Graduate Research

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Denominationalism in a Loyalist county: a social history of Charlotte, 1783–1940
(University of New Brunswick, 1964) Acheson, Thomas William
This thesis is a study of changing conditions and the factors that produced them in a segment of New Brunswick colonial society, Charlotte County, over a period of more than a century and a half. The purpose has been twofold, to demonstrate the social, economic and political changes which occurred within the period and to analyze the reasons for these changes. This examination of the social structure and ideas of the county has been accomplished through the medium of the religious denominations of the area. These denominations are generally the earliest and frequently the only social organizations in the communities under study and thus provide the most complete picture of the changes occurring over a period of time. Four major social movements may be observed throughout the period under study. The first of these was the arrival of the diverse Loyalist groups in the county in 1783–84, and their settlement, in many cases with the pre-Loyalist Americans. The second was a period of social and economic depression, extending to the end of the Napoleonic Wars, during which there was little growth but during which a distinctive colonial culture began to emerge among the county's inhabitants. The third movement was one of buoyant expansion engendered both by economic prosperity and a prolonged influx of British immigrants. This movement created a conflict between the traditions of the earlier colonial and later British settlers. By 1865 fully half the population of the county was of lrish, mostly Ulster, descent, and it is doubtful if one-quarter of the population could show male descent from a Loyalist. The principal reason for Charlotte's affirmative Confederation vote in 1866 probably stems from the antipathy between the county's Ulster Irish population and the American Fenian group: Finally, particularly after 1870, county society entered a period of economic regression. Increasingly the population became homogeneous in composition and parochial in outlook. This period also is marked by the triumph of the colonial American tradition within Charlotte. Throughout the entire period, two dominant themes can be traced, one economic and one social. Practically the whole economic history of Charlotte was shaped by the market demand for its rather specialized products: timber and fish. Prior to 1830, the principal market was primarily the British West Indies; from 1830 to 1860, it was primarily the British market; and from 1860 to 1875, the American. When the timber markets largely disappeared after 1875, the mainland economy split. Under the aegis of the National Policy, the middle St. Croix Valley developed an industrial manufacturing economy to provide for an internal Maritime market. The South Shore areas of the county reverted to a fishing economy similar to the islands with its major market in the United States. Thus, with the exception of brief periods, the county produced for market in which New Brunswick products were protected: the West Indies prior to 1830; the United Kingdom 1809–1860; the Canadian market after 1879. The social theme prevalent throughout the pre-1900 period is the conflict between the British and colonial American traditions. The conflict is discernible even within the early Loyalist Establishment. Its resolution in favour of the colonial tradition was complicated and delayed for at least a generation by the arrival of the British immigrants between 1816 and 1849. Only in the generation after 1870 did a value system, based upon the early puritan ethic of poverty with strong evangelical overtones, became generally accepted throughout the county. Over a period of time, every denomination in the county, regardless of its origins, has tended to become more staid and rational. Consequently there developed in almost every generation a radical Arminian sect to meet the social and emotional needs of a large segment of the population which deserted a real or nominal allegiance to the older denomination in which it felt a dissatisfaction. Of particular significance in the development of Charlotte were the demographic patterns of settlement and the population movements within the county. In periods of depression, emigration from the county generally occurred in a two generation cycle. The first generation moved from rural to village areas within the county, the second migrated from the county itself. Thus in each succeeding generation after 1860 it was the offspring of the rural inhabitants of the previous generation who came to dominate the county.
The Impact of the Automobile on the Government of New Brunswick. 1897–1932.
(University of New Brunswick, 1987) Allain, Charles Joseph; Young, Murray
G.T. Bloomfield, in his article on motorization in Saskatchewan between 1906 and 1934, pointed out that: "While the historical significance of the motor vehicle has been clearly recognized internationally and nationally there are as yet comparatively few studies of the evolution and impact of the automobile in Canada especially at the provincial and local levels. The lack of Canadian research on the coming of the automobile makes this dissertation a pioneering effort. Fortunately, the arrival of the motor age created so much controversy that there is a great deal of primary material available. Of particular value to this study was the Busy East of Canada which, due to the interest of its editor C.C. Avard, became an important advocate of good roads and tourism. Other valuable sources, such as government reports and newspapers articles, provided a wealth of information and have been used extensively. The coming of the motor-age to New Brunswick during the first three decades of the twentieth century was an important period of change and growth within the provincial government. The automobile created situations that required provincial involvement in administrative areas that had traditionally been left to local governments. This transition from local control to centralized administration is reflected in the various changes within the public works department, and also in the creation of the New Brunswick Bureau of Information and Tourist Travel and the New Brunswick Provincial Police.
