bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
OBITUÁRIO - CAROLUS MARIA VOOREN (14/11/1941-12/3/2021)
Authors: Oddone Maria Cristina
Published: May 2021

Carolus Maria Vooren exerceu, durante 32 anos, a função de professor e pesquisador no Instituto de Oceanografia da Universidade Federal do Rio Grande. Atuou na área de Ecologia, Biologia e Dinâmica Populacional de Condrictes e Aves Marinhas, sendo pioneiro nos estudos desses dois grupos. Descreveu três espécies novas, uma de tubarão, Squatina occulta; uma de raia, Benthobatis stehmanii; e uma de quimera, Hydrolagus matallanasi. Também descreveu uma modalidade inédita de desenvolvimento embrionário no corpo da fêmea em espécies de cações-anjo, a qual chamou de gestação cloacal. Orientou centenas de alunos, entre iniciação científica, trabalho de conclusão de curso, mestrado e doutorado. Seus trabalhos e suas descobertas ganharam prontamente reconhecimento internacional e, atualmente, são citados pelos mais respeitados membros da comunidade acadêmica internacional. Iniciou uma luta incansável pela conservação dos condrictes do Sul do Brasil, aos quais se dedicou com muita determinação durante os últimos anos da sua vida. Seus trabalhos sobre biologia e ecologia de tubarões e raias foram pioneiros não só no Brasil, mas no mundo todo.
WEEDS IN SOYBEAN CULTIVATION WITH DIFFERENT PREDECESSOR COVER CROPS
Authors: Pinto Pedro Henrique Gomes , Lima Sebastião Ferreira , Andrade Maria Gabriela Oliveira , Contardi Lucymara Merquides , Ávila Jorgiani , Reis Breno Oliveira , Bernardo Vitória Fátima , Vendruscolo Eduardo Pradi
Published: May 2021

The competition between soybean and weeds affects crop development due to reduced resources such as water, light, and nutrients, leading to yield losses. Thus, the study aimed to evaluate quantitatively and qualitatively, through phytosociology and seed bank, the weed presence in a soybean cultivation area with different predecessor cover crops. The experiment was installed under no-till system conditions using a randomized block design with nine treatments and three replications. The treatments were composed of the following cover crops, sorghum (Sorghum bicolor), crotalaria (Crotalaria ochroleuca), millet (Pennisetum americanum), Urochloa ruziziensis, U. brizantha cv. Piatã, fodder radish (Raphanus sativus L.), U. brizantha cv. Xaraés, millet + fodder radish, and fallow. The soybean crop was established on the cover crops in the 2019/20 harvest. Soybean characteristics, the seed bank, and weed phytosociology were evaluated. The highest soybean yield was obtained with U. ruziziensis as predecessor cover crop, reaching 4530 kg ha-1. It was concluded that the following cover crops, sorghum, crotalaria, and millet, were the ones that most suppressed the soil weed seed bank. Contrarily, the fallow provided the greatest viable seed number. The weed species Eleusine indica, Digitaria insularis, and Cenchrus echinatus had higher phytosociological values in all treatments.
PENGARUH KUALITAS PELAYANAN TERHADAP KEPUASAN KONSUMEN PADA INDOMARET CABANG CIPONDOH
Authors: Irmal Irmal
Published: May 2021

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui pengaruh kualias pelayanan terhadap kepuasan konsumen pada Indomaret Cabang Cipondoh. Metode yang digunakan adalah explanatory research dengan sampel sebanyak 96 responden. Teknik analisis menggunakan analisis statistik dengan pengujian regresi, korelasi, determinasi dan uji hipotesis. Hasil penelitian ini variabel kualias pelayanan diperoleh nilai rata-rata skor sebesar 34,1 dengan kriteria baik. Variabel kepuasan konsumen diperoleh nilai rata-rata skor sebesar 3,83 dengan kriteria baik. Kualias pelayanan berpengaruh positif dan signifikan terhadap kepuasan konsumen dengan nilai persamaan regresi Y = 9,172 + 0,856X, dan nilai koefisien korelasi 0,765 atau memiliki tingkat hubungan yang kuat dengan nilai determinasi 58,5%, sedangkan sisanya sebesar 41,5% dipengaruhi faktor lain. Uji  hipotesis diperoleh signifikansi 0,000 < 0,05.
PENGARUH BOPO TERHADAP RETURN ON ASSET PADA PT. BANK MUAMALAT, TBK
Authors: Sahroni Sahroni
Published: May 2021

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui pengaruh BOPO terhadap Return On Asset pada PT. Bank Muamalat, Tbk. Metode yang digunakan adalah explanatory research. Teknik analisis menggunakan analisis statistik dengan pengujian regresi, korelasi, determinasi dan uji hipotesis. Hasil penelitian ini variabel BOPO diperoleh nilai rata-rata sebesar 80,46%. Variabel Return On Asset diperoleh nilai rata-rata 3,27%. BOPO berpengaruh positif dan signifikan terhadap Return On Asset dengan nilai persamaan regresi Y = -0,540 + 0,048X, dan nilai koefisien korelasi 0,690 atau memiliki tingkat hubungan yang kuat dengan nilai determinasi 47,6%. Uji  hipotesis diperoleh signifikansi 0,000 < 0,05.
PENGARUH REMUNERASI TERHADAP PRODUKTIVITAS DOSEN UNIVERSITAS PEMULANG DI TANGERANG SELATAN
Authors: Tarwijo Tarwijo
Published: May 2021

