This study examined motivation, anxiety, global awareness, and linguistic confidence, and their relation to language test performance within the context of Chinese university students taking the College English Test Band 4(CET-4) in China. Using a mixed methods approach, through survey and interview inquiries, this study explored whether and how the selected psychological factors contributed to students’ CET performance. Results from exploratory factor analysis revealed that Chinese university students displayed three types of instrumental motivation (i.e., mark orientation, further-education orientation, and job orientation), two types of anxiety (i.e., language anxiety and test anxiety), and two types of confidence (i.e., linguistic confidence and test confidence). The results of confirmatory factor analysis led to a modified socio-educational model of motivation with some context-specific concepts (i.e., new instrumental orientations, global awareness, and linguistic confidence) that more accurately represented the characteristics of the Chinese university students. The results of structural equation modelling confirmed that attitude toward the learning situation and integrative orientation were two strong indicators of motivation, which in turn influenced language achievement and confidence. The negative impact of anxiety on language achievement was confirmed. Certain group differences were found in comparing male students with female students, high achievers with low achievers, students from the Arts programs with those from the Science programs, and students who started to learn English before Grade 7 with those iii who did so after Grade 7. The interview findings indicated stronger instrumental orientations than integrative orientations. External influences, including influences from society, teachers, and peers, were also identified. Students expressed their mixed feelings toward the CET-4, indicating that this test had both positive and negative influences in promoting their English learning. Testing well-developed motivation and anxiety models in the Chinese context enriched and expanded our knowledge in theory development in English language education in China. The implications of this study point to the importance of understanding language test-takers’ characteristics in their macro and micro learning contexts, as well as the importance of establishing the relevance of English language learning to language teaching, and testing in English as Foreign Language contexts. / Thesis (Ph.D, Education) -- Queen's University, 2009-12-30 22:08:41.138

This study aims to improve the Additive Manufacturing (AM) design space for the popular multi-component Ni alloy Inconel 625 (IN625) thorough investigating the microstructural evolution, namely the solidification microstructure and the solid-state phase transformations during the Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) process. Highly non-equilibrium solidification and the complex reheating conditions during the LPBF process result in the formation of various types of solidification microstructures and grain morphologies which consequently lead to a wide range of mechanical properties. Understanding the melt’s thermal conditions, alloy chemistry, and thermodynamics during the rapid solidification and solid-state phase transformation in AM process will help to control material properties and even produce a material with specific microstructural features suited to a given application. This research helps to better understand the process-microstructure-property relationships of LPBF IN625. First, a set of simple but effective analytical solidification models were employed to evaluate their ability to predict the solidification microstructure in AM applications. As a case study, Solidification Microstructure Selection (SMS) maps were created to predict the solidification growth mode and grain morphology of a ternary Al-10Si-0.5Mg alloy manufactured by the LPBF process. The resulting SMS maps were validated against the experimentally obtained LPBF microstructure available in the literature for this alloy. The challenges, limitations, and potential of the SMS map method to predict the microstructural features in AM were comprehensively discussed. Second, The SMS map method was implemented to predict the solidification microstructure and grain morphology in an LPBF-built multi-component IN625 alloy. A single-track LPBF experiment was performed utilizing the EOSINT M280 machine to evaluate the SMS map predictions. The resulting microstructure was characterized both qualitatively and quantitatively in terms of the solidification microstructure, grain morphology, and Primary Dendrite Arm Spacing (PDAS). Comparing the experimentally obtained solidification microstructure to the SMS map prediction, it was found that the solidification mode and grain morphology were correctly predicted by the SMS maps. Although the formation of precipitates was predicted using the CALculation of PHAse Diagrams (CALPHAD) approach, it was not anticipated from the analytical solution results. Third, to further investigate the microsegregation and precipitation in IN625, Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy (STEM) using Energy-Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS), High-Angle Annular Dark-Field Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy (HAADF-STEM), Scheil-Gulliver (with solute trapping) model, and DIffusion-Controlled TRAnsformations (DICTRA) method were employed. It was found that the microstructural morphology mainly consists of the Nickel-Chromium (gamma-FCC) dendrites and a small volume fraction of precipitates embedded into the interdendritic regions. The precipitates predicted with the computational method were compared with the precipitates identified via HAADF-STEM analysis inside the interdendritic region. The level of elemental microsegregation was overestimated in DICTRA simulations compared to the STEM-EDS results; however, a good agreement was observed between the Scheil and STEM-EDS microsegregation estimations. Finally, the spatial variations in mechanical properties and the underlying microstructural heterogeneity of a multi-layer as-built LPBF part were investigated to complete the process-structure-properties relationships loop of LPBF IN625. Towards this end, numerical thermal simulation, electron microscopy, nano hardness test, and a CALPHAD approach were utilized to investigate the mechanical and microstructural heterogeneity in terms of grain size and morphology, PDAS, microsegregation pattern, precipitation, and hardness along the build direction. It was found that the as-built microstructure contained mostly columnar (Nickel–Chromium) dendrites were growing epitaxially from the substrate along the build direction. The hardness was found to be minimum in the middle and maximum in the bottom layers of the build’s height. Smaller melt pools, grains, and PDAS and higher thermal gradients and cooling rates were observed in the bottom layers compared to the top layers. Microsegregation patterns in multiple layers were also simulated using DICTRA, and the results were compared with the STEM-EDS results. The mechanism of the formation of precipitates in different regions along the build direction and the precipitates’ corresponding effects on the mechanical properties were also discussed. / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

