cometadata/datacite-rtg-text-other-reclassification-records huggingface dataset:
A Molecular Dynamics Simulation of Vesicle Deformation and Rupture in Confined Poiseuille Flow
Creators: name: Harman, Alison
Publisher: name: Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa
Year: 2013
Subjects: vesicles
lipid bilayers
biophysics
simulations
poiseuille flow
liposomes
biological membranes

description: Vesicles are simple structures, but display complex, non-linear dynamics in fluid flow. I investigate the deformation of nanometer-sized vesicles, both fully-inflated and those with excess area, as they travel in tightly confined capillaries. By varying both channel size and flow strength, I simulate vesicles as they transition from steady-state to unstable shapes, and then rupture in strong flow fields. By employing a molecular dynamics model of the vesicle, fluid, and capillary system one is able to rupture the lipid bilayer of these vesicles. This is unique in that most other numerical methods for modelling vesicles are unable to show rupture. The rupture of fully-inflated vesicles is applicable to drug delivery in which the release of the encapsulated medicine needs to be controlled. The deformation and rupture of vesicles with excess area could be applicable to red blood cells which have similar rheological properties.
Paladilhiopsis Pavlovic 1913
Creators: name: Grego, Jozef
name: Glöer, Peter
name: Falniowski, Andrzej
name: Hofman, Sebastian
name: Osikowski, Artur
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2019
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Mollusca
Gastropoda
Littorinimorpha
Moitessieriidae
Paladilhiopsis

description: Genus Paladilhiopsis Pavlović, 1913
 Type species: Paladilhia robiciana Clessin, 1882
description: Published as part of Grego, Jozef, Glöer, Peter, Falniowski, Andrzej, Hofman, Sebastian & Osikowski, Artur, 2019, New subterranean freshwater gastropod species from Montenegro (Mollusca, Gastropoda, Moitessieriidae, and Hydrobiidae), pp. 71-90 in Ecologica Montenegrina 20 (2019) on page 76, DOI: 10.37828/em.2019.20.6, http://zenodo.org/record/13359679
Bosnidilhia Boeters, Gloer and Pesic 2013
Creators: name: Grego, Jozef
name: Glöer, Peter
name: Falniowski, Andrzej
name: Hofman, Sebastian
name: Osikowski, Artur
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2019
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Mollusca
Gastropoda
Littorinimorpha
Moitessieriidae
Bosnidilhia

description: Bosnidilhia Boeters, Glöer and Pešić, 2013
 Type species: Bosnidilhia vreloana Boeters, Glöer & Pešić, 2013 (Fig. 5)
description: Published as part of Grego, Jozef, Glöer, Peter, Falniowski, Andrzej, Hofman, Sebastian & Osikowski, Artur, 2019, New subterranean freshwater gastropod species from Montenegro (Mollusca, Gastropoda, Moitessieriidae, and Hydrobiidae), pp. 71-90 in Ecologica Montenegrina 20 (2019) on page 80, DOI: 10.37828/em.2019.20.6, http://zenodo.org/record/13359679
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus in Canadian Hospitals from 1995 to 2007: A Comparison of Adult and Pediatric Inpatients
Creators: name: Locke, Tiffany
Publisher: name: Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa
Year: 2013
Subjects: Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus
Epidemiology
Humans
Cross Infection
Hospitals
Drug resistance, antimicrobial
Infant
Child
Infant, newborn
Child, preschool
Age factors
Sentinel Surveillance
Population Surveilance
Canada
Hospitals, pediatric
Community-Acquired Infections
Hospitalization
Methicillin Resistance
Incidence
Molecular Epidemiology
Molecular Typing
Cluster Analysis
Staphylococcal Infection/epidemiology
Healthcare Associated Infections
Panton-Valentine leukocidin
Age Groups
Adult
Aged
Nosocomial Infections
MRSA
Adolescent
Aged, 80 and over
Young adult
Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial
Infection Control
Infection Control Practitioners
Hospital Bed Capacity
Bed Occupancy
Pediatrics
Epidemiologic Factors
Health Facilities
Risk Factors
Length of Stay
Patient Admission
Staphylococcus aureus
Canadian Nosocomial Infections Surveillance Program
Public Health Agency of Canada

description: The literature directly comparing the epidemiology of MRSA among adult and pediatric hospitalized patients is strikingly minimal. The objective of this thesis was to identify any differences between these two patient groups. The Canadian Nosocomial Infections Surveillance Program MRSA data (1995 to 2007: n=1,262 pediatric and 35,907 adult cases) were used to compare MRSA clinical and molecular characteristics and rates. Hospital characteristics were modeled using repeated measures Poisson regressions. The molecular and epidemiological characteristics of MRSA differed significantly between adults and children. Compared to children, MRSA in adults was more likely to be healthcare-associated, colonization, SCCmec type II, PVL negative, and resistant to most antibiotics. Rates of MRSA in Canada increased in both populations over time but were significantly higher in adults. The hospital characteristics associated with increased MRSA rates differed in adult and pediatric facilities. Implications for infection prevention and control strategies are discussed.
Measurement and reduction of laser power fluctuations beyond the shot noise limit
Creators: name: Venneberg, Jasper Robert
Publisher: name: Hannover : Institutionelles Repositorium der Leibniz Universität Hannover
Year: 2024
Subjects: subject: laser power stabilization
subject: bright squeezed light
subject: shot noise
subject: quantum correlation measurement
subject: optical AC coupling
subject: gravitational-wave detector
subject: Laserleistungsstabilisierung
subject: Helles Quetschlicht
subject: Schrotrauschen
subject: Quantenkorrelationsmessung
subject: Optische AC-Kopplung
subject: Gravitationswellendetektor
subject: Dewey Decimal Classification::500 | Naturwissenschaften::530 | Physik

