cometadata/datacite-rtg-text-other-reclassification-records huggingface dataset:
Validation of Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Body Composition Assessment Methodologies in the Obese Pediatric Population
Creators: name: Breithaupt, Peter G.
Publisher: name: Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa
Year: 2011
Subjects: Obesity
Pediatrics
Body Composition
Exercise Testing
Cardiorespiratory Fitness
Aerobic Capacity
Oxygen Uptake Efficiency Slope
Adiposity
Fitness
Body Fat Distribution
Fat Mass
Lean Body Mass

description: Rates of obesity (OB) are escalating among Canadian children and youth and the obesogenic environment is likely to cause further increases. An important aspect in providing clinical care to OB children is to have accurate assessment measures, particularly of their body composition and cardiorespiratory fitness. This project entails three interrelated projects aiming to develop novel cardiorespiratory fitness and body composition measurement techniques for an OB pediatric population. The purpose of the first project was to validate a new submaximal fitness protocol specifically geared towards OB children and youth. The second objective of this thesis involved assessing cardiorespiratory efficiency utilizing the Oxygen Uptake efficiency slope. The purpose of the third project was to determine the validity of a half-body scan methodology for measuring body composition in obese children and youth. The goal of developing these novel measurement techniques is improved design and evaluation of interventions aimed at managing pediatric obesity.
Finite Element Modeling of the Mitral Valve and Mitral Valve Repair
Creators: name: Baxter, Iain A.
Publisher: name: Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa
Year: 2012
Subjects: mitral valve
mitral valve repair
finite element analysis
dynamic modeling
alfieri stitch
double-orifice Alfieri stitch
paracommissural Alfieri stitch
edge-to-edge repair
annuloplasty ring
quadrangular resection
surgery simulation

description: As the most commonly diseased valve of the heart, the mitral valve has been the subject of extensive research for many years. Prior research has focused on the development of surgical repair techniques and mainly consists of in vivo clinical studies into the efficacy and long-term effects of different procedures. There is a need for a means of studying the mitral valve ex vivo, incorporating patient data and the effects of different repair techniques on the valve prior to surgery. In this study, a method was developed for reconstructing the mitral valve from patient-specific data. Three-dimensional transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography (3D-TTE and 3D-TEE) were used to obtain ultrasound images from a normal subject and a patient with mitral valve regurgitation. Geometric information was extracted from the images defining the primary structures of the mitral valve and a special program in MATLAB was created to automatically construct a finite element model of a valve. A dynamic finite element analysis solver, LS-DYNA 971, was used to simulate the dynamics of the valves and the non-linear, anisotropic behaviour of biological tissue. The two models were successful in simulating the dynamics of the mitral valve, with the subject model displaying normal function and the patient model showing the dysfunction displayed in the ultrasound images. A method was then developed to modify the original patient model, in a way that maintains its patient-specific nature, to model mitral valve repair. Four mitral valve repair techniques were simulated using the patient model: the annuloplasty ring, the double-orifice Alfieri stitch, the paracommissural Alfieri stitch, and the quadrangular resection. The former was coupled with the other three techniques, as is standard protocol in mitral valve repair. The effects of these techniques on the mitral valve were successfully determined, with varying degrees of improvement in valve function.
Development of Drape Simulation Software and the Optimisation of Variable-Length Textiles
Creators: name: Burnford, Nicholas
Publisher: name: Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa
Year: 2011

description: The group of manufacturing methods known as Liquid Composite Moulding (LCM) is becoming the industry standard for Polymer Matrix Composite (PMC) production. These processes are versatile and cost-effective, but they are extremely dependant on the availability of textile preforms offering good quality and consistency. Good quality preforms are realised through well-controlled fibre volume fractions, fibre orientations and thicknesses as well as the absence of defects such as out-of-plane deformations and inter-fibre gaps. Preform quality is largely determined by the draping operation, which may be modeled to better inform the design of PMC components. A draping simulation software was developed in this thesis, which can simulate the draping of textiles onto model surfaces using the kinematic draping algorithm. In addition, the thesis presents a novel textile architecture where yarn spacing lengths in a textile may vary across the textile. These variable-length textiles can be custom-tailored for specific PMC applications, offering advantages over conventional constant-length textiles such as a larger surface area covered by a single piece of textile, lower values of in-plane shear, and controlled fibre orientations. The variable-length textiles can be optimised manually or using algorithms based on Monte Carlo methods which are implemented in the software. The draping simulation software was validated by comparing laboratory trials with drape simulations, and results obtained using generic demonstrators and an industrial component; several optimisation results are presented, demonstrating the advantages associated with variable-length textiles over conventional, constant-length textiles.
The Effects of Acid-Base Parameters, Oxygen and Heparin on the Ability to Detect Changes in the Blood Status of End-Stage Renal Disease Patients Undergoing Hemodialysis Using Whole Blood-Based Optical Spectroscopy
Creators: name: Atanya, Monica
Publisher: name: Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa
Year: 2011
Subjects: Chronic kidney disease
End-stage renal disease
Hemodialysis
Acid-base
Oxygenation
Heparin
Optical spectroscopy

