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Health Sciences Centre (HSC) in Winnipeg is the major healthcare facility serving Manitoba, Northwestern Ontario, and Nunavut. An evaluation of HSC’s adult surgical patient flow revealed that one major barrier to smooth flow was their Operating Room (OR) scheduling system. This thesis presents a new two-stage elective OR scheduling system for HSC, which generates weekly OR schedules that reduce artificial variability in order to facilitate smooth patient flow. The first stage reduces day-to-day variability while the second stage reduces variability occurring within a day. The scheduling processes in both stages are mathematically modelled as multi-objective optimization problems. An attempt was made to solve both models using lexicographic goal programming. However, this proved to be an unacceptable method for the second stage, so a new multi-objective genetic algorithm, Nondominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm II – Operating Room (NSGAII-OR), was developed. Results indicate that if the system is implemented at HSC, their surgical patient flow will likely improve.

Caring is emerging as an important concept for the nursing profession especially within the perioperative arena (Bickler, 1994; McNamara, 1995; Rawnsley, 1990). The purposes of this study were to investigate: (a) the relationship between perioperative nurse associates' values and caring behaviors; and (b) the relationship between perioperative nurse associates' perceptions of own demonstrated caring behaviors to demonstrated caring behaviors of nurse managers.The study was based upon Watson's (1985) model of Human Caring. The instruments used were Staub's (1989) Values Questionnaire and Nkongho's (1990) Caring Ability Inventory. A demographic profile of study participants was obtained. The population included all nurses (48,000) who were members of the Association of Operating Room Nurses (AORN). The sample consisted of 300 randomly selected non-managerial perioperative nurse associates obtained from the membership list of AORN.A cover letter explaining the study along with a demographic questionnaire and three survey instruments were mailed to the 300 perioperative associates at their home address. The surveys were returned to the investigator by mail in a furnished self-addressed stamped envelope (n=96). Procedures for human subject protection were followed.A descriptive correlation design and descriptive statistics were used for data analysis. Perioperative nurses identified three recurring themes as suggestions for incorporating caring behaviors by nurse managers; (a) improved communication skills; (b) increased accessibility; and (c) empowerment of nurses. Findings showed a moderately positive and significant relationship between values and caring behaviors supporting Watson's Theory of Human Care (1985). Results showed no relationship of caring behaviors between nurse associates and nurse managers. However, the data did reveal that nurse associates perceived themselves as more caring than the nurse managers. / School of Nursing

Health Sciences Centre (HSC) in Winnipeg is the major healthcare facility serving Manitoba, Northwestern Ontario, and Nunavut. An evaluation of HSC’s adult surgical patient flow revealed that one major barrier to smooth flow was their Operating Room (OR) scheduling system. This thesis presents a new two-stage elective OR scheduling system for HSC, which generates weekly OR schedules that reduce artificial variability in order to facilitate smooth patient flow. The first stage reduces day-to-day variability while the second stage reduces variability occurring within a day. The scheduling processes in both stages are mathematically modelled as multi-objective optimization problems. An attempt was made to solve both models using lexicographic goal programming. However, this proved to be an unacceptable method for the second stage, so a new multi-objective genetic algorithm, Nondominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm II – Operating Room (NSGAII-OR), was developed. Results indicate that if the system is implemented at HSC, their surgical patient flow will likely improve.

