bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
HWAET (Hand Waving Apparatus for Effective Turn-taking)
Authors: Konstantinidis Bertha
Published: May 2021

This project describes the design and testing of an attention-getting device, called HWAET (Hand Waving Apparatus for Effective Turn-Taking). HWAET was designed to be used by sign language participants to indicate their desire to have a turn to speak during a sign language interpreted video conference meeting with hearing participants.
User studies were conducted with ten sign language users, fifteen hearing subjects and four different sign language interpreters to examine the use of HWAET during a video conference. These studies showed that deaf participants using HWAET found it easier to indicate and take their turn independently than those relying solely on a sign language interpreter (not using HWAET). Also, interpreters commented that they did not have to manage turn-taking when HWAET was used compared to the control group (where HWAET was not used).
Development of electrostatic actuators with large out-of-plane deflection and its application in scanning display
Authors: Fan Chao
Published: May 2021

Electrostatic out-of-plane microactuators have been widely used in applications of variable capacitors, optical attenuators, optical switches and scanning displays due to their small size, low cost, simple and diverse structure, low power consumption and high compatibility with semiconductor process. The large out-of-plane displacement of the microactuator with high reliability is preferred in order to increase the tuning range, tunability and the display size. However, the “pull-in” instability associated with conventional attractive-force electrostatic microactuators significantly limits the out-of-plane displacement and lowers the operation stability. A repulsive-force microactuator has been previously developed which can achieve large out-of-plane rotation and does not suffer from the “pull-in” instability. However, a larger rotation angle of the repulsive-force actuator is highly desired in order to improve its performance in the applications such as increasing the tunability and the scanning angle. In this thesis two novel
repulsive-force actuators, i.e., two-row interdigitating-finger and two-width-finger (TWF) actuators are developed which output much larger out-of-plane rotation than the previous repulsive-force actuator without suffering from the “pull-in” instability. The mathematical models are established for both actuators using a hybrid approach. The actuators require only two thin layers and are suitable for surface micromachining process. The measured results show that the two microactuators can achieve rotation angles of 11.5° and 7.5° at 150 V respectively. The
improvements are 100% and 35% in comparison to the previous repulsive-force actuator with the same size, stiffness and driving voltage. A 2D scanning micromirror has been developed and fabricated based on the two-row-finger (TRF) actuator. Experimental results show the micromirror has larger rotation angle and faster response speed than those of the micromirror driven by the previous repulsive-force microactuator. The vector scanning display based on the micromirror is demonstrated. An advanced display approach is developed to generate displays with less distortion and higher refreshing rate compared to the previous generic display approach. The automotive
Head-up Display (HUD) based on the micromirror and advanced display approach has been constructed for both real and virtual image configurations, which has advantages of small size, low cost, large viewing angle and good visibility over those HUDs in the market.
Feasibility of noninvasive thermometry in hyperthermia regime using harmonics generated by nonlinear ultrasound wave propagation
Authors: Maraghechi Borna
Published: May 2021

Hyperthermia is a cancer treatment modality that could be delivered as a stand-alone treatment or in conjunction with chemotherapy or radiation therapy. Noninvasive and real-time temperature monitoring of the heated tissue improves the efficacy and safety of the treatment. Ultrasound-based thermometry requires a temperature-sensitive acoustic parameter that can be used to estimate the temperature by tracking changes in that parameter during heating. This dissertation describes the experiments and simulations performed to obtain the temperature dependence of acoustic harmonics generated by nonlinear ultrasound propagation in several media including: water, an attenuating tissue-mimicking liquid, ex vivo bovine muscle tissues, and tissue-mimicking gel phantoms. The mechanisms of action of harmonic generation in water and in the attenuating liquid, made by a mixture of 90% glycerol and 10% water (by volume), as a function of temperature at various frequencies have been investigated using a temperature dependent Khokhlov–Zabolotskaya–Kuznetsov (KZK) nonlinear acoustic wave propagation model. The simulation results were compared with and validated by measurements. In water, the harmonic amplitudes decrease with increasing the temperature at low frequencies (1 and 3.3 MHz), while the opposite temperature dependence was observed at higher frequencies (13 and 20 MHz). The harmonic generation significantly increased with temperature in the tissue-mimicking liquid at both frequencies of 5 and 13 MHz. The temperature dependence of harmonics in tissue-mimicking gel phantoms and ex vivo bovine muscle tissues were measured using a commercial high-frequency ultrasound imaging system, and a new noninvasive ultrasound-based thermometry has been developed that is based on the backscattered energy of the harmonics. The sensitivity of this new thermometry technique to medium’s motion was studied and compared with the conventional echo-shift thermometry technique. Based on this study, it is suggested that noninvasive temperature estimation is feasible using acoustic harmonics with lower sensitivity to motion artifacts compared to the conventional echo-shift technique.
Reassurance-seeking behaviour, intolerance of uncertainty, and neurocognitive functioning in obsessive-compulsive disorder
Authors: Orr Erin
Published: May 2021

