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Spontaneous aggregation of non-living and living matter in aqueous environments subjected to a static electromagnetic field: potential link to the next step of abiogenesis
No full textExposing spring water isolated in darkness to a very
powerful static magnetic field for 5 days without any disruption
produced a greater amount of an aggregated crystalline
precipitate than water alone. These aggregated crystals seemed
to have formed a network at the water’s surface. This effect was
not observed when using distilled water. Decreasing the volume
of spring water diminished the amount of crystals produced.
Placing a solution of spring water inside on an operating hot
plate also produced a large amount of crystals, but these
crystals resembled a powdered substance rather than a connected
network. A similar effect involving the static magnetic field
was also observed following a comparable paradigm using cells. A
greater number of cells developed in plates of cell media
exposed to the same powerful static magnetic field in the dark
for 24 hours prior to the injection of cells when compared to
plates of cell media not exposed to a magnet. These results,
taken together along with quantitative calculations exploring
the structure of the cell, suggest that electromagnetism in
aqueous solutions may have played a larger role in the emergence
of the organic from the inorganic, and this may have occurred by
altering the structure of liquid water which subsequently
influenced the organizing and structuring of the dissolved
molecules within it
Le mal de l’âme: la crise de la solidarité et la réponse du travail social
No full textAristote dit : « l’Homme est par nature un animal politique » (1989, 28), signifiant par-là que
c’est de l’union des familles et des villages qu’il est le mieux en mesure d’assurer son bien-être.
En fait, dans toute l’histoire de l’humanité, à travers les grandes étapes de son développement
qui l’a mené de sa condition animale à la civilisation, l’Homme s’est organisé pour vivre de
façon collective. Ce n’est que depuis un peu plus d’un siècle, avec l’avènement de ce qui a été
qualifié de société postmoderne, que l’Homme est pour la première fois confronté à un mode
d’organisation sociale qui rejette la spiritualité, la tradition et les intérêts collectifs, qui avaient
jusqu’à ce temps rattaché tous les individus à une même appartenance collective. Cette
destruction de l’appartenance collective, que nous allons qualifier de crise de la solidarité, va à
l’encontre de l’expérience anthropologique de l’Homme, qui demeure un animal social. C’est
pourquoi nous sommes convaincus que cette solitude, à caractère chronique, se manifeste par
une détresse insupportable à l’individu.
Cette détresse est précisément caractéristique de la société postmoderne, où toutes les pratiques
socialessont comprises et reposent sur le développement économique, et non le développement
culturel et politique. De son côté, le système individualiste tente de caractériser cette détresse
comme un problème psychique individuel. À sa manière, la profession du travail social est toute
entières absorbée parl’individualisme et les solutions libérales, elle tented’offrir des solutions
individuelles à un problème qui, d’après nous, est sociétal.
Ce mémoire théorique, sous forme d’un essai de synthèse du développement anthropologique de
l’ontologie humaine dans son rapport à la transcendance, nous permet d’articuler une réflexion
sur l’organisation sociétale actuelle et son impact sur la solidarité humaine.Maîtrise en service socia
A shake-up in the porphyry world?
Get PDFPorphyry Cu deposits form in the shallow crustal parts of arc magmatic systems, which root in the mantle wedge, evolve in lower crustal MASH zones (melting, assimilation, storage, homogenization) and lower-to-mid crustal hot zones, and accumulate in mid-to-upper crustabatholiths at depths of 5–10 km. A small proportion of the magma and most of the volatile load rises due to buoyancy towards the surface, and may erupt as volcanic or fumarolic emissions. Low levels of volcanism and fumarolic activity, as well as subsurface hydrothermal flow and alteration, are normal and semi-continuous features of active arc magmatic systems, which may operate for millions of years. Porphyry Cu deposits, on the other hand, form rarely (typically ≤1 per batholith) and rapidly (≤100,000 years) in the subsurface (2–5 km depth), where hydrous volatiles exsolved from the underlying batholith are channeled into structurally controlled cupola zones and cool before reaching the surface. The explosively brecciated character of early mineralization stages (breccia pipes and stockworks) suggests that the initiation of fluid flow may be essentially instantaneous and catastrophic, with the longer total duration of hydrothermal activity reflecting slower kinetically controlled fluid exsolution processes, or draining of deeper parts of the system. These fluids generate intense subsurface hydrothermal alteration, and may precipitate economic concentrations of Cu-sulfide minerals in potassic alteration zones as they cool between ~400°–300°C. The suddenness and infrequency of these ore-forming hydrothermal events suggests that they are triggered by an external process acting on otherwise normally evolving magmatic systems. Sudden depressurization or agitation of a large, primed, volatile-saturated or supersaturated mid– upper crustal magma chamber could lead to rapid and voluminous volatile exsolution and fluid discharge. This sudden volatile flux could result in either a large explosive volcanic eruption if the surface is breached, or a large magmatic-hydrothermal system that could form a porphyry Cu deposit if fluid flow is restricted to the subsurface. Candidates for triggers of these destabilizing events are catastrophic mass wasting such as volcanic edifice collapse, or mega-earthquakes, the latter possibly causing the former. The frequency of such catastrophic events occurring in proximity to active arc batholiths may approximate the recurrence rate of formation of large porphyry Cu deposits
