title: Modelling snowpacks in topographically complex terrain during the winter accumulation season, Columbia River Basin, British Columbia, Canada

format:
electronic
1 online resource (xxvii, 154 pages)

abstract: This dissertation investigates winter accumulation and snow cover change in the Columbia Mountains of British Columbia. In chapter 1, I start with an introduction that describes the study area, and then outlines the objectives and structure of this dissertation. In chapter 2, I examine the performance of two snow evolution models with different complexities (SnowModel and Alpine3D) at simulating winter glacier mass balance on four individual glaciers using two different forcing datasets, the Weather Research and Forecasting model (WRF) outputs and the North American Land Data Assimilation System (NLDAS). My results show that both models can simulate winter accumulation with less than 20% bias for each glacier, with SnowModel forced by WRF yielding the least overall bias. In chapter 3, I study the effect of wind on snow patterns to determine the impact of snow redistribution by wind in terms of erosion, deposition, and sublimation on winter mass balance estimation. The results demonstrate that modelled redistribution of snow by wind produces a visually realistic pattern of snow accumulation when compared to observed snow depth, but its impact on the glacier-averaged winter mass balance estimation is negligible (< 4%). The results also suggest that drifting snow sublimation is highly time and space dependent. Considering the model performance from previous chapters, in chapter 4, I analyzed the future snow cover change over the upper Columbia Basin under the Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP8.5) climate scenario by the end of the 21st century. I used downscaled climate projections of the Community Earth System Model (CESM1) by WRF, along with statistically downscaled data provided from the Pacific Climate Impacts Consortium (PCIC) to force SnowModel. The simulated snow maps represent a higher dynamically downscaled mean snow water equivalent (SWE) reduction – reaching up to 30% by the end of the century - than the statistically downscaled SWE reduction. While SWE reduction of more than 60% happens at lower and mid-elevations, altitudes higher than 2000 m are less vulnerable to climate change. I conclude this dissertation (Chapter 5) with a summary of the progress gained, study limitations, suggestions for future research, and research implications.


title: Improved understanding of methane emissions from oil and gas industries of western Canada using aircraft and satellite data, and GEOS-Chem modeling

type: Text thesis

contributor: McLinden, Christopher (committee member)

contributor: University of Northern British Columbia (Degree granting institution)

format:
electronic
1 online resource (xiv, 172 pages)

abstract:
The three western Canadian provinces (British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan) are responsible for more than 90 % of the 2017 national total fugitive methane (CH4) emissions from the oil and gas sector. Several survey-based previous studies demonstrated that government estimated CH4 emissions from western Canada’s oil and gas sector are significantly underestimated due to large methodological uncertainties. Most of these survey-based studies were conducted for a limited number of days in a
small area; scaling up the short-term results over a larger area for the whole year might lead to emission estimation errors. However, accurate quantification is required to inform effective emission reduction policies in Canada. To improve our understanding of
CH4 emissions from the oil and gas sector in western Canada, this Ph.D work has addressed the above problem by using a combination of long-term satellite XCH4 data sets (SCIAMACHY and GOSAT; 2003-2017) and NOAA/ESRL aircraft CH4 measurements, as well as GEOS-Chem CH4 simulation (2010-2017). The overall XCH4 enhancement trend was found to be 6.71 ±4.84 %/yr in western Canada during 2009-2017, which is likely influenced by local oil and gas development activities. The oil and
gas CH4 emissions estimation using an ensemble of GOSAT XCH4 data products in a mass balance method demonstrated a fluctuating pattern of emissions in these three provinces during 2009-2017, largely due to diminished oil and gas development
activities particularly during 2014-2016. The satellite-based estimated oil and gas CH4 emissions in British Columbia and Saskatchewan are higher than the government inventory by ~200 %, but only higher by ~50 % in Alberta. Although the GOSAT products are suitable for quick and reasonably accurate annual CH4 emissions quantification in western Canada, the GOSAT product is limited in its ability to detect monthly emissions, which is required considering the seasonality of CH4 emissions from major sources. Therefore, further studies particularly with TROPOMI is strongly suggested. Furthermore, the GEOS-Chem based numerical experiments identified emissions from major sources such as wetlands and oil and gas sector are spatially overlapped in the oil and gas dominated areas, particularly during summer, suggesting further oil and gas CH4 emission studies should be carefully conducted.


title: Development of effective and low-cost water treatment method for micro systems in British Columbia, Canada

format:
electronic
1 online resource (ix, 97 pages)

abstract: In this study, an effective and low-cost water treatment system is developed. At first, an investigation combining published literature, available information through different health regions and raw water sample data from participating communities was done. Through that investigation, a critical water contamination problem, experienced by the rural, remote, First Nation communities was identified, which is Manganese. Then a treatment system was developed to effectively remove Manganese from the source water. Greensand plus was used as a filtration media and the prototype was designed to best suit the need of the community residents to remove Manganese in raw water. The lab scale and prototype experiments were designed using design expert software; adsorption isotherm and kinetics study were also conducted. The prototype was able to reach a removal efficiency 96.50% which can effectively treat source water levels found in the raw water sample. Therefore, a fit-for-purpose solution is developed to remove Manganese from raw water, which is cost effective, easy to use and maintain. Cost effectiveness is demonstrated through comparison of the developed system with available typical clean water supply strategies.


title: Multidisciplinary mental health supervision in a rural context: An exploratory study of experiences in northern British Columbia

contributor: University of Northern British Columbia Health Sciences (Degree granting institution)

format:
electronic
1 online resource (xxi, 261 pages)

subject: Rural mental health services--British Columbia, Northern.

subject: Rural mental health services--Administration.

subject: Supervision.

subject: Mentorship.

abstract:
The purpose of this study was to better understand how multidisciplinary mental health supervision might work in rural remote settings. There is a need for supervisory approaches that address the unique contextual challenges in rural and remote multidisciplinary service delivery, such as management approaches, isolation, and lack of support. This study focused on three areas linked to multidisciplinary mental health supervision: challenges and opportunities, role perception, and differences in approaches. This study also attempted to reconcile the core supervisory requirements with the contextual challenges. The few studies on rural remote supervision have primarily focused on general internal and external factors facing rural remote professionals. Despite its importance, knowledge of how multidisciplinary rural remote supervisors perceive and/or appreciate their roles is limited. This study was informed by social construction and symbolic interaction theories, and guided by three research questions:
1) What challenges and opportunities do mental health supervisors experience in northern British Columbia?
2) How do frontline workers, supervisors, and senior managers perceive the roles and activities of mental health supervisors in northern British Columbia?
3) How are supervisory approaches in various mental health disciplines different or similar in northern British Columbia?
The research methodology was qualitative and the study design adopted an interpretive, social interactionist approach. Source triangulation enhanced both the credibility and transferability of the findings. The sources included three participant groups: frontline mental health workers, mental health supervisors, and senior mental health managers. Another triangulation source was the context and setting review of BC’s complex mental health jurisdictions. Triangulation was also achieved by interviewing participants who worked in different settings, organizations, and geographic locations. Thematic analysis was used for data analysis resulting in 11 manifest themes and the following five latent themes: Difficult, overwhelming responsibilities; stressful, complicated decision making; the endless campaign for professional leadership support; mentorship in remote practice; and a struggle in collaborative plurality. Most of the participants expressed the wish for more support in their professional work. The findings from this study provide employers with new insights into multidisciplinary supervisory work and also emphasize the need for practical and specific ideas for much needed support for rural remote supervisors.

abstract: Remote

abstract: Rural

abstract: Multidisciplinary

abstract: Mental health

abstract: Supervision

abstract: BC


title: Examination of cannabis use patterns, heavy user characteristics, and cannabis-related harms: results from 2012-2013 US national cross-sectional survey data

format:
electronic
1 online resource (vii, 96 pages)

subject:
Cannabis.
Cannabis.--United States
Marijuana abuse.
Cannabis--Health aspects.

abstract: This thesis aimed to examine cannabis use patterns by quantity in the United States, identify key characteristics of the heaviest cannabis users, and conduct an initial assessment of whether the prevention paradox may hold for cannabis use in the United States. Using data from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions – III, findings suggest that a small portion of the cannabis-using population consumes the majority of the yearly cannabis supply in the United States. Characteristics that affect the odds of being a heavy cannabis user include age, sex, personal income, education level, age of initiation, and the presence of a cannabis use or nicotine use disorder. A larger absolute number of cases experience cannabis-related harms in the low-to-moderate-using group compared to the heaviest-using group. However, a higher percentage of heavy cannabis users experience cannabis-related harms. Therefore, a dual-pronged approach of both targeted and population-based strategies may be appropriate.


title: Quantifying key metrics of ecosystem biodiversity in natural and managed sub-boreal forests of British Columbia

contributor: University of Northern British Columbia NRES-Forestry (Degree granting institution)

format:
electronic
1 online resource (vii, 72 pages)

subject:
Forest management.
Forest management.--British Columbia.
Biodiversity--Measurement.
Biodiversity--Research.

abstract: Forest management in the central interior of British Columbia has been active for over a century. Industrial forest practices in the region are based on the premise that harvest and subsequent stands regeneration is sustainable, but recent investigations raise questions about long-term ecological sustainability and impacts on biodiversity. I evaluate here, using a chronosequence of forest stands, the impacts of stand harvest on biodiversity status and recovery. Aerial laser scanning is used to enhance analysis and model impacts spatially. I provide a novel assessment of key biodiversity metrics of diversity, richness, abundance, and modeling using linear discriminant analysis and random forest frameworks. Results show that vegetation community composition and coarse woody debris (CWD), a key habitat for numerous taxa, are both impacted by harvest history. Predictive mapping of CWD provides insights and a further tool for decision makers to manage and ensure natural levels of CWD are maintained on the landscape.


