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The COVID-19 pandemic brought about unprecedented changes and challenges to workers’ work and home lives. The current study integrated insights from theories (e.g., the job demands-resources model, COR theory) and literature to investigate the contributors (e.g., job demands, job resources, job involvement, work engagement) to workers’ experiences of ill-being and well-being (i.e., work-life conflict, strain, burnout, job satisfaction). We tested our hypotheses with data from 693 full-time US and Canadian workers from MTurk, a sample of university faculty, a snowball sample, and a sample of veterinarians. We found that workers with greater job demands experienced greater ill-being (e.g., work-life conflict), and workers with greater job resources experienced greater well-being (e.g., job satisfaction). However, different types of job resources predicted different outcomes (e.g., general job resources predicted lower strain, but stimulating and supportive job resources did not). Further, we did not find evidence that job resources protected workers against job demands and strain or work-life conflict. Our results also suggest that stimulating job resources may have negative outcomes for workers, as they predicted exhaustion, through greater work engagement and work-life conflict. In addition, greater work engagement predicted both positive (i.e., job satisfaction) and negative outcomes for workers (i.e., work-life conflict, strain), supporting the notion that work engagement may be a double-edged sword. Finally, exploratory analyses revealed the job demands and job resources that are most salient and pertinent during the pandemic for workers. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.

A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Applied Science in Industrial Systems Engineering, University of Regina. xii, 226 p. Intelligent Systems (IS) are called technologically advanced machines. IS includes a variety of techniques that can deal with uncertainty and complex problems. This research study aims to diagnose the coronavirus (COVID-19) diseases symptoms using an Intelligent Systems approach. The COVID-19 epidemic is currently one of the most deadly diseases in the world. The pandemic has affected human life and global economy adversely at a large scale. It is spreading rapidly through humans, causing severe health issues and death worldwide. This virus affects different people in different ways. A large number of people are not aware of being infected with COVID- 19, as some people are asymptomatic, or show initial symptoms that could be confused with a mild illness, such as having a cough or fever. There are over 3 million deaths currently caused by COVID-19, with the number increasing regularly. Advanced healthcare and error-free disease diagnosis are ubiquitous now-a-days as a result of technological advancement. Better future and healthy lifestyle are majorly depending on sensible and latest health care facilities. Large number of research and articles prove the efficiency and effectiveness of Intelligent Systems being used for diagnosing various symptoms of heart disease, cancer and diabetes. In this Thesis, an Intelligent System encompassing five Mamdani FISs is presented to help the COVID-19 disease diagnosis. This advanced Intelligent System will help to reduce the uncertainty as well as ease the diagnosing process. The proposed FISs can provide fuzzification results for the considered sub-systems with multiple inputs. In addition, a user-friendly interface is implemented for ease of interaction between a human and the proposed Intelligent System using the MATLAB software. The designed Intelligent System can decide the possible risk of getting COVID-19 disease. In each of the FISs, the fuzzification rules and database play a wide role. The 1st FIS considers four (Age, Medical Supplements, Immunity Strength, Previous Medical History) factors as input parameters to find out the “Disease Tendency” of COVID-19. Similarly, the input (Temperature, Tiredness, Dry Cough, Sore Throat) factors for the 2nd FIS, yield the “Most Common” symptoms. The 3rd FIS considers 4 input (Diarrhea, Headache, Conjunctivitis, Loss of Taste) factors yielding “Less Common” symptoms. The 4th FIS considers also 4 input (Breathing Difficulties, Chest Pain, Loss of Speech/Movement, Cholesterol Level) factors to yield “Serious Common” symptoms. Finally, the last FIS considers as inputs the: “Disease Tendency”, the “Most Common” symptoms, the “Less Common” symptoms, and the “Serious Common” symptoms; to yield as a result the disease likelihood (Consider changing serious common to something else. It doesn't really make sense. If you're just talking about more serious symptoms, maybe just have that category be called "Serious" instead of "Serious Common") Therefore, the overall proposed Intelligent System considers a total of 16 factors as input variables. It is important to notice the novel consideration of the Cholesterol Level as a factor in the “Serious Common” symptoms FIS module. It is mandatory to diagnose a disease in early stage to control and halt its spread. The proposed IS will help diagnose the COVID-19 symptoms and affection in early stage. Moreover, the advanced FIS is beneficial for an individual to diagnose disease by him/herself and extremely helpful in such places and societies where it is almost impossible to find the supply of physicians for the timely treatment of any medical disease. Student yes

