39456 research outputs found
Sort by
Pre-emptive and Reactive Resource Allocation in Emergency Response
No full textEmergency response departments face significant challenges due to resource scarcity and fluctuating incident demands. Traditional static resource allocation, assigning resources to fixed stations, often results in inefficiencies, leaving resources underutilized or insufficient in high-demand areas. To address these shortcomings, this research develops a dynamic resource allocation framework tailored specifically for fire departments. The framework integrates preemptive strategies based on historical data and predictive modeling with reactive strategies responding to real-time emergencies. Validated through a case study in Fredericton, Canada, using data from 2017 to 2021, results demonstrate that dynamic allocation significantly reduces response times and enhances resource efficiency compared to static methods. This study provides a data-driven, practical approach to optimizing resource management in fire departments, effectively addressing operational constraints such as geographic challenges, varying demands, and limited resource availability, thereby improving efficiency, readiness, and effectiveness in emergency response operations
Sticky feelings, like velcro
No full textThis paper is written to accompany my MFA thesis exhibition, An object thick with presence (the presence of an absence), which took place April 14 - 17, 2025 at Special Projects Gallery (York University). The work included in this exhibition is informed by my sticky experiences with family photographs—experiences that situate me as what writer and scholar Sara Ahmed calls an “affect-alien,” a feminist killjoy, and unhappy queer. The exhibition consists of reworked images gleaned from my family albums, ceramic objects, and various photo-installation strategies in an effort to work on, with, and against the structure of the family album in order to imbue it with new meaning. The aim of this paper, “Sticky feelings, like velcro,” is to make sense of and contextualize my inclinations in making through an explanation of and grounding in queer and intersectional feminist theory and practices, alongside personal auto theoretical anecdotes. How do images from my personal archives—ones that I hold so much affection for, but do not feel myself reflected in—register? How can I work in tandem with these images to claim space and agency? My thesis exhibition and this accompanying support paper use these questions as a springboard to look up and back, as well as forward and onward
Exploring the Effects of Shared Home Ranges on Human-Wildlife Interactions, Parasite Overlap, and Stress Responses in Vervet Monkeys (Chlorocebus Pygerythrus) in East Africa
No full textAs human populations expand and encroach upon natural habitats, boundaries between human settlements and wildlife become increasingly blurred. These shared spaces influence human-wildlife interactions and elevate the risk of zoonotic disease transmission. This dissertation investigates the consequences of overlapping home ranges for human-wildlife conflict, parasite community structure, and physiological and behavioral stress responses in vervet monkeys (Chlorocebus pygerythrus).
Chapter 2 compares human-wildlife conflicts (HWCs) at sites in Uganda and Kenya, analyzing how socioeconomic factors shape local responses. Respondents reported both positive and negative effects of living near a research station or conservancy, with significant variation in conflict severity and frequency.
Chapter 3 examines gastrointestinal parasite communities in sympatric hosts—humans, dogs, livestock, and vervets—around Lake Nabugabo, Uganda. Findings revealed overlapping parasite taxa across species, suggesting shared transmission pathways.
Chapter 4 uses a parasite removal experiment (deworming and natural reinfection) to assess how gastrointestinal parasites affect vervet monkey fecal glucocorticoid metabolites (fGC) and behaviors. Reinfection elevated fGC levels and altered behaviors, though not always in predicted ways.
This interdisciplinary research integrates ecological, parasitological, and ethological approaches to understand how habitat sharing influences disease ecology and stress in wildlife. The findings underscore the complexity of human-wildlife coexistence and highlight the importance of incorporating both ecological and social dimensions into conservation and public health strategies
Precision Measurement Of The 2^3P_1-to-2^3P_0 Fine Structure Of Atomic Helium Using Frequency-Offset Separated Oscillatory Fields
No full textIncreasing accuracy of the theory and experiment of the 2^3 P fine structure of helium has allowed for increasingly precise tests of quantum electrodynamics (QED), determinations of the fine-structure constant , and limitations on possible beyond-the-Standard-Model physics. The work presented is a 2-part-per-billion (ppb) measurement of the =1-to-=0 interval. The measurement is performed using the frequency-offset separated-oscillatory-fields (FOSOF) method. The result of 29 616 955 018(60) Hz represents a landmark for helium fine-structure measurements, and, for the first time, will allow for a 1-ppb determination of the fine-structure constant when QED theory for the interval is improved
Stacked-Switched Electrolytic Capacitor-less AC/DC Power Converters
No full textThe growing adoption of Electric Vehicles (EVs) has increased the demand for compact, efficient, and reliable On-Board Chargers (OBCs) capable of interfacing directly with the AC grid. Conventional single-phase AC/DC converters often depend on bulky electrolytic capacitors, diode bridges, and hard-switching circuits, leading to reduced reliability, increased losses, and limited power density. Additionally, the need for bidirectional energy flow—such as Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) and Vehicle-to-Home (V2H)—requires grid-compliant converters with enhanced functionality and robust control strategies.
This dissertation presents novel single-phase AC/DC converter topologies and control systems designed to eliminate electrolytic capacitors while enabling efficient bidirectional power transfer and robust grid-forming capabilities. The work is organized around three primary contributions.
