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Statistical methods and analysis with real-life data
No full textA Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Statistics, University of Regina. xiv, 261 p.The goal of this research contains three major parts. We start with finding out the
parameter uncertainty of cost and utility parameters in economic evaluations. There
is a framework providing some general guidance to interpret the levels of parameter
uncertainty of the probabilistic analysis in economic evaluations. Given that this
framework may not fully address underlying causes for the uncertainty, we sought to
extend it for two specific scenarios. We provide the mathematical interpretations and
conducted simulation studies for two scenarios. We further discussed the implications
of our findings for the economic modelling. In addition to qualitative categorization
of uncertainty proposed by the general framework to assist with decision-making, We
also need to comprehend methods used to address uncertainty in economic evaluations
to enable informed policy making.
Secondly, the correlations between economic modelling input parameters directly
impact the variance and may impact the expected values of model outputs. However,
correlation coefficients are not often reported in the literature. We provide proof that for correlated random variables X and Y, the Pearson correlation coefficients
of sample means and samples are equal to each other (corr(X; Y ) = corr( X
; Y ). Therefore, when studies report summary statistics of correlated parameters, we can
quantify the correlation coefficient between parameters. We further introduce three
types of correlations for utilities and provide two examples to estimate the correlations
for utilities based on published data. As a conclusion, incorporation of the correlations can improve the precision of cost-effectiveness results and increase confidence
in evidence-based decision-making.
Finally, the log-normal distribution is essential for modelling positively skewed
life-time data. Consequently, the log-normal distribution is used in numerous real-
world situations. As a measure of central tendency, the mode corresponds to the
most typical value within the data set. The goal of this chapter is to estimate the
confidence intervals (CIs) for the ratios of modes of two log-normal distributions using
the asymptotic confidence interval (CIAsym) and three varieties of bootstrap confidence intervals (CIt-boot;CIp-boot, and CIs-boot). To provide the estimate of ratios of
modes, I use the MLE of two parameters of log-normal distribution ^ and ^. The
effectiveness of the proposed CI methods is evaluated in terms of their coverage prob-
abilities and average widths via Monte Carlo simulation. The proposed CI methods
were evaluated by applying them to real-world data on PM2.5 mass concentration in
two areas of Thailand.Studentye
Winter ice angling using tip-ups: Influence of tackle and bait types on Northern Pike (Esox lucius) behaviour and catch and release
No full textA Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Biology, University of Regina. xix, 160 p.Catch and release angling is a multi-billion-dollar global industry and an important
management tool. The effects of catch and release have been well studied in open-water
fisheries, but the behaviour of fish in the winter and how they respond to catch and release ice
angling has not been well studied. The gap in knowledge is critical to address given that fish in
the winter are exposed to different conditions and stressors, including cold temperatures,
different hook styles, and different approaches to fishing. In northern regions of the world,
anglers commonly target northern pike (Esox lucius; hereafter pike) in the winter due to their
ability to grow to large sizes. Pike present additional challenges for winter catch and release
because they are often caught using tip-ups, which are passive angling devices that present bait
on a slack line. Popular tip-up tackle rigs include one or more barbed treble hooks, referred to as
“quick-strike” rigs. Little is currently known about the performance of quick-strike rigs in terms
of winter capture success, or factors that might affect the success of catch and release (e.g.,
hooking injuries) after being caught on such devices. Circle hooks are an alternative to quickstrike
rigs that may have benefits for pike catch and release, but they have not been evaluated for
winter fisheries. I used tip-ups in standardized field trials to capture 235 pike during three ice
angling seasons (2020-2023). Hook style may influence the success of catch and release,
including angler interaction time, dehooking time, dehooking difficulty, frequency of hooking
injury, and hook placement. Importantly, rigs with two or three treble hooks produced a higher
probability of foul hooking and injuring pike compared to the single treble quick-strike or single
circle hook rigs. Bait type, based on three different species of fish and hotdogs, had no major
influence on factors affecting catch and release, and pike did not seem to discriminate based on
the bait offered. The month of capture had a small effect on the outcome of catch and release,
where fish captured in December were the smallest in size and those in January required the
longest dehooking times. Assessment of pike behaviour under the ice showed that hook style and
bait type had little influence on what fish did as they approached tip-up presentations. In general,
pike were very tentative in their approach and appeared to require considerable time to decide to
strike and attempt to consume the bait. It took longer for pike to decide to strike tip-up
presentations with two or three treble hooks and darker coloured bait. However, the numbers of
fish striking and landed were not influenced by either hook or bait types. Month had the largest
influence on the behaviour of pike; fish were less tentative when striking at tip-up presentations
later in the season during March. My results suggest that the type of tip-up tackle selected by
anglers may be important for reducing potentially negative catch and release outcomes in the
winter. Given that pike seemed to treat all hook and bait types the same way, there is opportunity
to alter angler choices of tackle and increase both successful catch and release, and fish welfare.Studentye
Suspending echoes
No full textA Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Fine Arts, Media & Artistic Research, University of Regina. ix, 73 p.This critical engagement paper outlines the conceptual and technical details and
theoretical support for my Master of Fine Arts exhibition project titled Suspending Echoes,
presented at the Fifth Parallel Gallery from August 1 to August 15, 2024.
