Search results for: northeastern British Columbia

Authors: Daniel Chen, Chengyi Li, Naifu Xu, Shangxuan Yang

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Climate change has led to substantial changes in coastal ecosystems, including elevated ocean temperatures, increased acidity, and disrupted marine habitats. These environmental impacts have also resulted in the decline of traditional Indigenous food sources on the coast of British Columbia, including clams and salmon, which have been essential to the diet and cultural practices of the coastal Indigenous communities. This research evaluates and analyzes the costs and benefits of restoring and building clam gardens, an ancestral Indigenous mariculture technique in the Pacific Northwest. Clam gardens, which involve the construction of intertidal rock walls to enhance clam production, have been shown to more than triple clam yields compared to non-walled beaches. This research analyzes the costs and benefits to Indigenous individuals, including factors such as travel, equipment, time, food supply, and cultural engagement; then it discusses the potential of clam gardens as a significant food resource with additional environmental co-benefits, given the prevalence of clam gardens and coastlines in British Columbia. Moreover, the study concludes with policy recommendations to support the restoration and preservation of clam gardens, highlighting their potential to provide sustainable seafood production, environmental co-benefits, and social-environmental educational opportunities for Indigenous communities and the wider public.

Keywords: British Columbia coastline, clam garden, coastal resource management, Indigenous communities

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Authors: Fatemeh Nemati, Lucinda Leonard, Gwyn Lintern, Richard Thomson

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In this study, we will use modern numerical modeling approaches to estimate tsunami risks to the southern coast of British Columbia from landslides. Wave generation is to be simulated using the NHWAVE model, which solves the Navier-Stokes equations due to the more complex behavior of flow near the landslide source; far-field wave propagation will be simulated using the simpler model FUNWAVE_TVD with high-order Boussinesq-type wave equations, with a focus on the accurate simulation of wave propagation and regional- or coastal-scale inundation predictions.

Keywords: FUNWAVE-TVD, landslide-generated tsunami, NHWAVE, tsunami risk

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Authors: Sina Abadzadesahraei, Stephen Déry, John Rex

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Climate research has repeatedly identified strong associations between anthropogenic emissions of ‘greenhouses gases’ and observed increases of global mean surface air temperature over the past century. Studies have also demonstrated that the degree of warming varies regionally. Canada is not exempt from this situation, and evidence is mounting that climate change is beginning to cause diverse impacts in both environmental and socio-economic spheres of interest. For example, northeastern British Columbia (BC), whose climate is controlled by a combination of maritime, continental and arctic influences, is warming at a greater rate than the remainder of the province. There are indications that these changing conditions are already leading to shifting patterns in the region’s hydrological cycle, and thus its available water resources. Coincident with these changes, northeastern BC is undergoing rapid development for oil and gas extraction: This depends largely on subsurface hydraulic fracturing (‘fracking’), which uses enormous amounts of freshwater. While this industrial activity has made substantial contributions to regional and provincial economies, it is important to ensure that sufficient and sustainable water supplies are available for all those dependent on the resource, including ecological systems. In this turn demands a comprehensive understanding of how water in all its forms interacts with landscapes, the atmosphere, and of the potential impacts of changing climatic conditions on these processes. The aim of this study is therefore to characterize and quantify all components of the water budget in the small watershed of Coles Lake (141.8 km², 100 km north of Fort Nelson, BC), through a combination of field observations and numerical modelling. Baseline information will aid the assessment of the sustainability of current and future plans for freshwater extraction by the oil and gas industry, and will help to maintain the precarious balance between economic and environmental well-being. This project is a perfect example of interdisciplinary research, in that it not only examines the hydrology of the region but also investigates how natural gas operations and growth can affect water resources. Therefore, a fruitful collaboration between academia, government and industry has been established to fulfill the objectives of this research in a meaningful manner. This project aims to provide numerous benefits to BC communities. Further, the outcome and detailed information of this research can be a huge asset to researchers examining the effect of climate change on water resources worldwide.

Keywords: northeastern British Columbia, water resources, climate change, oil and gas extraction

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Authors: Mandana Karimi, Martha McMahon

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One of the most important consequences of water scarcity worldwide is the increase in conflicts over water issues, reduced access to clean water, food shortages, energy shortages, and reduced economic development. The extreme weather conditions in British Columbia are because of climate change, which is leading to water scarcity becoming a serious issue affecting British Columbians, aquatic ecosystems, the BC water policy, agriculture, and the economy. In light of climate change and water stress, the British Columbia government introduced a new water legislation in 2016 named the Water Sustainability Act to manage water resources in British Columbia. So, this study aimed to present a deep understanding emanating from the political and social dimensions of the new water policy in BC in the agriculture sector and which sociological paradigm governs the current water policy (WSA) in BC. Policy analysis based on the water problem representation approach was used to present the problem and solutions identified by the water policy in the agricultural sector in BC. The results of the policy analysis highlighted that the Water Sustainability Act is governed by a positivist and modernist approach because the groundwater license is the measurable situation to access the adequate quantity of water for the farmers. In addition, by the positivist paradigm water resources are conceptualized as a commodity to be bought and sold. Under the positivist approach, the measurable parameter of groundwater is also applied based on the top-down approach for water management to show the use of water resources for economic development. In addition, the findings of the policy analysis suggest that alternative paradigms, such as relational ontology, ecofeminism, and indigenous knowledge, could be applied in introducing water policies to shift from the positivist or modernist paradigm. These new paradigms present the potential for environmental policies like the Water Sustainability Act, based on partnership, and collaboration and with an explicit emphasis on protecting water for nature.