title: Purification and characterization of growth-inhibitory compounds from 2 genera of British Columbia wild mushrooms: fomitopsis and phaeolus

contributor: University of Northern British Columbia Biochemistry (Degree granting institution)

format:
electronic
1 online resource (viii, 108 pages)

subject:
Mushrooms.
Mushrooms.--British Columbia.
Mushrooms--Research.
Mushrooms--Health aspects.

abstract: Modern science is currently working to characterize the beneficial compounds from mushrooms and their potential as pharmaceutical drugs. In this thesis, eight British Columbian wild mushroom collections (3 species), comprising Fomitopsis pinicola, Phaeolus schweinitzii and Phaeolus sp., were screened for growth-inhibitory potential. Out of 28 crude extracts, 15 exhibited strong growth-inhibitory activity. For the Phaeolus sp. collection, liquid-liquid extraction, sizeexclusion chromatography and high-performance liquid chromatograph-mass spectrometry (HPLCMS) were used to purify the growth-inhibitory compound of interest. NMR analyses confirmed its identity as hispidin, a known potent anti-cancer compound. Another compound with a mass to charge ratio of 283.2 in hexane extract of Phaeolus sp. was detected by HPLC-MS. This study provides the foundational work for further isolation of small molecule(s) from the three mushroom species and shed light on the profile of Phaeolus sp. as a source of growth-inhibitory compounds.


title: Go to the river: Understanding and experiencing the Liard watershed.

format:
electronic
Number of pages in document: 146

subject: Rivers -- Study and teaching.

subject: Liard River Watershed -- History.

subject: Rivers -- British Columbia -- Liard River Watershed.

subject: Nature -- Effect of human beings on -- British Columbia -- Liard River Watershed.

subject: GB1202 .S73 2012

abstract: This study contributes to an emerging space of interdisciplinary literature that explores the cultural dynamics people and rivers and the associated contestations. A network of rivers in northern British Columbia, all within the Liard River watershed, provides a relevant case study to examine such topics. Data and analysis are presented using a phenomenological approach that employs archival and participatory fieldwork. Through this research, I ask: why do people go to the river ? In attempting to understand the significance of rivers in people's lives, Go to the River addresses questions concerning the Liard watershed, including: how interpretations of rivers are represented in historic maps the significant transitions during the nineteenth and twentieth century that redefined human-river relations and how rivers are still experienced through direct lived engagements. I argue that past and present direct experiences with rivers are essential in reframing the dialogue about the future of rivers in western Canada. --P. ii.

abstract: The original print copy of this thesis may be available here: http://wizard.unbc.ca/record=b1805847


title: Bayesian spatiotemporal modelling: An application to glacier satellite imagery

format:
electronic
1 online resource (87 pages)

abstract: Glaciers hold 1.7% of the Earth's total water supply, but they contain 68.7% of its freshwater. Given the global warming trend, accurate and recent inventory is necessary to assess glacial changes over time. However, frequent cloud and debris cover often make it difficult to determine the glacier's exact edge. Multispectral Landsat 8 imagery along with data from the Global Land Ice Velocity Extraction (GoLIVE) project are combined to to create a Bayesian multivariate general additive model of the glaciers surrounding Mount Rainier, with Autoregressive Moving Average (ARMA) and Gaussian processes used to model the temporal and spatial autocorrelations. Using root mean square error and Watanabe-Akaike information criterion, all 42 combinations of ARMA models up to 4 total parameters and exponential, Matérn 1/2 and spherical covariance kernels were compared. The ARMA(3,1) processes with the exponential Gaussian process kernel was determined to be the best fit model. Gaussian mixture models, hierarchical clustering, hard and soft K-means clustering, and support vector machines are used to classify the posterior distribution. The hard K-means algorithm was the best classifier, and it accurately predicted 85.1% of the glaciers, compared to 68.8% from a univariate classification on the Red/SWIR band ratio.


title: Long journeys: Healthcare providers' perspectives about promoting equity and community-based palliative care for rural, remote, and indigenous communities in northern British Columbia

format:
electronic
1 online resource (viii, 136 pages)

subject: Palliative treatment--Social aspects--British Columbia, Northern.

subject: Rural health services--British Columbia, Northern.

subject: Community health services--British Columbia, Northern.

subject: Indigenous peoples--Health and hygience--British Columbia, Northern.

abstract: Inequitable access to palliative care in Canada is a pressing issue. People with life-limiting illnesses in rural and remote northern and Indigenous geographies in British Columbia (BC) face ethically problematic barriers to receiving palliative care. Palliative approaches that are equity-oriented and community-based bring significant improvements to the healthcare system and to people's quality of life. The purpose of this qualitative study was to find ways to promote health equity and community-based palliative care. This research is informed by action-oriented, anti-colonial, and critical Indigenous methodologies. As perspectives of frontline healthcare workers offer transformative insights, palliative care providers working in northern BC were interviewed, and, from their interviews, three main themes emerged. These were (1) Support Primary Palliative Care, (2) earlier and inclusive Integration of Palliative care, and (3) Culturally Safe Palliative Care. The implications of these findings are situated at the intersection of cultural safety, public health, and health promotion.


title: The response of subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa (Hook.) Nutt)) growth and resilience to climate change in Northern Rockies, Interior British Columbia, Canada

format:
electronic
1 online resource (xii, 137 pages)

abstract:
Understanding forest growth and resilience under global climate change is crucial for forest management, to maintain wood supply for future. In this research, I focused on the response and
resilience of subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa (Hook.) Nut)) growth to climate variables and severe drought events at five stands located along northern slopes of the Rockies in northern BC, Canada. Results revealed that temperature (especially summer and previous fall) was the most important climate factor controlling growth of subalpine fir trees at study sites. The lower the latitude, the more summer temperature negatively effected tree growth. Also, results showed that subalpine fir trees were resilient to very dry conditions at study sites, when considering the growth recovery period to drought was between 1 to 2 years. The lower the latitude, the faster the trees recovered from drought. However, subalpine fir trees located at higher latitudes were more resistant to the effects of drought.


title: Analysis of portfolio-based language assessment (PBLA) guidelines for new immigrant language instruction in Canada: An action plan for teachers and administrators

format:
electronic
1 online resource (96 pages)

abstract: The purpose of this project was to facilitate Portfolio-Based Language Assessment (PBLA) implementation in the context of government-funded Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC) programs through a documentary analysis of four PBLA guiding documents. There are five chapters in this project: Chapter one provided an introduction to PBLA, significance and background of the project, researcher’s personal location, and purpose of the study. Chapter two shed light on some relevant literature on the topic. Three major themes were discussed which include the history of assessment and the gradual shift from summative to formative assessment in language instruction in recent years; the second theme explained PBLA and its salient benefits for learners while the last theme covered theoretical foundations of PBLA and discussed how principles of Assessment for Learning (AFL), principles of classroom-based instruction, and the Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) interact to define classroom instruction and assessment. Chapter three discussed research methodology based on qualitative orientation and documentary research design, which reviewed and analyzed four PBLA guidelines text documents. Chapter four presented a teacher-learner friendly action plan for PBLA implementation in the classroom through two sample teaching units, instructional materials and assessment tasks. Chapter five is the summary, conclusion and researcher’s reflections.


title: Jury duty and posttraumatic stress disorder

format:
electronic
1 online resource (210 pages)

abstract: Research on jurors and juror symptomatology has been conducted for many years; however, existing research has primarily been completed in the United States. What little research was conducted in Canada is now several years ago. Further, there is sufficient anecdotal evidence to suggest PTSD can and does occur as a result of serving jury duty. As such, this research sought to explore the relationship between jury duty participation and PTSD symptomology, as described by participants. This research is qualitative and involved two stages. First, participants (n=14) were asked to complete an online demographic survey that included a self-report measure for PTSD, the PCL-5. Second, participants (n=12) were invited to complete a one-two hour interview. Findings from the interviews were analyzed via thematic analysis. This research found three participants who met the criteria for probable PTSD (when using a cut-off score of 32). Overall, jurors in Canada echo previous research that states sources of symptoms relate to viewing disturbing images, deliberations, sequestering, and fear of making a mistake. New insight indicates fear associated with retaliation may be a major contributing factor for symptomology. Further, jurors whose life experiences relate to the trial type may be a contributing factor for symptomology. Policy and practice recommendations include improving information for jurors before they begin their service and providing more consistent follow-up support for jurors. Research should continue to explore the relationship between jurors and symptomology.


