cometadata/datacite-rtg-text-other-reclassification-records huggingface dataset:
Social context: supporting interaction awareness in ubiquitous environments
Creators: name: Tran, Minh H.
name: Han, Jun
name: Colman, Alan
Publisher: name: Swinburne
Year: 2024

description: In ubiquitous computing environments, certain entities (or actors) often need to interact with each other in achieving a joint goal in a dynamically changing context. To perform such interactions in a seamless manner, the actors need to be aware of not only their physical context (e.g. location) but also their changing relationships with respect to the particular task or goal. The latter interaction-oriented context, which we refer to as social context, has significant impacts on the way actors manage their adaptive behavior. However, very little research has focused on supporting such social context in ubiquitous environments. This paper presents our novel approach to modeling and realizing social context. Social context is modeled as a managed composition of loosely-coupled roles with their interaction relationships expressed as contracts. In addition, it is modeled from an individual actor's perspective to allow for possible differences in the actors' perception of the relationships. The social contexts of an actor are externalized from the actor itself to achieve easy management of the actors' adaptive behavior concerning interaction. A layered system architecture is introduced to realize the approach and demonstrate the development of automotive telematics systems that are physically and socially context-aware.
Resolving the Taxonomy and Phylogenetics of Benthic Diatoms from Single Cell Sequencing
Creators: name: Lefebvre, Keely
Publisher: name: Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa
Year: 2016
Subjects: Diatoms
Phylogenetics
Taxonomy
Neidium
rbcL
18S
psbC
psbA

description: Benthic diatoms are often used as indicators of water quality and past environmental conditions. This depends entirely on a reliable taxonomic system. With the advent of DNA techniques, genetic analyses can now be used in tandem with traditional microscopy in order to improve taxonomy and determine evolutionary relationships. This thesis examined a speciose genus of diatoms Neidium (> 300 species) and, using sequence data from molecular markers as well as traditional morphological analyses, investigated phylogenetic relationships. Fresh benthic samples from aquatic ecosystems in Eastern North America were collected; Neidium taxa were examined using light and scanning electron microscopy then compared to the original specimen types. A total of 124 individual cells were retrieved, amplified, and sequenced for four molecular markers (rbcL, 18S, psbA, and psbC). Phylogenetic reconstructions were completed using Maximum likelihood and Bayesian analyses; when compared with morphological analyses this led to the delineation of several novel Neidium species.
title: Cross-border banking in regulated markets:Is financial integration desirable?
Creators: name: Haufler, Andreas
name: Wooton, Ian
Publisher: name: Universitätsbibliothek der Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München
Year: 2016
Subjects: subject: cross-border banking, capital regulation, financial integration
subject: 330

description: We set up a two-country, regional model of trade in financial services. Competitive firms in each country manufacture untraded consumer goods in an uncertain productive environment, borrowing funds from a bank in either the home or the foreign market. Duopolistic banks can choose their levels of monitoring of firms and thus the levels of risk-taking, where the risk of bank failure is partly borne by taxpayers in the banks' home countries. Moreover, each bank chooses the share of its lending allocated between domestic and foreign firms, but the bank's overall loan volume is fixed by a capital requirement set optimally in its home country. In this setting we consider two types of financial integration. A reduction in the transaction costs of cross-border banking reduces aggregate output and increases risk-taking, thus harming consumers and tax-payers in both countries. In contrast, a reduction in the costs of screening foreign firms is likely to be beneficial for banks, consumers, and taxpayers alike.
T. Bayles Minuse to Dr. A. Bernard Shea, October 2, 1956
Creators: name: Minuse, T. Bayles
Publisher: name: Unknown
Year: 1956
Subjects: Stony Brook
Concerts
Music festivals
Expense accounts
Financial disclosure
Correspondence

description: This letter is written by T. Bayles Minuse to Dr. A. Bernard Shea on October 2, 1956, in regards to the enclosed expense report for the Stony Brook Community Fund concerts for 1956.
Determination of arsenic concentration and distribution in the Floridan Aquifer System
Creators: name: Pichler, T.
name: Price, R.
name: Lazareva, O.
name: Dippold, A.
Publisher: name: Elsevier Science
Year: 2011
Subjects: subject: Florida
subject: Aquifer storage and recovery
subject: carbonate aquifers
subject: Arsenic
subject: Sampling
subject: pyrite
subject: 550

