This thesis focuses on the dynamics of benefit receipt in the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) using individual-level administrative data from 2003 to 2013. This thesis is comprised of three self-contained essays. The first essay examines the dynamics of disability benefit receipt in Ontario. A five-year cohort analysis is carried out for those who first received disability benefits in any year between 2004 and 2009 to estimate the proportion exiting from such benefits within five years of first benefit receipt. This analysis is extended to type of exit (e.g., died, moved, or disqualified) and nature of exit (e.g., sustained or temporary). We find that only about 18 percent of benefit recipients exit, most within one and a half years of initial benefit receipt, and that more than one-third of those who exit return within five years. Recipients are both less likely to exit and more likely to return if single, divorced, or widowed rather than married or living common law, if they have children, or if they have mental rather than physical disabilities. The second essay identifies factors that influence ODSP benefits duration. We employ a flexible parametric technique to investigate the duration of disability benefit receipt. We also employ cure models to account for the proportion of recipients that never exit ODSP over the ten-year sample period. Of the whole sample, 20 percent of recipients completed a first spell and the remaining 80 percent were right censored. We find that time spent receiving ODSP benefits is negatively associated with education and positively associated with both age and severity of disability. Individuals who are single, divorced, separated, widowed, or immigrants have longer benefit spells as compared to those who are married, common law, and Canadian born. Individuals with children also spend longer time on ODSP than those relative without children. We provide evidence that recipient characteristics are associated with different probabilities of exiting or re-entering ODSP; that suggests that differentiated, and not ‘one size fit all’, policies are required to facilitate transitions from program dependence to economic independence. The third essay analyzes differences in the benefit receipt rates by immigration status and age. A flexible parametric duration analysis is employed to investigate how age at entry into benefits interacted with immigration status and, for immigrants, how age at arrival in Canada affects the exit rate from disability support. We find strong evidence of differences in age-dependence of benefit receipt and exit rates across immigration status categories. At younger (18-34) and middle (35-54) ages the Canadian-born have much higher benefit receipt rates than immigrants but lower rates at older (55 and over) ages. We speculate that the difference at younger and middle ages can be explained largely by the “healthy immigrant effect” (i.e., a selection effect of relatively healthier immigrants) and at older ages by differential eligibility for, and expected income from, alternative benefit programs such as the Canada Pension Plan, Old Age Security, and the Guaranteed Income Supplement. / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Landscape is dynamic. All the elements in the landscape are in a continual process of change. There is growth, expansion, weathering, disintegration, decay and renewal. Change is the very substance of things and it is through these changes that we register the passage of time. This thesis explores the concept of material duration and its application to landscape design. Duration is a complex measure of time. This thesis adapts a definition of duration developed in the field of finance to explore time in the design of an urban cemetery. The design embodies the concept of a cemetery with a "constant duration". This lasting quality of constant duration is a persistence that retains at its core the essence of the landscape while embracing the unavoidable and indispensable material changes. To design with constant duration is to analyze and chart a design as a journey through time. / Master of Landscape Architecture

The purpose of this research was the evaluation of the American Strategic Duration Perspective, generally accepted and often criticized for being performance based shorttermism, to the detriment of its long term economic sustenance. The study sampled three hundred and thirty one corporate strategic leaders in three categories, namely; American, Japanese and Japanese-American. The survey instrument was a written, cross sectional, questionnaire. The study evaluated the American Strategic Duration Perspective in contrast to; the Japanese Strategic Duration Perspective, generally accepted as long-termism, secondly, by measuring Japanese-American SDP. adaptation made in relation or response to the American Operating Environment. The traditional Japanese-American Strategic Duration Perspective is Japanese long-termism. Thus, JapaneseAmerican SDP. adjustment to the American Operating Environment would "objectively' demonstrate whether the American Strategic Duration Perspective was an appropriate subjective (Japanese-American) perception or not. The data reflected that not only had the Japanese-American sample become more American in Strategic Duration Perspective, but that the Japanese had themselves shortened their SDP. "independent" of the American Operating Environment. These facts supported the status quo American Strategic Duration Perspective. Further, the shortening of Strategic Duration Perspective by the Japanese sample reflects a broader, global trend toward an increasingly RealTimestrategic management model / Economic and Management Sciences / D. BL.