The starting point for this project was my MPhil thesis (University of Leeds, 1995) Aural Geographies. An Investigation of Sound In Everyday Space, which has as its subject matter the concept of sound in everyday space. The MPhil thesis argued that in considering everyday space more attention should be paid to the aural experience. The argument did not try to `bolt on' what is heard to what is seen. Rather it contemplated the intricate relationships between the visual and aural senses within everyday space. Following from the work which was undertaken for the MPhil it became clear that further and more substantial research into the area of sound and space was merited. This research has been carried out at the University of East London as a PhD programme, under the supervision of Professor Andrew Blake, who introduced me to numerous aspects of music analysis. The thesis acknowledges and expands upon the work on sound carried out by the limited number of social theorists who have addressed this issue such as Adorno, Attali and in particular Schafer and his work on soundscapes. There is discussion throughout of the inspirational ideas of John Cage. The aim of the thesis, which is explored through many inter-related pieces of analysis and empirical work, is to expand upon our knowledge of the role of sound in everyday life. The thesis contributes towards knowledge by providing many new insights about the soundworld and its place in human experience. As befits a thesis which centres on the aural, the research methods are also innovatory allowing the readers/listeners themselves to experience sound worlds. The thesis therefore relies 111 heavily on newly-developed new recording/mapping techniques, using high quality audio recordings which are then used to produce digital sound maps in the form of hypermedia made available on a CD-ROM. The thesis demonstrates how these maps enable us to comprehend some of the complex sensory processes associated with sound worlds. Sound worlds are the main focus here, and in particular the way in which sound worlds are constructed by individuals. Where the MPhil examined sound in public spaces, this thesis further reflects on that investigation before going on to investigate the sound worlds generated in the living room (a key everyday space). This enables us to hear/see how the sound worlds associated with the living room link up with other everyday spaces. The contention is that sound is crucial for the organisation and operation of everyday space Though the thesis is persuasive in indicating the importance of the aural in everyday life, the question arises as to how the relationship between the aural and the visual can be represented in academic work, and especially in the discipline of geography. This question is addressed in the thesis by the presentation of a number of specially developed aural terms, such as `sonic order' and `sound maps'. The thesis describes how people organise their activities around sonic order, and explains how conflicts arise over sonic order. The thesis concludes that sound maps are present in everyday space and that people use them to navigate everyday space. This sensitivity to sound spaces generates geographical (aur/imagin)ations, which are in turn subject to study from within the discipline of geography.

Thesis (M. Sc. ID)--University of New South Wales, 2001. / Also available online.

Thesis--PlanB (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Stout, 1998. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis, PlanB (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Stout, 1999. / Includes bibliographical references.

Research and experience using various types of mine backfill - hydraulic, rock, paste, and blended - has indicated several benefits to the mining industry. Backfill is a general term that refers to any waste material that is placed into underground mine workings. Paste backfill in particular has shown environmental and economic benefits. Paste fill is generally produced from total mine tailings, meaning that it can include waste rock, sands, and clay-sized particles. It also contains no free water, meaning that water will not flow freely through it after placement causing post filling shrinkage. These characteristics make it the most environmentally "friendly" backfill option currently available. In addition, paste backfill is non-segregating and stackable, containing about 80% solids by weight, and having the consistency of medium-slump concrete, containing a cementitious content. These characteristics make paste backfill the best option for post-mining ground control in room and pillar coal mines. There are two main bodies of research regarding paste backfill. The first studies its composition, application, and performance in past and present mining environments; the second studies its theoretical application for both mine support and waste disposal. While this research has provided much for the burgeoning technology of paste backfill, little has been done to investigate its economic application to the industry in room and pillar coal mines. At present, surface disposal of waste is generally cheaper than underground disposal. The goal of this thesis is to initiate discourse investigating the hypothesis that paste backfill may be used in such a way as to allow for increased coal extraction, which may then not only cover the additional costs of underground waste disposal, but potentially increase overall mine profitability. Inherent to this discourse will be a consideration of the following issues: * The potential for increased extraction. * The preservation of long-term pillar stability. * Improved floor stability. * Diminished environmental impact at surface. * The cost benefits associated with all of the above. Data from three Illinois Basin room and pillar coal mines were collected and used for this thesis. Theoretical computer modeling using LaModel and Phase2, empirical analysis of mine stability, physical testing using simulated paste backfill models, and comparative cost analyses considering current and hypothetical mining scenarios were conducted to identify these potential benefits and their consequences, both theoretical and practical.

Discounting is a behavioral analytic approach that focuses on the assumption that the value of a reward is increasingly discounted as the delay until or the odds against receiving the reward increase. Up to date, there are no studies that have looked at discounting with health care. The current study evaluated the relationship between increasing the cost of the emergency room and time willing to wait to seek medical attention for flu-like symptoms. A discounting task was given to 30 students at a Midwestern university. Results demonstrated that participants indicated that all participants demonstrated an Area Under Curve (AUC) value of less than .01, indicating that there were high levels of impulsivity. Correlational tests were conducted to assess response differences between gender, age and policy holder status. Overall, results demonstrated that as the cost of the emergency room increases, participants were willing to delay seeking medical attention. A hyperbolic function produced a strong fit for this study (R² = 0.95). Due to the population utilized for this study, most of the participants had available health insurance. A future extension of this study would be conducting this discounting task with individuals who do not have health insurance.