description: Relative changes are detectable in the blood of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients during hemodialysis (HD) treatment using optical spectroscopy. However, the potential impacts of several confounding factors that could affect the detection of these changes have not been evaluated. The objectives of this thesis were to: 1) investigate how the variations and/or changes in acid-base and oxygen parameters during HD treatment can affect the optical signature of whole blood of ESRD patients, 2) to investigate the effect of heparin on the optical properties of whole blood and its impact on our method. Blood samples were drawn from 23 ESRD patients at 5 time points during a 4 hour HD treatment and sent for blood gas and blood spectroscopy analyses. No significant correlations were found between the changes in the blood transmittance spectra and acid-base and oxygen parameters. This indicates that the perturbations in these parameters due to HD procedures do not confound the detection of changes in the blood transmittance spectra of ESRD patients during HD treatment. Additionally, the effect of heparin in modifying the optical properties of whole blood does not confound the detection of changes in the blood of ESRD patients due to HD treatment using whole blood-based optical spectroscopy. ANOVA revealed significant (P<0.05) measurable changes in the blood transmittance spectra of ESRD patients during HD treatment. Significant spectral differences (P<0.05) were found between ESRD patients. The lack of uniform spectral characteristics across patients is
Best–Worst Method for Modelling Mobility Choice after COVID-19: Evidence from Italy
Creators: name: Moslem, Sarbast
name: Campisi, Tiziana
name: Szmelter-Jarosz, Agnieszka
name: Duleba, Szabolcs
name: Nahiduzzaman, Kh  Md
name: Tesoriere, Giovanni
Publisher: name: Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute
Year: 2020

description: All countries have suffered from the COVID-19 crisis; the pandemic has adversely impacted all sectors. In this study, we examine the transport sector with a specific focus on the problem of commuting mode choice and propose a new decision-making approach for the alternative modes after synthesizing expert opinions. As a methodology, a customized model of the recently developed best–worst method (BWM) is used to evaluate mobility choice alternatives. The survey reflects citizens’ opinions toward mobility choices in two Italian cities, Palermo and Catania, before and during the pandemic. BWM is a useful tool for examining mobility choice in big cities. The adopted model is easy to apply and capable of providing effective solutions for sustainable mode choice. The urban context is analyzed considering the importance of transport choices, evaluating the variation of resilience to the changing opinions of users.
Debonding strength of steel joints strengthened using strand CFRP sheets under axial tension
Creators: name: Taylor, C.
name: Jiao, H.
name: Zhao, X. L.
name: Kobayashi, A.
Publisher: name: Swinburne
Year: 2024

description: Strand CFRP sheets have the unique features of containing factory impregnated CFRP strands and having the flexibility that make strand sheets suitable for strengthening circular hollow sections along the longitudinal direction. Sufficient gaps are designed between the strands that can be easily filled with epoxy resin during a wet layup process. These features make strand CFRP sheets a promising alternative to conventional CFRP materials in strengthening metallic structures. In these applications, proper bonding between steel and CFRP is vital. Therefore the debonding mechanism and debonding strength are of interests to many researchers. In this study, strand CFRP sheets, with a nominal Young's modulus of 430GPa, were used for the connection of double trap steel joints. Tensile tests were conducted to investigate the bonding behaviour and bond strength. Different failure modes were observed for specimens with and without a primer layer. The bond strength and measured stresses in the bond region were compared with those reported by previous researchers.
title: Caring Over the Lifespan: Experiences of Caring for a Sibling with Schizophrenia
Creators: name: Stillwell, Katherine
Publisher: name: The University of East London
Year: 2016

description: Siblings can be seen as a huge resource in caring for adults with a diagnosis of schizophrenia: Many expect to take over the caring role of caring when their parents no longer can, and positive sibling relationships are related to better outcomes for adults with a diagnosis of schizophrenia (Smith, Greenberg and Seltzer, 2007). Despite these facts research into family carers has tended to neglect exploring sibling relationships until recently. Previous research has focused on the negative aspects of caring, and the coping strategies of the siblings. Very little has considered the impact of caring on the sibling relationship over the life-cycle, and why some siblings may offer support for their diagnosed siblings, while others do not. This study aimed to explore the sibling relationship over the life-cycle.
Six adults with a sibling diagnosed with schizophrenia were interviewed about their experiences growing up with and caring for their sibling over their life-cycle. Data was analysed using existentialist-informed hermeneutic phenomenology. Following this analysis three superordinate themes were identified, these were: the ‘terrible weight’ of having a sibling with a diagnosis of schizophrenia, evolution of the caring role over time, and expectations for their life-cycle. The findings from this study support previous findings showing that caring for a sibling with a diagnosis of schizophrenia is a difficult experience. This study also showed that the participants’ ability to care for their sibling increased over time, related to access to have some emotional distance, learning to care for themselves, gaining knowledge about schizophrenia and their sibling’s idiosyncrasies and being able to negotiate a caring vs a sibling relationship. The findings suggest that the participants felt a sense of obligation to care for their diagnosed siblings and that taking on this role might impact on their life choices, such as to have children. Limitations of the study, the implications for clinical psychology and recommendations for future research are discussed.
An Ontology Based Framework for Modeling Healthcare Teams
Creators: name: Yazdi, Sara
Publisher: name: Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa
Year: 2012
Subjects: Healthcare teams
Ontology

