cometadata/datacite-rtg-text-other-reclassification-records huggingface dataset:
Variational quantum state preparation for quantum-enhanced metrology in noisy systems
Creators: name: Castro, Juan C. Zuñiga
name: Larson, Jeffrey
name: Narayanan, Sri Hari Krishna
name: Colussi, Victor E.
name: Perlin, Michael A.
name: Lewis-Swan, Robert J.
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2024
Subjects: subject: Quantum Physics (quant-ph)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: We investigate optimized quantum state preparation for quantum metrology applications in noisy environments. Using the QFI-Opt package, we simulate a low-depth variational quantum circuit (VQC) composed of a sequence of global rotations and entangling operations applied to a chain of qubits that are subject to dephasing noise. The parameters controlling the VQC are numerically optimized to maximize the quantum Fisher information, which characterizes the ultimate metrological sensitivity of a quantum state with respect to a global rotation. We find that regardless of the details of the entangling operation implemented in the VQC, the optimal quantum states can be broadly classified into a trio of qualitative regimes--cat-like, squeezed-like, and product states--associated with different dephasing rates. Our findings are relevant for designing optimal state-preparation strategies for next-generation quantum sensors exploiting entanglement, such as time and frequency standards and magnetometers, aimed at achieving state-of-the-art performance in the presence of noise and decoherence.
description: 15 pages, 8 figures
Towards and Autonomous Mobile Control Unit of Smart Homes
Creators: name: Wang, Haidong
Publisher: name: Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa
Year: 2013
Subjects: Smart Home
Robot
Smart phone
Separable Robot
Following a person

description: Since smart homes will be more and more popular in the future, the needs of finding a friendly, comfortable and smart interface between users and home environments are growing. However, conventional interfaces have reached their limits. So, this paper describes a new concept of interface in a home environment. This work is distinguished by building a separable smart robot. A smart phone is used as a brain, and a robot car is used as a body. With the system, people will be allowed to carry the robot's brain when they are out of their home. In this case, the brain can not only be a normal smart phone, but also can monitor parameters such as the temperature at home. On the other hand, when people are at home, they will be allowed to put their phones on the robot car. By invoking the system, they will have an assist-robot. This assist-robot will act as a new interface in the smart home by following people and recognizing their voice commands in order to take notes, to read notes and to control smart home devices. This thesis also implements face recognition to improve the communication between users and the interface. Test results show that our proposed system is well accepted.
Kim Thúy : de l'écriture migrante à l'écriture transculturelle
Creators: name: Urro, Marie-Hélène
Publisher: name: Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa
Year: 2014
Subjects: littérature migrante
transculturalité
littérature québécoise
immigration
interculturel

description: De la littérature migrante à la littérature transculturelle et mondialisée, de la transformation obligée de l’exilé à l’autoréalisation du sujet migrant qui se déplace pour découvrir le monde : l’œuvre de Kim Thúy incarne bien cette évolution littéraire (et socioculturelle en général), au Québec et au Canada. Le phénomène médiatique qui entoure l’auteure et son œuvre renforce également cette idée. Bien que les textes de Thúy s’inscrivent à plusieurs égards dans la tradition québécoise des écritures migrantes, Ru, À toi et Man constituent une œuvre qui, sur les plans thématiques et discursifs, déborde ce cadre et se rapproche davantage des théories contemporaines de la transculturalité.
Bisaltes (Bisaltes) subreticulatus Aurivillius 1920
Creators: name: Juárez-Noé, Gino
name: Perales-Chiscul, Franco
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2024
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Cerambycidae
Bisaltes
Bisaltes subreticulatus

description: Bisaltes (B.) subreticulatus Aurivillius, 1920 (Fig. 12)
 Remarks. Currently, this species is known from Ecuador, Bolivia (Santa Cruz), Brazil (São Paulo, Santa Catarina, Rio Grande do Sul), Argentina (Tucumán) and Peru (no locality data) (Santos-Silva & Bezark 2022; Bezark 2023; Roguet 2023; Tavakilian & Chevillotte 2023; Monné 2024).
description: Published as part of Juárez-Noé, Gino & Perales-Chiscul, Franco, 2024, First record of Bisaltes (Bisaltes) brevicornis Breuning, 1939 (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Lamiinae: Apomecynini) in Peru, with notes regarding other Peruvian species of Bisaltes (s. str.) Thomson, 1868, pp. 75-81 in Revista Chilena de Entomología (Rev. Chil. Entomol.) (Rev. Chil. Entomol.) 50 (1) on page 80, DOI: 10.35249/rche.50.1.24.10, http://zenodo.org/record/13239121
A thesis of clinical research and practice: Part A: The efficacy of interventions to promote social inclusion for adults with learning disabilities living in supported housing; a systematic review.; Part B: An exploration of aging adults with learning disabilities, carers and family perspectives on the traumatic potential of relational events.; Part C: Summary of clinical practice and assessments
Creators: name: Yeoman, Bethany
Publisher: name: University of Surrey
Year: 2024
Subjects: Learning Disabilities, Social Inclusion, Relational Trauma, IPA

