bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A quadrinomial lattice model that incorporates skewness and kurtosis
Authors: Patel Nikulbhai
Published: May 2021

Primbs et al. (2007) proposed an option pricing method using a pentanomial lattice that incorporated mean, volatility, skewness and kurtosis. This approach is very useful when the return of the underlying asset follows a lognormal distribution. However, Primbs et al. (2007) claimed that "with four moments, one could conceivably use a quadrinomial lattice (i.e., four branches); however, the recombination conditions along with the requirement of non-negative probabilities are quite limiting in terms of the range of skewness and kurtosis that can be captured". In this research, as a refutation, a quadrinomial lattice model has been developed incorporating mean, volatility, skewness, and kurtosis; and it has been shown that the conditions for the non-negative probabilities are the same as the conditions obtained for the pentanomial lattice in Primbs et al. (2007). Several numerical examples are presented to compare the result obtained from the quadrinomial lattice with that of the pentanomial lattice.
Snapshots with an edge a study of the deckle edge in the North American snapshot
Authors: Anna Krentz
Published: May 2021

This thesis takes an object-based approach to the amateur snapshot through an in-depth examination of the deckle edge, a form of snapshot presentation popular in the mid-twentieth century. Research draws primarily from a sample of 321 dated deckle edge snapshots in the collection of the Archive of Modern Conflict, Toronto, and from Kodak trade periodicals held by Ryerson University Special Collections.
The thesis examines the formerly undelineated dates of the deckle edge snapshot’s popularity, the various devices used to create the deckle edge, the multiplicities of edge variation blanketed under the term “deckle edge,” the appearance of the deckle edge in Kodak advertising, and the routes by which the deckle edge came to the snapshot. By situating the deckle edge snapshot in these contexts, the thesis demonstrates the value of approaching snapshots as dynamic, physical objects, and the kinds of information that can be derived from their non-image areas.
Stitching History: Filipina Garment Workers In Winnipeg
Authors: Camia Shirley
Published: May 2021

This research project examines the working experiences of Filipino women who moved to Winnipeg in the 1960s and 1970s to become garment workers. Findings are drawn from oral history interviews with Filipina garment workers who arrived between 1968 and 1974. The participants, who have become pioneers in Winnipeg’s Filipino community, will be a part of Canadian history that has, so far, been poorly documented. This paper will also examine the garment industry in Winnipeg prior to the arrival of the first Filipina garment workers, as well as the push and pull factors which led to their migration from the Philippines.
Moody architecture: emotionally intelligent prostheses
Authors: Mozheyko Julia
Published: May 2021

The digital age has altered the prosthetic relationship between the body and its extensions. Communication devices have started to engage us in an emotional conversation, whereas the focus on the body in architecture perpetuates the mechanistic relationship that dominated during the industrial revolution. This lack of emotional connectivity in architecture challenges the idea of the normative body in light of an analysis of the relationship between empirical reality and classical doctrine. This thesis proposition envisages architecture as becoming an emotionally intelligent prosthesis endowed with anthropomorphic characteristics. Phenomenology and cybernetic systems provide the tools to advance the relationship between the body and its prosthetics. A feedback loop demonstrating cognition and plasticity is a prerequisite for structurally coupling two such systems. Architecture is conceived as evolving to interact continuously with the physical and emotional state of the user. This speculative world allows the thesis to consider how the body and the building might become the organs and prostheses of each other.
Clinical and functional impact of cognitive fluctuations in dementia
Authors: Mainland Brian
Published: May 2021

