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Measuring wellbeing: a critical analysis of eight metrics
No full textThis research is an examination into the question of how "wellbeing" manifests in a community, large or small, and how to manage or measure changes in wellbeing. Many policies or developments consider the financial costs and benefits of intervention, but often less research is invested into assessing the social or environmental impacts of such interventions. This imbalance appears to be due in part to the comparative lack of understanding of social or environmental systems. This thesis critically analyses eight different metrics which aim to measure or promote wellbeing and uses this insight to form recommendations for the development of future wellbeing measurement tools. This assessment can be divided into three primary components: a presentation of metrics, a comparative analysis, and a discussion.The first chapter examines eight popular wellbeing tools for their purpose, process, and application . The second chapter explores these metrics more closely through eight variables of comparison, ranging from the scale to the delivery of findings. Finally, common factors are analyzed and discussed to provide recommendations for creating an efficient and effective wellbeing metric. Three core findings are discussed in this final chapter: empowerment, affordability, and utility. The most accurate metrics involve a variety of stakeholder groups, though the method of collaboration varies. Additionally, in the pursuit of comprehensiveness, metrics sometimes grow to become too expensive or complicated for certain (particular ly low-income) communities to utilise. These and other considerations are discussed as recommendations for those developing wellbeing metrics in the future.</p
Aspects of American Eel, Anguilla rostrata, and white perch, Morone americana, in the Avon River and estuary
No full textThe Windsor causeway, located in the Avon Estuary, Windsor, Nova Scotia, is currently an important site for marine research because plans are in progress for the installation of a new gate-way for fish passage as the 101-highway is redeveloped. This research will help inform decisions on gate-way design and impacts to American Eel and White Perch
movement and migration patterns. Previous studies have found American Eel, Anguilla rostrata, and White Perch, Morone Americana, are present in two locations adjacent to the causeway: in the tidal waters proximal and distal to the gate, and in the brackish and fresh waters up-river from this location. Passive Integrated Transponder (PIT) tags were used to investigate movement patterns of these species between the fresh and tidal waters other than during their annual spawning migration times. There were not enough White Perch captured or tagged during the study to give quantifiable results and so no further analysis was performed on this fish species. For American Eel, results indicated that there was no movement of tagged eels between the two test sites suggesting that the current fish-gate system is inadequate for free fish movement. A few eels were sampled to retain otoliths (inner ear bones) to gain a better understanding of the eel population demographics (size and age). Otolith results indicated that there was a positive trend in the relationship of eel weight and eel length to otolith weight suggesting that further research may provide a new method for aging American Eel
Growing change: identifying factors to effectively facilitate a shift towards healthy, sustainable, and just institutional food systems
No full textThis action research project uses Acadia University as a case study to identify factors to effectively facilitate institutional food systems change and strives to provide a conceptual framework for understanding the change process. I approach this inquiry with critical social science and transdisciplinary paradigms, using mixed methods and theories drawn from food systems, community development, and organizational change literatures. Semi-structured interviews, participant observations, document analysis, and procurement data provided the primary data for the case study. Research findings identify collaborative vision, student engagement, organizational context, external forces, praxis, and implementation as critical components of effective institutional food systems change. Based on these findings, I suggest that effective institutional food systems change requires a systems approach and propose a conceptual framework with a cycle of stages in institutional food systems change (reframing the conversation, building a vision, and strategic implementation) held within processes of collaborative leadership and praxis. Key insights from this inquiry include: (i) engaging and empowering all stakeholders, (ii) creating spaces to challenge the power dynamics of institutional hierarchies and support collaborative leadership, (iii) reframing the conversation such that stakeholders see and talk about the myriad impacts of food, (iv) striving for a vision that is grounded in values and holism, (v) finding ways to counter capitalist structures and procedures, (vi) understanding and leveraging organizational and community culture and resources, and (vii) focusing strategic implementation on procurement, food environments, food services contracts, and communication
Saltmarsh sediment fungal communities and arbuscular mycorrihizal fungi in sporobolus pumilus (Roth) (Poaceae) (Spartina patens) of the MInas Basin, Nova Scotia: identification, abundance and role in restoration
No full textSaltmarshes are ecosystems of significant ecological importance for their roles in coastal stability and fundamental roles in marine ecosystems. These ecosystems are in decline due to anthropogenic destruction and current climate regimes causing ocean level rise. Coastal restoration efforts are underway worldwide, but the success remains variable, with many failing in long term coastal stability. The fungal communities within saltmarsh sediment are understudied, especially in areas subject to mega-tidal influence such as the Bay of Fundy, Nova Scotia. My study investigates the fungi present in saltmarsh sediment and focuses on arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF); symbionts of the dominant saltmarsh grass Sporobolus pumilus (Roth) (Poaceae) (formerly Spartina patens). Internal transcribed spacer region 2 (ITS2)rDNA metaamplicon barcoding revealed many ubiquitous rhizosphere fungi, including AMF, in three
saltmarsh sites around the Minas Basin, NS, but the persistent species composition may be based on the sediment characteristics. AMF colonization counts were conducted on S. pumilus roots and differed between the Kingsport saltmarsh and the Wolfville and Windsor saltmarshes, although the same
Funneliformis species was found in all root tissue. Saltmarsh native AMF, Funneliformis geosporum, was propagated and used as a treatment for S. pumilus in three tidal mesocosm growth trials. This salt tolerant fungal symbiont increased host plant survival and growth under simulated saltmarsh conditions.