title: Hydrologic controls of a wetland complex in British Columbia’s inland temperate rainforest

publisher: Univerisity of Northern British Columbia

format:
electronic
1 online resource (xvii, 87 pages)

abstract:
Ancient Forest/Chun T’Oh Whudujut Provincial Park (AFP) is part of British Columbia’s (BC) inland temperate rainforest that receives high total annual precipitation amounts (>1000 mm) from orographic enhancement. AFP hosts a ~4 km2 complex of valley bottom wetlands which is supported by this precipitation, a good portion of which falls as snow. This study examines the hydrology of the wetland complex to determine the primary water sources and their influence on flow paths and recharge. Water levels and meteorological conditions were monitored for 2019 and 2020, and water samples were collected for isotopic data during the 2020 snow free period. Kriging of water level data
revealed a northeastward nearly flat hydraulic gradient that shifted orientation during wet and dry periods through the summertime. Rainfall amounts were above average at 700.2 mm and 676.4 mm while snow water equivalent varied at 762.8 mm (below average) and 1082.8 mm (above average) for 2019 and 2020, respectively. The reduced snowpack of 2019 yielded lower water levels through the summertime when compared to those of 2020. End Member Mixing Analysis (EMMA) of stable water isotope data indicates that rainfall is not a significant enough recharge source to alter the wetland groundwater composition, while snowmelt is likely the dominant source of input for the groundwater. Cross correlation between rainfall and water level data indicates however that water levels do respond to rainfall events with lag times ranging from 13 – 30 hrs. This observation leads to the conclusion that rainfall serves to flush stored snowmelt generated water from the soils into the wetland complex, though not in a significant enough volume to replace snowmelt as the dominant soil water source. Since previous research has concluded that by 2050 as much as 50 % of the current snow contribution to total annual precipitation will be replaced by rainfall, this study indicates that this shift in precipitation regime may result in lower water levels in the wetland complex. Numerical modelling of the relationship between wetland water levels and precipitation phases and amounts would improve the understanding of the climate resiliency of valley bottom wetlands in the Robson Valley.


title: Terahertz reflection time-domain spectroscopy for imaging and identifying concealed interfaces in multilayered systems

format:
electronic
1 online resource (x, 90 pages)

abstract: This thesis reviews multiple forms of terahertz spectroscopy and imaging, and exploits a combination of aspects from the techniques involved to undertake a novel method. With the use of this method, subsurface interfaces within a practical, insulated system are spatially imaged and identified. Initially, transmission spectroscopy is used to select the insulating material of the system based on favourable dielectric properties, followed by the use of dove prism reflection spectroscopy to understand and qualitatively contrast the responses of the interfaces to reflecting terahertz pulses. After constructing a reflection imaging system, multiple interface materials concealed by insulation are successfully located and identified by coloured overlays in a 100 by 100 image. Further exploration of applications involving the proposed method is also discussed.


title: “Kitchen crafters”: Canning, feminism, and the value of ‘women’s work’

format:
electronic
1 online resource (v, 98 pages)

abstract: This thesis examines the enthusiasm and motivations for home canning in the twenty-first century within the context of the DIY movement of the 1990s and the current urban homesteading movement. Using interdisciplinary methodological approaches, including feminist history, feminist auto/biography, and autoethnography, the author provides historical background on home canning and homesteading in Canada and the United States; she also uses her own lived experiences of canning and gardening while pursing an MA in Gender Studies to analyze choice feminism. This thesis examines criticisms of the current interest in home canning by journalists, and the reactions of canning/urban homesteading bloggers to those articles. Ultimately this thesis argues that canning is a valuable skill and that feminism and foodwork are not incompatible; furthermore, blogging about canning and urban homesteading is breaking down the divide between the public and private spheres by providing an income for some bloggers through advertising and book deals.


title: Schema decision trees for heterogeneous JSON arrays

format:
electronic
1 online resource (x, 119 pages)

abstract: Due to the popularity of the JavaScript Object Notation (JSON), a need has arisen for the creation of schema documents for the purpose of validating the content of other JSON documents. Existing automatic schema generation tools, however, have not adequately considered the scenario of an array of JSON objects with different types of structures. These tools work off the assumption that all objects have the same structure, and thus, only generate a single schema combining them together. To address this problem, this thesis looks to improve upon schema generation for heterogeneous JSON arrays. We develop an algorithm to determine a set of keys that identifies what type of structure each element has. These keys are then used as the basis for a schema decision tree. The objective of this tree is to help in the validation process by allowing each element to be compared against a single, more tailored, schema.


title: Nonlinear dynamics of plankton ecosystem with impulsive control and environmental fluctuations

format:
electronic
1 online resource (xiii, 205 pages)

abstract:
It is well known that the density of plankton populations always increases and decreases or keeps invariant for a long time, and the variation of plankton density is an important factor influencing the real aquatic environments, why do these situations occur? It is an interesting topic which has become the common interest for many researchers. As the basis of the food webs in oceans, lakes, and reservoirs, plankton plays a significant role in the material circulation and energy flow for real aquatic ecosystems that have a great effect on the economic and social values. Planktonic blooms can occur in some environments, however, and the direct or indirect adverse effects of planktonic blooms on real aquatic ecosystems, such as water quality, water landscape, aquaculture development, are sometimes catastrophic, and thus planktonic blooms have become a challenging and intractable problem worldwide in recent years. Therefore, to understand these effects so that some necessary measures can be taken, it is important and meaningful to investigate the dynamic growth mechanism of plankton and reveal the dynamics mechanisms of formation and disappearance of planktonic blooms. To this end, based on the background of the ecological environments in the subtropical lakes and reservoirs, this dissertation research takes mainly the planktonic algae as the research objective to model the mechanisms of plankton growth and evolution. In this dissertation, some theories related to population dynamics, impulsive control dynamics, stochastic dynamics, as well as the methods of dynamic modeling, dynamic analysis and experimental simulation, are applied to reveal the effects of some key biological factors on the dynamics mechanisms of the spatial-temporal distribution of plankton and the termination of planktonic blooms, and to predict the dynamics evolutionary processes of plankton
growth. The main results are as follows: Firstly, to discuss the prevention and control strategies on planktonic blooms, an impulsive reaction-diffusion hybrid system was developed. On the one hand, the dynamic analysis showed that impulsive control can significantly influence the dynamics of the system, including the ultimate boundedness, extinction, permanence, and the existence and uniqueness of positive periodic solution of the system. On the other hand, some experimental simulations were preformed to reveal that impulsive control can lead to the extinction and permanence of population directly. More precisely, the prey and intermediate predator populations can coexist at any time and location of their inhabited domain, while the top predator population undergoes extinction when the impulsive control parameter exceeds some a critical value, which can provide some key arguments to control population survival by means of some reaction-diffusion impulsive hybrid systems in the real life. Additionally, a heterogeneous environment can affect the spatial distribution of plankton and change the temporal-spatial oscillation of plankton distribution. All results are expected to be helpful in the study of dynamic complex of ecosystems. Secondly, a stochastic phytoplankton-zooplankton system with toxic phytoplankton was proposed and the effects of environmental stochasticity and toxin-producing phytoplankton (TPP) on the dynamics mechanisms of the termination of planktonic blooms were discussed. The research illustrated that white noise can aggravate the stochastic oscillation of plankton density and a high-level intensity of white noise can accelerate the extinction of plankton and may be advantageous for the disappearance of harmful phytoplankton, which imply that the white noise can help control the biomass of plankton and provide a guide for the termination of planktonic blooms. Additionally, some experimental simulations were carried out to reveal that the increasing toxin liberation rate released by TPP can increase the survival chance of phytoplankton population and reduce the biomass of zooplankton population, but the combined effects of those two toxin liberation rates on the changes in plankton are stronger than that of controlling any one of the two TPP. All results suggest that both white noise and TPP can play an important role in controlling planktonic blooms. Thirdly, we established a stochastic phytoplankton-toxic producing phytoplankton-zooplankton system under regime switching and investigated how the white noise, regime switching and TPP affect the dynamics mechanisms of planktonic blooms. The dynamical analysis indicated that both white noise and toxins released by TPP are disadvantageous to the development of plankton and may increase the risk of plankton extinction. Also, a series of experimental simulations were carried out to verify the correctness of the dynamical analysis and further reveal the effects of the white noise, regime switching and TPP on the dynamics mechanisms of the termination of planktonic blooms. On the one hand, the numerical study revealed that the system can switch from one state to another due to regime shift, and further indicated that the regime switching can balance the different survival states of plankton density and decrease the risk of plankton extinction when the density of white noise are particularly weak. On the other hand, an increase in the toxin liberation rate can increase the survival chance of phytoplankton but reduce the biomass of zooplankton, which implies that the presence of toxic phytoplankton may have a positive effect on the termination of planktonic blooms. These results may provide some insightful understanding on the dynamics of phytoplankton-zooplankton systems in randomly disturbed aquatic environments. Finally, a stochastic non-autonomous phytoplankton-zooplankton system involving TPP and impulsive perturbations was studied, where the white noise, impulsive perturbations and TPP are incorporated into the system to simulate the natural aquatic ecological phenomena. The dynamical analysis revealed some key threshold conditions that ensure the existence and uniqueness of a global positive solution, plankton extinction and persistence in the mean. In particular, we determined if there is a positive periodic solution for the system when the toxin liberation rate reaches a critical value. Some experimental simulations also revealed that both white noise and impulsive control parameter can directly influence the plankton extinction and persistence in the mean. Significantly, enhancing the toxin liberation rate released by TPP increases the possibility of phytoplankton survival but reduces the zooplankton biomass. All these results can improve our understanding of the dynamics of complex of aquatic ecosystems in a fluctuating environment.


title: Achieving a 'just transition' for forestry-dependent workers and communities in northern British Columbia

contributor: University of Northern British Columbia Natural Resources & Environmental Studies (Degree granting institution)

format:
electronic
1 online resource (viii, 155 pages)

subject: Labor--Planning.

subject: Labor--Environmental aspects.

subject: Climatic changes--Economic aspects.

subject: Forestry and community.

subject: Forestry and community.--Cariboo Regional District (B.C.).

