title: Conceptions of health: A cross-cultural comparison.

format:
electronic
Number of pages in document: 168

subject: Health attitudes -- Canada -- Cross-cultural studies.

subject: Urban health -- Canada -- Cross-cultural studies.

subject: French-Canadians -- Health and hygiene -- Attitudes.

subject: Canadians, English-speaking -- Health and hygiene -- Attitudes.

subject: Indians of North America -- Health and hygiene -- Canada -- Attitudes.

subject: Health surveys -- Canada.

subject: RA449 .L482 2011

abstract: The purpose of this study was to investigate the health views of Anglophones and Francophones of European ancestry as well as First Nations individuals living in an urban setting. A total of 60 participants were individually interviewed. The first objective of the research was to understand how the interviewees defined health. They provided a multidimensional definition of health that departs from the biomedical model, arguing that health is more than the absence of illness and that it encompasses the whole person, not only the body. The second objective of the study was to gain a better understanding of the participants\u2019 health practices. Many argued that one needs to be proactive in order to be healthy and explained that health practices should be tailored in accordance with one\u2019s particular needs. They especially emphasized the importance of having a healthy lifestyle. The third objective of the research was to investigate cultural differences in health definitions and practices. While Anglophones and Francophones talked about health from an individual perspective, First Nations interviewees provided a definition of health that expands beyond the boundaries of the individual self. They also emphasized spiritual and developmental health, while Anglophones and Francophones placed more importance on physical health. Francophones and First Nations interviewees reported promoting their health by maintaining their traditions and culture. The fourth objective of the study was to explore the extent to which definitions of health are related to health practices. The findings indicated that some of the health definitions could significantly predict the participants\u2019 health practices. The research findings suggest that culture should be taken into consideration in order to provide culturally appropriate health care and to develop health policies and programs that reflect the concerns of members of various cultures. The present study advances knowledge by (a) proposing a new health definition that expands beyond the self, (b) providing new evidence to show that culture influences health conceptions, (c) highlighting both qualitative and quantitative variations in health conceptions as a function of culture, and (d) showing that health practices partly flow from one\u2019s health definitions.--P.ii-iii

abstract: The original print copy of this thesis may be available here: http://wizard.unbc.ca/record=b1779642


title: Interspecific interactions between mountain and black-capped chickadees within a contact zone.

type: Text thesis

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

format:
electronic
Number of pages in document: 116

subject:
Mountain chickadee -- Behavior.
Black-capped chickadee -- Behavior.
Hybridization.
QL696.P2615 G725 2012

abstract: Hybridization occurs at least occasionally in more than 9% of bird species. Within the Paridae (chickadees and titmice), hybridization is documented both among the Old World species and North American species. Europe has a larger number of sympatric tit species than does North America, but appears to have less hybridization. These overlapping species may have developed isolating mechanisms to decrease hybridization and as a result maintain distinct species. In North America, little research has focused on potential hybridization between the two closely related species that occasionally occur in sympatry and anecdotal evidence suggests they occasionally hybridize: black-capped (Poecile atricapillus) and mountain (P. gambelli) chickadees. My PhD research focuses on the interspecific relationships and potential hybridization between black-capped chickadees and mountain chickadees at the John Prince Research Forest (JPRF) in northern British Columbia. I focused my work on behavioural mechanisms that may reinforce species isolation and genetic analysis to determine the amount of intermixing that is occurring between species. Through nuclear and mitochondrial DNA analyses, I found evidence of hybridization. All but one of these hybrids were phenotypically mountain chickadees that had black-capped DNA in their genome. Further, all hybrids that were found amongst nestlings occurred in mountain chickadee nests showing genetic patterns indicating extra-pair copulations between female mountain chickadees and males black-capped chickadees. As dominance status is known to affect mate choice in black-capped chickadees, interspecific social hierarchies have the potential to interfere with interspecific interactions and create the potential for hybridization. My field observations and aviary experiments showed that black-capped chickadees are dominant over mountain chickadees in almost all circumstances. In aviary trails comparing responsiveness of either species to flock-rallying chick-a-dee calls, I found that mountain chick

abstract: The original print copy of this thesis may be available here: http://wizard.unbc.ca/record=b1805688


identifier: University of Northern British Columbia   lkoib

title: The costs of visibility and voice outside of a northern closet: An autoethnographic account of intersectionality of identities within the mental health workspace

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

format:
electronic
1 online resource (xvi, 182 pages)

subject: Intersectionality (Sociology).

subject: Social service.

subject: Social service.--British Columbia, Northern.

subject: Queer theory.

subject: Bullying in the workplace.

subject: Ethnology--Biographical methods.

abstract: This study is an exploration of the intersectionality of my two identities, lesbian and social worker, within the northern British Columbia (BC) mental health workspace. By taking a transformative stance and making use of queer methodology, I present my voice as both the researcher and the researched. My data sources are based on past recollections and a collection of personal poems, reflections, stories, journal entries, sketches, collages, and photographs. Through autoethnographic accounts, I examine experiences as my identities intersect and become the focus of workplace bullying and harassment within the setting of northern British Columbia (BC) mental health system. I also examine the personal and professional costs of using internal agency and provincially legislated protocols and policies in challenging workplace bullying and harassment behaviour, such as the little-known topic of disenfranchised grief.


title: Carving out a place: Establishing a new nurse practitioner practice in rural and remote Canada.

format:
electronic
Number of pages in document: 123

subject:
Nurse practitioners -- Canada.
Rural nursing -- Canada.
Rural health services -- Canada.
RT82.8 .B46 2008

abstract: Across the country, the development of legislation and new employment opportunities are encouraging the implementation of nurse practitioners (NPs) in a variety of acute care and primary care settings. In the literature the roles and practices of NPs are reviewed primarily from the perspective of availability, quality, and accessibility of health care services. The NP is a new health care provider role, practicing independently in rural and remote communities. There is little information on how new NPs enter a community and establish a practice or what sustains them in their practice. There is limited research, particularly in the Canadian health care context from the perspective or NPs themselves. Without the perspective of the experiences of establishing a new NP practice in rural and remote communities, knowledge of appropriate, context specific supports to recruit and retain NPs in rural communities is limited. This thesis is a qualitative interpretive study of the experiences of nurse practitioners as they establish new NP practices in rural and remote communities across Canada. The data for this study is from in-depth interviews conducted with six nurse practitioners for the Nature of Nursing Practice in Rural and Remote Canada Study. Carving out a place for practice was found to be a challenging process that requires time and support in order for the NP to develop a presence in the community. As the first and only NPs in their communities, resources including appropriate policies, administrative and clerical support, and mentorship opportunities are needed to support the development of these new roles and promote job satisfaction and ultimately retention of these much needed health care providers.'

abstract: The original print copy of this thesis may be available here: http://wizard.unbc.ca/record=b1465029


title: An investigation of the rescue personality in firefighter recruits.

format:
electronic
Number of pages in document: 63

subject:
Fire fighters -- Mental health.
Fire fighters -- Psychology.
HD8039.F5 F73 2014

abstract: The purpose of this study was to investigate the predispositional nature of the rescue personality' and the mental health of firefighter recruits. This study compared responses to a written set of personality and mental health measures between firefighter recruits and community controls - individually matched based on age, gender, ethnicity, education, and marital status. Data analysis involved statistical one-way analyses of variance in complement with epidemiological paired odds ratio calculations. The results indicated that firefighter recruits are less open to experience, less Type A, and less likely to report posttraumatic stress symptomatology characteristic of PTSD than controls. Recruits do not differ from controls in regards to any subscale of the SCL-90-R, neuroticism, extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, sensation seeking, proactive coping, emotional intelligence, or satisfaction with life. Based on these findings, there is insufficient evidence to support the rescue personality' as a predispositional factor to joining the firefighting service. --Leaf ii.

abstract: The original print copy of this thesis may be available here: http://wizard.unbc.ca/record=b1947106


title: The growth of styroblock, chemical and mechanical root pruned lodgepole pine seedlings in Interior British Columbia.

format:
electronic
Number of pages in document: 87

subject: Lodgepole pine -- British Columbia -- Seedlings -- Roots.

subject: Roots (Botany) -- Growth.

subject: Lodgepole pine -- British Columbia -- Pruning.

subject: Lodgepole pine -- British Columbia -- Growth.

subject: SD397.P585 K48 2007

abstract: The one-year growth of lodgepole pine seedlings on two contrasting sites in interior British Columbia, a ploughed sandy nursery bed of low available moisture and a clayey wet forest soil, were investigated to evaluate the performance of seedlings subjected to chemical and mechanical root pruning techniques. Two sizes of chemically pruned seedlings were treated with a copper based paint (PCT 5-12 and PCT 4-10). The other treatments were containerized Styroblock (PSB) 4-15 seedling that were knife pruned in four ways (i.e. bottom plug removal = RPB, bottom plug removal and two lateral cuts = RPB+2, and lateral cutting with three cuts = RP3 and six cuts = RP6). Growths of pruned seedlings were compared to the un-pruned PSB 4-15 control group. While site soil conditions proved to be a stronger contributing factor to growth, pruning treatments induced different effects on seedlings particularly in root development. Root counts, root symmetry and proportion of direct large roots, showed greatest improvements. Root pruned seedlings also had better distribution of root growth throughout the plug. Among knife pruning treatments, lateral cutting methods were more favourable to early root growth with greater root counts after a twenty-one day period than bottom plug removal. The most extreme knife pruning treatment, consisting of six laterial cuts (RP6), had a mean of 60% removal of roots within the plug and showed no differences in height growth regardless of site. Also the RP6 seedlings had 100% survival. It shows that the PSB 4-15 seedling is to a great extent resilient to knife pruning, which should be encouraged where chemical root pruning is less useful as it improves rooting development in the early establishment of confer seedlings. Improved rooting establishment of planted seedlings may result to better adaptation to environmental conditions and competitive stresses, as well as improve stem morphology and long-term growth.--P.ii.