description: Ageing people with learning disabilities (PWLD) often transition to supported living arrangements earlier than those without an LD, which can benefit their support needs, but may affect their relationships and sense of inclusion. Given that PWLD are more likely to experience trauma and adverse life experiences, this might be particularly difficult to navigate, and often family members and carers play an integral role in people with LD's (PWLD) social networks and the facilitation or gatekeeping of further relationships. Part A of this portfolio presents a systematic review of the effectiveness of interventions designed to improve outcomes of social inclusion for PWLD living in supported living. Five main types of intervention emerged:; Active support, supported employment or retirement, activity or recreation based, befriending and staff based. One study related to social skills training.Conclusions were difficult given mixed findings, heterogeneity of outcome measures and methodological issues across included studies. Further research is needed to replicate or clarify current findings, and to investigate new interventions to support the social inclusion of PWLD. Part B of this portfolio presents an empirical paper that explored the traumatic potential of relational experiences of ageing PWLD (40+) living in forms of supported accommodation through interviews with PWLD themselves alongside a chosen family member or carer. This study utilised interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) which was adapted for separately conducted related pairs interviews. The pervasive nature of relational difficulties, absences of desired intimate relationships together with the emotional and wider impact these difficulties have on participants' lives, suggest that relational experiences do have a potentially traumatic impact. Further research is needed to better understand the traumatic potential of relational experiences for PWLD, with an aim to better develop trauma informed care practices in supported living accommodation.
SYZ and optimal transport stability of Weyl polytopes
Creators: name: Delcroix, Thibaut
name: Hultgren, Jakob
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2024
Subjects: subject: Differential Geometry (math.DG)
subject: Algebraic Geometry (math.AG)
subject: FOS: Mathematics
subject: 14J33, 14J32, 32Q25, 14M25, 14J45, 35J96

description: We prove optimal transport stability (in the sense of Andreasson and the second author) for reflexive Weyl polytopes: reflexive polytopes which are convex hulls of an orbit of a Weyl group. When the reflexive Weyl polytope is Delzant, it follows from work of Li, Andreasson, Hultgren, Jonsson, Mazzon, McCleerey, that the weak metric SYZ conjecture holds for the Dwork family in the corresponding toric Fano manifold. In particular, we show that the weak metric SYZ conjecture holds for centrally symmetric smooth Fano toric manifolds.
description: 11 pages, comments welcome!
Experimental Bounds on Deformed Muon Lifetime Dilation
Creators: name: Lobo, Iarley P.
name: Pfeifer, Christian
name: Morais, Pedro H.
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2024
Subjects: subject: General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology (gr-qc)
subject: High Energy Physics - Phenomenology (hep-ph)
subject: High Energy Physics - Theory (hep-th)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: We analyze Planck scale induced modifications of the relativistic time dilation using data from the Muon Storage Ring experiment at CERN. By examining the lifetimes of muons, we establish, for the first time, a constraint on such quantum gravity-inspired deformations using this channel. The magnitude of the effect indicates that the study of cosmic rays is a well suited arena for this scenario. We show, that the spectrum of muons would be significantly affected for particles at the PeV scale. Since this later observation of the effect of time dilation is more indirect compared to a direct lifetime measurement, we encourage to perform a high precision measurement of the muon lifetime as a function of the muon's energy.
description: 7 pages. 4 figures. Version enhanced with a discussion on cosmic rays observables and comparison with data. Published version
RC T-beams shear-strengthened with CFRP U-straps around bars passing eye bolts penetrating flange
Creators: name: Zhou, Chaoyang
name: Ren, Da
name: Liu, Jianping
name: Xu, Peng
Publisher: name: Swinburne
Year: 2024

description: Some new strengthening schemes with fibre-reinforced polymer (FRP) sheets have been developed to improve shear behaviour of reinforced concrete (RC) beams. The current work focuses on one of them, which is suitable for RC T-shaped beams when penetration of flange is allowed. In this scheme, U-shaped straps of carbon fibre-reinforced polymer (CFRP) were wrapped around two bars, one of which passes a series of eye bolts penetrating flanges. The scheme can achieve reliable end-anchorage for U-straps and prevent premature debonding. The test results showed the dominant failure mode changed from the delamination of CFRP to CFRP fracture. In comparison with the control specimens, the shear capacities of the strengthened T-beams were promoted to different degrees, depending on the amount of straps and their distribution. The ductility and stiffness of the upgraded beams were also found enhanced to some extent.
A Sociorhetorical Analysis of Clark H. Pinnock's Hermeneutical Approach to Biblical Materials, with Particular Attention to the Role of Religious Experience
Creators: name: Robinson, Peter S.
Publisher: name: Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa
Year: 2013
Subjects: sociorhetorical investigation
human spirituality
spirituality
religious experience
Clark H. Pinnock
Vernon K. Robbins
L. Gregory Bloomquist
classic Christianity
historic Christianity
anthropological starting-point
anthropocentric spirituality

