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https://viurrspace.ca/bitstream/handle/10613/16537/Feb16-1901.pdf?sequence=2

https://viurrspace.ca/bitstream/handle/10613/22862/Feb12-1887.pdf?sequence=2

https://viurrspace.ca/bitstream/handle/10613/19841/Aug24-1894.pdf?sequence=2

Just over 10 years ago, the Ontario government passed legislation that resulted in baccalaureate degree-granting status for provincial community colleges. Since this fundamental shift in college credential delivery, the numbers of programs, students and graduates have continued to grow, and are expected to continue to do so. While employers were not an obvious driver behind this shift, understanding their expectations and perceptions as they pertain to these degree programs and graduates is critical for Ontario colleges and students. This research involved interviews with Greater Toronto Area employers who have hired college degree graduates. The interviews demonstrated that, while there is still a general lack of knowledge about college degrees, employers find value in the programs and essentially envision themselves as partners who can play a greater role in future program development and ongoing review. This includes having an impact on curriculum, graduate expectations, work experience opportunities and identifying skill gaps.

https://viurrspace.ca/bitstream/handle/10613/12338/Mar17-1921.pdf?sequence=2&isAllowed=y

I consider the model of a differentiated duopoly with process R&D when goods are either substitute, complements or independent. I propose a non-cooperative two-stage game with two firms producing differentiated goods. In the first stage, firms decide their technologies and in the second stage, they compete in quantities or prices. I evaluate the social welfare within a framework of Cournot and Bertrand competition models with or without investment in research and development. I prove that the Cournot price can be lower than Bertrand price when the R&D technology is relatively inefficient; thus, Cournot market structure can generate larger consumer's surplus and welfare.

The power system networks in North America and Europe are the largest man-made interconnected systems in the world. Many power system applications rely on time consuming dynamic simulations of large-scale power systems in order to optimize the operation and ensure the reliability of the electricity network. Dynamic simulations of power systems involve the solution of a series of initial value, stiff, hybrid DAE systems over a time window. To achieve this, the time window is discretized and a new DAE system is formed and solved at each time step, with initial values taken from the previous time step solution. At each new time step, the DAE system to be solved can be different because of the discrete variables involved in the formulation (e.g. a differential equation can become algebraic and vice versa). A non-overlapping domain decomposition is proposed to speed up the solution of the DAE system using the Schur Complement Method. The special structure of the physical system helps define the domain partitioning scheme and eliminates the need for a partitioning algorithm. It allows the formulation and solution of the reduced system using sparse, direct solvers to obtain the interface variables. Afterward, the parallel evaluation of the internal subdomain variables is possible and efficient load balancing is achieved. Numerically, the method shows no convergence degradation when compared to the integrated method, which is traditionally used for solving power system DAEs. The aspects of decomposition, solution and optimization of the algorithm for the specific problem are discussed and results from the application of the DDM on realistic power system models are presented.

https://viurrspace.ca/bitstream/handle/10613/14393/Nov07-1918.pdf?sequence=2&isAllowed=y

Profiles of energy metabolites and haptoglobin (Hp) in dairy cows that are transitioned from conventional to organic management in various Alberta farms were compared with those of dairy cows managed conventionally at the University of Alberta dairy farm. Blood samples were collected during the following periods: Dry, 0 - 30, 30 - 60, and 60 - 90 days in milk (DIM, n = 7 cows). Concentrations of metabolites were evaluated by enzymatic colorimetric methods. Concentrations of Hp were determined by bovine ELISA kits. Data were analyzed by the mixed procedures of SAS. Concentrations of NEFA and BHBA in blood were elevated (P < 0.001) 0 to 30 d, intermediate 30 to 60, and 60 to 90 d, and lower in the dry period. In addition, BHBA was higher (P < 0.0001) at all stages of lactation in conventional than organic cows (e.g. 1289.4 ± 88.6 vs. 883.6 ± 47.5 µmol/L in conventional and organic cows at 0 - 30 d, respectively). Serum concentrations of cholesterol increased with increasing DIM and returned to nadir levels during dry period and was higher (P < 0.0001) in conventional than organic cows. Low glucose concentrations were observed 0 to 30 d, levels were intermediate 30 to 60 and 60 to 90 d, and peaked during the dry period (P < 0.0001). However, glucose concentrations did not differ (P < 0.54) between conventional and organic cows. Lactate did not (P < 0.24) vary with DIM or day × farm type but was higher (P < 0.0001) in organic cows than in conventional cows. Serum concentrations of Hp were elevated during dry period; reached peak levels 0 to 30 d and decreased gradually with increasing days postpartum and were much higher at all periods in conventional than organic cows. Overall, concentrations of Hp were 528.1 ± 45.2 µg/mL in conventional cows vs. 261.1 ± 16.9 µg/mL in organic cows (P < 0.0001). Taken together, these data indicate that metabolic changes associated with initiation of lactation are preceded by an acute phase response in dairy cows, and that cows in organic systems seem to be healthier than cows under conventional systems. These differences might be due to differences in nutritional management in the two systems.