14589 research outputs found
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Understanding climate change in Nova Scotia : spatiotemporal modeling of air temperature employing satellite borne remote sensing data
Full text link1 online resource (vii, 98 pages) : illustrations (some colour), maps (some colour), graphs (some colour)Includes abstract and appendices.Includes bibliographical references (pages 73-78).Accelerating changes in temperature patterns are affecting Nova Scotia’s climate dynamics and necessitating precise localized modeling techniques to understand the potential adverse impacts of climate change. This research investigates the spatiotemporal patterns of past temperature and their complex interactions with the factors, e.g., population, landcover, altitude, and climate indices, using remote sensing and geospatial technology. These factors were analyzed from 2001 to 2021 and correlated with Land Surface Temperature (LST). Then, linear regression-based modeling techniques were applied to generate climate normal temperature raster integrating satellite and station datasets for the periods 1961-1990, 1971-2000, 1981-2010, and 1991-2020, revealing the historical trend of temperature rise. Four regions were identified based on the temperature change between 1961-1990 and 1981-2010 periods. Sea Surface Temperature (SST) and Southern Oscillation Index (SOI) were found to influence provincial temperature variability. The findings offer critical insights into Nova Scotia's climate dynamics and provide valuable data for provincial climate resilience planning, mitigation, and adaptation strategies
Vocatio ad Servitium : decolonizing the Canadian Armed Forces chaplaincy - the evolution of a religious organization embedded in the secular state
Full text link1 online resource (112 pages) : colour illustrationsIncludes abstract.Includes bibliographical references (pages 105-112).This thesis considers the possibility for decolonization of the chaplaincy of the Canadian Armed Forces to better align itself with Canada’s goals to create an inclusive and diverse nation. By examining the historical and contemporary connections between its practices and Canadian nationalism, I argue that the chaplaincy has found itself in the unique position of a space where the secular and religious interact, which at times, has led to tensions between the two. The central research question guiding this inquiry is: How can the chaplaincy of the Canadian Armed Forces be decolonized to disentangle its practices and ideologies from entrenched nationalistic connections, and what role can alternative religious and cultural perspectives play in this transformation
“Straight Outta’ North Preston” : media representations of gang involvement in interprovincial human trafficking
Full text link1 online resource (55 pages) : graphsIncludes abstract.Includes bibliographical references (pages 49-55).This research explores the dynamics between race, media perceptions and gang involvement in Nova Scotia. By employing Critical Race Theory (CRT), this research analyzes how systemic racism, and historical contexts influence the portrayal of North Preston’s Finest, a predominately Black street gang, in contrast to Hells Angels, a predominately white outlaw motorcycle gang. This research looks how human trafficking is framed in the media by conducting a comparative analysis of news articles. The finding suggests that North Preston’s Finest are depicted using language such as “pimps” and “hustlers” emphasizes their individual criminality. Hells Angels is portrayed as an organized crime entity which allows for a more nuanced understanding of their criminal activities. The historical landscape of the community of North Preston has shifted from a haven from escaping slavery to a community involved with human trafficking and criminality. This transformation hinges on the framework of Stuart Halls Policing the Crisis on how Black people are shaped as criminals through the media and how that shapes public perceptions and policies. Overall, this research stresses the importance of examining media narratives through a CRT lens
“The reason I couldn’t go is the reason I needed it so much” : piloting a group music therapy program for autistic post-secondary students
Full text link1 online resource (127 pages)Includes abstract and appendices.Includes bibliographical references (pages 89-102).The current study used mixed methods to pilot a music therapy program for autistic postsecondary (PS) students and to investigate their experiences. N=7 undergraduate students who identified as autistic completed questionnaires assessing stress, anxiety, quality of life, and social connectedness, and four participants shared their student experiences in
