cometadata/datacite-rtg-text-other-reclassification-records huggingface dataset:
Pure Time Theory: Dynamical Derivation and Cosmological Stabilization of the Fundamental Constants
Creators: name: Allou, Essam
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2025
Subjects: Pure Time Theory
PTT
Fundamental Constants
Emergent Spacetime
Temporal Field
Quantum Gravity
Unified Field Theory
Logical Unicity
Scalar Field Quantization
Variation of Constants
Fine-Structure Constant
Topological Charge
Temporal Field Dynamics
Cosmological Unification
Quantum-Classical Bridge
Gravitational Wave Spectra
Modified Einstein Equations
Planck-Scale Fluctuations
Fractal Dimension of Space-Time
Big Bang Singularity Resolution
Cosmic Expansion Without Dark Energy
Hubble Tension Reduction
CMB Anisotropies
Quantum Decoherence
Lindblad Operators
Wave-Function
Time-Generated Matter Hierarchy
Tawhid
Scientific Unity
Science-Faith Dialogue
Interpretation of Physical Constants
Emergent Spacetime Geometry
Universe as Finite System
Paradigm Shift in Cosmology
physical unification
geometric emergence
cosmological stabilization
Principle of Logical Unicity
PLU

description: This paper presents a comprehensive derivation of the five fundamental physical constants — c, G, h-bar, alpha, and k_B — within the framework of the Pure Time Theory (PTT), a novel paradigm where spacetime, matter, and all physical interactions emerge from a single scalar temporal field, T_relax. Through a logically sequenced approach, these constants arise dynamically from the structure and local gradients of T_relax, without assuming any pre-existing geometry, quantum structure, or arbitrary parameters.

The central field equation, ∇² T_relax = beta × sqrt(rho), links time relaxation with energy density via a single dimensionless constant beta. Each physical constant is derived through a successive stabilization process, from wavefront propagation and curvature emergence to charge quantization and thermal fluctuations, forming a logically unified chain.

The article also introduces a Lagrangian formulation of the theory, a preliminary quantization of the temporal field, and presents numerical predictions that can be tested through cold atom interferometry and cosmic data. A topological vortex-based mechanism for electric charge is validated through lattice simulations, suggesting robust stability under perturbations.

By rooting all derivations in a single scalar field, PTT offers a new framework that unifies classical and quantum physics, gravity, and thermodynamics. The theory aligns with the Principle of Logical Unicity (PLU), offering a conceptually complete alternative to current models of unification.
Supplementary document for Long-range strain sensing system using a frequency-locked π-shifted grating - 7285666.pdf
Creators: name: Daxini, Swapnil
name: Aydin, Deniz
name: Santos, Arthur
name: Barnes, Jack
name: Gu, Xijia
name: Loock, Hans-Peter
Publisher: name: Optica Publishing Group
Year: 2025
Subjects: Acoustics and Acoustical Devices; Waves

description: Supplemental Information
Supplementary Material for the Ms. entitled “A reproductive resilience index for pelagic fish in the southern Humboldt Current Large Marine Ecosystem” submitted to the Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
Creators: name: Ospina-Álvarez, Andrés
name: Vasquez, Sebastian I.
name: Catalán, Ignacio A.
name: Lowerre-Barbieri, Susan
name: Arteaga, Marcos
name: de Juan, Silvia
Publisher: name: figshare
Year: 2022
Subjects: subject: 70403 Fisheries Management
subject: FOS: Agriculture, forestry and fisheries
subject: 60803 Animal Developmental and Reproductive Biology
subject: FOS: Biological sciences

description: Supplementary material for the manuscript entitled “A reproductive resilience index for pelagic fish in the southern Humboldt Current Large Marine Ecosystem” by: Andres Ospina-Alvarez, Sebastián I. Vásquez, Ignacio A. Catalán, Susan Lowerre-Barbieri, Marcos Arteaga & Silvia de Juan.
Indigenous Identifiers: Non-Indigenous Canadians' Stereotypes Associated with Labels for Indigenous People
Creators: Wood, Lakota
Publisher: name: University of Alberta Library
Year: 2023

Studies have shown that Canadians perceive stereotypes of ethnic groups as differentially varying in terms of warmth and competence, and that Aboriginal groups are stereotyped as less competent and warm than other ethnic groups. This study extends this research by examining whether different labels for designating Indigenous people are associated with variations in warmth and competence. Online questionnaires were collected from 402 non-Indigenous, Canadian-born undergraduate students. All participants rated their perceptions of how “typical Canadians” perceived the warmth and competence of four major ethnic groups (English Canadians, French Canadians, Chinese Canadians, and South Asian Canadians) and Indigenous groups in Canada. The term used to label the Indigenous group varied across six conditions, including “Indigenous”; “Aboriginal”; “Native”; “First Nations, Metis, and Inuit”; “Indian”; and “(North American) Indian”. The results indicated that, regardless of the label, the Indigenous group was rated lowest in competence and warmth compared to the other ethnic groups, with the exception of “Indian” and “(North American) Indian” labels. The results are discussed with reference to other studies on the potential of relabelling in mitigating discriminatory stereotypes and the connotations that young adult Canadians may associate with the labels used in this study.
Adsorption of Heavy Metals by Biochar: Experimental and Literature Analyses
Creators: Gu, Huile
Publisher: name: University of Alberta Library
Year: 2023

Biochar is a stabilized carbon with porous structure that can be used as an economical adsorbent for wastewater treatment. Since there are numerous types of biochars, it is important to understand how biochar characteristics influence adsorption performance by selecting or customizing biochars that are suitable for wastewater treatment. There is a large amount of wastewater containing low concentrations of heavy metals (e.g., cadmium and lead) produced daily all over the world. This research investigates the relationship between biochar characteristics and cadmium and lead adsorption performance in aqueous solutions both experimentally and using data collected from the literature.