Suspending Echoes is an interactive and immersive installation through which I attempt
to represent my perception of self as a fluid entity, continuously shaped and influenced by
currents, created by interactions with my surrounding environment and people. The installation
creates a dynamic environment where the audience's presence and movements contribute to their
overall experience. I aim to evoke empathy and self-reflection through this artwork. Through the
creation of an interactive and dynamic immersive experience focused on sensory and bodily
effects, I invite the audience to consider the feeling of suspension, reflecting on their own
experiences of being influenced by their surroundings, which can prompt reflection on social
relationships and cultural concerns.
Additionally, in this paper, I review how I have developed my approach to interact with
the audience, design the interaction system, create immersive and sensory-evoking spaces,
provide metaphoric, universal, evocative elements and cues, and make room for the audience to
create their own unique experiences and interpretations of the work.Studentye
Influence of pore structure and fluid properties on the dynamics of foamy oil production: an experimental and numerical analysis
No full textA Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Petroleum Systems Engineering, University of Regina. xvii, 245 p.Cyclic Solvent Injection (CSI) stands out as one of the leading solvent-based post-CHOPS
Enhanced Heavy Oil Recovery (EHOR) methods, celebrated for its energy efficiency, improved
oil quality, and environmental benefits. Given the escalating concern over greenhouse gas
emissions, exploring the use of CO2 in EHOR methods is crucial for mitigating the greenhouse
effect. Studies have demonstrated that mixing CO2 with other solvents can enhance CSI
performance by leveraging foamy oil flow as the primary driving force. Our state-of-the-art
microfluidic systems, developed in-house, offer precise visualizations of the process, and enable
controlled simulation of reservoir properties throughout experimental series.
In this study, experiments were conducted on both porous and non-porous media to examine the
influence of additives, solvent type, and pressure reduction rate on foamy oil production. Utilizing
heavy oil from Canada, we conducted fundamental tests, including composition analysis, Constant
Composition Expansion (CCE), and Differential Liberation (DL) tests, to characterize the oil and
its gas-saturated live oil state.
The solvents employed were CO2 and CH4, with CH4 chosen for its cost-effectiveness despite its
lower performance compared to C3H8. However, a mix of CO2 and CH4, with added surfactants,
yielded improved bubble generation and stability.
The project focused on three primary input parameters: solvent type, surfactant concentration, and
pressure reduction rate, with their ranges informed by prior research. Minitab software guided the
experimental design, suggesting 15 tests on a bulk microfluidic model to observe the dynamics of
live and foamy oil under varying pressures. The results of 15 tests highlighted two individual tests
ii
with superior stability and the lowest energy usage. In addition, optimal input parameters for
reducing the oil in place and increasing production rate were identified using Minitab for further
application.
These optimal conditions were then tested on three different porous microfluidic models to assess
the impact of porosity on foamy oil expansion, with porosities set at 31%, 35%, and 40%. The
31% porosity model exhibited the highest stability and expansion, indicating that lower porosity
restricts bubble movement, hindering their coalescence and growth.
Micro-analyses on bubble dynamics and movement were performed, followed by non-equilibrium
reaction studies using CMOST to determine the impact of each parameter on oil production. Initial
tuning for solvent type, surfactant concentration, and pressure reduction rate was conducted in
CMOST, with subsequent adjustments for porosity and relative permeability. Numerical analysis
of bulk phase expansion and three-porosity model results from experimental tests were utilized to
derive tuning coefficients. A key novelty of this study is the derivation of non-equilibrium
equations that incorporate variables such as pressure reduction rate, porosity, solvent type, and
surfactant concentration in the foamy oil process.