The impact of product health description and serving size information on consumption
Get PDFThe main goal of this study was to investigate the effects of manipulating product health
descriptions and serving size information on actual calorie consumption and estimations of calorie
consumption. In a 3 (no description vs. healthy description vs. unhealthy description) by 2 (normal
serving size information vs. larger serving size information) factorial design, 150 females over the
age of 18 years were invited to partake in a “taste test” of an oatmeal cookie product. In terms of
consumption, it was found that participants who received the larger serving size information
(labelled as 4 cookies/280 calories), which was double that of the normal serving size information
presented on traditional packaging (labelled as 2 cookies/140 calories), consumed significantly
less (M=139.92 calories, SD=98.88) than those who received the normal serving size information
(M=197.98 calories, SD=145.96). Participants therefore consumed approximately 29% less when
they were presented the larger serving size information compared to the normal serving size
information. When looking at overall accuracy of calorie estimations or how close their estimation
was to their actual consumption, it was found that those who received the larger serving size
information were significantly more accurate at estimating their actual calorie consumption
(M=57.42 calories, SD=73.97) than those who received the normal serving size information
(M=94.70 calories, SD=109.68). Furthermore, participants presented with a healthy product
description were significantly more likely to underestimate the amount of calories they consumed
during the experiment (M=-52.70 calories, SD=92.25) than those who received no product
description (M=-6.72 calories, SD=132.81) or an unhealthy product description (M=7.89 calories,
SD=127.14). Thus, product descriptions as well as serving size information can have a significant
impact on calorie consumption and an individual’s estimation of their perceived calorie intake
Utilizing the mechanical redundancy of parallel systems for condition monitoring hydraulic pumps in variable operation
Get PDFThis work investigates and develops an approach to resolve some of the unique
challenges associated with condition monitoring variable duty equipment. The proposed
solution utilizes the mechanical redundancy of parallel systems to create dynamic
criterion for detecting incipient faults. In this context, parallel systems are those which
contain multiple subsystems (with similar construction) having synchronized operating
conditions. This work evaluates the proposed methodology through its application on
parallel hydraulic gear pumps. By comparing the dynamic pressure and vibration signal
features, it was found that this approach is capable of distinguishing various incipient
failures while the pumps were in both stationary and non-stationary operation
Examining literary and policy discourses of mental disability in the post-dismantlement phase of Ontario's institutional cycle
No full textPersons living with a mental disability in Ontario comprise a significant and diverse population that has historically existed in the margins of society as a result of the discrimination that has dominated the province's social and political discourses. Building upon McCauley's (2011) research, a critical discourse analysis methodology was utilized to examine the ways that major policy and literary discourses have influenced the cultural constructions of mental disability in Ontario. The present study focuses on policy and literary texts, specifically novels and memoires, published since the last institutions in the province were closed in 2009, marking the beginning of the post-dismantlement phase of the Ontario's institutional cycle. It was anticipated that an examination of the ways that literature and policy construct mental disability during the post-dismantlement phase of Ontario's institutional cycle would help to identify policy planning needs and opportunities for advancing human rights for persons living with mental disabilities. Findings ultimately identify a disconnect between Ontario's public policies that assert a responsibility to uphold the social and economic rights of persons living with disabilities, and experiences of exclusion amongst persons living with mental disabilities as depicted in literary fiction and non-fiction narratives. In order for equality in social and economic participation to be realized a number of recommendations are proposed, including the use of direct consultation with service-users of varying abilities to inform policy planning initiatives, as well as increased availability of institutional services such as long-term care facilities.Master of Social Work (MSW
The role of ceremonial ayahuasca use and the healing of eating disorders: a qualitative study
No full textEating disorders (EDs) are serious mental disorders and are associated with significant physical,
psychological and social impairments. As EDs are highly treatment-resistant, novel approaches
are needed and therapeutic modalities from other cultures must be explored. A growing body of
literature has revealed that individuals struggling with depression, anxiety and problematic
substance use and most recently EDs, have reported physical and psychological improvements
with the use of a psychoactive plant-based brew known as ayahuasca. The present manuscriptbased
thesis sought to better understand ayahuasca’s potential value as a therapeutic tool in the
treatment of EDs. Two qualitative studies were conducted to identify; 1) the perceived outcomes
from ceremonial ayahuasca that may influence ED healing, and 2) the overall impressions of
conventional ED treatment with a comparison of ayahuasca to these conventional approaches.
