cometadata/datacite-rtg-text-other-reclassification-records huggingface dataset:
Effect of Flight and Winter Conditions on Adult Life History Traits of the Mountain Pine Beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins)
Creators: Wu, Yiyang
Publisher: name: University of Alberta Library
Year: 2024

The mountain pine beetle, Dendroctonus ponderosae, represents a significant ecological and economic threat to North American forests. This study investigates multiple facets of the biology of D. ponderosae, focusing on metabolic rate, flight capacity, and host entry behaviour under varying winter conditions. I first test the impact of flight on the subsequent metabolic rate of adult D. ponderosae using respirometry. Results reveal that flight activity positively impacts the metabolic rate of D. ponderosae, showing increased CO2 production rate with flight distance and distinct respiratory patterns post-flight. My study is the first to identify distinct continuous and discontinuous gas exchange patterns in adult D. ponderosae, significantly influencing metabolic activity. Beetles with discontinuous respiration exhibit overall higher metabolic rates. I then test how exposing beetles to different winter conditions demonstrates that the duration and severity of overwintering during the larval stage influence the metabolic rate and respiratory behaviors of the adult D. ponderosae. Prolonged exposure to cold temperatures negatively affects metabolic rates in adult D. ponderosae, resulting in metabolic suppression and reduced CO2 production rates. My study highlights significant interactions between physiological state, environmental stressors, and metabolic regulation in adult D. ponderosae. Furthermore, my research shows that winter conditions and pre-flight physiological states significantly influence subsequent flight capacity in D. ponderosae. Heavier beetles show higher flight propensity and distance, with winter conditions having an indirect or secondary impact. Overwinter conditions do not affect the subsequent host entry of female D. ponderosae; instead, it is the weight of the females that influences their rates of host entry. This study is one of the first to explore how flight and winter conditions impact adult mountain pine beetle, providing insights that may help predict its spread as the climate changes.
Playing with Gender: A Narrative Inquiry into Two Gender Diverse Peoples’ Stories of Exploring Gender in Tabletop Roleplaying Games
Creators: Rollans, Benjamin J.
Publisher: name: University of Alberta Library
Year: 2024

Tabletop roleplaying games allow players to creatively explore their identities in an enjoyable, social context. Identity exploration may be an especially important task for gender diverse people, who may experience difficulties in creating a positive gender identity due to stigma. In this study I address the questions: how do gender diverse people explore their identities through tabletop roleplaying games? How does their TTRPG play support their well-being? And how does their TTRPG fit into the broader story of their lives? I use a narrative inquiry approach that seeks to understand and represent participants’ experiences in the broader context of their lives. Narrative inquiry also helped me understand and represent my own position relative to the research questions and the participants. Working with two participants, T and Chloe, I created narratives that tell the story of their gender identity development and TTRPG play situated within the broader context of their lives. I conducted two interviews with each participant then wrote a draft narrative of each of their experiences. I met with participants a third time to review the draft narrative and then made changes based on their feedback. I discuss their narratives in terms of the concepts of psychological space, identity exploration, identity development, and intersectionality. I highlight the relevance of this research to counselling psychology, in that this study provides evidence that TTRPGs may be an effective intervention for supporting the identity development and well-being of gender diverse people. I also share a narrative account of my own experiences of gender exploration in which I engaged in relation to the stories of T and Chloe. In all, I hope that the narratives shared in this study provide ways for readers to imagine new ways to support gender diverse people—using TTRPGs or other approaches—and to imagine new ways for understanding themselves.
Fire and flood: Impacts along the Australian river-to-ocean aquatic continuum
Creators: name: Laicher-Edwards, Dylan K.
Publisher: name: Southern Cross University
Year: 2024
Subjects: Estuary
Bushfire
Flood
Nutrients

description: In 2019, Australia experienced its hottest year on record, exacerbating the worst bushfire season in colonised history. Intense rainfall eased conditions, leading to significant erosion and runoff of fire-related materials into critical coastal aquatic systems, particularly in New South Wales (NSW). Existing research has dominantly explored the impacts of wildfire to inland freshwater environments, the effects along the river-to-ocean continuum remain largely unexplored, despite their importance in a future with increased extreme precipitation events. This thesis sought to investigate fire-flood impacts along this continuum, examining nutrient, metal, and carbon dynamics in various coastal aquatic systems in NSW. The study examined dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and dissolved black carbon (DBC) concentrations in six Intermittently Closed and Open Lake or Lagoons (ICOLLs), which due to their hydrology and extended periods without flushing, were expected to show a more distinct fire-signal compared to macrotidal estuary types. Surface and shallow groundwater samples were analysed for DOC and DBC by solid phase extraction and BPCA analysis, revealing that smaller ICOLLs exhibited Higher DBC concentrations in surface waters, with shallow groundwater potentially acting as a significant DBC source over time. The study additionally explored delayed fire impacts to 13 fire-affected estuaries and results indicated a significant increase in total dissolved phosphorous in all estuaries, as well as particular metals, such as zinc and arsenic, occurring above guideline values several months following the fires and floods. These findings underscored the need for comprehensive pre-, during-, and post-fire data to assess impacts accurately. Further, the study assessed the potential of bivalves as proxies for tracking trace metal trends in fire-impacted systems. LA-ICP-MS analysis of Hyridella drapeta shells from a fire-impacted coastal river system revealed significantly elevated manganese levels during the fire-flood period and results suggested manganese to be a potentially strong indicator of post-fire and flood conditions in upstream coastal river systems. Overall, the research demonstrated in this thesis suggests that high-severity fires can have prolonged impacts on smaller, less frequently flushed ICOLLs compared to river-dominated systems. It also highlights the importance of understanding the unique dynamics of each estuary and catchment to accurately predict and mitigate post-fire impacts along the river-to-ocean continuum.
Exploring Sikh Punjabi Canadian Women’s Experiences of Navigating Salient Familial and Cultural Expectations
Creators: Hundal, Harnaaz K
Publisher: name: University of Alberta Library
Year: 2024