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui pengaruh remunerasi terhadap produktivitas dosen Universitas Pemulang. Metode yang digunakan adalah explanatory research dengan sampel sebanyak 87 responden dosen. Teknik analisis menggunakan analisis statistik dengan pengujian regresi, korelasi, determinasi dan uji hipotesis. Hasil penelitian ini variabel remunerasi diperoleh nilai rata-rata skor sebesar 3,38 dengan kriteria baik. Variabel produktivitas diperoleh nilai rata-rata skor sebesar 3,79 dengan kriteria baik. Remunerasi berpengaruh positif dan signifikan terhadap produktivitas dengan nilai persamaan regresi Y = 11,031 + 0,795X, dan nilai koefisien korelasi 0,760 atau memiliki tingkat hubungan yang kuat dengan nilai determinasi 57,8%. Uji  hipotesis diperoleh signifikansi 0,000 < 0,05.
PENGARUH KEGIATAN PROMOSI TERHADAP MINAT BELI KONSUMEN PADA PT. SERASI PERKASA DI TANGERANG
Authors: Manik Cornelia Dumarya
Published: May 2021

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui pengaruh Kegiatan Promosi terhadap Minat Beli Konsumen pada PT. Serasi Perkasa di Tangerang. Metode yang digunakan adalah explanatory research dengan sampel sebanyak 83 responden. Teknik analisis menggunakan analisis statistik dengan pengujian regresi, korelasi, determinasi dan uji hipotesis. Hasil penelitian ini variabel Kegiatan Promosi diperoleh nilai rata-rata skor sebesar 3,502 dengan kriteria baik. Variabel Minat Beli Konsumen diperoleh nilai rata-rata skor sebesar 3,799 dengan kriteria baik. Kegiatan Promosi berpengaruh positif dan signifikan terhadap Minat Beli Konsumen dengan nilai persamaan regresi Y = 11,3801 + 0,760X, dan nilai koefisien korelasi 0,747 atau memiliki tingkat hubungan yang kuat dengan nilai determinasi 55,9%. Uji  hipotesis diperoleh signifikansi 0,000 < 0,05.
PENGARUH PENEMPATAN KERJA TERHADAP KINERJA KARYAWAN PADA PT. MANGGALA PRIMA SEJAHTERA DI JAKARTA
Authors: Karlina Dira
Published: May 2021

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui pengaruh penempatan kerja terhadap kinerja karyawan pada PT. Manggala Prima Sejahtera di Jakarta. Metode yang digunakan adalah explanatory research dengan sampel sebanyak 60 responden. Teknik analisis menggunakan analisis statistik dengan pengujian regresi, korelasi, determinasi dan uji hipotesis. Hasil penelitian ini variabel penempatan kerja diperoleh nilai rata-rata skor sebesar 3,762 dengan kriteria baik. Variabel kinerja karyawan diperoleh nilai rata-rata skor sebesar 3,793 dengan kriteria baik. Penempatan kerja berpengaruh positif dan signifikan terhadap kinerja karyawan dengan nilai persamaan regresi Y = 10,594 + 0,717X, dan nilai koefisien korelasi 0,789 atau memiliki tingkat hubungan yang kuat dengan nilai determinasi 62,2%. Uji  hipotesis diperoleh signifikansi 0,000 < 0,05.
PENGARUH HARGA TERHADAP KEPUTUSAN PEMBELIAN KONSUMEN PADA GIANT SUPERMARKET DI CIKARANG
Authors: S. Reni Yesi
Published: May 2021

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui pengaruh harga terhadap keputusan pembelian konsumen pada Giant Supermarket di Cikarang. Metode yang digunakan adalah explanatory research dengan sampel sebanyak 85 responden. Teknik analisis menggunakan analisis statistik dengan pengujian regresi, korelasi, determinasi dan uji hipotesis. Hasil penelitian ini variabel harga diperoleh nilai rata-rata skor sebesar 3,713 dengan kriteria baik. Variabel keputusan pembelian diperoleh nilai rata-rata skor sebesar 2,858 dengan kriteria kurang baik. Harga berpengaruh negatif dan signifikan terhadap keputusan pembelian dengan nilai persamaan regresi Y = 51,167 - 0,608X artinya setiap ada peningkatan harga maka keputusan pembelian akan mengalami penurunan, dan nilai koefisien korelasi -0,603 atau memiliki tingkat hubungan yang negatif kuat dengan nilai determinasi 36,3%. Uji  hipotesis diperoleh signifikansi 0,000 < 0,05.
PENGARUH CURRENT RATIO TERHADAP RETURN ON ASSET PADA PT. ASTRA AGRO LESTARI, TBK PERIODE 2008-2018
Authors: Sairin Sairin
Published: May 2021