The purpose of this research was the evaluation of the American Strategic Duration Perspective, generally accepted and often criticized for being performance based shorttermism, to the detriment of its long term economic sustenance. The study sampled three hundred and thirty one corporate strategic leaders in three categories, namely; American, Japanese and Japanese-American. The survey instrument was a written, cross sectional, questionnaire. The study evaluated the American Strategic Duration Perspective in contrast to; the Japanese Strategic Duration Perspective, generally accepted as long-termism, secondly, by measuring Japanese-American SDP. adaptation made in relation or response to the American Operating Environment. The traditional Japanese-American Strategic Duration Perspective is Japanese long-termism. Thus, JapaneseAmerican SDP. adjustment to the American Operating Environment would "objectively' demonstrate whether the American Strategic Duration Perspective was an appropriate subjective (Japanese-American) perception or not. The data reflected that not only had the Japanese-American sample become more American in Strategic Duration Perspective, but that the Japanese had themselves shortened their SDP. "independent" of the American Operating Environment. These facts supported the status quo American Strategic Duration Perspective. Further, the shortening of Strategic Duration Perspective by the Japanese sample reflects a broader, global trend toward an increasingly RealTimestrategic management model / Economic and Management Sciences / D. BL.

The aim of this study is to apply Genette's narratological theory and Ricoeur's views on narrative identity to selected short stories from J.W. Mashike's Pelo Segole. The study comprises four chapters. The problem statement, a1ms as well as method of research are outlined in chapter one. In chapter two, Genette's narratological theory as well as Ricoeur's vtews on narrative identity, which form the basis of this study, are highlighted and discussed. In chapter three, a narratological analysis of the stories 'Di wele Morerwana', 'Pelo Pholwana' and 'Ga di ke di Mutlhwa di le Pedi' focusing on aspects of duration, namely ellipsis, pause, scene and summary, is undertaken. An interpretation of the stories according to Ricoeur's views on narrative identity is also undertaken in this chapter. In chapter four, a summary of the mam findings of this study as well as a conclusion, will be included. / Thesis (M.A. (African Languages))--Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education, 2003

The aim of this study is to apply Genette's narratological theory and Ricoeur's views on narrative identity to selected short stories from J.W. Mashike's Pelo Segole. The study comprises four chapters. The problem statement, a1ms as well as method of research are outlined in chapter one. In chapter two, Genette's narratological theory as well as Ricoeur's vtews on narrative identity, which form the basis of this study, are highlighted and discussed. In chapter three, a narratological analysis of the stories 'Di wele Morerwana', 'Pelo Pholwana' and 'Ga di ke di Mutlhwa di le Pedi' focusing on aspects of duration, namely ellipsis, pause, scene and summary, is undertaken. An interpretation of the stories according to Ricoeur's views on narrative identity is also undertaken in this chapter. In chapter four, a summary of the mam findings of this study as well as a conclusion, will be included. / Thesis (M.A. (African Languages))--Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education, 2003

For the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), accurately predicting durations for right-of-way (R/W) acquisition and utility adjustment on highway projects has been deemed as one of the most important capabilities that regional districts should possess. Because this need is so pressing, TxDOT has sought to establish an effective methodology for predicting the durations of these two pre-construction processes. The “Right-of-Way Acquisition and Utility Adjustment Process Duration Information (RUDI) tool” was developed, which is an Excel-based tool that takes into consideration user inputs regarding project circumstances such as schedule urgency and levels of uncertainty. In this study, the accuracy of RUDI and the key drivers that affect the durations of R/W acquisition and utility adjustment have been examined in order to assess RUDI’s effectiveness in implementation on projects, to identify critical needs for enhancing RUDI, and to understand how practitioners can better predict durations needed for R/W acquisition and utility adjustment. RUDI proved useful in predicting durations with better accuracy in spite of limited data availability. Specifically, RUDI provided practitioners with reasonable duration ranges that can be used in better forecasting the durations of utility adjustment. Moreover, the study revealed that practitioners with more than 13 years of experience and R/W acquisition specialization showed better performance in estimating durations for R/W acquisition. Accurately estimated durations for utility adjustment were mostly provided by practitioners working at districts located in urban or metropolitan areas in Texas. The drivers identified significantly influential in predicting durations for R/W acquisition by the practitioners include “TxDOT Project Type,” “District R/W Annual Budget,” “Dedication of Funds to the Project,” “Funding Limitations for the Project,” “Level of Political Pressure,” “Need for Residential Relocation,” “Level of Local Availability of Replacement Housing Facilities,” and “Likelihood of Title Curative Actions,” “Status of Environmental Clearance,” “Status of Right-of-Way Map,” “Frequency of Eminent Domain,” “Right-of-Way and Utility Scope,” and “Number of Parcels for Acquisition.” Likewise, for estimating utility adjustment durations, the drivers deemed highly influential and important by the practitioners include “Dedication of Funds to the Project (R/W and Construction),” “Funding Limitations for the Project,” “Have Subsurface Utility Engineering (SUE) Investigations been Performed,” “Adjustment is Reimbursable Utility or Non-Reimbursable Utility,” “Status of Environmental Clearance,” “Status of Right-of-Way Map,” “Right-of-Way and Utility Scope,” “Number of Utilities Located in Private Easement,” and “Responsiveness of Utility Companies to TxDOT Needs.” These drivers should be considered key data points in RUDI because they can provide users with more duration ranges that can be useful in forecasting actual durations of R/W acquisition and utility adjustment on highway projects. The study also revealed that further research is needed to maximize the benefits of the RUDI tool, although validating the study’s findings was restricted due to a lack of data. Additional studies for improving the RUDI tool should focus both on collecting more recent data and reconstructing the tool in terms of function and structure. / text