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a psychological condition involving excessive reassurance-seeking (ERS), or repeated questioning of others about something perceived as threatening; low cognitive confidence; and intolerance of uncertainty (IU; Cougle et al., 2012; Nedeljkovic et al., 2009; Parrish, 2009). Relationships between these symptoms and several domains of cognitive functioning were examined in the present study. Thirty-five OCD patients and 34 healthy controls completed a battery of psychological questionnaires and neurocognitive measures. Results indicated that OCD patients reported greater levels of ERS than healthy controls in three different situations. Furthermore, significant relationships were identified between: (1) decision-related ERS and decision-making impairment, (2) cognitive confidence and decision-related ERS, and (3) a particular form of IU, inhibitory IU, and decision-making impairment. These findings are important, as these psychological symptoms are associated with negative outcomes. The relationships identified provide an important foundation for future research and the development of targeted interventions for these symptoms.
Morphologically constrained adaptive signal decompositions in studying ventricular arrhythmias
Authors: Balasundaram Krishnanand
Published: May 2021

Ventricular fibrillation (VF) is one of the major causes for sudden cardiac deaths (SCD). The
duration from the onset of VF to SCD is a few minutes, making it difficult to study VF. This dissertation
proposes methods to extract meaningful information from VF electrograms and formulate
associations to underlying structural and physiological properties of the cardiac tissue and clinical
events of interest during VF. This was achieved by analyzing clues in the electrograms during VF
to infer the underlying anatomical and physiological properties of the cardiac tissue and certain
clinical events of interest, which is otherwise not easily available. The proposed methods will be
of great assistance for the diagnosis and treatment planning of cardiac arrhythmias.

The proposed adaptive time-frequency (TF) signal decomposition was separated into two categories
based on two purposes: (1) Time-specific event detection and (2) Time-averaged VA characterization.
For the time-specific event detection (in this work rotor detection), electrogram signal
features related to the rotor event were identified with an adaptive TF decomposition and amodified
criterion function. Using the proposed features and a linear discriminant analysis based classifier
with leave-one-out cross validation, overall classification accuracies of 80.77% and 79.41% were
achieved in detecting rotor events and separating them from similar but non-rotor events.

In the time-averaged ventricular arrhythmia characterization, previously established signal features
were used to associate electrogram clues to the structural and physiological characteristics of
the cardiac tissue. Using label-consistent K-means singular value decomposition dictionary learning
process, dictionaries of TF basis functions were generated to capture specific electric structures
and physiological characteristics of the underlying cardiac tissue. The association of these characteristics
with the extracted electrogram clues were validated using a cross-validation technique.
The cross-validated results ranged from 65.58% to 81.80% for the 7 characteristics used in this
study.

Further to this, to build a decision-support system with non-linear separable capabilities that
could automate and infer the heart events and/or characteristics from the identified electrogram
signal structures, neural network models were generated. The cross-validated accuracies ranged
from 66.99% to 85.90% for each of the developed models for the decision-support system.
Common-Mode Voltage Mitigation by Novel Integrated Chokes and Modulation Techniques in Power Converter Systems
Authors: Zhu Ning
Published: May 2021

Common-Mode Voltage Mitigation By Novel Integrated Chokes And Modulation Techniques In Power Converter Systems
Effect of curing parameters and configuration on the efficacy of ultraviolet light curing self-adhesive masks used for abrasive jet micro-machining and microfluidic device fabrication
Authors: Ahmadzadeh Farbod
Published: May 2021

Soft lithography techniques has been used widely in the past decade to fabricate microfluidic chips used in biomedical applications. Abrasive jet machining (AJM) has been used to fabricate similar chips using particle erosion mechanisms. This thesis proposes a new technique using a UV light sensitive self-adhesive mask (RapidMask) and AJM to fabricate a three dimensional flow focusing microfluidic chip where the depth of the channel is allowed to vary along the channel length.

A detailed characterization of the effect of curing parameters of a UV light curing self-adhesive mask on the resulting feature resolution is reported. Instead of relying on the manufacturer recommended curing parameters which were vaguely described for specific UV curing units, it was found that measured energy density could be used to quantify a recommended cure that is independent of the curing unit. The best achievable pattern on borosilicate glass using RM and AJM was found and reported along with the erosion rates of uncured, cured RM during AJM. A new methodology was introduced to use multiple layers of the RM in order to increase the achievable feature aspect ratio.