description: Advantages of applying information and communication technologies to support complex team practices in healthcare domain have often been supported in the extant literature. The primary assumption is that before putting any technologies in place to support team functions, the team-based environment should be completely modeled. To date, many frameworks have been proposed for modeling healthcare teams; however, most of the frameworks only focus on single or a few aspects of teamwork and the outcomes usually present overlaps, limitations and inconsistencies. As a result, there is an increasing demand for offering an overarching framework that integrates the multiple dimensions of healthcare teamwork into a synthetic whole and clearly conceptualizes the potentially important relationships and dependencies that exist over those dimensions. In order to properly address the aforementioned challenge, this thesis applies ontological engineering to develop an overarching framework for integrating the multiple dimensions of teamwork concept in healthcare domain. For this purpose, we first illustrate a set of four stage methodological approach to provide explicit details on how to incorporate a theatrical foundation into the ontology. Then, the proposed approach is used to develop a derived ontological framework. Finally, accuracy and completeness of the proposed ontology based framework is validated to show that it is able to accurately represent the domain is it being employed for. The values and capabilities of ontology have already been studied and approved, and this technology is known as the best sources to represent a knowledge domain by means of concepts and accurately define the relationships among them. Our aim in this thesis is to further research how to develop and evaluate a standard ontology based framework to facilitate the healthcare team modeling.
Large herbivores on permafrost - a pilot study of grazing impacts on permafrost soil carbon storage in northeastern Siberia
Creators: name: Windirsch, Torben
name: Ulrich, Mathias
name: Große, Guido
Publisher: name: My University
Year: 2022
Subjects: Tierhaltung
Klimaänderung

description: The risk of carbon emissions from permafrost is linked to an increase in ground temperature and thus in particular to thermal insulation by vegetation, soil layers and snow cover. Ground insulation can be influenced by the presence of large herbivores browsing for food in both winter and summer. In this study, we examine the potential impact of large herbivore presence on the soil carbon storage in a thermokarst landscape in northeastern Siberia. Our aim in this pilot study is to conduct a first analysis on whether intensive large herbivore grazing may slow or even reverse permafrost thaw by affecting thermal insulation through modifying ground cover properties. As permafrost soil temperatures are important for organic matter decomposition, we hypothesize that herbivory disturbances lead to differences in ground-stored carbon. Therefore, we analyzed five sites with a total of three different herbivore grazing intensities on two landscape forms (drained thermokarst basin, Yedoma upland) in Pleistocene Park near Chersky. We measured maximum thaw depth, total organic carbon content, 8´13C isotopes, carbon-nitrogen ratios, and sediment grain-size composition as well as ice and water content for each site. We found the thaw depth to be shallower and carbon storage to be higher in intensively grazed areas compared to extensively and non-grazed sites in the same thermokarst basin. First data show that intensive grazing leads to a more stable thermal ground regime and thus to increased carbon storage in the thermokarst deposits and active layer. However, the high carbon content found within the upper 20 cm on intensively grazed sites could also indicate higher carbon input rather than reduced decomposition, which requires further studies including investigations of the hydrology and general ground conditions existing prior to grazing introduction. We explain our findings by intensive animal trampling in winter and vegetation changes, which overcompensate summer ground warming. We conclude that grazing intensity - along with soil substrate and hydrologic conditions - might have a measurable influence on the carbon storage in permafrost soils. Hence the grazing effect should be further investigated for its potential as an actively manageable instrument to reduce net carbon emission from permafrost. © 2022 the Authors
Behaviour of timber-glued panels strengthened with BFRP under tensile loading
Creators: name: Fernando, D.
name: Frangi, A.
name: Kobel, P.
Publisher: name: Swinburne
Year: 2024

description: Wood is a complex material which exhibits wide range of variation of its material properties. Adding to this variations, often found defects such as knots significantly affect the properties and performance of timber structures. Studies have been conducted focusing on strengthening of timber structures against defects such as knots. One such strengthening option for glued laminated timber beams is the fibre reinforced polymer (FRP) strengthening. This paper presents a study aimed at investigating the behaviour of timber-glued panels with Basalt FRP (BFRP) under tensile loading. The results from an experimental program using both, timber without knots and with knots are presented. A finite element model aimed at further understanding the experimental results is also presented. It was found that, BFRP can effectively enhance the load carrying capacity of damaged timber specimens. Effectiveness of BFRP increased with the BFRP cross sectional area and damage percentage of timber. It was also found that, after the failure initiation of timber, BFRP can still carry further loading, therefore resulting in more ductile behaviour compared to pure timber specimens.
Tensile test of CRRP bonded steel plate with heat resistance epoxy resin
Creators: name: Hidekuma, Yuya
name: Kobayashi, Akira
name: Komori, Atsuya
Publisher: name: Swinburne
Year: 2024