description: The goal of this thesis was to use sociorhetorical investigation (SRI) to study religious experience in three books by Canadian, evangelical scholar Clark H. Pinnock: Biblical Revelation (1971), The Scripture Principle (1984), and Flame of Love (1996)—with reference to The Scripture Principle (2006). I focused on the analysis of three essential textures layered within his texts: the inner textual, intertextural, and ideological textures. (The sociocultural texture was subsumed under intertexture.) Through inner textural analysis, we tracked eight lemmas. They provided evidence of Pinnock’s movement from biblical inspiration as a grammatical event, to inspiration as a dynamic, cultural work of God within human language, to the imperative of a spiritually-discerning listening to God’s will whereby subjective truth (personal and corporate experience as recorded in tradition) shares validity with the external truth of the Scriptures. Intertextural evidence, using the rhetorical feature of “topoi” (seats of argumentation), provided evidence of Pinnock’s shift toward mystery, relations within the Trinity, and the mobility of the Spirit; his reasoning from a nexus that was relational and sensitive to experience; then his turn to a religious understanding of Spirit-infused theology stressing the rhetorical edges of presence, power, love, and universal redemption. Analysis of the ideological texture led us to focus on Pinnock’s form of theological reflection, and identified how his understanding of “object” changed, from that of something scientifically verified to that of something truly there that nevertheless could be understood by an interpreting subject. As a result, I discovered evidence of a significant shift in his understanding of God. Yet I also discovered that he understood that his new horizons had already been charted by the historic church. For him, the Spirit authenticates genuine experience within the medium of apostolic teaching. SRI has proven to be a fitting analytic. Though it is still relatively new and in development, it provided a “thick” reading of Pinnock’s theological reflections, allowing us to minimize bias or foregone conclusions, and ensuring a solid gathering of data. SRI has opened up a methodological resource for the broader realm of theological investigation.
Neutron-star seismology with realistic, finite-temperature nuclear matter
Creators: name: Gittins, Fabian
name: Andersson, Nils
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2024
Subjects: subject: General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology (gr-qc)
subject: High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena (astro-ph.HE)
subject: Nuclear Theory (nucl-th)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: The oscillation spectrum of a neutron star is notably rich and intrinsically dependent on the equation of state of nuclear matter. With recent advancements in gravitational-wave and electromagnetic astronomy, we are nearing the capability to perform neutron-star asteroseismology and probe the complex physics of neutron stars. With this in mind, we explore the implementation of three-parameter finite-temperature matter models in the computation of neutron-star oscillations. We consider in detail the thermodynamics of nuclear matter and show how this information enters the problem. Our realistic treatment takes into account entropy and composition gradients that exist in the nuclear matter, giving rise to buoyant g-mode oscillations. To illustrate the implementation, we determine the oscillation spectrum of a low-temperature neutron star. In addition to the expected compositional and thermal g-modes, we find perturbations sourced by phase transitions in the equation of state. We also examine two thermal models, comparing the results for constant redshifted temperature with those for uniform entropy per baryon.
description: 17 pages, 7 figures, 1 table. Accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. D
Mechanical Flexibility of DNA: A Quintessential Tool for DNA Nanotechnology
Creators: name: Saran, Runjhun
name: Wang, Yong
name: Li, Isaac T. S.
Publisher: name: Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute
Year: 2021

description: The mechanical properties of DNA have enabled it to be a structural and sensory element in many nanotechnology applications. While specific base-pairing interactions and secondary structure formation have been the most widely utilized mechanism in designing DNA nanodevices and biosensors, the intrinsic mechanical rigidity and flexibility are often overlooked. In this article, we will discuss the biochemical and biophysical origin of double-stranded DNA rigidity and how environmental and intrinsic factors such as salt, temperature, sequence, and small molecules influence it. We will then take a critical look at three areas of applications of DNA bending rigidity. First, we will discuss how DNA’s bending rigidity has been utilized to create molecular springs that regulate the activities of biomolecules and cellular processes. Second, we will discuss how the nanomechanical response induced by DNA rigidity has been used to create conformational changes as sensors for molecular force, pH, metal ions, small molecules, and protein interactions. Lastly, we will discuss how DNA’s rigidity enabled its application in creating DNA-based nanostructures from DNA origami to nanomachines.
(Re)Presentations of Sexual Violence Against Women: An Analysis of Media Reports of Rape
Creators: name: Ujevic, Danica
Publisher: name: Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa
Year: 2015
Subjects: Sexual assault
Rape
Rape myths
Feminist discourse
Newspapers
Content analysis

description: There is a problem with attitudes that blame the victim of sexual assault: these attitudes are widespread and show popular adhesion to assumptions about rape that have been criticized and combatted by feminists. These assumptions are known as “rape myths.” It is important to look at the role newspapers play in contemporary discourse around rape and the extent to which they reproduce rape myths or, alternatively, incorporate a feminist critique. This research examines how sexual assault is constructed in three English-language newspapers, The Toronto Star, The Globe and Mail, and The National Post in the year 2012. Using qualitative content analysis, themes of rape myths and the presence of feminist discourse are categorized. The power of language when describing rape in the media is recognized and a description of rape-supportive culture, within a feminist theoretical framework, is provided. The ultimate aim of this research is to identify and challenge myths and stereotypes surrounding rape as well as identify possible feminist discourse on rape in print news media in Canada.
A Life-Cycle Cost Analysis Program for Kentucky Pavements
Creators: name: Harison, Jack A.
name: Allen, David L.
Publisher: name: Kentucky Transportation Center, University of Kentucky
Year: 1995
Subjects: subject: Transportation Engineering

