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Feature Story: Earth Day '22: U of R wins Paragon Award for Environmental Excellence
No full textThis Earth Day, the U of R is proudly celebrating its recent recognition at the 2022 Regina & District Chamber of Commerce Paragon Awards, which honour the best of the local business community.
Members of the University community, including members of the President's Advisory Committee on Sustainability (PACS), were on hand to accept the Environmental Excellence award presented by the City of Regina.Staffn
Confronting and Reimagining the Orientation of International Graduate Students: A Collaborative Autoethnography Approach
No full textThis paper uses lived experiences to critically examine the orientation of international graduate students at research-intensive Canadian universities. We, five co-authors, embody diverse ethnic, racial, sexual, religious, national, and gender identities, yet are all (or have been) international graduate students in Canada. Through collaborative autoethnography, we destabilize the notion of “orientation.” We argue that international student orientation should be understood as a fluid, ongoing process rather than one with rigid boundaries and timelines. Furthermore, orientation programming should more deeply consider the intersecting identities and positionalities of international students as multifaced individuals, as well as the implicit expectations of one-way “integration” into settler-colonial Canadian society. We suggest a different approach to orientation and offer a conceptual framework to guide future practice, highlighting the role universities play in not only supporting students academically but also in (im)migrant settlement.Facultyye
The purpose of empire: Popular perceptions of imperialism during and after the Crimean War
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 Arts in History, University of Regina. v, 64 p.The following thesis is an exploration of early Victorian Britain and its relationship to the Crimean War of 1854. Beginning with the social and economic malaise of the 1840s, including a succession of military losses or costly colonial campaigns across the Imperial frontier in Afghanistan or Northern India, British society became increasingly concerned with its image as a military superpower amongst other European nations. This anxiety doubled after the birth of the Second French Empire following the 1849 Revolution, and the continued expansion of Russian territory and influence across central Asia under the reign of Tsar Nicholas I. Following a minor dispute over religious jurisdiction in the Holy Land and territories of the Ottoman Empire between the French-backed Roman Catholic and Russian Orthodox Churches, in 1852 Britain pledged its full support of the French government against the authority of Imperial Russia in the Levant. After a year of heated diplomatic exchanges, Russian forces invaded Ottoman territory in late 1853, and the following year France and Britain jointly declared war on the Russian Empire.
The initial stages of the Crimean War were a succession of disasters for the British Army, whose antiquated officer corps and inadequate logistics were on full display for both the public and the wider world to see. While the British public initially welcomed the outbreak of war against the Russian Empire, the cost of war and the conduct of the British command staff under Lord Raglan soured public opinion towards the conflict and served as the birth of three major socio-cultural trends in modern British history. They are as follows: the glorification of the common British soldier, the de-glorification of British military leadership, and a comprehensive wave of informal military and foreign policy reform later implemented in the 1870s which allowed for the general success of British colonialism in the latter 19th century.
This thesis also explores the Crimean War as social phenomena through examining the dialogue between public perceptions of the war and the realities of the British frontlines, using primary sources such as contemporary newspaper articles as well as journals and letters belonging to British military staff, civilian observers, or war correspondents. This dialogue, made possible by improvements in transportation and communication technologies such as the telegraph and the introduction of wartime photography, was central to the change of cultural attitudes towards the British military. As well, the central role played by tropical diseases, mainly cholera, in the war’s considerable death toll also brought about changes in British medical science and the social status of women in British culture. Thus, while the Crimean War resulted in few practical gains for the British Empire, it proved to be the disaster which allowed for the expansion of British territory across the globe and military successes from the plains of Punjab, to the Canadian Prairies and the jungles of New Zealand.Studentye
Feature Story: Tips for landing the perfect student job
No full textJob hunting can be a stressful process at times, so we sat down with Student Employment Services to get some tips that will make it easy for students like you to land the right job.Staffn
Feature Story: Statement on tragic events in Saskatchewan
No full textIt is with a deeply heavy heart that I write this statement in response to the tragic events that took place this past weekend in the communities of James Smith Cree First Nation and the nearby village of Weldon, both located in Treaty 6 Territory, kîwītinohk kisiskâciwan (in north Saskatchewan).