The results of the RM curing and multiple layer investigation were then used to fabricate a three dimensional flow focusing chip with a varying depth at the focusing junction. The chip was then sealed and tested to demonstrate its capabilities and potential in healthcare and biomedical applications. To the best knowledge of the author, this thesis is the first to report using a double layer RM to fabricate a microfluidic chip using AJM.
Bridging the parallax gap: settler-colonialism and the relationship between Indigenous peoples and racialized migrants in Canada
Authors: Root Jesse
Published: May 2021

I intend to expand the idea of the immigrants as settler, and establish on a theoretical basis that 'settlerism' is about an ideology of neo-colonialism, not about movement to a place that is not your own. In this way, there can be migrants who are allies with Indigenous peoples, who reject settler and neo-colonial ideologies at the same time, as there can be migrants who adopt consciously, or unconsciously, these oppressive ideologies. After establishing this theoretical framework, the remainder of this MRP presents case studies which profile some of the important work being done by organizations to build bridges between Indigenous and migrant communities in Canada and to decolonize relations among these groups which make up much of Canada's population. A brief discussion about the policies and other stat tools used to separate these two communities with an analysis of why this is the case will also be included.
The effects of water temperature on fatty acid content in the diatom, navicula pelliculosa
Authors: Cameron Ellen
Published: May 2021

Algae are critical to aquatic ecosystems and provide nutritious food to primary consumers due to their ability to synthesize essential fatty acids, in particular, long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFA). Aquatic ecosystems are experiencing increases in surface water temperatures as a result of anthropogenic climate change. Elevated water temperatures can potentially cause thermal stress for algae and disrupt critical physiological and biochemical mechanisms. As a response to temperature changes, fatty acid composition in membranes shifts in order to maintain membrane fluidity. To gain a better understanding of how elevated temperature influences fatty acid composition, growth experiments of a cosmopolitan freshwater diatom species, Navicula pelliculosa, were performed in a temperature-controlled laboratory environment. Diatom cultures were grown under different thermal regimes to examine the effects of temperature and time on LC-PUFA content. Temperature treatments were found to elicit an asymmetrical response in FA content, potentially resulting in reduced LC-PUFA availability.
Adaptive embedded technologies: hardware acceleration
Authors: Meghdies-Vardeh Ryan
Published: May 2021

This thesis establishes the benefits of multi-architecture systems by using reconfigurable modules in conjunction with a case integration strategy to improve system performance. The modules and strategies discussed in this thesis provide opportunities to the improve system performance of processing units designed for the consumer market.
The primary objective for this work is to improve the performance of consumer processors using programmable logic, while ensuring the changes are abstracted from operating systems and software applications. This thesis accomplishes this using specified integration strategies, protocols and through optimization of device drivers.
Development of a 3D Holographic Flight Situational Awareness System
Authors: Kamoonpuri Jafer Mujtaba
Published: May 2021

Recent inventions of Augmented Reality (AR) Head-Mounted-Device (HMD) devices such as Microsoft’s HoloLens have allowed certain innovations that up till now were only able to exist in Science Fiction. The ability to project holograms within a space have been used in the Aerospace industry since 2016, when the HoloLens was first released. However, the aviation industry has yet to harness the capability that such a device can allow. The conversion of a traditional 2D Primary Flight Display (PFD)to a Volumetric 3D representation of the PFD was explored. The 3D representation of the PFD was created in Unity 3D, and by means of the Holographic Remoting Tool the graphics were displayed on to the HoloLens. The symbology on the PFD was driven by live flight data from a flight simulator. For thisproject two different 3D PFD models were created one for a fixed-winged based aircraft, and another fora quadcopter. Two different flight simulators were used for the two different PFDs. For the fixed-wingedPFD the Digital Combat Simulator (DCS) World by Eagle Dynamics was used, and for the quadcopterPFD the AirSim plugin by Microsoft was ran using Unreal Engine 4 (UE4). Through testing it was found that both the PFD models assist the pilots to safely keep their aircraft in the air and also perform an emergency landing by only using the 3D PFD. Another conclusion made was that in its current state the3D PFD is ideal for Unmanned Arial Vehicle (UAV) pilots as a holographic Ground Control Station(GCS)
Double-Crested Cormorant Disturbance: Restoration Potential for a Forested Urban Park
Authors: Marcoux-Hunter Danielle
Published: May 2021

This paper examines the relationship between double-crested cormorant nesting activity and urban deforestation in Toronto’s Tommy Thompson Park (TTP). TTP is located on a human constructed spit, providing habitat for colonial waterbirds to nest along Lake Ontario’s shoreline. In recent decades, double-crested cormorant colonization has resulted in the deforestation of the western edge of the park. This deforestation is causing a steady retreat of tree cover, where newly exposed soils are vulnerable to colonization by invasive plants and erosive wind and wave action. Following a 30x30 m systematic sampling approach, geospatial interpolation of point data describing current soil physical and chemical properties is used to create continuous soil prediction surfaces. Interpolated surfaces are then combined to create site suitability maps using multicriteria evaluation (MCE) to weight the soil variables, and to provide a ranked output of desirable site locations for species-specific re-vegetation potential.