description: This report documents the development of a life-cycle cost procedure and program for project-level pavements. Included in this report are the descriptions of the models that are included in the computer program. A traffic growth model is described along with performance models for asphaltic concrete pavements and Portland cement pavements. The program calculates when rehabilitation is predicted at all future dates during the design life or analysis period. Recommended overlay thicknesses are also given. Because maintenance costs for Kentucky are not available, maintenance is treated as an annual, per square- yard quantity. User costs, in the form of a delay model are also presented. All future costs are calculated in terms of present worth.  A users manual is also included in the report. Appendix D is a listing of the source code for the computer program.
The Integrated Information Theory needs Attention
Creators: name: Lopez, Azenet
name: Montemayor, Carlos
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2024
Subjects: subject: Neurons and Cognition (q-bio.NC)
subject: FOS: Biological sciences

description: The Integrated Information Theory (IIT) might be our current best bet at a scientific explanation of phenomenal consciousness. IIT focuses on the distinctively subjective and phenomenological aspects of conscious experience. Currently, it offers the fundaments of a formal account, but future developments shall explain the qualitative structures of every possible conscious experience. But this ambitious project is hindered by one fundamental limitation. IIT fails to acknowledge the crucial roles of attention in generating phenomenally conscious experience and shaping its contents. Here, we argue that IIT urgently needs an account of attention. Without this account, IIT cannot explain important informational differences between different kinds of experiences. Furthermore, though some IIT proponents celebratedly endorse a double dissociation between consciousness and attention, close analysis reveals that such as dissociation is in fact incompatible with IIT. Notably, the issues we raise for IIT will likely arise for many internalist theories of conscious contents in philosophy, especially theories with primitivist inclinations. Our arguments also extend to the recently popularized structuralist approaches. Overall, our discussion highlights how considerations about attention are indispensable for scientific as well as philosophical theorizing about conscious experience.
description: 23 pages (including references), 6 figures. Erkenntnis (2025)
Study of Random Fibre Lasers and Applications
Creators: name: Xiang, Dao
Publisher: name: Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa
Year: 2015
Subjects: Random Laser
Fibre Optics

description: The properties of two novel random fibre lasers, in which stimulated Brillouin scattering supplies the effective gain mechanism and Rayleigh scattering along the standard telecommunication optical fibre provides random distributed feedback, are characterised. Firstly, ultra-narrow microwave signals with a Dirac delta function profile are successfully created by beating two random-lasing near-Gaussian beams, arising from the synchronization of optical modes from two Stokes signals with random phase accumulated over the ultra-long optical fibre. This finding provides a completely new approach to synthesise high spectral purity microwave signals from Brillouin fibre lasers with randomised feedback. In addition, we also develop a theoretical model of the random fibre Fabry-Pérot resonator based on the fact that the pump depletion effect naturally selects out the effective Rayleigh feedback regions localised in both ends of this long fibre. A narrow random-laser output with the linewidth of ~860 Hz is experimentally demonstrated and is employed to characterise the linewidth of the pump light. Furthermore, the random laser dynamics is studied and one application towards the physical entropy source is eventually achieved.
title: Επιχειρηματική αναλυτική: Οδηγός εφαρμογής στις ελληνικές επιχειρήσεις

Creators: name: Μαραγκουδακη Μαρια
Publisher: name: Technical University of Crete
Year: 2019

description: Η Επιχειρηματική Αναλυτική είναι η εφαρμογή μεθόδων και διαδικασιών, από το χώρο της επιχειρησιακής έρευνας, της τεχνητής νοημοσύνης και της επιστήμης των δεδομένων, για την μετατροπή των, διαθέσιμων στις επιχειρήσεις, δεδομένων σε γνώση με στόχο τη λήψη καλύτερων αποφάσεων από τις επιχειρήσεις.
Στόχος της εργασίας αποτελεί η δημιουργία ενός οδηγού για επιχειρήσεις στον οποίο θα γίνεται παρουσίαση μεθόδων και τεχνικών που χρησιμοποιούνται στο σχεδιασμό και υλοποίηση των αποφάσεων και της στρατηγικής ενός οργανισμού, επιχείρησης ή βιομηχανίας, οι οποίες λαμβάνουν υπόψη τους δεδομένα, ποσοτικά μοντέλα και ποσοτικές μεθοδολογίες λήψης αποφάσεων όπως αλγόριθμους βελτιστοποίησης, τεχνητή νοημοσύνη (machine learning, data mining, …), στατιστική, ανάλυση μεγάλων δεδομένων.
Ο οδηγός αυτός έχει σαν σκοπό να παρουσιάσει τρόπους για το πώς οι επιχειρήσεις θα μπορούν να αναλύσουν τα δεδομένα που έχουν στη διάθεσή τους και να αξιοποιήσουν τα αποτελέσματα στη βελτίωση των αποφάσεων που λαμβάνουν.
Σε αυτήν την εργασία θα παρουσιαστούν και θα αναλυθούν οι παραπάνω έννοιες καθώς και το πώς συνδέονται και μπορούν να αξιοποιηθούν από τις επιχειρήσεις ενώ δοθούν παραδείγματα εφαρμογής τους.
Σκοπός είναι να κατασκευάσουμε ένα ‘εργαλείο’ το οποίο να μπορεί να διαβαστεί από στελέχη επιχειρήσεων και να αποτελέσει ένα χρήσιμο εργαλείο για την δική τους επιχείρηση.
Les dynamiques de la transformation spirituelle d’Henri Le Saux comme traduction
Creators: name: Bates, Diana Ossana
Publisher: name: Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa
Year: 2013
Subjects: Transformation spirituelle
Traduction
Henri Le Saux
La Bildung
La xeniteia
Ramana Maharshi
Ascèse
Rafael Vicente