description: Here we report on the different sampling strategies for almost seven years of sampling rocks/sediments for the determination of As within the Intermediate Aquifer System (IAS) and upper Floridan Aquifer System (FAS), a very large and productive limestone aquifer spanning from Georgia into Florida. In the FAS, As contamination has become a recurring problem during aquifer storage and recovery (ASR), particularly in central and south Florida. To investigate these phenomena, samples from solid drill cores and rock cuttings were collected from the Hawthorn Group, Suwannee Limestone, Ocala Limestone and Avon Park Formation. Samples were taken along drill cores and rock cuttings (referred to as ‘interval’ samples) or from particular drill core sections and rock cuttings (referred to as ‘targeted’ samples) likely to contain elevated concentrations of As as indicated by the presence of pyrite, hydrous ferric oxide, organic matter, clay minerals, fracture surfaces, and high permeable (moldic) zones. Arsenic was present in all of the stratigraphic units at low concentrations, close to the global average for As in limestone of 2.6 mg/kg. The highest As concentration was 69 mg/kg. In all units, however, the average bulk As concentration in the targeted samples was substantially higher than that in the interval samples. Based on direct spot measurements by electron microprobe and indirect calculations, pyrite was identified as the main source of As in the FAS. Concentrations in pyrite ranged from less than 100 mg/kg to more than 11,000 mg/kg. Because pyrite is heterogeneously distributed, both vertically and horizontally in the sampled stratigraphic units, the same was observed for the distribution of As. However, As concentrations generally decreased with depth, i.e., highest As values in the Hawthorn Group and lowest As values in the Ocala Limestone and Avon Park Formation. Compared to pyrite, other trace minerals contained much less As. The average As concentrations of the two types of sample media (solid cores and rock cuttings) were quite similar. These results indicate that if simply the average bulk rock As concentration of a geologic unit is the desired outcome of an investigation, either interval or targeted sampling of rock cuttings, seems to be sufficient. This is particularly important when time and money are a factor. This approach could work equally well for any other trace element. Structural sedimentary information, such as fractures, etc., is likely lost, however, when sampling rock cuttings. Thus, if this information is required, solid core samples need to be collected by hollow core diamond drilling.
The Effects of Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus on Heat Loss During Exercise in the Heat
Creators: name: Carter, Michael R.
Publisher: name: Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa
Year: 2014
Subjects: sweating
skin blood flow
thermoregulation
exercise
Insulin Dependent Diabetes
neuropathy
sudomotor function

description: Studies show that vasomotor and sudomotor activity is compromised in individuals with Type 1 Diabetes (T1DM) which could lead to altered thermoregulatory function. However, recent work suggests that the impairments may only be evidenced beyond a certain level of heat stress. We therefore examined T1DM-related differences in heat loss responses of sweating and skin blood flow (SkBF) during exercise performed at progressive increases in the requirement for heat loss. Participants were matched for age, sex, body surface area and fitness cycled at fixed rates of metabolic heat production of 200, 250, and 300 W•m-2 of body surface area, each rate being performed sequentially for 30 min. Local sweat rate (LSR), sweat gland activation (SGA), and sweat gland output (SGO) were measured on the upper back, chest and forearm while SkBF (laser-Doppler) was measured on the forearm and upper back only. We found that despite a similar requirement for heat loss, LSR was lower in T1DM on the chest and forearm only, relative to Control and only different at the end of the second and third exercise periods. Differences in chest LSR were due to reduced SGA whereas the decreased forearm LSR was the result of a decrease in SGO. SkBF did not differ between groups. The reduction in the sweating response in the T1DM group was paralleled by a greater increase in core temperature. We show that T1DM impairs heat dissipation as evidenced by reductions in LSR and not SkBF. A compromised thermoregulatory response during and following physical exertion is of considerable concern due to the associated increased risk of post-exertion heat-related injury.
Understanding arsenic behavior in carbonate aquifers: Implications for aquifer storage and recovery (ASR)
Creators: name: Lazareva, Olesya
name: Druschel, Gregory
name: Pichler, Thomas
Publisher: name: Elsevier Science
Year: 2015
Subjects: subject: arsenic behavior
subject: carbonate aquifers
subject: aquifer storage and recovery
subject: ASR
subject: 550

description: Geochemical reactive transport modeling was coupled to bench-scale leaching experiments to investigate and verify the mobilization of geogenic arsenic (As) under a range of redox conditions from an arsenic-rich pyrite bearing limestone aquifer. Modeling and experimental observations showed similar results and confirmed the following: (1) native groundwater and aquifer matrix, including pyrite, were in chemical equilibrium, thus preventing the release of As due to pyrite dissolution under ambient conditions; (2) mixing of oxygen- and nitrate-rich surface water with oxygen-depleted native groundwater changed the redox conditions and promoted the dissolution of pyrite, and (3) the behavior of As along a flow path was controlled by a complex series of interconnected reactions. This included the oxidative dissolution of pyrite and simultaneous sorption of As onto neo-formed hydrous ferric oxides (HFO), followed by the reductive dissolution of HFO and secondary release of adsorbed As under reducing conditions. Arsenic contamination of drinking water in these systems is thus controlled by the re-equilibration of the system to more reducing conditions rather than a purely oxidative process.
Bio-Phototransistors with Immobilized Photosynthetic Proteins
Creators: name: Takshi, Arash
name: Yaghoubi, Houman
name: Jun, Daniel
name: Beatty, J. Thomas, 1949-
Publisher: name: Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute
Year: 2020