Participants with a history of a diagnosed ED and experience with ceremonial ayahuasca were
interviewed and the transcripts were analyzed using thematic analysis. Overall, the themes
identified suggest that ayahuasca works as an integrative approach that includes psychological,
physical, relational and spiritual aspects of healing. As well, in comparison to conventional-ED
approaches, participants perceived that ayahuasca worked on a deeper, more emotional and
spiritual level that was more effective than conventional treatment. The study results suggest that
ceremonial ayahuasca can serve as a valuable therapeutic tool, giving hope to those individuals
for whom conventional ED treatment approaches have not been effective. Further research studies on ayahuasca as adjuncts to ED treatment are warranted
Numerical investigation of anisotropic and time-dependent behaviours of foliated rock mass
No full textSqueezing ground conditions have become a major challenge faced by underground hard rock
mines exploiting reserves at greater depth and in a high-stress environment. This thesis
investigates the influence of various parameters on the severity of squeezing ground
conditions in foliated rock mass utilizing continuum numerical modelling in FLAC3D finite
difference code. A series of numerical simulations were carried out for selected cases of two
mines subject to squeezing ground conditions to investigate the rock mass failure
mechanisms, the influence of various geological, mining and stress parameters, time
dependence and the role of rock reinforcements. The numerical models were calibrated using
field data and underground observations. The numerical models were successful in capturing the observed failure mechanisms at the
two mines. The calibrated numerical models were used to investigate the influence of varying
interception angle, excavation shape, excavation over-break, mining depth and parallel
excavations on the severity of squeezing ground conditions utilizing ubiquitous joint model.
The time dependence in the numerical models was simulated by using the power ubiquitous
model and the role of various rock reinforcement elements was simulated by using structural
elements. The results of the numerical simulations were found to be in good agreement with
the underground convergence data and observations. The modelling methodology used in the
thesis can be used to improve the understanding of the anisotropic and time-dependent
behaviour of the foliated rock mass to various mining conditions. The methodology can also
be used to evaluate performance of various rock reinforcement strategies and elements that
are used in squeezing ground conditions
Root lifespan and overwintering strategies for two wetland species, Sagittaria latifolia wild. (Alismataceae) and Carex crinita lam (Cyperaceae), in contrasting climate zones.
No full textIn northern wetlands, roots of some perennial wetland plant species senesce in the
autumn, while other species maintain their roots over the winter. Some of these species extend in
their distribution to warmer climates. This research investigates the effects of growing season
length on root phenology of two species with such contrasting overwintering patterns. Sagittaria
latifolia (autumn-senescing roots) and Carex crinita (overwintering roots) were investigated near
the northern (46°N) and southern (35°N) edges of their distribution in North America. C. crinita
maintained >75% of its roots alive in both locations, without changing its overwintering strategy.
Roots of S. latifolia senesced completely in the autumn in the north, whereas, in the south some
roots (~10%) remained alive throughout the winter. This suggests that complete root senescence
before the winter is an adaptation to long winters, and may be unnecessary under short mild
winters. Nevertheless, the species maintains the short-lived root strategy regardless of the winter severity
Evidence-based strategies in occupational health: applying meta-analytic and qualitative methods to identify and understand sickness absence among nurses and health care aides with considerations for Northeastern Ontario
No full textPurpose: Compared to other employees, nurses and health care aides (HCAs) have the highest sickness absence rates in Canada yet the phenomenon remains insufficiently studied. Furthermore, the potential influence of geography on sickness absence has received scant attention. Guided by the Evidence-Based Practice in Occupational Health Psychology framework, this investigation aimed to identify factors associated with sickness absence, understand how they occur, and determine factors that may be specific to communities in northeastern Ontario. Methods: A systematic review identified relevant studies through structured search strategies, article screening, and quality testing. Pooled statistics in the form of odds ratios and confidence intervals were computed. Follow-up analyses examined heterogeneity (Q& I2). Qualitatively, focus group sessions were held with registered nurses (n= 6), registered practical nurses (n= 4), HCAs (n= 5), and key informants specialized in nursing, occupational health, disability management, and rehabilitation (n= 5). Nursing personnel were recruited from hospitals and long-term care facilities. Narrative data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results: Meta-analytic searches yielded 812 studies, of which 27 met eligibility, and 11 variables that influenced the odds of sickness absence in a statistically significant manner (p< .05). Variables include: sex, occupation, health rating, previous sick leave, musculoskeletal pain, poor mental health, fatigue, night shifts, pediatric and psychiatric units, increased occupational demand, and work support. Poor health rating was highly heterogeneous (p< .05; I2= 82.77%). Thematic analysis revealed four primary themes: (1) Organizational factors including exposure to infectious diseases, shift work, safety climate, and work setting; (2) the jobs’ physical impact, mainly musculoskeletal pain; (3) psychological/mental impact including guilt, anxiety, and burnout; and (4) factors unique to northeastern Ontario including poor weather and road conditions, especially for HCAs providing home care, and the limited opportunity of interconnected health care networks where employers make staff available during worker shortages. Factors leading to sickness absence were described, with staff shortage serving as an important underlying contributor. Conclusion: This investigation points to the complexity and intricacy of factors influencing sickness absences. The qualitative results helped deepen the understanding of the quantitative findings, while considering northern-specific factors. Several concerns were attributed to staff shortages