Keywords: water governance, Water Sustainability Act, water policy, small-scale farmer, policy analysis

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Authors: Tony Zipp

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This paper will identify developments in the law in British Columbia, Canada, to disclosure to be provided to the defense in cases of sexual misconduct and sexual assault. Disclosure is the keystone to providing a full and robust defense to such charges. The investigation of sexual misconduct and sexual assault involving children usually involves multiple government agencies. This includes child welfare agencies, police and other social service participants. This paper will examine situations in which Courts have ordered disclosure of material from non-police agencies in criminal cases of charges of sexual assault when that material is ‘obviously relevant’ to the charges to enable the defense to present full answer and defense to the charges. The methodology of the oral presentation/paper will be a case analysis of decisions of the Supreme Court of British Columbia, the British Columbia Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court of Canada in the area of disclosure to the defense in criminal trials, including those for sexual assault and sexual misconduct. The emphasis will be on the decisions that expand the disclosure available. The robust defense of these charges is significant to the rule of law as it engenders public confidence in the Judicial system by remembering to protect the innocent while prosecuting these allegations. As such, disclosure is fundamental to human rights and human security. Human rights and human security cannot exclusively be confined to alleged victims but must also protect the rights of those charged to a fair Judicial process. This oral presentation/paper will illustrate that fulsome disclosure enhances the rule of law and law enforcement rather than hinders the prosecution of charges.

Keywords: defence, law, human rights, sexual assault, sexual misconduct

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Authors: Amirmohsen Behjat, Aleck Ostry, Christina Miewald, Bernie Pauly

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Substantial research has indicated that socioeconomic and demographic characteristics’ of neighborhoods are strong determinants of food security. The aim of this study was to develop a Food Insecurity Neighborhood Index (FINI) based on the associated socioeconomic and demographic variables to identify the areas at potential risk of food insecurity in rural British Columbia (BC). Principle Component Analysis (PCA) technique was used to calculate the FINI for each rural Dissemination Area (DA) using the food security determinant variables from Canadian Census data. Using ArcGIS, the neighborhoods with the top quartile FINI values were classified as food insecure. The results of this study indicated that the most food insecure neighborhood with the highest FINI value of 99.1 was in the Bulkley-Nechako (central BC) area whereas the lowest FINI with the value of 2.97 was for a rural neighborhood in the Cowichan Valley area. In total, 98.049 (19%) of the rural population of British Columbians reside in high food insecure areas. Moreover, the distribution of food insecure neighborhoods was found to be strongly dependent on the degree of rurality in BC. In conclusion, the cluster of food insecure neighbourhoods was more pronounced in Central Coast, Mount Wadington, Peace River, Kootenay Boundary, and the Alberni-Clayoqout Regional Districts.

Keywords: neighborhood food insecurity index, socioeconomic and demographic determinants, principal component analysis, Canada census, ArcGIS

Procedia PDF Downloads 167

Authors: James Barmby

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Canada’s westernmost provinces of British Columbia and Alberta are similar in many respects as they are both reliant on volatile natural resources for major portions of their economies. The two provinces have banded together to develop mutually beneficial trade, investment and labour market mobility rules, but in terms of developing systems of higher education, the two provinces are attempting to align higher education programs to economic development objectives by means that are quite different. In British Columbia, the recently announced initiative, B.C’s Skills for Jobs Blueprint will “make sure education and training programs are aligned with the demands of the labor market.” Meanwhile in Alberta, the province’s institutions of higher education are enjoying the tenth year of their membership in the Campus Alberta Quality Council, which makes recommendations to government on issues related to post-secondary education, including the approval of new programs. In B.C., public institutions of higher education are encouraged to comply with government objectives, and are rewarded with targeted funds for their efforts. In Alberta, the institutions as a system tell the government what programs they want to offer and government can agree or not agree to fund these programs through a ministerial approval process. In comparing the two higher education systems, the question emerges as to which one is more beneficial to the province: the one where change is directed primarily by financial incentives to achieve economic objectives or the one that makes recommendations to the government for changes in programs to achieve institutional objectives? How is institutional autonomy affected in each strategy? Does institutional autonomy matter anymore? In recent years, much has been written in regard to academic freedom, but less about institutional autonomy, which is seen by many as essential to protecting academic freedom. However, while institutional autonomy means freedom from government control, it does not necessarily mean self-government. In this study, a comparison of the two higher education systems is made using recent government policy initiatives in both provinces, and responses to those actions by the higher education institutions. The findings indicate that the economic needs in both provinces take precedence over issues of institutional autonomy.