abstract: The original print copy of this thesis may be available here: http://wizard.unbc.ca/record=b1327912


title: Secondary stand structure and its timber supply implications for mountain pine beetle attacked forests on the Nechako Plateau of British Columbia.

format:
electronic
Number of pages in document: 182

subject: Pine -- British Columbia -- Nechako Plateau Region -- Growth.

subject: Pine -- Diseases and pests -- British Columbia -- Nechako Plateau Region.

subject: Mountain pine beetle -- British Columbia -- Nechako Plateau Region.

subject: SD397.P55 P68 2010

abstract: Post-mountain pine beetle epidemic, secondary stand structure measured in 1370 mature leading pine plots in the central interior of British Columbia indicate significant levels of advanced regeneration (AR) in most Biogeoclimatic (BEC) subzones. Future growth of AR was predicted using SORTIE ND and VDYP7 natural stand growth and yield models with inputs such as species composition, diameter distribution, site index (BHA50), basal area and quadratic mean diameter. The SELES (STSM) spatially explicit landscape event simulation model forecasts timber supply incorporating AR focusing on alleviating predicted mid-term (15 to 60 year) fall-down. SELES forecasts incorporating AR using VDYP7 results in a 6% increase in mean mid-term harvest level for the Prince George Timber Supply Area. If SORTIE ND is used, mid-term forecast is increased by 23%. Additional scenarios show benefits to mid-term timber supply when stands with well developed AR are reserved for harvest until after the initial salvage period. --P.ii.

abstract: The original print copy of this thesis may be available here: http://wizard.unbc.ca/record=b1677131


title: The effects of negative and positive freedom on economic growth, human development and poverty.

contributor: Boroojeny, Jalil Safaei (Thesis advisor)

format:
electronic
Number of pages in document: 95

subject:
Liberty.
Economic development.
Poverty.
Liberty -- Economic aspects.
Liberty -- Social aspects.
JC585 .L98 2013

abstract: Freedom is argued by some to have instrumental as well as intrinsic value. Economic and political freedoms are argued to have effects on various economic outcomes in previous research. The definition of freedom is unclear and implied by the components of the economic or political freedom index used in the study. Although the concept of freedom continues to be debated and contested, this thesis employs Isaiah Berlin's dichotomy of positive and negative freedom. Berlin defines negative freedom as freedom from government and coercion and positive freedom as the ability to participate in the governance of oneself. This study indicates that the effects of negative and positive freedom on economic growth are statistically non-significant. The human development model is sensitive to the inclusion of property rights and thus not stable. Both positive and negative freedoms have a positive, statistically significant and robust relationship with reductions in absolute poverty. --Leaf. ii.

abstract: The original print copy of this thesis may be available here: http://wizard.unbc.ca/record=b1863475


title: Responsibility judgements about stigmas: does depression matter?

format:
electronic
Number of pages in document: 122

subject: Happiness Measure Scale.

subject: Depression, Mental -- Social aspects.

subject: Stigma (Social psychology)

subject: College students -- British Columbia -- Prince George -- Psychology.

subject: Beck Depression Inventory.

subject: RC537.W37 1997

abstract: A responsibility inference process and emotion mediation model (Weiner, 1995) were tested in self perception and person perception. In addition to the validity of the responsibility inference process and model, I examined whether there were systematic differences in the self and person perceptions of depressed and non-depressed respondents. Two hundred and seventeen undergraduate university students from the University of Northern British Columbia completed questionnaire packages which included (i) the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) (Beck, 1967), (ii) the Happiness Measure Scale (Fordyce, 1988), and (iii) two Reasons for Misfortune questionnaires. Scores from the BDI were used to separate respondents into depressed and non-depressed groups. The Reasons for Misfortune questionnaires assessed attributions about controllable and uncontrollable causes of misfortunes that happen to self and to others .. The data supported the responsibility inference process and, in general, the emotion mediational model postulated by Weiner (1995). There were no systematic differences attributable to depression level. However, there were systematic self-other differences in responsibility, emotion, and action tendency judgements. These results were interpreted as evidence of an illusion of control bias (Langer, 1975).

abstract: The original print copy of this thesis may be available here: http://wizard.unbc.ca/record=b1180856


title: Unbalancing Binaries: Re-thinking Lilith and Eve in Samuel Taylor Coleridge's "Christabel," Christina Rossetti's "Goblin Market," and George MacDonald's "Lilith".

format:
electronic
Number of pages in document: 92

subject: Women in literature.

subject: Coleridge, Samuel Taylor, 1772-1834. Christabel.

subject: Rossetti, Christina Georgina, 1830-1894. Goblin Market.

subject: MacDonald, George, 1824-1905. Lilith.

subject: Coleridge, Samuel Taylor, 1772-1834 -- Characters -- Women.

subject: Rossetti, Christina Georgina, 1830-1894 -- Characters -- Women.

subject: MacDonald, George, 1824-1905 -- Characters -- Women.

subject: PN56.5.W64 R65 2010

abstract: In the nineteenth century, religion, or rather, religious figures played an important role in determining appropriate societal roles for women. Two particular religious figurations - Lilith and Eve - began to emerge more frequently in Victorian literary works as a way to illustrate, discuss, and critique the binary formulation of the angel in the house and the fallen woman. This thesis examines three works that utilize the symbolic representations of these religious female figures in order comment on the fallen woman and angel in the house binary, as well as the place of women within the beginning, middle, and end of the nineteenth century. I argue that by incorporating the Lilith and Eve typology, Samuel Taylor Coleridge's Christabel,' (1816), Christina Rossetti's Goblin Market,' (1862), and George MacDonald's Lilith (1895), exemplify and discuss the tensions surrounding the formulation of set female roles within Victorian society. Thus, it is though problematizing the rigid binaries of the angel in the house and fallen woman within these three texts that I illuminate the cracks within the dichotomy. --P. ii.

abstract: The original print copy of this thesis may be available here: http://wizard.unbc.ca/record=b1737881


title: Developing reference conditions for ecological restoration of forests in sub-boreal British Columbia.

format:
electronic
Number of pages in document: 149

subject: Deforestation -- British Columbia -- John Prince Research Forest -- History.

subject: Forests and forestry -- British Columbia -- John Prince Research Forest -- History.

subject: Restoration ecology -- British Columbia -- John Prince Research Forest.

subject: SD146.B7 M33 2002

abstract: No abstract available.

abstract: The original print copy of this thesis may be available here: http://wizard.unbc.ca/record=b1231370


title: Modelling heat transfer in the conditioning process used in plywood manufacturing.

format:
electronic
Number of pages in document: 173

subject:
Plywood industry -- Research.
Wood -- Thermal properties.
Heat -- Transmission -- Research.
TS870 .G54 2008

abstract: As part of an industrial process in the forestry industry, pre-cut segments of debarked logs are conditioned by placing the wood segments in a warm water shower. For wood which is initially cold (or sometimes frozen) and has a relatively high moisture content, the conditioning process results in a net increase in temperature and change in moisture content. As a porous media, wood has a fairly complex structure due to the orientation and sizes of the cells which make up the fibers. In addition, the moisture content of the recently debarked log segments is relatively high, the moisture being almost completely composed of liquid water trapped by capillary forces. Simplistic models which assume a constant moisture content have previously been used to predict conditioning time. However, as is often the case in reality, the complexity of the problem is such that more accurate modelling is desired. To learn more about the conditioning process, preliminary experiments were conducted using a data logger and an array of fifteen thermocouples placed radially at three points on a log segment which was then put through a full conditioning cycle. Theoretical model equations are presented, which take into account both the liquid and vapour components of the waters, and spatial averaging is used to create a system of nonlinear partial differential equations. The problem is then simplified through some basic assumptions to pose a set of coupled differential equations for energy and moisture transport in one spatial dimension. A finite difference numerical method is used to solve the initial boundary value problem for the coupled system of nonlinear partial differential equations, and some numerical results are compared to experimental data for the one dimensional problem. Limitations of the model are identified and discussed.

abstract: The original print copy of this thesis may be available here: http://wizard.unbc.ca/record=b1425040


title: Writing on the web: online technology and the writers' workshop in the junior secondary classroom

format:
electronic
Number of pages in document: 165

subject: Educational technology.

subject: Education, Secondary -- Computer-assisted instruction.

subject: Peer counseling.

