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Advanced stroke prediction using machine learning and deep learning techniques
No full textStroke remains a leading cause of disability and mortality, necessitating reliable predictive models for early diagnosis. This thesis enhances stroke prediction using a comprehensive Kaggle dataset of 43,400 clinical records, employing both machine learning and deep learning techniques. The methodology includes extensive data preprocessing, handling missing values, data imputation, encoding categorical variables, normalization, and addressing class imbalances, followed by the implementation and evaluation of algorithms such as Random Forest, Decision Tree, Support Vector Machine, Logistic Regression, K-Nearest Neighbors, and Deep Neural Networks (DNNs). Metrics like accuracy, precision, recall, F1-score, AUC, and specificity were used for evaluation. Ensemble methods like Gradient Boosting (G-Boost) and Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGB) outperformed others, with G-Boost achieving an accuracy of 99% using a 70-20-10 split ratio. DNN also showed promise in handling complex data. The contributions highlight the potential of advanced techniques in stroke prediction, achieving superior performance and providing insights into health parameters influencing stroke risk. This study contributes to medical informatics by setting benchmarks for stroke prediction and demonstrating AI's applicability in healthcare. Implementing these models in clinical settings can enhance early detection, enable personalized interventions, and improve patient outcomes, reducing the burden of stroke
Assessing fish biodiversity in northeastern Ontario drainage basins: methodological and landscape effects
Get PDFInland waters and their fish communities constitute a valuable resource for Canada. Long-term monitoring of fish communities in Ontario supports both fisheries management and biodiversity assessment. Traditionally, fish monitoring programs have relied on gill net surveys of sportfish-dominated larger lakes (≥ 50 ha) which may not adequately sample some aquatic habitats or fish species, and thus underestimate biodiversity. The issue is important in northeastern Ontario, where historical acidification led to significant loss of fish resources. A more thorough and robust assessment of the recovery of fish communities in this region may require a multi-gear and multi-habitat approach. My research objectives were to examine the efficiency of current gill net community surveys as a fish biodiversity assessment tool, and to explore patterns in fish biodiversity in relation to landscape characteristics at multiple scales in the historic acid deposition zone of northeastern Ontario. My first chapter compares fish species richness estimates from Broad-scale Monitoring (BsM) surveys with those derived from alternate protocols, and a multi-gear approach (BsM surveys plus alternate sampling protocols) designed to sample habitats and species that are believed to be poorly sampled by gill nets. Sampling was carried out on 30 lakes in the historical acid-damaged zone of northeastern Ontario. Species detected increased asymptotically with sampling effort. Maximum species detection (Smax) differed greatly among gear types, but no individual gear was able to effectively sample the full fish community. In contrast, the effort required to achieve 80% of Smax was quite similar among individual gears. Integrating all individual gears (Combo protocol) detected significantly more species than the BsM protocol at higher sampling effort (≥18 efforts). BsM surveys detected 73.8 ± 15.4% (mean ± 1 SD) of all fish species detected in my study lakes, often missing species that use extreme nearshore and tributary habitats. BsM detection efficiency was negatively related to abundance of smallmouth bass. My second chapter examines patterns in fish biodiversity within and among six drainage basins covering a gradient of historical acidification damage (three acid- recovering, three reference) in northeastern Ontario. Fish biodiversity was higher in reference drainage basins than acid-recovering drainage basins; this trend was most evident when biodiversity was measured as species richness and Shannon’s diversity, and less evident when measured as Simpson’s diversity. Differences in fish biodiversity between reference and acid-recovering drainage basins were also more pronounced when analyzed with BsM survey data than with nearshore and tributary Gee trap data. Biodiversity estimates tended to be higher in large sentinel lakes located at lower elevations in the drainage basin. Fish biodiversity in lakes was most strongly linked to contemporary pH, but latitude, relative elevation and lake size were also significant factors in some analyses. My study provides a critical evaluation of the role of the BsM program in fish biodiversity assessment, provides an updated and more comprehensive approach to examining status and recovery of fish communities, and will inform targeted conservation efforts in north temperate landscapes
Prévention et intervention en santé mentale : une étude exploratoire de la formation des enseignantes francophones dans la région du nord de l’Ontario.