A batch adsorption experiment was conducted using non-activated and steam activated biochars made from wheat (Triticum aestivum) straw and cattle manure pellets. Cadmium nitrate (Cd(NO3)2) solutions with 0, 50, 75, 100, 125, 150, and 200 mg Cd/L were shaken with biochars until adsorption equilibrium to generate adsorption isotherms. The adsorption isotherms had poor fitting with Langmuir, Freundlich, Sips, and Dubinin-Radushkevich models, and the possible causes were discussed.

To provide general suggestions about biochar selection for cadmium or lead removal from wastewater, data were collected from the literature on biochar adsorption in cadmium or lead solutions based on research papers published between 2011 and 2021. Biochar parameters (e.g., highest pyrolysis temperature, biochar pH, surface area, total pore volume, average pore size, ash content, atomic ratio of oxygen:carbon, atomic ratio of hydrogen:carbon), and adsorption model parameters (e.g., the maximum adsorption capacity, Qmax, of Langmuir model and the constant related to favourability of adsorption, 1/n, of Freundlich model) were collected from these research articles. Simple linear regression was used to investigate the relationship between biochar characteristics and adsorption capacity. Total pore volume, highest pyrolysis temperature, and biochar pH were identified as three potential predictors for cadmium adsorption capacity for wastewater remediation; however, this study did not find good predictors for lead adsorption capacity, suggesting biochar selection should be adjusted based on the target contaminant.
Should Models Be Accurate?
Creators: Saleh, Esraa M M
Publisher: name: University of Alberta Library
Year: 2023

Learning only by direct interaction with the world can be expensive in many real world applications. In such settings, Model-based Reinforcement Learning (MBRL) methods are a promising avenue towards data-efficiency. By planning with a model, a sequential decision making agent can decrease its reliance on direct interaction with the world. However, when the world is large, complex or seemingly changing, a learned model will be inevitably imperfect. Past work demonstrates that the effects of model imperfection can be difficult to avoid. In this thesis, we question the traditional objective of models that aims for accuracy in simulating the world. A model really only needs to be useful. Inspired by advances in meta-learning, we design a novel model learning loss. We show that a useful but inaccurate model can be learned with this loss so that it matches or surpasses accurate models in performance.
Sonnenfleckenzeichnung Nr. 23.
Zeichnung von Flecken und Fackelflächen zur Ermittlung der Sonnenaktivität am 31.01.2015, 09:15, erstellt von Sergio Cortesi
Creators: name: Observatorium Specola Solare Ticinese Locarno (1957 bis 1980 Teil der Eidgenössischen Sternwarte der ETH Zürich)
Publisher: name: [s.n.]
Year: 2015

description: Bleistiftzeichnung mit schwarzer Farbe und Bleistift, erstellt als Projektionsbildzeichnung für die Beobachtungen in Locarno-Monti auf einem eigenen Vordruck. Instrument: Zeiss-Coudé-Refraktor mit 15 cm Öffnung und 225 cm Brennweite. Bildqualität (SIDC): 3.
Die Beobachtungen zu Einzelflecken und zu Sonnenfleckengruppen wurden auf dem Vordruck eingetragen. Zusätzlich sind zuhanden der späteren statistischen Verarbeitung die Angaben für die Bestimmung der Fleckenrelativzahl notiert.
Beobachtungstätigkeit unter eigenständiger Leitung (Associazione Specola Solare Ticinese ASST)
Gracilinanus Gardner and Creighton 1989
Creators: name: Gardner, Alfred L.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 1993
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Chordata
Mammalia
Didelphimorphia
Didelphidae
Gracilinanus

description: Gracilinanus Gardner and Creighton, 1989. Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash., 102:4. TYPE SPECIES: Didelphys microtarsus Wagner, 1842, by original designation. COMMENTS: Previously in Marmosa (sensu lato; see Gardner and Creighton (1989).
description: Published as part of Alfred L. Gardner, 1993, Order Didelphimorphia, pp. 15-23 in Mammal Species of the World (2 nd Edition), Washington and London :Smithsonian Institution Press on page 17, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.7353070
description: {"references": ["Gardner, A. L., and G. K. Creighton. 1989. A new generic name for Tate's microtarsus group of South American mouse opossums (Marsupialia: Didelphidae). Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington, 102: 3 - 7."]}
Sonnenfleckenzeichnung Nr. 141.
Zeichnung von Flecken und Fackelflächen zur Ermittlung der Sonnenaktivität am 08.07.2015, 09:15, erstellt von Marco Cagnotti
Creators: name: Observatorium Specola Solare Ticinese Locarno (1957 bis 1980 Teil der Eidgenössischen Sternwarte der ETH Zürich)
Publisher: name: [s.n.]
Year: 2015

description: Bleistiftzeichnung mit schwarzer Farbe und Bleistift, erstellt als Projektionsbildzeichnung für die Beobachtungen in Locarno-Monti auf einem eigenen Vordruck. Instrument: Zeiss-Coudé-Refraktor mit 15 cm Öffnung und 225 cm Brennweite. Bildqualität (SIDC): 3.
Die Beobachtungen zu Einzelflecken und zu Sonnenfleckengruppen wurden auf dem Vordruck eingetragen. Zusätzlich sind zuhanden der späteren statistischen Verarbeitung die Angaben für die Bestimmung der Fleckenrelativzahl notiert.
Beobachtungstätigkeit unter eigenständiger Leitung (Associazione Specola Solare Ticinese ASST)
Leadership experiences in religious schools: a qualitative study examining principals’ perspectives on factors that hinder and enhance their performance as school leaders
Creators: name: ElDessouky, Iman F.
Publisher: name: No Publisher Supplied
Year: 2023