abstract: ‘Just transition’ is a burgeoning policy goal, as well as an academic and social justice  concept. Governments are increasingly operationalizing just transition policy approaches as they  realize the scale and scope of industrial transition needed to meet climate targets, recognizing the  impact this transition will have on workers and communities. However, there is little consensus  on what is considered ‘just’ and ‘fair’. Through interviews with over 40 participants in the Cariboo Regional District (during the COVID-19 pandemic), this thesis will provide insights into  the concept of a just transition according to forestry-dependent workers and communities. This  research examines the Government of British Columbia’s ‘Supports for Interior Forestry Workers’ programs in response to the 2019 forest sector downturn and describes lessons about  how impacted workers and community members evaluate transition management based on their  perceptions and values. This work also offers principles and practices for delivering just  transition policy and program supports. This research suggests that the Government of British  Columbia must adjust existing supports and proactively develop policy measures to manage and  mitigate the negative consequences of future transitions in collaboration with other key actors.


title: Systematic conservation planning in Tsay Keh Dene Territory: incorporating climate change and interweaving traditional ecological knowledge

contributor: Abadzadesahraei, Sina (committee member)

format:
electronic
1 online resource (xviii, 279 pages)

subject: Conservation of natural resources--Planning.--Tsay Keh Dene (First Nation).

subject: Tsay Keh Dene (First Nation).

subject: Traditional ecological knowledge.

abstract: Systematic Conservation Planning (SCP) is the practice of comprehensively assessing a landscape for its conservation value via geospatial analysis. This research project applied SCP principles and tools to Tsay Keh Dene Nation Territory in north-central British Columbia, Canada. Working with the Tsay Keh Dene community, we articulated conservation goals and determined important features on the landscape that helped attain those goals. This effort also examined climate change and connectivity impacts on conservation, comparing which lands are most worth conserving today versus 30 and 60 years from now. Finally, this work explored the interweaving of Traditional Ecological Knowledge with the Western science-based SCP framework to ensure a more holistic and inclusive outcome. Our findings both validated ongoing conservation efforts in the Territory and identified additional high-value areas for future consideration. This research can also serve as a guide for other accessible TEK-focused or community-led SCP efforts.


title: The role of awareness and engagement in safeguarding the Muskwa-Kechika Management Area

format:
electronic
1 online resource (ix, 197 pages)

coverage:
Muskwa-Kechika Management Area (B.C.)
British Columbia, Northern.

subject: Environmental protection--Social aspects.

subject: Place (Philosophy).

subject: Natural resources management areas.

subject: Natural resources management areas.--British Columbia, Northern.

abstract: The Muskwa-Kechika Management Area (M-KMA) in northern British Columbia is globally significant for its size, special resource management, and cultural and ecological values. These characteristics were secured in perpetuity through the British Columbian Government’s M-KMA Act in 1998. However, today low public awareness and engagement are seen as threats to the M-KMA’s effectiveness and longevity. Using a mixed-methods approach, this research examined the role of awareness and engagement in safeguarding the M-KMA by conducting semi-structured interviews and a media analysis, both of which informed a public survey. Informing the research design were underlying theories in sense of place, place branding, and the relationship of planned behaviour to place-protective behaviour. Additionally, resource management practices like ecosystem-based management informed the research design and methods of public participation in policy formation.


title: Water stewardship through innovative policy development: mobilization and transfer of the Yinka Dene Water Law

format:
electronic
1 online resource (xii, 243 pages)

coverage:
Nadleh Whut'en (First Nation).
Nadleh Whut'en (First Nation).

subject: Indigenous peoples--Canada--Legal status, laws, etc.

subject: Water-supply--Management.

subject: Water quality management.

subject: Water quality management.--Nadleh Whut'en (First Nation).

abstract: Policy mobility and transfer play a role in larger policy development and implementation processes, as actors look elsewhere for policy solutions to local issues. Conducted in collaboration with the Nadleh Whut’en First Nation and guided by an Indigenous methodology based on the Too Declaration with support from constructivist grounded theory, this research explores the mobilization and transfer of the Yinka Dene Water Law. Conversations with participants representing First Nations and interest groups reveal that the Water Law is being mobilized by individuals and groups at a variety of scales, and use varies from adoption and implementation, to inquiring about its transfer. This research also discusses factors influencing Water Law transfer, including shared policy problems and its function as a communication tool. There are few empirical examples of policy transfer processes between Indigenous contexts. This research contributes to filling this gap in the policy transfer literature by exploring such transfer between First Nations, and advances Nadleh Whut’en’s stewardship and implementation related objectives.


title: Stock trend prediction framework based on line segment algorithm and deep learning

format:
electronic
1 online resource (viii, 42 pages)

abstract:
Stock forecasting is a very complicated task due to its noise and volatile characteristics. How to effectively eliminate the noise has attracted attention from both investors and researchers. This report presents a novel de-noise technique named Line Segment Algorithm (LSA). Compared to those signal processing methods, LSA is based on the characteristic of financial time series. First, the algorithm identified the shape patterns of the historical stock price series and labeled them as turning points and false alarms. Then, a stock trend prediction framework was built and trained with the shape patterns extracted by the algorithm. Eventually, the model could predict whether a shape pattern is turning point or not. To evaluate its performance, experiments on the real stock data were carried out in LSTM and Random Forest, respectively. The results show that LSA demonstrates its effectiveness by better accuracy on prediction. It provides a new perspective for stock trend analysis and can be applied in the
actual stock investment trading as well.


title: Evaluating site index models derived from topography and predictive ecosystem models

format:
electronic
1 online resource (vi, 90 pages)

abstract: Remote sensing techniques have been demonstrated to be efficient tools for producing reliable and accurate information regarding forest inventory. Airborne Laser Scanning (ALS) can be used to develop Predictive Ecosystem Mapping (PEM) models based on Digital Elevation Model (DEM) derived layers. These PEM models, and the variables that they are based on may be used to generate reliable information to predict forest growth potential using an age-independent approach. This study evaluated the efficacy of using ALS-derived attributes to infer Site Index (SI) in plantation areas up to 30 years old, and compares the results with the current Biogeoclimatic Ecosystem Classification (BEC) estimates. I used a machine learning approach and Random Forest techniques to develop an age-independent SI model (SI_pem) incorporating DEM-derived topographic layers. The resulting SI_pem model produces accurate SI estimates at a fine grain across different forest ecosystems. The model performed significantly better when compared to Site Index by Biogeoclimatic Ecosystem Classification site series (SIBEC) lookup tables. Microclimate variables associated with water process, such as Topographic Positioning Index, Diurnal Anisotropic Heating, Topographic Openness Dominance and Overland Flow Horizontal Distance had significant importance to predict SI across the three areas studied in this work.


title: Ringbarking to manage Armillaria root disease in the forests of central British Columbia

format:
electronic
1 online resource (viii, 71 pages)

abstract: Armillaria root disease, caused by the fungus Armillaria ostoyae (Romagn.) Herink, is an important agent of diversity in the forests of British Columbia. Forest operations can disrupt co-evolved host-pathogen balances, leaving behind a supply of carbohydrate-rich defenceless stumps, allowing for a post-harvest inoculum flush and disease spread. One management option is pre-harvest ringbarking, requiring the removal of a strip of bark, phloem, and cambium around a tree, in an attempt to limit carbohydrate transportation to the roots. In theory, ringbarking should deplete starch levels in roots prior to harvest, restricting A. ostoyae's energy base, directly limiting the pathogen, and indirectly increasing saprophytic competition and exclusion. I set out to determine if ringbarking Armillaria root disease centres in the forests of central BC prior to harvest would have a short-term influence on A. ostoyae's characteristic post-disturbance inoculum flush. My objectives were to quantify A. ostoyae colonization and starch content within the roots of ringbarked and untreated Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii var. glauca (Mirb.) Franco (Beissn.) Franco). Thirty-six plots were established across three sites, with ringbarking randomly applied to eighteen plots. Sites were clearcut and sample stumps excavated. Armillaria ostoyae colonization was quantified by scoring disease severity of roots and by measuring percent colonized root lengths. Root samples were quantitatively analyzed for starch content. Logistic mixed models were used to assess incidence data, and linear mixed models to assess categorical measures of colonization severity, as well as intensive measures of colonization and starch content. No statistically significant differences were observed in post-harvest A. ostoyae colonization or starch content on roots from ringbarked trees versus untreated plots at any site or overall. My study was unable to confirm that ringbarking trees in Armillaria root disease centres prior to their felling influences starch content or colonization within root systems following harvest. My results combined with reviewed literature instead suggest that ringbarking may provide control through a host stress response mechanism. Additional long-term research is required to clarify the mechanisms of control and the effectiveness of treatment. Future work should address challenges surrounding initial disease assessment, treatment methods and timing, sampling, and the quantification of colonization and starch.


title: Understanding empathy in equine assisted psychotherapy

format:
electronic
1 online resource (viii, 90 pages)

abstract: Equine assisted therapies are growing in popularity as a modality for treating various mental health and developmental challenges. Many of these challenges require focused work on the development of empathy, perspective taking, and attunement to self and others. This study examines the participants’ experiences and understanding of empathy as it relates to self, humans, and equine partners via structured qualitative interviews with four therapy participants. The interviews conducted for this study demonstrated a distinct common understanding of empathy as the ability to take perspective based on the human’s or animal’s own orientation in the world; an understanding that developing empathy within the context of equine therapy was emotionally laborious and required significant work and emotional engagement on the participant’s behalf. The interviews indicated that the participants’ perceived the horse as emotionally neutral in therapeutic interactions. Furthermore, the study indicated that a central component to the perceived success of this modality of therapy was a parallel process in relationship between the facilitator/client dyad and the client/equine dyad.