description: The efficient mechanism of light capture by photosynthetic proteins allows for energy transfer and conversion to electrochemical energy at very low light intensities. In this work, reaction center (RC) proteins, or a core complex consisting of the RC encircled by light harvesting (LH1) proteins (RC-LH1) from photosynthetic bacteria, were immobilized on an insulating layer of an ion-sensitive field-effect transistor (ISFET) to build bio-photodetectors. The orientation of the RC proteins was controlled via application of a hybrid linker made of 10-carboxydecylphosphonic acid and cytochrome c that anchored the RCs to their electron donor side. Bio-phototransistors consisting of either the core RC or the RC-LH1 core complex were tested under white and monochromic light. The difference between the dark and light currents at different wavelengths are well-matched with the absorption spectrum of the photosynthetic proteins. The results show potential for the use of photosynthetic proteins in photodetectors.
La representación de la migración en cuatro películas peruanas de los ochenta
Creators: name: Salinas Martínez, Pablo Manuel
Publisher: name: Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa
Year: 2013
Subjects: cine peruano
migraciones internas
instancia enunciativa
sujeto criollo-sujeto migrante

description: In this thesis I develop the notion of discursive instance applied to the internal migrant’s prominent role in Peruvian film. Through an analysis of film production during the eighties, I demonstrate that urban film reveals the crisis of the predominance of creole subjectivity within a cultural homogeneity. In opposition to this, it shows a heterogeneous process where the migrant referent, although part of the new urban context, belongs to a different cultural universe than that of its enunciator.
Design of a Pneumatic Artificial Muscle for Powered Lower Limb Prostheses
Creators: name: Murillo, Jaime
Publisher: name: Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa
Year: 2013
Subjects: PAM
Pneumatic Artificial Muscle
High power density actuator
Powered lower limb prostheses actuator
Actuators for robotics and automation
Biorobotics
Light and powerful actuator
Pneumatic actuator in aerospace industry
Powered prostheses
McKibben muscle
Lightweight actuator
Compliance
Actuator
Pneumatic
Legged robots
Rehabilitation
Gait
Exoskeleton
Locomotion
Aerospace actuator
Bipedal walking robot

description: Ideal prostheses are defined as artificial limbs that would permit physically impaired individuals freedom of movement and independence rather than a life of disability and dependence. Current lower limb prostheses range from a single mechanical revolute joint to advanced microprocessor controlled mechanisms. Despite the advancement in technology and medicine, current lower limb prostheses are still lacking an actuation element, which prohibits patients from regaining their original mobility and improving their quality of life. This thesis aims to design and test a Pneumatic Artificial Muscle that would actuate lower limb prostheses. This would offer patients the ability to ascend and descend stairs as well as standing up from a sitting position. A comprehensive study of knee biomechanics is first accomplished to characterize the actuation requirement, and subsequently a Pneumatic Artificial Muscle design is proposed. A novel design of muscle end fixtures is presented which would allow the muscle to operate at a gage pressure surpassing 2.76 MPa (i.e. 400 psi) and yield a muscle force that is at least 3 times greater than that produced by any existing equivalent Pneumatic Artificial Muscle. Finally, the proposed Pneumatic Artificial Muscle is tested and validated to verify that it meets the size, weight, kinetic and kinematic requirements of human knee articulation.
Enhanced bioaccumulation and biotransformation of As in coral reef organisms surrounding a marine shallow-water hydrothermal vent system
Creators: name: Price, Roy E.
name: London, Jacqueline
name: Wallschläger, Dirk
name: Ruiz-Chancho, Maria Jose
name: Pichler, Thomas
Publisher: name: Elsevier Science
Year: 2013
Subjects: subject: Arsenic
subject: hydrothermal
subject: bioaccumulation
subject: Metabolism
subject: 550

description: The marine shallow-water hydrothermal system in Tutum Bay, Ambitle Island, Papua New Guinea discharges as much as 1.5 kg of arsenic (As) per day into a coral reef ecosystem. Despite the amount of As released, coral reef organisms do not seem to be affected. We investigated the uptake and bioaccumulation of geothermally-derived inorganic As by the soft coral Clavularia sp., the calcareous algae Halimeda sp., and the sea squirt Polycarpa sp., by measuring the total As concentration (TAs) in tissues from each organism and comparing it to the same type of organism collected from a nearby control site. All organisms collected from the hydrothermal area displayed distinctly higher (2 to 20 times) TAs compared to the control site. Concentrations were typically higher in samples collected closer to the focused hydrothermal venting, which is the first direct evidence for enhanced bioaccumulation of As in organisms living within an area of hydrothermal influence. To assess As biotransformation to organoarsenicals, anionic and cationic As species were determined by IC-ICP-MS in methanol/water tissue extracts. The concentrations of several of the organoarsenic species were much higher at the hydrothermal vent site compared to the control site, and several organoarsenic species were present only in the hydrothermal samples, including some unidentifiable species. While intriguing, these speciation results cannot be interpreted robustly due to poor extraction efficiencies. Future researchers should attempt to improve the extraction efficiency to closer to 100%, which would allow a more accurate description of As biosynthesis pathways for the marine organisms living in these environments.
Academic staff's perception of valuing and rewarding good teaching: a comparative study
Creators: name: Jing, Wu
name: Ng, Gan Che
name: Sharma, Raj
name: Yan, Jun
Publisher: name: Swinburne
Year: 2024