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui pengaruh Current Ratio terhadap Return On Asset pada PT. Astra Agro Lestari, Tbk Periode 2008-2018. Metode yang digunakan adalah explanatory research. Teknik analisis menggunakan analisis statistik dengan pengujian regresi, korelasi, determinasi dan uji hipotesis. Hasil penelitian ini variabel Current Ratio diperoleh nilai rata-rata sebesar 127,09%. Variabel Return On Asset diperoleh nilai rata-rata 25,88%. Current Ratio berpengaruh positif dan signifikan terhadap Return On Asset dengan nilai persamaan regresi Y = 9,112 + 0,132X, dan nilai koefisien korelasi 0,660 atau memiliki tingkat hubungan yang kuat dengan nilai determinasi sebesar 43,5%. Uji  hipotesis diperoleh signifikansi 0,027 < 0,05.
ANALEPTIC PROPERTIES OF ROSUVASTATIN AND CQ10 COMBINATION
Authors: Balakrishnan Angarika , Walimbe Ketaki , Awasthi Saumya , Athreya Supriya , Saini Vaishali
Published: May 2021

This article is an examination of the Analeptic properties of Rosuvastatin and cq10 (Ubiquinone) combination. The scientific development and subsequent analysis of the ability of two combinational drugs Rosuvastatin and cq10 to treat human disorders/ diseases by lowering cholesterol and displaying antioxidant activity respectively, continues to influence researchers all over the globe, today. This article examines the research done and published by researchers and scientists. Consideration of current trends and data in scientific queries demonstrates further aspects of Analeptic properties of Rosuvastatin and cq10 (Ubiquinone) combination. Additionally, this article explores options for Rosuvastatin and its effects on Dyslipidemia, glucose homeostasis and high-risk cardiovascular patients. This article also provides insights into Ubiquinone and its effects on cardiovascular diseases and hypertriglyceridemia. Lastly, from this article the combined effects of rosuvastatin and cq10 on cardiotoxicity, Ischemia and Induced Myopathy can also be gauged.

Keywords: Rosuvastatin Ubiquinone, Cardiovascular, Dyslipidemia, Ischemia
An Evaluation of Performance as it Relates to the Adventist Community Services Nonprofit Leadership Certification Program in the United States
Authors:   , Kwon Sung
Published: May 2021

Problem The purpose of this study was to understand the effectiveness of the Nonprofit Leadership Certification Program (NLCP) by examining the relationship between an individual’s completion of the program and their individual performance growth in attitude, knowledge, and skills. Since the program represents a major financial investment on the part of the Adventist Community Services (ACS) organization, ACS leaders need to know if the time, resources, and effort that have been poured into this leadership program are actually improving the participants’ performance in skills and knowledge, and if they have effectively contributed to changes in leadership attitude. Method This study assessed the relationship between the stated learning outcomes of the NLCP and the actual learning outcomes as perceived by the participants. For this reason two research designs were used to structure the research: 1. Pre-experimental research design – Group 1 (had pretest and posttest) was compared to Group 2, the control group (no treatment, posttest only). Group 1 had a manipulated variable but Group 2 did not have a manipulated variable. 2. Ex-post facto research design – Group 2 was compared to Group 3 (Had treatment, posttest). Data already existed. Results Results confirmed that there were significant changes in the participants’ leadership attitudes, knowledge, and skills as a result of participating in the NLCP. The leadership attitude in the posttest group showed improvement, which may indicate participants were inspired and encouraged by the program. The posttest group results showed a decrease in leadership knowledge immediately after taking the program; however, leadership knowledge increased over time. The posttest group and the treatment group indicated signs of changes in leadership skills after attending the program. Conclusions ACS leaders at local, regional and national levels who participate in the NLCP indicate that there leadership benefits in significant ways from the training provided. The ever increasing complexity of the services provided through ACS at the local community, regional and national levels will continue to drive the demand for the NLCP.
Effects of Diaphragmatic Breathing Exercise on the Degree of Breathlessness in Patients With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Authors:   Study Program of Public Health, Sekolah Tinggi Ilmu Kesehatan Ahmad Yani, Cimahi, West Java, Indonesia., Budiman Budiman , Garnewi Sri ,   Dustira Cimahi Hospital, West Java, Indonesia.
Published: May 2021

Objectives: The present study aimed to determine the effect of diaphragmatic breathing exercises on the degree of breathlessness among patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) in West Java Province, Indonesia. Methods: This was a quasi-experimental study with a pretest-posttest and no control group design. In total, 33 patients with COPD participated in this study using a consecutive sampling technique. The Modified Medical Research Council was used to measure the degree of breathlessness. A portable spirometer was used to assess Forced Expiratory Volume in one second (FEV1) and Forced Vital Capacity (FVC). Results: The Mean±SD age of the study subjects was 44.5±3.17 years; 54.4% of the study participants were male, with healthy a body mass index. Approximately 42.4% of the studied patients experienced the fourth degree of breathlessness before the intervention. There was a reduction in the Mean±SD score of breathlessness from 3.42±0.53 to 1.64±0.13 after the intervention (P=0.001). There were improvements in the breathing frequency (Mean±SD: 11.8±4.9 vs 9.5±1.6), oxygen saturation (93.39±3.20 vs 95.47±4.21), and FEV1/FVC (0.5±0.12 vs 0.3±0.45) in the study subjects. Discussion: It is expected for the hospital, educational institutions, nurses, and patients to be able to apply diaphragmatic breathing exercises as one form of nursing care measure. This is because it is proven effective to reduce the degree of breathlessness.
The Relationships Between Self-compassion, Positive and Negative Affect, and Marital Quality in Infertile Women: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Authors:   Department of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Faculty of Counseling, North Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran., Dadkhah Sepideh , Jarareh Jamshid ,   Department of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Faculty of Counseling, Shahid Rajaee University, Tehran, Iran., Akbari Asbagh Firoozeh ,   Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tehran University of Medical Sciences and Health Services, Tehran, Iran.
Published: May 2021