description: Steel structures are often corroded by various mechanisms, and their performance decreases dramatically due to corrosion. In recent years, as a repairing method for corroded steel members, a method bonding the carbon fiber sheets with resin to the steel member has been applied. However, the temperature of the steel member may rise near 60 degrees Celsius by solar radiation. Therefore, site curable heat resistance epoxy resins which have high glass transition temperature (Tg) greater than 60 degrees Celsius were developed. The objective of this study is to confirm the reinforcing effect and debonding characteristic of CFRP bonded steel plate at warm temperature. The tensile tests of CFRP bonded steel plate with the new heat resistance epoxy resin and the conventional epoxy resin at room temperature (23 degree Celsius) and warm temperature (60 degree Celsius) were conducted. As the results, in the case of using the new epoxy resin, the same test results were obtained at room temperature and at warm temperatures. The results showed that the new heat resistance epoxy resins were suitable for reinforcing of the steel members for CFRP.
Studies on the stability, production and microencapsulation of a recombinant human adenovirus-rabies vaccine.
Creators: name: Kalicharran, Kishna Kumar.
Publisher: name: Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa
Year: 1992
Subjects: subject: Biology, Microbiology.

description: The recombinant human adenovirus type 5 (rHAd5-RG1) tested in this study contains the rabies virus glycoprotein gene. This virus is being considered as a possible substitute for the attenuated rabies virus in the oral immunization of wildlife in Ontario. This study examined the stability of the virus indoors and outdoors, and tested technically simple ways of concentrating the virus and its microencapsulation. The findings of this study show that the recombinant virus has the potential for release into the environment and there is no evidence that the virus will rapidly decay under the outdoor conditions experienced during the fall season. The virus can probably be microencapsulated and packaged for oral delivery. However, more studies are needed to assess the actual immunizing potential of these microencapsules. The use of detergents for increasing the virus yield has potential. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)
All-optical Microwave Signal Processing
Creators: name: Han, Yichen
Publisher: name: Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa
Year: 2011
Subjects: Microwave photonics
Fractional Hilbert transform
Bandpass differentiator
All-optical microwave signal processing
Photonic microwave delay-line filter

description: Microwave signal processing in the optical domain is investigated in this thesis. Two signal processors including an all-optical fractional Hilbert transformer and an all-optical microwave differentiator are investigated and experimentally demonstrated. Specifically, the photonic-assisted fractional Hilbert transformer with tunable fractional order is implemented based on a temporal pulse shaping system incorporating a phase modulator. By applying a step function to the phase modulator to introduce a phase jump, a real-time fractional Hilbert transformer with a tunable fractional order is achieved. The microwave bandpass differentiator is implemented based on a finite impulse response (FIR) photonic microwave delay-line filter with nonuniformly-spaced taps. A microwave bandpass differentiator based on a six-tap nonuniformly-spaced photonic microwave delay-line filter with all- positive coefficients is designed, simulated, and experimentally demonstrated. The reconfigurability of the microwave bandpass differentiator is experimentally investigated. The employment of the differentiator to perform differentiation of a bandpass microwave signal is also experimentally demonstrated.
Examining How Specific Involvement Opportunities Influence the Sport Commitment Type of Masters Swimmers: Differences in Number, Strength, and Direction of Associations to Functional and Obligatory Commitment
Creators: name: Bennett, Angela
Publisher: name: Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa
Year: 2014
Subjects: Sport Commitment
Involvement Opportunities
Masters Athletes
Sub-themes
Structural Model Testing
Factor Analysis
Masters Swimming
Masters Swimmers

description: This thesis aimed to: (a) design a factorially valid survey to assess sub-themes relating to ‘involvement opportunities’ (IOs), which are an antecedent variable in the sport commitment model (Wilson et al., 2004); (b) examine the placement of enjoyment alongside IOs in the sport commitment model; (c) determine the pathways (i.e., direct and/or indirect) by which specific IOs sub-themes affect functional and obligatory commitment and if they differ in number, strength and direction of association (Choosakul et al., 2009); and (d) examine differences between recent initiates compared to those who have been more continuously involved (Chu & Wang, 2012) in Masters swimming. Based on exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses of survey data from 725 swimmers (260 males, 465 females, M age = 50.5, range = 25-92), results confirmed a 10 factor solution of IOs sub-themes. Structural equation modeling demonstrated that the number, direction, and strength of associations between specific IOs sub-themes and commitment vary depending on commitment type, as do the nature of direct and indirect pathways affecting commitment. Invariance testing showed recent initiates and continuously-involved swimmers to be invariant across measurement and structural models. Overall, results support the need to measure and assess IOs at the level of the sub-theme and to consider a bi-dimensional (Santi et al., 2014; Wilson et al., 2004) sport commitment model.
Hungarian Representations of Motherhood and Childlessness: An Analysis of Post-Communist Developments with a Focus on Nök Lapja Magazine
Creators: name: Watson, Tanya E.
Publisher: name: Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa
Year: 2014
Subjects: Childlessness
Motherhood
Pro-Natal Policy
Women's Magazines
Nők Lapja
Hungarian Women

