Fluvio-morphological processes of meander bends - Combining conventional field measurements, close-range remote sensing and computational modelling

Meandering rivers have been perceived to evolve rather similarly around the world independently of the location or size of the river. Despite the many consistent processes and characteristics they have also been noted to show complex and unique sets of fluviomorphological processes in which local factors play important role. These complex interactions of flow and morphology affect notably the development of the river. Comprehensive and fundamental field, flume and theoretically based studies of fluviomorphological processes in meandering rivers have been carried out especially during the latter part of the 20th century. However, as these studies have been carried out with traditional field measurements techniques their spatial and temporal resolution is not competitive to the level achievable today. The hypothesis of this study is that, by exploiting e increased spatial and temporal resolution of the data, achieved by combining conventional field measurements with a range of modern technologies, will provide new insights to the spatial patterns of the flow-sediment interaction in meandering streams, which have perceived to show notable variation in space and time. This thesis shows how the modern technologies can be combined to derive very high spatial and temporal resolution data on fluvio-morphological processes over meander bends. The flow structure over the bends is recorded in situ using acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) and the spatial and temporal resolution of the flow data is enhanced using 2D and 3D CFD over various meander bends. The CFD are also exploited to simulate sediment transport. Multi-temporal terrestrial laser scanning (TLS), mobile laser scanning (MLS) and echo sounding data are used to measure the flow-based changes and formations over meander bends and to build the computational models. The spatial patterns of erosion and deposition over meander bends are analysed relative to the measured and modelled flow field and sediment transport. The results are compared with the classic theories of the processes in meander bends. Mainly, the results of this study follow well the existing theories and results of previous studies. However, some new insights regarding to the spatial and temporal patterns of the flow-sediment interaction in a natural sand-bed meander bend are provided. The results of this study show the advantages of the rapid and detailed measurements techniques and the achieved spatial and temporal resolution provided by CFD, unachievable with field measurements. The thesis also discusses the limitations which remain in the measurement and modelling methods and in understanding of fluvial geomorphology of meander bends. Further, the hydro- and morphodynamic models’ sensitivity to user-defined parameters is tested, and the modelling results are assessed against detailed field measurement. The study is implemented in the meandering sub-Arctic Pulmanki River in Finland. The river is unregulated and sand-bed and major morphological changes occur annually on the meander point bars, which are inundated only during the snow-melt-induced spring floods. The outcome of this study applies to sandbed meandering rivers in regions where normally one significant flood event occurs annually, such as Arctic areas with snow-melt induced spring floods, and where the point bars of the meander bends are inundated only during the flood events.

Remote sensing for three-dimensional modelling of hydromorphology

Successful management of rivers requires an understanding of the fluvial processes that govern them. This, in turn cannot be achieved without a means of quantifying their geomorphology and hydrology and the spatio-temporal interactions between them, that is, their hydromorphology. For a long time, it has been laborious and time-consuming to measure river topography, especially in the submerged part of the channel. The measurement of the flow field has been challenging as well, and hence, such measurements have long been sparse in natural environments. Technological advancements in the field of remote sensing in the recent years have opened up new possibilities for capturing synoptic information on river environments. This thesis presents new developments in fluvial remote sensing of both topography and water flow. A set of close-range remote sensing methods is employed to eventually construct a high-resolution unified empirical hydromorphological model, that is, river channel and floodplain topography and three-dimensional areal flow field. Empirical as well as hydraulic theory-based optical remote sensing methods are tested and evaluated using normal colour aerial photographs and sonar calibration and reference measurements on a rocky-bed sub-Arctic river. The empirical optical bathymetry model is developed further by the introduction of a deep-water radiance parameter estimation algorithm that extends the field of application of the model to shallow streams. The effect of this parameter on the model is also assessed in a study of a sandy-bed sub-Arctic river using close-range high-resolution aerial photography, presenting one of the first examples of fluvial bathymetry modelling from unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV). Further close-range remote sensing methods are added to complete the topography integrating the river bed with the floodplain to create a seamless high-resolution topography. Boat- cart- and backpack-based mobile laser scanning (MLS) are used to measure the topography of the dry part of the channel at a high resolution and accuracy. Multitemporal MLS is evaluated along with UAV-based photogrammetry against terrestrial laser scanning reference data and merged with UAV-based bathymetry to create a two-year series of seamless digital terrain models. These allow the evaluation of the methodology for conducting high-resolution change analysis of the entire channel. The remote sensing based model of hydromorphology is completed by a new methodology for mapping the flow field in 3D. An acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) is deployed on a remote-controlled boat with a survey-grade global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receiver, allowing the positioning of the areally sampled 3D flow vectors in 3D space as a point cloud and its interpolation into a 3D matrix allows a quantitative volumetric flow analysis. Multitemporal areal 3D flow field data show the evolution of the flow field during a snow-melt flood event. The combination of the underwater and dry topography with the flow field yields a compete model of river hydromorphology at the reach scale.