Get PDFEn 2020, le monde entier a ressenti les impacts de la pandémie mondiale du virus
COVID-19. Le système d’éducation n’a pas fait exception, car les élèves ont eu recours à
l’apprentissage virtuel et à des mesures de distanciation à leur retour en classe. En 2024,
les enseignantes du nord de l’Ontario continuent de ressentir les effets de la pandémie
dans leurs salles de classe, notamment sur le bien-être et la santé mentale de nombreuses
personnes. Cela a soulevé la question importante concernant les connaissances et la
capacité des enseignantes à jouer un rôle clé dans la promotion du bien-être et la
prévention des problèmes de santé mentale en milieu scolaire.
Ce projet de recherche entrepris dans le cadre d’une maîtrise en travail social explore les
réalités de la formation en littératie en santé mentale des enseignantes francophones au
nord de l’Ontario pendant leurs études à l'École des sciences d'éducation, à l’Université
Laurentienne, ainsi que tout au long de leur parcours en carrière. Les participantes ont eu
la chance de partager leurs expériences professionnelles sur des sujets comme la
formation des enseignantes, la littératie en santé mentale, la santé mentale des
enseignantes et le bien-être des élèves.
La féminisation de ce texte a été privilégiée afin de refléter la place des femmes
professionnelles qui ont agi comme participantes à cette recherche.Maîtrise en service social
Community interfaith centre: on common ground
No full textThis thesis discusses a new typology of interfaith
architecture in the form of a Community Interfaith
Centre located within a prominent civic park in
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. A growing multifaith city
within the fabric of Canada’s evolving multicultural
and multifaith communities. The research project
explores interfaith dialogue at the core of multifaith
design which has historically focused primarily on
worship spaces, omitting the purposeful design of
interactions between the various user groups. The
design proposes a reimagined landscape of the
park which invites visitors to the centrally located
Interfaith Community Centre edifice designed as a
flower rising from the garden of the park. Each design
element of the proposal fosters chance encounters
and curated events within a sacred environment that
begins from the outer landscaped gardens to the
interior garden and programmed spaces. The study
advocates for this dialogue to foster community
unity within the fabric of diverse mid-sized cities of
Canada and beyond.Master of Architecture (M.Arch
The "Pebble in your shoe" model of effectiveness: Laurentien University Undergraduate students' perspectives on campaigns regarding alcohol use during pregnancy
No full textFetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) is the diagnostic term for the effects of alcohol
use during pregnancy and is one of the leading causes of developmental disability. Both
individuals with FASD and pregnant people require information and supports to promote their
health. Currently, in Canada, these two needs are not being adequately or consistently met.
Health promotion campaigns reach their highest barrier in the form of reactance, a
reaction to advertising wherein individuals dismiss and reject messaging. This common
occurrence is exacerbated during the experience of pregnancy when individuals are receiving a
higher amount of health advice than the general population.
While many health promotion campaigns about alcohol use during pregnancy exist, these
campaigns have been criticized for their contribution to stigma due to their reliance on fear,
blame and shame to deliver their message. This type of messaging also contributes to reactance,
strengthening the barriers to receiving information about alcohol use during pregnancy. This type
of education is essential to allow for pregnant people to make informed choices, which are
currently complicated through misinterpretation of safe alcohol use by the media, anecdotal
stories wherein friends or family drank alcohol during pregnancy and produced healthy children,
and the cultural norm of using alcohol. Therefore, development of a new type of campaign that
effectively informs pregnant people about the dangers of using alcohol during pregnancy,
without contributing to the current stigma surrounding the disorder, should be explored.