Objectives: Infertility presents extensive psychological effects on infertile couple’s marital life, especially in women during infertility treatment. Studying the essential psychological factors and their correlations on a large scale could rehabilitate the mental health of infertile women and facilitate the stressful process of infertility treatment. This systematic review aimed to study the literature and relationships among self-compassion, positive and negative affect, and marital quality in infertile women. Methods: To examine the considered association, a comprehensive literature search was performed to identify relevant articles in English and Persian published from 2000 to May 2020 and indexed in Pubmed, Google Scholar, Scopus, Science Direct, Jstore, Cochrane Library, Medline, SID, Irandoc, Civilica, and Magiran. The study eligibility criteria included only infertile couples/women who were clinically diagnosed with infertility. The measurement tools used by studies consisted of at least one of the following: Self-Compassion Scale (SCS); Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS); Revised Dyadic Adjustment Scale (RDAS), and infertility-related questionnaires. The search strategy of this review was per PICO (Population, Intervention, Control, and Outcomes) and included the terms Self-Compassion (SC), Positive and Negative Affect (PANA), and Marital Quality (MQ) in infertile women. To identify further eligible studies, the bibliographies of primary articles were manually searched to meet the inclusion criteria. The quality of studies was graded by GRADE from the Cochrane handbook. The studies were investigated concerning design, risk of bias, inconsistency, indirectness, imprecision, and publication. Results: SC could play a mediating role in the relationship with PANA, and MQ in infertile women undergoing infertility treatment. Discussion: This systematic review highlighted the importance of addressing psychological characteristics which can affect the biopsychological health of infertile women undergoing infertility treatment.
Language Sample Analysis in Children With Cleft Lip and Palate
Authors:   Department of Speech and Language Pathology, School of Rehabilitation Sciences, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran., Safarpour Leila , Jalilevand Nahid ,   Department of Speech and Language Pathology, School of Rehabilitation Sciences, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran., Ghorbani Ali ,   Department of Speech and Language Pathology, School of Rehabilitation Sciences, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran., Rasouli Mahboobeh ,   Department of Biostatics, School of Health, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran., Bayazian Gholamreza ,   Department of Otorhinolaryngology, School of Medicine, ENT and Head and Neck Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Published: May 2021

Objectives: Cleft Palate (CP) with or without Cleft Lip (CL/P) are the most common craniofacial birth defects. Cleft Lip and Palate (CLP) can affect children’s communication skills. The present study aimed to evaluate language production skills concerning morphology and syntax (morphosyntactic) in children with CLP. Methods: In the current cross-sectional study, 58 Persian-speaking children (28 children with CLP & 30 children without craniofacial anomalies=non-clefts) participated. Gathering the language samples of the children was conducted using the picture description method. The 50 consecutive intelligible utterances of children were analyzed by the Persian Developmental Sentence Scoring (PDSS), as a clinical morphosyntactic measurement tool. Results: The PDSS total scores of children with CLP were lower than those of the non-clefts children. A significant difference was found between the studied children with CLP and children without craniofacial anomalies in the mean value of PDSS total scores (P=0.0001). Discussion: Children with CLP demonstrate a poor ability for using morphosyntactic elements. Therefore, it should be considered how children with CLP use the grammatical components.
Próteses Fixas Com Infraestrutura De Zircônia: Revisão De Literatura
Authors: Fortes Jade Lima , Vasconcellos Frederico
Published: May 2021

A cerâmica é um material frágil por natureza, e sua baixa resistência à fratura aliada à baixa resistência à flexão vem à tona quando se discute a possibilidade de confecção de próteses parciais fixas e abutments para implantes. Isto se torna ainda mais crítico na região posterior da boca, onde as forças mastigatórias são maiores. As excelentes propriedades mecânicas da zircônia como elevada resistência flexural e tenacidade à fratura fez com ela fosse o material cerâmico de eleição para coroas e próteses fixas posteriores. Porém, mesmo com elevadas propriedades mecânicas, os problemas relacionados a fraturas entre infraestrutura e cerâmica de cobertura ainda persistem. Devido ao grau de opacidade e resistência das cerâmicas cristalinas o seu uso fica restrito como materiais de infraestrutura (I.E), sendo a parte estética feita por uma camada de cerâmica vítrea, de forma semelhante ao que ocorre nos sistemas metalocerâmicos. O objetivo desta revisão de literatura foi apresentar os conceitos atuais como materiais e técnica disponíveis para confecção de subestruturas em zircônia, formato da subestrutura para coroas unitárias e ponte fixas, adesão da infraestrutura à cerâmica de cobertura, tratamento de superfície a ser empregado e tipo de cimentação, já que, devido à falta de respaldo científico de relatos clínico publicados e de poucos trabalhos in vitro encontrados na literatura com sistemas cerâmicos de zircônia, surgem muitas dúvidas e questionamentos técnicos de como deve-se trabalhar com esses novos sistemas restauradores. Sendo assim, trata-se de uma pesquisa bibliográfica de caráter descritivo que, como resultado, evidenciou a eficiência do uso da zircônia no processo restaurador dos aspectos biológicos, funcionais e estéticos, concluindo que há uma necessidade de uma maior compreensão do Cirurgião dentista sobre este elemento e, ainda, um maior respaldo científico sobre esse assunto acerca da sua infraestrutura e inserção na Odontologia.
Obesidade Infantil E Os Impactos Na Qualidade De Vida
Authors: Dahmer Alana Da Silva Ferreira Santos , Maciel Dinair Morais
Published: May 2021