Cognitive fluctuations (CFs) are defined as spontaneous alterations in cognition, attention, and arousal, and are highly prevalent and disabling among people with dementia. CFs occur with a frequency of 80-90% in dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), 40% in vascular dementia (VaD), and 20% in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). While CFs have been recognized as an important component of dementia, the majority of studies examining them have lacked objective methods of assessing their presence and severity, making it difficult to determine the degree of interference with other clinical features that can be attributable to fluctuations. The present study examined the nature and frequency of CFs in 55 individuals with dementia living in a long-term care facility. Participants underwent neuropsychological assessment to profile their current cognitive functioning. The Dementia Cognitive Fluctuation Scale (DCFS) was used to characterize CFs in this sample. Patients also completed brief cognitive measures on three separate occasions during a one-week period to obtain objective evidence of variability in cognitive performance. This study also assessed the association between CFs and informant based measures of patients’ quality of life, activities of daily living, and formal caregiver burden. Longitudinal cognitive data was analyzed retrospectively to determine patients’ rate of cognitive decline over the past six months. Consistent with the limited research already completed in this area, this study found that increasing severity of CFs predicts lower cognitive performance and reduced ability to complete activities of daily living. Also, this is the first study to demonstrate that CFs predict patients’ overall quality of life and the degree of caregiver burden in primary nursing staff. Results of the current study suggest that CFs exert a broad range of influence over patients’ functional abilities and well being. Identifying which patients experience CFs could play an important role in developing individualized treatment plans best suited for patients specific care needs.
Matured Infrastructures Strategizing Architectural Growth Through Infrastructure
Authors: Sarkis Karl
Published: May 2021

Serving the movement of people and goods, infrastructures of mobility guide city growth, by framing and connecting sites to accommodate new development. For decades, infrastructures of mobility have inspired architects to explore how forms of growth could be achieved in architecture.

Based on the research of relevant precedents, this thesis strategizes how architecture can (i) emulate, (ii) hybridize with, and (iii) liberate from types of infrastructure, as a means of serving a more prioritized role in guiding city growth. These strategies inform a design proposal that encourages a method of architectural growth in Toronto’s Don Lands.
A 1.2 V, 8-bit, 100 MHz pipelined analog-to-digital converter
Authors: Ardalan Shahab
Published: May 2021

A 1.2 V, 8 bit, 100 MSample/Sec Pipeline Analog-to-Digital Converter is designed in 0.18-μm standard CMOS technology. An emphasis was placed on observing the low voltage and low power design. The architecture of this ADC is 1 bit/stage pipelined configuration.

With above specifications the designed ADC can be applicable for DVI flat-panel display; Giga bit Ethernet on copper, RGB to LCD converter and cable modem. This designed ADC can achieve SNDR 56dB in 100 MHz sampling frequency with 8 bit resolution. Total power dissipation is 40.6mW and INL is around 1 LSB and the maximum swing of the input is 1 Volt peak to peak which is almost rail-to-rail situation. The core area of the ADC excluding pads is around 0.25mm 2 .
Betting on Canada: the immigration trajectories of Mexican professionals as international students
Authors: Zamora Claudia Iveth Suarez
Published: May 2021

Canada has positioned itself as a destination for thousands of international students from all over the world. Arguably, by offering a relatively affordable education, and an inclusive society. Over the past two decades, the number of international students to Canada has not just increased, but also become more diverse by places of birth, age, marital status, education, and prior occupation. Even though many international students come to Canada when they are single young adults, some arrive with their families leaving behind professional careers back home. Using a qualitative approach, this research explores the motivations that prompt Mexican professionals to come to Canada as international students with their families. The research findings demonstrate that high levels of insecurity in Mexico was the number one push factor that motivated participants to make the decision to immigrate. Furthermore, for many this represents a significant financial investment that can require sacrifices both before and after immigrating.

Key words: Mexico; international students; insecurity; immigration; professionals
Analysis Of Electrocardiograms During Human Ventricular Arrhythmias For Optimizing Treatment Options
Authors: Balasundaram Krishnanand
Published: May 2021

Cardiovascular diseases are diseases that arise from abnormal medical conditions of the heart and the circulation system. Ventricular arrhythmias are a subset that originates from rhythm disorders of the lower chambers (ventricles) of the heart. In spite of research and technology advancements, annually 350,000 sudden cardiac deaths are reported in North America (45,000 in Canada) most of which are ventricular fibrillation (VF) related. This serves as a strong motivation to improve upon or optimize the choice of current treatment options from an engineering perspective which could eventually help reduce the number of SCDs. The choice of the treatment vary in general based on the following two categories of affected population and the type of arrhythmia: (1) symptomatic patients who are prone to or have had arrhythmia occurrences and are currently under medical care and (2) people who suffer ventricular arrhythmias in an out-of-the-hospital environment. This thesis, by employing advanced signal analysis, attempts to improve the characterization of the ventricular arrhythmias, thereby providing better iscriminatory clues in assisting clinicians and emergency medical staff (EMS) to arrive at optimal treatments options for both the categories of affected population.