These data indicate that fungal saltmarsh community establishment, especially AMF, are an essential consideration for improving saltmarsh restoration practices in areas of mega-tidal influence such as the Bay of Fundy
Learning with symbols
No full textThe effectiveness of deep neural network models depends on the size and quality of the datasets used to develop these models. Often a lack of sufficient training examples results in the learning algorithm settling into a suboptimal local minima. Individual human learners encounter similar difficulties while learning. However, these challenges are overcome through social interaction and the sharing of learned knowledge in the form of symbols. This thesis presents a hypothesis that states that the presence of clear and concise symbols while training artificial neural networks improves the accuracy of these models when trained on impoverished datasets, similar to how knowledge sharing among humans allows them to overcome their learning difficulties. Empirical studies compare the accuracy of recurrent neural networks, based on long short-term memory units, trained in the presence of symbols with similar networks trained without the benefit of symbols. The models are trained to perform basic arithmetic operations on images of handwritten digits from the MNIST dataset. We try two forms of digit symbol encodings (one-hot and temperature) and compare how well each encoding is able to guide the training process to discover a representation of an algorithm that can generalize to all instances of the problem. The results show that the models trained with the aid of symbols are more effective at performing arithmetic than the models trained without symbols. Furthermore, we show that the
temperature encoding of digit symbols are able to capture the quantity and ordinal relationship between the operands and are more effective at discovering an algorithm for each arithmetic operatio
Gendered affective atmospheres: an intersectional analysis of the Halifax Centre Plan
No full textWhy do women feel unsafe in the public sphere? Anecdotal narratives, as well those in popular media testify to the notion that women tend to be fearful when encountering the urban, especially when alone and at night. This thesis explores the issue of gendered insecurity in the urban sphere, specifically Halifax, Nova Scotia. However, amongst women there are political identities and experiences that shape insecurity quite differently, thus a purely gendered lens is inherently quite limited. Therefore, intersectionality is a crucial framework for investigating issues of gendered insecurity, as well as providing solutions to these ills.
This thesis utilizes the profession of urban planning and urban planning theory as a focal point of analyzing the urban. As planners are engaged in a process of biopolitical production, imagining and enforcing certain ideals of spatialization, how planners imagine space matters quite profoundly for inhabitants. With Halifax as a case study, specifically the Centre Plan, the most recent planning document for the city, this central research question of this thesis asks how the Centre Plan addresses issues of gendered insecurity with particular attention to intersectionality. Ultimately illuminating that issues of gendered insecurity are not of priority in the Centre Plan, bur rather economic gain is a central objective
Characterization of Nova Scotia grape and wine
No full textMuch of the available literature on grape and wine surrounds their functions in history, literature, and culture; leaving a significant gap in the scientific understanding of them. While the understanding of the chemical nature of grape and wine has developed and advanced significantly worldwide since the early 1900's, the analysis of Nova Scotia (NS) grape and wine has seen little to no scientific advancements. In this study, NS grape and wine samples were analysed using high-performance liquid chromatography and inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry to quantify organic acids, sugars,
and metals. Selected wines made from the sampled NS grape varieties were compositionally compared to wines from other
geographical locations. Principle component analysis (PCA) and Spearman correlation coefficient were used to analyse trends between wines from various locations. Trends in the PCA plots showed that based on the location of wine production, climate may play a predominant role in NS grape and wine composition. Differentiation between NS wine and other regions indicated that the available growing degree days and average yearly precipitation were influential in the accumulation of sugars and organic acids in both red and white varieties. Results from these analyses provide insights into
how climate modulates berry growth and contributes to the limited literature with regards to cool climate grape and wine.