description: Dans cette thèse nous examinons la traduction d’un autre angle que celui de la transposition d’un texte d’une langue à une autre. Nous considérons ici que la « traduction » est une expérience transformationnelle vécue par un être humain hors de son environnement naturel ou habituel. La vie d’Henri Le Saux illustre ce phénomène car elle est celle d’un moine bénédictin français qui quitte son monastère breton pour se rendre en Inde afin de christianiser les Indiens. Mais dès son arrivée en terre de Bharat, son cheminement prend un autre tournant et il devient un sannyasi ou renonçant. Ce qui distingue néanmoins le parcours de Le Saux est qu’il ne se convertit pas à l’hindouisme, mais se trans‐forme plutôt pour devenir un amalgame vivant de deux religions. Il se trans‐forme, c’est‐à‐dire la forme initiale de sa religion change mais le fond de celle‐ci subsiste, tout comme une traduction ne changera que la forme d’un texte. De la même façon qu’un texte transposé dans une autre langue s’ouvre à une autre culture, ainsi en Inde, Le Saux s’ouvre au changement, il accueille l’Autre et en intègre des éléments. L’Advaita Vedanta se mêle à son christianisme et transforme sa religion « source », c’est ainsi que l’ascète vit un métissage, comme le traducteur qui tout en traduisant, lui aussi se traduit et se « métisse ». Tout au long de l’histoire, des peuples ont été traduits et la traduction a joué un rôle primordial dans les diverses missions de colonisation. Vicente Rafael relate notamment les stratégies traductionnelles utilisées aussi bien par les colonisateurs venus d’Espagne, que par les Tagalog, peuple autochtone des Philippines. Comme agent indispensable de tout échange interlingual, la traduction permet à plusieurs cultures de se rencontrer et d’entrevoir l’existence d’un substrat universel sémantique qui puisse unir un texte à toutes ses traductions. La vie d’Henri Le Saux, quant à elle, illustre, tout au long de son expérience, l’existence d’un substrat universel sous‐jacent dans les diverses religions de notre planète. Cette thèse veut alors souligner ces phénomènes de traduction qui facilitent à la fois des rencontres sémantiques et religieuses, et font de la diversité du monde une mosaïque construite sur un substrat commun à tout être humain.
Computational Techniques for Digital Mapping and Correction of Metamorphopsia
Creators: name: Ling, Ye
Publisher: name: University of Surrey
Year: 2024
Subjects: Visual Distortion, Metamorphopsia, Patient-Centric Approach

description: This doctoral thesis presents a comprehensive study in the field of visual impairment, focusing on the development and validation of innovative tests for visual distortion led by metamorphopsia. The core of this research involves the creation and evaluation of four novel tests: the Image Warping Test, the Feature Alignment Test, the Symmetry Completion Test, and the Image Comparison Test. These tests were designed to enhance the accuracy and sensitivity of visual distortion assessments.The Image Warping Test stands out for its interactive methodologies, allowing patients to actively participate in the assessment of their visual distortions. The Feature Alignment Test is a new attempt in the field of binocular testing. The Symmetry Completion Test introduces a novel approach using low-level geometric constraints for distortion mapping, while the Image Comparison Test further advances this method by integrating Interactive Genetic Algorithms, improving the stability by removing human input errors.Clinical trials were conducted at St Thomas’ Hospital, London, involving participants with diagnosed metamorphopsia. These trials were crucial in validating the effectiveness of the tests in a real-world clinical setting and gathering essential patient feedback to refine the test designs. The research adhered to the highest ethical standards, aligning with the World Medical Association Declaration of Helsinki.Despite the success of these tests in accurately assessing visual distortions, the research identified certain limitations, particularly in handling complex distortions and addressing central point distortions. Future directions for this work include developing more advanced algorithms, focusing on central vision distortions, expanding the diversity of clinical trial participants, introducing dynamic correction, and integrating emerging technologies like AI for automated diagnostics.In summary, this thesis makes significant contributions to the field of visual distortion, offering new, more effective tools for clinicians and enhancing our understanding of visual distortions. Its findings lay a foundation for future research, with the potential to greatly improve the quality of life for individuals with visual impairments.
Numeric Modelling of Water Hammer Effects in Penstocks
Creators: name: Bernard, Dominic
Publisher: name: Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa
Year: 2013
Subjects: water hammer
fluid-structure interaction
numeric modelling
penstocks
bend
burried