The first step in creating this type of campaign is to receive community input on previous
worldwide campaigns. As such, this dissertation sought to understand the thoughts, opinions and
perspectives of individuals of childbearing age on previous Level 1 FASD prevention
campaigns. Using intersectionality theory, basic qualitative design, thematic analysis and focus
group discussion, the “Pebble in Your Shoe” Model of Effectiveness was developed based on
community perspectives. This model could be utilized in the development and evaluation of
future Level 1 FASD Prevention campaigns.Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Rural and Northern Healt
L’architecture d’un entre-deux: une approche communautaire à la prévention des troubles alimentaires
No full textLes maladies mentales sont des manifestations qui affectent presque tout le monde d’une
manière directe ou indirecte, et les troubles du comportement alimentaire en font partie.
Au Canada, près d’un million de personnes ont ce diagnostic. Cette statistique souligne le
fait que la prévention est primordiale pour voir les chiffres diminuer. En s’appuyant sur
deux théories scientifiques, cette thèse établit quatre piliers de la prévention dérivés des
méthodes de diffusion à la prévention. Ce sont sur ces quatre idées que toutes les décisions
architecturales sont basées. Par ailleurs, pour mieux comprendre comment aborder les
quatre piliers d’une manière architecturale, huit études de cas ont été conduites. Ensuite,
la solution architecturale doit se parler au contexte. Donc, le Grand Sudbury a été choisi
en raison du manque de services de santé dans le nord de l’Ontario. Elle agit comme
épicentre pour les services aux communautés du nord-est de l’Ontario. Dans le cadre de
cette recherche, les usagers principaux sont les jeunes entre 15 à 24 ans, parce qu’ils sont
les plus vulnérables. Les écoles secondaires et postsecondaires qui leur servirent sont
parsemées partout grâce à leur configuration d’un satellite à Sudbury. Ça fait le choix du
centre-ville un lieu idéal pour la proposition architecturale d’un centre communautaire.
Cela assure l’accès égal à la démographie des jeunes. Centre Harmonie Alimentaire est
conçu pour promouvoir la correcte construction d’une image corporelle et les habitudes
alimentaires saines. L’objectif principal est de promouvoir un ensemble de programmes
ouverts à tous pour apprendre et sensibiliser autour de ce sujet.Maîtrise en architecture (M.Arch
Anishinaabemowin land-based language immersion learning implications on wholistic health
No full textii
Abstract
Revitalizing Indigenous languages is crucial to the health and well-being of all people,
plants, animals and Shkagamik-kwe (Mother Earth). The relationship between land and language
is reciprocal and inseparable; when learning the language, we learn how to care for the land. In
turn, the land then takes care of us. In applying an Indigenous research methodology based in a
traditional Algonquin fishing practice that included quantitative and qualitative elements, this
research found that there were measurable health benefits to learning Anishinaabemowin as part
of an immersive, land-based university course taught by Elders and Knowledge Holders and
grounded in Indigenous knowledge and experiential learning practices. 'Fishing' for a theoretical
'catch' was carefully created through surveys and the interviews, which allowed participants to
articulate the changes they experienced throughout the course. In all cases, student participants in
this study indicated an improvement in their emotional, physical, spiritual, and mental health
over the eight days of the course under study
Comprehensive data analysis of cancer incidence trends in Canada using machine learning
Get PDFThis study presents an in-depth analysis of cancer trends in Canada using advanced machine-learning techniques to extract complex patterns and insights from extensive cancer data. The research aims to deepen the understanding of cancer epidemiology in Canada and promote more effective strategies for prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. The study uses information from reputable organizations such as the Canadian Cancer Society and Statistics Canada databases. These data sets contain a wide range of demographic, geographic, and clinical variables that provide a robust basis for analysis. In the data preprocessing phase, problems such as missing values and data normalization are addressed, ensuring the subsequent analysis's reliability and validity. Central to this research is the application of various machine-learning models. These models will be carefully selected from supervised learning as well as time series models tuned to account for the nuances and complexities of cancer incidence data. The analysis will reveal significant trends and patterns and highlight correlations with demographic factors such as age, gender, and geographic differences across Canada. The results of this study illuminate critical aspects of cancer incidence and reveal previously unknown patterns and trends. This knowledge can be central to health policymakers, clinicians, and researchers and will provide a knowledge base for developing targeted cancer control strategies. In conclusion, this dissertation demonstrates the potential of machine learning to improve our understanding of cancer trends in Canada. It highlights the importance of technology in health research and provides a model for similar research in other fields and diseases