Several South Asian women in Western contexts navigate significantly challenging gendered expectations from their families and cultural communities pertaining to academics, career (Baggulay & Hussain, 2014), domestic responsibilities (Mustafa et al., 2020), family management, cultural preservation, marriageability, marriage, and children (Mehrotra, 2016; Somerville, 2019). The expectations can be significantly distressing (Grewal et al., 2005; Mafura & Charura, 2021; Mehrotra, 2016; Somerville, 2019), yet there is limited research specifically exploring the experience of navigating them. Sikh Punjabi Canadian women are one such South Asian cultural group that navigates challenging familial and cultural expectations. Through an interpretative phenomenological analysis of semi-structured interviews, the present study explored five Sikh Punjabi Canadian women’s strengths and coping strategies in navigating salient familial and cultural expectations. Findings revealed participant experiences of expectations to be consistent with existing literature and identified four group experiential themes capturing participant strengths in navigating gendered expectations. Strengths included (1) recognizing expectations as unfair and harmful, (2) gaining the courage to resist expectations, (3) engaging in strategies to alleviate distress and enhance emotional wellbeing, and (4) balancing care for self and care for family. These strengths and coping strategies provide several potential avenues for exploring culturally aligned interventions that draw on the existing resilience of Sikh Punjabi Canadian women, and thus, support the self-empowerment of the Sikh Punjabi Canadian community.
Additive Manufacturing of Porous Transport Layer for Anion Exchange Membrane Water Electrolyzer
Creators: Sardarian, Shokoufeh
Publisher: name: University of Alberta Library
Year: 2024

Water electrolysis has recently come to attention due to the growing interest in renewable energy sources. Anion exchange membrane water electrolysis (AEMWE) is a promising electrolysis technology for producing green hydrogen at a competitive price due to the limited use of previous methods. The porous transport layer (PTL) is one of the crucial metallic elements of AEMWE that influences AEMWE’s efficacy. The main aim of this study is to use laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) technology in order to fabricate an appropriate pure nickel (Ni) porous structure layer with controlled porosity by varying the process parameters.

This study explores the fabrication of porous transport layers (PTLs) using Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) with 17-4 PH stainless steel (SS) and pure nickel (Ni). Initially, 20 cubic samples of 17-4 PH SS were produced using a Central Composite Design (CCD) to analyze the relationship between LPBF process parameters—laser power, scanning speed, and hatch spacing—and porosity. Three different methods were used to measure the porosity of cubic samples, and a regression model was generated with high prediction accuracy to estimate porosity values between 22.5% and 51.25%. It was determined that hatch spacing plays a crucial role, accounting for a significant 37.64% contribution.

The optimization is carried out with the goal of maximizing porosity without having any defects. The results showed that the best energy density for attaining high porosity in 17-4 PH SS without any defects was 14.2 J/mm³. In addition, thin films were manufactured in order to evaluate mass transfer, and the results demonstrated an increase in permeability as the energy density fell.

The second part of the study focused on exploring pure nickel as a potential substitute material for the anion exchange membrane water electrolyzers' porous transport layers (PTLs) by employing

response surface methods to investigate the impact of LPBF parameters on the porosity of 20 cubic samples. It is observed that hatch spacing emerges as the most influencing element. The study established that energy densities between 14.29 and 100 J/mm³ result in porosity ranging from 0.96% to 36.96%. The optimal energy density necessary for producing a pure nickel component with excellent characteristics, including maximum porosity and lack of fragmentation is 21.36 J/mm3.
Additional file 1 of HIV risk profile and prevention needs of individuals seeking monkeypox (mpox) vaccination in an urban clinic in the U.S.: a brief report
Creators: name: Ogbuagu, Onyema
name: Sharma, Manas
name: Igiraneza, Grace
name: Andrews, Laurie
name: Tuan, Jessica
name: Barakat, Lydia A.
Publisher: name: figshare
Year: 2024
Subjects: subject: Medicine
subject: Biotechnology
subject: Sociology
subject: FOS: Sociology
subject: Immunology
subject: FOS: Clinical medicine
subject: Science Policy
subject: Infectious Diseases
subject: FOS: Health sciences

description: Additional file 1. Anonymous survey—assessing HIV prevention preferences and needs of persons seeking Monkeypox vaccination.
Supplementary_State_Coalitions – Supplemental material for State Coalitions, Informational Signals, and Success as Amicus Curiae at the U.S. Supreme Court
Creators: name: Canelo, Kayla S.
Publisher: name: SAGE Journals
Year: 2019
Subjects: subject: 160607 International Relations
subject: FOS: Political science
subject: 120505 Regional Analysis and Development
subject: FOS: Social and economic geography

description: Supplemental material, Supplementary_State_Coalitions for State Coalitions, Informational Signals, and Success as Amicus Curiae at the U.S. Supreme Court by Kayla S. Canelo in State Politics & Policy Quarterly
The Contrastive Gap: A New Perspective on the ‘Modality Gap’ in Multimodal Contrastive Learning
Creators: Fahim, Abrar
Publisher: name: University of Alberta Library
Year: 2024

Learning jointly from images and texts using contrastive pre-training has emerged as an effective method to train large-scale models with a strong grasp of semantic image concepts. For instance, CLIP, pre-trained on a large corpus of web data, excels in tasks like zero-shot image classification, object detection, geolocalization, and more. These contrastive models embed input images and texts into a shared representational space.