subject: Writing -- Study and teaching (Secondary)

subject: LB1028.43 .W66 2000

abstract: Schools are places where students are required to perform writing acts and submit written products. A writers' workshop (WW) is one method used in schools to encourage students to write. Most would include the peer conference, the time for a student to talk about her/his writing, face-to-face, in various stages, one to one or in small groups of three to four peers. Graves (1983, 1985, 1991, 1995, 1996), Calkins (1986), and Atwell (1987) gave encouraging descriptions of their WW classrooms. Others have illuminated some of the challenges (DiPardo and Freedman, 1998; Lensmire, 1992, 1994; Morse, 1994; Rouse, 1988; Zemelman and Daniels, 1988). In particular, implementation of the peer conference has been problematic. Issues of teacher control are forefront and reinforced by the need to maintain a safe and productive classroom environment. Unlike the traditional teacher-talk dominated classroom, the peer conference creates less closely supervised opportunities for students to speak. In this restructured learning environment, the immediate peer culture becomes an important concern. The teacher cannot be sure that the classroom is a safe place for every student to share her/his work with peers (Lensmire, 1992). Despite these realities, constructivist theory stresses the importance of context and encourages active participation of students through talk and writing (Schaafsma, 1996; Doolittle, 1999; Schallert, Dodson, Benton, Reed, Amador, Lissi, Coward & Fleeman,1999). Online technology opens a new range of alternatives, and several features seem applicable to the problem of safety in the peer conference. Tornow (1997) and Bonk, Malik:owski, Angeli, and Supplee (1998) described the use of the online conference in a university setting. These authors defended the benefits of learning in a social context. Bonk et. al. (1998) saw web-based conferencing as "an electronic apprenticeship," an application of Vygotsky's negotiation of meaning within students' zone of proximal development. Three of Bakhtin's (1981) key perceptions are embodied in the WW: Through writing, the individual is able to to develop a dialogic awareness of his/her own place in the community (Brandist, 1997; Lensmire, 1994). Student stories are utterances in context, socio-linguistic narratives with an intertextual nature (Schallert et. al., 1999). However, with the reduction of autocratic control, the peer conference, like Bakhtin's carnival, has the potential to open the darker underbelly of the adolescent nature, and further serves as a caution to maintain a safe classroom environment. As researcher, I had a dual role as the teacher of the classroom under study. My goals were: ( 1) to create an online learning environment for the peer conference; (2) to peruse the peer responses to monitor class climate; (3) to assess the value of the peer conference; ( 4) to obtain students' evaluations of the online conference experience; and (5) to assess the value of the peer conference as indicated by revisions made between the draft and final copy of one piece of narrative writing. In collaboration with the project leader at the university computer center, we adapted a Weber site to meet our purposes. WebCT is a multi-dimensional communication tool developed at the University of British Columbia. A course construction template within this technology accommodated all of the functions necessary to establish the online peer conference. The main findings of this study were: ( 1) WebCT provided an appropriate online learning environment for the peer conference. In both the survey and class meeting data students confirmed that the online conference was a valuable way to construct meaning. One student commented, the assignment "gave us a thought process, not just a writing one." (2) Although one student received negative response to his story, for the vast majority of peer responses, safe environment was not a concern. However, the quality of peer responses was raised as an issue. (3) On the survey, of 22 participants, 17 students somewhat or strongly agreed that they would recommend the online conference for other students. At the last class meeting, of 18 participants present, 16 voted yes, they would like to do this project again. (4) On the survey, 18 somewhat or strongly agreed that they liked anonymous response. During class meeting discussion, students favored the use of a code name and suggested possible improvements: numbers versus names, assigned names, number only, no name and no number. Anonymous response allowed response to the writing and not to the writer, or the writer's place in the social hierarchy. (5) The concern for improved quality of peer response was reinforced as I found evidence of insufficient revision made between the draft and final copies of these narratives.

abstract: The original print copy of this thesis may be available here: http://wizard.unbc.ca/record=b1218058


title: Spinning a northern web:  Women using information and communication technology to network for health and wellness.

format:
electronic
Number of pages in document: 153

subject: Rural women -- Health and hygiene -- British Columbia, Northern.

subject: Health education of women.

subject: Women's health services -- British Columbia, Northern.

subject: Internet and women.

subject: Rural women -- Social networks -- British Columbia, Northern.

subject: Health promotion.

subject: RA564.85 .M35 2005

abstract: This case study explores women's experiences using information and communication technology (ICT) to address women's health in northern, rural and remote communities in British Columbia. Incorporating features of collaborative, action research methodology, an online focus group was utilized to explore the Women North Network (WNN) and its primarily Internet-based component. Utilizing ICT to overcome geographic isolation, the WNN builds community by strengthening connections between women and supports information sharing, action and the development of research and policy initiatives. Study participants offer an understanding of what is practical and meaningful for women using ICT; suggesting that by encountering supportive relationships that build community leading to action, women will become engaged in using ICT. Increased access to computers, Internet and women-centred training are essential. Furthermore, social work and other health promotion professions utilizing ICT will have greater ability to includediverse communities in influencing social and health policy in northern, rural and remote communities.

abstract: The original print copy of this thesis may be available here: http://wizard.unbc.ca/record=b1288747


title: Taxonomy, form, or function: Evaluating three approaches to using carabid beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) as bioindicators in a coastal forest.

format:
electronic
Number of pages in document: 88

subject: Indicators (Biology) -- British Columbia.

subject: Ground beetles -- British Columbia.

subject: Forest management -- British Columbia.

subject: QH541.15.I5 H46 2010

abstract: Arthropods have received considerable attention as biological indicators (bioindicators) as they are widespread, and easy to sample. Due to a shortage of trained taxonomists and limited resources, many taxa cannot be used, however. In this thesis, I use carabid beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae), which are taxonomically well known, to compare three approaches of bioindication, using a traditional taxonomic approach as the baseline. The taxonomic approach distinguished coarse differences in forest canopy removal, as did a recognizable taxonomic unit approach. The latter failed to provide the same level of precision based on diversity data, however. A functional trait approach yielded non-significant results, but demonstrated potential to provide more in-depth information, albeit at a considerable additional investment of time. All three approaches were found to have advantages and disadvantages, so I conclude that the choice of approach will depend on the availability of resources and the objectives of each bioindication study. --P.ii.

abstract: The original print copy of this thesis may be available here: http://wizard.unbc.ca/record=b1677130


title: Products, features and target markets: An inquiry into Aboriginal tourism product preference of visitors to northern British Columbia.

format:
electronic
Number of pages in document: 157

subject: Tourists -- British Columbia, Northern -- Attitudes.

subject: Aboriginal tourism -- Research -- Canada.

subject: Tourism -- British Columbia, Northern.

subject: Carrier Indians -- Economic conditions.

subject: G155.8.C2 K88 2009

abstract: Many Aboriginal communities in British Columbia, Canada and worldwide, are on the search for new development opportunities and industries to diversify their economies. Aboriginal tourism is one of these industries, often described as a development opportunity which may promote Aboriginal peoples' cultural revitalization and economic benefits without exploiting their traditional territories. While documentation of demand for Aboriginal tourism experiences in North America exists, visitor product preferences remain largely unknown. However, Aboriginal tourism business entrepreneurs and operators need this information in order to manage for the long-term profitability of their businesses. The study presented in this thesis attempts to provide insight into this topic. Working under the umbrella of a collaborative research effort between Tl'azt'en Nation and the University of Northern British Columbia, I administered a questionnaire containing four hypothetical Aboriginal tourism product descriptions and 31 individual features of Aboriginal tourism products to 337 visitors of northern British Columbia during the summer of 2007. I analyzed the data and established a profile of the travelers and their Aboriginal tourism product preferences. Based upon the identified primary features of Aboriginal tourism products I made several recommendations regarding tourism product development. Following this, I conducted a cluster analysis based on visitors' interest in these particular product features and in an attempt to segment the market for Aboriginal tourism in northern British Columbia. I identified three distinct clusters as the Culture Seekers, the Nature-Culture Observers and the Sightseers. The first two segments appear to hold the strongest potential for rural First Nation communities. In the end, which segment to target and which marketing channels to use will depend on Tl'azt'en and other First Nations' level of comfort in interacting with visitors and how much of their culture they are willing to share with touris

abstract: The original print copy of this thesis may be available here: http://wizard.unbc.ca/record=b1601537


title: In Singing, He Composed a Song.

format:
electronic
Number of pages in document: 100

subject: Biography as a literary form.

subject: Canadian prose literature (English).

subject: Stevenson, John, 1982- -- Fiction.

subject: Adolescent psychotherapy -- British Columbia -- Prince George -- Fiction.

subject: PS8637.T49 I5 2010

abstract: In Singing, He Composed a Song is a rhizomatic assemblage of texts, voices, and fragments. It uses a collage of prose, lined poetry, photography, a transcribed interview, an epistle, psychiatric records, literary theory fragments, and more to narrate the story of John Stevenson's altercation with the RCMP and subsequent committal to the Psychiatric Ward at the Prince George Regional Hospital. The materials that make up the text are arranged in a rhizomatic network theorized as an assemblage. The rhizome is the polyvalent figure strategically adopted by Gilles Deleuze and Felix Guattari in their A Thousand Plateaus: Capitalism and Schizophrenia. It destabilizes unified, hierarchical relationships and structures. In Singing is an assemblage of enunciations which are fictional and provisional, and whose relationships are multiple and indeterminate. The assemblage enacts the palimpsestic, vertiginous layering of stories that informs John's precise difficulty with providing what his psychologist calls 'a fair account of himself.' --P. ii.

abstract: The original print copy of this thesis may be available here: http://wizard.unbc.ca/record=b1659534


title: Emotion processing in alexithymia

format:
electronic
Number of pages in document: 117

subject:
Alexithymia -- Research.
Affect (Psychology)
Emotions.
RC540 .P37 1996

abstract: Alexithymia refers to a lack of words for feelings and is considered to be a personality trait, leaving a person at risk for psychiatric and psychosomatic disorders. A reliable measure of alexithymia, the Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20 comprises three factors which reflect the affective, cognitive and behavioural characteristics of the disorder: difficulty in identifying emotion, difficulty in describing emotion and externally oriented thinking. The construct is associated with low positive affectivity (PA) and high negative affectivity (NA). The goal of these studies was to disentangle NA and alexithymia, and to investigate the structural or functional impairment in emotion processing. There were 46 male and 100 female volunteer subjects, aged between 17 and 55, who participated in three studies. Subjects discriminated between facial identity and facial expression given temporal constraint in Study 1, and between facial expression of emotion stimuli and neutral expressions given temporal constraint in Study 2. In Study 3 subjects colour named emotion and arousal words in a Stroop Task. In Study 1 all subjects were significantly more accurate in the identity condition. In Study 2 high alexithymics were significantly less accurate in the recognition of emotion given temporal constraint. Subjects with the greatest difficulty in describing emotions were the most impaired. There was a significant difference in the recognition of sad, angry and fearful stimuli. NA appeared to have a significant effect on perceiving differences in Study 1, but not in recognizing emotions in Study 2. While there were no between group effects in Study 3, there was a significant difference between conditions, with response time quickest for the baseline, and slowest for the arousal condition. These studies provide support for alexithymia as a viable construct. They help to disentangle NA and alexithymia, with NA having a significant effect in the attention stage of processing and alexithymia appearing to be a functional deficit, associated with difficulty in describing emotion, in the recognition stage of emotion processing. There appear to be overall differences in the accuracy of recognizing sadness, anger and fear. These studies also demonstrate that time, or temporal constraint, has a significant affect on emotion processing.