A cette époque de crises économiques internationales, de mondialisation et d’ouverture des marchés, la micro-entreprise apparaît plus que jamais comme une arme d'anti-crise et de création d'emplois. Dans ce contexte, les outils juridiques s'avèrent être le meilleur moyen pour accomplir ces objectifs. Ces outils sont principalement composés du droit des sociétés et des entreprises, du droit de la sécurité sociale et du droit fiscal. Cependant, ils ne sont pas les mêmes en France qu'au Liban. En effet, les législations de ces deux pays ont pendant longtemps porté des conceptions juridiques similaires. Or, depuis une vingtaine d'années le droit français a commencé à prendre un rythme d’évolution accéléré suite à l’influence exercé par le droit continental européen dans le cadre de l’harmonisation européenne. Ainsi, il s’agit d’intégrer les évolutions du droit français dans le droit libanais. Toutefois, le droit français connaît lui même plusieurs imperfections. C’est pourquoi un regard porté sur les législations appartenant à un autre système juridique que celui du « Droit civil », notamment sur celles appartenant à la famille de la « Common Law », pourrait apporter des solutions originales aux limites des droits français et libanais. Par conséquent, cette contribution vise à trouver des remèdes aux lacunes juridiques existantes en matière de micro-entreprise en France et au Liban et à élaborer de nouveaux moyens de la promouvoir. / At this time of international economic crises, globalization and open markets, the micro-enterprise appears more than ever as a weapon of anti-crisis and job creation. In this context, the legal tools are proving to be the best way to achieve these goals. These tools are mainly composed of company and corporate laws, social security law and tax law. However, they vary from France to Lebanon. Even though, for a long time, the legislations of both countries have carried similar legal concepts. Yet, for more than twenty years now French law has begun taking an accelerated pace of evolution, due to the influence of the European continental law in the context of European harmonization. Thus, the objective is to incorporate the French law evolutions in the Lebanese law. However, the French law suffers of several imperfections, this is why a glance at the legislations of other legal systems than the “Civil law”, in particular those of “Common law”, could provide original solutions to the limits of French and Lebanese law. Therefore, this paper aims to find cures for existing legal loopholes concerning the micro-enterprise in France and Lebanon and to develop new ways to promote it.