Recently, it was discovered that models like CLIP show a "modality gap", where image and text embeddings occupy disjoint areas in the representational space. Previous research attributes this gap to factors like data artifacts (mismatched pairs), model architecture artifacts (the cone effect), and the nature of the loss landscape (getting stuck in local minima). In this thesis, we demonstrate that even after accounting for these factors, the contrastive loss itself creates this gap during training. We propose renaming this phenomenon as the "contrastive gap" and show that it stems from low uniformity in the CLIP space, where embeddings only occupy a small portion of the latent space. We show that optimizing for uniformity and alignment in the CLIP space reduces the contrastive gap. Our experiments show that this modified representational space achieves better performance on downstream tasks like zero-shot image classification and multi-modal arithmetic, suggesting the effectiveness of closing the contrastive gap to boost CLIP performance.
Supplemental_Material – Supplemental material for The reproducibility and responsiveness of subjective assessment of upper limb associated reactions in people with acquired brain injury during walking
Creators: name: Kahn, Michelle B
name: Clark, Ross A
name: Bower, Kelly J
name: Mentiplay, Benjamin F
name: Pua Yong Hao
name: Olver, John
name: Williams, Gavin
Publisher: name: SAGE Journals
Year: 2019
Subjects: subject: 110904 Neurology and Neuromuscular Diseases
subject: FOS: Clinical medicine
subject: 110314 Orthopaedics
subject: 110604 Sports Medicine
subject: FOS: Health sciences

description: Supplemental material, Supplemental_Material for The reproducibility and responsiveness of subjective assessment of upper limb associated reactions in people with acquired brain injury during walking by Michelle B Kahn, Ross A Clark, Kelly J Bower, Benjamin F Mentiplay, Pua Yong Hao, John Olver and Gavin Williams in Clinical Rehabilitation
Additional file 2 of Utilising telehealth to support exercise and physical activity in people with Parkinson disease: a program evaluation using mixed methods
Creators: name: Flynn, Allyson
name: Preston, Elisabeth
name: Dennis, Sarah
name: Canning, Colleen G.
name: Allen, Natalie E.
Publisher: name: figshare
Year: 2024
Subjects: subject: Biochemistry
subject: Medicine
subject: Biotechnology
subject: Sociology
subject: FOS: Sociology

description: Addtitional file 2: Supplementary material 2. Explanation of the telehealth service provided.
ВОЯГА ЕТМАГАНЛАР ЎРТАСИДА НАЗОРАТСИЗЛИК ВА ҲУҚУҚБУЗАРЛИКЛАР ПРОФИЛАКТИКАСИНИНГ ЎЗИГА ХОС ХУСУСИЯТЛАРИ
Creators: name: Xasanova, Rayhon
name: Sayfullayev, Sirojjon
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2024

description: Maqolada Markaziy Osiyodagi transchegaraviy daryolarning suv resurslari muammolari va ularni hal etish yo‘llari ko‘rib chiqiladi. Xususan, suv masalalari bo‘yicha mintaqaviy hamkorlikni takomillashtirishga qaratilgan xalqaro konferensiyalarning tavsiyalari tahlil qilingan.
Scene Memory is Better for Dynamic Versus Static Experiences in Immersive Virtual Reality
Creators: Romero, Anna S
Publisher: name: University of Alberta Library
Year: 2024

Everyday events are formed in immersive 360-degree 3D settings, but little is known regarding how the dynamic aspect of such experiences influences memories. Dynamism can signal a meaningful change during everyday life that creates more distinctive events from our continuous experiences of the world. Memory for distinct events requires retrieval from a specific perspective and construction of the layout, and these characteristics make up scene memory. Across two studies, we explored the prediction that dynamism preferentially affects scene-related aspects of memory. In immersive 3D 360-degree virtual reality, participants experienced immersive events (e.g., a hiking trail). Half of the immersive experiences included a dynamic object in the scene (e.g., jumping rabbits), whereas the other half included a static version of a semantically similar object (e.g., sitting rabbit). Study 1 was an incidental encoding task (i.e., no purposeful encoding of the event) with semantically congruent sounds (i.e., sounds that matched the event) for the dynamic condition. In Study 2 the sounds were removed, and encoding was made intentional. The changes from Study 1 to Study 2 ensured that our results were due to the manipulation of dynamism and to improve overall memory performance. After encoding, an Old/ New recognition memory test followed, in which participants were cued by the dynamically manipulated object (e.g., rabbit). Old responses were then followed by additional questions assessing scene (setting name and object location) and content (recall two additional objects from the event) memory. The results indicated better recognition memory in the dynamic than static condition. Moreover, dynamic experiences were also associated with better scene memory than static experiences, however, there were no differences in content memory. These results were replicated in Study 2. Together these findings reveal that dynamic experiences contribute to better scene-related aspects of memories. More broadly, our findings exemplify how we can use immersive 360-degree experiences to manipulate the dynamic nature of the real world to investigate how we form and remember events.
Supplemental Material, Online_Table_X - Policy or person? The electoral value of policy positions and personal attributes in the Finnish open-list system
Creators: name: Schoultz, Åsa von
name: Papageorgiou, Achillefs
Publisher: name: SAGE Journals
Year: 2019
Subjects: subject: 160607 International Relations
subject: FOS: Political science