abstract: The original print copy of this thesis may be available here: http://wizard.unbc.ca/record=b1164985


title: Estimating the relationship between BRICS and U.S. stock index returns using panel regression methods

format:
electronic
Number of pages in document: 73

subject: Stocks -- Rates of return.

subject: Youth -- Social conditions.

subject: Dysfunctional families -- Psychological aspects.

subject: Youth with social disabilities.

subject: Problem youth.

subject: HG4636 .A34 2015

abstract: This thesis examines the relationships between BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) stock index returns and U.S. stock index returns using a panel data covering the period from 1990 to 2013. This relationship is further examined in relation to both the global financial crisis in 2007-2009 and BRICS' own financial crises in 1997-1999. To control for the effects of economic factors on stock markets, three macroeconomic variables including GDP growth rate, nominal interest rate, and exchange rate are included in empirical models. The panel regression methods are used in this thesis. Results reveal that index returns in BRICS stock markets are significantly responsive to the U.S. stock market performance. However, the findings show that the BRICS stock markets did not underperform during the global financial crisis. Instead, BRICS index returns increased during that time. The results also exhibit that while financial crises originated in the BRICS economies adversely affected index returns of respective stock markets in those countries, this negative impact can be reduced by choosing U.S. stocks subject to the U.S. stock market performing well during the same time. Hence, a portfolio consisting of stocks from both BRICS and U.S. markets could be beneficial for reducing the risk of financial crisis. The thesis concludes with policy recommendation suggesting that a close monitoring of U.S. financial market is critical for BRICS investors who prefer to invest in U.S. stocks. Also, there is a need for international fund managers who invest in newly emerging stock markets to evaluate the value and stability of domestic currencies as part of their stock market investment decisions. --Leaf ii.

abstract: The original print copy of this thesis may be available here: http://wizard.unbc.ca/record=b2055421


title: Winter habitat use and activity patterns of northern flying squirrels in sub-boreal forests.

subject: Flying squirrels -- Habitat -- British Columbia, Northern.

subject: Forest management -- British Columbia, Northern.

subject: QL737.R68 C68 1999

abstract: No abstract available.

abstract: The original print copy of this thesis may be available here: http://wizard.unbc.ca/record=b1191929


title: Seeking traditional knowledge as a transformational experience.

format:
electronic
Number of pages in document: 144

subject: Lillooet Indians -- Social life and customs -- Study and teaching.

subject: Lillooet Indians -- Education -- British Columbia -- Mount Currie Region.

subject: Indian philosophy -- Study and teaching -- British Columbia -- Mount Currie Region.

subject: E99.L4 S26 2004

abstract: This paper presents an ethnographic study of a First Nations-developed program designed to enhance traditional First Nations skills and knowledge. Seven students of the Lil'wat Culture and History program gave their thoughts and feelings about the program in loosely structured interviews, and the resulting data was analyzed and compared to existing First Nations theories, critical theory, and Mezirow's transformational theory. The study found that the medicine wheel model, which incorporates the physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual aspects did fit this program. The Lil'wat Culture and History program was also a site of resistance as described in critical theory, and a site of transformational change as outlined by Mezirow. Other changes happened for the students that were important, but not transformational. One main conclusion of the study is that there were transformational changes, and there could have been more if certain changes were made in the program to allow transformational change to occur. The study also outlines the need for a process by which the stakeholders could develop recommendations for future programs.

abstract: The original print copy of this thesis may be available here: http://wizard.unbc.ca/record=b1285143


title: Issues of voice, changes of heart: personal and political implications of women's feature film production in Canada

subject: Women in motion pictures.

subject: Women motion picture producers and directors -- Canada.

subject: Actresses -- Canada.

subject: PN1995.9.W6 C47 2002

abstract: Within the already colonized realm of Canadian film production, fictional narrative films made by women are further marginalized, for the most part going unseen and unacknowledged. This thesis examines thirty-four English language films by and about women, representing the work of twenty-seven filmmakers, in the context of a 'cultural circuit', encompassing interviews with the filmmakers , a consideration of the stories told in the films, and input from viewers. In their quest to present realistic, yet optimistic, portrayals of women's lives, the filmmakers succeed in producing empowering stories of women which provide an alternative to the damaging and stereotypical images most often found in mainstream cinema. Addressing various aspects of feminist film theory, it is argued that storytelling through film is a powerful communicative force, and it is vital that women's perspectives be seen and heard in this arena if ours is to become a more enriched, inclusive and equitable society.

abstract: The original print copy of this thesis may be available here: http://wizard.unbc.ca/record=b1225818


title: Applications of the Snake Theorem.

format:
electronic
Number of pages in document: 44

subject: Difference equations -- Oscillation theory.

subject: Approximation theory.

subject: QA431 .M38 2009

abstract: ...Keener proves a version of the well-known Snake Theorem of Karlin, and shows the practical use of this theorem in three approximation problems by recasting the problems in the setting of the so-called NL-functional. He then suggests five alternate approximation problems for which he suspects his theorem can be effectively used as an investigative tool. We consider three of these problems: approximation with constraints outside the interval of approximation, reciprocal approximation, and maximin approximation. We show how Theorem 5 of [Keener], Theorem 15 in this thesis, can be effectively used as a tool to apply the snake theorem to them. Approximation with constraints outside the interval of approximation and reciprocal (more specifically rational) approximation were considered in the literature by Laurent and others. We recast these results (or expand and then recast these results) in the setting of the NL-functional and apply Theorem 15 (or a strengthened version of Theorem 15) to obtain the desired oscillation statements. In the case of maximin approximation, to our knowledge, all results are new.

abstract: The original print copy of this thesis may be available here: http://wizard.unbc.ca/record=b1602221


title: Tangled root: The paradoxical development of British Columbia's tree planting industry.

format:
electronic
Number of pages in document: 170

subject: Tree planters (Persons) -- British Columbia.

subject: Tree planting -- British Columbia.

subject: Reforestation -- British Columbia.

subject: SD409 .M55 2011

abstract: British Columbian tree planters have cultivated a reputation for being countercultural mavericks within the world of forestry. While this standing is well earned in many respects, it also implies that the job is ethically structured in a way that somehow opposes industrial resource extraction like clear-cut logging. Contrary to these perceptions, this study will show how throughout the history of tree planting in B.C. reforestation workers have been given incentive to fulfill the forest industry's mandate to plant trees faster and better, thereby acting as critical participants in maintaining the legitimacy of the modern forest industry. I will show that despite their reputations or personal values, tree planters in British Columbia have also existed - both philosophically and practically - in a symbiotic relationship with intensive harvesting practices. Far from solely being an idealistic social experiment, this prototypical model of a sustainable industry became successful through the displacement of the distinction between binaries like green and corporate, counterculture and capitalist, as well as tree-huggers and loggers. As a result, it is common for contemporary reforestation workers to exude an occupational culture that is bohemian but also maintains a widespread emphasis upon ultra-efficiency, competition, and money-making - traits that have generally intensified over time. --P. ii.

abstract: The original print copy of this thesis may be available here: http://wizard.unbc.ca/record=b1754772


title: Pet facilitated therapy and the therapeutic relationship: participant perspectives

subject:
Dogs -- Therapeutic use.
Dogs -- Psychological aspects.
Counselor and client.
RM931.D63 B35 2000

abstract: This qualitative study examines Pet Facilitated Therapy (PFT) from the perspective of the participant/client in an initial counselling session. The use of the human-animal bond to facilitate therapy is a relatively new and growing field. Existing research has focused on quantitative measures, third party ratings, or therapists' perspectives. A specific focus of this research is how the presence of a dog affects participants' perceptions of the therapeutic relationship between the participant and counsellor. In order to use PFT as a therapeutic adjunct most effectively and purposefully, it is important to better understand how PFT recipients experience a pet's presence in counselling settings. 11 Three female and two male participants ranging in age from forty-six to seventy two were solicited from patients on the Rehabilitation Unit of a local hospital. Each participant took part in an audio taped initial counselling session at which a trained therapy dog was present. I participated in the research, acting as both counsellor and researcher. Interviews were conducted by a fellow graduate student to elicit participants' perceptions of the experience. Interview transcripts and other contextual data were analyzed thematically utilizing grounded theory methodology. Results of this study were expressed through two primary themes: the first theme focused on what roles participants attributed to the dog's presence, and the second theme concerned what factors contributed to how the participants experienced the session. Participants indicated that the dog's presence tranquilized or relaxed them, was indicative of my attributes as therapist, and prompted emotional memories. Significant factors which affected how participants experienced the PFT session included the therapist's skill and way of being, tactile contact with the pet, previous emotional attachment to pets, and the participant's self-perception or way of being. This study affirms the primacy of the client-counsellor relationship, and offers new insight into what contributions a pet's presence may make to counselling. As a result of this research, I formed a new conceptualization of the "therapeutic relationship", which includes an understanding of the roles that therapists and pets play as both distinct and overlapping. This new understanding includes potential benefits of PFT which are independent of the therapist (such as the pet's role in helping the participant/client to relax), and benefits which involve the pet and therapist (such as the dog as an indicator of therapist attributes). Similarly, the therapist's role in the relationship with the participant/client is based on therapist skills and attributes which are independent of the pet, but also includes elements of overlap with the pet's presence, as when the therapist interacts with the pet. This thesis is about beginning to explore and share a missing component from PFT research: the client's voice. n1.rticipants' contributions, for which I am most grateful, have both validated some of the assumptions and beliefs found within PFT research to date, and offered new ways of understanding the potential benefits of the human-animal bond to counselling.