Keywords: double-crested cormorant, urban forestry, restoration, kriging, multi-criteria evaluation
Exploring the Interconnections Between Housing and Health: A Review of the Canadian Literature
Authors: Vlajkovic Dara
Published: May 2021

This paper reports on the current state of knowledge on the association between housing and health concerning immigrants and refugees in Canada, based on an extensive review of the literature. The aim of this literature review is to provide a critical overview of the existing housing and health literature that focuses specifically on immigrant and refugee settlement experiences in Canada. The key objectives of this review are to critically review academic and non-academic research from the housing and health literature published within the last 10 years, to identify research needs and gaps, and to provide recommendations for future research.
Spatial effects : narrative structure in architecture
Authors: Qadir Nadia
Published: May 2021

The potency of compelling narrative structures - or the story constructing sequence of space - has pushed architecture's boundaries into new frontiers through the development of representational technology such as cinema, a burgeoning art form that employs narrative typology as an underlying structure to frame the phenomena of space. In this design research thesis my intention is to investigate and elucidate the function and purpose of narrative in Architecture and Cinema and its development from symbolism to spatial formation. Thesis statement: The first stage of narrative from took flight from pictographic symbols and cartographic delineations to sculptural representations and reliefs. These timeless narratives encapsulated in monumental structures such as the Pyramids of Giza or the Greek Parthenon depict their civilizations' cultural dominance through this system of messaging. It can be argued that a number of such illustrations may reveal varying levels of codification or messaging through historical, cultural, or religious contexts. However, the present form of this system of messaging and symbolism has been considerably altered for the worse, becoming banal and superficial, and lacking depth and narrative content.
SoC for real - time object tracking in 3D space
Authors: Raducu Rares
Published: May 2021

With the rapid growth of workplaces, there is also an increase of the risk employees are exposed to. A high percentage of the injuries suffered annually are work related and many of those are due to the decrease in alertness of employees as they get tired. As a result, many of the injuries are fall related, touching a hot object etc. Therefore, safety in the workplace can be increased if employees can be monitored continuously and warning them when they come close to a restricted (hazardous) area.
The current paper presents an in-depth analysis of existing approaches to 3D object tracking which can be deployed to monitor workers and try to prevent injury. The final goal is to design, implement and test an SoC capable of performing real time object tracking in 3D which can send the coordinates to a standalone computer to be displayed and processed.
A framework for emergence: embracing ecological principles in post-industrial landscapes
Authors: Wojtecki Sandra
Published: May 2021

The Anthropocene, a name proposed for our current geologic age, is a phrase that describes how universal conditions on earth are changing by human impact- faster than geological occurrences. The shape of our landscapes, the composition of our soils and bodies of water, and even atmospheric particles are impacted by human activities. We see the dominating mindset most evidently in our urban environments, as the efficiency of roadways guide the shape of the landscape, and the forces of economics shape our skyline. Unlike a biological organism that emerges from the flux and flow of available materials and nutrients, we permanently affix ourselves on the earth and take beyond our resource share. This thesis explores how architecture can respond to the needs of density by reconceptualizing our practical and temporal relationship to nature through embracing the fundamentals of ecological principles, formulating a framework for the built environment in post-industrial landscapes.
Optimizing Emotion Regulation in Borderline Personality Disorder: Why and When Strategies Do and Do Not Work
Authors: Fitzpatrick Skyler
Published: May 2021