description: Supplemental Material, Online_Table_X for Policy or person? The electoral value of policy positions and personal attributes in the Finnish open-list system by Åsa von Schoultz and Achillefs Papageorgiou in Party Politics
Additional file 3 of Utilising telehealth to support exercise and physical activity in people with Parkinson disease: a program evaluation using mixed methods
Creators: name: Flynn, Allyson
name: Preston, Elisabeth
name: Dennis, Sarah
name: Canning, Colleen G.
name: Allen, Natalie E.
Publisher: name: figshare
Year: 2024
Subjects: subject: Biochemistry
subject: Medicine
subject: Biotechnology
subject: Sociology
subject: FOS: Sociology

description: Additional file 3: Supplementary material 3. Semi structured interview questions.
JHS890284 Supplemental Material2 - Supplemental material for Patient’s satisfaction beyond hand function in Dupuytren’s disease: analysis of 1106 patients
Creators: name: Poelstra, Ralph
name: Kooij, Yara E. Van
name: Oest, Mark J. W. Van Der
name: Slijper, Harm P.
name: Hovius, Steven E. R.
name: Selles, Ruud W.
Publisher: name: SAGE Journals
Year: 2019
Subjects: subject: 110314 Orthopaedics
subject: FOS: Clinical medicine
subject: 110604 Sports Medicine
subject: FOS: Health sciences
subject: 110323 Surgery

description: Supplemental material, JHS890284 Supplemental Material2 for Patient’s satisfaction beyond hand function in Dupuytren’s disease: analysis of 1106 patients by Ralph Poelstra, Yara E. van Kooij, Mark J. W. van der Oest, Harm P. Slijper, Steven E. R. Hovius, Ruud W. Selles and the Hand-Wrist Study Group in Journal of Hand Surgery (European Volume)
Supplementary document for Solid -state optical scanning device using beam -combiner and switch array - 6572022.pdf
Creators: name: Inoue, Daisuke
name: Ichikawa, Tadashi
name: Shimogaki, Tetsuya
name: Matsubara, Hiroyuki
name: Kawasaki, Akari
name: Yamashita, Tatsuya
Publisher: name: Optica Publishing Group
Year: 2025
Subjects: Uncategorized

description: Supplement1
NEW893388 Supplemental Material1 - Supplemental material for A Systematic Review of Workplace Violence Against Emergency Medical Services Responders
Creators: name: Murray, Regan M.
name: Davis, Andrea L.
name: Shepler, Lauren J.
name: Moore-Merrell, Lori
name: Troup, William J.
name: Allen, Joseph A.
name: Taylor, Jennifer A.
Publisher: name: SAGE Journals
Year: 2019
Subjects: subject: 111799 Public Health and Health Services not elsewhere classified
subject: FOS: Health sciences

description: Supplemental material, NEW893388 Supplemental Material1 for A Systematic Review of Workplace Violence Against Emergency Medical Services Responders by Regan M. Murray, Andrea L. Davis, Lauren J. Shepler, Lori Moore-Merrell, William J. Troup, Joseph A. Allen and Jennifer A. Taylor in NEW SOLUTIONS: A Journal of Environmental and Occupational Health Policy
Decriminalizing Payments Made to Surrogates: Lessons for India from Canada
Creators: Jain, Anisha
Publisher: name: University of Alberta Library
Year: 2024

This thesis analyzes surrogacy regulation and practice in Canada and India and examines how both altruistic and commercial surrogacy have the potential to harm and exploit surrogates. I argue that money might not be the sole reason (or even the main reason) for the potential for harm and exploitation in surrogacy to become a reality. The main concern, in my view, is the regulatory approach of both countries, which fails to adequately address the myriad ethical and legal issues involved in surrogacy. I suggest policy recommendations for regulated commercial surrogacy for India, informed by the lessons learned from the Canadian and Indian surrogacy experiences. The objective of the recommendations is to safeguard and promote the interests of surrogates and prioritize their informed consent. In Chapter 1 of this thesis, I provide a brief introduction to the practice of surrogacy and reasons for its popularity in the modern world. With the help of emerging empirical scholarship from the developed world, I challenge the unsubstantiated concerns about surrogacy and lay down the foundation for my argument. In Chapter 2, I discuss how, despite Canada having a heavy-handed law on surrogacy, the law has been ineffective and has inadvertently given rise to the potential for exploitation of surrogates. In Chapter 3, I discuss the development of Indian surrogacy law and unpack the complex realities of Indian commercial surrogacy practice. I argue that India should permit regulated paid surrogacy as it will minimize the potential for harm and exploitation of surrogates. Ultimately, in Chapter 4, I provide policy recommendations for a regulated commercial surrogacy regime in India. My main recommendation is for a robust system of oversight and enforcement aimed at safeguarding surrogates from exploitation.
Accessible Game Development Via Symbolic Learning Program Synthesis
Creators: Sumner, Megan J.
Publisher: name: University of Alberta Library
Year: 2024

Video game development is a highly technical practice that traditionally requires programming skills. This serves as a barrier to entry for would-be developers or those hoping to use games as part of their creative expression. While there have been prior game development tools focused on accessibility, they generally still require programming knowledge, or have major limitations in terms of the kinds of games they can make.

