Digital Commons Network^™

Capturing In-Situ Feelings And Experiences Of Public Transit Riders Using Smartphones, Rafik Said, Rafik Said

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

High-density urban environments are susceptible to ever-growing traffic congestion issues, which speaks to the importance of implementing and maintaining effective and sustainable transportation networks. While transit oriented developments offer the potential to help mitigate traffic congestion issues, transit networks ought to be safe and reliable for ideal transit-user communities. As such, it is imperative to capture meaningful data regarding transit experiences, and deduce how transit networks can be enhanced or modified to continually maintain ideal transit experiences. Historically speaking, it has been relatively tricky to measure how people feel whilst using public transportation, without leaning on recall memory to explain …

Cold War By “Other Means”: Canada’S Foreign Relations With Communist Eastern Europe, 1957-1963, Cory Scurr

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Following Joseph Stalin’s death in 1953, Nikita Khrushchev became leader of the Soviet Union and ushered in a liberalization campaign that reverberated outward to certain Eastern European nations. Canadian officials recognized that limited freedom of maneuver was conceded to certain Eastern European nations, in addition to Yugoslavia’s existing independent position. This proved important, as Communist Eastern Europe became a deliberate and considered factor in Canada’s foreign policy. Canadian Soviet policy thus evolved into a Canadian policy towards Communist Eastern Europe, equipped with various nuances. Specifically, this project examines Canadian policy with Yugoslavia, Poland, and the Soviet Union.

By the mid …

The Effects Of A 12-Week Custom Foot Orthotic Intervention On The Intrinsic Muscles Of The Foot, And Dynamic Stability During Unexpected Gait Termination In Healthy Young Adults, Katrina Protopapas

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Introduction: Custom-made foot orthotics (CFO’s) are a commonly prescribed intervention to help individuals that are suffering from foot pain and foot disorders. However, the mechanisms of CFO’s are still poorly understood and are not well known. With the plantar intrinsic muscles of the foot being in direct contact with the CFO, it puts these structures at risk for disuse muscle atrophy as a result of being offloaded. Therefore, the purpose of the current study was to determine the effect of a 12-week custom-made foot orthotic intervention on the intrinsic muscles of the foot and dynamic stability during unexpected gait termination. …

A Density Functional Theory Study Of Intrinsically Chiral Semiconductor Nanocrystals, Richard Edwards

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

A plethora of work has been done in the area of nanoparticles of late due to the fact that chemists (and physicists) have discovered that the properties of nanoparticles differ from both those of the bulk material and the atoms themselves. Nanoparticles have become of high interest for the use as catalysts while materials like graphene, being only one atom thick, have been shown to be great electrical conductors in comparison with the 3D structure of diamond. Among these peculiar nanoscale properties is the phenomenon of nanochirality, where a nanoparticle can exhibit chirality that does not extend to the macroscale …

The Political Ecology Of Water Justice: A Case Study Of Tripoli, Lebanon, Fatima Sidaoui

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Despite the continuous efforts of the international community to address water scarcity, millions of people continue to lack access to safe drinking water and sanitation services. Water problems are often explained as natural phenomena or the result of technical failures, overlooking the fact that in many cases, water crises are those of socio-political inequalities rather than of scarcity. Examining water inequities, as political ecologists maintain, requires paying attention to the underlying power structures that perpetuate those injustices, and the agency available to people. My case study, located in Tripoli, Lebanon, attempts to understand those dynamics, specifically in relation to the …

H2−H∞ Control Of Discrete-Time Nonlinear Systems Using The State-Dependent Riccati Equation Approach, Xin Wang, Edwin E. Yaz, Susan C. Schneider, Yvonne I. Yaz

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

A novel H₂−H_∞ State-dependent Riccati equation control approach is presented for providing a generalized control framework to discrete-time nonlinear system. By solving a generalized Riccati equation at each time step, the nonlinear state feedback control solution is found to satisfy mixed performance criteria guaranteeing quadratic optimality with inherent stability property in combination with H∞ type of disturbance attenuation. Two numerical techniques to compute the solution of the resulting Riccati equation are presented: The first one is based on finding the steady-state solution of the difference equation at every step and the second one is based on finding …

Legal Resources On The Trump Immigration Ban, Center For Constitutional Law

Con Law Center Articles and Publications

This resource bibliography provides legal resources related to the litigation over the presidential immigration ban issued on Jan. 27, 2017. These resources include the executive order, key court decisions, and explanatory commentary.