description: Islamic schools are expected to provide excellent academic and religious education to all students (Brifkani, 2017). A strong principal is integral in creating a learning environment and school culture that are conducive to academic excellence, continuous improvement, and religious spirituality (Aabed, 2006). However, the lack of stable leadership has become a challenge in Islamic schools across the country (Qadri, 2014). There is limited scholarly literature that addresses leadership experiences in Islamic schools in the United States. With the continuous growth of Islamic schools in the United States, knowledge of their operation, leadership styles, and leaders’ experiences must be included in the literature on religious school leadership. It is also important for American society to become socially aware of the intentions and practices of Islamic schools to alter the stereotyping and prejudice against Muslims. However, academic studies on Islamic education issues in general and Islamic leadership, in particular, are deficient (Senzai, 2009). With the pressing need to conduct research on these topics to assist Muslim school leaders in improving their schools and to broaden the understanding of Islamic education for the public, this study was conducted to add to the literature and to help inform policies pertaining to Islamic school Boards and how they operate. This study investigated the principals’ perspectives on factors that hinder and enhance their performance as school leaders. The aim was to explore the challenges that principals faced and that impacted their morale and ability to lead their schools. The study also sought to explore the structures and practices they utilized and perceived as beneficial to remain in their positions. To further understand both the challenges and the support systems in Islamic schools, this study sought to compare and contrast the challenges and support systems of leadership in other private religious schools, especially Catholic and Jewish schools. The goal was to identify challenges as well as best practices for effective leadership in private religious schools.
Preliminary bounds of the gravitational Local Position Invariance from Solar System planetary precessions
Creators: name: Iorio, Lorenzo
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2013
Subjects: subject: General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology (gr-qc)
subject: Earth and Planetary Astrophysics (astro-ph.EP)
subject: Space Physics (physics.space-ph)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: In the framework of the Parameterized Post-Newtonian (PPN) formalism, we calculate the long-term Preferred Location (PL) effects, proportional to the Whitehead parameter $ξ$, affecting all the Keplerian orbital elements of a localized two-body system, apart from the semimajor axis $a$. They violate the gravitational Local Position Invariance (LPI), fulfilled by General Relativity (GR). We obtain preliminary bounds on $ξ$ by using the latest results in the field of the Solar System planetary ephemerides. The non-detection of any anomalous perihelion precession for Mars allows us to indirectly infer $|ξ|\leq 5.8\times 10^{-6}$. \textcolor{black}{Such a bound is close to the constraint, of the order of $10^{-6}$, expected from the future BepiColombo mission to Mercury. As a complementary approach, the PL effects should be explicitly included in the dynamical models fitted to planetary data sets to estimate $ξ$ in a least-square fashion in a dedicated ephemerides orbit solution.} The ratio of the anomalous perihelion precessions for Venus and Jupiter, determined with the EPM2011 ephemerides at the $<3σ$ level, if confirmed as genuine physical effects needing explanation by future studies, rules out the hypothesis $ξ\neq 0$. A critical discussion of the $|ξ| \lesssim 10^{-6}-10^{-7}$ upper bounds obtained in the literature from the close alignment of the Sun's spin axis and the total angular momentum of the Solar System is presented.
description: LaTex2e, 9 pages, 2 tables, no figures. Accepted for publication in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society (MNRAS)
Gracilinanus aceramarcae
Creators: name: Gardner, Alfred L.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 1993
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Chordata
Mammalia
Didelphimorphia
Didelphidae
Gracilinanus
Gracilinanus aceramarcae

description: Gracilinanus aceramarcae (Tate, 1931). Am. Mus. Novit., 493:12. TYPE LOCALITY: Bolivia, La Paz, "Rio Aceramarca, tributary of Rio Unduavi, Yungas." DISTRIBUTION: Bolivia (type locality).
description: Published as part of Alfred L. Gardner, 1993, Order Didelphimorphia, pp. 15-23 in Mammal Species of the World (2 nd Edition), Washington and London :Smithsonian Institution Press on page 17, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.7353070
Bent waveguides for matter-waves: supersymmetric potentials and reflectionless geometries
Creators: name: del Campo, Adolfo
name: Boshier, Malcolm G.
name: Saxena, Avadh
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2013
Subjects: subject: Quantum Physics (quant-ph)
subject: Quantum Gases (cond-mat.quant-gas)
subject: Mathematical Physics (math-ph)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: Non-zero curvature in a waveguide leads to the appearance of an attractive quantum potential which crucially affects the dynamics in matter-wave circuits. Using methods of supersymmetric quantum mechanics, pairs of bent waveguides are found whose geometry-induced potentials share the same scattering properties. As a result, reflectionless waveguides, dual to the straight waveguide, are identified. Strictly isospectral waveguides are also found by modulating the depth of the trapping potential. Numerical simulations are used to demonstrate the efficiency of these approaches in tailoring and controlling curvature-induced quantum-mechanical effects.
description: 6 pages, 4 figures
Mass inflation inside black holes revisited
Creators: name: Dokuchaev, Vyacheslav I.
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2013
Subjects: subject: General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology (gr-qc)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: The mass inflation phenomenon implies that black hole interiors are unstable due to a back-reaction divergence of the perturbed black hole mass function at the Cauchy horizon. Weak point in the standard mass inflation calculations is in a fallacious using of the global Cauchy horizon as a place for the maximal growth of the back-reaction perturbations instead of the local inner apparent horizon. It is derived the new spherically symmetric back-reaction solution for two counter-streaming light-like fluxes near the inner apparent horizon of the charged black hole by taking into account its separation from the Cauchy horizon. In this solution the back-reaction perturbations of the background metric are truly the largest at the inner apparent horizon, but, nevertheless, remain small. The back reaction, additionally, removes the infinite blue-shift singularity at the inner apparent horizon and at the Cauchy horizon.
description: 14 pages, 2 figures, Fig. 1 is proofed
Sonnenfleckenzeichnung Nr. 44.
Zeichnung von Flecken und Fackelflächen zur Ermittlung der Sonnenaktivität am 06.03.2015, 07:45, erstellt von Marco Cagnotti
Creators: name: Observatorium Specola Solare Ticinese Locarno (1957 bis 1980 Teil der Eidgenössischen Sternwarte der ETH Zürich)
Publisher: name: [s.n.]
Year: 2015