description: Past researches indicate that good teaching in universities tends to be undervalued, particularly in comparison with research (Ramsden et al., 1995). These studies reveal that academics do not believe their universities really value and encourage good teaching. However, such investigations have largely been undertaken in major western countries, vis-à-vis the dearth in Asia. To fill this gap, a survey was undertaken at Wenzhou University to explore academic staff’s perception towards valuing and rewarding good teaching. The survey questionnaire in the study was adapted from a research commissioned by the Australian Committee for the Advancement of University Teaching. This adaptation allows comparisons to be made between the Chinese and Australian findings. The present study compares and contrasts survey results across the two countries and explores differences in perceptions between the two study groups.
Understanding physical literacy in the context of health: a rapid scoping review
Creators: name: Cornish, Katie
name: Fox, Gloria
name: Fyfe, Trina
name: Koopmans, Erica
name: Pousette, Anne
name: Pelletier, Chelsea A
Publisher: name: BioMed Central
Year: 2020

description: Background: Physical literacy is a multidimensional concept that describes a holistic foundation for physical activity engagement. Understanding the utilization and effectiveness of physical literacy in the context of health and the health care setting will support clinical and population health programming. The purpose of this rapid scoping review was to: 1) map the conceptualization of physical literacy as it relates to health; 2) identify and describe the utilization of physical literacy in the context of health and engagement of health care providers; and 3) better understand the relationship between physical literacy, physical activity, and health. Methods: Following established scoping review methods adapted for a rapid review approach, we searched electronic databases Medline OVID, CINAHL Ebsco, PsycInfo Ebsco, Web of Science ISI, and ERIC Ebsco from conception until September 2019. Tabulation coding was used to identify the key themes across included articles and synthesize findings. The review follows an integrated knowledge translation approach based on a partnership between the health system, community organizations, and researchers. Results: Following removal of duplicates, our search identified 475 articles for title and abstract screening. After full text review, 17 articles were included (12 original research papers and five conceptual or review papers). There was near consensus among included papers with 16 of 17 using the Whiteheadian definition of physical literacy. There was limited involvement of health care providers in the concept of physical literacy. Physical literacy was connected to the following health indicators: BMI and body weight, waist circumference, cardiorespiratory fitness, physical activity, and sedentary behaviour. The primary demographic focus of included studies was children and there was a conceptual focus on the physical domain of physical literacy. Conclusions: Despite growing popularity, the empirical evidence base linking physical literacy and health outcomes is limited and the relationship remains theoretical. Physical literacy may present a novel and holistic framework for health-enhancing physical activity interventions that consider factors vital to sustained participation in physical activity across the life course. Future work should continue to explore the nature and direction of the relationship between physical activity and physical literacy to identify appropriate focused approaches for health promotion.
Development of Ti-6Al-4V Coating onto Ti-6Al-4V Substrate Using Low Pressure Cold Spray and Pulse Gas Dynamic Spray
Creators: name: Pelletier, Jean-Louis
Publisher: name: Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa
Year: 2013
Subjects: Cold Gas Dynamic Spray
Cold Spray
Titanium
Ti-6Al-4V
Coating
Repair
Pulse Gas Dynamic Spray
Low Pressure Cold Spray
Microstructure
XRD
EDS
Metallurgical bonding

description: The objective of this study is to successfully deposit Titanium Ti-6Al-4V layers onto Ti-6Al-4V substrate using two new commercially available Cold Spray processes such as Low Pressure Cold Spray (LPCS) and Pulsed Gas Dynamic Spray (PGDS). The second objective of this work is to develop a technique to repair Titanium parts since there is currently no repair technique commercially available. It is envisioned that commercial cold spray systems could be used to repair gashes on Titanium components. The examination of both feedstock powders and coatings were performed by different techniques such as optical microscopy and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). Porosity, hardness, adhesion strength, flattening ratio, wipe test, fracture surface, wear test, XRD and chemical composition of the coatings using EDS have been evaluated. Cold spray has shown to be a promising technique for the deposition of heat sensitive particles such as titanium. LPCS and PGDS both produced high quality coatings. Low porosity, high hardness, adhesion strength over 40 MPa, metallurgical bonding, similar to bulk material wear rate, no oxide and nitride phases inside coating were measured.
RECENSIONE A: Fabian Schulz, Die homerischen Räte und die spartanische Gerusie
Creators: name: Dreher, Martin
Publisher: name: Dike. Rivista di storia del diritto greco ed ellenistico
Year: 2013

description: RECENSIONE A: Fabian Schulz, Die homerischen Räte und die spartanische Gerusie, (Wellem Verlag) Düsseldorf 2011 (Syssitia. Studien zur Geschichte und Kultur Spartas und zur Sparta-Rezeption, hg. von E. Baltrusch und A. Luther Band 1), 311 S., ISBN 978-3-941820-06-7

description: Dike. Rivista di storia del diritto greco ed ellenistico, Vol 14 (2011)
RECENSIONE A: Christopher Carey, Trials from Classical Athens
Creators: name: Giannadaki, Ifigeneia
Publisher: name: Dike. Rivista di storia del diritto greco ed ellenistico
Year: 2013

description: RECENSIONE A: Christopher Carey, Trials from Classical Athens. London and New York: Routledge (second edition), 2012, p.xi + 288. Hardback € 80.00 (Pbk: € 22.99). ISBN: 978-0-415-61808-3 (Pbk: 978-0-415-61809-0).