Sports Cardiology: Core Curriculum For Providing Cardiovascular Care To Competitive Athletes And Highly Active People., Aaron L. Baggish Md, Robert W. Battle Md, James G. Beckerman Md, Alfred A. Bove Md, Phd, Rachel J. Lampert Md, Benjamin D. Levine Md, Mark S. Link Md, Matthew W. Martinez Md, Silvana M. Molossi Md, Phd, Jack Salerno Md, Meagan M. Wasfy Md, Rory B. Weiner Md, Michael S. Emery Md

Department of Medicine

The last few decades have seen substantial growth in the populations of competitive athletes and highly active people (CAHAP). Although vigorous physical exercise is an effective way to reduce the risk of cardiovascular (CV) disease, CAHAP remain susceptible to inherited and acquired CV disease, and may be most at risk for adverse CV outcomes during intense physical activity. Traditionally, multidisciplinary teams comprising athletic trainers, physical therapists, primary care sports medicine physicians, and orthopedic surgeons have provided clinical care for CAHAP. However, there is increasing recognition that a care team including qualified CV specialists optimizes care delivery for CAHAP. In recognition …

Tct-546 Performance Of The Dual Antiplatelet Therapy (Dapt) Score In The Adapt-Des Study., Sorin J. Brener, Ajay J. Kirtane Md, Michael J. Rinaldi Md, Bernhard Witzenbichler Md, Franz-Josef Neumann Md, Timothy D. Henry Md, David A. Cox Md, Peter L. Duffy Md, Ernest Mazzaferri Md, Bruce R. Brodie Md, Roxana Mehran Md, Thomas Mcandrew, Gregg W. Stone Md

Department of Medicine

Background

The optimal duration of dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) remains in dispute, particularly after 12 months. The DAPT Score was developed from the DAPT trial to identify pts who may benefit the most from extended therapy. We sought to assess the performance of the DAPT risk score in the all-comers Assessment of Dual AntiPlatelet Therapy with Drug-Eluting Stents (ADAPT-DES) registry, and to test the utility of additional predictors of events on its performance.

Methods

Patients free from ischemic or hemorrhagic events after 1 year of DAPT after successful DES implantation were analyzed. The DAPT score …

The Elements Of Urban Design : An Analysis Of Urban Planning In Ancient Israel, Scott Andrew Engebretson

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Potential For Scaling Up Climate Smart Agricultural Practices: Examples From Sub-Saharan Africa, Kindie Tesfaye, Menale Kassie, Jill E. Cairns, Misiko Michael, Clare Stirling, Tsedeke Abate, B. M. Prasanna, Mulugetta Mekuria, Habtamu Hailu, Dil Bahadur Rahut, Olaf Erenstein, Bruno Gerard

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Agriculture in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is predominantly rain-fed, and erratic weather patterns and extreme weather events, exacerbated by the changing climate, adds to the challenges faced by smallholder farmers in producing enough food to feed the ever growing population of the region. While the farming communities are responding to these challenges, there is an intensive need for scaling-up adoption of appropriate interventions that can help increase crop yields and resilience to climate change. A review and analysis of potential climate-smart agricultural practices (CSAs) in SSA indicate that some CSAs are increasingly adopted by farmers and show potential for scaling up. …

Mursamacin: A Novel Class Of Antibiotics From Soil-Dwelling Roundworms Of Central Kenya That Inhibits Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus, Ryan Musumba Awori, Peter Njenga Ng'ang'a, Lorine Nanjala Nyongesa, Nelson Onzere Amugune, Daniel Masiga

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria, also called " superbugs", can at worst retrogress modern medicine to an era where even sore throats resulted in death. A solution is the development of novel types of antibiotics from untapped natural sources. Yet, no new class of antibiotic has been developed in clinical medicine in the last 30 years. Here, bacteria from insect-killing Steinernema roundworms found in the soils of Central Kenya were isolated and subjected to specific molecular identification. These were then assayed for production of antibiotic compounds with potential to treat methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections. The bacteria were identified as Xenorhabdus griffiniae and produced …