A obesidade infantil vem apresentando um aumento em sua prevalência, causando muitas doenças crônicas e mortalidade. Entre as crianças e adolescentes, houve um aumento muito grande na obesidade, tendo como fatores etiológicos os maus hábitos alimentares e o sedentarismo. O presente estudo constitui uma revisão sistemática da literatura, realizada através da busca de artigos, revistas científicas e livros. Os resultados obtidos nas pesquisas foram que os fatores: comportamento e ambiente são os principais responsáveis pelo crescimento da população de crianças e adolescentes obesos, afetando a saúde física, emocional, social em todos os aspectos relacionados à sua saúde e qualidade de vida. As medidas de promoção e prevenção da obesidade infantil, como educação e reeducação alimentar, mudanças dos hábitos alimentares e estilo de vida das crianças e dos familiares, são fundamentais no controle e combate a obesidade infantil.
Towards accurate FPGA area models for FPGA architecture evaluation
Authors: Khan Farheen Fatima
Published: May 2021

Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) devices are integrated circuit chips which can be configured by the end user. FPGA architectures have evolved into heterogeneous System-on-Chips (SoCs) devices in order to meet the diverse market demands. Integrating reconfigurable fabrics in SOCs require an accurate estimation of the layout area of the reconfigurable fabrics in order to properly accommodate early floor-planning. Hence, this work provides an evaluation on the accuracy of the minimum width transistor area models in ranking the actual layout area of FPGA architectures. Both the original VPR area model and the new COFFE area model are compared against the actual layouts with up to 3 metal layers for the various FPGA building blocks. We found that both models have significant variations with respect to the accuracy of their predictions across the building blocks. In particular, the original VPR model overestimates the layout area of larger buffers, full adders and multiplexers by as much as 38% while underestimates the layout area of smaller buffers and multiplexers by as much as 58% for an overall prediction error variation of 96%. The newer COFFE model also significantly overestimates the layout area of full adders by 13% and underestimates the layout area of multiplexers by a maximum of 60% for a prediction error variation of 73%. Such variations are particularly significant considering sensitivity analyses are not routinely performed in FPGA architectural studies. Our results suggest that such analyses are extremely important in studies that employ the minimum width area models so the tolerance of the architectural conclusions against the prediction error variations can be quantified. This work proposes a more accurate active area model to estimate the layout area of FPGA multiplexers by considering diffusion sharing and folding. In addition, we found that comparing to the minimum width transistor area model, the traditional metal area based stick diagrams, in lieu of actual layout, can provide much more accurate layout area estimations. In particular, minimum width transistor area can underestimate the layout area of LUT multiplexers by as much as a factor of 2-3 while stick diagrams can achieve over 85% -95% percent accuracy in layout area estimation. Based on our work, we present correction factors to the commonly used FPGA building blocks, so their actual layout area can be used to achieve a highly accurate ranking of the implementation area of FPGA architectures built upon these layouts.
Investigating the impact of local wind conditions on Toronto's glass balcony guard failures
Authors: Hudson Mathew MacKay
Published: May 2021

An investigative study was performed on the Shangri-La Hotel in Toronto in order to determine the impact of local wind conditions on the glass balcony guard failures seen in Toronto in the last five years. An accurate CFD simulation model was developed for external flow applications through a wind tunnel validation study. The simulation was used to analyze average wind conditions and extreme (gust) wind conditions at the balcony guard failure locations, as well as identify potential areas of concern on the Shangri-La Hotel. A strong correlation between failure location and common wind conditions was established, however it was concluded that wind loading was likely not the primary cause of failure.
Fair access to regulated professions: decoding the transition of migrant caregivers to nursing in Ontario
Authors: Thirunavukkarasu Gowsiga
Published: May 2021

The Live-in Caregiver program provides a gendered pathway to permanent residency in Canada for women who are internationally trained nurses. Upon attaining permanent residency and open work permits, internationally trained nurses can become registered members with the College of Nurses of Ontario, which will allow them to re-enter the nursing profession. However, in light of recent amendments to the registration regulation by the College of Nurses of Ontario issues of unequal treatment for international applicants arise. This paper examines the regulation of the Live-in Caregiver Program, and the recent amendments to the registration regulation by the College of Nurses of Ontario, to present the systemic oppression and discrimination which creates barriers for internationally trained nurses to their transition from caregiving to nursing in Ontario. Conclusions state that amendments to the regulatory policies must occur to eliminate the inequalities against internationally trained nurses.
An empirical application of data envelopment analysis in credit rating
Authors: Demirova Mariya
Published: May 2021

Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) is a nonparametric optimization technique that evaluates the relative efficiency of decision-making units and is used in this thesis as an empirical estimator of credit rating. The purpose of this research is to combine different DEA models and technique and obtain the best model that captures different aspects of credit risk. Various models are evaluated by combining four Slack DEA models with Principal Component Analysis (PCA), Absolute Weights Restriction, and Stochastic DEA.