In the study of symptomatic patients, the organizational structure of the arrhythmia was quantified using wavelet-singular value decomposition analysis, which lead to a novel sub-classification of the ventricular arrhythmia. Classification accuracies of 93.7% for ventricular tachycardia (VT)/non-VT classification and 80% for organized-VF /disorganized-VF classification were achieved.

In the study of out-of-the-hospital arrhythmia instances, focal structural variations were analyzed using wavelets, which led to identifying a signal pattern that could serve as an important clue for the EMS personnel to improve the resuscitation outcomes. Using a database of 25 out-of-the hospital arrhythmia segments, the proposed analysis yielded a classification accuracy of 80%.
Sketchsurfaces : sketch-line initialized deformable surfaces for efficient and controllable interactive 3D medical image segmentation
Authors: Aliroteh Meisam
Published: May 2021

This thesis presents an intuitive, fast and accurate interactive segmentation method for visualizing and analyzing 3D medical images. This method combines a general deformable subdivision surface model with a novel sketch-line user initialization process. The model is simply and precisely initialized with a few quick sketch lines drawn across the width of the target object on several key slices of the volume image. The smooth surface constructed using these lines is extremely close to the shape of the object boundary, making the model's task of snapping to this boundary much simpler and hence more likely to succeed in noisy images with minimal user editing.

This subdivision-surface based deformable model provides a foundation for precise user steering/editing capabilities and all of the simple, intuitive user interactions are seamlessly integrated with advanced visualization capabilities. Furthermore, to demonstrate its efficiency and accuracy, this new model has been used to segment objects from several 3D data sets.
A Web-Based GIS Planning Framework For Urban Oil Spill Management
Authors: Han Helena Y.
Published: May 2021

The thesis is comprised of five chapters. Chapter 1 presents an introduction and identifies the spill issues and strategy gaps at the municipal level. The objectives and scope of this study are indicated in this chapter. Chapter 2 is the literature review of oil spill research and the role of GIS and its distributed form, Web-based GIS. In this chapter, focus is directed at the review of land-based oil spills and their characteristics, spill prevention measures, control technology, and response and cleanup. It also elaborates on spill related law and enforcement within the Canadian legal system. The applications of GIS and Web-based GIS in spill-related fields are reviewed in this chapter. Chapter 3 focuses on the information needs for the establishment of an oil spill planning framework. How GIS and Web-based GIS could facilitate planning processes. Chapter 4 discusses Web-based GIS architecture as refined for municipal spill management. Chapter 5 presents the case study which examines the planning framework based on a Web-based GIS architecture, and Chapter 6 highlights the conclusions of the study, suggestions and recommendations for urban oil spill management based on the research findings--From the Introduction.
The invitation: niche audiences, participatory culture, and The Hype Machine
Authors: Daellenbach Conrad
Published: May 2021

This paper explores the use of aggregation and curation of syndicated sources to support social media listening as a way of addressing the problem of information overload inherent in music discovery. Whereas Hodson & Wilkes looked at textual patterns and sentiment in discourse, the objective of my research is to apply their techniques within the context of identifying trends in electronic music discourse. I’ll then determined whether a traditional model for understanding influence, such as Katz & Lazarsfeld’s “Two--‐step flow theory,” remains true in a digital ecosystem. I’ll examine the music blog aggregator Hype Machine, which employs crowdsourcing and content curation to pre--‐filter a sample of top blog posts, with the objective of creating a dataset from which to identify correlations in both audio properties and blog influence. My research is driven by an exploration of technology and cultural change, as well as examinations of why and how audiences consume music.
Poor insight in obsessive-compulsive disorder: examining the role of cognitive, metacognitive, and neuropsychological variables
Authors: Hood Heather  K.
Published: May 2021