Cotesia Icipe Sp. N., A New Microgastrinae Wasp (Hymenoptera, Braconidae) Of Importance In The Biological Control Of Lepidopteran Pests In Africa, Komi K.M. Fiaboe, Jose Fernández-Triana, Faith W. Nyamu, Komi M. Agbodzavu

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

A new species of Microgastrinae, Cotesia icipe Fernández-Triana & Fiaboe, sp. n., is described from eastern Africa. It was reared in Kenya as a solitary parasitoid from two major amaranth pests, Spodoptera littoralis (Boisduval, 1833) and S. exigua (Hübner, 1808); study of specimens in collections also revealed its presence in four other countries in the Afrotropical region (Madagascar, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and Yemen). Morphological, molecular and biological characters are used to describe the new species and to distinguish it from all 12 previously described species of Afrotropical Cotesia. Cotesia icipe shows potential in the biological control of key Lepidopteran …

Impact Of Push-Pull Technology On The Nutritional Status Of Farmers' Children In Western Kenya, Nicholas O. Ogot, J. O. Pittchar, C. A.O. Midega, Z. R. Khan

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

This study examined the impact of push-pull technology (PPT) on the nutritional status of children aged 1-12 years. Non-push-pull (NPPT) farmers were used as a control group to establish a comparative model for this study. It determined household production, consumption, and surpluses, comparing the PPT adopters to the nonadopters; found out the incomes and food expenditures from farm products; found out the household dietary diversity scores; and finally found the nutritional status of the two household groups. A six faceted household-level metrics was employed. A sample of 216 households that registered 326 children was derived. This study was conducted in …

Plant–Insect Interactions In A Changing World, S. Pincebourde, J. Van Baaren, S. Rasmann, P. Rasmont, G. Rodet, B. Martinet, P. A. Calatayud

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Global change is resetting the spatial and ecological equilibrium of complex co-evolutionary relationships between plants and their insect herbivores. We review the mechanisms at play in the responses of plant–insect interactions to global changes, including increased temperature and atmospheric CO2 concentrations, modification of land use and pollution. We distinguish between the direct effects of global changes on each partner from the indirect impacts on insects via the responses of plants. The indirect effects include a change in the nutritional quality of the plant tissues for herbivore insects, as well as a change in the microclimatic conditions at the leaf surface. …

Impact Of Cross-Level Measurement Noninvariance On Hospital Rankings Based On Patient Experiences With Care In 7 European Countries, Benedict O. Orindi, Emmanuel Lesaffre, Walter Sermeus, Luk Bruyneel

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Background: Hospital-level findings on patient experiences with care are increasingly reported publicly. A critical aspect left unexamined is the commonality of composite measures of patient experiences across different groups of patients, nursing units, hospitals, and countries. Absence of commonality is termed measurement noninvariance and is hypothesized to have a strong impact on performance assessment. Aim: The aim of this study is to examine measurement invariance across groups and levels under study (patients, nursing units, hospitals, and countries) and illustrate the degree to which this method of analysis impacts hospital rankings. Research Design: Data were collected from 11,289 patients in 7 …

Response To Climate Risks Among Smallholder Farmers In Malawi: A Multivariate Probit Assessment Of The Role Of Information, Household Demographics, And Farm Characteristics, Chalmers Mulwa, Paswel Marenya, Dil Bahadur Rahut, Menale Kassie

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Why do many smallholder farmers fail to adopt what appear to be relatively simple agronomic or management practices which can help them cope with climate-induced stressors? Using household and plot level data collected in 2011, we implement a multivariate probit model to assess the determinants of farmer adaptation behavior to climatic risks and the relative contribution of information, credit and education on the probability of adopting specific practices in response to adverse changes in weather patterns. We find that plot characteristics, credit constraints and availability of climate-related information explain the adoption of several of these practices. In relative terms, we …

Randomised Controlled Trial Of Two Sequential Artemisinin-Based Combination Therapy Regimens To Treat Uncomplicated Falciparum Malaria In African Children: A Protocol To Investigate Safety, Efficacy And Adherence, Henk D.F.H. Schallig, Halidou Tinto, Patrick Sawa, Harparkash Kaur, Stephan Duparc, Deus S. Ishengoma, Pascal Magnussen, Michael Alifrangis, Colin J. Sutherland