First, a unidirectional bridgeless AC/DC converter is proposed, utilizing a stacked-switch configuration to reduce voltage stress and operating in Discontinuous Conduction Mode (DCM) to achieve inherent power factor correction. Closed-loop control based on Variable Frequency Modulation (VFM) is used for voltage regulation, and a secondary-side duty modulation strategy minimizes low-frequency ripple, enabling the use of compact, long-life capacitors. Experimental validation on a 1.1kW prototype confirms high power factor (>0.99), low THD (<2.5%), and soft-switching operation.
Second, a bidirectional converter is introduced, combining a half-bridge dual stacked-switch AC/DC stage and a CLLC resonant DC/DC stage. A dq-frame-based controller ensures low harmonic injection and effective grid synchronization in both power flow directions. Ripple reduction is again achieved through duty modulation, validated on a 1kW prototype.
Finally, a robust grid-forming control scheme is developed using H_infinity synthesis with Linear Matrix Inequalities (LMIs), ensuring voltage stability under uncertainty and distortion. Experimental results confirm dynamic performance and low output distortion.
Together, these contributions support next-generation EV charging systems with high reliability, bidirectional capability, and electrolytic capacitor-less design
Forecasting the Next Winning Stock: A Comparative Analysis of Machine Learning Models
No full textStock price prediction is a common and complex problem due to the high volatility of financial markets. This master’s thesis presents a new approach to stock price forecasting by reformulating the problem as a multiclass classification task. The main objective is to predict which stock will yield the highest return the next day within a given set of features. To this end, various statistical and machine learning models are analyzed, with special emphasis on the Transformer model due to its relevance and alignment with the structure of this work. The present study proposes a novel idea to address the problem. Its contributions stand out in an initial exploratory analysis of model performance, as well as in risk minimization in investments, enabling portfolio diversification thanks to the Transformer model
Attitudes and Perceptions Towards Snakes: Informing Conservation Education
No full textPublic aversion to snakes poses a challenge to conservation efforts. This study explored how sociodemographic factors, emotional responses, and personal experiences influence attitudes toward snakes and willingness to engage in conservation education programs. A quantitative survey of 369 Canadian adults assessed emotional, experiential, and demographic predictors using validated and adapted measures. Regression analyses revealed that age, gender, religiosity, pet ownership, and direct experience significantly predicted attitudes. Fear and disgust emerged as distinct but overlapping predictors, with disgust exerting a stronger negative effect on conservation willingness. Participants with more positive attitudes were significantly more likely to express interest in education programs, especially live encounters. Findings suggest that tailored educational strategies addressing both emotional and demographic factors may enhance public support for snake conservation. This research contributes to the design of more effective conservation programs by identifying key predictors of public engagement and attitude change
Resting Microvascular and Autonomic Function in Relation to Age and Sex Hormone Concentrations
No full textThis study assessed the influence of estradiol, progesterone, testosterone and age on resting microvascular and autonomic function in younger and older males and females. Microvascular function was assessed with reactive hyperemia using the microvascular function index (MFI) technique (5mins baseline, circulatory occlusion and reperfusion) and was calculated using the area under the curve of pulse waveforms before and after occlusion/reperfusion. Autonomic function was assessed using 5 mins resting heart rate variability (HRV) and paced deep breathing. Multiple linear regressions were conducted for the influence of estradiol, progesterone, testosterone and age on resting HRV variables and MFI. Aging negatively correlated with respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) indicating lower parasympathetic activity and positively correlated with diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and mean arterial pressure (MAP). Estradiol positively correlated with the low frequency/high frequency ratio of HRV, indicating higher sympathetic activity, and DBP and MAP. Progesterone and testosterone were not significantly correlated with any measures
Spatio-Temporal Variation in Ringed Seal (Pusa Hispida) Density and Habitat Use in the Last Ice Area
No full textThe Arctic is experiencing warming at a rate approximately four times faster than the global average, contributing to precipitous declines in the extent, thickness, age, and seasonal duration of sea ice. The full effects of these rapid changes in sea ice habitat on the Arctic marine ecosystem remain unknown, especially in the High Arctic where ecological research has been limited due to its remoteness. Ringed seals (Pusa hispida) are an abundant ice-associated pinniped species with a habitat range spanning the circumpolar region, making them an ideal study species for exploring ecological changes under changing environmental conditions. Using observations from aerial surveys, this thesis provides the first study on spatio-temporal variation in ringed seal density and habitat use in their northern most range in the Canadian High Arctic, highlighting the importance of bathymetry and marine terminating glaciers to the summer habitat use of ringed seals in the Last Ice Area
Geopolitical Uses of Organised Forced Migration
No full textThis article is published under a Creative Commons CC-BY license.State use of organised forced migration has played a central role in geopolitics and foreign policy. In this piece, we draw attention to its prevalence, including its widespread use as a tool in contemporary migration management policies. In order to effectively tackle questions of forced migration, it is necessary to first recognise that it is frequently purposefully perpetuated by states.This work was supported by Gerda Henkel Foundation (AZ 02/FM/23)