The purpose of this study was to examine the cognitive and neuropsychological constructs that are conceptually related to poor insight in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The relationship between dimensions of insight (Brown Assessment of Beliefs Scale; BABS) and cognitive (magical thinking, paranoia/suspiciousness), metacognitive (metacognition, decentering, cognitive flexibility), and neuroopsychological indices of cognitive flexiblity were examined. Participants with OCD (N = 80) referred for treatment at an outpatient anxiety disorders clinic completed a clinical interview, a brief battery of neuropsychological measures, and a computer-administered questionnaire package assessing the variables of interest. Lower metacognition (i.e., Beck Cognitive Insight Scale [BCIS], composite score) was significantly associated with poorer insight (BABS total; ρ = -.38), and Metacognitions Questionnaire-30 cognitive self-consciousness subscale was negatively correlated with insight regarding a psychiatric source for one’s symptoms (ρ = -.24). Stroop interference was the only neuropsychological variable associated with BABS total score (ρ = -.23), but was not a unique predictor of insight in a regression with BCIS composite scores predicting insight. Nearly all of the variance in insight was accounted for by BCIS composite scores (R = .43, R2 = .18), indicating that metacognition, but not cognitive flexibility, contributes most strongly to clinical insight. Finally, insight decreased when OCD symptoms were activated for both the good and poor insight groups, F(1,78) = 119.29, p < .001, partial η2 = .61, and did not significantly vary as a function of insight group status, F(1, 78) = 3.24, p = .08, partial η2 = .04. Implications, limitations, and directions for future research are discussed.
Classification and generation of grammatical errors
Authors: Penniston Anthony
Published: May 2021

The grammatical structure of natural language shapes and defines nearly every mode of communication, especially in the digital and written form; the misuse of grammar is a common and natural nuisance, and a strategy for automatically detecting mistakes in grammatical syntax presents a challenge worth solving. This thesis research seeks to address the challenge, and in doing so, defines and implements a unique approach that combines machine-learning and statistical natural language processing techniques. Several important methods are established by this research: (1) the automated and systematic generation of grammatical errors and parallel error corpora; (2) the definition and extraction of over 150 features of a sentence; and (3) the application of various machine-learning classification algorithms on extracted feature data, in order to classify and predict the grammaticality of a sentence.
Development of a novel photocatalyst for the photocatalytic treatment of industrial wastewater
Authors: Nasirian Mohsen
Published: May 2021

Heterogeneous semiconductor photocatalysts have been shown to be efficient for the degradation of refractory organics into simple compounds. Among all photocatalysts, TiO2 is the most used one. Two issues that arise with the use of unmodified TiO2 as a photocatalyst are the unwanted fast recombination of electron/hole pairs and the lower effectiveness in the presence of visible light irradiation. Doping a transition metal or a non-metal into TiO2 and its combination with another photocatalyst have been used to enhance its photoactivity. This study is to develop a new photocatalyst by the combination of TiO2 with another semiconductor oxide (Fe2O3) and its doping with transition metal such as Ag. Combined photocatalysts of Fe2O3 /TiO2 (with different mass ratio of Fe:TiO2) is synthesized and then silver ion is doped to combine photocatalysts (with different mass ratio of Ag:TiO2) to produce a new composite photocatalyst of Ag/TiO2/Fe2O3. A new method of UV-assisted thermal synthesis is also employed to prepare the new composite photocatalyst. Methyl orange (MO) and Congo red (CR), as model pollutants, are used to test the developed photocatalyst. In addition, nitrogen-doped titanium dioxide photocatalyst (N-TiO2) with heterojunction structures is synthesized by three different approaches including new UV-assisted thermal synthesis, annealing, and microwave techniques. The novel UV-assisted thermal synthesis has produced encouraging results as a preparation method to prepare N-TiO2 at lower temperature and atmospheric pressure as well as a lower cost. Design of Experiment (DOE) along with response surface methodology (RSM) is used to optimize the photocatalytic activity of N-TiO2 as well as the affecting parameters (wavelength, light intensity, pH, and initial TOC) for decomposition of organics. The structure of all synthesized composite photocatalysts are investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) combined with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) is employed to evaluate surface characteristics and elemental analysis of synthesized photocatalysts. Specific surface area of photocatalysts is measured based on Brunauer, Emmett and Teller (BET) technique. Results show that bare TiO2 has the lowest photocatalytic activity in degradation of organics. When silver is doped to TiO2, the degradation of MO is slightly enhanced at specific mass ratio. The presence of Fe2O3 in the new composite causes a red shift and enhances the potential to absorb higher range of visible light. Results from XRD confirmed that Fe3+ substitutes with Ti4+ in the crystal lattice of TiO2 and crystal defect occurs. The degradation of MO in presence of Ag/TiO2/Fe2O3 (Ag/TiO2=0.005 w:w and Fe:TiO2= 0.01 w:w) reached to 95.6% under sunlight in three hours with a red shift towards visible light. It is observed that there is an optimum specific surface area of photocatalysts by doping and combining photocatalysts.
Video content analysis using the video time density function and statistical models
Authors: Jiang Junfeng
Published: May 2021