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Background Management of uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria relies on artemisininbased combination therapies (ACTs). These highly effective regimens have contributed to reductions in malaria morbidity and mortality. However, artemisinin resistance in Asia and changing parasite susceptibility to ACT in Africa have now been well documented. Strategies that retain current ACT as efficacious treatments are urgently needed. Methods We present an open-label, randomised three-arm clinical trial protocol in three African settings representative of varying malaria epidemiology to investigate whether prolonged ACTbased regimens using currently available formulations can eliminate potentially resistant parasites. The protocol investigates whether a sequential course of two licensed ACT …

Is Feedback To Medical Learners Associated With Characteristics Of Improved Patient Care?, Victoria Hayes, Robert Bing-You, Kalli Varaklis, Robert Trowbridge, Heather Kemp, Dina Mckelvy

MaineHealth Maine Medical Center

Our Research Question: "What is the association of medical learner feedback with characteristics of improved patient care?"

Structurofunctional Resting-State Networks Correlate With Motor Function In Chronic Stroke, Benjamin Kalinosky, Reivian B. Barillas, Brian D. Schmit

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Purpose

Motor function and recovery after stroke likely rely directly on the residual anatomical connections in the brain and its resting-state functional connectivity. Both structural and functional properties of cortical networks after stroke are revealed using multimodal magnetic resonance imaging(MRI). Specifically, functional connectivity MRI (fcMRI) can extract functional networks of the brain at rest, while structural connectivity can be estimated from white matter fiber orientations measured with high angular-resolutiondiffusion imaging (HARDI). A model that marries these two techniques may be the key to understanding functional recovery after stroke. In this study, a novel set of voxel-level measures …

Smartphone Based Optical Spectrometer For Diffusive Reflectance Spectroscopic Measurement Of Hemoglobin, Perry Edwards, Chenji Zhang, Baigang Zhang, Xiangqian Hong, Vivek K. Nagarajan, Bing Yu, Zhiwen Liu

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

We report a miniature, visible to near infrared G-Fresnel spectrometer that contains a complete spectrograph system, including the detection hardware and connects with a smartphone through a microUSB port for operational control. The smartphone spectrometer is able to achieve a resolution of ~5 nm in a wavelength range from 400 nm to 1000 nm. We further developed a diffuse reflectance spectroscopy system using the smartphone spectrometer and demonstrated the capability of hemoglobin measurement. Proof of concept studies of tissue phantoms yielded a mean error of 9.2% on hemoglobin concentration measurement, comparable to that obtained with a commercial benchtop spectrometer. The …

Virtual Faculty Learning Community Implementation Framework, Angela Atwell, Cristina Cottom, Lisa Martino, Sara Ombres

Publications

This framework is meant to be a useful guide for those interested in creating a V-FLC. You may skip around to the various sections or read the framework from start to finish. The framework consists of twelve questions to ask as you begin developing a V-FLC, answers to these questions based on our experience, as well as a visual representation of the framework.

Autarky Or Interdependence? U.S. Vs. European Security And Defense Industries In A Globalized Market, Diane Maye Zorri

Publications

Globalization theorists show how downward pressure to compete and/or

save costs in global markets will lead producers and consumers to source

goods and services in the cheapest and most efficient manner. However, in

certain sectors, such as the defense industry, security concerns and politics

can overshadow economic logic when it comes to making procurement

decisions. These political and security concerns keep the U.S. defense

industry from using the most cost-effective supply chains and

manufacturing centers, whereas in Europe, post-Cold War socioeconomic

and political realities allowed for more transnational cooperation on

defense procurement. Three cases serve to illustrate the spectrum between …

Volume 41, No. 3

The Weldon Times

A student-run newspaper published at the Schulich School of Law at Dalhousie University.