In this thesis we introduce Mechanic Maker, a tool for creating a wide-range of game mechanics without programming. Game mechanics are defined as the basic activities in the game and the rules that govern them, for example, a character moving on screen due to input given on the keyboard. Instead of requiring programming to create game mechanics, Mechanic Maker relies on a backend symbolic learning system to synthesize game mechanics from examples. We conducted a user study to evaluate the benefits of the tool for participants with a variety of programming and game development experience. Our results suggested that participants' ability to use the tool was unrelated to their level of programming ability.

We also explore how we can leverage data from the user study to create a database of learned rules. This database allowed us to create a Gaussian Mixture Model, which we use in a case-based reasoning system to attempt to speed up mechanic creation.

We conclude that tools like ours could help democratize game development by making the practice accessible regardless of programming skills. Additionally, the usability assessment of Mechanic Maker showed that users could effectively use the tool. Finally, we determine that the case-based reasoning approach has the potential to speed up mechanic creation, but further work needs to be done to reduce user friction in Mechanic Maker.
Studying Systemic Metabolic Remodeling and Abnormal Mitochondrial Signaling in Primary Biliary Cholangitis
Creators: Sun, Ning
Publisher: name: University of Alberta Library
Year: 2024

Primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) is linked with the production of anti-mitochondrial antibodies (AMA) targeting pyruvate dehydrogenase complex-E2 subunit (PDC-E2). Cholangiocytes from PBC patients express increased PDC-E2, which is thought to result in loss of tolerance to mitochondrial proteins. We have previously shown that a human betaretrovirus resembling mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV), leads to increased expression of PDC-E2 in cholangiocytes. To better understand these changes, we have studied the metabolism in PBC cholangiocytes and found evidence of increased glycolysis linked with altered mitochondrial function,  as well as increased mitochondrial DNA  and proteins in cholangiocytes from patients with PBC.

Herein, we addressed the hypothesis that a glycolytic-shift and metabolic remodeling occurs systemically both in cholangiocytes and the peripheral blood of PBC, which in turn leads to an increased PDC-E2 expression linked with mitochondrial biogenesis. We first used immunofluorescence to investigate whether HIF1 α pathway activation was involved in metabolic remodeling of cholangiocytes. Then, we used RNA-seq to compare transcriptomic changes in PBC patients’ whole blood versus healthy controls to gain a wider perspective of the systemic changes in PBC patients’ metabolism. Specifically, we focused on evaluating the mitochondrial-DNA replication and mitochondrial function by using quantitative PCR, flow cytometry, and immunocytochemistry.

We found specific biliary epithelium cells from PBC patients’ were characterized by activated HIF1 α signalling that was not observed in other liver diseases. We also found that the peripheral blood of PBC showed increased glycolytic metabolism with an upregulated mitochondrial encoded OXPHOS gene expression and a downregulated nuclear encoded gene expression as compared to healthy subjects. These changes of gene expression were accompanied by increased mt-DNA replication and hyperpolarized mitochondria in PBC peripheral blood. Finally, the overexpression of the mitochondrial autoantigen PDC-E2 was predominantly observed with hyperpolarized mitochondria in PBMC of patients with PBC. These findings support the hypothesis that the abnormal mitochondrial  signalling characterized by hyperpolarized mitochondria induces a compensatory mitochondrial biogenesis linked with the overexpression of mitochondrial autoantigens in PBC.
Reasoning About Interior Building Design, Grounded on Design Rules
Creators: Sydora, Christoph P
Publisher: name: University of Alberta Library
Year: 2024

Computers have emerged as an invaluable tool in exploring building interior configurations, before committing to a particular layout. Building Information Modeling (BIM) enables designers to create digital representations of alternative interior arrangements and supports computer-automated evaluation of the arrangements under consideration against a variety of construction, accessibility, and stylistic guidelines. This process is known as Automated Code Checking (ACC). Domain Specific Languages (DSLs) can help domain experts code ACC rules in a machine-readable format, focusing only on domain concepts instead of programming knowledge.

This thesis provides a coherent suite of algorithms for reasoning about building designs based on RuleDSL, a user-friendly DSL for describing building spaces, their contents, and the geometric relations among them. The thesis puts forward algorithms for (i) automatically generating alternative interior layouts, (ii) evaluating them against a variety of quality metrics, and (iii) automatically learning RuleDSL rules from example layouts. RuleDSL and the above algorithms have been developed and evaluated in BIM-kit, a state-of-the-art software platform that implements and validates the above algorithms as well as supporting experimentation with a variety of use cases in the broad area of design automation.
Supplementary document for Ultra-broadband 3-dB power splitter using thin-film lithium niobite from 1.2 to 2 µm waveband - 6572265.pdf
Creators: name: Yi, Qiyuan
name: pan, An
name: Xia, Jinsong
name: Zeng, Cheng
name: Shen, Li
Publisher: name: Optica Publishing Group
Year: 2025
Subjects: Uncategorized

description: Supplemental Document
Can AI Offer Effective Feedback for Open-Ended Questions?  Results from Fine-Tuned LLMs for Automatic Feedback Generation
Creators: Mazzullo, Elisabetta
Publisher: name: University of Alberta Library
Year: 2024