As an interesting, meaningful, and challenging topic, video content analysis is to find meaningful structure and patterns from visual data for the purpose of efficient indexing and mining of videos. In this thesis, a new theoretical framework on video content analysis using the video time density function (VTDF) and statistical models is proposed. The proposed framework tries to tackle the problems in video content analysis based on its semantic information from three perspectives: video summarization, video similarity measure, and video event detection. In particular, the main research problems are formulated mathematically first. Two kinds of video data modeling tools are then presented to explore the spatiotemporal characteristics of video data, the independent component analysis (ICA)-based feature extraction and the VTDF.

Video summarization is categorized into two types: static and dynamic. Two new methods are proposed to generate the static video summary. One is hierarchical key frame tree to summarize video content hierarchically. Another is vector quantization-based method using Gaussian mixture (GM) and ICA mixture (ICAM) to explore the characteristics of video data in the spatial domain to generate a compact video summary. The VTDF is then applied to develop several approaches for content-based video analysis. In particular, VTDF-based temporal quantization and statistical models are proposed to summarize video content dynamically. VTDF-based video similarity measure model is to measure the similarity between two video sequences. VTDF-based video event detection method is to classify a video into pre-defined events. Video players with content-based fast-forward playback support are designed, developed, and implemented to demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed methods. Given the richness of literature in effective and efficient information coding and representation using probability density function (PDF), the VTDF is expected to serve as a foundation of video content representation and more video content analysis methods will be developed based on the VTDF framework.
Assessment, Allocation, and Management of Home and Community Care Services for Medically Complex Children : A Case Study
Authors: Salib David
Published: May 2021

This study examines the experiences of CCAC Care Coordinators when assessing, allocating, and managing medically complex children who require home and community care services. A case-study design was implemented, employing a focus group with seven Care Coordinators and an analysis of the 14 Local Health Integration Networks (LHINs) Integrated Health Service Plans (IHSPs) across Ontario. Three major findings arose from the study. First, families are experiencing increased levels of burden related to the child's care responsibilities. Second, there remains a health human resource shortage of individuals with a specialization in paediatrics in the home and community sector. Third, Care Coordinators function as street-level bureaucrats when allocating publicly funded services without the use of a standardized assessment tool. Ultimately, a model of care needs to be implemented supporting a balanced approach to assessment, utilizing standard assessment tools while providing a means for Care Coordinators to utilize their expertise in allocating services.
Technology Producers use of Language and Discourse to Shape and Reinstate Anti-Black Global Realities: An Analysis of Amazon’s Facial Recognition Technology Communications and Responses to Racial Bias in Rekognition
Authors: Crawford Charlotte
Published: May 2021