Isotopic constraints on timing of deformation and metamorphism in the Thor–Odin dome, Monashee Complex, southeastern British Columbia.
(University of New Brunswick, 2003) Kuiper, Yvette Dominique; Williams, Paul; Carr, Sharon
New and existing U–Pb and [superscript 40]Ar/[superscript 39]Ar geochronological data, and oxygen and hydrogen stable isotope data, are combined with structural and metamorphic data from Thor–Odin, the southern culmination of the Monashee Complex. This leads to a new interpretation of the timing of deformation and metamorphism. Amphibolites in Thor–Odin with hornblende [superscript 40]Ar/[superscript 39]Ar dates between ~75–70 and ~51 Ma experienced more [superscript 18]O- and D-depletion than amphibolites with older dates. The younger dates that were previously interpreted as cooling ages, may have resulted from complete or partial Ar loss in the presence of meteoric fluids that were introduced into the rock during extension. Monazite crystals in pelitic schist, quartzite and orthogneiss, which have U–Pb ages younger than [superscript 40]Ar/[superscript 39]Ar hornblende ages in amphibolite in northwest Thor–Odin, may have grown during extension in the presence of fluids. Titanite, xenotime and zircon dates may be interpreted in the same way. Thus, the U–Pb dates that were previously interpreted as representing peak of metamorphism and the hornblende [superscript 40]Ar/[superscript 39]Ar dates that were previously interpreted as representing cooling ages, may be interpreted as reflecting meteoric fluid penetration of the crust during regional extension. This implies that the age of the thermal peak of metamorphism is older than ~75–70 Ma. Migmatisation in a basement orthogneiss in Thor–Odin occurred at ~1.8 Ga. Dissolution rims are preserved in zircon between ~1.8 Ga domains and 52 Ma overgrowths. Because growth of new zircon (and possibly other U–Pb accessory phases) did not take place, any geological event that occurred during the ~1.8 Ga to 52 Ma time interval is not recorded. Cordilleran deformation and metamorphism may have taken place within that time interval, e.g. in the Middle Jurassic and/or mid- to Late Cretaceous, the time of Cordilleran deformation and metamorphism in the rocks overlying the Monashee Complex. The Joss Mountain orthogneiss, west of the Monashee Complex in the Selkirk Allochthon, is dated at 362 ± 13 Ma. F[subscript 3] folding in pelitic schist at Joss Mountain is constrained between ~73 and ~70 Ma. Existing structural, metamorphic and geochronological data in, and close to, the Shuswap Metamorphic Complex in the southern Canadian Cordillera are shown to be consistent with a channel flow model.
Local and landscape effects of industrial forestry on the reproductive activity of forest songbirds in northwestern New Brunswick, Canada
(University of New Brunswick, 2004) Gunn, John Steven; Diamond, A.; Villard, M.-A.
