Numerical analysis becomes a powerful resource in the study of partial differential equations (PDEs), allowing to illustrate existing theorems and find conjectures. By using sophisticated methods, questions which seem inaccessible before, like rapid oscillations or blow-up of solutions can be addressed in an approached way. Rapid oscillations in solutions are observed in dispersive PDEs without dissipation where solutions of the corresponding PDEs without dispersion present shocks. To solve numerically these oscillations, the use of efficient methods without using artificial numerical dissipation is necessary, in particular in the study of PDEs in some dimensions, done in this work. As studied PDEs in this context are typically stiff, efficient integration in time is the main problem. An analysis of exponential and symplectic integrators allowed to select and find the more efficient method for each PDE studied. The use of parallel computing permitted to address numerically questions of stability and blow-up in the Davey-Stewartson equation, in both stiff and non-stiff regimes.

The study of rogue waves is a booming topic mainly in oceanography but also in other fields. In this thesis I construct via Darboux transform a multi-parametric family of smooth quasi-rational solutions of the nonlinear Schödinger equation that present a behavior of rogue waves. For a general choice of parameters the second-order solutions give a model of "three sisters" (three higher than expected waves in a row) while for a particular choice of parameters we obtain the solutions given by Akhmediev et al. in a serie of articles in 2009. Then these solutions allow me to construct rational solutions of the KP-I equation that describe waves in shallow water.

In the present thesis both ab initio and analytical calculations were carried out for thepotential energy, dipole moment and polarizability surfaces of the weakly bound van der Waals complexes CH4-N2 and C2H4-C2H4 for a broad range of intermolecular separations and configurations in the approximation of the rigid interacting molecules. For ab initio calculations the CCSD(T), CCSD(T)-F12 and less computationally expensive methods such as MP2, MP2-F12, SAPT, DFT-SAPT were employed (for all methods the aug-cc-pVTZ basis set was used). The BSSE correction was taken into account during the calculations. The analytical calculations were performed in the framework of the classical long-range approximation. A model accounting the exchange effects in the range of small overlap of the electron shells of interacting molecules has been suggested to describe the dipole moment of the CH4-N2 van der Waals complexes in analytical form for large intermolecular separations including the range of potential wells. In this model the total dipole moment is considered to be the sum of exchange, induction and dispersion contributions.

Abstract In recent decades there has been increased immigration to New Zealand of women from East Africa. These countries have the highest prevalence rates (between 90-97%) of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) worldwide. FGM therefore has become part of the care experience of some New Zealand health providers. Information on FGM is available on the New Zealand Ministry of Health website. This study captures the experience of a group of East African women in Christchurch who have undergone FGM and given birth in Christchurch Hospitals. Two focus groups, each with ten women, were held so that women could talk about their health services experience. A narrative approach was adopted, listening to their stories in order to explore, to gain insight and to understand how these women felt during reproductive and antenatal care, childbirth and after childbirth. Interviews with three health providers sought their experiences of caring for women with FGM. The study identifies diverse potential explanations with the focus group members telling their stories and identifying issues related to FGM. Several short case histories are presented to illustrate these experiences. The thematic analysis reported four themes: satisfaction with clinical care, concern about infibulation, barriers to knowledge for women, and problems of cross-cultural communication. Health providers reported similar issues, with themes related to their own clinical experience, knowledge gaps, and need for greater cultural understanding and communication. These themes reflect the journey of the East African women with FGM in Christchurch and the challenges faced by them and their providers. This research recommends that women with FGM receive more education and support to manage their relationships with the health system and their own health. Health providers need continuing education and further support in the psychosocial, psychological and physical health needs of East African women living in Christchurch. Service outcomes should be evaluated.

