14589 research outputs found
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The practical efficiency of regular expression membership algorithms
Get PDF1 online resource (71 pages) : graphs, chartsIncludes abstract.Includes bibliographical references (69-71).Regular expressions encode text patterns and define languages of symbolic words. The membership problem decides if a given word is an element of the language described by a given regular expression. This problem has various well-studied algorithms, but current research only shows asymptotic complexity and performance with respect to samples of randomly generated regular expressions. Our research aims to answer how the algorithms perform when using practical regular expressions used in the real-world on a representative test set of words. A set of compatible regular expressions have been collected from public GitHub repositories. Each compatible expression (i.e., no backreferences or improper formatting) is then converted into an equivalent unambiguous mathematical representation. For each distinct expression, we have tested Thompson, Glushkov, position, follow, and partial derivative NFA constructions, as well as partial derivatives and exponential backtracking directly on the regular expression tree. These algorithms have been implemented into a modified version of the Python’s FAdo library and include UNIX-inspired extensions such as character classes, the wild dot, and UTF-8 support. We find that efficiently constructing a small NFA is the best approach to this problem; using follow and PDDAG algorithms are experimentally shown as the best
Music, money, memory and cultural identity : an oral history of the Misty Moon Show Bar
Get PDF1 online resource (v, 149 pages, 11 unnumbered pages) : illustrations (some colour)Includes bibliographical references.Includes abstract and appendix.The Misty Moon Show Bar was an iconic nightclub in Halifax that was open 1969-1994 and lives on in infamy, tied to a cultural identity of Halifax as a violent city of many bars. Interviews were undertaken with 13 narrators who worked at, were patrons of, or were musicians who played at the club, in order to establish an oral history and dig into the validity of this association. A thematic analysis establishes the community was linked through music, monetary benefits and shared experience. The report exposes the connections and care at the core of the collective identity, while looking at the ways that the Misty Moon is still collectively commemorated
Provenance and geochronology of Lomonosov Ridge: A contribution to the geology and tectonic history of the Arctic Ocean from dredged rock samples
No full textThis thesis analyzes the OD2016-D2 dredge rock samples collected from a flank of Lomonosov Ridge, a major topographic feature in the Arctic Ocean. U-Pb- and Hf-isotopes were analyzed for 719 detrital zircon grains from ten sandstone samples using the Sensitive High-Resolution Ion Microprobe. The dredge rocks have similar detrital zircon U-Pb age distributions, a Neoproterozoic maximum depositional age, and Scandinavian provenance. Ten lithologies were defined from 176 samples and ten lithofacies from a selection of 96 samples to categorize the rocks and use as a basis for comparison. Two lithofacies associations are present: one indicates a tidal influenced delta setting with fluvial input and the other indicates a tidal flat setting. The lithologies have similar heavy mineral assemblages, whole-rock geochemistry, and have a largely granitic component to their provenance. Overall, the results suggest that there are two Neoproterozoic units unconformably overlain by a possible Lower Paleozoic unit
Dignity at work
Get PDF1 online resource (168 pages)Includes abstract and appendices.Includes bibliographical references (pages 117-130).Workplace dignity has been an emerging topic in psychology in the last decade and is theoretically tied to employee well-being (Khademi et al., 2012; Utriainen & Kyngäs, 2011).
However, dignity at work has been difficult to assess due to the lack of a clear definition and the
fact that no measure of workplace dignity is available (Lucas et al., 2013). The purpose of this
study was to develop and validate a measure of workplace dignity, demonstrate that it is a unique
construct, and examine its relationships to pre-established organizational constructs. Based on
the current definitions and theorized aspects of dignity at work, a more extensive definition of
workplace dignity was offered: Dignity at work involves both self-respect and respect from
others, a feeling of worth and value, and a sense of autonomy and control over one’s own
behaviour. Study 1 produced a 12-item, four-factor scale where each factor demonstrated
satisfactory internal consistency (control; work and value; respect from others; self-respect).