Keywords: alberta, British Columbia, institutional autonomy, funding

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Authors: Emiliano Castillo

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The aim of this research is to analyze the origins, the development and possible outcomes of the environmental conflict between grassroots organizations, indigenous communities, Kinder Morgan Corporation, and the Canadian government over the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada. Building on the political ecology and the environmental justice theoretical framework, this research examines the impacts and risks of tar sands extraction, production, and transportation on climate change, public health, the environment, and indigenous people´s rights over their lands. This study is relevant to the environmental justice and political ecology literature because it discusses the unequal distribution of environmental costs and economic benefits of tar sands development; and focuses on the competing interests, needs, values, and claims of the actors involved in the conflict. Furthermore, it will shed light on the context, conditions, and processes that lead to the organization and mobilization of a grassroots movement- comprised of indigenous communities, citizens, scientists, and non-governmental organizations- that draw significant media attention by opposing the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion. Similarly, the research will explain the differences and dynamics within the grassroots movement. This research seeks to address the global context of the conflict by studying the links between the decline of conventional oil production, the rise of unconventional fossil fuels (e.g. tar sands), climate change, and the struggles of low-income, ethnic, and racial minorities over the territorial expansion of extractive industries. Data will be collected from legislative documents, policy and technical reports, scientific journals, newspapers articles, participant observation, and semi-structured interviews with representatives and members of the grassroots organizations, indigenous communities, and Burnaby citizens that oppose the Trans Mountain pipeline. These interviews will focus on their perceptions of the risks of the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion; the roots of the anti-tar sands movement; the differences and dynamics within the movement; and the strategies to defend the livelihoods of local communities and the environment against tar sands development. This research will contribute to the understanding of the underlying causes of the environmental conflict between the Canadian government, Kinder Morgan, and grassroots organizations over tar sands extraction, production, and transportation in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada. Moreover, this work will elucidate the transformations of society-nature relationships brought by tar sands development. Research findings will provide scientific information about how the resistance movement in British Columbia can challenge the dominant narrative on tar sands, exert greater influence in environmental politics, and efficiently defend Indigenous people´s rights to lands. Furthermore, this research will shed light into how grassroots movements can contribute towards the building of more inclusive and sustainable societies.

Keywords: environmental conflict, environmental justice, extractive industry, indigenous communities, political ecology, tar sands

Procedia PDF Downloads 278

Authors: Amirmohsen Behjat, Aleck Ostry, Christina Miewald, Bernie Pauly

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Farmers’ Markets have become one of the important healthy food suppliers in both rural communities and urban settings. Farmers’ markets are evolving and their number has rapidly increased in the past decade. Despite this drastic increase, the distribution of the farmers’ markets is not even across different areas. The main goal of this study is to explore the socioeconomic, geographic, and demographic variables which affect the establishment of farmers’ market in rural communities in British Columbia (BC). Thus, the data on available farmers’ markets in rural areas were collected from BC Association of Farmers’ Markets and spatially joined to BC map at Dissemination Area (DA) level using ArcGIS software to link the farmers’ market to the respective communities that they serve. Then, in order to investigate this issue and understand which rural communities farmer’ markets tend to operate, a binary logistic regression analysis was performed with the availability of farmer’ markets at DA-level as dependent variable and Deprivation Index (DI), Metro Influence Zone (MIZ) and population as independent variables. The results indicated that DI and MIZ variables are not statistically significant whereas the population is the only which had a significant contribution in predicting the availability of farmers’ markets in rural BC. Moreover, this study found that farmers’ markets usually do not operate in rural food deserts where other healthy food providers such as supermarkets and grocery stores are non-existent. In conclusion, the presence of farmers markets is not associated with socioeconomic and geographic characteristics of rural communities in BC, but farmers’ markets tend to operate in more populated rural communities in BC.

Keywords: farmers’ markets, socioeconomic and demographic variables, metro influence zone, logistic regression, ArcGIS

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Authors: Sayed Abdallah Mohamed Dahy

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Northeastern part of Egypt is considered one of the few regions of the world whereas evidence of historical activities has been documented during the last 48 centuries or more. Instrumental, historical and pre-historical seismicity data indicate that large destructive earthquakes have occurred quite frequently in the investigated area. The main aims in the present study were to redraw attention to the fact that the northeastern part of Egypt is seismically active and this result is associated with earthquake risk in the region. The interaction of the African, Arabian and Eurasian plates and Sinai subplate, is the main factor behind the earthquake activities of northeastern part of Egypt. All earthquakes occur at shallow depth and are concentrated at four seismic zones, these zones including the Gulfs of Suez and Aqaba, around the entrance of the Gulf of Suez and the fourth one is located at the south-west of great Cairo (Dahshour area). The seismicity map of the previous zones shows that the activity is coincide with the major tectonic trends of the Suez rift, Aqaba rift with their connection with the great rift system of the Red Sea and Gulf of Suez-Cairo-Alexandria trend.

Keywords: earthquake ectivities, Egypt, northeastern, tectonic setting

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Authors: Djelloul Nedjai

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The issue of cultural awareness triggers many controversies, especially in a context where individuals do not share the same cultural backgrounds and characteristics. The Algerian context is no exception. It has been widely documented by the literature that culture remains essential in many domains. In higher education, for instance, culture plays a pivotal role in shaping individuals’ perceptions and attitudes. Henceforth, the current paper attempts to look at the perceptions of the British culture held by students engaged in learning English as a Foreign Language (EFL) at the department of English at Banta 2 University, Algeria. It also inquires into EFL students’ perceptions of British culture. To address the aforementioned research queries, a descriptive study has been carried out wherein a questionnaire of fifteen (15) items has been deployed to collect students’ attitudes and perceptions toward British culture. Results showcase that, indeed, EFL students of the department of English at Banta 2 University hold both positive and negative perceptions towards British culture at different levels. The explanation could relate to the student's lack of acquaintance with and awareness of British culture. Consequently, this paper is an attempt to address the issue of cultural awareness from the perspective of EFL students.