description: In this dissertation, I examine the constructions, maintenance, and resistance to dominant discourses concerning motherhood and non-motherhood in contemporary Hungary, using the popular Hungarian women’s magazine Nők Lapja as my key illustrative example. I strive to illuminate how gendered discourses, bio-power, history, and geo-politics are implicated not only in the construction of nationhood but also in defining women’s roles in nation-building. I hope to contribute to research that helps to better understand women’s contemporary social roles in Hungary, and the power relations that construct them. I argue that ideas regarding motherhood and non-motherhood in Hungary are often bound up in ideas concerning who should, or should not, have children, and why, and I explore in detail how these ideas have formed through the history of the nation. My analysis reveals different sites of power—focusing on policy and print media—that seek to determine women’s procreative decisions. I argue that, under various regimes, women’s procreative choices have consistently been systemically constrained, and framed as key to the nation’s success—or failure. Concerning Nők Lapja magazine, my research reveals that it both supports and resists traditional gender roles, at times contributing to discourses that naturalize childbearing and motherhood (also defining for readers whose motherhood is deemed desirable), but at other times disputing such ideas and redefining conceptions of womanhood to include women without children. Although ultimately the magazine pathologizes, disbelieves and negates the choice to be childless, Nők Lapja does resist and redefine limited definitions of womanhood and motherhood by carving out a small space for discussions of childlessness, and also by challenging conceptions of singletons as necessarily lonely and mothers as necessarily better if they stay at home.
Are Independent Directors Effective Corporate Monitors? - An Analysis of the Empirical Evidence in the USA and Canada
Creators: name: Lai, Brian Y.
Publisher: name: Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa
Year: 2014
Subjects: independent director
outside director
non-executive director
corporate governance
empirical
board of directors
director
firm performance
director oversight
director incentive

description: This thesis explores whether independent directors in the USA and Canada are effective in holding management accountable by: (1) analyzing how the policy of relying on independent directors developed and operates; (2) introducing the main theoretical critiques of independent directors’ monitoring effect; and (3) examining whether empirical studies in the field of management science and financial economics support the policy in both countries of relying on independent directors as corporate monitors. Empirical evidence shows that boards with a majority of independent directors, in some circumstances, were associated with better firm performance (in the post-SOX period) and fulfilled certain board tasks effectively in the United States. Canadian studies, however, have not shown a positive association with improved firm performance. Audit committees composed entirely of independent directors have been effective in ensuring the quality of financial reporting in the United States, but this effect has not been found in Canada. Compensation committees composed fully of independent directors neither constrained the level of executive compensation nor tied CEO pay to firm performance in either country. US firms with an audit committee member who had accounting expertise, rather than financial analysis or supervisory expertise, were associated with a higher quality of financial reporting, while Canadian firms with an audit committee member who has financial expertise, instead of financial literacy, were associated with a similar effect. Studies also showed that independent directors perform better in certain circumstances. Based on empirical evidence, US regulators should consider: (1) changing the current mandatory requirements for an independent board and a completely independent compensation committee to a comply-or-explain requirement; (2) narrowing the qualification of a financial expert to an individual who has accounting expertise; and (3) recruiting independent directors who have two or fewer outside directorships, hold more of the corporation’s shares, have lower cost of acquiring corporate information, and have no social connections with the CEO. In Canada, weak evidence of the monitoring effectiveness of independent directors supports the existing comply-or-explain approach. Canadian regulators may only need to require or recommend that at least one audit committee member has financial expertise, instead of only financial literacy.
Design and development of flexi ankle minimalist bipedal robot with split mass hip structure for an optimal walk stability control
Creators: name: Siswoyo Jo, Hudyjaya
Publisher: name: Swinburne
Year: 2024

description: This thesis presents the design and development of flexi-ankle split mass minimalist bipedal robot. The developed robot introduces the implementation of novel strategy to achieve stable bipedal walk by decoupling the walking motion control from the sideway balancing control. This strategy allows the walking controller to execute the walking task independently while the sideway balancing controller continuously maintains the balance of the robot. A new approaches of achieving smooth walking motion by planning the leg movement based on the consideration of the weight distribution and thus minimum perturbation to the motion (called hip-mass carry strategy) and smooth trajectory planning of the joint movement with impact-free motion are introduced. This thesis also presents a minimalist yet low-cost solution for sensing the stability of bipedal robot. From the design, the mathematical model of the robot is developed and the viability of the design concept is verified by dynamic simulation. From the model and simulation results, a minimalist bipedal robot prototype is developed and tested in order to prove the practicality of the proposed strategies.
Customized 3D Clothes Modeling for Virtual Try-On System Based on Multiple Kinects
Creators: name: Huang, Shiyi
Publisher: name: Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa
Year: 2015
Subjects: 3D Clothes Modeling
Virtual Try-On
Kinect

