Evidence linking poverty with poor mental and physical health outcomes is well documented, but until recently little research has focused on the underlying psychological factors that mediate these relationships. This report represents the first step toward exploring how two emerging theories, allostatic load and system justification theory, can be harmonized to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms that propagate poverty. Specifically, this report addresses the question of how poverty-related stress might moderate the degree to which an impoverished individual is inclined to justify a system that fundamentally does not favor them. Promising future research will be addressed. / text

Accurate short term load forecasting plays a very important role in power system management. As electrical load data is highly non-linear in nature, in the proposed approach, we first separate out the linear and the non-linear parts, and then forecast the load using the non-linear part only. The Semiparametric spectral estimation method is used to decompose a load data signal into a harmonic linear signal model and a nonlinear trend. A support vector machine is then used to predict the non-linear trend. The final predicted signal is then found by adding the support vector machine predicted trend and the linear signal part. With careful determination of the linear component, the performance of the proposed method seems to be more robust than using only the raw load data, and in many cases the predicted signal of the proposed method is more accurate when we have only a small training set.

Delirium is a state of acute confusion and is common in hospitalized older adults. Delirium is associated with significant increases in morbidity and mortality, as well as healthcare costs. Delirium also is associated with functional and cognitive decline, as well as need for institutionalization and rehabilitation. Delirium can cause psychosocial distress for patients and families. While much is understood about the epidemiology of delirium, the pathophysiological mechanisms that lead to the development of delirium are less clearly defined.The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship of allostatic load (AL), a composite measure of primary (i.e. acute) stress mediators and secondary (i.e. chronic) stress outcomes and delirium in the hospitalized older adult. Development of the Allostatic Load & Delirium in Hospitalized Elderly model provided a theoretical framework for the study.Forty- four participants, ranging from 66 to 93 years of age (M = 76 years of age) were recruited from three intensive care units and enrolled once they were determined not to have a cognitive deficit or prevalent delirium, as assessed by the Standardized Mini-Mental State Examination and Confusion Assessment Method (CAM), respectively. Ten AL components reflective of acute and chronic stress were collected upon admission. Allostatic load was calculated as the sum of the number of components for which the participant was rated in the highest risk quartile. Allostatic load subsets based on acute and chronic components were also calculated. Incident delirium was assessed 48 -72 hours after admission with the CAM.Findings indicated that the incidence of delirium was 29.2%. The subset AL score based on components considered primary stress mediators was significantly related to delirium; however, no other variables were associated with delirium. Logistic regression modeling indicated that an AL subset of primary stress mediators did predict the incidence of delirium (OR 2.5, 95% CI = 1.12, 5.79; X2 (1) = 5.668, p < .05).The findings from this study exploring the relationship between AL and delirium in the hospitalized older adult suggest that an AL score based on primary mediators may be useful in predicting delirium in the hospitalized older adult.

Introduction: Dolomite AB was in need of a dummy arm for crutch testing, to complement their existing test capabilities. Background: A large number of people need crutches on a daily basis. For them it is essential that their crutches do not fail. ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) conducts ongoing work to guarantee the durability and function of e.g. crutches. ISO has recently adopted a new standard for testing if elbow crutches. This has already met resistance, it has been claimed that the tests in it should include loading of the crutch in the frontal plane. Aim: To enable Dolomite to test elbow crutches in accordance with guidelines in ISO/FDIS 11334-1. And examine the magnitude of loads on a crutch in the horizontal- sagittal- and frontal plane. This to see if loading of the crutch in the fontal plane should be included in a new ISO-test. Goal: To fabricate a dummy arm for testing of elbow crutches. To gain knowledge of the magnitude of the load a crutch is subject to in the horizontal-, sagittal-, and frontal plane. Method: A dummy arm was made using methods and tools described in DPD (dynamic product development), and conventional fabrication methods. A test equipment was made, which registered the loads on a crutch, in three directions. Eleven persons, constituted the test group, one was excluded. Result: A fully functional dummy arm was manufactured. The average maximum load for the ten test subjects was: 33 kilos downwards, 12 kilos backwards and 2 kilos side wards. Discussion: The choice of materials was influenced by the strength demands, ease of manipulation, access and price. Dummy arm design was mostly a question of durability and function. The test group was made up of persons available when the test was done The crutch loading test indicates that the forces applied to a crutch In the frontal plane are small, compared to forces in the horizontal- and sagittal plane, almost negligible. Conclusion: A fully functional dummy arm was fabricated, no need for a new ISO-test for standard crutches was identified.