description: Water hammer represents a complex hydraulic phenomenon with significant consequences on the proper functioning and safety of operation for pipe and conduit systems. The complexity and intricate physics of water hammer translated into significant difficulties associated firstly, with finding a proper solution for understanding the mechanism of its occurrence and, secondly, relating to proposing technically and economically viable design methods and devices that would help reduce and mitigate water hammer effects. In this context, the present thesis deals with the numerical modeling of the transient behaviour of water pipe segments. Following an extensive literature review of the state-of-the-art on the water hammer mechanisms and past work on experimental, analytical and numerical analysis of this phenomenon, a three dimensional numerical model of the water hammer in a pipe which considers the fluid-structure interaction (FSI) is developed using a Finite Element Method – Finite Volume Method (FEM-FVM) technique. Structural and fluid computational results based on rapid and slow gate closure scenarios are compared with existing closed-form solutions of the water hammer. A parametric study is also performed on a simply supported pipe segment to determine the influence of various design parameter. A systematic sensitivity analysis was conducted and a ranking mechanism was established for the importance of each parameter on the fluid fields and structural response. A first comparative analysis is conducted on horizontally and vertically bent elevated pipe segments to quantify the influence of the bend angle on the results. A second comparative analysis is performed on a horizontally bent segment buried in soil to determine the influence of the pipe interaction with the soil on the response. It is observed that the thickness, span, initial velocity and bend angle had a significant impact on the pressure and structural response. The presence of soil was observed to have a significant benefit in decreasing the von-Mises stresses.
La responsabilité sociale de l'entreprise et son impact sur l'identité organisationnelle: une étude de cas auprès d’une firme comptable
Creators: name: Lemyre McCraw, Christina
Publisher: name: Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa
Year: 2013
Subjects: responsabilité sociale de l'entreprise
identité organisationnelle
récits d'entreprise

description: Nous nous sommes intéressés à l’impact que peut avoir la responsabilité sociale de l’entreprise (RSE) sur le processus de construction d’une identité organisationnelle chez les employés. Nous avons mis l’accent sur la pertinence, selon nous, des auteurs et concepts suivants, qui portent sur l’identité organisationnelle et la RSE: 1) les quatre principes de l’identification de l’individu à un groupe d’Ashforth et Mael (1989) ; 2) la conception de l’identité organisationnelle d’Albert et Whetten (1985) ; et 3) la théorie des parties prenantes de Freeman (1984). Notre hypothèse de travail consistait à énoncer qu’il se construit dans les récits – échangés par les employés d’une entreprise qui adhère à des principes de responsabilité sociale – une identité qu’on peut qualifier d’organisationnelle. Nous avons opté pour une méthodologie qualitative. Douze (12) entrevues semi-dirigées au sein de la firme comptable RSM Richter (qui constitue notre cas à l’étude) ont été conduites. Notre analyse des verbatim montre en effet que la RSE favorise l’identification des employés à leur entreprise. Elle montre également que les valeurs associées à la RSE façonnent, jusqu’à un certain point, l’identité organisationnelle.
The Vampire’s Mirror, a Novel and Accompanying Commentary on Mis/Recognitions of Eastern Europe/ans in British Literature and Culture
Creators: name: Parashkevova, Vassilena
Publisher: name: University of Surrey
Year: 2024
Subjects: East European representations
British & Irish Literature
Fiction
Literary Criticism
Literary History
Theatre or Film Criticism

description: This thesis is a creative-critical response to perceptions and representations of Eastern Europe and Eastern Europeans that I term mis/recognitions. It consists of a creative component in the form of a novel, The Vampire’s Mirror (67,000 words), and an accompanying critical commentary entitled “Mis/Recognitions: Staging Eastern Europe in Literature and Culture” (26,000 words).            The Vampire’s Mirror employs error as its mechanism of emplotment by dramatizing the predicament of the Eastern European migrant/writer who is often placed in a position of having to account for her cultural and linguistic difference. It tells the story of Ljubitsa Angelova, a Bulgarian translator in an alternative post-Brexit Britain where all forms of translation are under political control.           The critical component contextualises the novel in an exploration of the ways in which characters and settings are scripted, produced and known as Eastern European in a broad range of fiction and film from the late nineteenth to the twenty-first centuries as based on a critical framework derived from theorizations of mis/recognition in psychoanalysis, social and political theory, philosophy, and literary and narrative theory.           The critical component also examines the writing back strategies I sought to adopt in The Vampire’s Mirror as informed by postcolonial and post-communist literary revisions, literary back-translation, narrative accounting and genre experimentation.
Lattice Symmetry Breaking Perturbation for Spiral Waves
Creators: name: Charette, Laurent
Publisher: name: Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa
Year: 2013
Subjects: Spiral Waves
Lattice Perturbation
Dynamical Systems

description: Spiral waves occur in several natural phenomena, including reaction fronts in two-dimension excitable media. In this thesis we attempt to characterize the motion of the spiral tip of a rigidly rotating wave and a linearly travelling wave in the context of a lattice perturbation. This system can be reduced to its center manifold, which allows us to describe the system as ordinary differential equations. This in turn means dynamical systems methods are appropriate to describe the motion of the tip. It is in such a context that we work on spiral waves. We study perturbed rotating waves and travelling waves using standard techniques from dynamical systems theory.
Purinergic Signaling and Autophagy Regulate the Secretion of High-Density Lipoprotein and Hepatic Lipase
Creators: name: Chatterjee, Cynthia
Publisher: name: Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa
Year: 2013
Subjects: High-Density Lipoprotein
Hepatic Lipase
Triglyceride
Coronary Heart Disease
Dyslipidemia
Inflammation
Autophagy
Proteolytic Degradation
Purinergic Signaling
Insulin Signaling
Metabolic Disease
Lipoprotein Metabolism
P2Y13
Adenosine Diphosphate

