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DESIGN FOR A SUSTAINABLE E-COMMERCE SYSTEM -- INCORPORATING HUMAN FACTORS INTO DISTRIBUTION OF MEDICAL MATERIALS AND FAST-MOVING CUSTOMER GOODS IN INVENTORY CONTROL
Get PDFThe rise of e-commerce has revolutionized the way we shop with significant benefits in terms of convenience and accessibility. However, the most crucial operational management responsibilities required in an ecommerce supply chain business focusing on the distribution of medical materials and fast-moving consumer goods, are procurement, inventory control, order processing, logistics and last mile distribution. A typical ecommerce business faces problems like careless data entry from employees, returns and customer complaints, customer acquisition and retention, high labor cost and high operational cost. These lead to an increase in late delivery of orders to customer and often resulted to customer orders returned, loss of sales, customers dissatisfaction, and low profit. This thesis investigated an ecommerce business that distributed fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) and medical materials (MM) to their online customers. This research discusses the impact of HF such as job skill, job satisfaction, job rotation, and job fatigue, on workers' job performance in an ecommerce operation system that focuses on distribution of MM and fast-moving consumer goods. First, surveys were created with the intention of identifying the HF mentioned and quantifying their influence on the system work performance. The data were examined for validity, reliability, and correlation using statistical analysis techniques. The study hypotheses were as follows: (1) There is no significant impact of (HF), including job skills, job satisfaction, job rotation, and job fatigue, on job performance within the modern B2B e-commerce model of companies ABC and XYZ. (2) There is no significant impact of (HF) on the levels of job satisfaction, job fatigue, and job rotation among warehouse workers within the modern B2B e-commerce model of companies ABC and XYZ. (3) The combined influence of job skills, job satisfaction, job rotation, and job fatigue does not significantly impact the determination of job performance among workers in the B2B e-commerce of companies ABC and XYZ. To test these hypotheses, an experiment was created and carried out. The findings demonstrated an inconsequential significance between job skills, job satisfaction, job rotation, and job fatigue on job performance of the warehouse system. When making decisions in a real-world industrial context, these findings are anticipated to improve an ecommerce operation. The significant contributions of this thesis are summarized. First, this thesis work has increased the present understanding of HF and their significance in e-commerce operation, specifically in relation to the distribution of FMCG and MM, which will help the management of any ecommerce business make decisions in the fields of operations and supply chain management. Second, in starting an ecommerce business, this work has also shown that HF should be considered while investing in e-commerce business in terms of organizational goals and profit making
High-Resolution Large-Eddy Simulations of Flow in the Complex Terrain of the Canadian Rockies
Get PDFCanada First Research Excellence Fund's Global Water Futures Programme, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, Alberta Innovates, the Canada Foundation for Innovation, and the NSERC CREATE program in Water SecurityPeer ReviewedImproving the calculation of land-atmosphere fluxes of heat and water vapor in mountain terrain requires better resolution of thermally driven diurnal winds (i.e., valley, slope winds) due to differential heating by terrain and radiative fluxes. In this study, the Weather Research and Forecasting model is used to simulate flow in large-eddy simulation (LES) mode over the complex terrain of the Fortress Mountain and Marmot Creek research basins, Kananaskis Valley, Canadian Rockies, Alberta in mid-summer. The model was used to examine the temporal and spatial evolution of local winds and near-surface boundary layer processes with variability in topography and elevation. Numerically resolving complex terrain wind flow effects require smaller grid cell size. However, the use of terrain-following coordinates in most numerical weather prediction models results in large numerical errors when flow over steep terrain is simulated. These errors propagate through the domain and can result in numerical instability. To avoid this issue when simulating flow over steep terrain a local smoothing approach was used, where smoothing is applied only where slope exceeds some predetermined threshold. LES results from local smoothing were compared with a mesoscale model and LES with global smoothing. Simulations are evaluated using sounding data and meteorological stations. The differences in flow patterns and reversals in two mountain basins suggest that valley geometry and volume is relevant to the break up of inversion layers, removal of cold-air pools, and strength of thermally driven winds
Participant Consent Form: Interobserver Variation in Radiation Oncologist-Generated Treatment Plans
Get PDFStochastic Simulation of Hourly Rainfall, Total Cloud Cover, and Solar Radiation in Canadian Stations
Get PDFThe impact of climate change and global warming on human lives worldwide is profound. Among the consequences, heat waves stand out as particularly severe in urban areas. These events not only directly impact human well-being but also significantly influence energy consumption patterns in cities. As a result, scientists have directed their attention towards comprehensively studying the effects of heat waves on urban buildings and evaluating their vulnerability to the impacts of climate change. Nevertheless, conducting such studies necessitates reliable and uninterrupted access to a dataset encompassing various hydroclimatic processes at an hourly or sub-hourly resolution, spanning an extended period. Due to limitations in data availability, many researchers resort to employing diverse modeling approaches as a viable solution.