Keywords: British culture, cultural awareness, EFL students’ perceptions, higher education

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Authors: Halima Benazzouz

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It is often believed that British English and American English are the foremost varieties of the English Language serving as reference norms for other varieties;that is the reason why they have obviously been compared and contrasted.Meanwhile,the terms “British English” and “American English” are used differently by different people to refer to: 1) Two national varieties each subsuming regional and other sub-varieties standard and non-standard. 2) Two national standard varieties in which each one is only part of the range of English within its own state, but the most prestigious part. 3) Two international varieties, that is each is more than a national variety of the English Language. 4) Two international standard varieties that may or may not each subsume other standard varieties.Furthermore,each variety serves as a reference norm for users of the language elsewhere. Moreover, without a clear identification, as primarily belonging to one variety or the other, British English(Br.Eng) and American English (Am.Eng) are understood as national or international varieties. British English and American English are both “variants” and “varieties” of the English Language, more similar than different.In brief, the following may justify general categories of difference between Standard American English (S.Am.E) and Standard British English (S.Br.e) each having their own sociolectic value: A difference in pronunciation exists between the two foremost varieties, although it is the same spelling, by contrast, a divergence in spelling may be recognized, eventhough the same pronunciation. In such case, the same term is different but there is a similarity in spelling and pronunciation. Otherwise, grammar, syntax, and punctuation are distinctively used to distinguish the two varieties of the English Language. Beyond these differences, spelling is noted as one of the chief sources of variation.

Keywords: Greek, Latin, French pronunciation expert, varieties of English language

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Authors: Aysen Muderrisoglu

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As a result of the policies constituted and pursued by Russia which aimed to gain territory and power at Ottoman expense, Crimean War broke out in 1853. Nevertheless, the Eastern policies of Russia were in contradiction with the interests of Great Britain which was the great power of the era. Yet, it did hesitate to be confronted with Russian on its route to India, so the Ottoman territorial integrity was defended. In that period, Tzar Nicholas II, to begin with, tried to eliminate a probable opposition coming from the British side, and then tried its chance to build up cooperation with Britain on the territories of the sick man. As a more positive relation was being observed between these two states before the Crimean War, Great Britain initially had adopted a neutral policy. However, in the end, Britain entered the war against Russia due to the efforts of the opposing side in the British Parliament and the rising pressure of the public opinion. The article aims to examine the role of British public opinion in the process of Great Britain’s Involvement in this war. Also, the article will try to find an answer to the following question: to what extent did the public opinion become effective on the foreign policy-making of Great Britain before the war?

Keywords: British press, Crimean war, Great Britain, public opinion

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Authors: G. Wimmers

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The University of Northern British Columbia needed a new laboratory building for the Master of Engineering in Integrated Wood Design Program and its new Civil Engineering Program. Since the University is committed to reducing its environmental footprint and because the Master of Engineering Program is actively involved in research of energy efficient buildings, the decision was made to request the energy efficiency of the Passive House Standard in the Request for Proposals. The building is located in Prince George in Northern British Columbia, a city located at the northern edge of climate zone 6 with an average low between -8 and -10.5 in the winter months. The footprint of the building is 30m x 30m with a height of about 10m. The building consists of a large open space for the shop and laboratory with a small portion of the floorplan being two floors, allowing for a mezzanine level with a few offices as well as mechanical and storage rooms. The total net floor area is 1042m² and the building’s gross volume 9686m³. One key requirement of the Passive House Standard is the airtight envelope with an airtightness of < 0.6 ach@50Pa. In the past, we have seen that this requirement can be challenging to reach for industrial buildings. When testing for air tightness, it is important to test in both directions, pressurization, and depressurization, since the airflow through all leakages of the building will, in reality, happen simultaneously in both directions. A specific detail or situation such as overlapping but not sealed membranes might be airtight in one direction, due to the valve effect, but are opening up when tested in the opposite direction. In this specific project, the advantage was the overall very compact envelope and the good volume to envelope area ratio. The building had to be very airtight and the details for the windows and doors installation as well as all transitions from walls to roof and floor, the connections of the prefabricated wall panels and all penetrations had to be carefully developed to allow for maximum airtightness. The biggest challenges were the specific components of this industrial building, the large bay door for semi-trucks and the dust extraction system for the wood processing machinery. The testing was carried out in accordance with EN 132829 (method A) as specified in the International Passive House Standard and the volume calculation was also following the Passive House guideline resulting in a net volume of 7383m3, excluding all walls, floors and suspended ceiling volumes. This paper will explore the details and strategies used to achieve an airtightness of 0.07 ach@50Pa, to the best of our knowledge the lowest value achieved in North America so far following the test protocol of the International Passive House Standard and discuss the crucial steps throughout the project phases and the most challenging details.