Study 2 found that the factor structure roughly held up in a sample of working students and that
it predicted employee engagement above and beyond other workplace constructs. Study 3 found
that psychological safety longitudinally predicted three of dignity’s dimensions over time (two
time lags). Study 4 found that the scale’s factor structure held up over time (three time lags) in a
retail sample. Each study examined antecedents (e.g., workload, leadership) and outcomes (e.g.,
stress) of workplace dignity. Implications for theory and practice are discussed
Bettering and balancing
Get PDF1 online resource (37 pages)Includes abstract.Includes bibliographical references (pages 34-37).Advancing the “push-pull debate” (Hughes, 2003), this research draws on Budig’s (2006)
disadvantaged worker and class-mobility hypotheses to identify the push and pull-factors that
inform mothers’ decisions to self-employ in Nova Scotia. A review of literature examining
maternal self-employment revealed three key limitations: (1) a frequent reliance on quantitative,
national survey data, (2) a focus on macro-level geographic context, and (3) a lack of
comparative analysis of two or more geographic contexts. To address these gaps, this research
employed a qualitative approach to examining the influence of meso-level geographic context.
The following questions were addressed: (1) What push and pull-factors do mothers identify in
their experiences with self-employment? (2) How does urban versus rural residence shape
mothers’ experiences of self-employment in Nova Scotia? Qualitative data was collected through
six semi-structured interviews with urban and rural self-employed mothers and analyzed using
thematic content analysis. While unique rural constraints and resources were discussed, the
primary push-and pull-factors into self-employment were identified by urban and rural
participants, alike. Participants more strongly emphasized pull-factors toward self-employment,
including the ability to reduce work-family conflict and increase control. Within self employment, identified constraints included a loss of income and increase in workload and
responsibilities, while resources included community support and social networks. Participants
suggested that mothers’ experiences in both wage-employment and self-employment could be
improved through the expansion of government programs and increased advocacy for scheduling
flexibility and work-family balance in the workplace. Findings reveal that mothers navigate and
weigh multiple push and pull-factors when deciding to self-employ, indicating that further
qualitative research is needed to fully capture mothers’ unique experiences
A safer workplace
Get PDF1 online resource (72 pages) : charts, graphsIncludes abstract and appendix.Includes bibliographical references (pages 51-63).A longitudinal study with three waves of data collection (N = 304) was conducted to examine the relationship between S.A.F.E.R leadership (Wong et al. 2015) and employee health and safety outcomes. Safety climate was tested as a mediator for the relationship between S.A.F.E.R leadership and the following outcomes: occupational injuries, occupational incidents, anxiety around safety, safety participation, and safety compliance. A series of cross-lagged structural equation models revealed that S.A.F.E.R leadership predicted safety climate, anxiety around safety, and safety compliance. Safety climate was also predicted by anxiety around safety, occupational injuries, occupational incidents, and safety participation. Finally, safety climate was found to mediate the relationship between S.A.F.E.R leadership and safety participation
Synthesis of novel first-row transition metal-N-heterocyclic carbene complexes and synthesis of N-heterocyclic carbene-functionalized linkers for metal organic frameworks
Get PDF1 online resource (xv, 165 pages) : illustrations (some colour), charts, graphsIncludes abstract and appendices.Includes bibliographical references (pages 85-101).Although N-heterocyclic carbene ligands are highly versatile and powerful ligands in transition
metal catalysis, complexes of N-heterocyclic carbenes with 3d metals are uncommon and
frequently unstable. In order to explore the reactivity of some 3d metal-N-heterocyclic carbene
complexes, two tridentate NCN pincer ligands were prepared: 1,3-bis(2-
pyridylmethyl)imidazolium chloride and 1,3-bis(2-pyridylmethyl)benzimidazolium chloride.
These ligands were coordinated to copper(II) and nickel(II) salts in air to yield a variety of 3d metal-N-heterocyclic carbene complexes. The counterion to the metal cation appears to have a significant influence on the coordination mode of the ligands and geometry around the metal centres. Synthesis of the novel metal complexes, as well as possible applications, are described
herein.