description: Bleistiftzeichnung mit schwarzer Farbe und Bleistift, erstellt als Projektionsbildzeichnung für die Beobachtungen in Locarno-Monti auf einem eigenen Vordruck. Instrument: Zeiss-Coudé-Refraktor mit 15 cm Öffnung und 225 cm Brennweite. Bildqualität (SIDC): 2.
Die Beobachtungen zu Einzelflecken und zu Sonnenfleckengruppen wurden auf dem Vordruck eingetragen. Zusätzlich sind zuhanden der späteren statistischen Verarbeitung die Angaben für die Bestimmung der Fleckenrelativzahl notiert.
Beobachtungstätigkeit unter eigenständiger Leitung (Associazione Specola Solare Ticinese ASST)
Architecture of the Florida Power Grid as a Complex Network
Creators: name: Xu, Yan
name: Gurfinkel, Aleks Jacob
name: Rikvold, Per Arne
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2013
Subjects: subject: Physics and Society (physics.soc-ph)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: We study the Florida high-voltage power grid as a technological network embedded in space. Measurements of geographical lengths of transmission lines, the mixing of generators and loads, the weighted clustering coefficient, as well as the organization of edge conductance weights show a complex architecture quite different from random-graph models usually considered. In particular, we introduce a parametrized mixing matrix to characterize the mixing pattern of generators and loads in the Florida Grid, which is intermediate between the random mixing case and the semi-bipartite case where generator-generator transmission lines are forbidden. Our observations motivate an investigation of optimization (design) principles leading to the structural organization of power grids. We thus propose two network optimization models for the Florida Grid as a case study. Our results show that the Florida Grid is optimized not only by reducing the construction cost (measured by the total length of power lines), but also through reducing the total pairwise edge resistance in the grid, which increases the robustness of power transmission between generators and loads against random line failures. We then embed our models in spatial areas of different aspect ratios and study how this geometric factor affects the network structure, as well as the box-counting fractal dimension of the grids generated by our models.
description: 22 pages, 7 figures and 1 table. Original research article, to appear in Physica A
Sonnenfleckenzeichnung Nr. 48.
Zeichnung von Flecken und Fackelflächen zur Ermittlung der Sonnenaktivität am 10.03.2015, 08:00, erstellt von Marco Cagnotti
Creators: name: Observatorium Specola Solare Ticinese Locarno (1957 bis 1980 Teil der Eidgenössischen Sternwarte der ETH Zürich)
Publisher: name: [s.n.]
Year: 2015

description: Bleistiftzeichnung mit schwarzer Farbe und Bleistift, erstellt als Projektionsbildzeichnung für die Beobachtungen in Locarno-Monti auf einem eigenen Vordruck. Instrument: Zeiss-Coudé-Refraktor mit 15 cm Öffnung und 225 cm Brennweite. Bildqualität (SIDC): 3.
Die Beobachtungen zu Einzelflecken und zu Sonnenfleckengruppen wurden auf dem Vordruck eingetragen. Zusätzlich sind zuhanden der späteren statistischen Verarbeitung die Angaben für die Bestimmung der Fleckenrelativzahl notiert.
Beobachtungstätigkeit unter eigenständiger Leitung (Associazione Specola Solare Ticinese ASST)
Baryogenesis and Dark Matter with Vector-like Fermions
Creators: name: Fairbairn, Malcolm
name: Grothaus, Philipp
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2013
Subjects: subject: High Energy Physics - Phenomenology (hep-ph)
subject: Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics (astro-ph.CO)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: We show that vector-like fermions can act as the dark matter candidate in the universe whilst also playing a crucial role in electroweak baryogenesis through contributing to the barrier in the one-loop thermal scalar potential. In order for the new fermions to give rise to a strong first order phase transition, we show that one requires rather large Yukawa couplings in the new sector, which are strongly constrained by electroweak precision tests and perturbativity. Strong couplings between the dark matter candidate and the Higgs boson intuitively lead to small values of the relic density and problems with dark matter direct detection bounds. Nevertheless, when considering the most general realisation of the model, we find regions in the parameter space that respect all current constraints and may explain both mysteries simultaneously.
description: 21 pages, 11 figures, references added, includes discussion of vacuum stability, matches published version
Differentially Private Algorithms for Efficient Online Matroid Optimization
Creators: Chandak, Kushagra
Publisher: name: University of Alberta Library
Year: 2023