Keywords: air changes, airtightness, envelope design, industrial building, passive house

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Authors: Abbas R. Ali, Daroon Hasan Khorsheed

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Twenty one samples of stream sediments were collected from the Diyala River Basin (DRB), which represent one of three major tributaries of the Tigris River at northeastern Iraq. This study is concerned with the heavy minerals (HM) analysis in the + 63μ m fraction of the Diyala River sediments, distribution pattern in the various river basin sectors, as well as comparing the present results with previous works.The metastable heavy minerals (epidote, staurolite, garnet) represent more than (30%) Whereas the ultrastable heavy minerals (pyroxene and amphibole) make only about (19 %). Opaques are present in high proportions reaching about (29%) as an average. The ultrastable (zircon, tourmaline, rutile) heavy minerals are the miner constituents (7%) in the sediments.According to the laboratory analytical data of heavy mineral distributions the studied sediments are derived from mafic and ultramafic rocks are found in northeastern Iraq that represent Walash – Nawpordan Series and Mawat complexes in Zagros zones. The presence of zircon and tourmaline in trace amounts may give an indication for the weak role of acidic rocks in the source area whereas the epidote group minerals give an indication for the role of metamorphic rocks.

Keywords: heavy minerals, mineral distribution, recent stream sediment, Diyala river, northeastern Iraq

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Authors: Salma Akter, Mohammad M. Haque, Lawrence Akwetey

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An empirical research design will analyze different factors/predictors children use to influence their parents in the family buying decision process in the unexplored area of British Bangladeshi children in the United Kingdom. The proposed conceptual model of factors- buying decision making process will be tested by the Structure Equation Model. A structured Questionnaire and secondary sources will employ to collect data and analyse and measure the validity by Statistical tools (SPSS) and Microsoft Excel. The Contemporary research aims to use the deductive approach developing the research questions and testing the hypothesis to identify the impact of different strategies British Bangladeshi children used to influence their parents in the family buying decision which was overlooked in the previous research.

Keywords: British Bangladeshi children, buying decision process, children influence, influential factors

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Authors: Eric Morettin

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Cybersecurity and digital literacy are pressing issues among Canadian citizens, yet formal education does not provide today’s students with the necessary knowledge and skills needed to adapt to these challenging issues within the physical and digital labor-market. Canada’s current education systems do not highlight the importance of these respective fields, aside from using technology for learning management systems and alternative methods of assignment completion. Educators are not properly trained to integrate technology into the compulsory courses within public education, to better prepare their learners in these topics and Canada’s digital economy. ICTC addresses these gaps in education and training through cross-Canadian educational programming in digital literacy and competency, cybersecurity and coding which is bridged with Canada’s provincially regulated K-12 curriculum guidelines. After analyzing Canada’s provincial education, it is apparent that there are gaps in learning related to technology, as well as inconsistent educational outcomes that do not adequately represent the current Canadian and global economies. Presently only New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario, and British Columbia offer curriculum guidelines for cybersecurity, computer programming, and digital literacy. The remaining provinces do not address these skills in their curriculum guidelines. Moreover, certain courses across some provinces not being updated since the 1990’s. The three territories respectfully take curriculum strands from other provinces and use them as their foundation in education. Yukon uses all British Columbia curriculum. Northwest Territories and Nunavut respectfully use a hybrid of Alberta and Saskatchewan curriculum as their foundation of learning. Education that is provincially regulated does not allow for consistency across the country’s educational outcomes and what Canada’s students will achieve – especially when curriculum outcomes have not been updated to reflect present day society. Through this, ICTC has aligned Canada’s provincially regulated curriculum and created opportunities for focused education in the realm of technology to better serve Canada’s present learners and teachers; while addressing inequalities and applicability within curriculum strands and outcomes across the country. As a result, lessons, units, and formal assessment strategies, have been created to benefit students and teachers in this interdisciplinary, cross-curricular, practice - as well as meeting their compulsory education requirements and developing skills and literacy in cyber education. Teachers can access these lessons and units through ICTC’s website, as well as receive professional development regarding the assessment and implementation of these offerings from ICTC’s education coordinators, whose combines experience exceeds 50 years of teaching in public, private, international, and Indigenous schools. We encourage you to take this opportunity that will benefit students and educators, and will bridge the learning and curriculum gaps in Canadian education to better reflect the ever-changing public, social, and career landscape that all citizens are a part of. Students are the future, and we at ICTC strive to ensure their futures are bright and prosperous.

Keywords: cybersecurity, education, curriculum, teachers

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Authors: Han Run-Sheng, Li Wen-Yao, Wang Feng, Liu Fei, Qiu Wen-Long, Lei Li

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Accurately positioning detection of concealed deposits or ore-bodies is one of the difficult problems in mineral exploration field. Theory calculation and exploration practices for tunnel gravity indicate that 3D high-precision Tunnel Gravity Exploration Method (TGEM) can find concealed high-density three-dimensional ore-bodies in the depth. The ore-finding breakthroughs at the depth of the Zhaotong Maoping carbonate-hosted Zn–Pb–(Ag–Ge) deposit in Northeastern Yunnan have proved that the exploration method in combination with MEAHFZ method is effective to detect concealed high-density ore-bodies. TGEM may overcome anomalous ambiguity of other geophysical methods for 3D positioning of concealed ore-bodies.

Keywords: 3D tunnel gravity exploration method, concealed high-density Ore-bodies, Zn–Pb–(Ag–Ge) deposit, Zaotong mapping, Northeastern Yunnan

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Authors: Christopher E. A. Ramsey, Halia Valladares Montemayor

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This study examined whether the dissemination of information about the circular economy (CE) has any bearing on the likelihood of the implementation of its concepts on an individual basis. Specifically, the goal of this research study was to investigate the impact of consumer knowledge about the circular economy on their behavior in applying such concepts. Given that our current linear supply chains are unsustainable, it is of great importance that we understand what mechanisms are most effective in encouraging consumers to embrace CE. The theoretical framework employed was the theory of planned behavior (TPB). TPB, with its analysis of how attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control affect intention, provided an adequate model for testing the effects of increased information about the CE on the implementation of its recommendations. The empirical research consisted of a survey distributed among university students, faculty, and staff at a Canadian University in British Columbia.