description: Many experiments in state-of-the-art research rely on highly stable light sources. For example, gravitational-wave detectors demand ultra-low-noise lasers to meet their stringent sensitivity requirements. In particular, exceptionally low laser power noise is necessary. Classically, laser power noise measurements are restricted by shot noise. Shot-noise-limited sensing can be improved conventionally by increasing the detected power. However, the power handling capabilities of photodetectors impose constraints on this approach, limiting current-day power noise monitoring and reduction techniques. This work investigates methods to surpass the limit imposed by shot noise. Concepts usable in both low- and high-power setups are examined, which could improve the sensitivity of future high-precision experiments in metrology and spectroscopy. A power noise monitoring method is demonstrated, capable of sub-shot-noise measurements by correlating the signals of two photodetectors. Without the need of a complex optical setup, this technique, called quantum correlation measurement, is demonstrated to achieve a relative power noise sensitivity one order of magnitude below what is achievable via a conventional shot-noise-limited measurement. This technique could increase sensitivity and considerably reduce technical effort in power noise monitoring. A nonclassical power stabilization scheme is demonstrated, which enables power stability beyond the classical limit of active stabilization. A bright squeezed output beam with a power of up to 9.9 mW and sub-shot-noise power fluctuations for frequencies from 550 Hz to 70 kHz at levels of up to 5.7 +0.3/-0.4 dB below shot noise is generated. As an effective bright squeezed light source, this method could enable future high-precision measurements in low-power applications otherwise limited by shot noise. Finally, concepts for future bright squeezing schemes are investigated. Bright squeezed light generation via passive power noise filtering by a cavity and active stabilization based on optical AC coupling are examined. Case studies for proof-of-principle experiments are performed, and the feasibility is shown by applying realistic parameters. The scalability of the optical AC coupling assisted bright squeezing technique to powers of hundreds of watts is illustrated by applying parameters for a future gravitational-wave detector.
Hydrogen storage properties of the 2LiBH4–MgH2 reactive hydride composite doped with Ti additives and Al
Creators: name: Puszkiel, Julián
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2013
Subjects: RHC
hydrogen storage
Al

description: The practical application of hydrogen as new energy vector presents several problems that have not been solved yet. One of the major constraints is the lack of a safe, compact and efficient way to store hydrogen, mainly for mobile applications. Solid–hydrogen storage is one of the potential solutions. The reaction 2LiBH4 + MgH2 ↔ MgB2 + 2LiH + 4H2 has interesting characteristics for hydrogen storage purposes. It has a proper thermodynamic stability (ΔH = 40.5 kJ.mol-1 H2) which involves a reduced hydrogen desorption temperature (Tdesorption= 225 ºC at 1 bar). It also has a high hydrogen storage capacity of 11.45 wt. % H2 1, 2. Nonetheless, kinetic constraints preclude desorption temperatures below 400 ºC. The formation of MgB2 is responsible for the reversibility of this reactive hydride composite (RHC). Therefore, by modifying the formation kinetic of MgB2 and/or altering MgB2 itself, lower desorptiontemperature and an improved kinetic behavior of the RHC can be reached. For instance, the addition of a Ti based additive noticeably enhances the kinetic behavior of the RHC, i.e. stable desorption kinetic in anextremely short time. In the present work, X-ray diffraction, thermal analyses and volumetric techniques, among others, are used to investigate the effect of Ti based additives as well as the doping of MgB2 with Al on the kinetic behavior of this promising RHC. 1 Barkhordarian G., Klassen T., Bormann R., German Patent pub. no.: DE102004/061286; 2004.
 2 Vajo J.J., Skeith S.L., Mertens F. J Phys Chem C 2005; 109: 3719-3722.
Multi-criteria Decision Support for Strategic Program Prioritization at Defence Research and Development Canada
Creators: name: Ismaili, Hami
Publisher: name: Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa
Year: 2013
Subjects: MCDM
AHP
Prioritization