This dissertation aimed to delineate ways to optimize emotion regulation in borderline personality disorder (BPD) by 1) identifying factors that influence general emotion regulation effectiveness and 2) examining whether these factors predict differential effectiveness of two classes of emotion regulation strategies: engagement (i.e., engaging with emotional content) versus disengagement (i.e., shifting attention away from emotional content) strategies. Factors that occur before (i.e., antecedent-focused) and after (i.e., response-focused) emotion provocation were examined. Specifically, four predictors of general and differential emotion regulation effectiveness were identified: antecedent-focused sleep quality (impaired sleep efficiency and rated sleep quality), antecedent-focused biology (basal vagal tone), antecedent-focused emotion (baseline emotional intensity), and response-focused emotion (emotional reactivity). Secondary analyses also investigated whether the relationships of these factors to general and differential emotion regulation effectiveness varied across BPD and healthy control (HC) groups. A sample of individuals with BPD (n = 40) and matched HCs (n = 40) completed a weeklong assessment of sleep efficiency and quality and then participated in an experimental procedure. First, basal vagal tone and baseline emotional intensity data were collected. Following, participants were trained to use two BPD-relevant emotion regulation strategies, mindful awareness (engagement strategy) and distraction (disengagement strategy), in response to negative emotion inductions. Emotional reactivity in response to the inductions, and the extent to which emotion was decreased using the strategies following the inductions (i.e., emotion regulation effectiveness), was examined. Emotion was measured comprehensively across self-report, sympathetic, parasympathetic, and behavioural/expressive domains. Results indicated that sleep efficiency and rated sleep quality predicted differential emotion regulation effectiveness as they improved distraction but not mindful awareness effectiveness across groups. As well, higher basal vagal tone and emotional reactivity predicted improved emotion regulation effectiveness across strategies and groups. Findings suggest that targeting sleep quality may specifically facilitate the attention mechanisms required for effective use of distraction in BPD. They also suggest that identifying ways to increase vagal tone may potentiate the emotion regulation capacity of individuals with BPD. Finally, results indicate that high emotional reactions may not necessarily be problematic and, in fact, may mark a particularly fluid emotional system that is responsive to emotion regulation attempts.
A traveller's digital identity: an analysis of current mobile travel apps and tourist behaviours for better digital discovery in urban environments
Authors: Calderwood Rebecka A.
Published: May 2021

The purpose of this research is to improve an understanding of travellers as users of mobile travel applications (apps). Research was conducted on travel motives, mapping and navigation-related technology, as well as mobile travel app attributes to find the best design and performance solutions for user engagement. Secondary research and a competitive analysis of current mobile travel apps was performed to rate the effectiveness of app interfaces. Using these findings as a guide, it proposes an interactive self-guided travel app under the title DROP/PIN. DROP/PIN allows travellers to explore urban environments in real-time through personalized interests, big data, instant messaging and navigational technology. Through this implementation, a prototype of the app was created. DROP/PIN aims to foster a traveller’s digital identity through constant personalization and data recognition, social interactions by profile compatibility, and a common interest in global exploration.
Comparative life cycle assessment: ground source heat pump system versus gas furnace and air conditioner system
Authors: Hunter Alisha Kathleen
Published: May 2021

Ground source heat pump (GSHP) systems are an extremely efficient space heating and cooling
technology. There is a large consensus throughout the literature that GSHP systems can reduce
operational CO2 emissions by up to 80% in comparison to natural gas furnace (GF) and air
conditioner (AC) systems. The literature is limited; however, in regards to the specific
environmental impacts associated with the systems, as well as the impacts that occur throughout
the systems’ entire life cycle. In this project, a comparative life cycle assessment was conducted
to compare a GSHP system with a GF/AC system, examining 14 specific environmental impact
categories. Results were consistent with the literature in regards to the operational stage; however
the GSHP system displayed a significantly greater overall environmental impact. While these
results are specific to the region of Ontario, Canada, they call into question the prevailing opinion
that GSHPs are the more environmentally sustainable option.
Lightning environment in the vicinity of the CN tower during major storms
Authors: Mansour Norhan
Published: May 2021

Based on the North American Lightning Detection Network data and the return-stroke currents recorded at the CN Tower, the lightning environment within 100 km from the CN Tower is thoroughly investigated, especially while the tower was struck with major storms in 2011 and 2005. On Aug 24, 2011, video records showed that the tower was struck with 52 flashes within about 84 minutes, pointing out to the most intense storm that has ever been observed at the tower. During this most intense storm, the tower’s current measurement system recorded 32 flashes, containing 161 return strokes, resulting in an average flash multiplicity of 5, which is 80% higher than the average multiplicity of flashes occurring in the vicinity of the tower. Since the tower is repeatedly hit by lightning and its flashes produce markedly higher number of strokes, then it definitely poses an electromagnetic interference risk to nearby sensitive installations, including those in downtown Toronto.
Modelling workload to quality using system dynamics in manufacturing and healthcare
Authors: Farid Mashal
Published: May 2021

This paper presents an approach using System Dynamics (SD) to model long-run effects of given workload levels on employee health and quality of the system output. The models integrate scientific evidence on injury and burnout risk factors, error making probabilities, and presenteeism phenomena to create two SD models – one for a manufacturing assembly line and the other for a hospital nursing unit – that can help users explore the ergonomics-system performance relationship. The manufacturing model results show an increase in injury rates and a decrease in yield as the operators are exposed to higher spinal loads. The nursing model results show an increase in nurse burnout and medical errors as nursing workload is increased. This demonstration reveals the feasibility of SD modeling to help managers and engineers explore the long-run consequences of the human factors in their operations system design and inform policy decisions in terms of both human health and system performance outcomes.
Welcome To Canada: A Critical Examination of the Neoliberal Restructuring of Canada's Model of Settlement Service Delivery
Authors: Shah Zain Fattima
Published: May 2021

