3855 research outputs found
Sort by
Dynamic difficulty adjustment: using the Wizard of Oz method to investigate potential improvements through biofeedback
No full textEngagement is a key factor to consider when developing video games. Flow theory—one of the
required components of engagement—dictates that in order to achieve flow, there must be an
adequate balance between the player’s skill level and the challenge they’re faced with.
Consequently, game developers have created several AI systems to tailor a game’s difficulty to
players’ skill levels, such as Dynamic Difficulty Adjustment (DDA). This system uses player
performance as an indicator of their emotional state. However, this is not the most accurate
measure. In this work, the Wizard of Oz method was used to determine if DDAs could elicit
higher levels of engagement if given access to information relating to players’ emotional states,
such as their facial expressions and body language. Results showed that there were no significant
differences in engagement between the DDA and the Wizar
The relationship between gross motor skills, psychosocial adjustment, and peer victimization in school-aged children
No full textThe aim of this study was to investigate the relationships between childrens’ motor
competence, psychosocial adjustment, peer victimization, physical activity participation
and obesity. Child participants (n = 51; children ages 7 to 10 years) completed self-report
measures on peer victimization, loneliness, depression symptoms and anxiety symptoms
and also completed the Test of Gross Motor Development-3. Parent participants
completed a sociodemographic questionnaire and another on their child’s participation in
physical activity. For boys, Pearson product-moment correlations revealed that lower
motor competence was significantly related to depressive symptoms, social phobia,
separation anxiety symptoms, loneliness and peer victimization. For girls, lower motor
competence was significantly related to separation anxiety symptoms and loneliness. No
correlations were found between motor competence, weight status and physical activity
participation. Considering the importance of motor competence on psychosocial
development, early motor-based skills training and identification of impairments is
crucial for long-term psychosocial wellbeing
Proximal braided-river morphodynamics reconstructed through groundpenetrating radar and multi-temporal remote sensing: Kicking Horse River, British Columbia, Canada
No full textLocated in southeastern British Columbia, the Kicking Horse River is a gravel-bed
braided river that flows westward through the Canadian Rocky Mountains. Prior studies
focused on using ground observations to describe processes of bar formation and
sediment distribution patterns; however, a complete model of planform evolution and
related stratigraphic signature is lacking. The river was re-examined combining ground
observations, multi-temporal remote sensing, discharge data, and ground-penetrating
radar to develop three-dimensional models of bar geometry and to highlight changes in
alluvial morphology. Remote sensing indicates extensive lateral channel migration over
an eight-year period and demonstrates how varying flood stages are associated with
episodes of channel braiding. Ground-penetrating radar imaging and analysis identified
the distribution of sedimentary facies in the subsurface, which were used to understand
the river’s depositional history. The Kicking Horse River’s sedimentary signature is
compared to those of both proximal, coarse-grained and more distal, mixed sandy-gravel
fluvial systems where similarities in sedimentary architecture and fluvial processes are
observed
L'étude des traumas vécus dans l'enfance et ses impacts sur l'éclosion des maladies mentales à l'âge adulte
No full textCet essai s’inscrit dans le cadre du stage spécialisé de la maîtrise en service social. Il porte sur
l’étude des traumas vécus dans l’enfance et leurs impacts sur l’éclosion des maladies mentales à
l’âge adulte. Son objectif général vise à saisir la nature, les causes et les différentes formes de
traumatismes, vécus dans l’enfance, qui ont des impacts sur l’apparition des maladies mentales à
l’âge adulte. La gravité croissante de ce phénomène, la pénurie des services de traitement
spécialisé et des ressources d’intervention précoce, d’appui et de prévention, mettent en évidence
la nécessité des solutions urgentes, au niveau personnel, familial, social et relationnel. Cette
problématique, peu explorée, par la littérature dominante, nous interpelle en raison des
observations personnelles et professionnelles que nous avons effectuées et des constats que nous
avons établis sur l'envergure sociale de ce phénomène peu pris en charge. Les résultats de cette
recherche contribueront alors au développement de nouvelles pistes de recherche, et à
l'implémentation des politiques de protection préventive de l’enfance et de la famille, en vue de
l’éradication progressive des formes d’abus qui mènent à l’éclosion des maladies mentales à
l’âge adulte. De ce fait, le renouvellement et le renforcement des stratégies d’intervention
psychosociale, structurelle et familiale en travail social et en santé mentale serviront à
l’amélioration des conditions de vie des victimes. Les perspectives, les propositions et les
recommandations les plus pertinentes, contribueront ainsi à l’apport de solutions viables, à la
prévention et au traitement des traumatismes d’enfance et de leurs impacts psychopathologiques
à l’âge adulte.Maîtrise en service socia
Regard des professionnels de la santé et des gestionnaires francophones d’Iqaluit (Nunavut) sur le capital social et la santé.