description: The objective of this thesis research is to model the multiple program objectives used by Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC) for the annual management and allocation of their broad range of Science and Technology (S&T) projects in order to best achieve the strategic goals of the agency and the government. This M.Sc. thesis presents methodologies, techniques and applications in Linear Programming (LP) and Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) for decision support in program prioritization and project selection of the DRDC S&T projects. The results of this research produce a model that supports decision makers effectively in the assignment of limited human and financial resources to competing S&T projects based on the evaluation of projects that merit funding and the multiple criteria established by the organization. While there is a well-defined set of criteria for the annual program formulation process, the selection procedure is currently based on simple scoring processes and expert judgement; it lacks a well-defined and structured analysis. The application of an MCDM framework is proposed to take advantage of the well-structured problem and improve annual renewal and ongoing monitoring or project performance measures. The results of the analysis provide a traceable and rigorous MCDM framework to evaluate the performance of DRDC S&T projects for enhanced resource allocation.
A Tectonic Theory of Moral Responsibility: How a Concern for Patiency can Make Moral Responsibility Practices More Fair
Creators: name: Jurkovic, Lucas
Publisher: name: Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa
Year: 2016
Subjects: moral responsibility
patiency
neuroscience
neuro-law

description: This thesis develops a tectonic theory of moral responsibility. The word ‘tectonic’ is used metaphorically, to bring to mind the interaction of tectonic plates in the earth’s crust. The theory of moral responsibility developed in the thesis posits that there are two aspects of persons that should be considered within moral responsibility judgments: agency and patiency. I suggest that the ways that these relate to and influence each other can be thought of as similar to the interactions between tectonic plates. I use the term ‘agency’ in its usual sense to refer to the control component of moral responsibility judgments. A person must be an agent, i.e. have a normal degree of self-control in order to be held morally responsible for her actions. This is a vague take on agency, to be sure. However, the tectonic theory is meant to apply to any of the common conceptions of agency in the moral responsibility literature. The vagueness in my treatment of agency is thus intended to allow the tectonic theory to be pluralist in regards to various conceptions of agency on offer. Whether one subscribes to a reasons-responsiveness view of agency, or an identificationist view, the tectonic theory’s prescribed concern for patiency can function as a fairness-enhancing counterweight to the agentic considerations of either view. The novelty of the tectonic theory derives from its use of the concept of patiency, which has been neglected in philosophical discussions of moral responsibility. Patiency refers to the features of a person and her life that she cannot control. The tectonic theory takes both agentic and patientic features of persons into account when making moral responsibility judgments. I argue that doing so can enhance the fairness of moral responsibility judgments, while for the most part avoiding the pitfalls of more conventional approaches to moral responsibility such as compatibilism and incompatibilism. To develop the tectonic theory, I draw from work in philosophy, psychology, and cognitive neuroscience.
A Design and Evaluation of a Secure Neighborhood Awareness Framework for Vehicular Ad-Hoc Networks
Creators: name: Abumansoor, Osama
Publisher: name: Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa
Year: 2014
Subjects: Location information
Vehicular Ad Hoc Network (VANET)
Security

description: Vehicular ad-hoc networks (VANETs) are envisioned to provide many road and safety applications that will improve drivers' awareness and enhance the driving experience. Many of proposed applications are location-based that depend on sharing the location information of vehicles and events among neighboring nodes. The location-based applications should provide vehicle operators with knowledge of the current surrounding conditions to help them make appropriate traveling decisions, such as avoiding traffic congestion. Drivers expect to receive accurate and reliable information from other vehicles. Therefore, securing localization service integrity is important to support a VANET's overall system reliability. In this thesis, we study the exchanged location information in VANETs and designed a framework to prevent potential security threats that will violate users' privacy and overcome limitations that can impact the exchanged data integrity and reliability. The solution developed a secure neighborhood awareness service and shared localization information management protocol in a VANET. The proposed framework is constructed through several components: (i) a location verification protocol that will secure location information by providing a non-line-of-sight (NLOS) verification protocol to overcome moving obstacle effects; (ii) privacy-preserving location information management to detect data inconsistency and provide a recovery process while preventing attackers from tracking individual vehicles; (iii) a trust model evaluation mechanism based on neighborhood awareness; (iv) an adaptive beacon protocol that will reduce the number of messages and provide quality of service(QoS) control for network managers and authorities. We also propose a security evaluation model that quantifies the security attributes for the localization service in a VANET. The model will help evaluate an integrated security measures that are provided by different components of the network services.
Novel catalytic mechanisms of doped-multicomponent hydride systems for hydrogen storage
Creators: name: Puszkiel, Julián
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2019
Subjects: Hydrogen
TEM
Nanostructured materiales
Hydride systems

description: Binary and complex hydrides and their mixtures have been extensively investigated owing to their potential for hydrogen storage applications. They have high volumetric hydrogen capacity and relatively high gravimetric hydrogen capacity. One of the main constraints for their practical application is their slow kinetic behaviour. The addition of mainly transition metal compounds in amounts between 1 and 10 wt.% by mechanical milling results in an effective dispersion and in situ formation of species with effective catalytic activity. As-milled and doped hydride systems as for example 2LiBH4+MgH2 and Mg(NH2)2+2LiH show notable improved kinetic behaviour for hydrogen uptake/release. Investigations on the effects of the additives on the multicomponent hydride systems have been performed applying advanced experimental techniques such as X-ray spectroscopy (XAS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), ex situ and in situ synchrotron X-ray diffraction (S-XRD), calorimetric and volumetric techniques. In this presentation, novel catalytic mechanisms responsible for the observed enhancement of the kinetic behaviour of these doped-multicomponent hydride systems are explained.
Applying the lessons of COVID-19 response to Canada's worsening opioid epidemic
Creators: name: Norton, Alexa
name: Kerr, Thomas
Publisher: name: Elsevier
Year: 2021