abstract: The original print copy of this thesis may be available here: http://wizard.unbc.ca/record=b1218061


title: Those who stay: a phenomenological exploration of staying as experienced by social workers in northern communities

format:
electronic
Number of pages in document: 121

subject: Social workers -- British Columbia, Northern.

subject: Social workers -- Recruiting -- British Columbia, Northern.

subject: HV109.B8 P48 1996

abstract: This thesis examines the reasons why it is difficult to recruit and retain social workers for Northern British Columbia communities. Interviews with social workers who have stayed 5 or or more years are examined in order to determine why these people have stayed for longer periods of time. In general, professional, personal, community and integrated life factors are studied.

abstract: The original print copy of this thesis may be available here: http://wizard.unbc.ca/record=b1151087


title: Automated assessment of erythrocyte parameters using artificial neural network.

format:
electronic
Number of pages in document: 70

subject:
Erythrocytes.
Erythrocyte disorders.
Neural networks (Computer science).
QP96 .C46 2006

abstract: No abstract available.

abstract: The original print copy of this thesis may be available here: http://wizard.unbc.ca/record=b1317061


title: Evolving artificial neural network controllers for autonomous agents navigating dynamic environments.

format:
electronic
Number of pages in document: 118

subject:
Neural networks (Computer science)
Genetic algorithms.
QA76.87 .L83 2008

abstract: This thesis presents and discusses a potential method for solving the dynamic obstacle avoidance problem using contemporary work with artificial neural networks (ANNs) and genetic algorithms (GAs) in combination with an imitation of a biological genetic process called segmental duplication. ANNs, GAs and segmental duplication are merged in the project to form SDNEAT, a type of evolutionary artificial neural network (EANN) system based on NeuroEvolution of Augmenting Topologies, or NEAT. The system is then used to develop an artificial neural network system that attempts to navigate environments incorporating both static and dynamic obstacles.

abstract: The original print copy of this thesis may be available here: http://wizard.unbc.ca/record=b1625060


title: "It Happened to Me in Barkerville": Aboriginal identity, economy, and law in the Cariboo Gold Rush, 1862--1900.

format:
electronic
Number of pages in document: 131

subject: Barkerville (B.C.) -- History.

subject: Indians of North America -- British Columbia -- Barkerville Region -- History.

subject: Cariboo (B.C. : Regional district) -- Gold discoveries.

subject: FC3822.5 .J67 2012

abstract: It Happened to Me in Barkerville' argues that aboriginal people were participants in many aspects of gold rush life in Barkerville and the surrounding region. Despite the fact that many of the records of aboriginal participation are restricted to the areas in which they came into contact with the British-influenced social elite, a critical examination of the existing documents partially reconstructs the experiences of aboriginal people living there. Letters and correspondence, mining company ledgers, newspaper accounts, and court records suggest that aboriginal experiences were complex and diverse. This was especially true of their integration into Barkerville society, opportunistic participation in the gold rush economy, and relationships with colonial administrators at the Richfield courthouse. These conclusions help provide a more complete history of the Cariboo gold rush at Barkerville, and contribute to a better understanding of the history of indigenous people in British Columbia. --P. ii

abstract: The original print copy of this thesis may be available here: http://wizard.unbc.ca/record=b1805533


title: Resource development in the Beaufort Sea region through the lens of the media

format:
electronic
Number of pages in document: 166

subject: Natural resources -- Press coverage -- Beaufort Sea Region.

subject: Single mothers -- British Columbia, Northern -- Economic conditions.

subject: Sparsely populated areas -- British Columbia, Northern -- Social conditions.

subject: PN4784.O24 M88 2016

abstract: The media's role in shaping Arctic perceptions receives little attention among northern scholars, yet this is where most citizens obtain information about the Arctic. Given the region's geographical remoteness, the media take on substantial power to influence citizens' perceptions. This research critically examines how print media present resource development in the Beaufort Sea region. The project consists of a qualitative discourse analysis comparing local newspapers with national newspapers (i.e. north-south) as well as Canadian and American newspapers. To learn more about northern media, an additional component of this research includes interviews with six journalists who work in the north (Fairbanks and Yellowknife). The study shows how national newspapers tend to portray industry and the federal government as the main decision-makers when it comes to resource development, whereas local newspapers tend to assert the power of local Indigenous groups and municipal/state/territorial governments. --Leaf ii.

abstract: The original print copy of this thesis may be available here: http://wizard.unbc.ca/record=b2140947


title: The role of weather and topography in the development of  Dothistroma septosporum.

format:
electronic
Number of pages in document: 104

subject: Mycosphaerella -- Climatic factors -- British Columbia -- Skeena Stikine Forest District.

subject: Mycosphaerella -- Effect of altitude on -- British Columbia -- Skeena Stikine Forest District.

subject: Pine needles -- Diseases and pests -- British Columbia -- Skeena Stikine Forest District.

subject: QK623.M93 B73 2009

abstract: Dothistroma septosporum (Dorog.) Morelet is recognized worldwide as a foliar disease of pine trees, infecting needles and causing premature defoliation. This results in reduced growth of the tree and, in severe cases, death. Red banding, caused by the mycotoxin dothistromin, along needles where infection has been successful characterizes this fungal pathogen. Symptoms develop sooner with higher temperatures and longer wetness periods. In a severe outbreak of Dothistroma needle blight in the Skeena Stikine Forest District in northwestern British Columbia (BC), damage has ranged from low levels of infection to nearly 100% mortality. A high concentration of young susceptible hosts and warm, moist summers and cool, wet falls in this area are thought to be contributing to the outbreak. Heavy fogs that persist in plantations close to rivers, lakes, or streams may also facilitate D. septosporum development. The purpose of this research is to identify climatic and site conditions contributing to the development of Dothistroma needle blight with respect to the severe outbreak happening in northwestern BC. The main objectives are to monitor the variation in disease expression, identify the ranges of temperature and humidity conducive to disease development, and identify site factors associated with disease. In the Skeena Stikine Forest District four sites were selected according to signs of Dothistroma infection, accessibility, and the presence of trees within 10-25 years of age. Within each site, three plots were established for weekly monitoring. In each of the twelve plots, weather stations were set up and six trees were selected. Six plots also had leaf wetness sensors. On each tree, four cohorts of ten needles were marked. These needles were examined weekly for the development of red bands, fruiting bodies, and spore production. When fruiting bodies were detected, needles were extracted from the tree for dissection to determine their reproductive state. Survey data of lodgepole pine plantations in the Skeena Stikine

abstract: The original print copy of this thesis may be available here: http://wizard.unbc.ca/record=b1625039


title: Dams, Displacement, and Perceptions of Development: A Case from Rio Negro, Guatemala.

format:
electronic
Number of pages in document: 164

subject: Forced migration -- Guatemala.

subject: Mayas -- Relocation -- Guatemala.

subject: Human rights -- Guatemala.

subject: Mayas -- Crimes against -- Guatemala.

subject: Economic development projects -- Moral and ethical aspects -- Guatemala.

subject: Chixoy Dam (Guatemala).

subject: Guatemala -- History -- 1945-1985.

subject: F1435.3.C75 E46 2010

abstract: Guatemala's history is plagued with development' projects that result in displacement, violence, and increased marginalization of its Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations. In order to make way for development initiatives such as the production of coffee, bananas, and sugar cane the extraction of metals such as gold and nickel or, in this specific case, the construction of a large hydroelectric dam, the land-based, predominately Maya farmers, or campesinos, are systematically uprooted from the lands of their birth, and launched into uncertainty. Using the case of the Chixoy Hydroelectric Dam, built from 1978-1983, this thesis examines the effects of displacement on the former residents of Rio Negro, a community which endured a series of massacres by the military and paramilitary due to its resistant stance on forced removal. Through the use of open-ended interview discussions, or testimonies, as well as other qualitative methods, I attempt to illuminate this specific incident of displacement and violence, and discuss the outcomes thirty years later. My findings, based on fieldwork conducted January through April 2009, suggest that the majority of survivors from the Rio Negro massacres are still adversely affected from the destruction of their families and livelihoods, and that the return to a more self-determined and traditional Maya-Achi way of life is crucial for personal and community rehabilitation. I conclude that despite this incident occurring in unique circumstances, and at the height of the internal conflict, the same struggles over land and rights continue into the present--and if policies are left unchanged, clashes of this nature will only increase in time. --P. ii.

abstract: The original print copy of this thesis may be available here: http://wizard.unbc.ca/record=b1677173


title: The influence of historical forestry practices and climate on the sediment retention function of wetlands.

subject: Wetland conservation -- British Columbia.

subject: Sedimentation and deposition -- British Columbia -- Boswell Lake.

subject: Sedimentation and deposition -- British Columbia -- Viewland Lake.

subject: Forests and forestry -- Environmental aspects -- British Columbia.

subject: Sediment transport -- Research.