description: Dike. Rivista di storia del diritto greco ed ellenistico, Vol 14 (2011)
Fitofotodermatite — Um Caso Clínico
Creators: name: Rodrigues, Carlos
name: Agostinho, Margarida
name: Rocha, Graça
Publisher: name: Portuguese Journal of Pediatrics
Year: 2014

description: Apresenta-se um caso clínico de uma criança de 9 anos, com lesões cutâneas hiperpigmentadas, de forma bizarra, em que foi feito o diagnósticode fitofotodermatite. A propósito deste caso os autores fazem uma revisão bibliográfica desta patologia pouco frequente mas para a qual é necessário estaratento.
description: Portuguese Journal of Pediatrics, Vol 27 No 2 (1996)
Supplementary document for Single-layer graphene optical modulator based on arrayed hybrid plasmonic nanowires - 5412902.pdf
Creators: name: Li, Zhikai
name: Huang, Jiyuan
name: Zhao, Zhuohang
name: Wang, Yu-lin
name: Huang, Cheng-ping
name: Zhang, Yong
Publisher: name: Optica Publishing Group
Year: 2025
Subjects: Uncategorized

description: latex for Supplemental document
XVIII SYMPOSION
Creators: name: BANFI, ANTONIO
Publisher: name: Dike. Rivista di storia del diritto greco ed ellenistico
Year: 2013

description: La seconda settimana di settembre 2011 si è svolto a Parigi, presso la Galerie Colbert dell’INHA, il Diciottesimo Symposion di diritto greco ed ellenistico, organizzato da Bernard Legras, con il patrocinio dell’Université Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne, del CNRS e dell’Ecole des hautes études en sciences sociales. Questa ne è la cronaca.

description: Dike. Rivista di storia del diritto greco ed ellenistico, Vol 14 (2011)
Micelle-Catalyzed Domain Swapping in the Cytoplasmic Domain of E. coli Rhomboid Protease
Creators: name: Kwok, Jason Ka-Cheong
Publisher: name: Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa
Year: 2014
Subjects: Domain Swapping

description: Domain swapping is a mechanism of protein oligomerization whereby subunits exchange identical structural elements with each other. This type of interaction is important in a number of biologically important processes, including the regulation of enzyme activity, the modulation of molecular recognition and in the development of some protein deposition diseases. Domain swapping can be promoted by exposure to chemical denaturants, high temperatures, or redox reagents, although these factors can deviate greatly from conditions encountered in vivo. Moreover, in some cases these conditions can alter the monomer-oligomer equilibrium or even promote the formation of alternate domain-swapped oligomers. In contrast, we have found that it is possible for detergent micelles to be used as a catalyst in the domain-swapping interaction involving the N-terminal cytoplasmic domain of E. coli GlpG rhomboid protease. Our results show that hexadecylphosphocholine micelles can catalyze domain swapping of NGlpG by lowering the Gibbs free energy of the kinetic barrier by 12 kcal/mol, while preserving the equilibrium populations of monomer and dimer. Micelle charge and size were found to be important for this catalysis, which involved the formation of a partially unfolded micelle-bound intermediate containing significant secondary structure. Overall, the results from this work reveal how detergent micelles can affect the energy landscape of domain swapping for NGlpG, and provide insight into the potential ability of local irregularities in lipid membrane environments to play a role in domain swapping in vivo.
Kinematics & Kinetics Analysis of the Lower Extremity of Normal Weight, Overweight, and Obese Individuals During Stair Ascent & Descent
Creators: name: Law, Nok-Hin
Publisher: name: Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa
Year: 2013
Subjects: kinematics
kinetics
obesity
stair climbing

description: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of body mass and sex on the joint biomechanics of the lower extremity during stair ascent and descent. Nineteen normal weight (8M and11F; BMI: 22.1 ± 1.8 kg/m2), 18 overweight (14M and 4F; BMI: 27.4 ± 1.3 kg/m2) and 8 obese subjects (3M and 5F; BMI: 33.3 ± 2.5 kg/m2) were recruited. Joint mechanical loading presented by joint moment of force and peak joint angles at the hip, knee, and ankle during stair climbing were recorded and analyzed using a motion analysis system with 10 cameras and 4 force plates. The MANOVA and linear regression analysis found a significantly larger knee extensor moment (p=0.026) among the overweight compared to the normal weight participants during descent. Sex differences were found in the peak joint angles, as the females abducted their knees more than the males (p=0.002; r(51) = 0.51) during descent.
Strength of reinforced concrete bridge decks under compressive membrane action
Creators: name: Hon, Alan
name: Taplin, Geoff
name: Al-Mahaidi, Riadh
Publisher: name: Swinburne
Year: 2024