Finally, the optimized parameters for maximizing heavy oil expansion were implemented in a
cylindrical sand pack model. Both simulation and experimental results from the sand pack test
indicated that oil production became negligible at lower pressures during the pressure depletion
test. The optimal oil production, achieving the highest benefit, was found to reach 37% of the
initial oil in place using the pressure depletion technique.Studentye
On the class of graphs ZP
No full textA Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Mathematics, University of Regina. vii, 60 p.The following research was primarily focused on the class of graphs denoted by ZP.
Let G = (V,E) be a graph made up of vertices V and edges E. The path cover number
and zero forcing number are two graph parameters that have been of recent research
interests and are closely related. Zero forcing at it’s most rudimentary, is a graph
colouring game. There is a significant preexisting body of work on zero forcing, which
includes relations between zero forcing and path cover numbers (denoted by Z(G)
and P(G), respectively), as well as a relation between zero forcing and a notion of
maximum nullity of a graph. One natural question along these lines that emerged was
to impose equality conditions between Z(G) and P(G), and assuming these equality
constraints hold for both G and all induced subgraphs of G, what class of graphs
might arise and what is special about said graphs? Thus, we study the class ZP in
which the zero forcing number and the path cover number are equal over all induced
subgraphs. As many graphs are known to belong to ZP, such a trees, cycles, and
cacti, these graphs are an excellent starting point for study. Hence, the cycle graph,
denoted by Cn, provide the primary point of study early on in the research process.
As Cn is a graph known to belong to ZP, we add interior chords to the cycle graph
in many different orientations and in many numbers, then examine the resulting
changes in both Z(G) and P(G). We then consider analyzing graphs that belong to
ZP by conditioning on possible values of the path cover number, namely assuming
P(G) = 2 and P(G) = 3. Finally, graph operations and their effect on graphs in ZP
are considered. Of particular importance are the vertex and edge-sum operations.
Ultimately, we are able to prove that the vertex or edge-sums of graphs in ZP do
indeed remain in the class ZP.Studentye
“The pandemic is over but it’s not over”: Health Teachers’ Perspectives Post-Pandemic Lockdown
No full textThis is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Curriculum Studies in Health and Physical Education on June 15, 2024, available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/25742981.2024.2362857.This research sought insights into ways in which health teachers understand their roles, particularly as relates to health curriculum and supporting students’ transition back to in-person learning following the post-pandemic lockdown. Interviews were conducted with urban and rural, elementary and secondary health teachers and analysed using constructivist grounded theory. Analysis revealed how teachers adapted their instructional strategies based on their observations of ways students needed both mental health supports and were tired of talking about mental health. In addressing issues related to the pandemic, teachers remained as neutral as possible, and resisted perpetuating polarizing public discourses without avoiding them. Participants also connected with social justice issues, employing gender-inclusive language, displaying supportive symbols of 2SLGBTQ+, and working with Indigenous Knowledge Keepers. Support of students’ transition back to in-person learning after the lockdown informed development of the grounded theory model: health education as œuvre d’art, nothing short of a work of art.This work was supported by the Centre for Educational Research, Collaboration & Development (CERCD), Faculty of Education, University of Regin
Detection and monitoring of ransomware attacks using machine learning and Deep Learning
No full textA Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Computer Science, University of Regina. xiv, 94 p.This thesis presents a comprehensive investigation into the threat of ransomware and
explores recent advancements in detection techniques. With the rise in the popularity
of ransomware, a unique ecosystem of cybercriminals has emerged, leveraging encryption
technology, anonymous cybersecurity, and easily accessible ransomware code. To
address this growing concern, this thesis emphasizes the need for a machine learning
(ML) and Deep Learning (DL) solution to detect ransomware attacks. Additionally,
the study introduces the utilization of Software Defined Networking (SDN) combined
with ML and DL for enhanced ransomware detection and mitigation.
In our pursuit of demonstrating ransomware detection capabilities, we introduce
an architectural design aimed at providing a highly efficient solution for proactively
countering ransomware attacks. Experimental results demonstrate the efficacy of the
developed mechanism in promptly detecting and preventing the spread of ransomware.