subject: QH77.B8 C35 2011

abstract: Wetlands provide beneficial functions and services (e.g. sediment retention, nutrient sequestration) to downstream aquatic environments. The resiliency of these functions under disturbance conditions is, however, not fully understood. Two wetland-lake systems (Boswell and Viewland) in the central interior of British Columbia whose contributing catchments have historically been impacted by forestry practices were selected to examine how wetland sediment retention responds to disturbance. Core chronologies and sedimentation rates were calculated from unsupported Pb measurements using the Constant Rate of Supply (CRS) model, and sediment source contributions were determined using a multivariate unmixing model, for both wetlands and their downstream lakes. Sedimentation rates did not significantly change post-logging in either lake however, the dominant source to Viewland Lake changed from channel bank material to subsurface material. The increase in the proportion subsurface material consistent with increase in dry density and magnetic susceptibility, and decreases in median grain size and C:N. The bordering wetland was not found to contain any material other than channel bank material. The ephemeral nature of the wetland channel, as well as the length of the channel and the significant decrease in median grain size are thought to have prevented sediment deposition, or increased the potential for resuspension and further transport. Sedimentation rates were greatest near the inflow of Boswell wetland, however, the strongest responses to forestry practices were observed near the wetland outflow. Similarly significantly lower median grain sizes could have limited deposition in the upstream areas of the wetland. Increases in precipitation as snow and stream discharge in addition to effects associated with forestry practices are thought to have been responsible for driving sedimentation rates in both catchments however, changes in source contributions were likely the result of active forestry practices. --P. ii.

abstract: The original print copy of this thesis may be available here: http://wizard.unbc.ca/record=b1755007


title: Measurement of nitrogen dioxide and sulfur dioxide by satellite and passive monitors in Northeastern British Columbia, Canada.

format:
electronic
Number of pages in document: 109

subject: Gas industry -- Environmental aspects -- British Columbia, Northeastern.

subject: Air -- Pollution -- British Columbia, Northeastern -- Measurement.

subject: Atmospheric nitrogen dioxide -- British Columbia, Northeastern.

subject: Atmospheric sulfur dioxide -- British Columbia, Northeastern.

subject: TD195.P4 I753 2014

abstract: The Peace River district of Northeastern British Columbia (B.C.) Canada is a region of natural gas production that has undergone rapid development since 2005. Both satellite data products and Willems badge passive sampler measurements of nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) and sulfur dioxide (SO₂) were used to assess the air quality implications from gas development activities. Both satellite data products between 2005 and 2013 and Willems badge passive samplers during six two-week exposure periods between August and November, 2013 have been considered in this study. All satellite data products and passive monitoring of these two pollutants in Northeastern B.C. found higher values in Taylor, Fort St. John, and Dawson Creek. This spatial distribution of higher values has resulted from the large gas development activities in these areas. The temporal analysis of satellite NO₂ data revealed higher values near Dawson Creek after 2007 with annual increment of 1.7%. It was also found that Taylor is half as polluted as one of the Canada's largest non-urban SO₂ emission source areas (Canadian oil sands areas in Alberta). --Leaf ii.

abstract: The original print copy of this thesis may be available here: http://wizard.unbc.ca/record=b1976430


title: Cultivating common ground: the story of food (and the food in stories)

format:
electronic
1 online resource (vii, 220 pages)

subject: Food security--Study and teaching (Primary)

subject: Children's literature.

subject: Food--Environmental aspects.

subject: Food--Juvenile literature.

abstract: Demystifying the story of food – from seed to store to stomach and how that cycle perpetuates – is a core tenet of food literacy and the central aim of this project. While exposure to environmental issues is critical to developing awareness, young learners are often burdened with crisis-laden facts about the state of our world and our food systems. Approaching difficult subjects using a narrative approach is one way to mitigate this burden. In this project, children’s literature that centres on farms and food production/food gathering in settler and Indigenous contexts is used as a launching pad for discussions about food security. Food is an enduring theme in children’s and young adult literature, and is particularly prevalent in narratives from the past, where food gathering and production are often rooted in their environmental contexts. These food narratives provide a pathway for young readers to critically investigate contemporary environmental concerns from a safe space. This project investigates how children’s literature can be used as part of a critical food pedagogy to enhance the food literacy of young learners and encourage them to find common ground between the physical world and the worlds they read. In locating, analyzing, and experiencing food environments in literature via an affective, indirect approach, food literacy - which is foundational to the development of environmentally responsible behaviour – is enhanced.


title: Influence of dissolved organic carbon on aggregation and aggregate characteristics.

format:
electronic
Number of pages in document: 103

subject:
Colloids.
Aggregation (Chemistry)
QD549 .A75 2005

abstract: No abstract available.

abstract: The original print copy of this thesis may be available here: http://wizard.unbc.ca/record=b1295178


title: Fair and efficient CPU scheduling algorithms.

format:
electronic
Number of pages in document: 86

subject:
Computer scheduling.
Operating systems (Computers).
Computer algorithms.
QA76 .C44 2006

abstract: No abstract available.

abstract: The original print copy of this thesis may be available here: http://wizard.unbc.ca/record=b1317033


title: Institutional barriers to climate responsive design in commercial redevelopment in Prince George, British Columbia.

format:
electronic
Number of pages in document: 143

subject: Architecture and climate.

subject: City planning -- British Columbia -- Prince George.

subject: City planning -- Climatic factors -- British Columbia -- Prince George.

subject: City planning -- British Columbia -- Prince George -- Cold weather conditions.

subject: Cold regions -- Planning.

subject: NA2542.C75 R97 2002

abstract: No abstract available.

abstract: The original print copy of this thesis may be available here: http://wizard.unbc.ca/record=b1230638


title: Spawning site selection and the influence of incubation environment on larval success in interior Fraser coho.

subject: Coho salmon -- Habitat -- British Columbia -- McKinley Creek Watershed.

subject: Coho salmon -- Spawning -- British Columbia -- McKinley Creek Watershed.

subject: QL638.S2 M37 2009

abstract: Habitat features have been shown to influence salmonid spawning site selection as well as the survival and growth of larval fish throughout incubation. Most studies have been conducted in coastal watersheds, however, and little is known regarding habitat features associated with spawning sites for interior populations of salmon. My study examined factors affecting spawning site selection and incubation success for a population of interior Fraser coho salmon (IFC) (Oncorhynchus kisutch), in McKinley Creek watershed, British Columbia. Ground surveys coupled with radio telemetry were used to identify spawning site locations. An information theoretic approach was used to examine the probability of spawning site use based on habitat features. Incubation of larval fish within in-stream artificial redds allowed for the assessment of survival and growth in different incubation environments. The spawning habitat use of IFC throughout the McKinley Creek watershed was more extensive than previously realized. Hyporheic conductivity, dissolved oxygen, temperature and specific discharge were the best indicators of spawning site selection. Despite significant differences in habitat variables between used and unused spawning sites, survival and growth of larval IFC did not differ between sites maternal effects were greater than incubation habitat features. This study has provided critical information about spawning site selection and the incubation environment of IFC, and has contributed to the understanding of the influence of habitat features on salmonids in interior watersheds.

abstract: The original print copy of this thesis may be available here: http://wizard.unbc.ca/record=b1637031


title: Wife battering, institutional appropriation, and treatment discourse: a struggle for discursive control

format:
electronic
Number of pages in document: 119

subject:
Wife abuse -- British Columbia.
Family violence -- British Columbia.
Feminist theory.
Social work with women.
HV6626 .G56 1997

abstract: This thesis examines the gap between the objectified knowledge created by institutions and the expert knowledge or experience of one woman within institutional systems dealing with wife battering. Examining this gap reveals the patriarchal and hierarchical relations inherent in institutional systems and uncovers the discursive practices which they employ in order to construct ideologies about wife battering. The discourses of Law, Psychology and the helping professions stand in direct opposition to feminist discourses based in concepts of gender inequity and patriarchal domination. All discourses, however, are not created equal. The discursive battlefield is dominated by treatment discourses that insist battering is a sickness not a choice as feminist discourses maintain. This is validated by legal systems that remand or recommend that batterers enter treatment programs for abusing their wives. In order for feminists to compete successfully against dominant discourses they must construct a discourse which validates and encompasses the experiences of all battered women and resist the appropriation of services for battered women by the state.

abstract: The original print copy of this thesis may be available here: http://wizard.unbc.ca/record=b1185839


title: The Experience of Active Injection Drug Use on Adherence to Antiretroviral Treatment in Aboriginal People Living in Prince George - A Qualitative Perspective.

format:
electronic
Number of pages in document: 108

subject: HIV-positive persons -- British Columbia -- Prince George.

subject: Native peoples -- Health and hygiene -- British Columbia -- Prince George.

subject: AIDS (Disease) -- Treatment -- British Columbia -- Prince George.

subject: Indians of North America -- Health and hygiene -- British Columbia -- Prince George.

subject: Highly active antiretroviral therapy.