A new & accurate map of the North Pole with all the countries hitherto discovered situated near or adjacent to it as well as some others more remote. Drawn from the latest and best authorities and regulated by astronom.l observat.ns by Eman. Bowen.

0-meridiaani: Lontoo. - Koordinaattiasteikko: N90°-55°[50°].

Hind limb ischemic preconditioning induces an anti-inflammatory response by remote organs in rats

Ischemic preconditioning (IPC), a strategy used to attenuate ischemia-reperfusion injury, consists of brief ischemic periods, each followed by reperfusion, prior to a sustained ischemic insult. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the local and systemic anti-inflammatory effects of hind limb IPC in male Wistar rat (200-250 g) models of acute inflammation. IPC was induced with right hind limb ischemia for 10 min by placing an elastic rubber band tourniquet on the proximal part of the limb followed by 30 min of reperfusion. Groups (N = 6-8) were submitted to right or left paw edema (PE) with carrageenan (100 µg) or Dextran (200 µg), hemorrhagic cystitis with ifosfamide (200 mg/kg, ip) or gastric injury (GI) with indomethacin (20 mg/kg, vo). Controls received similar treatments, without IPC (Sham-IPC). PE is reported as variation of paw volume (mL), vesical edema (VE) as vesical wet weight (mg), vascular permeability (VP) with Evans blue extravasation (µg), GI with the gastric lesion index (GLI; total length of all erosions, mm), and neutrophil migration (NM) from myeloperoxidase activity. The statistical significance (P < 0.05) was determined by ANOVA, followed by the Tukey test. Carrageenan or Dextran-induced PE and VP in either paw were reduced by IPC (42-58.7%). IPC inhibited VE (38.8%) and VP (54%) in ifosfamide-induced hemorrhagic cystitis. GI and NM induced by indomethacin were inhibited by IPC (GLI: 90.3%; NM: 64%). This study shows for the first time that IPC produces local and systemic anti-inflammatory effects in models of acute inflammation other than ischemia-reperfusion injury.

Sensor communication in Smart cities and regions: An efficient IoT-based remote health monitoring system

Recent advances in Information and Communication Technology (ICT), especially those related to the Internet of Things (IoT), are facilitating smart regions. Among many services that a smart region can offer, remote health monitoring is a typical application of IoT paradigm. It offers the ability to continuously monitor and collect health-related data from a person, and transmit the data to a remote entity (for example, a healthcare service provider) for further processing and knowledge extraction. An IoT-based remote health monitoring system can be beneficial in rural areas belonging to the smart region where people have limited access to regular healthcare services. The same system can be beneficial in urban areas where hospitals can be overcrowded and where it may take substantial time to avail healthcare. However, this system may generate a large amount of data. In order to realize an efficient IoT-based remote health monitoring system, it is imperative to study the network communication needs of such a system; in particular the bandwidth requirements and the volume of generated data. The thesis studies a commercial product for remote health monitoring in Skellefteå, Sweden. Based on the results obtained via the commercial product, the thesis identified the key network-related requirements of a typical remote health monitoring system in terms of real-time event update, bandwidth requirements and data generation. Furthermore, the thesis has proposed an architecture called IReHMo - an IoT-based remote health monitoring architecture. This architecture allows users to incorporate several types of IoT devices to extend the sensing capabilities of the system. Using IReHMo, several IoT communication protocols such as HTTP, MQTT and CoAP has been evaluated and compared against each other. Results showed that CoAP is the most efficient protocol to transmit small size healthcare data to the remote servers. The combination of IReHMo and CoAP significantly reduced the required bandwidth as well as the volume of generated data (up to 56 percent) compared to the commercial product. Finally, the thesis conducted a scalability analysis, to determine the feasibility of deploying the combination of IReHMo and CoAP in large numbers in regions in north Sweden.