A peer-to-peer (P2P) system is a networked system characterized by the lack of centralized control, in which all or most communication is symmetric. Also, a P2P system is supposed to handle frequent arrivals and departures of nodes, and is expected to scale to very large network sizes. These requirements make the design of P2P systems particularly challenging. We investigate two central issues pertaining to the design of P2P systems: load balancing and routing. In the first part of this thesis, we study the problem of load balancing in the context of Distributed Hash Tables (DHTs). Briefly, a DHT is a giant hash table that is maintained in a P2P fashion: Keys are mapped to a hash space I --- typically the interval [0,1), which is partitioned into blocks among the nodes, and each node stores the keys that are mapped to its block. Based on the position of their blocks in I, the nodes also set up connections among themselves, forming a routing network, which facilitates efficient key location. Typically, in a DHT it is desirable that the nodes' blocks are roughly of equal size, since this usually implies a balanced distribution of the load of storing keys among nodes, and it also simplifies the design of the routing network. We propose and analyze a simple distributed scheme for partitioning I, inspired by the multiple random choices paradigm. This scheme guarantees that, with high probability, the ratio between the largest and smallest blocks remains bounded by a small constant. It is also message efficient, and the arrival or departure of a node perturbs the current partition of I minimally. A unique feature of this scheme is that it tolerates adversarial arrivals and departures of nodes. In the second part of the thesis, we investigate the complexity of a natural decentralized routing protocol, in a broad family of randomized networks. The network family and routing protocol in question are inspired by a framework proposed by Kleinberg to model small-world phenomena in social networks, and they capture many designs that have been proposed for P2P systems. For this model we establish a general lower bound on the expected message complexity of routing, in terms of the average node degree. This lower bound almost matches the corresponding known upper bound.

Paper-based user manuals that provide assembly and disassembly instructions often do so with a combination of diagrams supported with textual information that clarifies how to perform the tasks. Mobile devices are emerging as a multimedia platform for providing on-demand training due to their portability. Mobile devices have limited screen size; as a result, the text instructions associated with the diagrams can produce clutter and occlusion on the screen. Also, too much information if fed through a single sensory channel (visual) may result in excessive cognitive load on the working memory of the human brain, thus hindering the learning process. In this work, two user studies were conducted to investigate the tradeoffs of using text, voice, and a combination of both modalities on the learning experience in a just-in-time mobile learning scenario. In such a scenario end-users are managing two very visual tasks at the same time; i.e., the primary task of carrying out the assembly/disassembly job and the secondary task of learning how to perform the task.

Crop load management of fruit trees is a challenge for producers. For this experiment apple, peach, and sweet cherry trees were thinned using mechanical blossom thinning (MBT), and hand blossom thinning (HBT) to mimic MBT. Apple bloom was reduced by MBT, but only one treatment consistently reduced fruit set. Marketable yield, fruit weight, and quality were unaffected by thinning treatments. An apple spur leaf study found that damage from MBT was negligible. Mechanical blossom thinning of peach significantly reduced fruit set and hand thinning requirements at ‘June drop’. Marketable yield, fruit firmness, and soluble solids concentration were largely unaffected by thinning treatments, but fruit weight and size increased in one year. The two highest rates of sweet cherry MBT and HBT reduced fruit set but total yield, fruit weight, and quality were unaffected. Overall, MBT may be a viable option for tree fruit producers, especially peach growers. / The University of Guelph/OMAFRA Sustainable Production Systems Research Programme, the Niagara Peninsula Fruit and Vegetable Growers' Association, NSERC.