While numerical and physically based models are computationally intensive and can introduce biases in their outcomes, the utilization of stochastic models presents a distinct alternative for generating synthetic long time series that exhibit similar characteristics to observed data. In this research, we have introduced three distinct univariate stochastic models specifically designed for simulating the hourly variations of cloud cover, solar radiation, and rainfall at various Canadian stations. The calibration of these models was carried out individually for 279 rainfall stations, 132 total cloud cover stations, and 564 solar radiation stations, which are geographically dispersed throughout Canada. In certain stations, we incorporated temperature data during winter to complement the missing data in the rainfall model. To address the modelling of total cloud cover, which is constrained between zero and one, we introduced a novel methodology that utilizes a mixed-type distribution encompassing two probability masses at zero and one. Furthermore, for modelling solar radiation, which exhibits nonstationary behaviour due to diurnal and yearly seasonal variations, we proposed a novel approach that allows employing Autoregressive (AR) models. The methods are based on the CoSMoS model that reproduces marginal distributions and correlations. All modifications are implemented in the R programming language by developing new code and modifying and extending code found in the CoSMoS package. The methods and the codes provided allow the user to simulate as many and as long time series for any of the three processes
Financially Optimal Culling Strategies for Western Canadian Cow-Calf Producers
No full textCanadian cow-calf producers often experience slim margins and focus on reducing costs
to maximize their economic profit. This study aims to identify financially optimal breeding female
culling strategies using production and financial data from 16 ‘typical farms’ in the Canadian Cow-Calf Cost of Production Network (COP Network). Managing the breeding herd inventory
composition through culling and replacement decisions impacts the future cashflows and the value
of the herd. Average values from 16 ‘typical farms’ in the COP Network were used to generate
four farms with combinations of high and low costs and productivity. Four culling scenarios were
looked at in this thesis; the base scenario does not account for wean weight differences based on
dam age. Scenarios 1 through 3 vary wean weight based on dam age using the Beef Improvement
Federation (2002) factors and price slide adjustments. Replacements come from home-raised
heifer calves (Scenario 1 and 3) or purchased bred heifers (Scenario 2). Using these culling and
replacement scenarios a net present value (NPV) model is converted to an equivalent annual
annuity (EAA). The enterprise profitability analysis assesses the cash flow and returns on assets
(ROA) for the cow-calf and home-raise heifer enterprises and whole farm business in three
scenarios (1 through 3). This analysis considers the depreciation of breeding females over their
productive life, assessing the cash flow and ROA impact of different culling decision rules. When
evaluating the ROA, depreciation is considered when calculating the accrual net income.