We found that Goal Vector Approach Stochastic PCA (SGV+PCA), applied to a sample consisting of five sectors, is the best model. SGV+PCA DEA model obtains a high correlation with Standard & Poor’s (S&P) credit rating and with Market Price; it also classified twelve bankrupted companies within the 17% of the less efficient companies in the sample, suggesting that the model is a good financial health estimator and is a potential tool for credit rating analysis.
Curating complexity: the role of sentience in parametric design
Authors: Cunha Antonio
Published: May 2021

In De Architectura, Vitruvius makes note of three criteria that define architecture; firmitas (durability), utilitas (function) and venustas (delight). These ideals form the philosophical foundations of virtually all modern architectural theory. With the advent of computational tools, many advocates, commonly armed with staggering statistics, frame these methods as a means of increasing efficiency in collaboration, construction and performance - muting the critical role of a sentient designer in architectural discourse of the digital age. The role of the parti has eroded in favour of computational strategies that constrain utilitas to a measure of quantifiable “fitness”.

The research herein unveils and reflects upon the mutating role of the architect in computational design, advocating for the importance of qualitative reasoning in a parametric process. Where the current paradigm is negligent, the project aims to illuminate and reinforce the role of today’s sentient designer nested in a cultural milieu of computation.
Production Decision Analysis Under Exchange Rate Demand, And Carbon Prices Uncertainties
Authors: Prasad Satheeskaran
Published: May 2021

This thesis presents an optimal production decision analysis for a multinational firm under exchange rate, carbon allowance prices, and demand uncertainties. Firms having production and sales in two different countries experience both demand and exchange rate uncertainties. When exchange rates move unfavorably, multinational firms face financial losses because of falling profits. Demand uncertainties may result in underage cost when production quantities are less than the demand, or
overage cost when production quantities are more than the demand. Additionally, recent environmental regulations on emissions of green house gases, particularly carbon dioxide emissions, also pose risk on firms’s profitability. It is thus important for a risk-averse manager to decide how to mitigate these uncertainties to protect the firm’s financial losses.

In order to address these issues, mathematical models that capture firm’s production allocation problem under different scenarios of exchange rate, carbon emissions, and demand uncertainties have been developed. The risk attitude of the firm manager is assumed to be risk averse and is modeled by a mean-variance (MV) utility function. In order to hedge downside risk of exchange rates and upside risk of carbon allowance prices, the firm takes long positions in currency put and carbon call options, respectively. The objective is to maximize the MV function of the firm subject to various capacity and demand constraints and determine the optimal number of currency put and carbon call options. The firm possesses real options capability in the form of capacity flexibility represented by a vector of discrete capacity levels to meet uncertainties of demand. Demand uncertainties are assumed to follow regime-switching behaviors – considering both onestate and two-state probability distributions. The stochastic behavior of exchange rate is modeled by a geometric Brownian motion and its limiting case as a random walk. Functioning under a cap-and-trade emission trading scheme, the firm is obliged to buy carbon allowances for its carbon emissions. Carbon allowance prices are modeled as both geometric Brownian motion and geometric Brownian motion with jump processes. Results demonstrate that integration of real options and financial options increases the utility of the firm, while financial options reduce the variance of the profit.
Analytical Modeling of Particle Interference in Micro-abrasive Jets
Authors: Burzynski Tom
Published: May 2021

Two existing analytical models of particle interference in non-divergent particle jets were modified to include radial symmetry of the particle jet across the nozzle axis, inter-particle spacing, and more complex rebound geometry. Two novel experimental techniques for obtaining the particle spatial and velocity distributions across a micro-abrasive jet were then devised and rigorously tested. One of the above mentioned analytical models was then chosen to be further modified to include the above-mentioned modifications along with the effect of a divergent jet, the ability to simulate high flux cases, and experimentally obtained particle spatial and velocity distributions. All of the models were tested at various jet conditions. The results of the models were quantitatively compared to a previously developed computer simulation and were found to qualitatively agree with previous experimental observations. The modified models allow the critical flux below which inter-particle interference is likely to occur to be determined.
Residual Stresses in Suspension Plasma Sprayed Electrolytes in Metal-Supported solid Oxide Fuel Cell
Authors: Macwan Alpeshkumar
Published: May 2021

This study is aimed at identifying the change of residual stresses in suspension plasma sprayed (SPS) 8 mol% YSZ electrolytes on top of porous stainless steel substrate with varying processing parameters and temperatures. The residual stresses in the electrolyte layer are tensile with a value of approximately 90 MPa at room temperature. Porosity, microcracks and segmentation cracks are observed to form in the coating during post-deposition cooling. The decrease of residual stresses with increasing temperature is related to the changes in the Young’s modulus, thermal expansion mismatch, micro-defects and possible creeping of porous stainless steel substrate. The coating fabricated using a torch power of 133 kW and stand-off distance of 90 mm exhibits the highest residual stress due to the formation of a denser microstructure and less cracking. Furthermore, the fracture toughness and interface fracture toughness of the SPS YSZ coating at the optimized condition was determined and discussed.
A journey in collections management : the creation of a finding aid for the Black Star Ephemera Collection at the Ryerson Image Centre
Authors: Potter Lauren  N
Published: May 2021