Moreover, considering the significant damage caused by ransomware attacks, the thesis
explores the training and testing of various ML and DL models for ransomware
detection. A novel and flexible ransomware detection model is proposed, achieving
good accuracy and F1-scores on different domains of the dataset.
The proposed method is applicable to any domain of network traffic analysis data.
In the context of the dynamic malware landscape, this thesis explores the detection
of ransomware attacks by monitoring network traffic between infected computers and
command and control servers. By extracting high-level flow features and utilizing a
random forest classifier, a flow-based detection method is developed to identify and
classify ransomware without deep packet inspection. The proposed solution demonstrates
a high detection rate and low false negative rate, proving its feasibility and
accuracy.
The proposed approach significantly improves detection accuracy, making it effective
for detecting both ransomware and specific types of malware. The method
achieves feature reduction and quick convergence means that our method is attributed
to its adept feature reduction capabilities, showcasing its efficiency and efficacy.Studentye
Ē-pī-wīcihtāsowin ahpō ē-pī-wīchisowin: non-indigenous learners in Indigenous language-learning spaces
No full textWhile the 2019 implementation of Bill C-91 An Act respecting Indigenous languages is still unfolding and the impact it will have remains to be seen (Bliss et al., 2020; Fontaine et al. & 2019), there is much to be hopeful about for the future of creating new speakers of Indigenous languages in the territory colonially known as Canada. For example, the most recent Canadian census indicates that the number of Indigenous language speakers who learned their language as a second language continues to rise. In 2021, 27.7% of Indigenous language speakers learned it as their second language; this share increased from 24.8% in 2016 (Statistics Canada, 2023). Yet, along with these developments, come some ethical considerations. Are Indigenous languages in Canada languages for everyone or are they languages that should be learned only by Indigenous peoples? And if we accept or encourage Indigenous language-learning by non-Indigenous Canadians, are there parameters that might need to be implemented? At first, these questions might seem strange to anyone who has ever learned another language or worked in language education. In many present-day societies, learning of other languages can be seen as a way to improve social cohesion (Lo Bianco, 2009). Indeed, Canada has heavily invested in English and French second language education programs as a way to improve tensions between English-speaking and French-speaking Canadians (Hayday, 2005). Yet, we begin this paper from the position that there are contextual differences and considerations between learning an Indigenous language as a member of an Indigenous nation or community and learning an Indigenous language as a non-Indigenous person
The efficacy of the coping with infertility self-help program on sexual and relationship satisfaction
No full textA Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Psychology, University of Regina. 76 p.Infertility affects one in six Canadian couples and is associated with elevated psychological, relational and sexual problems. Sexual problems may not only exacerbate infertility-related distress in couples but may also reduce intercourse frequency and pregnancy likelihood for those not using fertility treatments. The Coping With Infertility (CWI) Program was developed by the Reproductive Mental Health Research Unit to target the infertility-related distress of individuals assigned female at birth and is currently being tested in an ongoing randomized controlled trial. Because few studies focus on the sexuality of infertile couples, this study aimed to examine sexual and relationship satisfaction among CWI trial participants and their partners. Independent t-tests calculated the effects of intervention on self-report measures of distress and sexual and relationship satisfaction in AFAB participants. General linear models examined potential moderators of the treatment effects. Though baseline characteristics were identical among the two treatment groups, participants assigned to the treatment group (n = 15) reported significantly higher sexual and relationship satisfaction after the intervention than the control group (n = 19). Baseline scores, age, time spent trying to conceive, and use of fertility treatments did not significantly interact with these effects. Qualitative feedback highlighted benefits related to positive behavioural change, improved communication, and increased partner support. Though the number of participants is low, these preliminary results are promising and suggest that the CWI program improves the unique concerns of infertile couples
Saskatchewan Aboriginal Storytelling 2024
No full textSundance Robson is a band member of Peguis First Nation in Treaty 1 Territory. Sundance’s father attended Brandon Residential School and through experience with family has become very aware of the legacy of residential schools, both historically and intergenerationally. Sundance was raised in Regina and is co-founder, Sacred Sound Facilitator, and an Executive Coach at Sacred Compass Journey, located in North Central Regina. He has facilitated numerous sessions and conversations with Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples of all ages