Depreciation is a significant cost when looking at accrual-based income, which is the proper way
to measure financial performance when considering investment alternatives. By reducing breeding
stock depreciation through lowering heifer development costs, farms can positively impact the net
income of the enterprise. The EAA model shows greater EAA valuation for home-raised bred
heifers over open females. The enterprise ROA model found the home-raised heifer enterprise to
be profitable for the majority of farms. The whole farm business was the most profitable for these
same farms, suggesting home-raised bred heifers are more profitable than purchasing bred heifers
priced at the Alberta 5-year average price of $1978/hd (CanFax, unpublished data). These models
provide a financial perspective on the optimal culling decision based on a farm's costs and
productivity, as well as the source of replacements (home-raised or purchased)
Dynamic Impact Response of Additively Manufactured M350 Maraging Steel: Effects of Processing Parameter, Build Direction and Heat Treatment
No full textThe abstract of this item is unavailable due to an embargo
BUILDING BRIDGES FOR PAIN COMMUNICATION AND MANAGEMENT: COMMUNITY-LED INSIGHTS FROM CREE AND DENE/MÉTIS COMMUNITIES IN NORTHERN SASKATCHEWAN
No full textBackground Indigenous Peoples in Canada experience a higher prevalence of chronic musculoskeletal (MSK) pain compared to non-Indigenous populations. However, effective communication and management of pain within Indigenous communities remain largely unexplored. This study aimed to collaborate with the Cree community of Pelican Narrows and the Dene/Métis community of La Loche, both located in northern Saskatchewan, to identify elements that would better promote culturally appropriate ways of pain communication and pain management.
Methods This thesis encompasses two studies. The first study focuses on the collaborative development of the Community Directed Pain Scale in partnership with a Cree Elder and a Knowledge Keeper in Pelican Narrows. The pain assessment tool was piloted and followed by semi-structured interviews to assess the scale's concurrent validity and gather recommendations for improving pain communication. The second study involves a comprehensive needs assessment conducted in partnership with the community of La Loche to identify the strengths and needs of the community in terms of pain communication and pain management.
Results: The Community Directed Pain Scale yielded comparable outcomes as the Faces Pain Scale-Revised, a well-established pain assessment tool. The needs assessments in La Loche revealed the impact the patient-provider relationship has on the effectiveness of pain communication. Recommendations were made from the members of both communities on ways to enhance rapport and improve pain communication.
Conclusions This research emphasized the significance of creating a safe environment for Indigenous community members to share their chronic MSK pain journeys. Through open and respectful conversations with community members in Pelican Narrows and La Loche, foundational elements such as patient-centered care, the provision of culturally responsive approaches, and the patient-provider relationship were identified as key to effective pain communication and management
Examining the effect of non-essential amino acid nitrogen content on lysine requirement for nitrogen retention and growth performance in growing pigs
Get PDFLow protein (LP) diets with crystalline amino acid (CAA) supplementation have improved nitrogen (N) utilization while maintaining performance in growing pigs. Although LP diets are beneficial, non-essential amino acids (NEAA) or N may become limiting in LP diets, affecting N utilization for N retention (NR). Consequently, the essential amino acid-nitrogen to total nitrogen ratio (EAA-N:TN) may be useful in determining the appropriate amount of EAA and NEAA, or N, that should be provided in LP diets. Therefore, this thesis evaluated the effects of providing a low (LR) or high (HR) EAA-N:TN ratio on lysine (Lys) requirement for NR and growth performance in pigs. An N balance study estimated 1.21% standardized ileal digestible (SID) Lys requirement to maximize NR in pigs fed the HR diets. No breakpoint was achieved for pigs fed the LR diets. Therefore, NEAA or N become limiting in HR diets, whereas Lys is limiting in LR diets. A follow-up growth performance study was conducted using the same LR and HR ratios in the diets, with Lys included at 100% NRC requirements, and at the breakpoint value from the N-balance study, formulated for 20-50 kg pigs. Average daily gain (ADG), average daily feed intake (ADFI), gain:feed (G:F), and N output were measured in the growth performance study. Increasing Lys resulted in increased overall ADG and ADFI, but there was no effect of ratio or interactive effect of ratio and Lys. However, pigs fed the HR diets had improved ADG in week 4, whereas pigs fed LR diets had improved ADG and G:F in week 1. In addition, pigs fed the HR diets with 1.22% SID Lys had lower N output compared to pigs fed the other diets. It was concluded that insufficient dietary N may be more of a concern during periods of general nutrient insufficiency, and that diets deficient in dietary N may require more Lys than what is currently recommended. Overall, an increase in Lys may be required to maximize NR and growth, and that NEAA and N become limiting in HR diets. By incorporating the EAA-N:TN ratio in current diet formulations, along with appropriate dietary inclusion of EAA may result in decreased dietary costs for producers and decreased N excretion into the environment, while improving NR and N utilization in growing pigs