subject: RA643.86.C32 B855 2011

abstract: In Canada the incidence rates of HIV in Aboriginal populations continue to grow, despite an overall reduction in HIV prevalence of the Canadian population as a whole. Reasons for the increased Aboriginal HIV incidence are varied including structural components such as socio-economic issues, and limited access to healthcare. In addition, personal coping strategies such as addiction and mental health issues increase incidence rates of HIV. With this context in mind, it is not surprising that the difficulties of managing HIV - a disease which involves complex treatment regimens and wide variations in health status - can create unbearable burdens on people infected (and affected) by HIV/AIDS. The complicated treatment regimens associated with HIV can pose great problems for Aboriginal people, but are exacerbated when active injection drug use is factored in. The purpose of this study is to gain insight into how active injection drug use impacts adherence to antiretroviral treatment in Aboriginal people living in Prince George, British Columbia. The study asked participants what they felt could be done by healthcare providers to better support them in their struggles to maintain the high levels of adherence needed for maximal HIV viral suppression. Eight interviews were conducted and analyzed using a Grounded Theory methodology. Analysis and interpretation revealed that healthcare providers need to me [sic] more caring and consistent in their approach. Adherence is facilitated by the knowledge of the health consequences of non-adherence trust in healthcare providers incorporating HAART into daily routines receiving support from AIDS services organizations, friends, and family and that combining HAART administration with methadone is an effective pathway to increase adherence. On the other hand, the most common barrier to adherence identified by the participants was being high'. Finally the study found that the majority of participants expressed a feeling of disconnection from Aboriginal culture. --P

abstract: The original print copy of this thesis may be available here: http://wizard.unbc.ca/record=b1737959


title: Lichen colonization in natural gap disturbances and old growth stands

format:
electronic
Number of pages in document: 83

subject:
Lichens -- British Columbia.
QK587.7.B7 B46 2001

abstract: Lichen colonization was studied in small (1-3 ha) natural gap disturbances embedded in a matrix of old growth cedar-hemlock forest in east central British Columbia, Canada. Lichen biomass, in relation to stand structural attributes, was examined to understand the role of microclimate, substrate quality, and dispersal capability in lichen colonization. Regenerating trees, approximately 100 years old and of similar structure, in the gap disturbance stands and in the old growth matrix were compared for lichen composition, abundance, and distribution. There was no difference in total lichen biomass between regenerating trees in the gap stands and the old growth stands. However, analysis of the individual functional groups (Alectoria, Bryoria, Foliose, and Cyanolichen) revealed distinct differences between the two stand types. The Bryoria functional group was more abundant in the crowns of regenerating trees in the gap disturbance stands and was distributed vertically through a larger proportion of the tree crown. The Cyanolichen functional group occurred more frequently on the regenerating trees in old growth stands. The Alectoria and Foliose functional groups did not differ significantly in biomass or in distribution between the two tree classes. Additional comparisons showed that tree size (amount of available substrate) positively affected lichen loading, while substrate type (foliated or non-foliated substrates) had no effect. Stand-level projections for arboreal lichen biomass indicated that old growth stands had 19% more biomass and contained greater species diversity than gap stands owning to the abundant cyanolichen community.

abstract: The original print copy of this thesis may be available here: http://wizard.unbc.ca/record=b1219512


title: Packing equal circles in a damaged square using simulated annealing and greedy vacancy search.

format:
electronic
Number of pages in document: 95

subject:
Circle packing.
Simulated annealing (Mathematics)
Discrete geometry.
QA640.7 .Z48 2015

abstract: This thesis defines and investigates a generalized circle packing problem, called Packing Equal Circles into a Damaged Square (PECDS). We introduce a new heuristic algorithm that enhances and combines the Greedy Vacancy Search (GVS) and Stimulated Annealing (SA), and demonstrate, through a series of experiments, its ability to find better solutions than either GVS or SA alone. The synergy between the enhanced GVS and SA, along with explicit convergence detection, makes the algorithm robust in escaping the points of local optimum. --Leaf ii.

abstract: The original print copy of this thesis may be available here: http://wizard.unbc.ca/record=b2006869


title: Ecological characteristics of forest remnants left by wildfire

format:
electronic
Number of pages in document: 94

subject: Forest fires.

subject: Fire ecology.

subject: Forests and forestry -- British Columbia.

subject: SD421 .D45 1997

abstract: Increased awareness of the key ecological role of natural disturbance in maintaining ecological integrity and function coupled with forest harvesting becoming a dominant disturbance process has lead to an increasing desire to study natural disturbance at multiple scales. The eventual goal is to design harvesting regimes that achieve the ecological conditions that are maintained in nature by natural disturbance. Legacies of natural disturbance such as unburned forest remnants left by wildfire commonly occur scattered throughout large wildfires. The objective of this dissertation is to develop a better understanding of the role of unburned forest remnants in providing ecological diversity and sources of natural conifer regeneration. Two separate studies were undertaken. The first study characterized remnant habitats and compared them to large contiguous patches of remnant free young, mature and old forest. The second study examined post-fire recruitment surrounding remnant patches of Douglas-fir. Remnants could be discriminated from other stand types based on measures of tree and snag density. Some remnants displayed a unique unevenaged lodgepole pine regeneration structure compared to other stand types. Differences between remnants and other stand types appear to stem from the influence of the wildfire through which they survived. Remnants displayed high variability in all ecological variables examined which appears to relate to the variable influence of wildfire on them. Remnants share many ecological characteristics with old forest and thus could provide some of the same functions. Douglas-fir remnants provide a positive influence on Douglas-fir recruitment in the post fire regenerating forest. Patches of mature forest left in managed cutovers could serve similar functions as wildfire remnants. However, selection and management criteria must be developed to ensure that the ecological characteristics of wildfire remnants are duplicated within these reserves. The alternate regeneration dynamics demonstrated by some remnants could provide a model for the development of an alternate silviculture system for lodgepole pine dominated stands. There are many limitations to our ability to incorporate characteristics of natural disturbance into managed forests. For instance, removal of the trees to make wood products restricts our ability to leave large numbers of standing snags. However, leaving patches of trees behind which emulate the ecological characteristics of island remnants is achievable and can bring us closer towards achieving ecological sustainability in the managed forest.

abstract: The original print copy of this thesis may be available here: http://wizard.unbc.ca/record=b1183828


title: Teaching through toponymy: Using indigenous place-names in outdoor science camps.

format:
electronic
Number of pages in document: 172

subject: Carrier Indians -- Education (Elementary) -- British Columbia, Northern.

subject: Carrier language -- Study and teaching.

subject: Names, Geographical -- British Columbia, Northern.

subject: E99.T17 H45 2007

abstract: This study examines the potential of Dakelh place-names as a tool for educating Tl'azt'en children and youth about the Tl'azt'en ancestral past, the Dakelh language and places on the land that have sustained Tl'azt'enne for generations. --P.i.

abstract: The original print copy of this thesis may be available here: http://wizard.unbc.ca/record=b1325932


title: Effects of respiratory muscle endurance training on cerebral oxygenation and hemodynamics, and effort perceptions during maximal exercise.

contributor: Pettersen, Jacqueline (committee member)

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

format:
electronic
1 online resource (viii, 141 pages)

subject:
Respiratory muscles.
Physical fitness.
Fatigue--Psychological aspects.
Fatigue--Physiological aspects.
Exercise--Research.

abstract: The primary objective of this study was to investigate the effects of a 4-week respiratory muscle endurance training (eRMT) program on the physiological and psychological aspects of central fatigue using, respectively, near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) and quantification of effort perceptions during maximal exercise. A secondary objective was to assess any impact of eRMT on respiratory health and exercise performance. This study compared pre- and post-eRMT data from the same group of healthy adults. The results indicated that eRMT did not have any effect on respiratory function, exercise time to exhaustion, or physiological responses to exercise but significantly decreased ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) during exercise. An increase in the concentrations of oxygenated hemoglobin [O2Hb], deoxygenated hemoglobin [HHb], and total hemoglobin [tHb] during exercise was observed post-eRMT compared to pre-eRMT, and this increase differed by hemisphere. Based on these preliminary findings, we suggest an eRMTinduced left-to-right hemodynamic shift during exercise, consistent with the change from a novel to a learned task.


title: Issues of accessibility in the north: An analysis of transportation and the highway of tears

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

format:
electronic
1 online resource (vii, 141 pages)

subject: Women--Crimes against.

subject: Missing persons--British Columbia, Northern.

subject: Murder--British Columbia, Northern.

subject: Rural transportation--British Columbia, Northern.

subject: Local transit accessibility--British Columbia, Northern.

abstract: The Highway of Tears is a term that is known across northern British Columbia. Since 1969, women and girls have gone missing and been found murdered along the 724 km stretch of Highway 16 between Prince Rupert and Prince George, British Columba. Many of these women were trying to get from one destination to another when their safety was compromised. These individuals were from communities with few transportation options available and where hitchhiking is a common form of transportation. Using an interdisciplinary perspective including northern studies, political science, and women’s studies I will analyze the issues of transportation in the north in connection to the Highway of Tears case. In particular I will examine how the Highway 16 Transportation Action Plan developed in order to determine what happened and why it took ten years for a policy response to emerge that addressed safety concerns and transportation gaps in the north.


title: Role of atmospheric rivers on the hydrology of western Canada

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

format:
electronic
1 online resource (xxiv, 200 pages)

subject: Atmospheric circulation.

subject: Water vapor, Atmospheric--Measurement--Canada, Western.

subject: Climatology.

subject: Climatic changes.

abstract: Atmospheric rivers (ARs) are synoptic-scale atmospheric phenomena that transport moisture from the (sub)-tropical regions to the mid-latitudes globally. They play a substantial role on water resources of British Columbia and southeastern Alaska (BCSAK). However, understanding of their climatology and impacts on the hydrology of this region remains limited. I use a combination of a regional AR catalog, reanalysis datasets, gridded precipitation, observed river runoff data, and topographic information, to provide insights on the climatology of landfalling ARs (LARs) and to quantify changes in the contribution of LARs to the precipitation, river runoff, and their extremes in BCSAK. Each year BCSAK experiences, on average, 35±5 LARs with the highest number in autumn (13±2) and an average duration of 2±1.8 days. The 1979-2016 average annual counts of LARs increase by ~20% across BCSAK. Slightly higher numbers of LARs occur during the neutral phase of El Niño-Southern Oscillation, the positive phases of the Pacific Decadal Oscillation and the Pacific-North American Pattern, and the 2013/2014 warm anomaly of the Northeastern Pacific. LARs contribute 13% (spatial range: <5-33%) and 36% (spatial range: <5-97%) of annual total and extreme precipitation, respectively, across BCSAK with higher values over elevated terrain. AR-related precipitation days increase during 1979-2012; however, no change occurs in the average AR-related precipitation amount for most of BCSAK. LARs contribute 14±6% (spatial range: 2%-29%) and 48±24% (spatial range: ~10%-100%) of the total annual and annual maxima runoff in the watersheds of BCSAK. ARs control the distribution of peak runoff in most of BCSAK with >60% of the 168 watersheds analyzed having >5 of the top 10 annual maxima runoff associated with them. My work presents a baseline assessment of the AR regional climatology in BCSAK, provides the proportion of hydrological processes attributed to ARs, and assesses changes in those linkages over time. This work is useful to associate future climate model simulations, extreme weather forecasting, seasonal predictions, and water issues including flood mitigation, hydro-power generation, industrial water use, and ecological, recreational, and cultural water values of western Canada where rapid climate-induced hydrological changes are occurring.


