Digital Commons Network^™

Are There Individual And/Or Roost Signatures In The Echolocation Calls Of Wild Big Brown Bats (Eptesicus Fuscus)?, Elisabeth K. Van Stam

Digitized Theses

Unique individual vocal signatures are widespread among animals living in colonies such as the maternity roosts of Eptesicusfuscus. Such individual signatures have been identified in the echolocation calls of E. fuscus in the laboratory, but have not been demonstrated in the wild. By recording known wild E. fuscus as they emerged from their roosts at dusk, I tested the hypothesis that individual and/or roost signatures exist in the echolocation calls of wild E. fuscus. Analyses of calls of 176 individuals recorded at six different locations indicate that temporal and spectral features appear to contain sufficient variation to identify both roost …

Assemblage Theory, Complexity And Contentious Politics: The Political Ontology Of Gilles Deleuze, Nick A. Srnicek

Digitized Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to reconsider the nature of ontology in contemporary political science, with the belief that such a move can be of great benefit to understanding changes in our era of globalization and terrorism. This is accomplished by examining the ontologies of both social constructivism and critical realism in order to show their reliance upon illegitimate presuppositions, and then developing a novel ontological position on the basis of these criticisms. Gilles Deleuze’s concept of assemblages - and his ontology, more generally - are examined as particularly powerful ways to conceptualize the complexity, dynamism and differences that …

Analysis And Evaluation Of Segmental Concrete Tunnel Linings - Seismic And Durability Considerations, Hany Elnaggar

Digitized Theses

Tunnels have been constructed by many civilizations, and over time, exciting new advancements in tunnelling techniques and methods have emerged. One such notable advancement is the tunnel boring machine (TBM), which facilitated the evolution of rapid excavation by shield driven tunnelling method. Precast segmental concrete tunnel linings are widely used in conjunction with the shield driven tunnelling method, and these linings have been implemented on numerous tunnelling projects during the second half of the 20th century. In some cases, long-term exposure of reinforced concrete linings to sulphates or chlorides in groundwater can lead to concrete deterioration and consequent reduction in …

Assessment Of Rat Lung Volumes Using Hyperpolarized Helium-3 Mr Imaging, M. Reza Akhavan Sharif

Digitized Theses

In this thesis, the upper-limit volume (gas plus partial tissue volume) as well as absolute volume (gas only) of lungs measured using 3He Magnetic Resonance (3He-MR) imaging is compared with that determined by micro-Computed Tomography (micro-CT) and xenon-enhanced micro-CT (Xe-CT) in normal rats. The upper-limit and absolute volumes obtained from He-MR and air-CT methods were not significantly different (P>0.05). Also, no significant difference was found between the volumes measured from He-MR and Xe-CT methods (P>0.05). The good agreement between the volumes measured from He-MR and air-CT suggests that He MR imaging can be used for quantitative analysis of …

Assessment Of Seismic Hazard And Risk, And Decision-Making Under Uncertainty, Katsuichiro Goda

Digitized Theses

A simulation-based approach to assess seismic hazard and risk is developed and implemented. Its use together with the seismic hazard model proposed by the Geological Survey of Canada is presented. Sensitivity analyses investigating the effects of smoothing historical seismicity, epistemic uncertainty, attenuation relations, and time-dependent earthquake occurrence on seismic hazard are given. By using the developed lifecycle cost model of a structure and adopting the minimum expected lifecycle cost criterion, the optimal seismic design level for Canadian sites is investigated. Note that the use of the adopted criterion identifies the optimal seismic design level for risk-neutral decision makers. Results suggest …

Educational Factors Influencing The Self-Efficacy Of New Graduate Nurses For Professional Competencies During The Transition To Registered Nurse, Erika Cheung

Digitized Theses

Problem: New graduate nurses (NGNs) are often considered the solution to the global

nursing shortage. However, researchers are reporting an alarming new trend; NGNs are leaving the profession (Duchscher & Cowin, 2004; Sochalski, 2002). They are unprepared to work in the ‘real world’, even after successfully graduating from a nursing program.

Aim: This study examined the relationship between each of four educational factors (biological science courses, clinical practicum in undergraduate education; orientation/training provided by the employing hospital; post-registration preceptorship) and NGNs’ self-efficacy (confidence) for professional competencies as they transition to the role o f registered nurse.

Methods: Based on Bandura’s …

A Description Of The Functions Of Observational Learning In Sport, Barbara D. Law

Digitized Theses

The purpose of this dissertation was to describe athletes’ use of the functions of observational learning in various sport situations. A secondary purpose was to explore whether the Functions of Observational Learning Questionnaire (FOLQ; Cumming et al., 2005) could be used to examine naturalistic observational learning use with various groups of sport participants. To achieve these purposes, three studies were conducted. Study 1 examined the relationship between skill level, age, and use of the functions of observational learning in a sample of golfers. Study 2 explored the relationship between use of the functions of observational learning and self-efficacy beliefs in …

Assemblage Theory, Complexity And Contentious Politics: The Political Ontology Of Gilles Deleuze, Nick A. Srnicek

Digitized Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to reconsider the nature of ontology in contemporary political science, with the belief that such a move can be of great benefit to understanding changes in our era of globalization and terrorism. This is accomplished by examining the ontologies of both social constructivism and critical realism in order to show their reliance upon illegitimate presuppositions, and then developing a novel ontological position on the basis of these criticisms. Gilles Deleuze’s concept of assemblages - and his ontology, more generally - are examined as particularly powerful ways to conceptualize the complexity, dynamism and differences that …

Child Abuse And Neglect And The Mental Health Of Adult Survivors: A Retrospective Study, Shelley A. Holland

Digitized Theses

Several researchers have indicated that child abuse and neglect are related to mental health problems in adulthood. Social support has been found to have a protective influence on the sequelae of these traumatic interpersonal experiences. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between the severity of childhood interpersonal trauma and the severity of mental illness and substance abuse problems in adulthood. This study is guided by the Neuman Systems Model, specifically the impact of stressors, reaction to stressors, and the moderating role of the sociocultural variable in the flexible line of defense. This research takes advantage of …