In this interview, our guest responds to current and controversial issues related to environmental matters and the mining sector. First, the author talks about the variability of numbers for investment in mineral exploration in our country along recent periods. Also, the problem of social unrests, tax issues, permits and licenses, known as «permisología» and their impact on the sector. Similarly, and inevitably, some comment on the widespread use of Contracts Tax Stability and new measures of environmental control, taken by the recently enacted and controversial Law N° 30230 – Law Establishing Tax Measures, Simplification of Procedures and permits for promotion and revitalization of investment in the country, also called «Paquetazo Castilla». Furthermore, about the EIA and the recent creation of SENACE, as part of the Ministry of Environment Agency is analyzed. Finally, our interviewee continues to review the controversial «contribution by regulation» to OEFA and disciplinary proceedings. / En la presente entrevista, nuestro invitado responde a temas vigentes y controvertidos, relativosa materia ambiental y del sector minero. En primer lugar, él habla sobre la cuestión referida a la variabilidad de las cifras de inversión en exploración minera en nuestro país durante los últimos periodos. Asimismo, se analiza el reticente problema de los conflictos sociales, temas tributarios y la conocida «permisología», así como sus correspondientes impactos en el sector. Del mismo modo, e inevitablemente, se comenta sobre la extensión del uso de los Contratos de Estabilidad Tributaria y las nuevas medidas de fiscalización ambiental, adoptadas por la recientemente promulgada y polémica Ley N° 30230 – Ley que establece Medidas Tributarias, Simplificación de Procedimientos y Permisos para la promoción y dinamización de la Inversión en el País, llamada también «Paquetazo Castilla». Siguiendo la misma línea, se analiza lo correspondiente a los EIA y la reciente creación del SENACE, como organismo adscrito al Ministerio de Ambiente. Por último, nuestro entrevistado no deja de opinar sobre el discutido «aporte por regulación» al OEFA y el procedimiento sancionador.

The emergence of Ultra-wideband (UWB) technology application has yielded tremendous and vital impacts in the field of microwave wireless communications. These applications include military radar imaging, security screening, and tumour detection, especially for early detection of breast cancer. These indicators have stimulated and inspired many researchers to make the best use of this promising technology. UWB technology challenges such as antenna design, the problem of imaging reconstruction techniques, challenges of severe signal attenuation and dispersion in high loss material. Others are lengthy computational time demand and large computer memory requirements are prevalent constraints that need to be tackled especially in a large scale and complex computational electromagnetic analysis. In this regard, it is necessary to find out recently developed optimisation techniques that can provide solutions to these problems. In this thesis, designing, optimisation, development, measurement, and analysis of UWB antennas for near-field microwave imaging applications are considered. This technology emulates the same concept of surface penetrating radar operating in various forms of the UWB spectrum. The initial design of UWB monopole antennas, including T-slots, rectangular slots, and hexagonal slots on a circular radiating patch, was explicitly implemented for medical imaging applications to cover the UWB frequency ranging from 3.1 GHz to 10.6 GHz. Based on this concept, a new bow-tie and Vivaldi UWB antennas were designed for a through-the-wall imaging application. The new antennas were designed to cover a spectrum on a lower frequency ranging from 1 GHz - 4 GHz to ease the high wall losses that will be encountered when using a higher frequency range and to guarantee deeper penetration of the electromagnetic wave. Finally, both simulated and calculated results of the designed, optimised antennas indicate excellent agreement with improved performance in terms of return loss, gain, radiation pattern, and fidelity over the entire UWB frequency. These breakthroughs provided reduced computational time and computer memory requirement for useful, efficient, reliable, and compact sensors for imaging applications, including security and breast cancer detection, thereby saving more lives. / Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TET Fund) Supported by the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA)

Traditional cameras are most commonly used in visual SLAM to provide visual information about the scene and positional information about the camera motion. However, in the presence of varying illumination and rapid camera movement, the visual quality captured by traditional cameras diminishes. This limits the applicability of visual SLAM in challenging environments such as search and rescue situations. The emerging event camera has been shown to overcome the limitations of the traditional camera with the event camera's superior temporal resolution and wider dynamic range, opening up new areas of applications and research for event-based SLAM. In this thesis, several asynchronous feature detectors and trackers will be used to initialize SLAM using event camera data. To assess the pose estimation accuracy between the different feature detectors and trackers, the initialization performance was evaluated from datasets captured from various environments. Furthermore, two different methods to align corner-events were evaluated on the datasets to assess the difference. Results show that besides some slight variation in the number of accepted initializations, the alignment methods show no overall difference in any metric. Overall highest performance among the event-based trackers for initialization is HASTE with mostly high pose accuracy and a high number of accepted initializations. However, the performance degrades in featureless scenes. CET on the other hand shows mostly lower performance compared to HASTE.