In the northern hardwood forest of New Brunswick, industrial forest management affects within-stand vegetation and the landscape structure of the forest mosaic. Understanding the effects of industrial forestry on songbird populations requires the investigation of songbird reproductive success, in addition to abundance, on a landscape scale (i.e., in a mosaic of forest stands). I present a method to efficiently assess the reproductive success of multiple songbird species across a large area (e.g., > 300 ha). The method uses systematic playbacks of a recording of black-capped chickadee (Poecile atricapilla) mobbing calls to attract species to an observer. Once birds are attracted to the observer, reproduction-related activities can be recorded to infer successful pairing, hatching, or fledging. Trends in reproductive activity of two focal species obtained using this method were similar to their actual reproductive success as measured using intensive nest monitoring in the same locations. I studied the mobbing response of forest birds at different times of the year and in the presence or absence of potential avian predators. Mean duration of mobbing time was significantly longer when confronted with potential predators, but mobbing intensity was not significantly different. Mobbing group size and overall intensity were greatest early in the breeding season before the initiation of egg laying. I concluded that the variability in avian anti-predator mobbing is based on the proximate (individual safety) and ultimate (safety of offspring) risks of participation. I explored the relationship between reproductive activity and songbird abundance using Spearman correlation coefficients. Reproductive activity and songbird abundance were not significantly correlated in 56% of the comparisons (9 of 16). The lack of a consistent relationship emphasizes the importance of studying fitness parameters in addition to abundance or density. I then used canonical correspondence analysis to assess the relationship between forest management and reproductive activity of eight species of forest birds (Vireonidae, Paridae, and Parulidae) in three study grids of varying silvicultural intensity. I predicted landscape effects would become significant as silvicultural intensity increased. Reproductive activity, local vegetation, and landscape structure data were collected on one 6 x 8 systematic grid and two 8 x 8 systematic grids with stations spaced 250 m apart. Basal area of American beech (Fagus grandifolia) and sugar maple (Acer saccharum) within 100 m of the sample locations were the most significant variables associated with reproductive activity on two of the three study grids (most and least intensively managed). In the third study grid (moderately managed), the amount of tolerant hardwood forest within 1 km of the sampling locations was most significant. The relatively minor effect of landscape structure probably reflects the high proportion of suitable habitat remaining in the study area. Landscape effects on songbird populations may become more important if the proportion of suitable habitat declines.
The life and letters of Prince Edward Island proprietor captain John MacDonald of Glenaladale: an exercise in humanities computing
(University of New Brunswick, 2007) Gillis, Roger Christopher; Conrad, Margaret
The introduction of the Internet and the World Wide Web has been one the most significant developments of the last decade. Many historians have approached the Web with reluctance, hesitant to use it to conduct their traditional scholarly tasks of researching, publishing, and teaching history. Communication theorists such as Harold Innis and Marshall McLuhan foretold many aspects of the Web's impact in their analyses of past communication media. Applied to the Web, their ideas provide a deeper understanding of what a new medium of communication might mean for scholars in humanities disciplines. Indeed, in the last decade the term “Humanities Computing” has been coined to describe efforts to apply computer methods to humanities data. This thesis explores some of the processes and potential of Humanities Computing as it pertains to the presentation of primary documents on the Web. It takes the form of a case study using the correspondence of eighteenth-century Prince Edward Island land proprietor John MacDonald (1742–1810), a central figure in the conflict between the Island government and the land proprietors. MacDonald took an active interest in his land on the Island and became the voice of landowners making their case to the British crown. Digitized letters drawn from his correspondence will be featured on the Web as part of the Atlantic Canada Virtual Archives, making use of the Web as an alternative to print in presenting, analyzing, and interpreting history. The digitization of the MacDonald letters is an exercise in Humanities Computing through the application of current Web and digital technology to primary source material, which, in turn, demonstrates the benefits of doing research on the Web.
‘Noble-Hearted Ladies’: Women's Response to the Spanish-American and Philippine-American wars, 1898–1905
(University of New Brunswick, 2008) Rogers, Kathryn Alexandra; Brown, Jeffrey
In 1898 the United States declared war on Spain, aiding the Cuban people in their fight for independence from colonialism. The Spanish-American and Philippine- American wars (1898–1902) ushered in a debate over imperialism and overseas expansion. The Anti-Imperialist League was created in response by a group of prominent men concerned with keeping the country true to its founding, republican principles. Historians have analyzed the men involved, but the voices of women have remained largely unheard. At a time when women were entering public life through reform activism, and concerning themselves with the country's well-being, it is essential that we listen to their voices in order to gain new perspectives on why Americans supported or opposed imperialism. An analysis of material from the Woman's Christian Temperance Union, suffragists and the National American Woman Suffrage Association, and anti-imperialist organizations from 1898–1905 begins to reveal women's response to these wars. It appears for the most part that women's reactions were bound to the various agendas of their organizations. Specific causes like suffrage or temperance required a narrower focus, and many were not in a good position to take up the cause of the Filipinos or publicly oppose the government. Women, like the Anti-Imperialist League, were ultimately more concerned with the effects of imperialism on their own causes and the country, than with supporting the cause of Filipino independence. Women activists were unprepared to respond strongly against imperialism in 1898, but their experiences laid the groundwork for a strong female role in the fight for peace during later conflicts.