description: Global pandemics, such as coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), often reveal glaring deficiencies within our public health systems. However, such major public health threats also present opportunities to strengthen existing public health structures and responses. Past communicable disease pandemics, such as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in 2003 and H1N1 influenza in 2009, exposed systemic weaknesses in the ability of global health systems to respond to novel pathogens, but led to new protocols and improved infrastructure [1,2]. The current COVID-19 pandemic, while associated with significant morbidity and mortality, has created yet another opportunity for reflection: specifically, on the equity of pandemic response. The current situation in Canada, where the co-occurring epidemics of COVID-19 and opioid-related overdose persist, presents a useful case example of such inequities.
Summary of the results of the Sponsorship Programme for nanoscale titanium dioxide of the OECD Working Party on Manufactured Nanomaterials
Creators: name: Völker, Doris
name: Schwirn, Kathrin
Publisher: name: My University
Year: 2016
Subjects: subject: Nanomaterialien
subject: Titandioxid
subject: OECD
subject: nanomaterials
subject: manufactured nanomaterials
subject: titanium dioxide
subject: Chemikalien
subject: Chemicals

description: The Sponsorship Programme is the central testing programme of the ⁠OECD⁠ Working Party on Manufactured Nanomaterials (WPMN) launched in 2007. It was called into being to create the conditions for a coordinated approach between the member countries with regard to the safety of manufactured nanomaterials. The WPMN brings together 30 member countries of the OECD and the EU Commission. Some non-member countries are also represented, as are organisations from industry and from standardisation and environmental associations. The idea behind the OECD Sponsorship Programme was to collate data on selected and precisely described manufactured nanomaterials. The intention was thereby to obtain information on their physicochemical properties, behaviour and effects on humans and the environment, and to demonstrate the relationships between them. In this process Germany joined forces with France as joint “Lead Sponsors” for nTiO2. This report summarizes the results of the Sponsorship Programme on ecotoxicology and environmental behavior of nanoscale titanium dioxide of the OECD Working Party on Manufactured Nanomaterials (WPMN).
Supplementary document for Label-free automated neutropenia detection and grading using deep-ultraviolet microscopy - 5426952.pdf
Creators: name: Ojaghi, Ashkan
name: Costa, Paloma Casteleiro
name: Caruso, Christina
name: lam, wilbur
name: Robles, Francisco
Publisher: name: Optica Publishing Group
Year: 2025
Subjects: Uncategorized

description: Supplementary document containing figure, table, and additional information
Newcomer Strategic Negotiations of Religious/Secular Identities and Spaces: Examining the Tension between Structure and Agency in Processes of Immigrant Settlement in Ottawa, Canada
Creators: name: Paquette, Stéphane
Publisher: name: Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa
Year: 2016
Subjects: Identity
Performativity
Settlement
Immigration

description: This research project proposes to examine the role of religious/secular identities and spaces in processes of newcomer settlement. By focusing on how newcomer participants performed socio-spatially contingent religious/secular identities and experienced religious/secular spaces fluidly, I shed light on the importance of these negotiations of identity and space as settlement strategy. I examined these settlement strategies through participants’ navigation of religious organizations and other spatial contexts such as the workplace, school and home. Informed by their individual agency, participants were shown to perform identities and experience different spaces in such a way as to address a variety of structural constraints and settlement challenges. This thesis research was conducted using a feminist geography framework, drawing on qualitative research methods. I relied on a mixed-methods approach, using participant observation, individual semi-structured interviews and mental maps to collect data. My data collection took place in Ottawa, focusing on the settlement experiences of 11 newcomers to the National Capital Region of Canada.
Queue dynamics with window flow control
Creators: name: Tang, Antony
name: Andrew, Lachlan L. H.
name: Jacobsson, Krister
name: Johansson, Karl H.
name: Hjalmarsson, Hakan
name: Low, Steven H.
Publisher: name: Swinburne
Year: 2024

description: This paper develops a new model that describes the queueing process of a communication network when data sources use window flow control. The model takes into account the burstiness in sub-round-trip time (RTT) timescales and the instantaneous rate differences of a flow at different links. It is generic and independent of actual source flow control algorithms. Basic properties of the model and its relation to existing work are discussed. In particular, for a general network with multiple links, it is demonstrated that spatial interaction of oscillations allows queue instability to occur even when all flows have the same RTTs and maintain constant windows. The model is used to study the dynamics of delay-based congestion control algorithms. It is found that the ratios of RTTs are critical to the stability of such systems, and previously unknown modes of instability are identified. Packet-level simulations and testbed measurements are provided to verify the model and its predictions.
Structure Causal Models and LLMs Integration in Medical Visual Question Answering
Creators: name: Xu, Zibo
name: Li, Qiang
name: Nie, Weizhi
name: Wang, Weijie
name: Liu, Anan
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2025
Subjects: subject: Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition (cs.CV)
subject: FOS: Computer and information sciences

