14589 research outputs found
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Extracting profit, exporting harm : Canadian mining and the capitalist state in Ecuador
Full text link1 online resource (49 pages)Includes abstract.Includes bibliographical references (pages 37-49).This paper offers a reappraisal of the role of the Canadian state in the contentious practices of Canadian mining operations abroad. In seeking to account for these operations, most nongovernmental institutions and industry representatives have focused on the direct actions of Canadian mining companies and their well-documented socio-environmental transgressions. The result has been a dominant consensus that attributes the socio-environmental harm caused by Canadian mining operations abroad predominantly to corporate actors, overlooking the active role of the Canadian state. As an alternative to this consensus, this paper argues that while Canadian mining companies overtly engage in exploitative practices abroad, the Canadian state plays a central and active role in facilitating these activities and, more specifically, functions as an executive committee for the mining industry, actively creating, managing, and legitimizing the conditions for its destructive operations abroad. Drawing specifically on the case of Ecuador and Marxist theories of the state, it argues that the Canadian state, in its role as an executive committee, is a driving force in these extractive operations—typically portrayed as primarily corporate-driven—and proposes greater attention to be paid to the geopolitical actions of the Canadian state, and its structural role as an executive committee in advancing the expansion of Canadian mining operations abroad
A plant-centered assessment of the efficacy of zero valent iron-based treatments at reducing toxicity and bioavailability of contaminants in wetlands impacted by historical gold mine tailings
Full text link1 online resource (143 pages) : colour illustrations, colour maps, colour charts, graphsIncludes abstracts.Includes bibliographical references (pages 22-29, 71-81, 134-140).Historical gold mining practices in Nova Scotia left wetlands contaminated with arsenic (As)
and mercury (Hg). These contaminants pose environmental risks to wetlands, including
impacts on plants, potentially reducing their survival and impairing growth and health. This
study evaluated the efficacy of a remediation strategy, Thin Reactive Amendment and
Protective capping (TRaP), in lowering toxicity and bioavailability of As and Hg to plants in
impacted wetlands. Laboratory and field mesocosm tests were conducted to assess TRaP’s
ability to reduce contaminant impacts while supporting survival, growth, and health of the
contaminant sensitive native plant Pontederia cordata. TRaP’s safety was also evaluated on
existing tolerant species (Juncus balticus and Equisetum fluviatile). Results showed that TRaP significantly enhanced plant survival, growth, health, and reduced metal(loid) bioavailability to plants likely due to As and Hg sorption on TRaP, physical containment limiting translocation, and improved habitat. These findings confirm TRaP’s effectiveness for reducing risks of As and Hg to plants in contaminated wetlands
Race and race education
Full text link1 online resource (53 pages)Includes abstract.Includes bibliographical references (pages 48-53).In 2020, the provincial government of Nova Scotia implemented the Inclusive Education Policy. Considering the relative newness of this policy, it lacks critical sociological and ethnographic analysis. This paper engages with ethnographic methods from a bottom-up approach, to explore the dialectic relationship between the Inclusive Education Policy and White pre-service teachers’ interpretations of racism. This paper will draw from conversational interviews with White preservice teachers to uncover how they interpret and utilize the Inclusive Education Policy and how they interpret racism. I am looking to uncover how policy is translated into practice within this paper, where I explore the dialectic relationship between White pre-service teachers’ interpretations of racism and the Inclusive Education Policy. Within this thesis, I pose the following questions: 1.) In what ways do White pre-service teachers interpret and understand racism? and 2.) In what ways do White pre-service teachers interpret, understand, and utilize the Inclusive Education Policy? The findings within this thesis outline the various relationships White pre-service teachers have with the Inclusive Education Policy and how this affects their personal interpretations of racism. This policy, rather than shaping the way my respondents came to interpret and understand racism, upholds barriers within the education system by reproducing
hegemonic ideologies surrounding racism which then become diluted in White pre-service
teachers’ personal interpretations of racism. To my knowledge, no data has looked at how White pre-service teachers in Nova Scotia are engaging with the Inclusive Education Policy. My research provides ethnographic data that speaks to how the Inclusive Education Policy is
interpreted and utilized by White pre-service teachers, specifically concerning how they
interpret, address, and seek to challenge race within the classroom
New bulky cyclopentadienyl ligands and their metal complexes