Underwater Remote Welding Technology for Offshore Structures

The construction of offshore structures, equipment and devices requires a high level of mechanical reliability in terms of strength, toughness and ductility. One major site for mechanical failure, the weld joint region, needs particularly careful examination, and weld joint quality has become a major focus of research in recent times. Underwater welding carried out offshore faces specific challenges affecting the mechanical reliability of constructions completed underwater. The focus of this thesis is on improvement of weld quality of underwater welding using control theory. This research work identifies ways of optimizing the welding process parameters of flux cored arc welding (FCAW) during underwater welding so as to achieve desired weld bead geometry when welding in a water environment. The weld bead geometry has no known linear relationship with the welding process parameters, which makes it difficult to determine a satisfactory weld quality. However, good weld bead geometry is achievable by controlling the welding process parameters. The doctoral dissertation comprises two sections. The first part introduces the topic of the research, discusses the mechanisms of underwater welding and examines the effect of the water environment on the weld quality of wet welding. The second part comprises four research papers examining different aspects of underwater wet welding and its control and optimization. Issues considered include the effects of welding process parameters on weld bead geometry, optimization of FCAW process parameters, and design of a control system for the purpose of achieving a desired bead geometry that can ensure a high level of mechanical reliability in welded joints of offshore structures. Artificial neural network systems and a fuzzy logic controller, which are incorporated in the control system design, and a hybrid of fuzzy and PID controllers are the major control dynamics used. This study contributes to knowledge of possible solutions for achieving similar high weld quality in underwater wet welding as found with welding in air. The study shows that carefully selected steels with very low carbon equivalent and proper control of the welding process parameters are essential in achieving good weld quality. The study provides a platform for further research in underwater welding. It promotes increased awareness of the need to improve the quality of underwater welding for offshore industries and thus minimize the risk of structural defects resulting from poor weld quality.

Remote Observation of Radioactive Permit-Required Confined Spaces – Case: Posiva Oy’s Fuel Handling Cell

Posiva Oy’s final disposal facility’s encapsulation plant will start to operate in the 2020s. Once the operation starts, the facility is designed to run more than a hundred years. The encapsulation plant will be first of its kind in the world, being part of the solution to solve a global issue of final disposal of nuclear waste. In the encapsulation plant’s fuel handling cell the spent nuclear fuel will be processed to be deposited into the Finnish bedrock, into ONKALO. In the fuel handling cell, the environment is highly radioactive forming a permit-required enclosed space. Remote observation is needed in order to monitor the fuel handling process. The purpose of this thesis is to map (Part I) and compare (Part II) remote observation methods to observe Posiva Oy’s fuel handling cell’s process, and provide a possible theoretical solution for this case. Secondary purpose for this thesis is to provide resources for other remote observation cases, as well as to inform about possible future technology to enable readiness in the design of the encapsulation plant. The approach was to theoretically analyze the mapped remote observation methods. Firstly, the methods were filtered by three environmental challenges. These are the high levels of radiation, the permit-required confined space and the hundred year timespan. Secondly, the most promising methods were selected by the experts designing the facility. Thirdly, a customized feasibility analysis was created and performed on the selected methods to rank the methods with scores. The results are the mapped methods and the feasibility analysis scores. The three highest scoring methods were radiation tolerant camera, fiberscope and audio feed. A combination of these three methods was given as a possible theoretical solution for this case. As this case is first in the world, remote observation methods for it had not been thoroughly researched. The findings in this thesis will act as initial data for the design of the fuel handling cell’s remote observation systems and can potentially effect on the overall design of the facility by providing unique and case specific information. In addition, this thesis could provide resources for other remote observation cases.