A matroid bandit is the online version of combinatorial optimization on a matroid, in which the learner chooses $K$ actions from a set of  $L$ actions that can form a matroid basis. Many real-world applications such as recommendation systems can be modeled as matroid bandits. In such learning problems, the revealed data may involve sensitive user information. Therefore,  privacy considerations are crucial. We propose two simple and practical differentially private algorithms for matroid bandits built on the well-known Upper Confidence Bound algorithms and Thompson Sampling. The key idea behind our first algorithm, Differentially Private Upper Confidence Bound for Matroid Bandits (DPUCB-MAT), is to construct differentially private upper confidence bounds. The second algorithm, Differentially Private Thompson Sampling for Matroid Bandits (DPTS-MAT), is based on the idea of drawing random samples from differentially private posterior distributions. Both algorithms achieve $O\left( L\ln(n)/\Delta + LK\ln(n) \min\left\{K, \ln(n) \right\}/\varepsilon \right)$ regret bounds, where $\Delta$ denotes the mean reward gap and $\varepsilon$ is the required privacy parameter. Our derived regret bounds rely on novel technical arguments that deeply explore the special structure of matroids. We show a novel way to construct ordered pairs between the played actions and the optimal actions, which contributes to decomposing a matroid bandit problem into $K$ stochastic multi-armed bandit problems. Finally, we conduct experiments to demonstrate the empirical performance of our proposed learning algorithms on both a synthetic dataset and a real-world movie-recommendation dataset.
Near Critical Density Laser Beat-Wave Acceleration for Radiotherapy Applications
Creators: Kim, Carlton S
Publisher: name: University of Alberta Library
Year: 2023

This thesis examines 2D Particle-in-Cell (PIC) simulations of a beat-wave interacting with a Near-Critical Density (NCD) plasma to generate an electron beam suitable for radiotherapy. The beat-wave is generated from the co-propagation of an 800nm laser, the primary laser, and a 400nm laser, the secondary laser. The lasers are simulated with a pulse duration of 35 fs and a respective energy of 100 mJ each. A beat-wave is used due to the desirability of a compact setup appropriate in a medical environment. Beat-wave accelerators have historically been used when the typical high-intensity lasers used to reach the bubble-regime were not accessible, as the beat-wave is able to accelerate electrons in the plasma with relatively low intensity. Additionally, NCD plasmas are examined to enhance the charge generated from the interaction while limiting the maximum energy gain of the electrons. The lasers are examined with both linear and circular polarization to examine the polarization effect on overall charge and electron energy gain.                               The beat-wave is compared to the propagation of the primary laser alone and is found to better propagate through NCD plasmas. The single laser is only able to form cavitons in the first half of the plasma and does not lead to a peak of MeV electrons. Additionally, the limiting of the energy differs from typical, high-energy laser acceleration setups due to the different energy range used in radiotherapy. Linear accelerators currently used for electron radiotherapy generate electron beams with energies from 5-25 MeV and a dose rate of 1-10 Gy/min. The NCD plasma interactions lead to MeV order electrons which meet the energy and dose requirements set by linear accelerators and show aptitude for high-dose rate electron radiotherapy applications.
A framework for planning to improve teacher questioning in the science classroom
Creators: name: Crawford, Kristen M.
Publisher: name: No Publisher Supplied
Year: 2023

description: The release of NGSS in 2013 brought forth uncertainty among K-12 educators on how totranslate these standards into practical science lessons (Harris et al., 2017). One important instructional change that teachers still need assistance with is supporting sensemaking. To guide students in the process of sensemaking, teachers must ask questions that elicit responses that can help them understand student thinking (Science SCASS States, 2018). While asking questions is a common aspect of teaching, knowing what questions to ask in order to support students can be a difficult task for teachers (Biggers, 2018; Edmondson & Choudhry, 2018; Hansen & Buczynski, 2013, Harris et al., 2012). Prior research on teacher questioning highlights how teachers use questioning in the classroom; however, very few studies have focused on supporting teachers in planning and developing such questions. The purpose of this study was to develop a framework for questioning for the inquiry classroom and examine how teachers use this framework including their successes and struggles.This qualitative study was designed to investigate how teachers interpret the components of the inquiry science classroom and design questions that lead students to figuring out science phenomena. This study gathered data from a five-day professional development for teachers in grades K-12, including pre and post-surveys. The data collected focused on teachers’ understanding of the inquiry science classroom and science and engineering practices. The study documented the reported barriers that prevented teachers from planning for questioning and how these barriers affected their interpretation and use of the QPIC framework. The outcomes of the study will inform professional development and teaching practices in science education.
Sonnenfleckenzeichnung Nr. 54.
Zeichnung von Flecken und Fackelflächen zur Ermittlung der Sonnenaktivität am 23.03.2015, 08:30, erstellt von Marco Cagnotti
Creators: name: Observatorium Specola Solare Ticinese Locarno (1957 bis 1980 Teil der Eidgenössischen Sternwarte der ETH Zürich)
Publisher: name: [s.n.]
Year: 2015

description: Bleistiftzeichnung mit schwarzer Farbe und Bleistift, erstellt als Projektionsbildzeichnung für die Beobachtungen in Locarno-Monti auf einem eigenen Vordruck. Instrument: Zeiss-Coudé-Refraktor mit 15 cm Öffnung und 225 cm Brennweite. Bildqualität (SIDC): 4.
Die Beobachtungen zu Einzelflecken und zu Sonnenfleckengruppen wurden auf dem Vordruck eingetragen. Zusätzlich sind zuhanden der späteren statistischen Verarbeitung die Angaben für die Bestimmung der Fleckenrelativzahl notiert.
Beobachtungstätigkeit unter eigenständiger Leitung (Associazione Specola Solare Ticinese ASST)
A Narrative Inquiry Into the Experiences of Participants in a High School Feminist English Language Arts Class
Creators: Glaves, Melanie
Publisher: name: University of Alberta Library
Year: 2023