description: Dyslipidemia can be a comorbidity of both insulin-resistance and atherosclerosis. Hypertriglyceridemia is common in hyperglycemia and is associated with hypoalphalipoproteinemia (low HDL) and with altered nucleotide or purinergic signaling. We therefore hypothesized that extracellular nucleotides may affect hepatic lipoprotein metabolism. Our studies confirm this view and show that nucleotides regulate cellular proteolytic pathways in liver cells and thereby control lipoprotein secretion and their metabolism by hepatic lipase (HL). Treatment of liver cells with the nucleotide, adenosine diphosphate (ADP), stimulates VLDL-apoB100 and apoE secretion, but blocks HDL-apoA-I and HL secretion. ADP functions like a proteasomal inhibitor to block proteasomal degradation and stimulate apoB100 secretion. Blocking the proteosome is known to activate autophagic pathways. The nucleotide consequently stimulates autophagic degradation in liver cells and increases cellular levels of the autophagic proteins, LC3 and p62. Confocal studies show that ADP increases cellular LC3 levels and promotes co-localization of LC3 and apoA-I in an autophagosomal degradation compartment. ADP acts through the G-protein coupled receptor, P2Y13, to stimulate autophagy and block both HDL and HL secretion. Overexpression of P2Y13 increases cellular LC3 levels and blocks the induction of both HDL and HL secretion, while P2Y13 siRNA reduce LC3 protein levels and cause up to a ten-fold stimulation in HDL and HL secretion. P2Y13 gene expression regulates autophagy through the insulin receptor (IR-β). A reduction in P2Y13 expression increases the phosphorylation of IR-β and protein kinase B (Akt) >3-fold, while increasing P2Y13 expression inhibits the activation of IR-β and Akt. Experiments with epitope-labeled apoA-I and HL show that activation of purinergic pathways has no effect on the internalization and degradation of extracellular apoA-I and HL, which confirms the view that nucleotides primarily impact intracellular protein transport and degradation. In conclusion, elevated blood glucose levels may promote dyslipidemia by stimulating purinergic signaling through P2Y13 and IR-β and perturbing the intracellular degradation and secretion of both HDL and VLDL.
Alan Gewirth and Gilles Paquet, Networking Ethics and Governance in Catastrophic Disaster Responses: An Ethical Perspective on Governance in the Haiti 2010 Earthquake
Creators: name: Dixon, Robert
Publisher: name: Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa
Year: 2012
Subjects: Alan Gewirth
Ethics
governance
catastrophe
disaster
haiti
earthquake
Katrina
Tsunami
Indian Ocean
Canadian Forces
CF
DFAIT
CIDA
humanitarian
UN
United Nations
response
Gewirth
Paquet
Gilles Paquet

description: In the immediate aftermath of the Haiti 2010 Earthquake, the Haitian Government and the United Nations (UN) Mission in Haiti were literally crippled. Various after action reports on the humanitarian response indicate that there were problems with coordination, humanitarian leadership and accountability, which signals underlying problems concerning governance and ethics. Moreover, military forces played an important role providing humanitarian assistance to the severely devastated communities of Haiti, sometimes causing concern among the other humanitarian actors. We are challenged to reflect on the role of governance in these situations, the ethical basis of intervention and the ethical dilemmas for all the actors. Gewirth’s Principle of Generic Consistency and the “community of rights” provide a research framework that could help identify the ethical obligations and duties of the actors; however, Gewirth’s “community of rights” is based on a concept of an established central, democratic government. Such a government was not in place in Haiti following the 2010 Earthquake yet Gewirthian rights and obligations still hold. Gilles Paquet’s concept of distributed or networked governance is useful for examining this situation and possibly providing a basis to support the Gewirthian position on community. Taking into consideration these aspects, my research problem is twofold: First, could Gewirth’s ethical perspective on community be supported by Paquet’s view of distributed or networked governance vice a central government? Second, could this conceptual combination contribute positively to an improved governance system amongst the international community, governments and militaries in catastrophic disaster responses?
Internamento de Doentes Oncológicos na Unidade de Cuidados Intensivos Pediátricos
Creators: name: Cardoso, L.
name: Farinha, N. J.
name: Cunha, F.
name: Gil-Da-Costa, M. J.
name: Almeida, F.
name: Carreiro, E.
name: Ribeiro, A.
name: Carvalho, J.
name: Aparício, J.
name: Mota, T. C.
name: Norton, L.
name: Santos, L. Almeida
Publisher: name: Portuguese Journal of Pediatrics
Year: 2014

description: O prognóstico da doença oncológica tem vindo a melhorar significativamente nas últimas décadas. A quimioterapia intensiva actual, a evolução da radioterapia, das técnicas cirúrgicas, dos cuidados per-operatórios e dos cuidados gerais de saúde contribuiram enormemente para esta melhoria. No entanto, aumentou a toxicidade dos tratamentos, condicionando uma maior morbilidade e aumento da necessidade de recurso à hospitalização nas Unidades de Cuidados Intensivos.

Com o objectivo de melhorar o apoio futuro ao doente oncológico, efectuámos no presente trabalho a revisão das indicações de internamento em cuidados intensivos, as intercorrências e a evolução dos doentes.