Transforming curriculum leadership: vice principals in independent Christian elementary schools /

The literature on the vice principalship characterizes the position as one filled with clerical record keeping and student discipline and paints a picture of role conflict and general discontent. Research suggests that vice principals desire to take on a more significant role, specifically a role in curriculum leadership. Using open-ended interviews, a focus group interview, document analysis, and my research journal, I have explored the work ofa group of vice principals who have taken on the role of curriculum leader in independent Christian elementary schools in Ontario. When asked to explain their understanding of curriculum, the participants referred to written programs of study. However, their leadership activities reveal a broader understanding of curriculum as something that is in fact dynamic in nature. This leadership is enabled and shaped by their middle position on staff that combines the authority of an administrator and the credibility of a teacher. Although this dual identity creates tension, it also provides opportunities for genuine curriculum leadership. As middle leaders, the participants in this study often pull together or connect elements of the curriculum (teachers, principals, and programs) that have become separated. Such connective leadership is characterized by transformational (Van Brummelen, 2002) tendencies. This research suggests that the further along the continuum one goes from the understanding of curriculum as planned (Eisner, 1994) to acknowledging a lived curriculum (Aoki, 1993), the more transformational one's leadership style becomes.

Quality time: exploring meaningful mandatory community involvement programs in secondary schools /

The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of 5 stakeholder groups—students, parents, community organization representatives, guidance counsellors, and secondary school principals—in dealing with a mandatory secondary school graduation requirement in Ontario. The requirement is that students must complete 40 hours of eligible community involvement activities during their high school years in order to graduate. Ten stakeholders were interviewed regarding the nature of the community involvement program, what makes it work, and suggestions for improvement. The study found that although this program has the potential to provide a meaningful experience for students, and students are seen to gain from their experience in multiple ways, it depends substantially on the commitment of students, educators, and community organizations to make it worthwhile. Stakeholders recommended changes to the current program, which included making it a more structured process that would increase the consistency ofhow this program is implemented, finding ways to curb cheating and to reduce the administrative burden on schools, having more support from the Ontario provincial government and Ontario Ministry of Education and Training in the promotion and communication of this program, and developing partnerships between community organizations and schools to enrich the application of this program. This study concludes with a recommendation that the Ontario Ministry of Education and Training consider introducing Service-Learning, a curriculum-based experiential service and learning process, as an enhancement to the current community involvement program.

Legal education in crisis: healing and humanizing Canadian law schools /

Western law schools are suffering from an identity and moral crisis. Many of the legal profession's problems can be traced to the law school environment, where students are taught to reason and practice in ways that are often at odds with their own personalities and values and even with generally accepted psychologically healthy practices. The idealism, ethic of care, and personal moral compasses of many students become eroded and even lost in the present legal education system. Formalism, rationalism, elitism, and big business values have become paramount. In such a moment of historical crisis, there exists the opportunity to create a new legal education story. This paper is a conceptual study of both my own Canadian legal education and the general legal education experience. It examines core problems and critiques of the existing Western legal education organizational and pedagogical paradigm to which Canadian law schools adhere. New approaches with the potential to enrich, humanize, and heal the Canadian law school experience are explored. Ultimately, the paper proposes a legal education system that is more interdisciplinary, theoretically and practically integrated, emotionally intelligent, technologically connected, morally accountable, spiritual, and humane. Specific pedagogical and curricular strategies are suggested, and recommendations for the future are offered. The dehumanizing aspects of the law school experience in Canada have rarely been studied. It is hoped that this thesis will fill a gap in the research and provide some insight into an issue that is of both academic and public importance, since the well-being of law students and lawyers affects the interests of their clients, the general public, and the integrity and future of the entire legal system.

A cognitive schematic paradigm for expository essay writing in secondary schools

The methodology outlined in this study for teaching exposit ory writing to advanced (five year phase) grade eleven students is based on the assumption that writing as a problem solving strategy is a high level cognitive skill . In adhering to this assumption, a cognitively based schematic organizer known as a cross-classification chart was tested for its effectiveness a t the planning stage of the writing process . Results were not significant in any of the three components that were evaluated; however , a post- hoc analysis undertaken because of recorded observed data indicated a significant difference in the mean score on the Organization component for the treatment subgroup using the cross- classification organizer . Furthermore, the treatment group's positive response from the attitude survey towards planning writing is encouraging enough that replication and extension of the application of schema theory to wri ting should be pursued in cross-section and longitud i nal studies.

An impact evaluation of the Ontario ban on smoking in schools and on school property : does the ban on smoking influence high school students' intentions to smoke cigarettes?