A reinforcement learning approach to dynamic norm generation
(University of New Brunswick, 2010) Hosseini, Hadi; Ulieru, Mihaela
This thesis proposes a two-level learning framework for dynamic norm generation. This framework uses the Bayesian reinforcement learning technique to extract behavioral norms and domain-dependent knowledge in a certain environment and later incorporates them into the learning agents in different settings. Reinforcement learning (RL) and norms are mutually beneficial: norms can be extracted through RL, and RL can be improved by incorporating behavioral norms as prior probability distributions into learning agents. An agent should be confident about its beliefs in order to generalize them and use them in future settings. The confidence level is developed by checking two conditions: how familiar the agent is with the current world and its dynamics (including the norm system), and whether it has converged to an optimal policy. A Bayesian dynamic programming technique is implemented and then compared to other methods such as Q-learning and Dyna. It is shown that Bayesian RL outperforms other techniques in finding the best equilibrium for the exploration-exploitation problem. This thesis demonstrates how an agent can extract behavioral norms and adapt its beliefs based on the domain knowledge it has acquired through the learning process. Scenarios with different percentages of similarity and goals are examined. The experimental results show that the normative agent, having been trained in an initial environment, is able to adjust its beliefs about the dynamics and behavioral norms in a new environment, and thus it converges to the optimal policy more quickly, especially in the early stages of learning.
Active tracking with accelerated image processing in hardware
(University of New Brunswick, 2010) Bochem, Alexander; Kent, Kenneth; Herpers, Rainer
This thesis work presents the implementation and validation of image processing problems in hardware to estimate the performance and precision gain. It compares the implementation for the addressed problem on a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) with a software implementation for a General Purpose Processor (GPP) architecture. For both solutions the implementation costs for their development is an important aspect in the validation. The analysis of the exibility and extendability that can be achieved by a modular implementation for the FPGA design was another major aspect. One addressed problem of this work is the tracking of the detected BLOBs in continuous image material. This has been implemented for the FPGA platform and the GPP architecture. Both approaches have been compared with respect to performance and precision. This research project is motivated by the MI6 project of the Computer Vision research group, which is located at the Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences. The intent of the MI6 project is the tracking of a user in an immersive environment. The proposed solution is to attach a light emitting device to the user for tracking the emitted light dots on the projection surface of the immersive environment. Having the center points of those light dots would allow the estimation of the user's position and orientation. One major issue that makes Computer Vision problems computationally expensive is the high amount of data that has to be processed in real-time. Therefore, one major target for the implementation was to get a processing speed of more than 30 frames per second. This would allow the system to realize feedback to the user in a response time which is faster than the human visual perception. One problem that comes with the idea of using a light emitting device to represent the user, is the precision error. Dependent on the resolution of the tracked projection surface of the immersive environment, a pixel might be several cm2 in size. Having a precision error of only a few pixels, might lead to an offset in the estimated user's position of several cm. In this research work the development and validation of a detection and tracking system for BLOBs on a Cyclone II FPGA from Altera has been implemented. The system supports different input devices for the image acquisition and can perform detection and tracking for five to eight BLOBs. A further extension of the design with other input devices or to support the detection is possible with some constraints, which comes with the available resources on the target platform. Additional modules for compressing the image data based on run-length encoding and sub-pixel precision for the computed BLOB center-points have been designed. For the comparison of the FPGA approach for BLOB tracking a similar implementation in software using a multi-threaded approach has been realized. The system can transmit the detection or tracking results on two available communication interfaces, USB and RS232. The analysis of the hardware solution showed a similar precision for the BLOB detection and tracking as the software approach. One problem is the large increase of the allocated resources when extending the system to process more BLOBs. With one of the target platforms, the DE2-70 board from Altera, the BLOB detection could be extended to process up to thirty BLOBs. The implementation of the tracking approach in hardware required much more effort than the software solution. The design of high level problems in hardware for this case are more expensive than the software implementation. The search and match steps in the tracking approach could be realized more efficiently and reliably in software. The additional pre-processing modules for sub-pixel precision and run-length-encoding helped to increase the system's performance and precision.