description: Medical Visual Question Answering (MedVQA) aims to answer medical questions according to medical images. However, the complexity of medical data leads to confounders that are difficult to observe, so bias between images and questions is inevitable. Such cross-modal bias makes it challenging to infer medically meaningful answers. In this work, we propose a causal inference framework for the MedVQA task, which effectively eliminates the relative confounding effect between the image and the question to ensure the precision of the question-answering (QA) session. We are the first to introduce a novel causal graph structure that represents the interaction between visual and textual elements, explicitly capturing how different questions influence visual features. During optimization, we apply the mutual information to discover spurious correlations and propose a multi-variable resampling front-door adjustment method to eliminate the relative confounding effect, which aims to align features based on their true causal relevance to the question-answering task. In addition, we also introduce a prompt strategy that combines multiple prompt forms to improve the model's ability to understand complex medical data and answer accurately. Extensive experiments on three MedVQA datasets demonstrate that 1) our method significantly improves the accuracy of MedVQA, and 2) our method achieves true causal correlations in the face of complex medical data.
description: Accepted by IEEE TMI 2025
Patient-Specific Finite Element Modeling of the Mitral Valve
Creators: name: Andison, Christopher
Publisher: name: Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa
Year: 2015
Subjects: Mitral valve
Finite element analysis
Three-dimensional echocardiography

description: As the most commonly diseased heart valve, the mitral valve (MV) has been the subject of extensive research for many years. Unfortunately, the only treatment options currently available are surgical repair and replacement. Although repair is almost always preferable to replacement, it is often underperformed due to the complexity of MV repair surgeries. Consequently, there is significant interest in generating patient-specific finite element models of the MV for the purpose of simulating mitral repairs. For practical purposes transesophageal echocardiographic (TEE) images are most commonly used to reconstruct the mitral apparatus. However, limitations in ultrasound technology have prevented the detection of leaflet thicknesses. In the current study, a method was developed to accurately model variations in leaflet thicknesses using TEE datasets. Nine healthy datasets were modeled and the leaflet thicknesses were found to closely match previously reported results. As anticipated, normal valve function was also observed over the entire cardiac cycle.
Understanding soil NO fluxes and their impact on the forest atmosphere
Creators: name: An, Hyunjin
Publisher: name: Lancaster University
Year: 2024

description: Nitrogen oxides (NOx = NO + NO2) are important atmospheric pollutants and
 major precursors of ozone (O3) and secondary aerosol. To address air
 pollution issues in industrial and urban cities, anthropogenic emissions
 have been the main focus of attention to improve air quality. NOx
 emissions from natural sources such as the soil are less intense and are
 frequently neglected. However, NOx is highly reactive and even small
 emissions to the atmosphere can make a substantial impact in locations
 where anthropogenic emissions are low, such as in remote or forested
 regions.

 In this work, soil NOx fluxes have been measured in the field in a number
 of different environments, and in lab experiments with collected soil
 samples, and the impacts of these fluxes have been investigated using
 model simulations. In-situ measurements in two forests with different
 vegetation and soil characteristics enabled investigation of the driving
 factors that govern the magnitude of soil NOx fluxes and their diel and
 periodic cycles. Field observations in a Eucalyptus forest and suburban
 greenspace found that

 soils are an ongoing and non-negligible emission source, and that the diel
 cycles are influenced by meteorology. Surprisingly, negative soil NOx
 fluxes (reflecting net NOx uptake) were found in nitrogen limited forest
 soils. To account for the effects of future climate changes, soils were
 collected under conditions of elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2)
 and temperature treatments were applied. The measurements from the field
 campaigns and lab experiments demonstrated that climate and pedoclimate
 parameters affect the magnitude of soil NOx fluxes, and that atmospheric
 CO2 levels alter the optimal soil NOx flux response to temperature. The
 soil NO fluxes measured in these studies were then applied in a canopy
 exchange model to investigate their impact on the forest atmosphere. Soil
 NO fluxes influenced O3 concentrations, but also affected peroxy radical
 concentrations and isoprene oxidation. The model results showed that
 impacts were bigger under heatwave and prolonged drought conditions.
 Furthermore, the structure of the forest canopy affects the vertical
 profile of O3 and its relationship with soil NO fluxes. As Earth’s climate
 changes, and as anthropogenic sources reduce under the effect of emission
 controls, the role of soil NOx fluxes will become increasingly important.
 The findings in this work motivate further interest in the role of soil
 fluxes on the atmosphere, and in the wider importance of biosphere and
 atmosphere