The value of timely, personalized, detailed, and actionable feedback for learning is widely recognized; yet its provision is time-consuming and unfeasible in large-scale contexts. Current automatic feedback generation (AFG) methods lack customization and educator involvement. Large language models (LLMs), with their abilities to analyze and generate text, could address these limitations: existing studies using out-of-the-box LLMs and prompting strategies achieved positive results, but space for improvement remains. Parameter efficient fine-tuning can customize pre-trained LLMs using limited data and memory. Also, open-source LLMs can offer cost and privacy advantages with comparable performance to proprietary models. This study explores fine-tuning both closed and open-source LLMs for AFG. Using Meta’s Llama-2-7B and OpenAI’s GPT-3.5-turbo, we generated feedback for open-ended responses to situational judgment questions. The models were fine-tuned on a small set of hand-crafted feedback examples, using prompting strategies in the training instruction. The final model was evaluated by two independent judges and test experts. In addition, a user satisfaction survey was conducted for participants to interact with the model as test takers and evaluate their feedback. Our findings suggest that fine-tuning produces better results when using GPT, and it underscores the importance of effective training instructions. The fine-tuned model achieved a high user satisfaction (84.8%) and largely met desired structural qualities (72.9%). Also, it successfully generalized across different items, and provided feedback aligned with the given instructions, functioning similarly well, regardless of performance level, English learner status, or whether the respondent is currently a student. However, there remain instances where outputs contain linguistic mistakes, fail to provide focused suggestions, or feel quite generic. Suggestions on how these issues might be addressed, implications, and ethical considerations are discussed.
The Records of Music: Confucian Ideology, Cosmology, and Self-Cultivation Practices in Western Han China
Creators: Zhou, Leyi
Publisher: name: University of Alberta Library
Year: 2024

This thesis investigates the Records of Music (Yue Ji 樂記), a treatise considered to be the earliest fully developed text on musical theory in Chinese history. Compiled during the Western Han dynasty (206 BCE-9 CE), it was the work of Liu De 劉德, King Xian of Hejian 河間獻王, and his circle of Confucian scholars. The text provides a comprehensive discussion of  the Confucian proper music (yayue 雅樂) system, including  how music expresses and evokes human emotions, its interaction with self-cultivation (xiushen 修身), state politics and the universe.

This thesis reveals that how texts, knowledge traditions, and politics were intertwined in early imperial China through three topics. Chapter 1 explores different versions of the Records of Music, showing how the transmission process reflects the mutual influence between imperial and local authorities, and between Confucian scholarship and politics during the Western Han period. In Chapter 2, this thesis examines the cosmological narratives in the Records of Music through two lenses: content and rhetoric. It argues that the text’s reception of the prevalent correlative cosmology is intended to delineate a sage king who, through rituals and music, governs a harmonious and orderly cosmos that aligns with the Confucian ideal, serving as a model for regulating the real Han dynasty rulers. Chapter 3 further explores the proper music on a microcosmic level: the moral and rational classification of music highlights the unique role of the heart-mind (xin 心) alongside other sensory organs, demonstrating a subtle mind-body dualism through the interplay of music and rituals in self-cultivation.
Budgeted Gradient Descent: Selective Gradient Optimization for Addressing Misclassifications in DNNs
Creators: Banerjee, Arghasree
Publisher: name: University of Alberta Library
Year: 2024

Artificial neural networks have become a popular learning approach for theirability to generalize well to unseen data. However, misclassifications can still occur due to various data-related issues, such as adversarial inputs, out-ofdistribution samples, and model-related challenges, such as underfitting and overfitting. While retraining and fine-tuning on misclassified samples are common corrective approaches, they can reduce generalizability and lead to sample memorization.

In this thesis, we propose Budgeted Gradient Descent (BGD), an approach for correcting misclassifications by introducing sparse changes to network parameters. Our approach attempts to answer the question: What is the minimal set of network changes necessary to correctly predict a previously misclassified sample? BGD minimizes both the number of parameters updated and the magnitude of changes, aiming to correct misclassifications while preserving generalizability. Additionally, BGD does not require access to the training data to preserve said generalizability. We observe that sparse updates can effectively correct misclassifications while preserving learned representations, as not all gradients contribute equally to classifying difficult or out-of-distribution samples. Through empirical comparisons with existing approaches, we investigate the optimal level of sparsity for maintaining network performance and generalizability. Our results suggest that while second-order gradient updates can minimize the number of parameter changes, excessive sparsity can negatively impact the network. The contributions of this thesis include a novel approach to correcting misclassifications, insights into the relationship between parameter updates and generalizability, and a detailed examination of how different sparsity levels affect the long-term performance of neural networks in an online supervised learning setting.
Additional file 2 of Left ventricular ejection fraction using a simplified wall motion score based on mid-parasternal short axis and apical four-chamber views for non-cardiologists
Creators: name: Lebeau, Réal
name: Robert-Halabi, Maxime
name: Pichette, Maxime
name: Vinet, Alain
name: Sauvé, Claude
name: Dilorenzo, Maria
name: Le, Viet
name: Piette, Eric
name: Brunet, Mathieu
name: Bédard, William
name: Serri, Karim
name: Poulin, Frédéric
Publisher: name: figshare
Year: 2024
Subjects: Biophysics
Biochemistry
Space Science
Medicine
Environmental Sciences not elsewhere classified
Biological Sciences not elsewhere classified

description: Additional file 2. Table 1. The conversion of ECHO and CMR WMSI into LVEF by regression models in 3 studies
Polyfunctional CD8+CD226+RUNX2hi effector T cells are diminished in advanced stages of chronic lymphocytic leukemia
Creators: Rezaeifar, Maryam
Publisher: name: University of Alberta Library
Year: 2024