A Practicum Report Submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Social Work, University of Regina. v, 85 p. This field practicum report is a reflection of my clinical counselling journey during my Master of Social Work field practicum placement at Francis Psychotherapy Consulting Services in New Market, Ontario. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, my placement involved providing clinical counselling services using telephone and video conferencing mediums from a remote location. The objective of my field practicum was to gain advanced level social work knowledge and counselling skills in a clinical setting by focusing on integrating various therapeutic approaches. I provided services to a total of six clients by using different therapeutic approaches via online platforms (Zoom and Jane App). This report highlights cognitive behavioural therapy, solution-focused brief therapy and narrative therapy, and how they were integrated throughout my clinical counselling placement. A discussion of my experience delivering services using various video conferencing mediums and telephone during the pandemic is also highlighted in this report. Ethical issues and challenges encountered when offering remote services were explored, as well as the different skills and strategies I learnt during the practicum journey. All in all, my practicum journey was transformative and emancipatory. I have gained tremendous insights and clinical experiences while my clients have benefited greatly from the application of cognitive behavioural therapy, solution-focused brief therapy, and narrative therapy. I was also able to use my intersecting identities and experiential knowledge to provide support and respond to the varied needs of my clients which is pivotal in building therapeutic relationships. Student yes

This thesis investigates the role of the European Central Bank (ECB) during the eurocrisis and the COVID19 pandemic. It asks the question of whether the role of the ECB has affected the balance between independence and accountability. It does so by using a combination of economic and political theories to analyse the legal framework and actions of the ECB. This thesis furthermore places the actions in perspective by comparing with the US Federal Reserve (FED). This thesis starts in chapter 2 by examining the origins of central bank independence (CBI). Chapter 3 continues by defining the concept of accountability. This thesis uses the work of Amtenbrink (1999) to generate criteria for accountability. This chapter further examines the independence and accountability of the ECB and FED before the euro-crisis. Chapter 4 continues by examining the actions of the ECB through conventional policies. The role of the ECB during the euro crisis through its conventional policies was larger than expected. Chapter 5 of this research continues by evaluating the role of the ECB through its unconventional policies. Its role increased and changed from a cautious and conservative central bank to a more active bank. Chapter 6 of this thesis continues by examining the role of the ECB during the COVID19 crisis. Chapter 7 continues by discussing the judicial review. The level of judicial review both indicates the level of independence and the first step towards accountability. Chapter 8 continues by discussing the various methods of accountability. This chapter concludes that transparency has improved but that the main method of accountability has failed. Chapter 9 concludes that the new role of the ECB required higher levels of accountability. The accountability however did not develop to the level required, thus upsetting the balance between independence and accountability.

Online learning is an idea whose time has come. Even before the Covid-19 pandemic it was predicted that the global value of the online education market would reach €290 billion by 2025 (McCue, 2018). This figure is likely to have increased significantly in 2020 due to campus closures as teaching continued online. Thus, the demand for online learning is enormous and growing, even though it currently makes up less than 2% of the overall higher education market (HolonIQ, 2020). The Covid-19 crisis has shown policy-makers and educational leaders that new models of online learning provide a means to widen access and participation in higher education. The debate surrounding the development of online learning in Ireland for promoting access and participation in lifelong learning more generally appears to be largely aspirational in the absence of a strong policy commitment and funding model to resource fully online programmes. Set against this backdrop, this doctoral study aims to investigate a perceived gap between rhetoric, policy and practice in promoting wider access to higher education in Ireland. It involves three phases: - Phase 1 (macro-level) consists of an analysis of relevant International policy texts; - Phase 2 (meso-level) involves an analysis of Irish policy texts and institutional online learning strategies and initiatives through publicly available documentation; and - Phase 3 (micro-level) adopts a case study method to “tell the story of the development of online learning” at one Irish university. The main research findings are: - Defining online learning is problematic. The research demonstrates that a clear, universally agreed, definition of what constitutes online learning, understood by the sector and policy makers, does not exist. - Economic factors are the most influential drivers (and barriers) in the adoption of online learning in policy texts. Social and vocational drivers have influence, however, the most important driver is economic. Notably the pedagogical drivers for online learning in policy texts are relatively weak. - Good policy emanates from a collaborative process which is inclusive, transparent, and credible. In order for policy to be effective and successful, all relevant stakeholders must be encouraged to contribute in a meaningful way, through a clear process. Future development of policy for online learning in Ireland needs to be more cognisant of these requirements.