 interactions.
Socio-technological Analysis of Development Assistance Database Afghanistan: A Case Study
Creators: name: Bezhan, Mohammad Sediq
Publisher: name: Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa
Year: 2013
Subjects: Actor Network Theory
Aid Effectiveness
Case Study
Afghanistan
Donor-government Communication
Development Assistance Database

description: Improvement in information sharing and communication about the foreign aid resources between the donors and the aid-recipient countries have always been considered very important. In recent years, the integration of advanced technology in the area of aid coordination has received a tremendous amount of attention. The following thesis studies the influence of technology in the area aid coordination within the context of Afghanistan. Guided by the Actor-Network Theory, the thesis examines how the social and technological aspects of the Development Assistance Database (DAD), as an advanced aid information management technology, influences aid coordination and information sharing between the donors and the government of Afghanistan. Using a case study methodology, the research also investigates whether or not the DAD adheres to the principles of aid effectiveness. The findings reveal that although technology had a profound impact in the area of aid management in Afghanistan, there are several areas that still face challenges. The present study highlights these challenges and recommends the appropriate solutions.
Stygobium Grego and Gloer 2019, n. gen.
Creators: name: Grego, Jozef
name: Glöer, Peter
name: Falniowski, Andrzej
name: Hofman, Sebastian
name: Osikowski, Artur
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2019
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Mollusca
Gastropoda
Littorinimorpha
Hydrobiidae
Stygobium

description: Genus Stygobium Grego and Glöer n. gen.
 Type species Stygobium hercegnoviensis Grego and Glöer n. sp
 Diagnosis
 The diagnostic features of the new genus are the same as those of the type species, Stygobium hercegnoviensis n. sp. The main distinction vs other hydrobiid genera is in molecular H3 data, where the new genus forms a very distinct clade.
 Etymology
Named after its stygobiont habitat.
description: Published as part of Grego, Jozef, Glöer, Peter, Falniowski, Andrzej, Hofman, Sebastian & Osikowski, Artur, 2019, New subterranean freshwater gastropod species from Montenegro (Mollusca, Gastropoda, Moitessieriidae, and Hydrobiidae), pp. 71-90 in Ecologica Montenegrina 20 (2019) on page 82, DOI: 10.37828/em.2019.20.6, http://zenodo.org/record/13359679
From needs to actions : prospects for planned adaptations in high mountain communities
Creators: name: McDowell, Graham
name: Harris, Leila
name: Koppes, Michèle Nathalie
name: Price, Martin F.
name: Chan, Kai Ming Adam, 1975-
name: Lama, Dhawa G.
Publisher: name: Springer
Year: 2022

description: Adaptation needs in high mountain communities are increasingly well documented, yet most efforts to address these needs continue to befall mountain people who have contributed little to the problem of climate change. This situation represents a contravention of accepted norms of climate justice and calls attention to the need for better understanding of prospects for externally resourced adaptation initiatives in high mountain areas. In response, this paper examines the architecture of formal adaptation support mechanisms organized through the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and how such mechanisms might help to meet adaptation needs in high mountain communities. It outlines key global adaptation initiatives organized through the UNFCCC, clarifies idealized linkages between these global adaptation initiatives and meeting local adaptation needs, and evaluates actual progress in connecting such support with discrete adaptation needs in the upper Manaslu region of Nepal. The paper then critically examines observed shortcomings in matching adaptation support organized through the UNFCCC with local adaptation needs, including complications stemming from the bureaucratic nature of formal adaptation support mechanisms, the intervening role of the state in delivering aid, and the ways in which these complexities intersect with the specific socio-cultural contexts of mountain communities. It concludes by highlighting several prospects for increasing the quantity and quality of adaptation support to mountain communities. These opportunities are considered alongside several salient concerns about formal adaptation support mechanisms in an effort to provide a well-rounded assessment of the prospects for planned adaptations in high mountain communities.
A Framework for Detection in an Era of Rising Deepfakes.
Creators: name: Walsh, Matthew
name: Avali, Vedha
name: Chick, Genavieve
name: Kurian, Kevin
Publisher: name: Carnegie Mellon University
Year: 2024
Subjects: classificationCode: 4612
subject: Software engineering

description: Every day, new examples of deepfakes are surfacing. Some are meant to be entertaining or funny, but many are meant to deceive. Early deepfake attacks targeted public figures. However, businesses, government organizations, and healthcare entities have also become prime targets. A recent analysis found that slightly more than half of businesses in the United States and the United Kingdom have been targets of financial scams powered by deepfake technology, with 43 percent falling victim to such attacks. On the national security front, deepfakes can be weaponized, enabling the dissemination of misinformation, disinformation, and malinformation (MDM). It is difficult, but not impossible, to detect deepfakes with the aid of machine intelligence. However, detection methods must continue to evolve as generation techniques become increasingly sophisticated. To counter the threat posed by deepfakes, our team of researchers in the Carnegie Mellon University Software Engineering Institute CERT Division developed a software framework for forgery detection.
Aggression, Social Interactions, and Reproduction in Orphaned (Bombus impatiens) Workers: Defining Dominance
Creators: name: Sibbald, Emily
Publisher: name: Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa
Year: 2013
Subjects: subject: Bumblebee
subject: Bombus impatiens
subject: Aggression
subject: Social Interactions
subject: Eusocial insect
subject: Reproduction
subject: FOS: Medical biotechnology
subject: Oviposition
subject: Ovarian development
subject: Orphaned
subject: Reproductive competition
subject: Queen-less workers
subject: Dominance