Enhancing the MMD algorithm in multi-core environments
(University of New Brunswick, 2011) Schlösser, Michael; Kent, Kenneth; Herpers, Rainer
The work done in this thesis enhances the MMD algorithm in multi-core environments. The MMD algorithm, a transformation based algorithm for reversible logic synthesis, is based on the works introduced by Maslov, Miller and Dueck and their original, sequential implementation. It synthesises a formal function specification, provided by a truth table, into a reversible network and is able to perform several optimization steps after the synthesis. This work concentrates on one of these optimization steps, the template matching. This approach is used to reduce the size of the reversible circuit by replacing a number of gates that match a template which implements the same function and uses less gates. Smaller circuits have several benefits since they need less area and are not as costly. The template matching approach introduced in the original works is computationally expensive since it tries to match a library of templates against the given circuit. For each template at each position in the circuit, a number of different combinations have to be calculated during runtime resulting in high execution times, especially for large circuits. In order to make the template matching approach more efficient and usable, it has been reimplemented in order to take advantage of modern multi-core architectures such as the Cell Broadband Engine or a Graphics Processing Unit. For this work, two algorithmically different approaches that try to consider each multi-core architecture’s strengths, have been analyzed and improved. For the analysis these approaches have been cross-implemented on the two target hardware architectures and compared to the original parallel versions. Important metrics for this analysis are the execution time of the algorithm and the result of the minimization with the template matching approach. It could be shown that the algorithmically different approaches produce the same minimization results, independent of the used hardware architecture. However, both cross-implementations also show a significantly higher execution time which makes them practically irrelevant. The results of the first analysis and comparison lead to the decision to enhance only the original parallel approaches. Using the same metrics for successful enhancements as mentioned above, it could be shown that improving the algorithmic concepts and exploiting the capabilities of the hardware lead to better results for the execution time and the minimization results compared to their original implementations.
Unhappy differences: English deeds of separation and marital breakdown, c. 1650-1900
(University of New Brunswick, 2011) Moore, Tammy L.; Kealey, Linda; Lemire, Beverly
In eighteenth- and nineteenth- century England, the family was considered the bedrock of society - instability within the family was viewed as a threat to the future of the nation. Because intact marriages were considered so fundamentally important to the prosperity of the state, spouses was expected to fulfill their respective roles as husband and wife even when they both preferred to put an end to their union. For that reason, divorce and judicially sanctioned separation were recognized only in very narrow circumstances - situations in which one party was deemed to have so badly violated his or her obligations under the marriage contract that it was considered unjust to require the other spouse to continue to uphold his or her end of the bargain. Evidence of adultery, cruelty and desertion was considered objective proof that a marriage had failed to fulfill its intended purpose. Those whose marriages broke down for other reasons had no access to judicial separation and divorce, regardless of how unhappy or unstable the union. In spite of prescriptive ideals that relegated husbands and wives to very circumscribed roles within the family, many historians have determined that reality seldom, if ever, reflected the ideal. English couples ordered their households and divided power between them in ways that suited their individual needs and values. My research into the nature and purpose of separation by private contract takes this inquiry one step further, and proves that many couples chose to separate for reasons not recognized by judges and lawmakers. And those who did possess the requisite grounds often rejected the legal process available to them and turned to deeds of separation as a more attractive alternative. My work demonstrates that, not only was separation by deed far more private and less expensive than judicial separation and divorce, but, because the contract represented a private agreement between the parties, arrangements for child custody, support and the division of property could be drafted to conform with the individual circumstances of the family. Often, these arrangements stood in stark contrast to what would have been ordered if the matter had been litigated.
Divisible load scheduling on multi-level processor trees
(University of New Brunswick, 2011) Lord, Mark; Aubanel, Eric
Divisible Load Theory (DLT) is an effective tool for blueprinting data-intensive computational problems. Heuristic algorithms have been proposed in the past to solve for a DLS (Divisible Load Schedule) with result collection on heterogeneous star networks. However scheduling on heterogeneous multi-level trees with result collection is still an open problem. In this thesis, new heuristic algorithms for scheduling divisible loads on heterogeneous multi-level trees (single- and two-installment) including result collection are presented. Experiments are performed on both random networks and cluster networks. Results show that scheduling using multi-level trees produces lower solution times compared to the traditional star network in the majority of cases, however efficiency of resources in multi-level trees tends to be lower, i.e., more processors were used. Cluster results with multi-level trees are found to outperform the star when there are enough clusters available to provide good overlap of communication and computation. Experiments on random networks with varying levels of heterogeneity of resources show that multi-level trees outperform star networks in the majority of cases. Experiments were conducted comparing schedules with and without latency costs. The results from all schedules where latency was considered had signifiantly lower solution times and higher efficiency of resources. Overall, scheduling on single-installment multi-level trees in either clusters or random networks had the lowest solution times, but the star had highest efficiency of resources.