As of 2016, one in two American adults could be found in at least one American law enforcement face recognition network (Garvie, Bedoya & Frankle, 2016). Racial bias in facial recognition technology is an important site of study as technology is largely conceived by public and state actors as neutral and democratic in nature, exempt from the biases and prejudices of human life (Noble, 2018). This study will trace the ways in which Amazon’s responses to claims of racial bias in Rekognition and FRT general descriptions allow race and existing relations of power to manifest and persist. This study employs a critical discourse analysis to argue that Amazon works to obscure racial bias in both development and application of FRTs in law enforcement. Amazon also enables what I refer to as discourses of racial neutrality which, allows Amazon to deem any racially biased FRT outcomes as a "glitch in the system" that has nothing to do with race, despite decades of evidence proving otherwise.
Obstacles to transsexuals becoming parents : a preliminary investigation
Authors: Chafe Amanda-Lee Mary
Published: May 2021

Transsexuals can become parents through a variety of biological and social means both pre and post-transition. This exploratory study looked at the obstacles transsexuals may face in trying to access parenting through donor insemination, surrogacy and/or adoption post-transition. Qualitative interviews were conducted with two professionals who work with transsexuals trying to access parenting and one transsexual parent/activist. Key informants highlighted a number of obstacles faced by transsexuals trying to access parenting including discrimination from social services, fear of the medical system, lack of information and knowledge biology, cost, lack of support and sense of entitlement. In addition key informants also highlighted the reasons why transsexuals want to become parents, the impact these obstacles can have on children of transsexuals and the changes that need to be made to eliminate these obstacles both at social and governmental levels. It should be noted that because of the small sample size, use of non-probability sampling and uniqueness of each case that the results of this research cannot be generalized to all transsexuals seeking to access parenthood.
Alternating polystannanes: synthesis, preparation, characterization and a computational study
Authors: Harrypersad Shane
Published: May 2021

Polystannanes have been synthesized by a number of useful routes. Generally, these polymers have been limited to homopolymers containing a single type of substituent. We now demonstrated a novel condensation polymerization utilizing dialkyl or diaryl tin dihydrides and dialkyl tin diamides to prepare alternating polymers with neighbouring tin centers possessing different group functionalities. Three new alternating polystannanes containing both organically
solubilizing (n-Bu, Me) and less solubilizing (Ph) side groups as well as the homopolymer dibutylpolystannane have been prepared. A variety of closely related model tristannanes using the same synthetic methodology was also completed. We have also carried out a computational study of a number of model stannanes in order to optimize structures of the oligo- and polystannanes synthetically prepared and predict their spectral properties by using time dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT). This study has yielded results that can be influential in predicting chemical orientation, bonding properties and electronics.
Color image watermarking using multidimensional Fourier transforms
Authors: Tsui Tsz Kin
Published: May 2021

This thesis presents two vector watermarking schemes that are based on the use of complex and quaternion Fourier transforms and demonstrates, for the first time, how to embed watermarks into the coefficients consistent with our human visual systems (HVS). Watermark casting is performed by estimating the Just-Noticeable distortion (JND) of the images, to ensure watermark invisibility.
The first method encodes the chromatic content of a color image as CIE a*b* chromaticity coordinates whereas the achromatic content is encoded as CIE L tristimulus value. Color watermarks (yellow and blue) are embedded in the frequency domain of the chromatic channels by using Spatio Chromatic Discrete Fourier Transform (SCDFT). It first encodes a* and b* as complex values, followed by a single discrete Fourier Transform. The most interesting characteristic of the scheme is the possibility of performing watermarking in the frequency domain of chromatic components.
The second method encodes the L*a*b* components of color images and color watermarks are embedded as vectors in the frequency domain of the channels by using the Quaternion Fourier Transform (QFT). The idea is twofold: Robustness is achieved by embedding a color watermark in the coefficient with positive frequency, which spreads it to all components in the spatial domain. On the other hand, invisibility is satisfied by modifying the coefficient with negative frequency, such that the combined effects of the two are insensitive to human eyes
Captioning Prosody: Experience as a Basis for Typographic Representations of how Things are Said
Authors: Irvin Casey
Published: May 2021