While many scholars have engaged with the benefits of feminist pedagogy in schools, most conceptualize feminist pedagogy in university classrooms as singular lessons, projects, units, or strategies in elementary and secondary schools. Through the relational research approach of Narrative Inquiry, this research explores the ways a Canadian public high school feminist English Language Arts course called “Girlhood” was experienced by two former students. The study also inquires into the researcher/teacher’s stories, which are interwoven with the former students’ experiences. The field texts for the study included conversation transcripts of conversations between each former student and the researcher. A narrative account was co-composed with each former student. By exploring their, and the researcher/teacher’s, stories of a feminist ELA course that was sustained over time, four narrative threads were discerned. This research shows how threads of family stories, feminist language, personal writing, and connecting personal and social worlds loop together with experiences in the high school feminist ELA course, which impact participants’ knowledge of themselves and the world. Examining the narrative threads within and across the stories of two students and the researcher/teacher created an opportunity to reflect on existing cultures, practices, and policies in high school as well as an opportunity to consider the impact of offering feminist ELA courses in a public secondary school context.
Development of Chemical Isotope Labeling Liquid Chromatography Mass Spectrometry on Quadrupole-Orbitrap Mass Spectrometers for Metabolome Analysis
Creators: Wang, Chu-Fan
Publisher: name: University of Alberta Library
Year: 2023

Chemical isotope labeling liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (CIL LC-MS) is a powerful technique in metabolomics, offering extensive coverage of the metabolome. This method involves dividing metabolites into sub-groups based on their functional groups and subjecting them to specific labeling reactions. By employing well-designed labeling reagents, CIL LC-MS enables improved LC separation and MS detection, the use of differential isotope labeling further allows for accurate relative quantification. To date, a four-channel labeling protocol has been developed in our lab, i.e., profiling amine-/phenol-, carboxyl-, hydroxyl-, and carbonyl-sub-metabolomes, achieving a remarkable 86%-95% coverage of non-lipid metabolites in the databases of MCID, HMDB, KEGG, YMDB and ECMDB. While quadrupole time-of-flight (QTOF) MS has been commonly utilized in CIL LC-MS, this thesis research focuses on implementing CIL LC-MS analysis on Q-Orbitrap MS, with an emphasis on maximizing instrumental performance for metabolomics.

Chapter 2 compared the effects of different instrument types (TOF MS vs. Orbitrap MS) on metabolite detectability, considering detection sensitivity, dynamic range, ionization efficiency, and ion transportation efficiency. Instrument type was found to significantly impact metabolite detection in CIL LC-MS, many common peak pairs were detected from the two instruments; however, there were a significant number of unique peak pairs detected in each type of instrument, necessitating careful comparison of data generated using different instruments.

Chapter 3 introduced a segmented spectrum scan method using Orbitrap MS in CIL LC-MS to enhance metabolite detection efficiency. During the LC data acquisition, the full m/z range was divided into multiple segments with the scanning of each segment to produce multiple narrow-range spectra. This approach realized a substantial increase in detectable metabolites while maintaining accurate relative quantification and precise peak ratio measurements.

Chapter 4 evaluated the performance of the segment-scan-assisted CIL LC-MS across different sample types such as feces, urine, blood, cell extracts, saliva, etc. A 120-m/z segment scan was established as a routine approach to further improve the overall MS detection of dansyl-labeled metabolites on Q-Orbitrap MS.

Chapter 5 explored the fragmentation patterns of dansyl-labeled amine-/phenol-containing metabolites using high-energy collisional dissociation (HCD) on quadrupole-Orbitrap MS, with a focus on MS/MS-based spectral elucidation to gain insights into the structure of dansyl-labeled metabolites.

Overall, this contributes to the optimization and understanding of CIL LC-MS analysis on Q-Orbitrap MS for metabolomics, advancing the capabilities of metabolite detection and identification in complex biological samples.
THE EFFECT OF β-FRUCTANS ON INTESTINAL PERMEABILITY IN PATIENTS WITH ULCERATIVE COLITIS IN CLINICAL REMISSION
Creators: Rashed, Reem A
Publisher: name: University of Alberta Library
Year: 2023

Introduction: β-fructans are non-digestible fermentable carbohydrates that are metabolized by commensal gut bacteria such as Faecalibacterium prausnitzii and Roseburia spp. By-products of β-fructans fermentation include short-chain fatty acids, shown to improve intestinal epithelial integrity and the mucosal barrier in pre-clinical studies via pH reduction, and homeostasis of energy metabolism and inflammation. Patients with inflammatory bowel diseases exhibit increased paracellular intestinal permeability and tight junction dysfunction (“leaky gut”), which may exacerbate disease progression. In a recent placebo-controlled intervention β-fructans reduced the severity of subclinical relapse in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC). However, it is unknown if this protective effect was mediated by improved intestinal permeability.

Hypothesis: We hypothesized that 6-month supplementation of β-fructans may improve barrier integrity in UC patients with inactive disease.