The Ontario Tobacco Control Act of 1994 imposed a total ban on smoking in schools, and on school property for every school in the province. The imposition of this policy created problems for school administrators. For instance, students who were smoking on walkways and properties adjacent to school boundaries, clashed with neighbouring property owners who were angry about the resulting damage and disruption. The enforcement of this policy consumes valuable resources at each school; therefore, knowledge about the impact of the policy is important. If effective, this policy has the potential to improve the health of students over their lifetime, by preventing or delaying smoking behaviour. Alternatively, an ineffective policy will continue to create administrative problems for the school and serve no legitimate purpose. Therefore, knowledge about the impact of the smoking ban policy on students' smoking intentions assists policy makers and school administrators in their understanding of the policy's impact within the schools. This research provided an impact evaluation of the ban on smoking in schools and on school property in Ontario. A total of 2069 students, from five high schools, in the Niagara Region, provided complete responses to a survey, designed to test whether smoking intentions were affected by the imposition of the policy. The study used Ajzen's theory of planned behaviour (Ajzen, 1991), specifically, the perceived behavioural control measure, to gain some understanding of students' perceptions of control over smoking imposed by the ban. The findings indicate the policy has the potential to influence students' overall smoking intentions. The ban on smoking policy was found to be a significant predictor of the smoking intentions of high school students. As well, attitude, social norms, and perceptions of control were significant predictors of smoking intentions. Exploratory findings also indicated differences between the control beliefs of students from different high schools, indicating potential differences in the enforcement of the smoking ban between schools. The findings also support the utility of the theory of planned behaviour as a methodology for evaluating the influence of punitive policies. This research study should be continued by utilizing the full theory of planned behaviour, including two phases of data collection and the measurement of actual smoking behaviour.

Project Business: a quasi-experimental study of co- operative interaction between schools and industry

This project is a quasi-experimental study involving eight classrooms in two senior elementary schools in St. Catharines, Ontario which received a Project Business Program and were pre- and post-tested to determine the growth of knowledge acquisition in the area of business concepts. Four classrooms received a Project Business treatment while four classrooms acted as a control. The Project Business Program is sponsored by Junior Achievement of Canada; it occurred during a twelveweek period, February to May 1981, and is run by business consultants who, through Action, Dialogue and Career Exploration, teach children about economics and business related topics. The consultants were matched with teacher co-ordinators in whose classrooms they taught and with whom they discussed field trips, students, lesson planning, etc. The statistical analysis of pre- and post-test means revealed a significant statistical growth in the area of knowledge acquisition on the part of those students who received the Project Business Program. This confirms that Project Business makes a difference. A search of the literature appears to advocate economic programs like Project Business, whfch are broadly based, relevant and processoriented. This program recommends itself as a model for other areas of co-operative curricular interactions and as a bridge to future trends and as a result several fruitful areas of research are suggested.

Miss-understand-ing: design education in Ontario secondary schools : an exploration of the issues with stakeholders and recommendations for change /

For most people design is a mystery. The products of design are integrated into our daily lives to the point that design has become invisible to us. However. what is subsumed in design practice is a creative problem-solving process that is applicable as a teaching strategy as well as a method for teaching the subject of design. The purpose of this study was to inquire into the current classroom practice of Ontario Visual Arts and Technological Education teachers, understand the goals of Ontario government curriculum developers, and explore the position held by the professional design community on secondary school design education. Data for this study were collected from: (a) a textual analysis of 4 Ministry curriculum documents; (b) interviews with JO stakeholders; (c) unobtrusive observations and informal conversations conducted at 7 secondary school open house events; and (d) observation of 2 sessions of an AQ course for Design and Technology. The research design modeled the design process and was divided into 2 parts: a discovery or problem-finding phase and a discussion or problem-solving phase. The results showed that design is misunderstood and misused; it has become lost between visual arts and technology where neither program holds responsibility for its delivery; students mistake working on computers for design practice; and while there is a desire within the professional community to have a voice in secondary school design education. there is no forum for participation. The technology-driven paradigm shift taking place in society today calls for a new framework for tellching and practicing dcsign. Further research is required; howcvcr. in the meantime. secondary school educators might benefit from professional development and classroom support from the professional dcsign community.