Further, Nova Scotia grape and wine varieties, including red, white, Vitis vinifera and hybrid, were studied to determine chemical compositional changes throughout vinification. Through advancing the understanding of the chemical onstituents of Nova Scotia grape and wine, and how the climate shapes them, this study will help improve vineyard management and wine quality control throughout the province
Informing fisheries monitoring and barriers to fish movement with traditional and local ecological knowledge (TLEK)
No full textA history of overexploitation in regional fisheries and vulnerability to effects of climate change form the basis for growing support of an anticipatory approach to management of marine resources within an ecosystem-based framework. To boost the effectiveness and adherence to marine policies, conserve resources for future use, and combat climate-related environmental changes, knowledge holders must be better engaged in current issues. The disconnect between community members with experience-based traditional and local ecological knowledge (TLEK) related to Minas Basin fisheries and watersheds, and
the science-based knowledge used in policy making forms a barrier to effective resource management. This work aimed to collect, compile, and assess TLEK in conjunction with standard scientific data collection to help inform policy related to ecosystem management in fisheries. The directive supported creation and adoption of integrative and collaborative protocols for community-level resource oversight and knowledge sharing. Extrapolation and application of TLEK data to explore changes in fish distributions, demographics and fisheries data collection methods is of growing significance and of regulatory interest.
The significance of this project included a record of fisheries TLEK in a local waterway with significant fish migration activity and barriers to habitat access. Development of relationships between TLEK and various environmental indicators was a critical component of the research. The outcomes included compilation of data to inform target and non-target fisheries conservation actions, increased stewardship for key species conservation, and dissemination of analyses to diverse stakeholders
The legalization of recreational cannabis: a qualitative approach to exploring the perceived in the workplace from a Canadian perspective
No full textTask, sex and age effect on sagittal plane biomechanics during single leg and double leg jump-landing: relevance to non-contact ACL injuries
No full textThe anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is an important stabilizer of the knee. Rupturing this ligament is considered to be one of the most devastating knee injuries that can occur in sport and has many short-and long-term consequences, including the costly surgery and rehabilitation and being more likely to develop knee osteoarthritis in the future. Non-contact ACL injuries are the most common ACL injuries, with common mechanisms for non-contact ACL injuries including landings from jumps, cutting and sudden decelerations. Before puberty, there is no sex difference for risk of sustaining an ACL injury. However, after puberty, females are 4 to 6 times more likely to sustain an ACL injury compared to their male counterparts.
A proposed theory linked to increased injury risk and the sex bias of this injury is the leg dominance theory, which is described as significant asymmetries in muscular strength, joint loading or muscle recruitment patterns, especially in females. Mature females are thought to be more leg dominant compared to males, thus placing their lower extremity at greater risks of sustaining an ACL injury. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of task, sex and age on lower extremity sagittal plane asymmetry. The hypotheses for the current study are: a) post-pubescent females will have the greatest asymmetries compared to the other participant groups; b) pre-pubescent males and females will have similar asymmetries; c) single leg drop jumps (SLJ) will have greater asymmetries compared to double leg drop jumps (DLJ). A total of 125 athletes involved in cutting and jumping sports who were between the ages of 8-28 years participated in the current study. Participants were divided into four groups, pre-pubescent males (n=20, age=10.14± 1.61 years, playing experience =
4.55±2.31 years), pre-pubescent females (n=23, age=10.58±1.25 years, playing experience=5.96±1.77 years), post-pubescent males (n=37, age=20.73±2.53 years, playing experience=12.22±4.19 years) and post-pubescent females (n=45, age=19.73±1.85 years, playing experience=11.2±3.95 years). A 12-camera motion capture system and three force plates
were used to capture sagittal plane joint angles and moments at the hip, knee and ankle during a double leg and single leg
drop jump protocol. A three-way ANOVA (p £0.05) was used on asymmetry indexes of maximum sagittal plane moments
and angles during stance and angles at initial contact to test for a task (DLJ vs. SLJ), sex (male vs. female), age (pre-pubescent vs. post-pubescent) and interaction effect. Bonferroni pairwise comparisons were performed when an interaction effect was identified. Results showed main (task and age) and interaction effects. It was found that pre-pubescent males had greater asymmetries (peak knee flexion angle, peak hip extension moment) compared to pre-pubescent females. This suggests that asymmetries should also be a focus within pre-pubescent athletes in addition to
post-pubescent athletes. Furthermore, while not significant, there was a strong trend for post-pubescent females having
greater asymmetries compared to pre-pubescent females for maximum hip extension moment. There were mixed results in terms of whether the DLJ or SLJ produced greater asymmetries. The SLJ had greater asymmetries compared to the DLJ
for maximum ankle dorsiflexion and hip flexion angle, while the DLJ had greater asymmetries for ankle dorsiflexion angle at contact. More research is needed to determine whether or not the DLJ or SLJ yields greater limb asymmetry.These findings
provide some insight into the influence that inter-limb asymmetry may have as a potential risk factor for non-contact ACL injuries in athlete