“Open science? Activism!” Working together to share modelling resources
Get PDFCanada First Research Excellence FundNon-Peer ReviewedA young hydrological modeler becomes an advocate for open science
Public Perceptions of Privacy and Privacy Protections in Metadata Collection, a Canada-Wide Public Opinion Survey: An Examination of Privacy Violations Through The Gendered Digital Gaze
Get PDFWould you trade your personal data collection – including constant GPS tracking – for a free coffee and doughnut? Tim Horton’s gathers a significant amount of customer’s metadata—including location data, hundreds of times per day through their app. Many other smartphone apps collect personal information every time the user uses the app—and often times when the app is not in use. This is problematic because this kind of data collection can significantly influence and impact life chances and opportunities—which is often done without our knowledge or meaningful consent. The Canadian government does not regulate the collection of metadata as the private sector argues that metadata is not an invasion of privacy, since it does not reveal the actual content of our communications. Academic research, however, indicates that metadata is invasive and does reveal accurate and sensitive information about the individual.
This thesis uses a Canada-wide survey on privacy and metadata collection in order to identify if context is important for understanding how different community members experience surveillance and the need for privacy. Specifically, it works to address two key problems within the literature—first, public opinion surveys that ask generalized questions about data collection and privacy yield inconsistent and even conflicting results; and second, that very little empirical data exists that can be used to test how demographic factors impact public opinion regarding this kind of data collection and privacy concerns. This research uses empirical data, collected from a quantitative, demographically representative, Canada-wide survey, in order to address these gaps in the literature. The study conducts two tests to answer the research questions. The first test involves examining demographic differences against a generalized understanding of privacy and data collection by answering the question: can grouping together context-specific questions demonstrate demographic differences in personal data collection, as well as desire for legal privacy protections regarding metadata collection and surveillance practices? The second test answers the research question: do the assertions made by Hille Koskela in the surveillance studies literature regarding subjective differences of gendered experience match the overall Canadian experience? By focusing on the demographic of gender, in particular, investigating context-specific questions and gender-based subjective experiences of metadata collection, also enables the testing of Koskela’s theoretical assertions regarding gendered surveillance.
The first test reveals that context-specific questions are essential in public opinion surveys, as you cannot ask generalized questions about privacy and still see how demographically different populations experience data collection and privacy differently. Test two argues that while surveillance is found to be a subjective experience based on gender (e.g., women being significantly more concerned about metadata collection and surveillance practices, and desire legal protections when compared to their male counterparts, in some cases), the results do also challenge Koskela’s assertions by indicating that there are some contexts where this kind of surveillance is not a subjective experience—where, despite demographic characteristics (such as gender), all Canadians who answered the survey desire privacy legal protections against particular types of surveillance practices.
Ultimately, this project highlights the necessity for privacy policy change to align with the preferences and needs of Canadians regarding personal data collection. It also emphasizes the importance of addressing demographic disparity and ensuring that the voices of marginalized communities contribute a significant role in shaping new developments of privacy policy in Canada. These findings make contributions to the fields of Sociology and Surveillance Studies by using empirical data to first test generalized public opinion questions, and second, to test Koskela’s assertions concerning the subjective experience of surveillance based on gender; therefore, this research will advance knowledge in the area of gendered surveillance by providing empirical evidence concerning the differential experiences of surveillance between men and women. This will be helpful in the development of new privacy legislation in Canada. This research will also underline the need to involve voice and meaningful consultation with different groups of Canadians—across all demographic differences—when updating privacy legislation