Stretch is known to result in an electrically less stable ventricular substrate, yet the reported effects of stretch on measured electrophysiological parameters have been inconsistent and even contradictory. The goal of this study was to evaluate the effects of acute mechanical stretch on cardiac electrical features thought to be key in generation of arrhythmia, namely restitution of action potential duration (APD), electrical memory, and onset of alternans. Microelectrodes were used to record intracellular potentials pre, during, and post-stretch from isolated right ventricular tissues from swine. In separate experiments, the effects of two levels of stretch were quantified. Pacing protocols employing explicit diastolic interval (DI) control and cycle length (CL) control were used to obtain measures of restitution of APD, memory, and alternans of APD. Stretching the tissue had varying effects on APD, restitution and memory. Stretch increased APD, restitution slopes and memory by as much as 24, 30 and 53 % in some cases, while it decreased these by up to 18, 37 and 81 % in others. During stretch, alternans of APD were observed in some cases, which occurred at slower rates of activation than before stretch. Histology of tissue samples showed localized changes in orientation of cells relative to the direction of stretch. Our results show that among individual trials, stretch altered the measured electrophysiological properties, sometimes markedly. However, when pooled together, these changes cancelled each other and the averages showed no statistically significant difference after stretch. A potential mechanism that explains this divergent and inconsistent response to stretch is the presence of local, micron level, variation in orientation of myocytes. Upon stretch, these divergent effects likely increase dispersion of repolarization diffusely and might thus be the reason behind the consistently observed increase in arrhythmic substrate after stretch.

The critical power (CP) model includes two constants: the CP and the W′ [P = W′ / t) + CP]. The W′ is the finite work capacity available above CP. Power output above CP results in depletion of the W′; complete depletion of the W′ results in exhaustion. It is possible to model the charge and discharge of the W′ during intermittent exercise using a novel integrating model (the W′BAL model), and to generate a function describing a curvilinear relationship between time constants of reconstitution of the W′ in terms of the difference between recovery power and CP (DCP) (r2 = 0.77). The depletion of the W′ as predicted by the W′BAL model during intermittent exercise is linearly related to the rise in V ̇O_2 above exercise baseline (r2 = 0.82 – 0.96). During intermittent exercise, the W′BAL model is generally robust with respect to the length of work and recovery interval, yielding a mean under-prediction of the W′BAL of only -1.6 ±1.1 kJ. The amount of W′ remaining after a period of intermittent exercise correlates with the difference between the subject’s V ̇O_2 at that time (V ̇O_2START) and V ̇O_2PEAK (DVO2) (r = 0.79, p < 0.01). Moreover, the W′BAL model also performs well in the field, permitting accurate estimation of the point at which an athlete becomes exhausted during hard training or competition (mean W′BAL at exhaustion = 0.5 ± 1.3 kJ (95% CI = 0 – 0.9 kJ). The W′BAL model meets the mathematical criteria of an excellent diagnostic test for exhaustion (area under ROC curve = 0.91). 31P magnetic resonance spectroscopy during single leg extensor exercise revealed a correlation between the recovery of the W′BAL model and recovery of creatine phosphate ([PCr]) after a bout of exhaustive single leg extensor exercise (r = 0.99, p < 0.01). The W′BAL model also accurately predicted recovery of the W′ in this setting (r = 0.97, p < 0.05). However, a complete understanding of the relationship between the depletion and recovery of [PCr] and the depletion and recovery of the W′ remains elusive. Muscle carnosine content is curvilinearly related to the rate of W′BAL recovery, with higher muscle carnosine associated with faster recovery, with implications for muscle buffering capacity and calcium handling. The W′BAL model may be recast in the form of a differential equation, permitting definition of the time constant of recovery of the W′BAL in terms of the subject’s known W′ and the DCP. This permits the scaling of the model to different muscle groups or exercise modalities. Moreover, modifications to this mathematical form may help explain some of the variability noted in the model in earlier studies, suggesting novel avenues of research. However, the present formulation of the W′BAL model is mathematically robust and represents an important addition to the scientific armamentarium, which may aid the understanding the physiology of human performance.

This commentary accompanies a portfolio of nine compositions written between October 2006 and June 2009. This commentary traces the development of a range of compositional ideas throughout the portfolio. These revolve around the creation of multilayered textures where all the material and all subtle variations thereof are audible, leading to an investigation of rhythmical block durations and the role of memory. The context in which these ideas arose is provided through discussion of specific existing work that closely relates to the portfolio, in particular by John Cage, Morton Feldman, György Ligeti and Giacinto Scelsi.