description: Most existing 3D virtual try-on systems put clothes designed in one environment on a human captured in another environment, which cause the mismatching color and brightness problem. And also typical 3D clothes modeling starts with manually designed 2D patterns, deforms them to fit on a human, and applies stitching to sew those patterns together. Such work usually relies on labor work. In this thesis, we describe an approach to reconstruct clothes and human that both are from the same space. With multiple Kinects, it models the 3D clothes directly out of a dressed mannequin without the need of the predefined 2D clothes patterns, and fits them to a human user. Our approach has several advantages: (i) a simple hardware setting consisted of multiple Kinects to capture a human model; (ii) 3D clothes modeling directly out of captured human figure. To the best of our knowledge, our work is the first one which separates clothes out of captured human figure; (iii) resizing of clothes adapting to any sized human user; (iv) a novel idea of virtual try-on where clothes and human are captured in the same location.
Graphon: A Comparison of Grapheme-to-phoneme Conversion Performance between an Automated System and Primary Grade Students
Creators: name: Joubarne, Colette
Publisher: name: Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa
Year: 2015
Subjects: G2P
phonological processing

description: Grapheme-to-phoneme conversion is a necessary part of reading, whether by an automated system or by children. Automated methods play a key role in text-to-speech and automated speech recognition systems. Children learning to read develop grapheme-to-phoneme (G2P) conversion rules that they use extensively until they build up their orthographic lexicon. Various solutions have been proposed for G2P conversion, each addressing specific problems and evaluated for different languages. In this thesis, I introduce a simple approach to G2P conversion that achieves good results, and compare these results to those of a study of children’s reading accuracy in the primary grades. The comparison highlights areas of weakness in the children’s reading skills, as well as particular phonemes for which the G2P system has difficulty. As part of the process, I also compare and discuss the wide range of discrepancies that exist between various French corpora.
On Weak Limits and Unimodular Measures
Creators: name: Artemenko, Igor
Publisher: name: Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa
Year: 2014
Subjects: tree
automorphism
group
ball
path
connected
component
rooted
birooted
graph
Cayley
converges weakly
extreme point
mass transport principle
involution invariance
law
neighbourhood
orbit
rigid
subgraph
unimodular
unimodularity
vertex-transitive
walk
weak limit
weak convergence
probability
measure
barred binary tree
bi-infinite path
first ancestor
judicial
lawless
negligible
stabilizer
sustained
strictly sustained
random graph

description: In this thesis, the main objects of study are probability measures on the isomorphism classes of countable, connected rooted graphs. An important class of such measures is formed by unimodular measures, which satisfy a certain equation, sometimes referred to as the intrinsic mass transport principle. The so-called law of a finite graph is an example of a unimodular measure. We say that a measure is sustained by a countable graph if the set of rooted connected components of the graph has full measure. We demonstrate several new results involving sustained unimodular measures, and provide thorough arguments for known ones. In particular, we give a criterion for unimodularity on connected graphs, deduce that connected graphs sustain at most one unimodular measure, and prove that unimodular measures sustained by disconnected graphs are convex combinations. Furthermore, we discuss weak limits of laws of finite graphs, and construct counterexamples to seemingly reasonable conjectures.
Grünes Wirtschaften im Alpenraum
Creators: name: Marzelli, Stefan
name: Szücs, Linda
name: Schwarz, Claudia
Publisher: name: My University
Year: 2018
Subjects: subject: Alpenkonvention
subject: Grüne Wirtschaft
subject: Nachhaltigkeit
subject: CO2-arme Wirtschaft
subject: Erneuerbare Energie
subject: Ressourcenerhaltung
subject: Ökosystemdienstleistung
subject: Lebensqualität
subject: Alpen
subject: Deutsche präsidenschaft der Alpenkonvention
subject: Alpenraum
subject: Green Economy
subject: Grünes Wirtschaften
subject: Kohlenstoffarme Wirtschaft
subject: Wirtschaft | Konsum
subject: Nachhaltigkeit | Strategien | Internationales

description: Die Wirtschaft in den Alpen wird durch die ökologischen, wirtschaftlichen und sozialen Rahmenbedingungen des Alpenraums beeinflusst. Damit sich die Wirtschaft in den Alpen in Richtung einer grünen Wirtschaft entwickeln kann, muss sie die spezifische Topografie, die natürlichen Ressourcen, das ⁠Klima⁠ und die sensible Alpenumwelt beachten. Der Abschlussbericht beschreibt die Aktivitäten, die im Rahmen der Erstellung des sechsten Alpenzustandsberichtes (AZB6) durchgeführt wurden. Der AZB6 wurde während der deutschen Präsidentschaft der Alpenkonvention (2015-16) erarbeitet. Er zeigt den aktuellen Stand und die Potentiale für eine weitere Entwicklung der grünen Wirtschaft im Alpenraum auf.
Magnetic Rendering: Magnetic Field Control for Haptic Interaction
Creators: name: Zhang, Qi
Publisher: name: Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa
Year: 2015
Subjects: Electromagnet model design
Haptic interaction
Magnetic field control
Recursive least squares