description: Compressive membrane action often exists in the deck of reinforced concrete beam-and-slab bridges, enhancing the deck strength above that determined using a normal flexural and punching shear strength theory. Approximate methods to account for compressive membrane action have been developed by previous researchers. These methods require knowledge of the restraint stiffness that exists for the slab, and this is not known with much certainty. Hence, compressive membrane action is usually not taken into account when determining the strength of reinforced concrete slabs. This paper presents a design method for assessing the restraint stiffness that exists for the slab of typical beam-and-slab bridge decks and the strength enhancement due to compressive membrane action. This gives a more accurate prediction of the strength of the slab. The method has been developed through the laboratory testing of concrete specimens and the use of nonlinear finite element modeling.
Modelling changes in secondary inorganic aerosol formation and nitrogen deposition in Europe from 2005 to 2030
Creators: name: Jonson, Jan Eiof
name: Fagerli, Hilde
name: Scheuschner, Thomas
name: Tsyro, Svetlana
Publisher: name: My University
Year: 2022

description: Secondary inorganic PM2.5 particles are formed from SOx (SO2+SO42-), NOx (NO+NO2), and NH3 emissions, through the formation of either ammonium sulfate ((NH4)2SO4) or ammonium nitrate (NH4NO3). EU limits and WHO guidelines for PM2.5 levels are frequently exceeded in Europe, in particular in the winter months. In addition the critical loads for eutrophication are exceeded in most of the European continent. Further reductions in NH3 emissions and other PM precursors beyond the 2030 requirements could alleviate some of the health burden from fine particles and also reduce the deposition of nitrogen to vulnerable ecosystems. Using the regional-scale EMEP/MSC-W model, we have studied the effects of year 2030 NH3 emissions on PM2.5 concentrations and depositions of nitrogen in Europe in light of present (2017), past (2005), and future (2030) conditions. Our calculations show that in Europe the formation of PM2.5 from NH3 to a large extent is limited by the ratio between the emissions of NH3 on one hand and SOx plus NOx on the other hand. As the ratio of NH3 to SOx and NOx is increasing, the potential to further curb PM2.5 levels through reductions in NH3 emissions is decreasing. Here we show that per gram of NH3 emissions mitigated, the resulting reductions in PM2.5 levels simulated using 2030 emissions are about a factor of 2.6 lower than when 2005 emissions are used. However, this ratio is lower in winter. Thus further reductions in the NH3 emissions in winter may have similar potential to SOx and NOx in curbing PM2.5 levels in this season. Following the expected reductions of NH3 emission, depositions of reduced nitrogen (NH3+NH4+) should also decrease in Europe. However, as the reductions in NOx emission are larger than for NH3, the fraction of total nitrogen (reduced plus oxidised nitrogen) deposited as reduced nitrogen is increasing and may exceed 60 % in most of Europe by 2030. Thus the potential for future reductions in the exceedances of critical loads for eutrophication in Europe will mainly rely on the ability to reduce NH3 emissions. © Author(s) 2022
Integrate Building Information Modeling (BIM) and Sustainable Design at the Conceptual Stage of Building Projects
Creators: name: Jalaei, Farzad
Publisher: name: Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa
Year: 2015
Subjects: Sustainable Design
Building Information Modeling (BIM)
Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)
Energy and lighting analysis
LEED
Life Cycle Cost (LCC)
Green Buildings
Conceptual Stage

description: Lately the construction industry has become more interested in designing and constructing environmentally friendly buildings (e.g. sustainable buildings) that can provide both high performance and monetary savings. Analyzing various parameters during sustainable design such as Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and energy consumption, lighting simulation, green building rating system criteria and associated cost of building components at the conceptual design stage is very useful for designers needing to make decisions related to the selection of optimum design alternatives. Building Information Modeling (BIM) offers designers the ability to assess different design options and to select vital energy strategies and systems at the conceptual stage of proposed buildings. This thesis describes a methodology to implement sustainable design for proposed buildings at their conceptual stage. The proposed methodology is to be implemented through the design and development of a model that simplifies the process of designing sustainable buildings, evaluating their Environmental Impacts (EI), assessing their operational and embodied energy and listing their potential accumulated certification points in an integrated environment. Therefore, a Decision Support System (DSS) is developed by using Multiple Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) techniques to help design team decides and selects the best type of sustainable building components and design families for proposed projects based on three main criteria (i.e. Environmental, Economical factor «cost efficiency » and Social wellbeing) in an attempt to identify the influence of design variations on the sustainable performance of the whole building. The DSS outcomes are incorporated in an integrated model capable of guiding users when performing sustainable design for building projects. The proposed methodology contains five modules: 1) Database Management System (DBMS), 2) Energy and lighting analysis, 3) Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), 4) LEED and 5) Life Cycle Cost (LCC). To improve the workability of the proposed model, a use case of abovementioned modules are going to be created as plug-ins in BIM tool. The successful implementation of such a methodology represents a significant advancement in the ability to attain sustainable design of a building during the early stages, to evaluate its EI, and to list its potentially earned certification points and associated soft costs.
Masculinities, friendship and support in gay and straight men's close relationships with other men
Creators: name: Robertson, Richard C.
Publisher: name: Swinburne
Year: 2024