As a result of the devastating events, we now know that 11 people are deceased and 18 more are confirmed injured. This is the first event of this type within our Indigenous communities and the shock felt is tremendous. As this situation continues to unfold in live time, and our province, and country, await resolution, we feel stunned. It may still be a long time before we are able to process why and how this happened.Staffn
Fabrication of microcapsules embedding phase change materials (PCMS) via needle-based microfluidic system: An innovative approach to produce microparticles applicable in enhanced oil recovery
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. xx, 250 p.Chemical flooding including polymer flooding has been proved to benefit the oil recovery by decrease the mobility ratio of the flooding mechanism. However, their performance is hardly comparable to the thermal methods. This study is intended to propose and synthesize a polymeric micro-size particles carrying inside a latent heat thermal energy storage (LHTES) material. The applied phase change material (PCM) supplies the thermal energy of the polymer microcapsules. This study stepped into synthesizing such novel materials in EOR.
Microfluid systems were utilized in encapsuling a PCM substance in a polymer matrix. Two diverse systems of PMMA microsystem and needle-based microfluidics were tried in order to find the most effective one in feasibility of production and reusability point of view. The needle-based microsystem has conveniently accomplished formation of highly monodispersed microdroplets comparing to PMMA systems that could not the fulfilled the set goals. Two needle-based microsystems were resulted in formation of two groups (group 1 and 2) of microparticle with the average dimeter of 893 and 492 μm. A descending trend was traced in particle size with increasing the PCM flow rate for both groups. Various characterization tests were conducted on microcapsules to investigate their chemical, structural, morphological, and thermal features. It was seen that silicone microparticles were taking advantage of a noticeable thermal expansion while, no chemical reaction was detected between microcapsules components. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) results showed that microcapsules possessed a robust and smooth surface with the least deficiency and no interconnected pores inside the particle shell. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis displayed that the encapsulation of N-Octadecane widened the phase transition temperature comparing to the pure N-Octadecane. The maximum enthalpy measured 15.5 and 18.6 J/g for highly thermal resistant samples of group 1 and 2, respectively. The performance of microencapsulation on two new PCMs, n-Eicosane and Docosane was studied. Furthermore, silica nanoparticle was mixed to the shell material to comprehend their impact on microcapsules features. Microscopic and FTIR characterization tests respectively showed that microparticles had a good monodispersity with the existence of characteristic peaks of n-Eicosane and Docosane in the microcapsules’ IR spectrum. The major peaks of silica nanoparticle overlapped with silicone polymer. DSC analysis on these PCMs microcapsules showed the shift of transition temperatures to lower temperatures comparing to the corresponding pure PCM due to the dispersion of PCM inside the polymer structure while the presence of silica nanoparticle intensified this reduction. The thermal study of microcapsules with high thermal stability illustrated that EC-2 and DC-Si possessed the highest enthalpy of 64.7 and 40.8 J/g among fabricated PCMs microcapsules and microcapsules with nanoparticle, respectively.
Ultimately, N-Octadecane microcapsules (OD-1) was implemented for enhancing oil recovery in a flooding process inside a glass micromodel. The experiments of pure waterflooding and microcapsules flooding were carried out at four different temperatures 17, 25, 27, 30˚C to evaluate their performance with flooding process. The results depicted that microcapsules flooding had the remarkable performance relative to pure waterflooding at all operating temperatures by providing their stored energy and stabilizing the temperature in the range of peak-offset transition temperature of OD-1 (18.2-21.4˚C) microcapsules. Microcapsules flooding at 25 ˚C presented better oil recovery performance all through the test with 21.5% and 25.8% recovery at the middle and end of the process, respectively. Whereas, microcapsules flooding at 27 ˚C recorded the best final oil recovery of 28.1%.Studentye
Caring for breastfeeding mothers in disaster relief camps: A call to innovation in nursing curriculum
No full textDuring natural disasters, people are forced to flee their homes and resettle in temporary disaster relief camps (such as
huts, tents, and transitional shelters) that are often located on barren ground, far from cities. Disaster relief camps are
one of the most vulnerable settings where women are at risk of discontinuing their breastfeeding practices. A critical
ethnographic study undertaken with the internally displaced mothers residing in disaster relief camps in Pakistan re-
vealed that the availability of formal support from healthcare professionals is one of the key determinants that shape
the breastfeeding experiences of the displaced mothers. Hence suggested the need for innovative strategies in the nurs-
ing curriculum to build the capacity of nurses to provide culturally sensitive care to breastfeeding mothers affected by
disaster and displacement. Considering these findings, it is recommended that nursing educational settings must in-
clude courses on “caring for the vulnerable population during a disaster” at the baccalaureate, graduate, and post-
graduate levels. The inclusion of these courses will foster nurses to understand the needs of the displaced community,
identify the importance of making a difference through collaborative work, and take part in designing innovative
interventions (surrounding health, housing, economic upliftment, and well-being) for the displaced communities.
