19614 research outputs found
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A Sim-to-Real Deformation Classification Pipeline using Data Augmentation and Domain Adaptation
No full textGeometrical quality assurance is critical for improving manufacturing time and cost. This is more inhibiting when human operators’ visual or haptic assessment is necessary. Modern machine learning (ML) methods can solve this problem but require large datasets with diverse deformations. However, preparing those deformations using physical objects can be difficult and costly. This thesis uses Blender, an opensource simulation tool, to imitate object deformities and automate the preparation of synthetic datasets. The utility of these datasets is improved using two methods; data augmentation such as background randomization and domain adaptation networks. The background randomization approach provides a way to generalize the image distribution to various environments, whereas the domain-adapted approach provides a better-targeted distribution. This thesis showcases that synthetic data created in Blender can be effective for training deformation classification networks. The discrepancies between real and simulated environments can be mitigated to create models for sim-to-real deformation detection.Graduat
Comparisons of Ramp Functions and Michaelis-Menten Functions in Biochemical Dynamical Systems
Get PDFAnalysis of nonlinear dynamical systems, such as those modeled using Michaelis-Menten kinetics, can be difficult. Thus, it is natural to consider whether such systems can be simplified in a way that facilitates analysis while preserving qualitative behaviour. Previously, we showed that when the Michaelis-Menten terms in a model of plant metabolism are replaced by piecewise linear approximations called ramp functions, the qualitative behaviour of the model is maintained. We then defined a limited class of systems containing ramp functions called biochemical ramp systems and studied their properties, including the existence and stability of equilibria and global flow.
Here, we expand on our previous work by reforming the definition of a biochemical ramp system to describe a wider class of systems. We study the properties of several types of biochemical ramp systems that were previously not covered by the definition, and show that
their qualitative behaviour is similar to that of their Michaelis-Menten counterparts. We then introduce concepts from chemical reaction network theory, such as the Deficiency Zero and Deficiency One Theorems, and explain how they are applicable to the analysis of biochemical
ramp functions, but cannot be applied to the corresponding Michaelis-Menten systems. In the last chapter, we show that when ramp functions are used in systems that do not fall under the expanded definition of a biochemical ramp system, there can be qualitative differences
in behaviour between these ramp systems and their Michaelis-Menten counterparts. We end with a look at periodic behaviour in ramp systems by studying a version of the Lotka-Volterra predator-prey model containing ramp functions.Graduat
Understanding the interplay of alexithymia, emotion regulation, and emotion-avoidant behaviours: A study of young adults engaging in self-damaging behaviours
Get PDFAlexithymia, characterized by difficulties in identifying, describing, and attuning to internal emotional experiences, is consistently linked with emotion dysregulation and maladaptive behaviours such as non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) and disordered eating (DE). While previous research has examined the relationship between alexithymia and emotion regulation (ER) abilities or strategies separately, few studies have integrated both to understand their combined influence on maladaptive behaviours. The present study aims to validate and extend existing findings by investigating the direct relationship between alexithymia and specific ER abilities and strategies in young adults oversampled for engagement in NSSI and DE. Additionally, it seeks to explore whether NSSI and DE function as maladaptive ER strategies and whether deficits in ER abilities mediate the relationship between alexithymia and maladaptive behaviours. Participants (N = 193, aged 17-30 years, 61.1% female) from a larger self-monitoring study on self-damaging behaviours completed self-reported assessments of alexithymia, ER abilities, ER strategies, lifetime NSSI frequency, and DE symptom severity. Correlation comparisons and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) revealed significant overlaps in Deficits in Emotional Knowledge (DEK) measured by the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) and the Difficulties in Emotional Regulation Scale (DERS) measures, suggesting construct redundancy. A simplified measurement model of DEK was used to predict maladaptive outcomes through parallel mediation models specifying deficits in four ER abilities: impulse control, mobilization of goal-directed behaviours, access to ER strategies, and acceptance of emotions. The relationship between DEK and lifetime NSSI frequency was collectively mediated by the four ER ability deficits. Similarly, models predicting DE symptom severity and cognitive reappraisal revealed a total indirect effect through all four ER ability mediators. However, difficulties mobilizing goal-directed behaviours negatively mediated the relationship between DEK and DE symptom severity, suggesting a need to examine the orientation of goals among individuals engaging in DE. Consistent with previous research, a lack of access to adaptive ER strategies negatively mediated the relationship between DEK and cognitive reappraisal. Finally, only the mediation model for expressive suppression exhibited a direct effect of DEK, and impulsivity negatively mediated the relationship between DEK and expressive suppression, highlighting a potential difference in mechanisms driving the selection response-focused ER strategies. Findings from the present study support previous evidence of the potential affective regulation function of maladaptive behaviours, such as NSSI and DE. By elucidating the relationship between DEK, ER abilities, and the selection of ER strategies, targeted intervention can be better designed to help support individuals who frequently engage in maladaptive behaviours to regulate aversive emotional experiences.Graduate2025-08-1
An evaluation of the District of Sooke’s official community plan from a planetary health perspective
Get PDFThe District of Sooke is drafting an Official Community Plan (OCP) that once adopted will set the vision for Sooke until 2050. Given the nature of municipal jurisdiction, municipalities are critically positioned to respond to the current international environmental crises. This mixed-methods study evaluated the draft OCP using a Planetary Health Framework (PHF), multi-sector focus groups and questionnaires. The study assessed if and under what conditions the draft OCP contributes to planetary health. Focus group participants saw the draft OCP as promoting many of the PHF’s dimensions positively. However, participants noted concerns around inadequate community engagement, the OCP’s design/clarity, the risks to mental and physical health, government coordination and decision-making bias. Recommendations for how Sooke could better contribute to planetary health were raised by participants and presented in this thesis. This evaluation was the first application of planetary health approaches for a comprehensive evaluation of an existing policy.Graduat
