University of Lethbridge Theses

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    Cost-effective batch-based migration strategies for NewSQL-based big data systems
    (Lethbridge, Alta. : University of Lethbridge, Dept. of Mathematics and Computer Science, 2024) Vadlamudi, Naveen Kumar; University of Lethbridge. Faculty of Arts and Science; Osborn, Wendy
    Modern, high-performance applications demand scalable and efficient databases, leading to the evolution of NewSQL systems. The challenge lies in migrating data from Shardingsphere with PostgreSQL to AWS (AmazonWeb Services) cloud object storage. Implementing batch migration algorithms in Apache Spark, specifically targeting Delta Lake format, introduces complexities to ensure seamless data integration and storage within AWS environments. This thesis explores tailored batch-based migration algorithms for transferring data from Shardingsphere with PostgreSQL to AWS cloud object storage, emphasizing performance optimization by transferring the data faster. The study evaluates various batch loading techniques in Apache Spark, including sequential and concurrent strategies for shard-by-shard and aggregated-shards based algorithms. These techniques aim to maximize efficiency in storing data in Delta Lake format within AWS cloud storage, facilitating effective data management, visualization, and utilization for modern applications, business intelligence, AI and ML. Leveraging the Lakehouse architecture for integrated data processing and analytics.
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    The effect of minimum wage increase on employment in Canada
    (Lethbridge, Alta. : University of Lethbridge, Dept. of Economics, 2024) Quarmson, Isaac Sarfo; University of Lethbridge. Faculty of Arts and Science; Ali, Md Kamar
    This research investigates the effect of minimum wage increases on employment in Canada, focusing on three age groups: 15-19, 20-24, and 15-24. The study utilizes provincial data from 1983 to 2022 and employs Neumark's (2001) pre-specified design to analyze the ratio format of the explanatory variables. Additionally, this study slightly modifies Neumark’s design to analyze the explanatory variables in a non-ratio format. The model results indicate no statistically significant relationship between minimum wage and employment for all age groups for Neumark’s (2001) pre-specified model and the modified form. The overall results suggest that firms may respond to minimum wage increases by adjusting other variables such as non-wage benefits, prices, profits, etc.
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    Mental health, stress, and metabolomics in individuals with physical disabilities: the impact of a caretaker and spasticity
    (Lethbridge, Alta. : University of Lethbridge, Dept. of Neuroscience, 2024) Petruska, Chase A.; University of Lethbridge. Faculty of Arts and Science; Metz, Gerlinde A. S.; Montina, Tony
    Individuals who are limited to a wheelchair because of a physical disability (PDis) face unique daily stressors in their lives. It is not well understood how a PDis impacts an individual's stress vulnerability and mental/ metabolic health, as well as the social repercussions it may create. This thesis investigated (1) how living with a caretaker impacts stress vulnerability, mental health, perceived social support and metabolism of those with a PDis relative to individuals who have no access to a caretaker and (2) how spastic cerebral palsy differs from non-spastic PDis regarding stress vulnerability, mental health, and if metabolic changes reflect the psychological wellbeing. The analysis of questionnaire data and urine samples has been used to quantify and conceptualize the unique mental and biological differences within the PDis population. Through the comparison of questionnaire scores, it was determined if stress vulnerability, mental health, and perceived social support differ between the groups. Nuclear magnetic resonance spectra analysis identified specific metabolites, and then statistical inference techniques were used to identify potential biochemical pathway alterations. These metabolites were also correlated with specific questionnaire scores, showing unique correlations within each group. Through the questionnaire and metabolomic analyses, a better understanding of the quality of life among individuals living with a PDis population can guide future strategies. This could be directed towards effective treatments or interventions that could be used to ensure that those who live with PDis are getting the proper support, are becoming less vulnerable, and receiving the best possible health care to live better lives where their mental and biological differences are being understood and accounted for.
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    Lateralization left out: the interconnections between language, motor skills, executive function, and social skills in preschool children
    (Lethbridge, Alta. : University of Lethbridge, Dept. of Neuroscience, 2024) van Rootselaar, Nicole A.; University of Lethbridge. Faculty of Arts and Science; Li, Fangfang; Gonzalez, Claudia L. R.
    The goal of this thesis is to investigate the role of hand preference in preschool development using comprehensive measures to assess five dimensions: lateralized hand use, language, fine motor skills, executive function, and social competence. Early right-hand preference has been linked to better cognitive skills, but rarely studied comprehensively alongside multiple assessments of child cognitive abilities. I conducted three studies with two general goals; examine the relationship between hand preference and the four other dimension, and compare the relationships between all five areas using a single cohort of children. I found that hand preference had a small effect on child cognitive performance whereas social competence consistently appeared as a predictor of success for each cognitive skill. This result suggests that programs and interventions for enhancing cognitive function should place special emphasis on social competency.
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    Neural correlates of position, progress, and action during reward-guided sequence navigation in the rat medial prefrontal cortex
    (Lethbridge, Alta. : University of Lethbridge, Dept. of Neuroscience, 2024) Gupta, Kushaan; University of Lethbridge. Faculty of Arts and Science; Euston, David R.
    The complexity surrounding the seamless execution of skilled action sequences during sparse rewards necessitates an organization of behavior into modular, temporally extended sub-policies. The rodent Medial Prefrontal Cortex (mPFC) has emerged as a critical brain region implicated in orchestrating such action plans over extended time frames. Previous research has shed light on the mPFC’s mechanistic contributions to the control of behavior through investigations into its numerous attributed roles, encompassing working memory, spatial representation, decision-making, and task-specific generalization. We investigated the neural correlates of position, task-specific features, and actions within the rat mPFC during a behaviorally elaborate, reward-guided sequence navigation paradigm. We identified a significant proportion of mPFC neurons exhibiting a robust task-specific code for tracking animal’s progress between rewards, characterized most prominently by modulation departures from and approaches to reward zones. Furthermore, initial population-level analyses suggested a representation of prospective non-immediate actions, encoded as turn directions, extending beyond immediate temporal horizons. However, subsequent in-depth examination revealed that these initial findings could not hold up to predict future actions at single-trial level. Instead, the apparent prospective coding of turn directions seemed to be confounded by preparatory motor behaviors within the navigational environment. Consequently, these results call for a reassessment of the influence of various sensorimotor factors on mPFC activity during goal-directed decision-making, challenging the prevailing methodologies used to infer cognitive processes within this region.