This project utilized an interdisciplinary approach to explore what harm and harm reduction meant during intersecting public health emergencies, the opioid crisis and the coronavirus pandemic. Using thematic and historical analysis, I analyzed interviews with frontline workers, news coverage, and municipal government documents to understand how people conceptualized the opioid crisis during coronavirus (and vice versa). On the whole, I found that harm reduction was a central aspect of the efforts against the opioid crisis in Hamilton. However, there were discrepancies in how it was practiced and understood. Generally, harm reduction was presented in municipal government documents as a medical intervention that involved, for example, the provision of new needles and naloxone kits to prevent disease and death. Such a practice was indeed important to address the unique harms at the intersection of COVID and the opioid crisis. However, to frontline workers and activists, harm reduction was a much broader term: it included services that were crucial to daily life, such as food and washrooms; the right to safe housing; and broader social and structural interventions, such as the decriminalization of opioid use. The context of the coronavirus pandemic, which exposed people who use opioids to unique harms, exacerbated the disparity between these definitions: harm reduction was simultaneously presented as a narrow, medical practice and a broad, political intervention. Thesis Master of Arts (MA)

Red blood cells (RBCs) are the predominant cell type in blood and have a two-layered outer shell which is composed of a cytoskeleton network tethered to a cytoplasmic membrane. In this thesis, I study the structure and mechanical properties of the RBC’s cytoplasmic membrane (RBCcm) on the nanoscale and utilize this knowledge to functionalize this biological structure on a molecular level. In a first case study, I measure the membrane’s bending rigidity from thermal fluctuations observed in X-ray diffuse scattering (XDS) and Neutron Spin Echo (NSE) experiments, as well as Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations. I provide evidence of the RBCcm's highly deformable nature with a bending rigidity that is substantially softer as compared to synthetic membranes. The methods are applied to RBCs that were stored for up to 5 weeks. I demonstrate that storage of RBCs leads to an increased fraction of liquid ordered membrane domains and an increased bending rigidity. RBCs are ideal for pharmaceutical applications as they provide access to numerous targets in the body, however lack specificity. Functionalizing the cytoplasmic membrane is thus a prerequisite to use these cells in biotechnology. I develop protocols throughout two studies to tune the membrane's lipid and protein composition. I investigate the impact of synthetic lipid molecules on the membrane's structure and demonstrate that small molecules can be encapsulated into liposomes that are formed from these hybrid membranes. Further, I provide direct evidence that the SARS-CoV 2 spike protein can be anchored into the RBCcm through a detergent mediated insertion protocol. These virus-like particles are observed to trigger seroconversion in mouse models, which demonstrates the potential of functionalized RBC in biotechnology. Thesis Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

The globalization of the seafood industry has prompted the creation of alternative business models that seek to resist the industrialization of the industry, while promoting a specific set of core social and environmental values that ostensibly deviate from the global mainstream. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, actors in this “alternative” space emerged as a visible feature of the global seafood distribution system. By restructuring and shortening seafood supply chains, alternative seafood networks (ASNs) are reasserting the importance of a specific set of values in food systems for both environmental and socio-cultural reasons. This thesis explores the diversity of businesses within the alternative seafood space and how this diversity has emerged and changed over time. It also draws comparisons from food systems literature to understand the implications of too much diversity within the alternative seafood space. Finally, this thesis also explores the challenges ASN operators face and opportunities to address them. This work is an opportunity