Moreover, onsite clinical experience in disaster relief camps is recommended. This will enhance nurses' competence,
hands-on skills, knowledge, and cultural sensitivity while providing care to displaced mothers with a variety of clinical
presentations and breastfeeding concerns. Continuing education sessions and seminars must be organized for nurses to
update their knowledge about breastfeeding and facilitate evidence-based practice in the setting of disaster relief
camps.This work was supported by the International Development Research
Centre [grant number 108544-007]; the Sigma Theta Tau International
[grant number 13566]
Exposures to Potentially Psychologically Traumatic Events among Canadian Coast Guard and Conservation and Protection Officers
No full textCanadian Public Safety Personnel (PSP) (i.e., municipal/provincial police, firefighters, paramedics, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, correctional workers, dispatchers) report frequent and varied exposures to potentially psychologically traumatic events (PPTEs). Exposure to PPTEs may be one explanation for the symptoms of mental health disorders prevalent among PSP. The objective of the current study was to provide estimates of lifetime PPTE exposures among Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) and Conservation and Protection (C&P) Officers and to assess for associations between PPTEs, mental health disorders, and sociodemographic variables. Participants (n = 412; 55.3% male, 37.4% female) completed an online survey assessing self-reported PPTE exposures and self-reported symptoms of mental health disorders. Participants reported higher frequencies of lifetime exposures to PPTEs than the general population (all ps < 0.001) but lower frequencies than other Canadian PSP (p < 0.5). Several PPTE types were associated with increased odds of positive screens for posttraumatic stress disorder, major depressive disorder, general anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, panic disorder, and alcohol use disorder (all ps < 0.05). Experiencing a serious transportation accident (77.4%), a serious accident at work, home, or during recreational activity (69.7%), and physical assault (69.4%) were among the PPTEs most frequently reported by participants. The current results provide the first known information describing PPTE exposures of CCG and C&P members, supporting the growing evidence that PPTEs are more frequent and varied among PSP and can be associated with diverse mental health disorders.This research was funded by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada.Facultyye
Integrating Geographic Information System network analysis and nighttime light satellite imagery to optimize landfill regionalization on a regional level
No full textMore than half of financial resources allocated for municipal solid waste management are typically spent on waste collection and transportation. An optimized landfill siting and waste collection system can save fuel costs, reduce collection truck emissions, and provide higher accessibility with lower traffic impacts. In this study, a data-driven analytical framework is developed to optimize population coverage by landfills using network analysis and satellite imagery. Two scenarios, SC1 and SC2, with different truck travel times were used to simulate generation- to disposal-site distances in three Canadian provinces. Under status quo conditions, Landfill Regionalization Index (LFRI) ranging from 0 to 2 population centers per landfill in all three jurisdictions. LFRI consistently improved after optimization, with average LFRI ranging from 1.3 to 2.0 population centers per landfill. Lower average truck travel times and better coverage of the population centers are generally observed in the optimized systems. The proposed analytical method is found effective in improving landfill regionalization. Under SC1 and SC2, LFRI percentages of improvement ranging from 58.3% to 64.5% and 22.7% to 59.4%, respectively. Separation distance between the generation and disposal sites and truck capacity appear not a decisive factor in the optimization process. The proposed optimization framework is generally applicable to regions with different geographical and demographical attributes, and is particularly applicable in rural regions with sparsely located population centers.The research reported in this paper was supported by a grant from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (RGPIN-2019-06154) to the corresponding author, using computing equipment funded by FEROF at the University of Regina.This version of the article has been accepted for publication, after peer review (when applicable) and is subject to Springer Nature’s AM terms of use, but is not the Version of Record and does not reflect post-acceptance improvements, or any corrections. The Version of Record is available online at: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-022-21462-w
Feature Story: The Conversation: For some, ignorance is bliss; for others, ignorance is something else
No full textIs ignorance truly bliss? Or is it destructive? What role does it play in our daily lives? What harms can it cause, or leave behind?
These are just some of the questions my colleagues and I are studying in our ongoing research of agnosis.Staffn