The settlement and integration of immigrants and refugees into Canadian society has become one of the most important areas of public policy in Canada. There exists a notion of a mutual responsibility between newcomers and Canadian society/state to both make the necessary adjustments to facilitate settlement and integration. Canada’s main tool to fulfill its responsibility in facilitating newcomer integration is composed of the policies, programs and services that shape Canada’s model of settlement service delivery. Although the Canadian model of settlement service provision is often looked to in admiration, many academics, policy makers and nongovernment workers are pointing to sings of a crisis of the settlement sector. Due to the neoliberal restructuring of the settlement sector, numerous challenges and issues have arisen for immigrant settlement agencies (ISAs) in assisting their newcomer clients. The purpose of this paper is to critically examine the crisis of the settlement sector. It is argued that the issues plaguing the settlement sector disproportionately impact smaller, ethnocentric agencies and the visible minority and racialized clients they serve.
Marketing #WeTheNorth: Analyzing Fandom, Nationalism, and Brand Loyalty of the Toronto Raptors Basketball Team
Authors: Ricciuti Sasha C.
Published: May 2021

Established as a successful marketing slogan during the 2014 NBA playoffs, the #WeTheNorth campaign became the face of branding for the Toronto Raptors franchise that enhanced brand loyalty and unified Canadian basketball fans. The following Major Research Project (MRP) explores two different research questions surrounding a social media analysis of the Toronto Raptors #WeTheNorth campaign. The first research question examines the Raptors’ fan perspective, and focuses on the connotative messages that are incorporated into the #WeTheNorth campaign to broaden the team’s message and re-vamp the team’s national identity. The second research question examines the organization’s perspective and focuses on how the Raptors brand utilizes sports nationalism in their social media efforts to support fan engagement. This paper also reinforces research from previous academic findings that include: nationalism, community, collective fandom, social media, semiotics, and branding. Using an analytics tool named Sysomos, a content analysis of the Raptors’ official Twitter account was conducted to gather primary research. One Hundred Tweets were gathered per research question, and then coded to provide insight regarding the #WeTheNorth campaign from the 2018/19 NBA regular season. Findings for the first research question reinforce national fandom, and the support fan unification via the use of the #WeTheNorth hashtag. In addition, over 35% of Tweets from fans included positive sentiment, compared to the 17% that had negative sentiment. Findings for the second research question focus on branding, semiotics, and fan engagement levels that the Toronto Raptors social media team tries to enforce. Results proved that over 60% of Tweets included some form of request for fan participation, with 17% of Tweets containing positive Tweet sentiment. Overall, as long as the #WeTheNorth campaign remains the Raptors’ primary marketing slogan the campaign should continue to reinforce national fandom and support positive online fan engagement.
The gendered experience of voice in Canadian radio and beyond: Toronto, Canada
Authors: Copeland Anastasia
Published: May 2021

Feminist media scholars have historically centered gender and identity on the
body and visual texts, with the voice exercised as metaphor - immaterial or interpreted
solely as the words spoken. Representative of agency, the voice gets defined as what is
being said rather than how one is saying it. My thesis addresses this gap through an earoriented
analysis of women’s voice within the Canadian radio and podcasting industry.
Centred on the experiences of individual women in Toronto’s broadcast soundscape, I
bring a feminist phenomenological approach to my work to explore the intersection of
voice as both material sound -an extension of the body and thus individual identities- and
the weight of the women’s voice as politically and historically coded. I aim to expand my
work beyond the individual experiences of the women within the broadcast industry and
into the broader discourse surrounding gendered representation for the future of our
Canadian media soundscape.
Finding space : the marginalization of a gay East Asian male immigrant in Toronto's LGBTTIQ communities
Authors: Goh André Pierre
Published: May 2021

Drawing on the storytelling tradition of critical race (Razack, 1998; hooks, 2000, 1992) and feminist (Scott, 1992) scholars, I tell a personal story of immigration and sexual identity, and theorize that experience. Borrowing from the 1960s feminism in which according to Carol Hanisch (1969) the phrase, 'the personal is political' was first used, I describe my experiences as a way to explore how unequal social relationships, racist practices, homophobia, and community institutions constitute my experiences as a gay East Asian male in Toronto.