Improved ordering of ESOP cubes for Toffoli networks
(University of New Brunswick, 2011) Hamza, Zakaria; Dueck, Gerhard
Logic synthesis deals with the problem of finding a cost-effective realization of a given logic function. This uses several state-of-the-art techniques and involves several tools of mathematical origin. In recent years reversible logic has been suggested to address the power consumption associated with computation. To accomplish such a task, synthesis of reversible logic function is needed. Several new synthesis methods have been developed. In this thesis methods are proposed that improve on a given synthesis method. In particular, interest has been demonstrated in the optimization of this class of circuits which use the particular Exclusive-or Sum of Product (ESOP) terms representation. The advantage this representation format offers is in the ease of mapping the function to a network of Toffoli logic gates. However, this synthesis technique provides non-optimal results which could be improved. This problem has roots in both the representation and mapping processes of synthesis. It is well-known that the order of the terms in the ESOP expression will have a direct effect on the cost of the implementation. The problem of finding the optimal order can be mapped into the Generalized Traveling Salesman Problem. Another route of optimization involves reducing the number of terms used to represent the function. This can be achieved by canonical representation of functions. Both of these have proven to offer enhancements over existing synthesis techniques and have been developed in this thesis. Experimental results show that significant improvements can be achieved with the proposed methods.
Applying social cognitive theory to the university adjustment process: an examination of student behaviours and the corresponding types of self-efficacy
(University of New Brunswick, 2011) Nichols, Laura; Nicki, Richard
University students are experiencing more mental health problems than at any other time in the previous three decades. Data obtained from the Center for Disease Control National University Health Risk Behaviour Survey indicated that among the top ten health impediments to students’ academic performance were excessive substance use, sleep difficulties, depression, and Internet/computer use. Based on the available literature, the following student behaviours were chosen for further investigation: depression, Internet addiction, sleep, and affect regulation. In turn, the corresponding types of self-efficacy for each of the behaviours were also selected for investigation. The three goals of the study were: 1) to examine the associations of four domains of self-efficacy (depression, Internet addiction, sleep, and affect regulation) with the corresponding behavioural domains; 2) to examine the prediction of behaviours related to depression, Internet addiction, sleep, and affect regulation on university adjustment; and 3) to examine the role of self-efficacy in the prediction of university adjustment over and above the stated domains of behaviour. First-year undergraduate students (N=164) from the University of New Brunswick-Fredericton completed self-report questionnaire packages. Through multiple regression analyses we found that several types of self-efficacy (i.e., depression, Internet addiction, sleep, and affect regulation) predicted their corresponding behaviours: depression, Internet addiction, sleep, and affect regulation. Furthermore, we found that students who are depressed, experience problematic Internet use, frequently use affect regulation strategies, and have poor sleep quality have a more difficult time adjusting to university. In particular, we found that only Internet addiction uniquely affected university adjustment. Greater insight was gained about the determinants of students’ behaviours and suggestions are made regarding interventions aimed at helping emerging adults successfully transition to university.
Late maritime woodland lithic technology in the Lower Saint John River valley
(University of New Brunswick, 2012) Holyoke, Kenneth R.; Blair, Susan
The Late Maritime Woodland has been a challenging period for archaeologists to interpret throughout the Maritime Peninsula, and has received little attention in the Lower Saint John River valley sub-region. Shallow stratigraphic positions disturbance, and acidic soil conditions have contributed to issues with determining chronology, non-lithic technology, and site use. This project focuses on the analysis and integration of information obtained from four lithic assemblages associated with Late Maritime Woodland sites or components. A dataset including a limited set of chronologically diagnostic artifacts, formal and informal tools, and flake debris - and associations of these artifacts with features - are analyzed to determine lithic technologies and tool-kits, the procurement, transportation and preparation of certain tool-stone materials, and prehistoric site use. Findings suggest that ancestral Wolastoqiyik in this last period of prehistory were practicing complex settlement and mobility systems balanced between increasingly sedentary "collector" behaviours and those of highly mobile "foragers".