description: In this qualitative study, gay and straight men's experiences in male friendships were examined in order to explore differences and similarities between the participants' construction of masculinities. A social constructionist approach to understanding human experience was utilised, through an examination of in-depth interviews with 21 men (10 straight, 11 gay). The data was interpreted following a hermeneutic phenomenological approach, utilising the lens of Gestalt therapy theory, resulting in a series of essence statements, which expressed the underlying structures of the participants' experiences of masculinity. These findings revealed constructions of masculinities which were explored in relation to the participants' close male friendships and support seeking processes. A major finding was the importance of shame as a regulating variable in the gay and straight participants' construction of their masculinity. Shame or avoidance of shame appeared to be linked to the influence of a dominant heterosexual masculine ideology. It was revealed that whilst dominant masculine ideologies were experienced as powerful 'background' beliefs, the participants were able to construct contemporaneous masculinities that were contextual and field sensitive. Thus the concept of masculinities appears inherently fluid, and changeable. Furthermore, the results indicated different definitions of friendship which appeared to be related to different constructions of masculinity. The gay participants' friendships were described in interpersonal terms compared with the straight participants' friendships which appeared more focussed on external activities. The experience of shame, or fear of the potential for shame emerged as important variables that influenced intimacy, closeness and distance in gay and straight participants' friendships and their ability to seek and receive emotional social support. The finding that men appear to seek help from male friends in ways that are consistent with their constructions of masculinity has important implications for fostering supportive interactions between men. Furthermore, an understanding of men's experiences regarding what constitutes a supportive interaction and defines intimacy appears important as these views will most likely guide their decision making processes about from whom and how they might seek support. Finally, the possibilities for constructing new masculinities are explored as men's friendships and support behaviour are both influenced by, and in turn influence, the construction of masculinities.
Longitudinal Associations between Externalizing Problems and Depression in Children and Adolescents
Creators: name: Blain-Arcaro, Christine
Publisher: name: Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa
Year: 2016
Subjects: aggression
externalizing problems
depression
childhood
adolescence

description: Although researchers have often focused on the victims of aggression, the detrimental effects of engaging in aggression and/or displaying symptoms of externalizing disorders have been clearly identified in children and adolescents. Longstanding consequences of externalizing problems include internalizing difficulties such as depression. There is an increasing interest in identifying the direction of effect and understand whether externalizing problems precede internalizing problems, vice-versa, or whether they share a bi-directional relation. However, the study of the temporal sequence between aggression, externalizing disorders, and internalizing disorders in children and adolescents has yielded inconsistent findings. The sequential relation between externalizing and internalizing difficulties in children and adolescents was examined in this dissertation consisting of three studies. In Study 1, the moderating role of worry in the relation between aggression and depression was examined. The sample consisted of girls nominated as either relationally or physically aggressive by their peers. Results indicated that worry exacerbated the risk of reporting elevated depressive symptoms concurrently and one year later for physically aggressive girls. In Study 2, three competing hypotheses on the longitudinal relation between aggression and depression were compared. Findings from this study supported the hypothesis that symptoms of depression are preceded by aggressive behaviour. Additionally, it was found that engaging in physical aggression predicted depressive symptoms for girls but not for boys. The results of the first two studies suggest that for girls, engaging in non-normative forms of aggression is associated with greater mental health problems. In Study 3, the temporal relation between symptoms of externalizing disorders, namely oppositional defiant disorder and conduct disorder, and symptoms of depression was examined. Results provided support that the progressive relation between symptoms of externalizing and internalizing disorders was bi-directional. In summary, although it seems that engaging in externalizing behaviour, such as aggression, predicts symptoms of depression, findings from the third study suggest that the sequential relation between symptoms of externalizing problems, which may or may not include aggressive behaviour, and symptoms of depression seem to share a reciprocal relation.
Magnetic resonance imaging compared to ultrasonography in giant cell arteritis: a cross-sectional study
Creators: name: Yip, Ashley
name: Jernberg, Elizabeth T
name: Bardi, Mohammad
name: Geiger, Julia
name: Lohne, Frode
name: Schmidt, Wolfgang A
name: Myklebust, Geirmund
name: Diamantopoulos, Andreas P
Publisher: name: BioMed Central
Year: 2020

description: Background: There has been a shift in recent years to using ultrasound (US) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as first-line investigations for suspected cranial large vessel vasculitis (LVV) and is a new recommendation by the EULAR 2018 guidelines for imaging in LVV. This cross-sectional study compares the performance of US and MRI and contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) for detecting vasculitis in patients with giant cell arteritis (GCA). Methods: Patients with new-onset or already diagnosed GCA were recruited. The common temporal arteries and supra-aortic large vessels were evaluated by US and MRI/MRA. Blinded experts read the images and applied a dichotomous score (vasculitis: yes/no) in each vessel. Results: Thirty-seven patients with giant cell arteritis (GCA) were recruited. Two patients were excluded. Of the remaining patients, nine had new-onset disease and 26 had established disease. Mean age was 71 years, and median C-reactive protein (CRP) was 7.5 mg/L. The median time between US and MRI was 1 day. Overall, US revealed vasculitic changes more frequently than MRI (p < 0.001). US detected vascular changes in 37% of vessels compared to 21% with MRI. Among patients with chronic disease, US detected vascular changes in 23% of vessels compared to 7% with MRI in (p < 0.001). The same was true for patients with new-onset disease. US detected vasculitic changes in 22% of vessels and MRI detected disease in 6% (p = 0.0004). Compared to contrast-enhanced MRA, US was more sensitive in detecting vasculitic changes in the large arteries, including the axillary, carotid, and subclavian arteries. Conclusion: US more frequently detects vasculitic changes in the large arteries compared to contrast-enhanced MRA. When evaluating the cranial vessels, US performs similarly to MRI. This data supports the recommendation that US be considered as a first-line evaluation in patients suspected to have GCA.
Advancing Scientific Text Classification: Fine-Tuned Models with Dataset Expansion and Hard-Voting
Creators: name: Rostam, Zhyar Rzgar K
name: Kertész, Gábor
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2025
Subjects: subject: Computation and Language (cs.CL)
subject: Artificial Intelligence (cs.AI)
subject: FOS: Computer and information sciences