Full text link1 online resource (xiii, 65 pages) : illustrations, graphs, chartsIncludes abstract and appendix.Includes bibliographical references (pages 50-54).Two novel bulky cyclopentadiene ligands were prepared, 2,6-bis(2,4,6-triisopropylphenyl) phenylcyclopentadiene (TerTripCpH) and 2-(2,4,6-triisopropylphenyl) phenylcyclopentadiene (TripBpCp). An optimized synthetic route is presented through the reaction of aryl lithium reagents with cobaltocenium salts, with subsequent oxidation using AgNO3 to afford the corresponding cyclopentadiene ligands. A series of novel metal complexes with both ligands were synthesized with their spectroscopic properties, structure, and preparation reported. The alkali metal salts (LiK), a ferrocene derivative, and the In metal complex of the TerTripCp ligand are reported with the Al complex being attempted. The K salt of the TripBpCp ligand is reported with a ferrocene derivative being attempted.</p
Nature-based coastal adaptation approaches : spatial modelling and community perception of barriers and opportunities in Ghana
Full text link1 online resource (vii, 134 pages) : colour illustrations, colous maps, charts (some colour), graphs (some colour)Includes abstract and appendices.Includes bibliographical references (pages 106-123).Ghana’s coastal areas face increasing risks from coastal hazards. While conventional engineering approaches (seawalls and groins) have been the primary mitigation strategies, they often prove unsustainable. Adaptation planning efforts have widely failed to account for local community knowledge. As a result, this study explored community perceptions of risk to coastal hazards, assessing opportunities for nature-based coastal adaptation (NbCA) approaches using GIS, participatory mapping, and household surveys across three communities in Accra. The study showed significant differences in perceived risk, with older age groups (60+) expressing higher vulnerability. Awareness of NbCA was uneven, with 72% of respondents in Bortianor reporting familiarity due to existing mangrove restoration, compared to Jamestown (37.5%) and Teshie (10%). Despite this, there was a high expression of support for NbCA. Furthermore, participatory mapping identified community-perceived high-risk areas, which showed spatial consistency with GIS risk models.
The findings emphasize the importance of inclusive, context-sensitive, and evidence-based adaptation
planning
Simulating the Harrow, Hassidim and Lloyd algorithm : a performance analysis
No full text1 online resource (xii, 75 pages) : graphsIncludes abstract and appendix.Includes bibliographical references (pages 74-75).This thesis investigates the Harrow, Hassidim and Lloyd quantum algorithm for solving linear systems of equations through comprehensive simulations using PennyLane. By systematically analyzing diverse matrix types and algorithm parameters, we identify the critical factors that influence solution fidelity. Our results demonstrate that performance is fundamentally dependent on matrix condition number, eigenvalue distribution, and the composition of input vectors in the system’s eigenbasis. Matrices with clustered eigenvalues or negative eigenvalues present particular challenges to the algorithm, while solution fidelity displays characteristic oscillatory patterns that correlate with eigenvalue separation. We
provide practical guidelines for selecting optimal time constants and quantify the performance improvements achieved by increasing the number of phase estimation qubits. These findings contribute valuable insights for the practical implementation of quantum linear systems solvers on near-term quantum devices
Investigation of N = 32 shell closure through 50Ca(d,p)51Ca
Full text link1 online resource (x, 72 pages) : colour illustrations, charts (some colour), graphs (some colour)Includes abstract.Includes bibliographical references (pages 67-72).The study of exotic nuclei has revealed unexpected characteristics of the nucleus, including changes in the shell configuration, causing the disappearance or emergence of shell closures. The neutron number N = 32 is one such unconventional new shell closure that has been observed in various experiments. The neutron-rich calcium isotope, 52Ca, has been investigated through excitation energy, mass measurements, charge radii, and nucleon orbital studies, supporting the presence of the N = 32 shell closure, and suggesting that it is a doubly magic nucleus. To further explore the new shell closure, the neutron occupancies in the 1f7/2 and 2p3/2 orbitals, evolving from 48Ca to 52Ca must be studied. The spin of the first excited state of 51Ca is yet to be established experimentally.
In this project, a spectroscopic study of 51Ca was performed using 50Ca(d,p)51Ca neutron transfer reaction at the IRIS facility at TRIUMF. A re-accelerated 50Ca beam at 7.23A MeV impinged on the thin, windowless solid deuterium target. From the resulting excitation spectrum, the first excited state of 51Ca was measured at 1.607±0.070 MeV along with the ground state.</p
Galaxy Evolution in 0.2 < z < 1.5: Stellar Mass Function and Environmental Effects on Satellite Galaxies
No full text1 online resource (xvii, ii, 236 pages) : graphs (some colour)Includes abstract and appendices.Includes bibliographical references (pages 225-236).In this thesis, I develop a large catalog of galaxy physical property measurements (including redshift, stellar mass, rest-frame colours) for ∼ 5 million galaxies in a deep and large area survey. I first use the catalog to study the galaxy stellar mass function over a wide redshift range 0.2 < z < 1.5. My galaxy stellar mass function (SMF) results are consistent with those in the literature within a similar redshift range, but with better-constrained uncertainties due to the deep and wide surveys. I find that even in my large survey, cosmic variance dominates the low-mass end of the SMF, while mass error and Poisson error dominate the high-mass end. I also find that the shape of SMF does not significantly change over the redshift range, but the normalization grows, mainly due to the increase in the number density of quiescent galaxies.