Keywords: circular economy, consumer behavior, sustainability, theory of planned behavior

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Authors: Ben Morrow, Patrick O'Hara, Natalie Ban, Tunai Marques, Molly Fraser, Christopher Bone

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Relative to commercial fisheries, recreational fisheries are often poorly understood and pose various challenges for monitoring frameworks. In British Columbia (BC), Canada, Pacific salmon are heavily targeted by recreational fishers while also being a key source of nutrient flow and crucial prey for a variety of marine and terrestrial fauna, including endangered Southern Resident killer whales (Orcinus orca). Although commercial fisheries were historically responsible for the majority of salmon retention, recreational fishing now comprises both greater effort and retention. The current monitoring scheme for recreational salmon fisheries involves aerial-roving creel surveys. However, this method has been identified as costly and having low predictive power as it is often limited to sampling fragments of fluid and temporally dynamic fisheries. This study used imagery from two shore-based autonomous cameras in a highly active recreational fishery around Sooke, BC, and evaluated their efficacy in supplementing existing aerial-roving surveys for monitoring a recreational salmon fishery. This study involved continuous monitoring and high temporal resolution (over one million images analyzed in a single fishing season), using a deep learning-based vessel detection algorithm and a custom image annotation tool to efficiently thin datasets. This allowed for the quantification of peak-season effort from a busy harbour, species-specific retention estimates, high levels of detected fishing events at a nearby popular fishing location, as well as the proportion of the fishery management area represented by cameras. Then, this study demonstrated how it could substantially enhance the temporal resolution of a fishery through diel activity pattern analyses, scaled monthly to visualize clusters of activity. This work also highlighted considerable off-season fishing detection, currently unaccounted for in the existing monitoring framework. These results demonstrate several distinct applications of autonomous cameras for providing enhanced detail currently unavailable in the current monitoring framework, each of which has important considerations for the managerial allocation of resources. Further, the approach and methodology can benefit other studies that apply shore-based camera monitoring, supplement aerial-roving creel surveys to improve fine-scale temporal understanding, inform the optimal timing of creel surveys, and improve the predictive power of recreational stock assessments to preserve important and endangered fish species.

Keywords: cameras, monitoring, recreational fishing, stock assessment

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Authors: P. Intaracharoen, P. Chantraket, C. Detyothin, S. Kirtsaeng

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Radar reflectivity data from Phimai weather radar station of DRRAA (Department of Royal Rainmaking and Agricultural Aviation) were used to analyzed the rainstorm characteristics via Thunderstorm Identification Tracking Analysis and Nowcasting (TITAN) algorithm. The Phimai weather radar station was situated at Nakhon Ratchasima province, northeastern Thailand. The data from 277 days of rainstorm events occurring from May 2016 to May 2017 were used to investigate temporal distribution characteristics of convective individual rainclouds. The important storm properties, structures, and their behaviors were analyzed by 9 variables as storm number, storm duration, storm volume, storm area, storm top, storm base, storm speed, storm orientation, and maximum storm reflectivity. The rainstorm characteristics were also examined by separating the data into two periods as wet and dry season followed by an announcement of TMD (Thai Meteorological Department), under the influence of southwest monsoon (SWM) and northeast monsoon (NEM). According to the characteristics of rainstorm results, it can be seen that rainstorms during the SWM influence were found to be the most potential rainstorms over northeastern region of Thailand. The SWM rainstorms are larger number of the storm (404, 140 no./day), storm area (34.09, 26.79 km²) and storm volume (95.43, 66.97 km³) than NEM rainstorms, respectively. For the storm duration, the average individual storm duration during the SWM and NEM was found a minor difference in both periods (47.6, 48.38 min) and almost all storm duration in both periods were less than 3 hours. The storm velocity was not exceeding 15 km/hr (13.34 km/hr for SWM and 10.67 km/hr for NEM). For the rainstorm reflectivity, it was found a little difference between wet and dry season (43.08 dBz for SWM and 43.72 dBz for NEM). It assumed that rainstorms occurred in both seasons have same raindrop size.

Keywords: rainstorm characteristics, weather radar, TITAN, Northeastern Thailand

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Authors: Marisa Galiza Filipe

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In 1942, at the height of the Second World War, Roosevelt and Churchill planned to occupy the Azores to establish air and naval bases. The islands' privileged position in the middle of the Atlantic made them a strategic location for both the Axis and the Allies. For the Germans, the occupation of the island was also a strategic place to launch an attack on the United States of America, and for the British and Americans, the islands were the perfect spot to counterattack the German sinking of British boats and submarines. Salazar avoided the concession of the islands until 1943, claiming, on the one hand, the policy of neutrality, a decision made in agreement with England, and on the other hand, the reaffirmation of Portuguese sovereignty over the territory. Aware of the constant changes and supported by a network of informers on the islands, the German and British spies played a crucial role in the negotiations between Portugal and the Allies and the ceding of the bases by Salazar, which prevented their forced occupation. The espionage caused several diplomatic tensions, and the large number of German spies denounced by the British, operating on the islands under the watchful eye of the PVDE and Salazar, weakened the Portuguese-British alliance. Using primary source documents in the Ministério dos Negócios Estrangeiros (MNE) archives, this paper introduces the spies that operated on the islands, their missions and motives, organizations, and modus operandi. As a chess game, any move was careful thinking and the spies were valuable assets to control and use information that could lead to the occupation of the islands and, ultimately, change the tide of the war.