semi-structured interviews. Two students participated in five weekly hour-long sessions
of group music therapy, and six autistic-identifying students participated in the control
group. Analysis of the questionnaire measures revealed that stress and anxiety were
significantly associated with quality of life. Thematic analysis revealed themes about
autistic identity, mental health, and universal design and inclusion. Implications for future
research and limitations are discussed
Linkages and systematics of A-type magmatism, alkali alteration and magnetite mineralization of the Nonacho Basin, Northwest Territories
Full text link1 online resource (267 pages) : illustrations (some colour), maps (some colour), charts (some colour), graphs (some colour)Includes abstract and appendix.Includes bibliographical references (pages 191-203).The Nonacho Basin, located in the southwestern Rae Craton, Northwest Territories, hosts
widespread polymetallic mineralization (Cu-Pb-Zn-Ag-U-Th-Mo) and structurally controlled
alkali alteration (e.g., albitization and potassic alteration) associated with Fe-oxide mineralization. Field evidence suggests that this alteration is at least partially linked, both spatially and temporally, to the 1830 - 1790 Ma A-type magmatism of the Thekulthili Stock. A petrographic, geochemical, and geochronological study of the Thekulthili Stock characterizes the intrusion, constrains the alteration systematics, and provides a geodynamic context for this magmatism. Magnetite, a ubiquitous Fe-oxide phase of the Nonacho Basin, occurs across various rock types that are locally overprinted by alkali alteration. Distinct magnetite types are classified based on host rock, mineral associations, and paragenesis, with trace element chemistry used to infer their origin. These findings are integrated to assess the region's potential for Metasomatic Iron and Alkali Calcic - related deposits
Reduction of phosphorus substituted bulky amidines
Full text link1 online resource (viii, 57 pages) : illustrations, charts, graphsIncludes abstract and appendix.Includes bibliographical references (pages 40-45).A series of bulky N,N’ disubstituted amidines with bulky 2,6-diisopropyl substituents and theircorresponding PCl2 substituted derivatives were synthesized. PCl2 substituted formamidine, methyl amidine, and p-methylphenyl amidine derivatives were successfully synthesized, and characterized by 1H, 13C, and 31P NMR spectroscopy, along with X-ray crystallography. The P-N bonds were determined to be longer than previously described N-bound PCl2 substituted compounds. Furthermore, crystallographic data shows a planar geometry about the N-C-N-P linkage, proving conjugation within these compounds. Reducing agents, Mg, Cp2Co, and sodium napthalenide were then employed to the PCl2 substituted amidines. Notably, reduction of the PCl2 substituted p-methylphenyl amidine resulted in the selective formation of the corresponding diphosphene which was characterized by 1H, 13C, and 31P NMR spectroscopy, along with X-ray crystallography. Crystallographic data resulted in P-P bond lengths equivalent to previously reported N-bound diphosphenes. Furthermore, the P-P-N-C-N linkage for one side of the diphosphene existed in a cis-planar fashion, which is a new geometry observed for diphosphenes. This result prompted the idea to react the diphosphene with an oxonium acid which is believed to form a 5-membered heterocyclic cation that was characterized by 31P NMR.</p
Inclusion Climate as a Predictor of Job Satisfaction and Performance in Business to Business Sales
No full text1 online resource (ix (pagination error) 202 pages) : colour chartsIncludes abstract and appendices.Includes bibliographical references (pages 170-192).The persistent underrepresentation of women in business-to-business (B2B) sales roles presents significant challenges for gender diversity and organizational performance, as gender diverse sales teams have been shown to perform better than homogeneous teams. This research investigates how gender inclusion is experienced and perceived within B2B sales environments, a domain historically characterized by masculine norms and high performance pressures. The research introduces and validates a context specific measurement of gender inclusion climate for business-to-business sales environments.