description: At certain stages of a bumblebee colony life cycle workers lay eggs. Not all workers reproduce, however, since many continue to forage and care for the nest. This leads to questions regarding what differentiates a reproductive worker from a non-reproductive one. It is hypothesized that a form of reproductive competition takes place, where the most behaviourally dominant worker becomes reproductively dominant. The behaviour of orphaned Bombus impatiens pairs was recorded and aggression, social interactions, egg-laying, and ovarian development were identified. Experiment 1 examined the association between aggression and egg-laying. Contrary to the hypothesis, the most aggressive worker did not lay more eggs. When the ovarian development of workers was manipulated and two workers with developed ovaries were paired (Experiment 3), they were more aggressive than pairs with discouraged ovarian development. This provides support for the supposition that aggression and reproduction are related, however, it is only partial support as worker pairs with encouraged ovarian development did not lay more eggs. Since aggression is believed to be only one part of behavioural dominance, Experiment 2 studied the association between social interactions and aggression and reproduction. Results showed that when two socially active bees were paired they were more aggressive than pairs including one or two socially inactive bumblebees. No significant difference in ovarian development between socially active pairs and socially inactive pairs was found. Brood presence was also predicted to affect reproductive control. Experiment 1 found egg-laying and aggression were more likely to co-occur in the absence of brood. Results from Experiment 2 supplemented the first experiment since the absence of brood increased rates of aggression and ovarian development in pairs. Whereas the results confirm aggression has a role in worker reproduction the findings also reveal that behavioural dominance does not equate to reproductive dominance under all conditions. The primary contributions of this thesis were the development of a method to distinguish behavioural dominance from reproductive dominance and determining their relationship under different environments (brood presence) and experimental manipulations (ovarian development). These contributions further define dominance in Bombus impatiens.
title: A Framework for Detection in an Era of Rising Deepfakes
Creators: name: Walsh, Matthew
Publisher: name: Software Engineering Institute
publisherIdentifier: https://ror.org/01xqjjn94
publisherIdentifierScheme: ROR
Year: 2024

description: Every day, new examples of deepfakes are surfacing. Some are meant to be entertaining or funny, but many are meant to deceive. Early deepfake attacks targeted public figures. However, businesses, government organizations, and healthcare entities have also become prime targets. A recent analysis found that slightly more than half of businesses in the United States and the United Kingdom have been targets of financial scams powered by deepfake technology, with 43 percent falling victim to such attacks. On the national security front, deepfakes can be weaponized, enabling the dissemination of misinformation, disinformation, and malinformation (MDM).
It is difficult, but not impossible, to detect deepfakes with the aid of machine intelligence. However, detection methods must continue to evolve as generation techniques become increasingly sophisticated. To counter the threat posed by deepfakes, our team of researchers in the Carnegie Mellon University Software Engineering Institute CERT Division developed a software framework for forgery detection. In this blog post we detail the evolving deepfake landscape, along with the framework we developed to combat this threat.
Quality of Experience Evaluation for Haptic Multimedia Applications
Creators: name: Hamam, Abdelwahab
Publisher: name: Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa
Year: 2013
Subjects: Haptics
Quality of Experience
Virtual Reality
User Evaluation
QoE
tactile feedback
Force Feedback
Mathematical model evaluation
Fuzzy logic evaluation

description: Haptic-based Virtual Reality (VR) applications have many merits. What is still obscure, from the designer’s perspective of these applications, is the experience the users will undergo when they use the VR system. Quality of Experience (QoE) is an evaluation metric from the user’s perspective that unfortunately has received limited attention from the research community. Assessing the QoE of VR applications reflects the amount of overall satisfaction and benefits gained from the application in addition to laying the foundation for ideal user-centric design in the future. In this thesis, we address certain issues and concerns regarding QoE of virtual environments. In essence, we propose a taxonomy for the evaluation of the QoE for multimedia applications and in particular VR applications. The taxonomy classifies QoE related parameters into groups. The groups’ organization is generated from the definition we have adopted for the QoE which is the Quality of Service (QoS) plus the user experience (UX). We model this taxonomy using first mathematical modeling based on weighted averages and then a Fuzzy logic Inference System (FIS) to quantitatively measure the QoE of haptic virtual environments. We test both models conducting user study analysis to evaluate the QoE of a VR application. These models serve as engines that facilitate the calculation of QoE with minimal amount of users. We specifically attend to the issue of the new media, haptics, within the context of increasing the QoE of virtual environments (VE). This special attention is important for comparing the effect of tactile and kinesthetic feedback on the QoE. In accordance, we investigate a particular topic that seems to have a colossal effect on QoE throughout our analysis, which is fatigue. Our analysis involved users' studies since the main focus is on the user. The QoE for virtual environments is in its primary stages. This thesis tackles issues that are vital in dealing with and understanding the importance of QoE. The various results suggest a positive user's disposition toward haptics and virtual environments, yet there will always be obstacles and challenges such as fatigue that if minimized will enhance the QoE of haptic-based applications.
Le tourisme alternatif à Timimoune
Creators: name: Benbelaid, Yasmine
Publisher: name: Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa
Year: 2013
Subjects: Tourisme de masse
Tourisme alternatif
développement durable
croissance pro-pauvre
écotourisme