Keywords: espionage, Azores, WWI, neutrality

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Authors: Ali Fuad Ashour

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Introduction: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic, progressive and degenerative disease that affects the central nervous system (CNS). MS has been described to result in the debilitating symptom of the disease. It is reported to have a negative impact on the patient’s mental activities, brings a lower quality of life, leads to unemployment, causes distress and psychological disorders, generates low levels of motivation and self-esteem, and result in disability and neurological impairment. The aim of this study was to compare the effects of MS on patients from Britain and Kuwait. Methodology: A questionnaire was distributed to 200 individuals with MS (100 Kuwaiti and 100 British). The questionnaire consists of three parts; 1. General demographics, 2. Disease-specific data (symptoms, severity levels, relapse frequency, and support system), and 3. Attitudes towards physical exercise. Results: A response rate of 62% from the British sample and 50% from the Kuwaiti sample was achieved. 84% of the sample (n=52) were 41 years old or over. The duration of the disease was less than 10 years in 43.4% of British and 68% of Kuwaiti respondents. The majority of British respondents (56.5%) reported the disease severity to be moderate, while the majority of Kuwaitis was mild (72%). The annual relapse rates in Kuwait were relatively low, with 82% of the Kuwaiti sample had one relapse per year, compared to the 64.5% of British. The most common symptoms reported by British respondents were balance (75.8%), fatigue (74.2%), and weakness (71%), and by Kuwaiti respondents were fatigue (86%), balance (76%), and weakness (66%). The help and support for MS were by far more diverse for the British than Kuwaiti respondents. Discussion: The results unveiled marked differences between two groups of British and Kuwaiti MS patients in terms of patients’ age and disease duration, and severity. The overwhelming majority of Kuwaiti patients are young individuals who have been with the disease for a relatively short period of time, and their MS in most cases was mild. On the other hand, British patients were relatively older, many have been with the disease for a long period of time, and their average MS condition was more serious than that of their Kuwaiti counterparts. The main support in Kuwait comes from the neurologist, who primarily prescribe medications and advise patients to try to be active. The Kuwaiti respondents thought that lack of encouragement was the main reason for them not to engage in social activities.

Keywords: multiple sclerosis, Kuwait, exercise, demographic

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Authors: Julia Wimmers Klick

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Interprofessional Education (IPE) is widely recognized as a valuable approach in healthcare education, despite the challenges it presents. This study explores IP surface anatomy lab sessions, with a focus on fostering trust and collaboration among healthcare students. The research is conducted within the context of rural healthcare settings in British Columbia (BC), where a medical school and a physical therapy (PT) program operate under the Faculty of Medicine at the University of British Columbia (UBC). While IPE sessions addressing soft skills have been implemented, the integration of hard skills, such as Anatomy, remains limited. To address this gap, a pilot feasibility study was conducted with a positive outcome, a follow-up study involved these IPE sessions aimed at exploring the influence of bonding and trust between medical and PT students. Data were collected through focus groups comprising participating students and faculty members, and a structured SWOC (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Challenges) analysis was conducted. The IPE sessions, 3 in total, consisted of a 2.5-hour lab on surface anatomy, where PT students took on the teaching role, and medical students were newly exposed to surface anatomy. The focus of the study was on the relationship-building process and trust development between the two student groups, rather than assessing the acquisition of surface anatomy skills. Results indicated that the surface anatomy lab served as a suitable tool for the application and learning of soft skills. Faculty members observed positive outcomes, including productive interaction between students, reversed hierarchy with PT students teaching medical students, practicing active listening skills, and using a mutual language of anatomy. Notably, there was no grade assessment or external pressure to perform. The students also reported an overall positive experience; however, the specific impact on the development of soft skill competencies could not be definitively determined. Participants expressed a sense of feeling respected, welcomed, and included, all of which contributed to feeling safe. Within the small group environment, students experienced becoming a part of a community of healthcare providers that bonded over a shared interest in health professions education. They enjoyed sharing diverse experiences related to learning across their varied contexts, without fear of judgment and reprisal that were often intimidating in single professional contexts. During a joint Christmas party for both cohorts, faculty members observed students mingling, laughing, and forming bonds. This emphasized the importance of early bonding and trust development among healthcare colleagues, particularly in rural settings. In conclusion, the findings emphasize the potential of IPE sessions to enhance trust and collaboration among healthcare students, with implications for their future professional lives in rural settings. Early bonding and trust development are crucial in rural settings, where healthcare professionals often rely on each other. Future research should continue to explore the impact of content-concentrated IPE on the development of soft skill competencies.