Background: CD8+ T cells, in particular, those expressing the co-stimulatory molecule CD226, play crucial roles against malignancies. However, their role in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), which is an immunosuppressive disease, has yet to be explored. Therefore, further studies are needed to better understand the role of CD8+CD226+ T cells in CLL and other hematological cancers.

We studied 64 CLL patients and 25 age-sex-matched healthy controls (HCs). We analyzed the proportion of CD226+ expressing cells among different CD8+ T cells subsets (e.g. naïve, central memory, effector memory, and effector) in CLL patients stratified by Rai stage and IGHV mutation status. Additionally, we compared the effector functions of CD8+CD226+ versus their CD226- counterparts. We also quantified the plasma concentrations of cytokines/chemokines in CLL and HCs. Furthermore, we reanalyzed publicly available RNAseq dataset on CD226+ and CD226- CD8+ T cells. Finally, we evaluated the effects of highly elevated cytokines/chemokines on the expression of CD226.

We found that CD226+ expressing cells were significantly decreased within the effector memory and effector CD8+ T cells in CLL patients, particularly, those with advanced Rai stages and unmutated IGHV, a marker of poor prognosis. These cells displayed robust effector functions such as cytokine production, cytolytic activity, degranulation and proliferation capacity. Furthermore, the expression of chemokine receptors CLA, CCR4, and RUNX2 in CD8+CD226+ T cells suggested enhanced migration capability, particularly to the skin, potentially protecting against secondary skin tumors prevalent in CLL. Elevated levels of IL-6 and MIP-1β were inversely correlated with CD8+CD226+ T cell frequency and were implicated in the downregulation of CD226 expression, possibly contributing to T cell dysfunction in CLL. In contrast, CD8+CD226- T cells displayed an exhausted phenotype.

Our findings highlight the critical role of CD8+CD226+RUNX2hi T cells in CLL and suggest that their reduction correlates with disease progression and poorer clinical outcomes. The inverse relationship between key inflammatory cytokines and CD226 expression offers potential therapeutic targets to restore CD8+ T cell functionality in CLL. This study underscores the importance of targeting CD8+CD226+ T cell modulation as a promising strategy in CLL immunotherapy.
Quantumness Speeds up Quantum Thermodynamics Processes
Creators: name: Luo, Ming-Xing
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2024
Subjects: subject: Quantum Physics (quant-ph)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: Quantum thermodynamic process involves manipulating and controlling quantum states to extract energy or perform computational tasks with high efficiency. There is still no efficientgeneral method to theoretically quantify the effect of the quantumness of coherence and entanglement in work extraction. In this work, we propose a thermodynamics speed to quantify theextracting work. We show that the coherence of quantum systems can speed up work extractingwith respect to some cyclic evolution beyond all incoherent states. We further show the genuine entanglement of quantum systems may speed up work extracting beyond any bi-separablestates. This provides a new thermodynamic method to witness entangled systems without statetomography.
description: 18 pages
Additional file 4 of Patient engagement in a national research network: barriers, facilitators, and impacts
Creators: name: Gonzalez, Miriam
name: Ogourtsova, Tatiana
name: Zerbo, Alix
name: Lalonde, Corinne
name: Spurway, Amy
name: Gavin, Frank
name: Shikako, Keiko
name: Weiss, Jonathan A.
name: Majnemer, Annette
Publisher: name: figshare
Year: 2024
Subjects: subject: Cancer
subject: Science Policy
subject: Mental Health
subject: Infectious Diseases
subject: FOS: Health sciences

description: Additional file 4. “Interview Guide Questions” contains the qualitative interview questions used for patient-partners and researchers.
Supplementary document for Multi-band infrared camouflage compatible with radiative cooling and visible colors via a simple multilayer film structure - 6572360.pdf
Creators: name: Wang, Lei
name: Zhang, Shangyu
name: Dong, Jian
name: Ma, Lanxin
name: Zheng, Chong
name: Zhang, Wenjie
name: LIU, LINHUA
Publisher: name: Optica Publishing Group
Year: 2025
Subjects: Uncategorized

description: See Supplement for the effect of the quartz substrate, the optical constants of the materials, the OCP and SRR at different incident angles, and the GA convergence.
Pycnoscelus indicus
Creators: name: Wang, Yi-Shu
name: Dong, Xiao-Jiao
name: Wang, Zong-Qing
name: Che, Yan-Li
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2025
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Blattodea
Blaberidae
Pycnoscelus
Pycnoscelus indicus