Carbon dioxide is the primary contributor to climate change. As such, materials that can capture
and fix carbon dioxide are important tools to limit climate change. One highly effective class of
material for gas adsorption is metal-organic frameworks. In an effort to prepare a metal-organic
framework with superior carbon dioxide capture and fixation capabilities, a series of linkers with
N-heterocyclic carbene moieties were designed, of which two were successfully prepared. Thus far, efforts to prepare a metal-organic framework based on either of the two linkers have been
unsuccessful
Conservation genetics of the St. Lawrence beluga whale (Delphinapterus leucas)
Get PDF1 online resource (33 pages) : charts, graphsIncludes abstract.Includes bibliographical references (pages 31-33).Beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas) migrated to the St. Lawrence Estuary near the
end of the Holocene glacial retreat, when dry land emerged. The population currently inhabiting
the St. Lawrence shows strong site fidelity, which is generally common with belugas. Decades
after a ban on the hunting of the beluga whale in 1979, the lack of recovery noticed in the St.
Lawrence Estuary (SLE) population has puzzled researchers who study beluga whales. The St.
Lawrence Estuary has been known for its industrialization, as well as its large amounts of vessel
traffic, contributing to entanglements, as well as pollution to the river and its inhabitants. The
current population of belugas inhabiting the SLE are ~1000 or less, and are declining, which is
concerning because the species as a whole are endangered. This research project focuses on
assessing the threat of inbreeding and low genetic diversity on the small, isolated population of
the SLE beluga. To estimate the degree of inbreeding, as well as the loss of genetic diversity
within the SLE beluga, Arctic samples from Nunavik were genotyped using multiplex PCR and
capillary electrophoresis for the creation of microsatellite profiles for each individual. The
microsatellite profiles of the Nunavik individuals were then compared to with those from the
SLE beluga that had previously been genotyped. The effective population size (Ne) was also
estimated for the SLE population
“Build-a-betch” : an analysis and critique of popular feminism on Instagram
Get PDF1 online resource (96 pages) : colour illustrationsIncludes abstract and appendices.Includes bibliographical references (pages 92-96).Feminism can be found emblazoned on mugs, t-shirts, dishcloths and other knick knacks
in just about any store you go into but what does it mean to wear a shirt that says feminist” without action to back up this identity? My thesis explores this popularized version of feminism and what it looks like online. Looking at the Instagram page for media conglomerate Betches, critical feminist discourse and visual analysis was used to uncover what feminist perspectives were being espoused and which gained traction online. The feminism I found centered and reproduced heteronormative and neoliberal paradigms of women and feminism
From seamster to shopkeeper : examining occupational mobility in Shelburne, Nova Scotia, 1783-1795
Get PDF1 online resource (78 pages) : colour illustrations, graphs, chartsIncludes abstract.Includes bibliographical references (pages 74-78).This thesis examines the occupational structure in Shelburne, Nova Scotia, from its settlement in
1783 until 1795. In 1783, following the conclusion of the American Revolution, upwards of 10,000
Loyalist from the United States came to the nascent town of Shelburne. In less than a decade, the
majority of those individuals had departed, and the population plummeted. Through the statistical
evaluation of the early settlers’ occupational data, patterns of growing and shrinking markets in
response to historic events will be shown. Shortly after settlement, the new residents in Shelburne
established large manufacturing and market/service sectors but failed to initiate a strong
agricultural foundation. It wasn’t until the termination of Crown provided food supply that the
settlers implemented a flourishing agricultural sector. This research proves that the occupational
structure of the town shifted to accommodate circumstance and demand amidst a recovering
wartime economy. Secondly, this thesis undertook longitudinal studies of the individuals who
comprised those sectors to demonstrated that those who were able to adapt their occupations to
suit the needs of the town succeeded in long-term settlement, whereas those who were steadfast in
their trades were left no choice but to seek prospects elsewhere. These findings are significant in
understanding the importance of flexibility in the face of economic hardship, particularly in the
context of an eighteenth-century maritime environment