As the importance of the aviation industry continues to grow, airports continue to expand, andincrease operations; noise generated from aircraft is becoming a growing concern to people livingwithin the communities surrounding the airports. Community members have shown concern throughcomplaints and annoyance due to the disturbances that aircraft noise cause in their everyday life. Thepurpose of this study is to determine which factors most affect community annoyance towards aircraftnoise. There are two main factors to be considered when analyzing annoyance due to aircraft noise.The first is the acoustic factors caused by the aircrafts themselves, such as the noise the aircraft emitsor the frequency of flights. Second are the non-acoustic factors such as the attitudes and views anindividual may have towards the local airport or aircraft in general. Additional examples include thetime of disturbances or how the aircraft makes the individual feel when they hear or see one. Althoughit can be argued that the number of complaints aimed towards aircraft noise and airports is a goodindication of the impact they have on a community, it is not a good indication of annoyance or thetrue effect on the community as a whole, given for example, that many complaints can be repeatedlysent from one or only a few individuals. A community annoyance survey has the advantage of beingable to include a large body of the community to gauge the effect of aircraft noise and to determinewhich factors contribute most to annoyance. For this research, the communities around TorontoPearson International Airport were studied. A noise annoyance survey containing 3 sections and atotal of 35 questions was sent out to 31 regions around the Greater Toronto Area, 25 of which werenear to permanent airport noise monitoring stations. The survey responses were analyzed todetermine the percentage of highly annoyed (%HA) individuals and the factors that contributed mostto the highly annoyed (HA) individuals. Furthermore, the onset of the COVID-19 world pandemicpresented a unique opportunity to include impacts on community annoyance during a period ofsignificant reduction in airport operations and air traffic volume. As such, the noise annoyance surveyalso considered the annoyance experienced by community members during the start of COVID-19in order to better determine what factors affect community annoyance the most. Responses wereanalyzed and %HA was calculated, as well as the number of HA individuals using the responses tothe standardized ISO 15666 questions in order to determine the annoyance within thecommunity. %HA and number of HA individuals from ISO 15666 were then compared to themeasured noise levels and responses to questions from the annoyance survey to determine whichfactors most contribute to the annoyance of HA individuals.

A Practicum Report Submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Social Work, University of Regina. vii, 108 p. Close your eyes and imagine building blocks, miniature play creatures, modeling clay, paper, scissors and crayons. Many would associate this image with childhood play and the use of creative tools children use to create, explore and learn about their world through play. Now imagine a child intently focussed on a screen. Perhaps, that child is wearing a set of headphones and manipulating the tablet keyboard and mouse with their fingers. The child may be playing a virtual game, listening to a video or possibly chatting with others virtually. Childhood and the tools children play with often reflect the world we live in. This research practicum study sought to analyze perceptions and experiences of therapists about the technology they use in play therapy. Over the past number of years, there has been an increase in the interest, as well as, the concrete interaction of children with technology. The Covid-19 pandemic has made technology more essential, impacting the way we learn, communicate, and live our day to day lives. Like never before, technology is complementing and, in some situations, possibly replacing traditional methods of play. The pandemic has made in-person therapy, at times, impossible. Therapists have been forced to pursue virtual options for connecting with their clients. This research practicum consisted of interviews, surveys and a literature review that was aimed to synthesize and correlate themes regarding the use of virtual therapy with children ages 4-11 years. The literature review provided a historical review of play, play therapy, and technology in play therapy practices. Participants from the interviews and surveys revealed the strengths and challenges of virtual play therapy, as well as, practical and ethical concerns associated with incorporating virtual technology in play therapy. The findings will provide an opportunity to build social work knowledge on how virtual technology can be incorporated into play-based therapies. This knowledge will be shared with the Canadian Association of Play Therapy and the Saskatchewan Association of Social Workers. Student yes