Abbasi, S., M.Sc., University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, September 2013. Adaptation to Drought in Saskatchewan Rural Communities: A Case study of Kindersley and Maidstone, Saskatchewan. Joint Supervisors: S. Kulshreshtha and E. Wheaton The main aim of this thesis is to gain knowledge of the processes of adaptation that have enabled communities and agricultural producers to function in a relatively dry and drought prone region of Saskatchewan. This investigation was limited to two rural communities – Kindersley and Maidstone. Historically, vulnerability to natural hazards has been considered only a physical phenomenon. As a result, the social characteristic of a place\system, which contribute to vulnerability to natural hazards, are not well studied. This study used both secondary (quantitative in nature) and primary (qualitative in nature) methods to understand exposure, sensitivity and adaption to droughts in two study communities. Quantitative method included estimating drought condition from time series data for both communities. Intensity of the drought was based on Palmer Drought Severity index and Standard Precipitation Index. Given this background, qualitative techniques (semi-structured interviews and participation observations) were employed to explore the sensitivity and adaptation to droughts in the two communities. The results indicated that drought had caused significant economic hardships for farmers and ranchers during the 2001- 2003 period. Crop yield declined more than 50% of normal level for some crops during this period. Producers had undertaken some adaptive actions to counteract the adverse effect of the drought. These included changing their farming practices -- intensive tillage to minimum or zero tillage, diversification in terms of types of crops grown, off-farm employment, and participation in business risk management programs. Respondents reported that drought was not the sole cause of their vulnerability. Social factors such as changing government policies, reduced profit margins, insufficient business risk management programs, and international markets shaped their vulnerability to climate-related natural hazards. The study found a strong sense of alienation between respondents and federal government agencies. The combination of economic stress, inadequate government risk management programming translates into a very narrow window of sustainability for producers should they face a severe multi-year drought in the future.

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There are approximately 375 million people that suffer from mental disorders or mental illnesses in the world, which can cause severe psychological problems and mental illnesses in general. it is, however, an unfortunate fact that many of these patients go undiagnosed and untreated as a result of the stigma that surrounds mental illness and prevents them from seeking help. Growing up in Saudi Arabia, mental illness is not considered to be a serious problem by the majority of people. Since the stigma associated with mental illness in Saudi Arabia is high, there are no accurate statistics on the number of people diagnosed with mental illness there. Mental illness in this country is stigmatized by many people, which causes many people to avoid seeking treatment from psychiatrists. The research found that stigma was the most common reason delaying psychiatric visits since 96% of the population believes that people who suffer from illnesses of the mind are mad and therefore have weak personalities as a result of such illnesses and psychological problems. This underlines the crucial importance of raising awareness and educating the public about mental health. In this thesis, I want to shed light on the stigma surrounding mental health and to emphasize the need to minimize stigmatization and decriminalization of mental health. King Salman Park, a new development project, aims to provide a beautiful park for the Saudi community, by linking it to a variety of roads to make it accessible to everyone. By using a small portion of this park, we can construct an equine therapy centre that provides safe, supportive surroundings for our visitors. As a part of incorporating Saudi Arabian culture and therapy, an Arabian horse has been used, which has been cherished and loved by Saudi Arabians since ancient times as a great companion. Hopefully this unobtrusive move will bring awareness to Saudi Arabians and encourage them to seek more serious assistance in the future. / Master of Architecture / Mental illnesses are often referred to as psychiatric disorders and they affect approximately 375 million people all over the world. In spite of this, a large number of these patients go undiagnosed and untreated because mental illness carries a stigma that prevents them from seeking help. Growing up in Saudi Arabia, mental illness is not considered to be a serious problem by the majority of people. There are no accurate statistics on the number of people in Saudi Arabia who are diagnosed with mental illness because many patients do not seek assistance from psychiatrists due to the stigma associated with mental illness in the country. Researchers found that stigma was the most common reason delaying psychiatric visits, since 96.9% of the population believed that patients with mental illness were mad and had weak personalities as a result of mental illness and psychological problems. This underscores the importance of public education and raising awareness regarding mental health. The main goal of this thesis is to reduce the stigma and discrimination surrounding mental health. A supportive environment can be created through integrating Saudi Arabian culture and therapy by using an Arabian horse, which Saudi Arabians have loved and cherished as a great companion since ancient times.