The study followed a sequential exploratory mixed-methods design, integrating qualitative and quantitative approaches, and unfolded in two phases. In Study One, qualitative interviews with 17 B2B sales professionals explored how inclusion is experienced on the ground. This thematic analysis surfaced three core dimensions, psychological safety, male-centricity, and perceptions of compensation, and guided the development of a context-specific measurement scale. In Study Two, a survey of 410 sales professionals was conducted to assess the factorial structure and validity of this scale. Using exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, and structural equation modeling, the study confirmed that gender inclusion climate is best represented as a second-order construct composed of the three interrelated dimensions. The research further examined how gender inclusion climate relates to job satisfaction and self-reported performance. Results revealed that inclusive climates significantly enhance employee satisfaction, which in turn predicts stronger performance outcomes. Notably, the effect of inclusion on performance was found to be indirect, operating through job satisfaction as a mediating mechanism. This study contributes a validated, theory-driven instrument for measuring gender inclusion in sales contexts and offers empirical evidence linking inclusion to critical workplace outcomes. It underscores that gender-inclusive climates are not just ethical imperatives, but strategic levers for fostering engagement and improving individual performance in competitive B2B sales organizations
Price wars : an empirical investigation of competitive pricing
Full text link1 online resource (101 pages) : illustrations, graphs (some colour)Includes abstract and appendices.Includes bibliographical references (pages 70-77).Two key factors that strongly influence consumer choice are brand and cost. People generally prefer well-known brands and they prefer bargains. Yet these two factors are usually in a tradeoff: well-known brands usually cost more. To date we know little about how brand and price information converge towards a purchase choice. In Study 1, although people had reasonable metacognitive understanding of how sensitive they were to price and brand influences, their selfreported brand loyalty had little effect on brand selections. In Study 2, volunteers made purchase choices in a mouse task while the kinematics of their choice was measured. They were explicitly told to make price- or brand-based decisions while brand or price was manipulated independently, respectively. Brand information generally influenced price-based decisions and price information influenced brand-based-based decisions. Our results suggest that brand and price information are important determinants of purchase choices, even when they are not critical to the purchase mindset
Nostalgia and disjointed time : an affective response to temporal rupture
Full text link1 online resource (33 pages)Includes abstract.Includes bibliographical references (pages 29-33).In this thesis, I argue that nostalgia arises as an embodied response to disruptions in our temporal–affective field—ruptures that may concern the past, the present, or the future—rather than as a simple longing for an irretrievable past. Existing philosophical and psychological literature have focused overwhelmingly on nostalgia’s retrospective dimension, overlooking non-retrospective forms such as anticipatory nostalgia. I show that anticipatory nostalgia—longing for a present moment even as it unfolds—challenges the assumption that nostalgia must look backward. Both anticipatory and traditional nostalgia share a core structure: an affective rupture that casts absence into presence and hinges on a breakdown of seamless temporal continuity. To support these claims, I develop a phenomenological framework grounded in Merleau-Ponty’s analysis of time-consciousness and contemporary theories of affective intentionality. I demonstrate that nostalgia surfaces when our prereflective synthesis of past, present, and future falters. In such moments, we long not for the content of a scene but for the temporal coherence that scene discloses. Nostalgia thus functions as an affective buffer, helping to restore a sense of self-continuity after an affective-temporal disruption. This thesis unfolds in five parts. First, I map the traditional account of nostalgia as a retrospective longing and identify its limitations. Second, I introduce anticipatory nostalgia and show how it shares nostalgia’s defining structure. Third, I outline the auto-affective movement that constitutes subjectivity. Fourth, I argue for the co-constitution of temporality and affectivity, drawing on analyses of the lived and objectified body. Finally, I apply this framework to nostalgia, revealing its role as an affective response
to temporal disruption. By reconceptualizing nostalgia as a response to a temporal-affective rupture, this thesis offers a unified account that bridges traditional and anticipatory forms, expanding our understanding of how we care for the continuity of our own unfolding experience
2025-02-14 Senate Minutes and Agendas
No full textMinutes and Agenda for the February 14, 2025 meeting of Saint Mary’s University Senate