title: Exploring factors leading to the justification of marital rape among Ghanaian-Canadian married women

format:
electronic
1 online resource (142 pages)

abstract: Canada implemented Bill C-127 to eliminate sexual assault against wives in 1983, while Ghana criminalized marital rape in 2007. Although Ghana was late in establishing the Domestic Violence Act, which eliminated the idea that husbands can rape wives, there has been little to  no legal report of marital rape in Ghana. This study explored the experiences and perceptions on the factors that lead to the justification of marital rape among Ghanaian-Canadian women. The study adopted a qualitative research approach and a descriptive case study design. The general research question was: What factors influence the justification of marital rape as perceived and experienced by Ghanaian-Canadian married women? A purposeful sampling procedure targeted Ghanaian-Canadian women living in Canada. A total of twenty (20) highly educated women participants within the ages of 28-63 were identified. A case study was pursued using semi-structured interviews. Telephone interviews were conducted with all the participants. The methods of data analysis of the interview data involved transcription, categorization, and coding for major themes. Major themes identified as factors that influence the justification of marital rape include the following: lack of confidence in the Ghanaian judicial system, exaggerated ideas of the effectiveness and ruthlessness of the Canadian judicial system in dealing with marital rape, economic instability, and women's immigration status. Hence, one major factor that helped achieve these findings was the comparative approach the participants identified by relating the Ghanaian society to their host country, which helped to examine differing influences of the identified themes. Ethical consideration to confidentiality and anonymity are demonstrated in this thesis with pseudonyms used for the participants in the discussion of the findings. The thesis concludes with vital recommendations such as the need for further research to uncover the factors leading to the justification of rape from diverse religious and non-religious groups and tribes of diverse nationalities living in Canada, and further research to investigate the support services available within Canada’s provinces and their response to domestic violence, especially with women of colour.


title: Pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide receptor expression in sympathetic ganglia innervating adipose tissue

format:
electronic
1 online resource (xii, 88 pages)

abstract: Obesity is a disease that occurs when energy intake exceeds energy expenditure, concomitantly increasing risk of chronic diseases, including metabolic diseases such as diabetes. Research into therapeutics to correct dysregulations in energy balance is on the rise, and one notable neuropeptide being studied is pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP). PACAP has been shown to regulate thermogenesis, an energy burning process regulated by the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) in response to cold stress and overfeeding, but its role within the sympathetic nerves innervating and regulating energy metabolism in adipose tissues is not well understood. We hypothesize that PACAP is acting on PACAP receptors (PAC1, VPAC1, VPAC2) expressed in stellate ganglia innervating brown adipose tissue, the main thermogenic organ in mammals. We have established a reliable protocol for the isolation of two ganglia of the SNS (stellate and superior cervical) and provided recommendations of reference genes to use as internal controls for gene expression studies. For the first time, we confirmed PACAP receptor gene expression in the stellate ganglia, and saw sex-specific, differential gene expression based on housing temperature. We subsequently analyzed the expression of PAC1 splice variants in the stellate ganglia and our positive control tissues (adrenal gland and superior cervical ganglia), identifying at least two variants in these SNS tissues. This work adds to current literature on the study of thermogenesis and energy balance, and encourages future work characterizing G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) for their therapeutic application, enhancing our fundamental understanding of autonomic physiology in mammals.


title: An extension of transformer neural networks in the context of multivariate stochastic processes

format:
electronic
1 online resource (vii, 86 pages)

abstract: Increasingly, artificial neural networks are explored to learn relationships among temporal sequence data for purposes of classification, prediction, and anomaly detection with the hope of exceeding the performance of more traditional machine learning algorithms. While the underlying Long Short-Term Memory or Gated Recurrent Unit networks are still the preferred choices by many researchers, such recurrent networks are sub-optimal to learn relationships within and across longer sequences. Transformer neural networks, originally designed to improve the performance of natural language processing tasks, pose an interesting alternative as their attention mechanisms are more capable of capturing context and meaning within longer sequences. Such features present opportunities to apply transformer networks also to temporal sequence data of financial asset prices. This thesis introduces an extension of the original transformer neural network which is capable of multivariate time series representation learning in a supervised learning context and attempts to train temporal sequences of financial asset prices. The prediction accuracy of the transformer extension exceeds two of the most popular recurrent neural networks used for temporal sequence data prediction. The experiments are conducted in the context of a trading algorithm that showcases the practical potential and its implications. As the model is not input data specific, opportunities to transfer enhancements to other domains exist.


title: The link between identity styles and quiet ego: The role of compassion

format:
electronic
1 online resource (ix, 111)

abstract: Relationships between the identity styles (informational, normative, and diffuse-avoidant), compassionate love for humanity, self-compassion, and quiet ego were explored. To date, no research has examined relationships between these constructs. Three hundred four individuals (84 men and 220 women) completed self-report measures of identity style, compassionate love for humanity, self-compassion, and quiet ego. Participants were members of an age range referred to as emerging adults (ages 18 to 29). Seven hypotheses were investigated, including whether: (1) there will be a significant positive relationship between the informational identity style and quiet ego; (2) there will be a significant negative relationship between the normative identity style and quiet ego; (3) there will be a significant negative relationship between the diffuse-avoidant identity style and quiet ego; (4) the informational identity style positively predicts quiet ego, with high self-compassion being a mediating factor; (5) the informational identity style positively predicts quiet ego, with high compassionate love for humanity being a mediating factor; (6) the normative identity style negatively predicts quiet ego, with low compassionate love for humanity being a mediating factor; and (7) the diffuse-avoidant identity style negatively predicts quiet ego, with low self-compassion being a mediating factor. Data analyses were carried out using the statistical software SPSS to conduct correlations and hierarchical multiple regressions, in order to examine the hypotheses. Results indicated that quiet ego was significantly positively correlated with the informational identity style, and significantly negatively correlated with the normative and diffuse-avoidant identity styles. Furthermore, the positive relationship between the informational identity style and quiet ego was partially mediated by compassionate love for humanity. The negative relationship between the normative identity style and quiet ego was linearly impacted, but not mediated, by compassionate love for humanity. The negative relationship between the diffuse-avoidant identity style and quiet ego was linearly impacted, but not mediated, by self-compassion. Potential reasons for why the observed results were obtained are provided. Future studies may explore potential gender differences in these relationships, in addition to analyzing the different components of self-compassion, and their relationship to the identity styles and quiet ego. Limitations for this study included the use of a survey design, which reduces the ability to infer directionality from the findings. The implications of the results are discussed.


title: Exploring climate change, ecosystems and well-being connections: lessons learned from the application of a geospatial knowledge exchange tool in the Nechako watershed

format:
electronic
1 online resource (vii, 203 pages)

subject: Geospatial data--Collection and preservation

subject: Information storage and retrieval systems

abstract: The Nechako Watershed is a large system in northern BC that exemplifies the challenge of integrating information across climate, environment and well-being. This research responded to this need with the goal of enhancing how information about the Nechako Watershed is communicated and shared. Informed by the development of a geospatial ‘portal’ tool in northern BC, this research sought to establish the Integrated Watershed Research Group (IWRG) Portal, gain insight on establishing accessible knowledge exchange strategies, and identify its perceived benefits and limitations. The research had two phases. Phase I involved working with a development team to understand this tool, testing, establishing the IWRG Portal, finding and formatting content. Phase II brought members of the Portal User Research Group together to further refine the IWRG Portal and content through scoping discussions, workshops, and a focus group. Thematic analysis was used to code and analyze the transcribed focus group. The research identified benefits of the portal with how it dealt with complexity and its integrative features. Limitations were also found, including the need for intentional framing of data, a steep learning curve, and the need for an internet connection. Analysis also identified the need to tailor content for specific audiences. The research has shown that tools such as the IWRG Portal can create new pathways to understanding and finding information. The research has also identified paths for further refinement and development of the portal tool by expanding the user base and continuing to evaluate the effectiveness of this tool in various contexts.


title: Avian communication networks: how audible are mountain chickadee males during dawn signalling?

contributor: University of Northern British Columbia NRES-Biology (Degree granting institution)

format:
electronic
1 online resource (ix, 80 pages)

coverage:
Kamloops (B.C.)
Kamloops (B.C.)

subject: Mountain chickadee

subject: Mountain chickadee--Kamloops (B.C.)

subject: Birdsongs

subject: Birdsongs--Kamloops (B.C.)

subject: Courtship in animals--Effect of human beings on

subject: City noise

abstract: My thesis investigates how urban noise influences the relative audibility of songs to female Mountain Chickadees (Poecile gambeli), who assess male signalling at dawn while roosting within the nest cavity. Over two breeding seasons, I monitored Mountain Chickadees breeding on an urban/rural interface in Kamloops, BC, Canada. I broadcast typical Mountain Chickadee songs, with or without added noise, towards recently unoccupied nests while simultaneously re-recording these songs with microphones outside and inside the nest box to determine the relative audibility in relation to both distance and presence/absence of noise. I then tracked individual males’ behaviour and movement during dawn signalling, while passively recording their songs with microphones — outside and inside the nest box — to determine the relative audibility of signals from the perspective of the roosting female. The relative audibility of songs decreased with increasing distance from the nest, which was compounded by increased urban noise. During dawn signalling, urban males respond to these effects by remaining closer to the nest, resulting in their songs being more audible within the nest than their rural counterparts. Overall, ambient noise and distance had an interactive effect on relative audibility of songs, suggesting complex dynamics of communication networks that may result in a trade-off, where males are forced to prioritize directing their signals to either their social mates or neighbours.