Keywords: interprofessional education, rural healthcare settings, trust, surface anatomy

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Authors: Nahed Almutairi

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The subtitling process for period dramas implies a set of linguistic challenges. Audio-visual (AV) texts in this genre weave a rich tapestry of verbal irony blended with humor. The famous TV series Downtown Abbey contains such irony as one of the British aristocracy's linguistic markers. This study aims to examine subtitling strategies utilized in rendering such verbal irony. To counteract the negative postulated by Berman with the positive shifts, a qualitative analysis is conducted to examine the impact of the presence and absence of negative deforming tendencies in the Arabic subtitles of the first season of the British drama. This research is significant because it contributes to the discipline of translation studies, specifically the realm of AV translation. It seeks to provide a set of guidelines for optimal subtitling strategies that maintain the stylistic peculiarities of a social class that don’t exist in the target culture while also considering the practical aspects of translating subtitles. The findings indicate that negative shifts in the use of ironic expressions distort not only the stylistic elements of British aristocracy's utterances but also result in a loss of the intended meaning. This implies that what Berman’s model identifies as negative is also perceived as negative linguistic shifts in the Arabic subtitles of the British aristocracy’s verbal irony.

Keywords: Downton Abbey, deforming tendencies, berman, subtitling shifts, verbal irony

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Authors: Shashwat Mookherjee, Shruti Dutta

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This study explores linguistic distinctions among American, Indian, and Irish English dialects and assesses various Language Models (LLMs) in their ability to generate British English translations from these dialects. Using cosine similarity analysis, the study measures the linguistic proximity between original British English translations and those produced by LLMs for each dialect. The findings reveal that Indian and Irish English translations maintain notably high similarity scores, suggesting strong linguistic alignment with British English. In contrast, American English exhibits slightly lower similarity, reflecting its distinct linguistic traits. Additionally, the choice of LLM significantly impacts translation quality, with Llama-2-70b consistently demonstrating superior performance. The study underscores the importance of selecting the right model for dialect translation, emphasizing the role of linguistic expertise and contextual understanding in achieving accurate translations.

Keywords: cross-dialect translation, language models, linguistic similarity, multilingual NLP

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Authors: Abbas R. Ali, Diana A. Bayiz

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14 mudstone samples were collected within the sedimentary succession of Mukdadiya Formation (Late Miocene – Early Pliocene) from Shewasoor area at Northeastern Iraq. The samples were subjected to laboratory studies including mineralogical analysis (using X-ray Diffraction technique) in order to identify the clay mineralogy of Mukdadiya Formation of both clay and non-clay minerals. The results of non-clay minerals are: quartz, feldspar and carbonate (calcite and dolomite) minerals. The clay minerals are: montmorillonite, kaolinite, palygorskite, chlorite, and illite by the major basal reflections of each mineral. The origins of these minerals are deduced also.

Keywords: Mukdadiya Formation, mudstone, clay minerals, XRD, Shewasoor

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Authors: Soumia Hebbri

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The relationship between Britain and the European Union is phenomenally complex with a great opposition to Europe in the British Conservative and Labour Parties emerged since 1945. During the history and development of the European Union, Europe saw a lack of British involvement until 1961, after refusing to sign the Treaties of Rome of 1957 for being a member of the European Economic Community. Britain then applied to join the EEC in 1961 under Harold Macmillan’s Conservative Government, its application led by the Chief Negotiator Edward Heath. This application was vetoed by President de Gaulle. With de Gaulle out of power Britain. finally could joined in 1973. But again Labour and conservative both found themselves divided on the issue and they hold a referendum under labour on whether to continue the UK’s membership.

Keywords: the European Union, the British, economic community, de Gaulle

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Authors: Raja Al-Khalili

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Traveling abroad for British citizens in the eighteenth century was usually performed for two reasons. The first major form was for administering the expanding realm of the British Empire and its need for officials in governing the natives and facilitating the work of business companies. The other form of travel was for pleasure and involved a manifestation of wealth. This form of travel was a prelude for the modern industry of tourism and usually involved a tour of Europe and the Mediterranean. In both forms of travel the British encountered a myriad of cultures. Travel had fostered a sense of pride and confirmed an ethnocentric view of British superiority, but it also brought a critical self-examination of belonging to a colonial empire that thrives on the weaknesses of other nations. Women writers in particular have sought in the travels a kind of self-exploration of the nature of social patriarchy in a diversity of cultures. Both Lady Elizabeth Craven in A Journey through the Crimea to Constantinople (1789) and Lady Mary Wortley Montagu in Embassy Letters (1716-1718) have observed the culture of the Ottomans and then pursued to reflect on the social role of women in England.

Keywords: travel writing, Elizabeth Craven, Lady Mary Wortley, patriarchy

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Authors: Cristina Lopes, Alan C. Mix

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The timing and extension of large discharges from glacial lakes, known as megafloods, into the oceans have been of key importance. This type of events can influence the oceanic/land interactions and even be related with climate changes. While the impact of such floods has been fairly studied in the North Atlantic, the impact of analog floods in the North Pacific remains debatable and relatively unknown. Here we will show records of the Missoula floods that have carved the Northwest landscape and have entered the North Pacific through the Columbia River. These records are given by the presence of high (more than 40%) percentages of freshwater diatoms in marine sediments. A regression equation using these percentages allows to estimate by how much the salinities decreased. The timing and impact of North Pacific megafloods recorded in three marine cores of Oregon and California for the past 25000 years (B.P.) will be presented. These records show that the volume of freshwater that entered the North Pacific reached as far as 600 Km south of the Columbia River Mouth, decreasing the salinities by as much as 4 units.

Keywords: diatoms, megafloods, Missoula, North Pacific

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