Improving conservation translocation and ex situ breeding techniques for the recovery of a temperate zone rattlesnake
Get PDFReintroduction biology is the study and practice of establishing populations of organisms using
tools like conservation translocation. An understanding of how to effectively conduct
translocations, particularly with snakes, is lacking and there is a need for technique
improvement. Systematic literature review, occupancy modeling, artificial hibernation,
retrospective analysis of zoo data, and population viability modeling were used to evaluate the
effectiveness of in situ and ex situ techniques to inform future translocations with temperate zone
snakes. Field work occurred at the Ojibway Prairie Complex and Greater Park Ecosystem in
southern Canada with the Eastern Massasauga (Sistrurus catenatus), a rattlesnake in decline
across its global range and in need of research into the effectiveness of population management
tools. When working with a low detectability species, results showed that evaluating long-term
success of translocations at achieving population establishment requires intensive survey efforts
to estimate patch occupancy across a study landscape. In the short-term, the invasive and sample-
size-limiting technique of radiotelemetry is required for evaluating success of release tactics. A
systematic literature review on snake translocations provided evidence for the utility of a suite of
translocation tactics for reducing postrelease effects. However, an assessment of ex situ
reproductive output coupled with demographic modelling, showed that certain beneficial tactics
(e.g., release of captive-reared snakes) can be problematic to implement and sustain, perhaps due
to breeding techniques that fail to replicate natural conditions, and with potential impacts to
release site fidelity of translocated snakes. Empirical and theoretical guidance were provided for
Massasauga recovery by informing eight steps for a successful snake translocation, beginning
with the establishment of translocation goals and ending with effectiveness monitoring.
Regardless, recovery efforts are hindered by the limitations of existing ex situ breeding
techniques, coupled with intensive supplementation efforts required to overcome postrelease
effects in situ and to establish a viable wild population over time. Research into alternative ex
situ breeding techniques for viperids (e.g., polygamous matings) and effectiveness of beneficial
translocation tactics for snakes in general are required. Reintroduction can be a daunting and
resource intensive pursuit, echoing the need to stabilize declining populations before they
become small
Exploring the gateway to addiction services for Northeastern Ontario youth with concurrent disorders
No full textThis report will provide an overview of the learning processes and outcomes associated
with the completion of my advanced practicum at Compass. The advanced practicum examined
the need for resources and advocacy for youth between the ages of 12 -18 with addictions and/or
concurrent disorders. My advanced practicum was completed in the stabilization service at
Compass, with referrals from Health Sciences North (HSN) crisis intervention services and the
Child and Adolescent Mental Health Program (CAMHP). The stabilization service receives
referrals for youth that present with an increase in mental health needs and risk taking behaviours
including substance use and addictions.
The advanced practicum allowed me to network and collaborate with colleagues and
community agencies to ensure that youth presenting with addictions and/or concurrent disorders
are provided with appropriate services. I utilized multiple theoretical frameworks including anti-
oppressive and strengths-based approaches in the direct practice with youth presenting with an
increase in risk taking behaviours including substance use, victimization in regard to human
trafficking, and elopements. The advanced practicum allowed me to not only achieve my
learning goals but also increase my awareness of the need for a harm reduction approach,
recognize the service user as the expert, and the importance of advocacy.Master of Social Work Progra