title: Modification of composting process of chicken manure using natural and mg-modified zeolite to generate a value-added product with sufficient nutrient content

contributor: University of Northern British Columbia NRES-Environmental Science (Degree granting institution)

format:
electronic
1 online resource (xi, 69 pages)

subject:
Compost--Experiements
Compost--analysis
Zeolites as soil amendments

abstract: This research was aimed at developing a composting process of organic waste using natural and modified zeolites by ascertaining how effective they were in retaining phosphorus (P) after 60 days. The experiments included compost (C) containing natural (N) and modified (M) zeolite (Z) treatments (applied at 10% and 15% on a weight basis of the total waste): CNZ10, CNZ15, CMZ10, CMZ15 and C (which is the control treatment with no zeolite addition). The second objective was to compare the barley shoot biomass and nutrient concentration of the various compost treatments mixed with soil and control treatment (just soil) after 45 days of planting in the greenhouse. In general, the benefits of co-addition of compost and zeolite on sandy soil were tested in a completely randomized experimental design. The results indicated that the treatments with the highest zeolite treatments (CNZ15 and CMZ15) proved most effective at retaining P by the end of the composting process (2.8mg and 2.9mg respectively) compared to the lower zeolite ratios and the control treatment; CNZ10 (2.0mg), CMZ10 (1.9mg) and C (0.7mg). The barley shoot biomass results indicated that the treatments that had a combination of soil (S) and modified zeolite (SCMZ10 and SCMZ15) had biomass of 7.67g and 7.24g respectively, followed by the natural zeolite and compost treatments (SCNZ10, SCNZ15 and SC) having 6.19g, 6.38g and 5.99g respectively and were significantly different from the control treatment (S) which had the lowest biomass of 0.48g. With respect to the plant nutrient concentration, N and P were significantly higher in the control treatment (S) compared to the other treatments while K concentration was significantly highest in the compost and some of the zeolite treatments (SC, SCNZ15 and SCMZ15) compared to other treatments. These results were in line with some previous findings where zeolite was used as a soil amendment in agriculture.

abstract: Nutrient concentration

abstract: Composting

abstract: Natural zeolite

abstract: Chicken manure

abstract: Barley


title: The relationship between types of needs and consumer choices in apparel industry of Bangladesh

contributor: University of Northern British Columbia Business (Degree granting institution)

format:
electronic
1 online resource (96 pages)

subject:
Consumer behavior
Consumer behavior--Bangladesh
Consumers--Attitudes
Need (Philosophy)
Choice (Psychology)

abstract: Consumer behavior signifies the way of people’s purchasing and consuming products and services. It is a hotbed of research which is intensely associated with human psychology and is essential for companies that are trying to sell their products or services to as many consumers as possible. Since various facets of consumers’ lives affect what they purchase and why they purchase, research on consumer behavior resolves the issues of understanding – how individuals respond to advertising and marketing, individuality – if the process can determine consumers’ personalities, social status, decision-making process. Consumer behavior research is important to determine how best to sell products or services by influencing consumers’ fears, their least healthy habits or their worst tendencies. This study has examined the relationship between consumer needs and consumer purchase behavior in terms of consumer choices of Bangladeshi customers for apparel market. Types of consumers’ choices and types of consumers’ needs are associated with each other. Types of needs are the underlying determinant of types of choices to satisfy consumers’ apparel necessity and these three categories of needs, that are recognised to satisfy apparel necessity (i.e. functional needs, social needs and experiential needs), are fulfilled by consumers through three recognised categories of choices (i.e. choice freedom, choice difficulty and choice confidence). Different categories of consumers have different types of needs and they behave differently while purchasing clothes, therefore, this study has figured out how consumers of Bangladesh make their choices according to their needs in apparel purchases. This study also examined how income levels work as a moderator while consumers make decisions. The purpose of this thesis is to shed light on the relationship of the consumers’ needs and choices. The key objective is to investigate how the correlation between consumers’ needs and choices influences the insights of consumers and their decision-making process. This study also inspected the affiliation between the needs and choices for the population with respect to certain key questions. Consequently, it identified a better understanding of the links between needs and choices and set a special consideration of how choices interact with various situations which is very important to sell the apparel products in best way. The study employed a survey research design which is quantitative in nature. Quantitative survey quantifies the problems by generating numerical data which can be converted into functional statistics and it is mostly used to measure attitudes, opinions, behaviors and any other defined variables (DeFranzo, 2011). The data was collected through a structured Likert-scale questionnaire which fulfilled the quantitative research nature. The included questions were related to the types of needs and choices theories, with focus on consumers’ purchase behavior. Therefore, it was able to investigate quantitatively due to the nature of the research. Respondents completed the questionnaire which was administrated via online electronic form through SurveyMonkey. After collecting the data, it ran ordinal regression models on the basis of dependent and independent variables of the questionnaire and that provided a clear indication of consumers’ actual preference structure. This research paper was demonstrated with the broad overview about the consumers’ choices according to the types of their needs. The study found that types of needs are positively associated with types of choices and low-income level and high-income level have decreased and increased impact accordingly with the positive relationships of needs and choices. The findings of the paper offer some valuable considerations for related theories, especially on topic of consumers’ purchase behavior by highlighting the contextual differences between needs and choices and by highlighting the other influencing factors associated with these. It contributes to build up new concepts of consumer purchase behavior theory in terms of branding theory and consumers’ needs and selection process also demonstrates that how types of needs influence consumers’ purchase decision through types of choices. Moreover, new concepts or strategies and psychological explanations of consumers help the managers to sell their products appropriately.


title: Analysis of the physiological mechanisms underlying the biological activity of sargassum fusiforme fucoidan to alleviate insulin resistance

format:
electronic
1 online resource (xii, 214 pages)

subject: Non-insulin-dependent diabetes--Treatment.

subject: Non-insulin-dependent diabetes--Research.

subject: Insulin resistence.

abstract: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a chronic metabolic disease characterized by hyperglycemia resulting from progressive loss of β-cell insulin secretion frequently on the background of insulin resistance. T2DM, also known as non-insulin-dependent diabetes, accounts for more than 90% of all cases of diabetes. Insulin resistance (IR) refers to the reduced sensitivity of peripheral tissues to insulin and is one of the important triggers of type 2 diabetes. Sargassum fusiforme polysaccharide exhibits diverse biological activities, and more and more studies have shown it has a significant effect in improving insulin resistance with almost no side effects. Sargassum fusiforme fucoidan (SFF) is one of the main active components with active ingredients such as antioxidants and hypoglycemic lipids. However, the ameliorative effects of SFF on high-fat diet-induced insulin resistance mice and its underlying physiological mechanisms are not clear. Hence, the polysaccharides were extracted and purified from Sargassum fusiforme, and fucoidan (SFF), which has good antioxidant activity, was screened using a drosophila melanogaster aging model. The effect of SFF on the amelioration of insulin resistance in mice was investigated with a high-fat obese insulin resistance mice model. By gut microbiota and metabolomics techniques, the effect of SFF on intestinal metabolites and its mechanism of alleviate IR were investigated. After treatment with 200 mg/kg SFF for 8 weeks, it was found that SFF could reduce body weight, fasting blood glucose and homa-IR in insulin resistance mice. SFF could effectively activate Nrf2/ARE antioxidant signaling pathway in the liver and promote Nrf2 entry into the nucleus and downstream gene transcription. Metabolomics and intestinal microecology revealed that SFF could upregulate TUDCA level and downregulate ceramide level in mice colon and serum, and this change was dependent on gut microbiota. TUDCA effectively inhibits the FXR/SHP signaling pathway activated by a high-fat diet, thereby reducing the biosynthesis of enteric-derived ceramides. In addition, TUDCA in the liver could compete with Nrf2 to bind Keap1 to reduce the formation of the Nrf2/Keap1 complex, reduce Nrf2 ubiquitination, and thus contribute to Nrf2/ARE signaling activation. In conclusion, fucoidan from S. fusiforme was able to modulate gut microbiota, increased the levels of the intestinal metabolite TUDCA, reduced biosynthesis of entericderived ceramides and activated the Nrf2/ARE pathway, which in turn significantly improved insulin resistance induced by high-fat diet in mice. This study provides a new research idea for the study of brown algae fucoidan in metabolic diseases.

abstract: Sargussum fusiforme

abstract: Fucoidan

abstract: Insulin resistance

abstract: Ceramide

abstract: TUDCA


title: Coping with violence against women in relationships: exploring the impact of informal supports, self-care activities, and personal attributes on resiliency

contributor: University of Northern British Columbia Social Work (Degree granting institution)

format:
electronic
1 online resource (169 pages)

subject: Women--Violence against.

subject: Women--Violence against.--Edmonton (Alta.).

subject: Adjustment (Psychology).

subject: Resilience (Personality trait).

subject: Social networks.

subject: Self care, Health.

abstract: This thesis was conducted in the province of Alberta’s Edmonton Metropolitan Region (EMR) to identify the themes and variances among women’s informal methods of coping with and leaving abusive relationships, using a qualitative-exploratory approach. With the acknowledgment of feminist theory, the strengths-based perspective, and person-centred theory, this thesis explored women’s perspectives and their personal experiences of resiliency during and after leaving their abusive, male partners. Thematic analysis was used to code and analyze the data, which identified the following themes among the survivors: strong, informal support networks, engaging in self-care activities and self-improvement activities as a trauma response, and, the shared, personal attributes of self-preservation, resourcefulness, and self-reflection. Recommendations for theory, practice and further research are posed to the helping professions and informal support networks of survivors.

abstract: Women

abstract: Violence against women in relationships (VAWIR)

abstract: Social work

abstract: Informal supports

abstract: Self-care activities

abstract: Personal attributes

abstract: Resiliency

abstract: Coping methods

abstract: Qualitative-exploratory

abstract: Thematic analysis

abstract: Feminist theory

abstract: Strengths-based

abstract: Person-centred

abstract: Canada, Alberta, Edmonton Metropolitan Region (EMR)


title: Extirpation of a native population following a stocking program: genetic population structure and demographics of kokanee (Oncorhynchus nerka) in a large impounded watershed

format:
electronic
1 online resource (xii, 106 pages)

coverage:
British Columbia, Northern.
British Columbia, Northern.