Editor in Chief: Marina Bruggeman

Digital Editor: Jessica Patrick

Editors: Theron Davis, Lisandra Naranjo Hernandez, Melissa Pike

Information Technology Approaches To Forest Management, Mary Snow, Richard Snow

Publications

The majority of the world’s forests occur where there is a dry season long enough to affect a seasonal change in the forest community. The seasonal forest may include evergreen, semi-deciduous, deciduous trees, or some combination of these. Local differences in soil or other site characteristics often determine which community persists. Since the seasonal forests exist where there is seasonal precipitation, the character of the forest is closely associated with the length of the rainy season. As the length of the rainy season decreases, the density of the canopy decreases. If the global climate system warms and prolonged drought gives …

Hubble Parameter Measurement Constraints On The Redshift Of The Deceleration-Acceleration Transition, Dynamical Dark Energy, And Space Curvature, Omer Farooq, Foram Ranjeet Madiyar, Sara Crandall, Bharat Ratra

Publications

We compile an updated list of 38 measurements of the Hubble parameter H(z) between redshifts 0.07 ≤ z ≤ 2.36 and use them to place constraints on model parameters of constant and time-varying dark energy cosmological models, both spatially flat and curved. We use five models to measure the redshift of the cosmological deceleration-acceleration transition, zda, from these H(z) data. Within the error bars, the measured zda are insensitive to the model used, depending only on the value assumed for the Hubble constant H0. The weighted mean of our measurements is zda = 0.72±0.05 (0.84±0.03) for H0 = 68 ± …

Multi-Scale Cardiovascular Flow Analysis By An Integrated Meshless-Lumped Parameter Model, Leonardo A. Bueno, Eduardo A. Divo, Alain J. Kassab

Publications

A computational tool that integrates a Radial basis function (RBF)-based Meshless solver with a Lumped Parameter model (LPM) is developed to analyze the multi-scale and multi-physics interaction between the cardiovascular flow hemodynamics, the cardiac function, and the peripheral circulation. The Meshless solver is based on localized RBF collocations at scattered data points which allows for automation of the model generation via CAD integration. The time-accurate incompressible flow hemodynamics are addressed via a pressure-velocity correction scheme where the ensuing Poisson equations are accurately and efficiently solved at each time step by a Dual-Reciprocity Boundary Element method (DRBEM) formulation that takes advantage …

Takecare, A Video To Promote Bystander Behavior On College Campuses: Replication And Extension, Ernest N. Jouriles, Kelli Sargent, Katie Lee Salis, Christina Caiozzo, David Rosenfield, Michele Cascardi, John H. Grych, K. Daniel O'Leary, Renee Mcdonald

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Previous research has demonstrated that college students who view TakeCARE, a video bystander program designed to encourage students to take action to prevent sexual and relationship violence (i.e., bystander behavior), display more bystander behavior relative to students who view a control video. The current study aimed to replicate and extend these findings by testing two different methods of administering TakeCARE and examining moderators of TakeCARE’s effects on bystander behavior. Students at four universities (n = 557) were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: (a) view TakeCARE in a monitored computer lab, (b) view TakeCARE at their own convenience …

The Role Of Internalized Homonegativity In The Faith And Psychological Health Of Lesbians, Dane R. Whicker, Ed De St. Aubin, Kimberly R. Skerven

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Among lesbians, faith-based beliefs and behaviors may be associated with negative psychological health due to the interplay between religious and sexual identities. The present study examined health outcomes, faith-based beliefs (views of God as loving and controlling), faith-based behaviors (personal spiritual practices, religious activities), and internalized homonegativity in a sample of 225 self-identified lesbians. We hypothesized that internalized homonegativity would moderate the relationship between health outcomes and faith-based beliefs and behaviors among lesbians. Generally, results indicated that some faith-based beliefs and behaviors were related to negative health outcomes among lesbians with higher levels of internalized homonegativity, but among those with …

Military Children’S Difficulty With Reintegration After Deployment: A Relational Turbulence Model Perspective, Leanne K. Knobloch, Lynne M. Knobloch-Fedders, Jeremy B. Yorgason, Aaron T. Ebata, Patricia C. Mcglaughlin

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

This study drew on the relational turbulence model to investigate how the interpersonal dynamics of military couples predict parents’ reports of the reintegration difficulty of military children upon homecoming after deployment. Longitudinal data were collected from 118 military couples once per month for 3 consecutive months after reunion. Military couples reported on their depressive symptoms, characteristics of their romantic relationship, and the reintegration difficulty of their oldest child. Results of dyadic growth curve models indicated that the mean levels of parents’ depressive symptoms (H1), relationship uncertainty (H2), and interference from a partner (H3) were positively associated with parents’ reports of …