Urban land cover classification and moving vehicle extraction using very high resolution satellite imagery
(University of New Brunswick, 2012) Salehi, Bahram; Zhang, Yun; Zhong, Ming
This Ph.D. dissertation reviews the current techniques and develops improved techniques for the analysis of very high resolution (VHR) imagery of urban areas for two important applications: land cover classification and moving vehicle (and velocity) extraction. First, a comprehensive review is conducted on the current literature in the area of urban land cover classification of VHR imagery. The review discusses the usefulness of two groups of spatial information used in both pixel-based and object-based classification approaches. The first group is spatial information inherent in the image such as textural, contextual, and morphological (e.g., shape and size) properties of neighboring pixels, and the second group is the spatial information derived from ancillary data such as LiDAR and GIS vector data. The review provides guidelines on the use of spatial information for urban land cover classification of VHR images. Second, a novel multisource object-based classification framework is developed using the Cognition Network Language available in the eCognition® software package. The framework integrates VHR images and height point data for detailed classification of urban environments. The framework addresses two important limitations of the current literature: the transferability of the framework to different areas and different VHR images, and the impact of misregistration between different data layers on classification accuracy. The method was tested on QuickBird and IKONOS images and an overall classification accuracy of 92% and 86% was achieved for each of the images, respectively. The method offers a practical, fast, and easy to use (within eCognition) framework for classifying VHR imagery of small urban areas. Third, a combined object- and pixel-based image analysis framework is proposed to overcome the limitation of object-based (lack of general applicability and automation) and pixel-based (ignoring the spatial information of the image) approaches. The framework consists of three major steps: image segmentation, feature extraction, and pixel-based classification. For the feature extracting part, a novel approach is proposed based on the wavelet transforms. The approach is unsupervised and much faster than the current techniques because it has a local scope and works on the basis of an image's objects, not pixels. The framework was tested on WorldView-2, QuickBird, and IKONOS images of the same area acquired on different dates. Results show up to 17%, 10%, and 11% improvement of classification kappa coefficients compared to when only the original bands of the image are used for WorldView-2, QuickBird, and IKONOS, respectively. Fourth, a novel object-based moving vehicle (and velocity) extraction method is developed using single WorldView-2 imagery. The method consists of three major steps: road extraction, moving vehicle change detection, and position and velocity estimation. Unlike recent studies in which vehicles are selected manually or semi-automatically using road ancillary data, the method automatically extract roads and moving vehicles using object-based image analysis frameworks. Results demonstrate a promising potential for automatic and accurate traffic monitoring using a single image of WorldView-2.
Spruce budworm-inspired management of balsam fir forests
(University of New Brunswick, 2012) Spence, C. Eiry; MacLean, David
Forest management strategies often use natural disturbance regimes, such as those associated with spruce budworm (Choristoneurafumiferana (Clem.); SBW) to design harvest practices that aim to emulate natural stand conditions. This thesis used 30 years of data, from SBW-defoliated balsam fir dominated stands in the Cape Breton Highlands, and 8 years of data, from a SBW-inspired harvest in northern New Brunswick, to compare stand and regeneration characteristics following each disturbance and to examine long-term stand development and its relationship to regeneration characteristics. Results indicated that standing residual trees are important features of post-SBW outbreak stands as structural stand components and as seed sources. Significant blowdown of residual trees in the SBW-inspired harvest compared to the natural outbreak (43% versus 8% of post-disturbance stand density, respectively) could potentially be minimized by incorporating temporal characteristics in future harvest treatments that slow stand opening and allow residual tress to adapt to new conditions.
The proof is in the words!: discriminating between false and substantiated allegations of sexual assault
(University of New Brunswick, 2012) Doucette, Naomi L.; Campbell, M.A.