subject: Kokanee salmon.

subject: Kokanee salmon.--British Columbia, Northern.

subject: Aquatic resources--Management.

subject: Aquatic resources--Management.--British Columbia, Northern.

subject: Extinction (Biology).

abstract: Kokanee, the non-anadromous life history form of Oncorhynchus nerka, use lacustrine habitat in watersheds draining into the north Pacific Ocean. Kokanee have also been widely introduced into reservoirs following impoundment of rivers due to the construction of dams. Locally-adapted subpopulations of Kokanee, however, should be identified and evaluated when implementing watershed-level management strategies. In Chapter 1, I examined fork length, condition factor, and age at maturity for Kokanee in the Williston watershed of northern British Columbia to identify potential spatial and temporal trends in demographic structure following a large-scale stocking program that occurred in the 1990s. Adult spawning Kokanee that were native to the reservoir and collected prior to stocking events were significantly larger and maintained higher condition factors than Kokanee stocked from the Columbia River sampled in any year after 1991. Introduced Kokanee sampled in 2018 and 2019 were the smallest spawners and were significantly smaller than all fish collected between 1989 and 2018; the condition factors of these fish were also significantly lower than native Kokanee and the first spawning cohorts of Columbia-origin fish. The average age at maturity did not change across spatial or temporal scales (3 yrs.). My results indicate an ongoing trend of decreasing spawner size and condition factor for Kokanee in the Williston Reservoir since introduction events in the early 1990s. In Chapter 2, I analyzed the genetic population structure of Kokanee in the Williston watershed, including from the reservoir before stocking Columbia-origin fish and native populations from headwaters of the Williston Reservoir: Thutade, Arctic, and Tacheeda Lakes. Using microsatellite markers, I identified that all fish collected from 2006 to 2019 were introduced Columbia-origin genotypes, and there was no evidence of genetic divergence by spawning location. Native populations in Arctic and Tacheeda Lakes remained entirely separate from the reservoir populations, and there was no indication of past or current introgression with introduced stock. I identified that native Williston Reservoir Kokanee diverged from the Thutade Lake population; as native Williston fish have not been sampled since 2000, it is likely that this population has been extirpated in the reservoir by the successful Columbia-origin lineage. My results highlight an unfortunate consequence of underinformed management practices that failed to recognize the native Williston Kokanee as a distinct population. Strategies that incorporate knowledge of subpopulations of Williston watershed Kokanee, such as genetic populations or reproductive ecotypes, should be prioritized to conserve locally-adapted genetic diversity.


title: Inuit knowledge and observations of changes in Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus) and implications for subsistence livelihoods in Ulukhaktok, Northwest Territories, Canada

format:
electronic
1 online resource (xii, 131 pages)

coverage:
Ulukhaktok (Inuit community).
Ulukhaktok (Inuit community).
Ulukhaktok (Inuit community).

subject: Arctic char fishing.

subject: Arctic char fishing.--Ulukhaktok (Inuit community).

subject: Natural resources--Management.

subject: Climatic changes.

subject: Climatic changes.--Ulukhaktok (Inuit community).

subject: Aquatic resources conservation.

subject: Aquatic resources conservation.--Ulukhaktok (Inuit community).

abstract: This thesis documents and examines recent changes observed in anadromous Arctic char (Iqalukpik) (Salvelinus alpinus) in Ulukhaktok, Northwest Territories, Canada, including how these changes are being experienced and responded to by community members. Ulukhaktomiut identified a need to document their knowledge and observations of Arctic char to help inform comanagement. The analysis of 20 semi-structured interviews with Ulukhaktomiut revealed six main concerns about Arctic char linked to changes arising in the local environment: (1) presence of salmon, (2) increasing temperature, (3) inconsistent sea and lake ice conditions, (4) changing weather patterns, (5) fluctuating water levels, and (6) the recent presence of tunicates in the ocean. Ulukhaktomiut respond to these changes at the individual and community levels, including altering fishing practices and temporarily halting commercial fishing. The results show that Ulukhaktomiut are astute observers of their local environment and are able to share highly detailed knowledge and observations of Arctic char. Environmental changes are emerging quickly, and there is a great deal of uncertainty among Ulukhaktomiut about why these changes are occurring and what impact they may have on Arctic char. Fisheries management structures will need to be flexible and responsive to ongoing local observations and the best available science to sustain a viable Arctic char fishery now and into the future.


title: The benefits of knowing and caring about oneself: The role of self-insight and self-compassion in identity and well-being

format:
electronic
1 online resource (viii, 78 pages)

abstract:
Self-insight has been identified as an important predictor of psychological well-being, and it is commonly believed that self-insight is achieved through self-reflection. However, findings regarding the relationship between self-reflection and self-insight remain largely inconsistent warranting further examination of the determinants of the outcomes of self-reflection. This thesis examined the relationship between self-reflection, self-insight, and psychological wellbeing as a function of individual differences in identity styles, while also considering the roles of rumination and self-compassion. Two hundred and twenty-six emerging adult women (N = 165) and men (N = 61) completed self-report measures of identity styles, self-reflection, self-insight, psychological well-being, rumination, and self-compassion via the University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC) Psychology Research Participation System in the time from September 2020 until April 2021. Self-insight and self-compassion partially mediated the positive relationship between informational identity processing and psychological well-being. For users of the diffuse-avoidant and normative identity styles, rumination negatively predicted psychological well-being. This relationship was fully
mediated by self-insight and self-compassion. The results are discussed in terms of the roles of self-reflection, self-insight, and self-compassion in fostering psychological well-being. Findings highlight the importance of self-compassion as a precedent in order to adaptively self-reflect, gain self-insight and increase psychological well-being. Any attempts at increasing self-insight that are not done in a self-compassionate way pose a risk to an individual’s psychological well-being; this risk is especially high when diffuse-avoidant or normative identity processing is used. The primary implication is that a consideration of self-compassion is warranted in therapy and other practices relying on self-reflection.


title: Decision-making of an autonomous vehicle in the presence of emergency vehicle using deep reinforcement learning

format:
electronic
1 online resource (x, 76 pages)

abstract: Autonomous Vehicles are the future of road transportation where they can increase safety, efficiency, and productivity. In this thesis, we address a new  edge case in autonomous driving when one autonomous vehicle is approached by an emergency vehicle and needs to make the best decision. To achieve the desired behavior and learn the sequence decision process, we trained our autonomous vehicle with the help of Deep Reinforcement Learning algorithms and compared the results with rule-based algorithms. The driving environment for this study was developed by using Simulation Urban Mobility as an open-source traffic simulator. The proposed solution based on Deep Reinforcement Learning has a better performance compared to the rule-based solution as a baseline both in normal driving situations and when an emergency vehicle is approaching.


title: The perception of emotional expressions in incarcerated youth.

format:
electronic
Number of pages in document: 107

subject: Facial expression -- Psychological aspects.

subject: Emotions -- Psychological aspects.

subject: Juvenile delinquents -- Psychology.

subject: BF592.F33 V55 2001

abstract: The aim of this study was to explore if the social difficulties experienced by incarcerated youth are related, in part, to some deficit in perceiving socially important information conveyed by facial expressions of emotion. Furthermore, it sought to investigate the underlying structural or functional impairment of processing facial emotion within this subpopulation. -- p.ii.

abstract: The original print copy of this thesis may be available here: http://wizard.unbc.ca/record=b1219465


title: “Governing discourses” in Canadian environmental assessment: A critical discourse analysis of climate change in the Northern Gateway Pipeline review process

format:
electronic
1 online resource (vii, 161)

abstract:
This qualitative inquiry focuses on Canada’s environmental assessment (EA) of the controversial—now defunct—Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipeline as a case study. Adapting Fairclough’s (1992) approach to critical discourse analysis (CDA) as a methodological framework, I investigated how Northern Gateway’s environmental effects were discursively framed and rationalized in relation to climate change, and how these discourses are connected to statutory interpretations and institutional norms. Using frame analysis and argumentation analysis as methods, I examined a corpus of publicly available Joint Review Panel (JRP) documents, federal statutes and official decision statements related to Northern Gateway’s EA. Findings suggest that the convergence of particular discourses, ideologies, institutional power
relations, and entrenched discretionary practices tended to marginalize and depoliticize climate change considerations in Northern Gateway’s EA. These dynamics provided a foundation to rhetorically legitimate contentious project-related governance decisions, and arguably expose areas of potential concern in the contemporary EA and climate change context.


title: Precipitation gradients across the Continental Divide in the southern Canadian Rockies

format:
electronic
1 online resource (xxi, 174 pages)

abstract:
This project examines precipitation patterns across the Continental Divide in the southern Canadian Rockies with a focus on precipitation gradients. This thesis is part of the Storms and Precipitation Across the continental Divide Experiment (SPADE) that occurred between 26 April 2019 and 26 June 2019. Daily meteorological data were also examined between 2011 and 2019. The study area encompassed mountainous topography from the Columbia Valley in eastern British Columbia, to a transect of stations alongside the Foothills in western Alberta, with a range of elevations from about 750 m to about 3500 m above sea level. Local
station data were derived from three meteorological stations developed for the SPADE campaign, Nipika Mountain Resort (Nipika), Fortress Junction, Fortress Mountain and a tipping bucket transect. Regional station data were derived from several meteorological
station networks with publicly available data. Gridded data included ERA5 and ERA5-Land. Cumulative precipitation amounts were the focus of this study, but temperature, relative humidity, and wind speed and direction were also included in my analysis. The objectives of this project are to examine relationships between precipitation gradients/patterns and elevation, cool and warm seasons, general wind patterns/storm trajectories, and inter-annual and intra-annual variability. Elevation is a predictor of precipitation amounts in our study region, and over most time-frames it was a stronger predictor than latitude and longitude in
determining precipitation amounts, but the relationship between elevation and precipitation was not always significant. On average precipitation increases at a rate of 0.39 mm m-1 across the study region when it is examined across an annual period. Warm (summer) and cool (winter) seasons exhibited distinctly different precipitation gradients. A southerly wind component at Nipika was associated with large amounts of precipitation at this site.