Get PDFL’accès aux soins de santé est un enjeu au Canada, particulièrement dans les communautés
rurales et éloignées. Cette situation représente un double défi pour les francophones d’Iqaluit au
Nunavut : avoir accès à des soins et à des services de santé, mais aussi avoir accès à ces services
dans sa langue. Or, selon le concept de capital social, les réseaux de relations sociales permettent
d’avoir accès aux ressources nécessaires au développement des individus et des communautés.
À partir du modèle conceptuel Capital social dans les communautés francophones en
situation minoritaire, développé par Louise Bouchard et Anne Gilbert (2005), nous avons
procédé à une analyse thématique et à une analyse textométrique des discours que tiennent des
professionnels de la santé et des services sociaux et des gestionnaires francophones d’Iqaluit afin
de relever les facteurs qui entrent en jeu dans la construction de leur « capital social » et de mettre
au jour la dynamique qui anime cette communauté territoriale de langue officielle en situation minoritaire (CLOSM).
Les résultats révèlent que les réseaux sociaux qui se créent au sein de la communauté
francophone d’Iqaluit facilitent l’intégration des migrants francophones qui décident de venir
s’installer à Iqaluit. Ces réseaux sociaux, particulièrement développés chez les familles qui
comptent de jeunes enfants, offrent des moyens de briser l’isolement, tout en aidant les individus
à composer avec l’espace – tant géographique que temporel – qui façonne la vie à Iqaluit.
Malgré ses limites, cette étude ouvre la voie à d’autres recherches qui, à l’aide de données
sur la santé des francophones d’Iqaluit, permettraient de cerner l’incidence du capital social sur la
santé des individus, de la communauté ou des collectivités
The role of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) in Ghrelin secretion and appetite
Get PDFGhrelin is a stomach derived hormone that stimulates appetite. H2S a gaseous signaling molecule
also produced in the stomach has been implicated in the secretion of other metabolic hormones.
We hypothesize that H2S can directly suppress ghrelin secretion leading to a reduction in
appetite. We tested this by treating ghrelin producing rat primary stomach culture with the H2S
donor molecule GYY4137 or H2S synthesis inhibitor PPG. GYY4137 dose-dependently
suppressed ghrelin secretion, while increasing cellular levels of phosphorylated AKT/Total AKT.