description: As a solution to mid-air haptic actuation with strong and continuous tactile force, Magnetic Rendering is presented as an intuitive haptic display method applying an electromagnet array to produce a magnetic field in mid-air where the force field can be felt as magnetic repulsive force exerted on the hand through the attached magnet discs. The magnetic field is generated by a specifically designed electromagnet array driven by direct current. By attaching small magnet discs on the hand, the tactile sensation can be perceived by the user. This method can provide a strong tactile force on multiple points covering user’s hand and avoid cumbersome attachments with wires, thus it is suitable for a co-located visual and haptic display. In my work, the detailed design of the electromagnet array for haptic rendering purposes is introduced, which is modelled and tested using Finite Element Method simulations. The model is characterized mathematically, and three methods for controlling the magnetic field are applied accordingly: direct control, system identification and adaptive control. The performance of the simulated model is evaluated in terms of magnetic field distribution, force strength, operation distance and force stiffness. The control algorithms are implemented and tested on a 3-by-3 and a 15-by-15 model, respectively. Simulations are performed on a 15-by-15 model to generate a haptic human face, which results in a smooth force field and accurate force exertion on the control points.
title: Технические рекомендации ресурсоэффективного инженерного благоустройства урбанизированных территорий. Часть 1
title: Учебное пособие
titleType: Subtitle
Creators: name: Карелин Д.В.
name:  Мурашко О.О.
Publisher: name: Новосибирский государственный архитектурно-строительный университет (Сибстрин)
Year: 2013

description: В учебном пособии приведен методологический аппарат комплексной инженерной подготовки муниципальных образований, раскрывающий последовательность мероприятий при освоении территорий. Пособие предназначено для архитекторов, инженеров-строителей, городских инженеров, работающих в органах местного самоуправления, проектных организациях, а также для студентов направления 270800.62 «Строительство» (профиль «Городское строительство и хозяйство»), изучающих общий курс инженерной подготовки территорий и дисциплину «Комплексное инженерное благоустройство городских территорий».
description: In the tutorial is a methodological device integrated engineering training of the municipalities, revealing the sequence of events in the development of territories. The manual is intended for architects, engineers, city engineers working in local authorities, project organizations, as well as for students of direction 270800.62 "Construction" (profile "Urban construction and economy"), studying the General course of engineering preparation of the territories and the discipline of "Complex engineering accomplishment of urban territories."
PCSK9 and Its Variants: An Unbiased Global Proteomic Study to Identify Interactors and Effects on Protein Trafficking
Creators: name: Chu, Ge
Publisher: name: Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa
Year: 2015
Subjects: PCSK9
secretome
protein trafficking
mass spectrometry
LDLR
proteomics
interactome

description: Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) is a secreted glycoprotein that promotes degradation of low-density lipoprotein receptors. Gain- and loss-of-function variants of PCSK9 cause hypercholesterolemia and hypocholesterolemia, respectively. Although it has been a decade since the discovery of PCSK9, its effect in terms of global protein changes and interactions still require further understanding. This study provided a global outlook at the protein changes caused by PCSK9 and its variants in human hepatic HUH7 cell line. First, a proteomics-based method for protein subcellular distribution analysis has been developed. Second, through secretome analyses, six apolipoproteins and six proteins involved in the coagulation pathway were found with >2-fold changes between wild type PCSK9 and its variants. Third, through secreted interactome analyses, a list of 159 PCSK9 interactor candidates was identified. Two interacting proteins, FASN and PSMD2, were validated and demonstrated with dynamic interacting patterns between PCSK9 and its variants.
Der Effekt der pseudophaken Mini-Monovision als Option einer Brillenunabhängigkeit im Alltag
Effect of pseudophacic Mini-Monovision as an option for independence of spectacles in everyday life
Creators: name: Zettl, Stefanie
Publisher: name: Universität Rostock
Year: 2016
Subjects: subject: 610 Medical sciences Medicine

description: Zunehmend wünschen sich Patienten, im Rahmen einer beidseitigen Katarakt-Operation Brillen unabhängig zu werden. Die pseudophake Mini-Monovision stellt dabei eine alternative Option dar. In dieser Arbeit wurden die Brillenunabhängigkeit im Alltag für fern, intermediär und nah, die Binokularfunktion sowie die Patientenzufriedenheit bei geringer pseudophaker Monovision, also Mini-Monovision, untersucht. Es wurde ein Literatur-Vergleich zu voller Monovision, Multifokallinsen und akkommodativen Linsen gezogen. Es ergibt sich daraus eine alltagstaugliche Funktion für die Mini-Monovision.
MDA-MB-231 Breast Cancer Cells Resistant to Pleurocidin-Family Lytic Peptides Are Chemosensitive and Exhibit Reduced Tumor-Forming Capacity
Creators: name: Hilchie, Ashley L.
name: Gill, Erin E.
name: Coombs, Melanie R. Power
name: Falsafi, Reza
name: Hancock, R. E. W. (Robert E. W.)
name: Hoskin, David W.
Publisher: name: Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute
Year: 2020