Methods: Serum samples and colonic biopsies were collected during a randomized placebo-controlled 6-month clinical study with 73 UC patients in remission treated with inulin-type β-fructans (Synergy 1, Beneo GmbH) or maltodextrin (placebo). mRNA expression of tight junction proteins including, claudin-2 and occludin, were quantified using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction from colonic biopsies. In addition, serum concentrations of markers for circulating Gram-negative bacteria [lipopolysaccharides (LPS) and LPS-binding protein (LBP)] and Gram-positive bacteria [lipoteichoic acid (LTA)] were assessed at baseline and endpoint by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

Results: Claudin-2 and occludin mRNA gene-expression showed a positive correlation to each other (Placebo: R2=0.604, p=0.001; β-fructans: R2=0.0528, p=0.007). Intergroup analysis showed that tight-junction proteins were down-regulated in patients treated with β-fructans. This was particularly valid for those patients in the β-fructans group who remained in clinical and biochemical remission (one-way ANOVA claudin-2 p=0.0332; occludin p=0.0640). Assessment of the serum LBP, LPS, and LTA showed no difference over the course of the study within treatment and between treatment groups (Placebo: LBP p=0.4939, LPS p=0.6437, LTA p=0.2738; β-fructans: LBP p=0.3092, LPS p= 0.397 LTA p=0.1207; between group differences: LBP p=0.2149, LPS p=0.3176, LTA p=0.0633). Further multivariate analysis including FCP and fecal SCFAs, and markers for intestinal permeability identified that fecal valerate was positively correlated to claudin-2 gene expression (R2=0.413, p=0004).

Conclusion: The efficacy of inulin-type β-fructans was partially mediated by down-regulation in tight-junction proteins claudin-2 and occludin mRNA gene expression in patients with UC who are in clinical remission.
Gracilinanus agilis
Creators: name: Gardner, Alfred L.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 1993
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Chordata
Mammalia
Didelphimorphia
Didelphidae
Gracilinanus
Gracilinanus agilis

description: Gracilinanus agilis (Burmeister, 1854). Syst. Uebers. Thiere Bras., 1:139. TYPE LOCALITY: Brazil, Minas Gerais, "Lagoa Santa." DISTRIBUTION: Brazil, E Peril, E Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay, and adjacent Argentina. SYNONYMS: beatrix Thomas, 1910; blaseri Miranda-Ribeiro, 1936; buenavistae Tate, 1931; chacoensis Tate, 1931; muscula Shamel, 1930 (preoccupied; replaced by formosa Shamel, 1930); peruana Tate, 1931; rondoni Miranda-Ribeiro, 1936; unduaviensis Tate, 1931. COMMENTS: The forms agilis and microtarsus may prove to be conspecific.
description: Published as part of Alfred L. Gardner, 1993, Order Didelphimorphia, pp. 15-23 in Mammal Species of the World (2 nd Edition), Washington and London :Smithsonian Institution Press on page 17, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.7353070
Sonnenfleckenzeichnung Nr. 227.
Zeichnung von Flecken und Fackelflächen zur Ermittlung der Sonnenaktivität am 31.10.2015, 09:15, erstellt von Andrea Manna
Creators: name: Observatorium Specola Solare Ticinese Locarno (1957 bis 1980 Teil der Eidgenössischen Sternwarte der ETH Zürich)
Publisher: name: [s.n.]
Year: 2015

description: Bleistiftzeichnung mit schwarzer Farbe und Bleistift, erstellt als Projektionsbildzeichnung für die Beobachtungen in Locarno-Monti auf einem eigenen Vordruck. Instrument: Zeiss-Coudé-Refraktor mit 15 cm Öffnung und 225 cm Brennweite. Bildqualität (SIDC): 3.
Die Beobachtungen zu Einzelflecken und zu Sonnenfleckengruppen wurden auf dem Vordruck eingetragen. Zusätzlich sind zuhanden der späteren statistischen Verarbeitung die Angaben für die Bestimmung der Fleckenrelativzahl notiert.
Beobachtungstätigkeit unter eigenständiger Leitung (Associazione Specola Solare Ticinese ASST)
Thermal Width of Quarkonium from Holography
Creators: name: Fadafan, Kazem Bitaghsir
name: Tabatabaei, Seyed Kamal
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2013
Subjects: subject: High Energy Physics - Theory (hep-th)
subject: High Energy Physics - Phenomenology (hep-ph)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: From the AdS/CFT correspondence, the effects of charge and finite 't Hooft coupling correction on the thermal width of a heavy quarkonium are investigated. To study the charge effect, we consider Maxwell charge which is interpreted as quark medium. In the case of finite 't Hooft coupling corrections, $\mathcal{R}^4$ terms and Gauss-Bonnet gravity have been considered, respectively. It is shown that these corrections affect the thermal width. It is also argued that by decreasing the 't Hooft coupling, the thermal width becomes effectively smaller. Interestingly, this is similar to analogous calculations in weakly coupled plasma.
description: 17 pages, 12 figures, minor improvements, reference added and typos corrected. Published version
Gracilinanus dryas
Creators: name: Gardner, Alfred L.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 1993
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Chordata
Mammalia
Didelphimorphia
Didelphidae
Gracilinanus
Gracilinanus dryas

description: Gracilinanus dryas (Thomas, 1898). Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., ser. 7, 1:456. TYPE LOCALITY: Venezuela, Mérida, "Culata." DISTRIBUTION: Andes of W Venezuela.
description: Published as part of Alfred L. Gardner, 1993, Order Didelphimorphia, pp. 15-23 in Mammal Species of the World (2 nd Edition), Washington and London :Smithsonian Institution Press on page 17, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.7353070
Sonnenfleckenzeichnung Nr. 40.
Zeichnung von Flecken und Fackelflächen zur Ermittlung der Sonnenaktivität am 01.03.2015, 11:00, erstellt von Andrea Manna
Creators: name: Observatorium Specola Solare Ticinese Locarno (1957 bis 1980 Teil der Eidgenössischen Sternwarte der ETH Zürich)
Publisher: name: [s.n.]
Year: 2015