Sexual assault refers to any form of sexual activity that is committed without consent. Although sexual victimization is a serious issue that has numerous consequences for the victim (e.g., depression, anxiety, difficulty sleeping; Katz & Mazur, 1979), there are instances in which individuals have made false allegations of sexual assault. Estimates of false allegations range widely from 0 to 100% (Gibbon, 1998; Jordan, 2004; Kanin, 1994; Katz & Mazur, 1979), reflecting the importance of accurately assessing the credibility of these allegations. Although most individuals are generally poor at detecting deception (e.g., Bond & DePaulo, 2006), researchers have developed several linguistic/content analytic procedures to facilitate credibility assessments. These techniques include Reality Monitoring (RM; e.g., Johnson, 1988; Johnson & Raye, 1981; Sporer, 1997), Content Based Criteria Analysis (CBCA; e.g., Steller & Koehnken, 1989; Undeutsch, 1989; Wegener, 1989) and Scientific Content Analysis (SCAN; Sapir, 1987/2005; Vrij, 2008). To enhance our knowledge of the utility of these three statement analysis methods, the current dissertation compared them in terms of their ability to discriminate substantiated from likely false allegations of sexual assaults among adult complainants. A total of forty-two statements (24 likely false and 18 likely true) were obtained from four police agencies in New Brunswick. Each statement was coded by two coders trained in one of the three statement analysis methods. Overall, none of these techniques led to accurate discriminations between true and false allegations of sexual· assault, and almost all of their individual criteria failed to differentiate between these types of statements. However, due to significant limitations with sample size, ground truth, and low interrater reliability, it was not possible to fully assess the ability of these techniques to discriminate between true and false allegations of sexual assault. Overall, SCAN, RM and CBCA will require additional field testing to adequately assess their utility as investigative aids.
The aspiring: A novel
(University of New Brunswick, 2012) Alapi, Zachary; Jarman, Mark Anthony
In The Aspiring, an episodic travel novel and hesitant kunstlerroman facsimile, unrest serves as the novel's undercurrent, and the motivations of its characters reflect the struggle against emotional and physical stasis. The novel's protagonist, Nick, desperately strives to create his own identity and mythology as a person and artist through the narrative's comedic allusions to expatriate adventures and the classical notion of the formative European Grand Tour. The Aspiring loosely connects three story arcs: the primary narrative follows Nick's travel adventures with his best friend Adam in Western Europe; stream-of-consciousness recollections exhibit Nick's heartbreak over losing his Montreal girlfriend, Talia; and the third story arc, written as flashbacks, comprises episodes of a teenage Nick listening to his father tell anecdotes of his European travels in the 1960s. These arcs cohere through recognition: Nick must learn to distinguish between authentic and idealized life experiences to create his own mythology.
Forest inventory using a camera: concept, field implementation and instrument development
(University of New Brunswick, 2012) Dick, Adam R.; MacLean, David; Kershaw, John
This thesis adapts several standard forest mensuration techniques to take advantage of digital photography technology. Using 360-degree panoramic digital photographs we were able to spatially map the locations of sample trees within inventory plots by measuring distance between tree and plot center and azimuth. Additionally, we were able to perform angle count sampling directly from the photographs as well as estimating tree diameters. A ratio estimation technique was also developed to correct plot level estimates of basal area for hidden or obscured trees. Finally we proposed the development of a digital instrument akin to the Spiegelrelaskop and demonstrated how to implement the developed techniques operationally. Results showed that the new techniques are similarly accurate to traditional techniques and could be implemented with a properly developed measurement instrument.
3D motion-sensitised SPRITE MRI of hydrodynamic cavitation
(University of New Brunswick, 2012) Adair, Alexander; Newling, Ben; Mastikhin, Igor
A liquid flowing in a pipe will experience pressure variations due to changes in the pipe geometry (for example, the narrowing of the pipe diameter at a constriction). For a sufficiently fast flow speed, the local pressure can drop below the vapour pressure of the liquid, which results in the formation of bubbles (hydrodynamic cavitation). The measurement of this phenomenon requires a non-optical and non-invasive technique; therefore, it is well-suited for study with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). MRI is an inherently three-dimensional technique that can be used to measure several parameters of the flow, including density, void fraction, and flow velocity. Three-dimensional void fraction and velocity images were acquired of a cavitating flow through a pipe constriction by using a motion-sensitised version of the Conical SPRITE MRI pulse sequence. As a pure phase encoding technique, SPRITE is well-suited to study fast, turbulent, two-phase flow systems (i.e. characteristics of cavitating flow). As far as we know, this combination of information is not available using any other measurement technique.

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