description: Efficient text classification is essential for handling the increasing volume of academic publications. This study explores the use of pre-trained language models (PLMs), including BERT, SciBERT, BioBERT, and BlueBERT, fine-tuned on the Web of Science (WoS-46985) dataset for scientific text classification. To enhance performance, we augment the dataset by executing seven targeted queries in the WoS database, retrieving 1,000 articles per category aligned with WoS-46985's main classes. PLMs predict labels for this unlabeled data, and a hard-voting strategy combines predictions for improved accuracy and confidence. Fine-tuning on the expanded dataset with dynamic learning rates and early stopping significantly boosts classification accuracy, especially in specialized domains. Domain-specific models like SciBERT and BioBERT consistently outperform general-purpose models such as BERT. These findings underscore the efficacy of dataset augmentation, inference-driven label prediction, hard-voting, and fine-tuning techniques in creating robust and scalable solutions for automated academic text classification.
description: 6 pages, 1 figure, 8 tables
Defining Intervention Location from Social Network Geographic Data of People who Inject Drugs In Winnipeg, Canada
Creators: name: Shane, Amanda
Publisher: name: Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa
Year: 2013
Subjects: injection drug use
social network
social network analysis
spatial analysis
mapping
public health
epidemiology
structural intervention

description: Sharing and inappropriate discarding of syringes and drug use equipment can lead to transmission of bloodborne pathogens and decreased sense of community safety. To reduce these risks, interventions such as syringe drop boxes, are implemented. However, little consideration has been made of the social and spatial networks of the injection drug use (IDU) populations in the placement of these drop boxes. A sample of IDU was obtained through respondent driven sampling in Winnipeg, Canada in 2009. Characteristics of the sample and distribution of these characteristics through the social network were assessed. A spatial network was constructed which focused on the connections between IDU and specific geographic locations. Measures of centrality were calculated using Pajek and the geographic network was mapped using ArcGIS. Analysis of the social network revealed variation among network components in demographic and drug use characteristics. Spatial analysis revealed geographic clustering, quantified through network centrality measures. There was congruence between locations of high degree and current drop box placement in Winnipeg. This research illustrates the benefit of combining IDU social network and spatial data to inform evidence-based municipal policies and programs.
Three Essays on the Economics of Competitive Electricity Market
Creators: name: Olayinka, Williams
Publisher: name: Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa
Year: 2015
Subjects: Electricity
Economics

description: In this thesis we present three essays on the economics of competitive electricity. In chapter one we use a stochastic dynamic model to examine the economic impact of storing wind power in a hydroelectric reservoir. Using a stochastic dynamic model allows us to explicitly model the uncertainty of wind power in the objective function of the hydroelectric generator. We show that the amount of water released by the hydroelectric generator in any period is a decreasing function of the number of periods that the hydroelectric generator has to deplete its reservoir. Furthermore if the hydroelectric generator has a high enough number of periods to deplete the water in its reservoir it will be optimal for it not to release any water at the beginning. In chapter two we present a model of operating reserve in a competitive electricity market. Our paper departs from other papers in several respects. First, we concentrate on the possibility of generator failure and not demand uncertainty. Second, we allow demand to be highly inelastic rather than perfectly inelastic like other papers do. This allows price spikes to occur when there is a major generator failure. To moderate price spikes, options for operating reserves can be purchased and exercised when price spikes occur. Third, we model uncertainty on the supply side and not on the demand side. Fourth we adopt a two price approach where one price is used to reserve capacity and the other price is the strike price paid when the options are exercised unlike other models which use the spot price as the strike price. Finally we explicitly model the demand and supply in the market. Using the concept of rational expectation we develop and prove the existence and uniqueness of a rational expectations equilibrium and analyse its characteristics. Furthermore we show that the competitive electricity market will provide more operating reserve capacity than is socially optimal. In the chapter three we formalize a model of reliability for an electric grid when consumers’ preferences for electricity consumption are private information. In our model we design an optimal blackout strategy for the regulator. The model demonstrates that an ex post efficient social choice function is truthfully implementable in Bayesian Nash equilibrium. It also yields both the optimal level of generation capacity investment and the second-best blackout program.