I then study the environmental effects on satellite galaxies in group-like environments by measuring the satellite stellar mass function and the satellite radial distance distribution relative to the central galaxies. Central galaxies are selected in the mass range of 10.8 < log(Mcen/M⊙) < 11.5, with the requirement of being isolated. I count satellite galaxies within projected R200 of the central galaxies, with background correction applied. Both satellite galaxy distributions show little evolution over time, but exhibit a strong dependence on central galaxy mass. The results are consistent with a general picture where consumption of satellites via mergers with the central galaxy roughly balances replenishment of the satellite population. I also find evidence for environmental quenching and galaxy conformity, but satellite quenching is consistent with no dependence on the distance to the central galaxy or stellar mass.</p
Problem gambling and psychosis: co-morbidity and cognitive function
No full textA growing body of literature suggests that problem gambling behaviour may be more prevalent in psychosis populations. Individuals with schizophrenia and gambling disorder share specific neurocognitive vulnerabilities, yet little research explores this comorbidity. This study compared cognitive performance between 26 Early Phase Psychosis (EPP) participants and 50 healthy controls (HC) using the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) and Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) to explore gambling-cognition. EPP participants demonstrated significantly more perseverative errors on the WCST (p = .019) and selected more disadvantageous IGT decks (p = .050) compared to HC. Within the EPP group, gambling severity showed robust negative correlations with WCST performance (r = -.62 to -.74), suggesting associated cognitive impairment. Findings suggest that EPP individuals show specific deficits in cognitive flexibility and decisionmaking, with gambling severity potentially related to these impairments. Results support implementing routine gambling screening in early psychosis programs and developing integrated interventions targeting both conditions
Measurement of [superscript]59Cu(rho,alpha) [superscript]56Ni reaction rate to constraint the flow of [nu]p-process
No full text1 online resource (1 unnumbered, xvii, 174 pages) : colour illustrations, charts (some colour), graphs (some colour)Includes abstract and appendix.Includes bibliographical references (pages 166-174).A central question in nuclear astrophysics is where and how elements heavier than iron are synthesized. While the r-process (rapid neutron capture) and s-process (slow neutron capture) account for most heavy-element production, they cannot explain several neutron-deficient p-nuclei, notably 92,94Mo and 96,98Ru. Two promising sites for their synthesis are the ν p-process in neutrinodriven, proton-rich winds of core-collapse supernovae (CCSNe) and the rp-process in type-I X-ray bursts (XRBs). In both environments, nucleosynthesis beyond iron is governed by the competition between 59Cu(p,γ) 60Zn and 59Cu(p,α) 56Ni, known as the Ni–Cu cycle. At high temperatures (T > 3 GK), the (p,α) channel dominates, recycling material back to 56Ni and limiting the synthesis of heavier nuclei. Thus, precise knowledge of the 59Cu(p,α) 56Ni rate is critical for understanding the flow of nucleosynthesis in proton-rich conditions.We report a direct measurement of the 59Cu(p,α)56Ni reaction at two center-of-mass energies, 4.01 MeV and 4.68 MeV, performed at the IRIS facility at TRIUMF, Canada. A high-purity 59Cu beam, produced via the ISOL technique, was incident on a solid hydrogen target, and the resulting reactions were analyzed using silicon and CsI(Tl) detectors to measure the energies and scattering angles of the reaction products. The total cross sections for the 59Cu(p,α) 56Ni reaction were measured at the two energies. The measured results lie systematically below the NON-SMOKER predictions. Comparisons with TALYS calculations using various α-optical model potentials show similar trends. The 4.01 MeV measurement lies within the νp-process Gamow window, providing the first direct experimental constraint on this reaction in the relevant astrophysical region. The lower measured rate implies a delayed onset of the Ni-Cu cycle, favoring the competing 59Cu(p,γ) 60Zn channel and enabling a stronger flow toward heavier nuclei. These results suggest enhanced efficiency of p-nuclei production in νp-process environments such as core-collapse supernovae and X-ray bursts.</p