This applied project involved the creation of a finding aid for the Black Star Ephemera Collection held at the Ryerson Image Centre (RIC) at Ryerson University in Toronto. This little known and un-catalogued collection was originally part of the Black Star Agency photographic collection founded in New York City in 1935. Black Star is a well known photo agency that has served as a resource for the picture press during the twentieth century, providing photographs of significant events, people, and places. This ephemeral collection is made up of all the textual material originally used by the agency to organize and support the photographic collection. In addition to the finding aid this paper discussed the significance of this collection and its relationship to the history of photojournalism as well as providing a summary of the rational and methodology for the applied project.
Structure and Vitamin D₃-Binding Affinity of Milk Proteins
Authors: Naqvi Muhammad Ali
Published: May 2021

Two projects formed the basis of this thesis related to protein-vitamin D₃ (VD₃) binding mechanisms and efficacy. First, a method to characterize the binding of VD₃ to food-related macromolecules that may be used for enrichment of milk was devised. Results suggested that sodium caseinate and hydroxylpropyl-β-cyclodextrin could effectively bind VD₃ and may be used as carriers. Secondly, molecular dynamics simulations were used to determine the conformation ensemble of the β-casein phosphopeptide (β-CPP). Radius of gyration, H-bonding, Ramachandran plot, and secondary structure were ascertained, and showed good agreement with simulations of other disordered pepitides as well as experimental data of β-CPP. Overall, this new binding assay now affords the ability to study interactions between macromolecules and vitamin D₃. As well, by performing simulations of a single casein peptide, important data needed to understand the intramolecular interactions and structure of β-casein (as well as the casein micelle) have be elucidated.
Toronto the Good? The Access T.O. Policy - Making Toronto a Sanctuary City
Authors: Pekic Alexander
Published: May 2021

This paper examines Toronto's Access T.O. policy, a policy created to transform Toronto into a sanctuary city. I argue that the Access T.O. policy has made progress towards turning Toronto into a practicable sanctuary city. However, I also highlight areas where the policy needs improvement and further expansion. I also show how the City of Toronto's Access T.O. policy offers an alternative approach to migration and settlement policies found at the level of the Canadian federal state and illustrate how these policies diverge and contradict. The Access T.O. policy, like other sanctuary cities, is shown to provide an alternative understanding and implementation of citizenship, belonging, rights, ethics and morality, human agency, security and borders to that found in federal state policies. The paper provides background information on sanctuary cities prior to entering this aforementioned discussion and concludes with considerations for Access T.O.'s continued expansion and implementation.
The Crashworthiness Behaviour of Thin Walled Aluminium Extruded Tubes with Varying Polygonal Cross Sections
Authors: Rossi Anthony
Published: May 2021

The  finite  element  code,  LS-DYNA,  was  used  to  investigate  the  energy  dissipation characteristics  of AA6060-T4  aluminium  alloy  extruded  tubes  with  varying  polygonal (i.e.,  hexagonal  and octagonal)  cross  sections  subjected to  axial  impacts.  The research study was conducted  in two  phases.  The first  phase comprised  of validating the finite element  model  parameters  and  numerical  results  of  thin-walled  aluminium  extruded square tubes with actual  published  experimental data.  The mean dynamic axial crushing force  value  was  predicted  within  ±  3%,  and  in  the  case  of  the  permanent  axial displacement,  the  accuracy  was  within  ±  5%,  when  compared  to  the  published experimental results.  The second phase results of the numerical simulations pertaining to the  hexagonal  and  octagonal  tube  sections  were  compared  to  the  benchmark  results established  for  the  square  section  tubes.   The  numerical  simulation  results  for  the hexagonal  section tube revealed  a minimum average increase in the  mean dynamic axial crushing  force  and  permanent  displacement  parameters  of  10%  and  11%,  respectively, over the baseline square tube sections.  The octagonal tube section showed a mimmum average  increase  in  the  mean  axial  crushing  force  and  permanent  displacement parameters of 25% and 20%, respectively.
The visual construction of the individual education plan and parent involvement
Authors: MacLagan Elizabeth
Published: May 2021

In educative practices, planning documents play an important role in communicating the educational needs of students with disabilities. The Individual Education Plan (IEP) is the main document that facilitates and enables accommodation for students with special education requirements. The IEP describes a student’s individual
learning outcomes and services based on his or her level of educational performance (Griangreco, 1994). Research on the IEP work process has demonstrated that it can be confusing, frustrating, or ineffective in many cases (Ng, 2013). By taking the parents’ perspective and experience in the creation of the IEP, one can seek to understand why
this can be such a taxing communicative process. As the literature can attest, there is great emphasis on parent involvement and positive outcomes in the IEP work process. However, parent input does not appear to be of great value or importance within the IEP document. In order to address the problem of poor parent involvement in the creation of the IEP, the IEP document template must be carefully analyzed.