description: Direct-acting anticancer (DAA) peptides are cytolytic peptides that show promise as novel anticancer agents. DAA peptides bind to anionic molecules that are abundant on cancer cells relative to normal healthy cells, which results in preferential killing of cancer cells. Due to the mechanism by which DAA peptides kill cancer cells, it was thought that resistance would be difficult to achieve. Here, we describe the generation and characterization of two MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell-line variants with reduced susceptibility to pleurocidin-family and mastoparan DAA peptides. Peptide resistance correlated with deficiencies in peptide binding to cell-surface structures, suggesting that resistance was due to altered composition of the cell membrane. Peptide-resistant MDA-MB-231 cells were phenotypically distinct yet remained susceptible to chemotherapy. Surprisingly, neither of the peptide-resistant breast cancer cell lines was able to establish tumors in immune-deficient mice. Histological analysis and RNA sequencing suggested that tumorigenicity was impacted by alternations in angiogenesis and extracellular matrix composition in the peptide-resistant MDA-MB-231 variants. Collectively, these data further support the therapeutic potential of DAA peptides as adjunctive treatments for cancer.
Do Changes In Affective Responses During Physical Activity Predict Future Physical Activity Behavior In Older Adults?
Creators: name: Speranzini, Nicolas
Publisher: name: Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa
Year: 2016
Subjects: affective response
self-efficacy
self-determined motivation
physical activity
older adults

description: Background: Gaining insight into factors related to moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) behavior may assist development of behavior change interventions targeting older adults. Purpose: To explore direct and indirect associations between older adults’ affective responses during MVPA and future MVPA behavior via self-efficacy beliefs and self-determined motivation. Methods: Data were collected from 82 older adults before, during, and after a walking bout; MVPA behavior was measured 1 month later via telephone. Results: Increases in tranquility during MVPA were indirectly correlated with future MVPA behavior via self-determined motivation (p < .05), but not self-efficacy beliefs (p > .05). Decreases in positive engagement and tranquility during MVPA were directly and positively linked with future MVPA behavior, whereas increases in revitalization during MVPA and self-determined motivation were directly and positively linked with future MVPA behavior (p < .05). Conclusions: Changes in older adults’ affective responses during MVPA may be important correlates of future MVPA behavior.
International Climate Initiatives
Creators: name: Graichen, Jakob
name: Healy, Sean
name: Siemons, Anne
Publisher: name: My University
Year: 2016

description: In December 2015 Parties adopted the Paris Agreement at the 21st session of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). In its Article 2 governments agreed to limit global warming to ̮well below 2˚C above pre-industrial levelsŁ and to pursue to limit it to 1.5˚C (UNFCCC 2015). The UNEP Emissions Gap Report 2015 showed that a gap of 14 GtCO2e exists for 2030 between the (unconditional) mitigation proposals submitted by Parties as part of their intended nationally determined contributions (INDCs) and a pathway compatible with holding temperature increase below 2˚C (UNEP 2015b). Based on an analysis of 174 initiatives the study analyses the potential impact of these initiatives on GHG emissions in comparison to INDCs, identifies good practices shared by these initiatives and further discusses the relationship between these initiatives and the UNFCCC. The results inter alia reveal a global reduction potential of 5-11 GtCO2 equivalents/year of 19 initiatives till 2030. Quelle: Umweltbundesamt
Baugenehmigungsberatung
Creators: name: Grahlmann, Gerd
Publisher: name: LANDTECHNIK
Year: 1998

description: Die ab 1. Januar 1998 gültige Baugesetzbuch(BauGB)-Novelle weist bei Umnutzungen drei wesentliche Änderungen auf: Festschreibung der drei zulässigen zusätzlichen Wohnungen als Dauerrecht, Erweiterung der begünstigten Umnutzung auf die zweckmäßige Verwendung erhaltenswerter Bausubstanz, Erweiterung der zulässigen landwirtschaftlichen Nicht-Nutzungsfrist von fünf auf sieben Jahre. Nachfolgend wird das richtige Vorgehendes Umnutzers einer Hofstelle im Außenbereich dargelegt: Wenn er passende und nach den regionalen Marktverhältnissen hinreichend aussichtsreiche Umnutzungsideen hat, können erfahrene Umnutzungsberater vermeidbare Planungskosten und falsch vorbereitete Bauanträge verhindern.
description: LANDTECHNIK, Bd. 53 Nr. 1 (1998)
Zur Einschätzung, zur Traditionsbindung und zur Konzeption des Becker-Psalters von Heinrich Schütz
Creators: name: Sachs, Klaus-Jürgen
Publisher: name: Schütz-Jahrbuch
Year: 2017

description: - zu erstellen -
description: Schütz-Jahrbuch, Bd. 9 (1987)
Comment on Rutger Birnie: The Ethics of Resisting Deportation
Creators: name: Schultz, Susanne Ursula
Publisher: name: FB 08: Geschichte, Philosophie
Year: 2019
Subjects: 172 Politische Ethik
325 Internationale Migration, Kolonisation

description: This paper comments on a talk given by Rutger Birnie at the 2018 ZiF Workshop “Studying Migration Policies at the Interface Between Empirical Research and Normative Analysis”, September 2018, in Bielefeld. Birnie’s paper is available under doi: 10.17879/95189423213.
Old Caledonia and New Caledonia
Creators: name: Maclellan, Nic
Publisher: name: Swinburne
Year: 2024

description: Tony Abbott intervened in Scotland's referendum debate last month, worried about the threat to the Anglosphere. But independence is on the cards closer to home, writes Nic Maclellan - See more at: http://inside.org.au/old-caledonia-and-new-caledonia/#sthash.mlyLuIM9.dpuf