Central to my storytelling as a gay East Asian immigrant in Toronto is understanding how racial and sexual identities are created. I explore how dominant groups construct identities that may appear to give me visibility in a multicultural society but also operate to reinforce oppression through institutional racism and homophobia.
Development of the garment brand Gaia & Dubos: target audience and best environmental and ethical practice
Authors: Daignault-Leclerc Léonie
Published: May 2021

This research essay examines the target audience’s profile and preferences for the development of the garment brand Gaia & Dubos, which creates and produces ecological and ethical high-end garments for women in the province of Quebec, and explores the best environmental and ethical practice to establish a sustainable fashion enterprise. The research methods for this project combine a literature review, an online survey and four individual interviews with the target audience in an attempt to answer the research questions: (1) Who is the target audience (demographics, values, lifestyle and habits)? (2) What are the target audience’s preferences when it comes to ecological and ethical clothing? (3) What is the best environmental and ethical practice for a clothing brand?
Software energy consumption prediction using software code metrics
Authors: Akinli Koçak Sedef
Published: May 2021

In recent years, a significant amount of energy consumption of ICT products has resulted
in environmental concerns. Growing demand for mobile devices, personal computers, and the
widespread adaptation of cloud computing and data centers are the main drivers for the energy
consumption of the ICT systems. Finding solutions for improving the energy efficiency of the
systems has become an important objective for both industry and academia.

In order to address the increase in ICT energy consumption, hardware technology, such as
production of energy efficient processors, has been substantially improved. However, demand for
energy is growing faster than improvements are being made on these energy-aware technologies.
Therefore, in addition to hardware, software technologies must also be a focus of research
attention. Although software does not consume energy by itself, its characteristics determine
which hardware resources are made available and how much electrical energy is used.

Current literature on the energy efficiency of software, highlights, in particular, a lack of
measurements and models. In this dissertation, first, the relationship between software code
properties and energy consumption is explored. Second, using static code metrics regression
based energy consumption prediction models are investigated. Finally, the models performance
are assessed using within product and cross-product energy consumption prediction approaches.
For this purpose, a quantitative based retrospective cohort study was employed. As research
methods, observational data collection, mining software repositories, and regression analysis
were utilized. This research results show inconsistent relationships between energy consumption
and code size and complexity attributes considering different types of software products. Such
results provide a foundation of knowledge that static code attributes may give some insights
but would not be the sole predictors of energy consumption of software products.
The Evolution and Spatial Dimensions of Invention in Canada, 1991 - 2011
Authors: Liang Yiyan
Published: May 2021

The rapid development of information technology and medical research in the 21st century is a result of the increasing number of inventions. Inventive activity is thought to be an important catalyst for economic change and increased productivity. In order to measure a location’s inventive potential, different aspects such as geographic location, corporate assistance, and socio-economic factors can be studied. This study examines the spatial distribution and typology of Canadian inventions for the years 1991, 2001, 2006, and 2011, using patent data issued by the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
The research results suggest that inventive activity is declining in major metropolitan areas such as Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal. On the other hand, medium-sized metropolitan areas like Ottawa, Calgary, Kitchener-Waterloo, and Saskatoon are experiencing increasing inventiveness. These areas have specialized economies based on high technology and petroleum. The regression analysis shows that regional innovation can be explained by census variables in groups of dwelling type, education level, and industry sector. The analysis also shows Canada has shifted from a manufacturing economy to a high technology and services-based economy.
An approach to modelling tree root architecture in virtual urban growing conditions
Authors: Miron Justin
Published: May 2021

Understanding the architecture of tree roots is an important component of urban forestry management practice. Tree roots are structurally and functionally important to the survival of trees, and this can be even more so in urban environments where underground space for roots is limited. Tree root architecture models can provide a complementary approach to traditional on-site field investigation methods. Root architecture models are unique in that they can simulate the spatial arrangements of root system structure explicitly, and allow investigators to create hypothetical simulations to test their assumptions about what may be driving root growth. The use of root architecture models in the literature is extensive and may be applied in diverse streams of investigation, but their application to tree root systems is less common. This research demonstrates a root architecture model, Rootbox, as a case study in the application of plant architecture models to simulate tree root growth in urban conditions. Model parameterization was based on conformity of root simulations to tree root architecture reported in the literature. The model is deployed in four hypothetical urban soil scenarios, which are representative of planting sites commonly observed in urban settings. The analysis demonstrates that plausible tree root system architectures – specifically, commonly observed growth attributes - can be produced by Rootbox, but only after several adaptive changes to both the source code/model design are made. Custom soil models can integrate with the simulation to represent urban conditions by modifying both the growth direction and elongation of portions of the root architecture, and thus offer greater control over the output architecture. Rootbox offers a flexible method of simulating the architecture of tree root systems, but further research should focus on optimizing the model’s parameters and functions to enable greater user control over model output.
The Spatial Distribution of Development Across Africa and Its Underlying Sustainability Correlations
Authors: Ali Joshua
Published: May 2021