description: Bleistiftzeichnung mit schwarzer Farbe und Bleistift, erstellt als Projektionsbildzeichnung für die Beobachtungen in Locarno-Monti auf einem eigenen Vordruck. Instrument: Zeiss-Coudé-Refraktor mit 15 cm Öffnung und 225 cm Brennweite. Bildqualität (SIDC): 3.
Die Beobachtungen zu Einzelflecken und zu Sonnenfleckengruppen wurden auf dem Vordruck eingetragen. Zusätzlich sind zuhanden der späteren statistischen Verarbeitung die Angaben für die Bestimmung der Fleckenrelativzahl notiert.
Beobachtungstätigkeit unter eigenständiger Leitung (Associazione Specola Solare Ticinese ASST)
Computer-based formative assessment in developmental writing targeting argumentative essay writing skills
Creators: name: Moschella-Schuller, Jennifer A.
Publisher: name: No Publisher Supplied
Year: 2023

description: In higher education, the entry-level, not-for-credit courses in Developmental Education play a pivotal role for incoming degree-seeking students. Focusing specifically on Developmental Writing, at two- and four-year public and private institutions across the country, a common requirement to pass the course is a summative argumentative essay that displays critical reading, writing, and thinking skills. Within this writing genre, there are major competencies that students are required to display having learned the content: writing an argumentative thesis statement, selecting and incorporating effective evidence, and creating original, evidence-based arguments. This study tested if formative assessments (FA) used during the argumentative writing process could improve students’ writing of the three major content skills. These FAs are called computer-based formative assessments (CBFAs) in this study because they were created on a computer and can be completed on any internet-enabled device. Using a mixed method intervention design that is founded in cognitive domain theory, specifically elements of evidence-centered design (ECD) and the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD), the results show that the CBFA intervention tools positively impacted student writing. The main data analysis is a paired T-test, comparing the pre-assessment and post-assessment overall scores. Qualitative data includes writing samples and student and instructor feedback.
The effects of network shape and perturbation on food web persistence
Creators: Brookson, Cole B
Publisher: name: University of Alberta Library
Year: 2023

Global change is altering ecological communities and the food webs they support, reducing food web persistence. While a variety of features likely impact the dynamics of perturbed food webs, the relative importance of intrinsic factors (i.e. characteristics of the food web itself) and extrinsic factors (i.e. the type of perturbation experienced) is still unclear. Food web shape, which I define jointly by the species richness distribution and the biomass distribution across trophic levels, may be a useful tool in understanding persistence dynamics. I use a size-based food web model to investigate how 1) persistence dynamics vary across different food web shapes, and 2) how food web shape interacts with perturbation type (pulse, press, and periodic pulse) to influence species loss and biomass change over time. I show that while food webs in the natural world can take on all forms of biomass and species richness distribution, these shapes aren’t likely stable without external forcing on the system, and that food webs with bottom-heavy species distributions are the most persistent. In addition, I show that when perturbed, the number of species lost and magnitude of change in biomass is driven jointly by endogenous mechanisms (i.e. food web shape), and exogenous mechanisms such as the trophic level of the perturbed species. These findings can be useful when forecasting how communities of interest may react to increasingly turbulent perturbation regimes caused by anthropogenic global change.
Development of cellulose-based material from wheat straw using a combination of pressurized water and ethanol and high-intensity ultrasound treatments
Creators: Vidrio Sahagun, Ana Xochitl
Publisher: name: University of Alberta Library
Year: 2023

The increasing demand for food containers, along with growing petroplastics concerns and Canada's single-use plastic ban, led to an interest in replacing petroplastics with renewable, biodegradable materials like cellulose. Wheat is one of the main cereal crops produced in Canada, and thus, large amounts of wheat straw, which is mainly composed of cellulose, is produced annually. Recently, cellulose and cellulose-based materials have been demonstrated to have potential as packaging materials. To isolate cellulose, conventional treatments that involve corrosive and toxic solvents have been used. The objectives of this thesis were to study cellulose isolation processes from wheat straw, including pressurized water + ethanol mixtures and alkaline hydrogen peroxide, with further fibrillation using high-intensity ultrasound (HIUS) to develop sustainable materials for potential food packaging applications. Furthermore, the effect of the incorporation of calcium carbonate and glycerol on the materials chemical properties was also studied. The samples treated with subcritical water and pressurized 20% aqueous ethanol (20% EtOH) showed the highest and the lowest contents of cellulose and hemicellulose, respectively. However, the pressurized 20% EtOH treatment removed more lignin. Therefore, the combination of pressurized 20% EtOH and alkaline hydrogen peroxide for 2.5 h resulted in a cellulose-rich solid residue with a cellulose content of 85.48±0.65%. Then, the bleached solid residue was dispersed and subjected to HIUS treatments up to 1200 W for 6, 13, and 20 min, resulting in a wide range of micro/nanofibers. The addition of calcium carbonate in the cellulosic micro/nanopapers produced a significant change in the water interactions with the cellulosic matrix. This research contributed to the understanding of cellulose isolation from wheat straw utilising pressurised water + ethanol mixtures hydrolysis, along with the generation of valuable co-products such as phenolics, carbohydrates, and minerals, hence fostering a circular economy in the wheat production and processing industry.