC), carbaryl, and diuron … Lire la suite
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2017 — Monstrosities: Genderfluidity as Art PracticeRésumé
This paper engages the art conducted for my MFA graduating exhibition, Monstrosities. The assumptions and inscriptions of gender which inform bodily meanings are critiqued. As a genderqueer/trans person, the issue of how to represent my genderfluidity, despite my ‘female’ sexed body and its implications, is all consuming. Art provides a means. The desire to represent myself is the central theme of the work in my exhibition. This paper is divided into nine sections. The first, Autobiography, Queerness, and My Creative Process, relates to the background that informs my art practice. I discuss definitions and the forces which inform and propelled … Lire la suite
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2018 — Collaborative Ecological Consultation: Psychologist, Classroom Teacher and Embedded InterventionsRésumé
The focus of this dissertation is on collaboration between classroom teachers and psychologists at the intervention stage of consultation. A teacher’s request for further implementation supports from the psychologist was the catalyst for an initial pilot case study. Teachers and psychologists worked in partnership to select and then to embed interventions within a curricular unit of study. Theoretically, social constructivism and Bronfenbrenner’s ecological model framed this research as participants deliberated through factors at the classroom and teacher level that impede or support implementation of various interventions. The dissertation data, analyzed from interviews, journals, observations and artifacts, suggested psychologists working in … Lire la suite
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2013 — Investigating the Anxiolytic Effects of Aerobic Exercise for the Treatment of Posttraumatic Stress DisorderRésumé
Preliminary evidence has demonstrated the anxiolytic capabilities of aerobic exercise; however, the treatment potential for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has received comparably less attention. Aerobic exercise may work similar to interoceptive exposure therapy–an empirically supported treatment for PTSD–but this hypothesis has received scarce empirical attention. The current study investigated the therapeutic potential (i.e., whether or not PTSD symptoms, anxiety sensitivity [AS], and depressive symptoms would decline) and mechanisms (i.e., whether or not therapeutic benefit is changed by increasing or decreasing interoceptive awareness) of a brief aerobic exercise program for individuals with PTSD. Thirty-three participants (Mage=36.9 years; 76% female; 18% drop-out … Lire la suite