description: Pycnoscelus indicus (Fabricius, 1775)
Fig. 2
Blatta indica Fabricius, 1775: 272.
Pycnoscelus indicus: Roth 1967: 774; Roth 1998: 99.
Material examined.
China • 5 males & 3 females; Fujian Prov., Putian City, Meizhou Island; 22–23 July 2013; Shun-Hua Gui & Yan Shi leg. • 2 males; Guangdong Prov., Zhongshan City, Zimaling Park, 11 Oct. 2018; Ke-Liang Wu leg. • 1 female; Guangxi Prov., Baise City, Renzhuang Township, Tengmao Village, Nongli tun; 9–13 July 2015; Jian-Yue Qiu leg. • 1 male; Guangxi Prov., Longzhou County; Nonggang Nature Reserve; 29–30 June 2015; Lu Qiu & Qi-Kun Bai leg. • 11 males & 2 females; Yunnan Prov., Yuxi City, Yuanjiang County; 533 m; 22 May 2018; Lu Qiu, Wen-Bo Deng & Zhi-Wei Dong leg. Japan • 2 males & 5 females; Okinawa, Mt. Yonahadake; 222 m; 10 Aug. 2016; Jian-Yue Qiu & Hao Xu leg.
Diagnosis.
This species is characterized by its pronotum with a broad anterior and narrow anterolateral yellowish band (Fig. 2 E), a feature also presents in P. surinamensis. The two species are difficult to distinguish in appearance. The key distinction between P. indicus and P. surinamensis lies in their reproductive modes: P. indicus reproduces bisexually, while P. surinamensis reproduces parthenogenetically (Roth 1967).
Supplementary description of male.
Hind margin of supra-anal plate variable, weakly incised medially, or entire and convexly rounded (Fig. 2 G). Sclerotized level and shape of subgenital plate variable: the inner plate nearly symmetrical or strongly asymmetrical, lateral projection on left posterolateral angle distinct or not (Fig. 2 H – J). Male genitalia: Right phallomere with caudal part of sclerite R 1 T widened; R 2 slightly curved; the projection arising from the junction of R 1 T and R 2 elongate; R 3 forked caudally; R 4 plate-like, close to the caudal part of R 1; R 5 absent (Fig. 2 K, L). Sclerite L 2 D divided into basal and apical parts: the basal part straight; the apical part croissant-shaped with outer margin toothed; apical membrane covered with heavy chaetae (Fig. 2 M). Sclerite L 3 with hook short and robust, sclerite L 4 U divided into two parts (Fig. 2 N).
Measurements (mm).
Body length including tegmen: male 15.8–17.2, female 16.4–18.6; pronotum length × width: male 4.0–4.4 × 5.4–5.9, female 4.3–5.1 × 6.0–6.7; tegmen length: male 13.8–15.3, female 12.7–15.0.
description: Published as part of Wang, Yi-Shu, Dong, Xiao-Jiao, Wang, Zong-Qing & Che, Yan-Li, 2025, Taxonomic update of Pycnoscelus Scudder, 1862 (Blattodea, Blaberidae, Pycnoscelinae), with descriptions of two new species from China, pp. 45-67 in ZooKeys 1231 on pages 45-67, DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1231.141287
Additional file 1 of An environmental scan of Ontario Health Teams: a descriptive study
Creators: name: Sethuram, Claire
name: McCutcheon, Tess
name: Liddy, Clare
Publisher: name: figshare
Year: 2024
Subjects: subject: Medicine
subject: Pharmacology
subject: Biotechnology
subject: Ecology
subject: FOS: Biological sciences
subject: Science Policy

description: Additional file 1.
Arun_Open_Practices_Disclosure – Supplemental material for Reading Increases the Compositionality of Visual Word Representations
Creators: name: Aakash Agrawal
name: K. V. S. Hari
name: S. P. Arun
Publisher: name: SAGE Journals
Year: 2019
Subjects: subject: 110904 Neurology and Neuromuscular Diseases
subject: FOS: Clinical medicine
subject: 170199 Psychology not elsewhere classified
subject: FOS: Psychology
subject: 110319 Psychiatry (incl. Psychotherapy)
subject: Neuroscience

description: Supplemental material, Arun_Open_Practices_Disclosure for Reading Increases the Compositionality of Visual Word Representations by Aakash Agrawal, K. V. S. Hari and S. P. Arun in Psychological Science
Supplementary document for Integrated Electro-optic Control of Biphoton Generation Using Hybrid Photonics - 6572445.pdf
Creators: name: Wang, Xiaoxi
name: Mere, Viphretuo
name: Valdez, Forrest
name: Mookherjea, Shayan
Publisher: name: Optica Publishing Group
Year: 2025
Subjects: Uncategorized

description: Supplemental Document
ACR884678 Supplemetal Material - Supplemental material for Image evaluation and breast density categories as a function of mammary positioning in full-field digital mammography
Creators: name: Nakano, Irene Tomoko
name: Salvador, Gabriel Lucca De Oliveira
name: Schelin, Hugo Reuters
name: Denyak, Valeriy
name: Khoury, Helen Jamil
name: Tacara, Silvio
Publisher: name: SAGE Journals
Year: 2019
Subjects: subject: 110320 Radiology and Organ Imaging
subject: FOS: Clinical medicine

description: Supplemental material, ACR884678 Supplemetal Material for Image evaluation and breast density categories as a function of mammary positioning in full-field digital mammography by Irene Tomoko Nakano, Gabriel Lucca de Oliveira Salvador, Hugo Reuters Schelin, Valeriy Denyak, Helen Jamil Khoury and Silvio Tacara in Acta Radiologica