The realization of the critical issues that have been faced by the global community has put a particular focus on assessing the sustainable development of countries. Africa is an area that needs an assessment of sustainable development. With Africa holding over 52% of the world’s natural resources reserves, it is imperative to assess the sustainable development of the countries. The study evaluated what the underlying and spatial distribution on sustainable development was in Africa. Six dimensions of underlying sustainability and three significant signs of spatial autocorrelation were found. This provided information about the sustainability vulnerabilities within Africa. With the majority of the underlying dimensions displaying a socioeconomic focus on sustainability. Showing the collected indices result in a lack of coverage on the environmental side across the countries of Africa.
Foreign high-end retailers in Canada, where next?
Authors: Serrafero Nicole
Published: May 2021

Foreign high-end retailers have started to establish their brands in Canada. There are several locations across Canada that contain a significant number of them. Using these existing established high-end retail locations, this paper presents potential new locations for these high-end retailers to expand into. The paper deals with six of the major census metropolitan areas (CMA) in Canada: Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, and Ottawa. The demographic and household spending data at the census tract level were used to represent potential customers. Trade areas were created for each of the existing established high-end retail locations using 15-min and 20-min drive times. K-means cluster analysis was used to determine the results. Using a combination of the trade area demographics and the target cluster location, this paper has confirmed that there are potential locations, apart from existing clusters of high-end retailers, for foreign high-end retailers to expand into.
Modelling The Transport and Return of Chloride Using INCA-Cl in an Urbanizing Watershed
Authors: Carpenter Mallory
Published: May 2021

1.0 Introduction
In northern environments such as Canada, road salt (e.g. sodium chloride, NaCl) has been used as a de-icing agent to improve winter driving conditions since the 1950’s (Godwin et al., 2003). While research has shown that the application of salt to roadways can reduce accident rates by up to 88%, the use of road salt has been linked to increasing concentrations of chloride (Cl) in ground and surface waters in urbanized watersheds (Godwin et al., 2003). A recent study (Dugan et al., 2017) which tested 371 lakes in north eastern North America found that 44% trended towards long term salinization – levels at which Cl concentrations may begin to impact freshwater ecosystems. High Cl concentrations have been found to be potentially lethal to aquatic organisms, and long-term exposure can have detrimental effects on human health (Howard and Beck, 1993; Kelly et al., 2008). Keeping lakes and rivers “fresh” is important for the maintenance of ecosystem services associated with freshwater resources such as drinking water, fisheries and aquatic habitat.
Examining Demographic Characteristics and Settlement Patterns of Ethnoculturally-Diverse Specific Long-Standing and Recent Older Immigrants in the Toronto CMA, 2016
Authors: Anthony Adam
Published: May 2021

Understanding population characteristics and residential patterns of recent and long-standing older immigrants is important to ensure that settlement services are adequately supporting a diverse and vulnerable population. This research paper represents a pilot study to fill in the gap found in the already limited scholarship on the characterization, spatial distribution and in-group differences of older immigrants in the Toronto CMA. Firstly, it explores the nuanced differences in population composition of four ethnocultural-specific subgroups representing long-standing (Italian and Portuguese) and recent immigrants (Chinese and South Asian) and secondly, it identifies clusters of recent immigrants that are settling outside of the long-standing ethnocultural enclaves. Despite having higher rates of education than their long-standing counterparts, Chinese and South Asian are characterized by low income prevalence and lack of knowledge of an official language. Hence, determining the multilingual composition of the South Asian and Chinese subgroups can facilitate language-specific settlement services within recent older South Asian and Chinese immigrant clusters.

Key words: older adults, immigration studies, recent immigrants, settlement challenges, low income, hot spot analysis, Toronto Census Metropolitan Area
An Analysis of Major Retail Store Change in Canada: 2013-2018
Authors: Oldfield Dylan Connor
Published: May 2021

International retail has experienced significant numbers of closures in bricks-and-mortar stores in recent years. Moreover, with substantial reporting’s on international closures, there has been a notable absence for reports on Canadian retail as a whole in relation to store closures. Therefore, this research is a location-based analysis on where retail closures are in Canada. The objectives are: (1) to examine the store changes taking place in Canada through analysis of a selected subset of retailers; (2) to assess the influence of omni channel activities on store location strategies; and (3) to discuss the implications of store change with regard to the future of physical ‘bricks-and-mortar’ retailing in Canada. This major research paper utilizes a store per capita analysis to understand where closures in retail are in relation to population markets of varying sizes. The data utilized is from the Centre for Study of Commercial Activity, consisting of every physical store location between 2013 and 2018 for a set of twelve specifically selected retailers. The results of this paper are compared between the retailers respective retail sectors and supplementary retail quadrants they were assigned to.