Additionally, fluorescent immunocytochemistry demonstrated of that ghrelin cells co-localize
with the H2S producing enzyme, CSE and inhibition with PPG stimulated ghrelin secretion. In
mice, a single IP injection with GYY4137 (30mg/kg) prolonged glucose induced suppression of
ghrelin compared to saline control. This lower level of ghrelin was accompanied by a reduction
in feeding (P<0.05). In conclusion, our data demonstrates that H2S has a suppressive effect on
ghrelin secretion and appetite
An exploratory study of the experiences of social workers who are employed in nurse practitioner-led clinics in the province of Ontario
No full textThis study explored social workers’ experiences working in primary health care—specifically,
those employed in Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinics (NPLC). This qualitative study utilized a
sample of nine social workers employed in Ontario. Data were analyzed using a thematic
analysis. Results revealed two thematic clusters pertaining to the social work role and the
organizational/structural aspects of the role. Subthemes of the first cluster identified (1) the
social work role as multi-faceted and hard to define, (2) issues of poverty and (3) the lack of
understanding of the social work role by other professionals, including the importance of positive
collegial relationships. Subthemes of the second cluster identified (1) a lack of supervision and
the importance to self-care, (2) working in isolation as a challenge, and (3) conflicting models
including subthemes on professional hierarchy and pay disparities. Results may help to define
the role of social workers who are employed in NPLCs as well as the challenges they may
encounter. This research offers a vision of how social work can make a difference within the new
era of primary health care aimed at developing health care systems more suited to the needs of
individuals, families and communitiesMaster of Social Work (MSW
Help-seeking behaviours of university students in a Northern Ontario community
No full textPrevalence rates for mental illness are high for Canadian youth 15-24 years old and for those
living in northern and rural populations; however, a concerning portion of youth in need do not
access mental health services. Although university student populations have higher prevalence
rates than the general population, little is known about how Canadian university students seek
help for mental health issues and the barriers they may face. This mixed-methods study
examined the help-seeking attitudes, intentions, barriers-to-care, depressive symptomology, and
help-seeking experiences of a sample of 61 undergraduate university students in the Northern
Ontario community of Sudbury, Ontario. There was a total of 61 participants for this study. All
participants completed a questionnaire package and seven of the participants volunteered to
engage in an additional semi-structured interview. The overall sample had moderately positive
attitudes toward help-seeking. Students who had accessed services were more likely to seek help
from professional mental health services, had experienced more barriers-to-care, and had higher
BDI-II scores than students who had not accessed services. Students not accessing care were
more likely to seek help from their parents. There were no differences in the types of barriers
faced between users vs. non-users of mental health services. Using thematic analysis, three
primary themes were identified from the interview data: 1) Important factors in mental health
care; 2) Experiences with mental health professionals and services; and 3) Barriers to accessing
mental health care. The findings may help direct future research and endorse the need to further
refine outreach interventions and available mental health services to promote student
engagement with treatment at universities across Ontario
Using anthropometric variables and performance statistics to assess the effects of rule changes in the National Hockey League
No full textThis study set out to determine whether or not rule changes imparted by the NHL in
2003 and 2005, have had an effect on the anthropometric profile of drafted NHL players.
Primarily, this research aims to determine if there has been a change in the number of draftees
who sign a Standard Player’s Contract (SPC) from the time of their draft, secondly, to determine
if rule changes have affected how much player anthropometrics and performance variables
correlate with TOI/GP, and lastly to compare correlations of draft height and weight versus the
year drafted to the NHL. The first objective of this research, using a Chi-square analysis, is to
determine if there is a statistically significant difference in the number of draftees who reach the
10+ game threshold in each of their first 3 seasons post draft at two time periods (2005 draft
cohort and 2015 draft cohort), which indicates the signing of a Standard Player’s Contract. A
Chi-square analysis was also used to determine if there was a statistically significant difference
in the number of draftees who played any games in each of their first 3 season post draft at two
time periods (2005 draft cohort and 2015 draft cohort). Lastly, an Independent Samples T-test
was used to determine if there was a statistically significant difference between two draft cohorts
(2005 and 2015) in the average number of games played by draftees in each of their first 3 NHL
seasons post draft. The second objective utilizes in-season, anthropometric data and performance
statistics to correlate time on ice/games played (TOI/GP) for the entire league for two different
seasons (2003-2004 & 2015-2016). The correlations for each time period were compared for
significant variables. The final objective used correlations between reported draft height and
weight, and year drafted to the NHL between the 2003-2017 season