description: Le tourisme est une industrie qui croît à une vitesse exponentielle. Elle est souvent mise de l’avant comme moyen d’amoindrir la pauvreté dans plusieurs régions du monde. Cependant, la littérature lui consacre beaucoup de critiques et de reproches. Ainsi, la mondialisation a favorisé la naissance d’un tout nouveau mouvement : le tourisme alternatif. C’est dans cette logique que la présente thèse s’attarde sur l’étude du tourisme alternatif dans la zone désertique algérienne, plus précisément à Timimoune. Ainsi, elle interroge les attitudes et perceptions des divers acteurs (touristes, agences touristiques, guides touristiques locaux et les populations locales) à considérer le tourisme alternatif comme levier à l’amélioration des conditions de vies des communautés locales en termes de santé, d’éducation et de création d’emploi.
The Response of the Glycerophosphocholine Metabolite Lipidome to Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis and Cycling Female Sex Hormones in the Hippocampus and Temporal-Parietal-Entorhinal Cortex of Female Mice
Creators: name: Sherman, Samantha
Publisher: name: Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa
Year: 2016
Subjects: glycerophosphocholine
multiple sclerosis
experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis
estrous cycle

description: Recently, several glycerophosphocholine biomarkers for multiple sclerosis were discovered in serum, plasma, and cerebrospinal fluid; little is known, however, about brain glycerophosphocholine metabolism during multiple sclerosis despite evidence that lysophosphocholines can elicit demyelination experimentally. Using a lipidomics approach, glycerophosphocholine metabolites in the hippocampus and temporal-parietal-entorhinal cortex of female C57BL/6J mice subjected to experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (a mouse model of multiple sclerosis) were quantified and compared to metabolite levels in healthy mice. To control for potential hormonal regulation, glycerophosphocholine metabolites from these same regions were quantified across the estrous cycle in healthy female N5 C57BL/6J x C3h/HeJ mice. I found that several critical glycerophosphocholine metabolites were significantly decreased over the course of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis in both brain regions, although the hippocampus was more affected compared to the temporal-parietal-entorhinal cortex. Similarly, hippocampal glycerophosphocholine metabolism was more responsive to fluctuations in female sex hormones than the cortex. Overall, these results suggest that glycerophosphocholine metabolism differs not only between brain regions, but also between conditions, namely experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis and the estrous cycle.
A review on the production of nutrient-enriched biochar: Insights from the evolution of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium
Creators: name: Cui, Xiaoqiang
name: Li, Xufeng
name: Wang, Junxia
name: Wang, Xutong
name: Yu, Fan
name: Yang, Gaixiu
name: Xu, Shiwei
name: Cheng, Zhanjun
name: Yang, Qianying
name: Yan, Beibei
name: Chen, Guanyi
Publisher: name: Taylor & Francis
Year: 2025
Subjects: subject: Microbiology
subject: FOS: Biological sciences
subject: Genetics
subject: Molecular Biology
subject: Biotechnology
subject: Environmental Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: Chemical Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: Ecology
subject: Developmental Biology
subject: Inorganic Chemistry
subject: FOS: Chemical sciences
subject: Infectious Diseases
subject: FOS: Health sciences

description: Biochar, a carbonaceous solid produced by thermochemical conversion of biomass, is commonly used for soil improvement. In comparison with the biochars derived from wood chips and grass, the biochar produced from nutrient-enriched feedstocks (e.g., sewage sludge, animal manure, microalgae, and wetland plants) contained higher contents of nutrients and showed greater potential for soil application. To achieve the efficient utilization of nutrients in biochar, the behavior of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) during pyrolysis of nutrient-enriched feedstock should be clarified. This study provides a systematic review of the migration and transformation of N, P, and K during the production of biochar derived from nutrient-enriched biomass, with special emphasis on the effects of nutrient-enriched biochar on soil available nutrients. Perspectives and challenges for agricultural applications of biochar are discussed as well. The migration and transformation of N, P, and K are affected by the pyrolysis temperature and the properties of the feedstock during the pyrolysis process. The application of nutrient-enriched biochar could provide additional nutrients, change the physicochemical properties of soil, and modify microbial community to elevate the content of soil available nutrients. Therefore, the production of nutrient-enriched biochar from N/P/K-enriched biomass wastes for soil applications is a promising scheme for sustainable agriculture.