title: Investigation of microbubbles and nanobubbles gas flotation for oil separation from marine oily wastewater using response surface methodology

format:
electronic
1 online resource (xii, 89 pages)

abstract: Oily wastewater caused by marine oil spills brings great harm to the environment. In this work, the application of gas flotation with microbubbles and nanobubbles in separating crude oil droplets from oily wastewater is reported. The experiments were conducted in a flotation column with an internal diameter of 5.2 cm and a height of 100 cm. Response surface methodology was employed to examine the effects of three experimental factors (initial oil concentration, flotation time, and temperature of inlet wastewater) on the oil separation performance and the interaction between experimental factors. A good agreement was obtained between the predicted and experimental data of oil separation efficiency, with a high R2 of 0.99 and an adjusted R2 of 0.98. The optimization results demonstrate that the maximum oil separation efficiency (98.3%) was achieved under optimum experimental conditions of 524.5 mg/L initial oil concentration, 28.6 min flotation time, and 21.2°C inlet wastewater temperature.


title: Ionic liquids and a commercial anionic surfactant in demulsifying crude oil in water emulsion

format:
electronic
1 online resource (xxi, 204 pages)

abstract: Crude oily wastewaters generate widely in industries and marine oil spill operations. Crude oily wastewaters contain stable oil in water emulsion (O/W), and their treatment has been challenging. Crude oil has toxic compounds for humans and the environment, and effective treatment requires meeting environmental regulations. This dissertation aimed to investigate effective and environmentally friendly demulsifiers (commercial anionic surfactant and ionic liquids) in demulsifying stable O/W emulsions. Firstly, the O/W emulsification process by ultrasonic homogenization was conducted to optimize the processing parameters and determine the required energy to generate stable emulsion, which is applicable for enhancing crude oil demulsification. The optimum condition to generate stable emulsion was at a power level of 76–80 W, sonication time of 16 min, water salinity of 15 g/L NaCl, and pH of 8.3, which required 60−70 kJ energy. Secondly, the commercial anionic surfactant showed high efficiency (99%) in demulsifying O/W emulsion at the concentration of 900 mg/L in a short shaking time (15 min) at room temperature (25 °C). It could reduce the total extractable petroleum hydrocarbons in the separated water to <10 mg/L without gravity separation and achieve promising demulsification performance at high salinity (36 g/L) and various fresh and weathered oil concentrations. Thirdly, ionic liquid with hydroxyl functional groups on the side chains effectively demulsified O/W emulsion (92%) stabilized by natural emulsifiers (e.g., asphaltenes) at a low concentration (25 mg/L) and room temperature without settling. Hence, the hydroxyl functional group is a suitable substitution for the alkyl group on the ionic liquids side chains to reduce ionic liquid toxicity. It was also found that its potency was highly affected by the emulsion type (stabilized by natural emulsifiers+Tween 20), in which demulsification efficiency reached 61% at the ionic liquid concentration of 50 mg/L and the demulsification temperature of 50 °C at 90 min gravity separation settling time. This indicated the synergistic interaction of natural emulsifiers and Tween 20 and the formation of thicker film at the oilwater interface, which affected the ionic liquid performance. Finally, comparing the performance of three ammonium-based ionic liquids with a distinct side chain (alkyl, ester, and amide) in demulsifying O/W emulsion, it was found that ionic liquid’s side chain and hydrophilicity greatly influenced their performance in the demulsifying O/W emulsion. Substitution of the hydrophobic alkyl group with the hydrophilic amide or ester groups to reduce ionic liquid toxicity improved the ionic liquid potency in the demulsifying emulsion. Ionic liquid with the amide group on the side chain resulted in the highest demulsification efficiency (94%) compared to ionic liquids with the ester (91%) and alkyl (88%) groups at the ionic liquid concentration of 25 mg/L and settling time of 15 min at room temperature, indicating the superiority of the amide group in the demulsifying O/W emulsion.


title: Myelin gene expression across murine post-natal brain development: Validating reliable QPCR methods

format:
electronic
1 online resource (viii, 127 pages)

abstract: Myelination is essential for proper conduction across all neural networks. Myelination in the central nervous system is performed by glial cells called oligodendrocytes. Mature, myelinating glia develop from progenitor cells through distinct differentiation steps, and gene expression markers have been established that are unique to oligodendrocyte lineage cells. This study aims to establish a reliable RT-qPCR protocol to quantify oligodendrocyte-specific gene expression according to the MIQE guidelines. Primers specific to the progenitor, immature, and myelinating stages of oligodendrocyte differentiation were validated, showing 90-100% efficiency. Reference gene primers were also validated, and their stability was determined to make recommendations for those to use as normalization factors. The expression pattern of oligodendrocyte-specific genes across stages of postnatal development was similar to previously defined RNA-seq profiles in isolated cell types. The validated RT-qPCR assays developed build a framework for future investigation on myelination during development and remyelination in disease.


title: Copper and zinc modified Canadian natural zeolite as a means for reducing the number of E. coli colony forming units in contaminated drinking water

format:
electronic
1 online resource (vii, 44 pages)

abstract: Clean drinking water is essential for all life on Earth. Over 400, 000 people die annually from lack of clean drinking water, and the demand on water is predicted to increase in all sectors. The demand for safe drinking water presents an ongoing challenge for new water purification techniques. Since the 1950s, natural zeolite has been investigated as a means of water purification due to its stable, crystalline, porous structure and cation exchange capacities. Recent publications have indicated that natural zeolite modified with metal cations provides a stable treatment media for the elimination of E. coli bacteria in drinking water. In this series of analysis, Canadian natural zeolite from the Bromley River Valley, Kamloops BC, was modified with zinc and copper sulphates to create three novel water treatment options. Treatment of E. coli contaminated water was most effective with zinc modified zeolite, which also significantly lowered the pH in comparison to the copper and copper/zinc modified zeolite. Of the three zeolites, all released too much copper and zinc into solution that may be linked to the low cation exchange capacity (CEC) of the Canadian zeolite. E. coli colony forming units were reduced; however, they were not sufficient to meet drinking water standards. Future studies will focus on optimizing the ratio of modified zeolite needed to treat a given amount of pathogen in solution.


title: Harmonization of group perspectives: A case study of clinical practice guideline implementation at a large regional health authority

format:
electronic
1 online resource (xii, 261 pages)

abstract:
Policy makers, health industry leaders, clinicians and researchers struggle to understand how new evidence-based practices, including Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPGs), can be implemented more quickly and more consistently. This retrospective qualitative case study explored sepsis CPG implementation at a British Columbia Regional Health Authority (RHA) between 2011-2017 to understand how individuals and teams with various functions and decision-making purviews come together to implement a prioritized CPG in a large RHA. The study was informed by practice theory and designed to provide practical guidance as to how CPG implementation might be better supported. Interviews involved 38 participants reflecting three functional groups: academics, regional managers and support staff, and clinicians. Over 350 documents and implementation process and outcome data were analyzed.
The CPG implementation process was dynamic, involving different activities and intensities of involvement of individuals from each of the three groups. The three groups each behaved in a manner consistent with what some practice theorists call a community of practice. Individuals from each community of practice (COP) had a different perspective about the implementation along five dimensions (focus and rationale, vision, priority, appropriate balance and application of power, and goals, strategies and actions to be taken). The different COPs undertook actions that were consistent with their own COP perspective but not sufficiently aligned to ensure adherence to the CPG. The result was a discordant, and unsuccessful implementation. CPG adherence was not achieved. The differences in perspectives among the three COPs were substantial and appeared to have been deeply rooted in the beliefs, functions, experiences, and day-to-day realities of each of these groups of participants. The discordance in the implementation resulted from an insularity of each COP from the others, brought about by inadequate engagement among participants; insufficient connections across COPs to support shared understanding and alignment of action.
Without some intervention, differences in perspectives will prevail and discordance is the likely outcome of any complex CPG implementation. This dissertation proposes the novel concept of harmonization as a means of achieving more successful CPG implementation; a process intended to reduce insularity of individual COPs within and beyond a RHA. Harmonization is conceptualized as a process comprised of many harmonizing activities that support engagement, relationship-building and explicit reflection and reconciliation of key differences in perspective among the three COPs. As a relational process, harmonization is largely determined by longstanding, contextual factors that support connections and collaboration among COPs. Widely engaging, horizontal, service-oriented improvement structures (with clear supporting roles and processes) establish a foundation for harmonization. Ongoing local interprofessional learning and improvement activities are essential to ensuring that the service improvement benefits from strong clinical engagement. RHA managers, particularly clinical managers, can support harmonization by encouraging open sharing of perspectives and managing in a way that is responsive to the realistic ebbs and flows of the implementation process. Harmonization integrates and builds upon many known CPG implementation determinants and strategies to bring a practical focus for future research and action.