title: Evolutionary and functional characterization of oxidative stress proteins in dendroctonus ponderosae hopkins (curculionidae: scolytinae)

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

format:
electronic
1 online resource (vi, 109 pages)

subject:
Mountain pine beetle.
Cladistic analysis.
Pests--Control.
Proteins--Analysis
Mountain pine beetle--Control.

abstract: Understanding the mountain pine beetle detoxification systems is vital for predicting its continued spread into the novel jack pine host. Phylogenetic analyses were conducted for mountain pine beetle catalase, glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, and peroxiredoxin. These proteins were generally conserved, but there were differences in some key functional motifs. Specifically, a peroxiredoxin (DPPrx1) contained a unique combination of hyperoxidation motifs. DPPrx1 and a superoxide dismutase (DPSOD1) were selected for further functional analyses and demonstrated higher reactivity when compared to other SOD and Prx proteins. Also, DPPrx1 experiences hyperoxidation at a lower H2O2 concentration (~0.06 mM) than human peroxiredoxin (~0.12 mM). In other systems, hyperoxidized peroxiredoxin does act as a signal molecule for the expression of other oxidative stress proteins. Therefore, due to its relatively high reactivity and potential role as a cellular signal, DPPrx1 could serve as a future pest management target.


title: Assessing the effects of uncertainty and climate change on hydrological simulations across a permafrost gradient in North-Central Canada

contributor: , Xiaogang (John) Shi (committee member)

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

subject:
Hudson Bay.
Climate changes.
Climate changes--Models.
Hydrologic models.

abstract: Hudson Bay, a vast inland sea in northern Canada, receives the highest average annual freshwater from the Nelson River system among all other contributing rivers. A rapidly changing climate and flow regulation from hydroelectric developments alter Nelson River streamflows timing and magnitude, affecting Hudson Bay’s physical, biological, and biogeochemical state. Despite recent developments and advances in climate datasets, hydrological models, and computational power, modelling the Hudson Bay system remains particularly challenging. Therefore, this dissertation addresses crucial research questions from the Hudson Bay System (BaySys) project by informing how climate change impacts variability and trends of freshwater-marine coupling in Hudson Bay. To that end, I present a comprehensive intercomparison of available climate datasets, their performance, and application within the macroscale Variable Infiltration Capacity (VIC) model, over the Lower Nelson River Basin (LNRB). This work aims to identify the VIC parameters sensitivity and uncertainty in water balance estimations and investigates future warming impacts on soil thermal regimes and hydrology in the LNRB. An intercomparison of six climate datasets and their equally weighted mean reveals generally consistent air temperature climatologies and trends (1981–2010) but with a prominent disagreement in annual precipitation trends with exceptional wetting trends in reanalysis products. VIC simulations forced by these datasets are utilized to examine parameter sensitivity and uncertainties due to input data and model parameters. Findings suggest that infiltration and prescribed soil depth parameters show prevailing seasonal and annual impacts, among other VIC parameters across the LNRB. Further, VIC simulations (1981–2070) reveal historical and possible future climate change impacts on cold regions hydrology and soil thermal conditions across the study domain. Results suggest that, in the projected climate, soil temperature warming induces increasing baseflows as future warming may intensify infiltration processes across the LNRB. This dissertation reports essential findings in the application of state-of-the-art climate data and the VIC model to explore potential changes in hydrology across the LNRB’s permafrost gradient with industrial relevance of future water management, hydroelectric generation, infrastructure development, operations, optimization, and implementation of adaptation measures for current and future developments.


title: Climate change-conscious systematic conservation planning: A case study in the Peace River Break, British Columbia

format:
electronic
1 online resource (xviii, 236 pages)

subject:
Biodiversity--Climatic factors.
Biodiversity conservation.
Climate change mitigation.
Climatic changes--Models.

abstract: The synergistic effects of anthropogenic disturbance, habitat fragmentation and climate change pose a significant threat to biodiversity that is challenging to predict. Anthropogenically driven climate change has already begun to impact critical climate regions and is now recognized to be one of the most serious threats to biodiversity and the conservation thereof. Despite this, few conservation planning initiatives have sought to sharpen the focus of the systematic conservation planning (SCP) framework to explicitly include climate change. To promote the evolution of the SCP framework into a climate change-conscious (CCC) approach to conservation planning, I developed and applied a methodology for incorporating climatechange resiliency into the SCP framework. This CCC-SCP methodology can be used to guide future conservation planning initiatives, helping conservation planners recognize and respond to opportunities for action, conserve our planet’s biodiversity and mitigate the effects of climate change.


title: Air pollution in the city of Prince George: Chemical analysis of particulate matter (PM2.5) contaminants

format:
electronic
1 online resource (63 pages)

subject:
Air--Pollution.
Air--Pollution.--Prince George (B.C.)
Air quality.
Particles--Environmental aspects.

abstract: Air pollution has been an ongoing issue for the City of Prince George, the largest city in northern British Columbia. This research was designed to measure the chemical composition of atmospheric Particulate Matter (PM2.5) in a Prince George neighborhood (i.e., downtown). The main objective of this research was to determine the PM2.5 chemical compositions in two distinct periods: warm and cold. Overall, 153 samples were collected from January to August 2018, using personal air samplers. The highest concentration of PM2.5 was recorded during the 2018 summer wildfires. Chemical composition of the PM2.5 air samples were studied with respect to Cadmium, Potassium, Mercury, Sodium, Lead, Chromium, Iron, Cobalt, Nickel, Manganese, Copper, Titanium, Molybdenum, Phosphorus and Sulphur, in order to evaluate potential sources of air pollutants in the city. The results of this study were compared with PM2.5 averages from other Canadian and international cities. The possibilities of the contribution of some local industrial sources such as pulp and paper, biomass burning, transportation and road dust, on PM2.5 concentration and chemical composition were discussed.

abstract: City of Prince George

abstract: Particulate matter

abstract: PM2.5 concentration

abstract: Chemical composition


title: Modelling the temperature of a compost microreactor in isolation

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

format:
electronic
1 online resource (49 pages)

subject:
Compost--Analysis.
Compost--Experiments.
Compost--Mathematical models.
Biodegradation.

abstract: A mixture of waste-wood biomass and municipal biosolids waste was composted in a plastic container inside of an insulated chamber. The mixture of biomass and biosolids was approximately 50:50 and weighed 82.6 kg. The peak temperature of the compost was 32.4◦C. The small scale of the compost system allowed the lower limit of the compost decomposition rate to be studied. A model was successfully developed to predict the core temperature of the compost using the ambient temperature in the insulated chamber. A literature review was conducted to determine literature values for the overall convective and conductive heat transfer coefficient, the dry mass fraction, and heat of combustion for both biomass and biosolids. The model used an optimization algorithm to calculate the rate constant for the experimental setup. The calculated decomposition rate constant was 0.0525 Day−1.


title: Unfulfilled promise: How and why citizen initiative was created in British Columbia

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

format:
electronic
1 online resource (v, 116 pages)

subject: Political participation.

subject: Political participation.--British Columbia.

subject: Political participation--British Columbia--Case studies.

subject: Democracy.

subject: Political activists--British Columbia.

abstract: Democracy serves as a governing philosophy where decisions are made by a vote of the population. Due to the large numbers of citizens who live in modern democracies, this is mainly done through elections to legislative assemblies as a form of representative democracy. But representative democracy does not always ensure policy alignment between citizens and elected representatives. Citizen initiatives serve as a means of promoting greater policy alignment by allowing citizens to propose their own legislation, to be voted on by the electorate. This thesis investigates why British Columbia chose to enact citizen initiative alone among Canadian provinces, and also why British Columbia’s policy was written with the provisions and constraints that elected representatives chose to include. The research shows that key individuals in power used their influence to advocate for citizen initiative in the province, and that British Columbia’s citizen initiative process was written to accommodate constitutional requirements and public opinion on what citizen initiative should look like.


title: "Why have I had to fight this hard?": Experiences of Aboriginal caregivers who have children diagnosed with ADHD

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

subject: Indigenous peoples--Mental health.

subject: Indigenous peoples--Mental health.--British Columbia, Northern.

subject: Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.

subject: Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder--Social aspects.

subject: Attention-deficit-disordered children.

subject: Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder--Diagnosis.

abstract: Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a controversial diagnosis that is debated in public and professional spheres. However, the experiences of Aboriginal peoples have largely not been included in this debate. Considering that reactions to trauma may include hyperactivity and attention-deficits, and that mental health is defined differently in different cultures, this is arguably problematic. This research uses a qualitative exploratory approach embedded in an anti-oppressive social work research framework to explore the experiences of four urban Aboriginal mothers of children diagnosed with ADHD in Northern British Columbia. It was found that Aboriginal caregivers experience many challenges already recorded in the literature, and that they also grapple with the impacts of colonialism and intergenerational trauma in different ways. When considering the principles of allyship and anti-oppressive practice, this raises ethical questions about where the burden of responsibility lies, as well as how ADHD is currently defined and used in practice.