UVic Convocation June 12, 2024 – 10:00 am
No full textStudents from the faculties of Graduate Studies, Law, Social Sciences and the Division of Continuing Studies. Dr. Eloise Spitzer received an honorary degree.UndergraduateUnreviewe
My Reconciliation Journey
Get PDFIt is a well-known fact that Indigenous people are treated horribly, and I would like to see the systems change globally to create safer countries for Indigenous, Black, and People of Colour (IBPOC). At some point, systems need to change, and people will realize that we need to do better because how the systems are set up now violates fundamental human rights. I believe we can create a system that allows Indigenous people to have their rights and freedoms upheld and where self-determination is the way of life for all Indigenous people across Canada. I also believe that all Indigenous people should have clean drinking water. It is disgusting that so many Indigenous people are without clean drinking water. I stand in solidarity with Every Child Matters, Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and Two-Spirited (MMIWG2S), and #LandBack movements. I hope this report provokes feelings and inspiration to make positive changes for Indigenous people. I also hope non-Indigenous people feel inspired to take practical and actionable steps to start their journey of Reconcilaition. I dream of facilitating Your Reconciliation Journey workshop series across BC and Canada.Graduat
Life After Canon: Dramione Fanfiction’s Literary Reconstruction in Harry Potter Fandom
Get PDFDrawing on fan studies and Harry Potter studies, I investigate how selected works of transformative fiction (“fanfiction”) reconstruct J.K. Rowling’s fictional Harry Potter characters, specifically through the romantic pairing of Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger (“Dramione”). I build on existing semi-autoethnographical fan scholarship to ask and answer questions about how Harry Potter fans mobilize fanwork as a way of engaging with the source text critically. My analysis centres on three fanfictions, all pseudonymously authored and hosted on the Archive of Our Own (AO3): isthisselfcare’s Draco Malfoy and the Mortifying Ordeal of Being in Love (2021–22), AccioMjolnir’s Until the Ink Runs Dry (2021), and senlinyu’s Manacled (2018–19). As doorways into a digitally powerful interpretive community, the selected works illuminate a cultural sphere wherein fanworks take social and affective precedence over commercial works. These fan writers take the relationship among source material, readership, and transformative creation very seriously. In doing the same, I demonstrate how fanfiction writers engage in a form of literary interpretation and analysis that transcends the source’s existing conventions, effectively replacing “canon” with “fanon” in the cultural imagination to which they contribute.Jamie Cassels Undergraduate Research Awards (JCURA)UndergraduateReviewe
Enhancing few-shot prediction of ocean sound speed profiles through hierarchical long short-term memory transfer learning
No full textThe distribution of ocean sound speed profiles (SSPs) profoundly influences the design of underwater acoustic communication and positioning systems. Conventional methods for measuring sound speed by instruments entail high time costs, while sound speed inversion methods offer rapid estimation of SSPs. However, these methods heavily rely on sonar observational data and lack the capacity to swiftly estimate SSPs in arbitrary oceanic regions, particularly in scenarios with few-shot data. Precisely estimating non-cooperative maritime SSPs under such conditions poses a significant challenge. To explore temporal distribution patterns of sound speed and achieve precise SSP predictions with limited data, we propose a hierarchical long short-term memory transfer learning (H-LSTM-TL) framework. The core idea involves pre-training the base model on extensive public datasets, transferring the acquired knowledge to task models, and fine-tuning the task model on few-shot data to predict future SSPs. Through H-LSTM-TL, it accelerates model convergence, enhances sensitivity to few-shot input data, alleviates overfitting issues, and notably improves the accuracy of SSP predictions. Experimental results demonstrate that the H-LSTM-TL model exhibits strong generalization capabilities in few-shot data scenarios, effectively reducing overfitting problems and proving its applicability for rapid prediction of SSPs.This research was funded by the Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province (ZR2023QF128), Laoshan Laboratory (LSKJ202205104), China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (2022M722990), Qingdao Postdoctoral Science Foundation (QDBSH20220202061), National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC:62271459), National Defense Science and Technology Innovation Special Zone Project: Marine Science and Technology Collaborative Innovation Center (22-05-CXZX-04-01-02), and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities, Ocean University of China (202313036).FacultyReviewe
The simple macroeconometrics of the quantity theory and the welfare cost of inflation
Get PDFI am indebted to the Associate Editor Luca Benati and two anonymous referees for extensive suggestions that have significantly improved the paper, and to Ryland Thomas of the Bank of England for graciously providing me with series updates through 2019 to the Bank’s A Millenium of Macroeconomic Data spreadsheet. A preliminary version of this paper was presented at the 2022 annual meetings of the Canadian Economics Association in Ottawa and in a department seminar at the University of Victoria. I thank participants for their comments, especially Merwan Engineer and Vasco Gabriel.The quantity theory of money hypothesizes that the price level is determined through the equilibration of money supply and demand. Predicated on this causal structure, a single-equation error correction model decomposes from a larger vector autoregressive system so as to make available bounds tests for a levels relationship that are robust to the univariate integration properties of the variables. This model is estimated using three monetary aggregates and two money demand specifications, for U.S. and U.K. annual data over the past century and quarterly post-WWII data. The classic homogeneity propositions of the quantity theory are testable, and are found to be most compatible with U.S. annual M2 using log-log money demand with structural change permitted. Nevertheless, the resulting welfare costs are similar to those yielded by the U.K. annual data, being less than one percent of GDP at interest rates experienced during the past century.This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.FacultyReviewe