Fibre reinforced polymer (FRP) materials have emerged as an innovative tool within the civil engineering community for the strengthening and rehabilitation of existing reinforced concrete structures. Research has taken place over the past decade that has demonstrated the benefits of FRPs, and it is evident that there is a need for their usage given the status of the deteriorated North American civil infrastructure. However, in order to increase confidence in the application of these materials in Canada, further information is required to fully understand their behaviour in cold climates. This thesis expands on the previous research that has taken place at Queen’s University, investigating the freeze-thaw behaviour of FRP strengthened reinforced concrete. The research program herein studies the combined effects of freeze-thaw cycling and sustained loading on the flexural performance of 45 small-scale beams strengthened with glass FRP sheets, carbon FRP sheets, or carbon FRP plates. In an attempt to attain failure of the beams due to FRP rupture, the anchorage of the beams was increased and a theoretical model was produced to select the beam design for this failure mode. The model also predicted the performance of the strengthened beams in order to determine appropriate sustained loading levels. After being subjected to 300 freeze-thaw cycles and almost 3 months of sustained loads, the beams were tested to failure. It was found that the beams subjected to combined loads encountered virtually no losses in average ultimate strength. However, the greater inconsistency of the results for these beams relative to the control beams implies that lower guaranteed strengths should be used for design in situations where these conditions are present. / Thesis (Master, Civil Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2008-02-29 14:19:29.954

The value of hierarchy as an essential trait of concept maps and a way to enhance recall is explored in this thesis. Undergraduate students (N = 40) were randomly assigned to one of two groups and completed an 18-question multiple-choice pre-test about the concept of animal physiology. Then each group studied one of two visual organizers that varied in the level of hierarchy used and finally both groups completed the same multiple-choice test. This research was guided by the following two research questions: Do undergraduate science students using expert-created concept maps differ in their ability to enhance their recall of information about animal physiology when compared to students using visual organizers with limited hierarchy? How does prior knowledge affect the recall of students using concept maps and other visual organizers with limited hierarchy? The data collected from the two groups was analyzed using regression analyses, ANOVA, and repeated-measures ANOVA. It was found that the hierarchical concept-mapping group grew more in their recall of information about animal physiology than the visual-organizer group [F(1,38) = 7.70, p = .009]. The results of these analyses were interpreted using the conceptual framework of cognitive load theory. This theory deals with the encumbrance on working memory that subsequently affects how one recalls information. The findings support the contention that hierarchical concept maps confer an advantage in the recall of science concepts when compared to visual organizers with limited hierarchy. This study lays the ground work for a doctoral study with 200 participants separated into four experimental groups (n = 50), with participants separated by high and low prior knowledge and the aforementioned visual organizers. / Thesis (Master, Education) -- Queen's University, 2012-06-02 18:28:40.415

Professional furniture movers must carry objects of all shapes, sizes and weights. When carrying boxes between a house and the moving van, professional movers will carry boxes two different ways. The first way is holding the box in their hands in front of their body, and the second way is holding the box behind them and leaning forward so the box can rest on their backs while walking. The Mover’s Assistive Device (MAD) is an aid developed to decrease the effort of movers when carrying boxes and has been shown to reduce the amount of needed grip strength. The goals of this research were to compare the effects of technique (carrying in front or behind the body) as well as the effects of using the MAD on the way movers coordinate their 1) legs and 2) trunk and hips. Movement was tracked using a camera system and reflective markers attached to the participants. In study 1 ten male participants completed the four different carrying conditions on a treadmill. The different segments of the leg did not change coordination patterns between the front and back carries, however, the coordination was more stable (similar across all steps) in the front carry. When participants used the MAD, their legs moved in a more coordinated motion than when they did not use the MAD, and is considered to be useful in maintaining balance and control while carrying a box. In study 2 thirteen male participants completed the four different carrying conditions on a treadmill. The trunk and the hips did not change coordination between the front and back carries, but they became more coordinated when participants were wearing the MAD. A more coordinated motion between the trunk and hips is suggested to be beneficial to low back health. / Thesis (Master, Kinesiology & Health Studies) -- Queen's University, 2012-10-01 21:43:33.045