Foi realizada uma revisão retrospectiva dos processos referentes aos 89 internamentos de crianças com doença oncológica, admitidas na Unidade de Cuidados Intensivos Pediátricos do H. S. João, de 01 de Junho de 1994 a 31 de Maio de 1999. Os internamentos corresponderam à admissão de 63 doentes oncológicos, 15 dos quais eiMiveram internados duas ou mais vezes. A doença oncológica de base foi tumor do sistema nervoso central em 30 doentes, leucemia em 22, neuroblastoma em 17, linfoma de Burkitt em 6, síndrome mielodisplásico em 3 e outros tumores sólidos em 11. Os principais motivos de hospitalização foram: pós-operatório em 45 casos (23 dos quais pós-neurocirurgia), insuficiência respiratória aguda em 13, sepsisfehoque séptico em 10, causa metabólica em 8, coma e/ou mal epiléptico em 7 e hemorragia em 6. A duração média dos internamentos foi de 3,8 dias. Foi necessário recorrer à ventilação mecânica em 32 dos internamentos, a suporte inotrópico em 17 e a diálise peritoneal em 4. Faleceram 11 doentes (12,4%).

Os autores referem a baixa mortalidade comparativamente às outras séries publicadas e discutem as indicações de internamento e o prognóstico em função da doença oncológica de base e do motivo de internamento.
description: Portuguese Journal of Pediatrics, Vol 32 No 3 (2001)
Repair with carbon fibre reinforced polymer for steel pipe having partial loss of area
Creators: name: Matsui, T.
name: Matsumoto, Y.
Publisher: name: Swinburne
Year: 2024

description: In this paper, the effects of reinforcement with CFRP for steel pipes having partially cut-out are investigated through axial loading tests. Firstly, the axial compression and tensile tests of steel pipes having partial cut-out are carried out. Secondly, the quantitative behaviour on axial stiffness, strength, yield stress and stress concentration are made clear. Finally, it is confirmed that axial stiffness and yield stress increases while using CFRP even if it is adhesively bonded to steel pipes on the outerside section. It has been suggested that the present reinforcing method provides the reasonable and useful procedure for reinforcing corroded steel pipe members under axial compression.
The Imbalance of the Bargaining Power in All Issues Divorce Mediation
Creators: name: Tavares Moreira, Filipa
Publisher: name: University of Surrey
Year: 2024
Subjects: Law, Family, Divorce, Mediation

description: This thesis explores the issue of the imbalance of powers in all issuesdivorce mediation. It focuses mainly on three aspects which are essentialparts of the discussion of the power dynamic: the concept of justice in divorcemediation, the factors, and the consequences of an imbalance in a divorcemediation process. This thesis does not consider domestic abuse cases norhow a mediator will determine whether a relationship is marked by domesticabuse. It focuses only on ordinary cases.While this work is mainly theoretical, a component of empirical data hasbeen weaved into it. The inclusion of empirical data aims to inform theconclusions and directions forward suggested in this thesis.This thesis argues that the power dynamic between the parties can havedamaging consequences for the future of the parties if not addressed properly.The routes of an imbalance of power can be deep into the parties’ pastrelationship, and it is not realistic to expect a quick fix for it. Hence, inthis work, it is argued that the task of addressing an imbalance of powerscannot be left to the mediator alone. More needs to be done before and aftermediation to support the parties in the divorce journey. A divorce decisionis one of the most traumatic events in life, and to push the couples towardmediation is not always the solution. The parties need support to addressthe different challenges brought by divorce. Each case needs to be consideredindividually. Mediation may not be the appropriate form of resolution forevery case.While different authors have developed work on the issue of imbalance,that is quite often part of a larger study on other issues of mediation. This thesis aims to contribute to the discussion in the field by focusing specificallyon the issue of the imbalance of powers, from a theoretical and empiricalperspective.In line with what other authors have suggested this thesis argues for acomprehensive form of support for divorcing couples.
Deep Implicit Optimization enables Robust Learnable Features for Deformable Image Registration
Creators: name: Jena, Rohit
name: Chaudhari, Pratik
name: Gee, James C.
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2024
Subjects: subject: Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition (cs.CV)
subject: Machine Learning (cs.LG)
subject: Image and Video Processing (eess.IV)
subject: FOS: Computer and information sciences
subject: FOS: Electrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineering

description: Deep Learning in Image Registration (DLIR) methods have been tremendously successful in image registration due to their speed and ability to incorporate weak label supervision at training time. However, existing DLIR methods forego many of the benefits and invariances of optimization methods. The lack of a task-specific inductive bias in DLIR methods leads to suboptimal performance, especially in the presence of domain shift. Our method aims to bridge this gap between statistical learning and optimization by explicitly incorporating optimization as a layer in a deep network. A deep network is trained to predict multi-scale dense feature images that are registered using a black box iterative optimization solver. This optimal warp is then used to minimize image and label alignment errors. By implicitly differentiating end-to-end through an iterative optimization solver, we explicitly exploit invariances of the correspondence matching problem induced by the optimization, while learning registration and label-aware features, and guaranteeing the warp functions to be a local minima of the registration objective in the feature space. Our framework shows excellent performance on in-domain datasets, and is agnostic to domain shift such as anisotropy and varying intensity profiles. For the first time, our method allows switching between arbitrary transformation representations (free-form to diffeomorphic) at test time with zero retraining. End-to-end feature learning also facilitates interpretability of features and arbitrary test-time regularization, which is not possible with existing DLIR methods.
description: Accepted at Medical Image Analysis