By taking the perspective of the parents in the IEP work process, the following research questions will be addressed: Primary Research Question

• How do the textual and visual constructions of the IEP document elicit parent involvement in individual education planning?

When analyzing IEP documents, the visual construction and the layout can be examined in order to understand why parent involvement may be limited.
Written language can be analyzed by semiotic theory, which studies a system of signs, including a sign, signifier, and signified (Warner, 1990). Semiotic analysis questions what constitutes representation and the use of signs and sign systems to make messages (Nuessel, 2012). Thus, using semiotic analysis can help to understand how parents perceive the IEP document in practice. By gaining a richer understanding of the IEP template, one can hypothesize how parental involvement is communicated in the IEP work process.

In considering the composition of a document, effective design enables the reader to understand information by visually grouping elements into units and indicating order through visual hierarchy (Martin, 1989). By referring to the document design and layout of a textual document, one can assess and interpret cues such as order, proximity, visual hierarchy, and visual prominence. Further, through the implementation of a semiotic content analysis of IEP templates employed across Ontario school boards, the notion of parent involvement can be better understood.
Pathways to indigenous identity: one family’s story of colonization and reintegration
Authors: Giroux Shanna
Published: May 2021

This research study is an examination of one family's journey of finding out about their Indigenous ancestry later in life and how, if at all, it has affected their sense of identity or feelings of interest in engaging with the Indigenous communities of Canada. In cooperation with her father, the principal researcher uses an Indigenous research method of storytelling and a methodology based on medicine wheel teachings to discuss their learning about their Indigenous heritage as adults with little to no connections to their original community. Through storytelling, the research study hopes to reveal the complications of forming an Indigenous identity later in life and after generations of colonization have erased familial traditions and knowledge.
Web service composition ranking based on QoS and social network analysis
Authors: Dehghani Alireza
Published: May 2021

Web service composition refers to the aggregation of web services for producing composite solutions in order to satisfy user requirements which can't be satisfied by atomic services. It is an essential challenge to find the most reliable and trustable complex services in each composition process. Many of current composition approaches use QoS (Quality of Service) values to select among different composition candidates. However, QoS values can't be trusted all the time since some service providers may promote their services by publishing wrong QoS values. Social network analysis techniques such as PageRank have been used successfully in finding the trustable and authoritative web resources. We believe that these techniques can also be used to improve the service composition process. We have developed a modified PageRank algorithm called Service Rank in order to find the importance level of each service in a composition based on its connectivity and invocation history. This can be accomplished by assigning higher weights to links which have more number of invocations, more up-to-date invocation time and contract signing time, and longer contract durations. Eventually the Service Rank score will be combined with the QoS score for composition ranking. Preliminary results from our experiments have proved the effectiveness of this method. As a consequence users can be more satisfied with the service composition result.
Prediction of Cup-to-Disc Ratio From Optic Fundus Image
Authors: Ramdass Jermaine
Published: May 2021

A technique is proposed that can be used to predict the cup-to-disc ratio from a single optic fundus image and determine which image features have the highest contribution to a specific ophthalmologist’s measured cup-to-disc ratio. The procedure starts with image pre-processing. The main step of the procedure is feature extraction where image features related to pixel intensities are found. These features are used to train three different classifiers: neural networks, support vector machines, and sparse representation classifiers. The classifiers are tested and evaluated to see how accurately they can predict the cup-to-disc ratio. The best obtained results are in the 70-75% success range. Finally, feature ranking is performed using the methods of chi square and information gain on a combined feature vector using measured cup-to-disc ratios from each ophthalmologist to determine the importance and contribution of each feature to that ophthalmologist.
AC-DC Microgrid Optimal Power Flow
Authors: Duggal Inderjeet
Published: May 2021

Electricity market deregulation has opened the door for novel electricity production schemes within the existing central production paradigm that dominates the electricity power industry. The Microgrid concept allows generation and load located in close vicinity to be organized so that the local load is served as far as possible with local generation. The Microgrid examined in this thesis consists of both AC and DC network components connected using power converters.

The varied Microgrid power sources (microturbine generators, PV, battery, power imports from the grid etc.) are scheduled over 24 hours to satisfy load demand at minimum cost and maximum reliability. Towards this end, a dual objective problem is formulated using Fuzzy sets and the final problem takes the form of a Mixed-Integer Nonlinear optimization problem. The interplay between the disparate objectives of minimum cost and maximum reliability and the battery is then examined.
Investigation of NIR spectroscopy for identifying and sorting wood with respect to species, moisture content, and weathering
Authors: Tounis Ekaterina
Published: May 2021

Near-infrared spectroscopy can characterize wood surfaces fast and without significant surface preparation. It is based on molecular overtone and combination vibrations which are typically very broad, leading to complex spectra. Multivariate calibration techniques are often employed to extract the desired chemical information. This study focused on the potential of near-infrared spectroscopy combined with partial least squares for identifying and sorting wood with respect to species and physical properties and on the effects of wood preparation and weathering on the precision of analysis. It was shown that a range of moisture content values and artificial weathering periods could be well predicted indepenedently of wood species analyzed. Species within the spruce-pine-fir species group could be predicted reasonably well when tested under similar conditions. When different moisture contents and weathering exposure periods were introduced, species prediction was still possible, but, with decreased prediciton ability.