This project explores a potential framework for expressing prosody in typefaces used for captioning video. The work employs C. S. Peirce’s triadic form of the sign, specifically the icon and index; Theo van Leeuwen’s exploration of the semiotics of typography and the voice; and George Lakoff and Mark Johnson’s idea of experiential metaphors to form a theoretical underpinning that explains the meaning of speech and typography in terms of physical, bodily experiences. Seven typefaces were designed to show shouted, whispered, quick, slow, tense, relaxed, and trembling ways of speaking respectively. A series of three focus groups with deaf, hard of hearing, and hearing participants were held to evaluate the usefulness of these typefaces and, based on the results of a questionnaire and group discussion, alterations were made to the designs after each focus group. Bodily experience is found to be a potentially suitable groundwork for showing prosody in video captions.
Assessing the engagement of social media marketing: the case study of a tourism Toronto video-based marketing campaign
Authors: Stolte Diane
Published: May 2021

The purpose of this research is to assess user engagement for a video-based social media campaign by a destination marketing organization (DMO). A case study methodology was applied to examine the Tourism Toronto video-based campaign of 2017 on Instagram and Twitter. Social interactions were analyzed to compare the relative engagement rates across platforms. This determined that Instagram had a higher relative engagement rate compared to Twitter. Instagram can be considered as a more desirable tool for DMOs to share videos digitally. The limited sample size presents research limitations through potentially not representing a larger population opinion’s on the content. It enables practical implications for destination marketers who have limited resources by highlighting that Instagram may be a preferred channel over Twitter due to higher engagements rates. There is a lack of research on the comparison of relative engagement rates from an academic perspective and this is the first study to explore the topic for a video-based marketing campaign in the DMO industry.
The method of images in the pricing of barrier derivatives in three dimensions
Authors: Wen Xianzhang
Published: May 2021

The thesis describes the joint distributions of minima, maxima and endpoint values for a three dimensional Wiener process. In particular, the results provide the point cumulative distributions for the maxima and/or minima of the components of the process. The densities are obtained explicitly for special type of correlations by the method of images; the analysis requires a detailed study of partitions of the sphere by means of spherical triangles. The joint densities obtained can be used to obtain explicit expressions for price of options in financial mathematics. We provide closed-form expressions for the price of several barrier type derivatives with a three dimensional geometric Wiener process as underlying. These solutions are found for special correlation matrices and are given by linear combinations of three dimensional Gaussian cumulative distributions. In order to extend the results to a wider set of correlation matrices the method of random correlations is outlined.
Molecular and Thermal Diffusion Coefficients Of n-Dodecane, Isobutylbenzene and Tetrahydronaphtalene Hydrocarbon Mixtures in Porous Media
Authors: Khawaja Mustafa
Published: May 2021

The thermal diffusion phenomenon was studied in detail by utilizing mixtures consisting of normal alkenes and two aromatics (n-Dodecane, Isobutylbenzene and 1,2,3,4-Tetrahydronaphtalene) based on comparison with available experimental data. This study presents the first report of a comparison of thermal diffusion coefficients of a ternary hydrocarbon mixture with experimental data in the literature. In addition to thermal diffusion coefficients, molecular diffusion coefficients are also measured and compared with Benchmark experimental values for three binary mixtures. Furthermore, molecular and thermal diffusion coefficients for three binary mixtures are used to correlate and estimate the thermal diffusion coefficients in the ternary hydrocarbon mixture. The thermo-solutal convection in porous media was simulated numerically using the Firoozabadi model in order to investigate the composition variation due to the processes of thermal diffusion and convection. Finally, a multi-porosity/multi-permeability model was utilized to further analyze the processes of thermal diffusion and convection in fractured porous media.
"Too White": Model Minority counter-stories in Canadian institute(s) of higher education
Authors: Han Joe Jeong
Published: May 2021

The Model Minority Myth (MMM) is a discursive trait of Asianness in the North American context. It defines East Asian identity as a hardworking and a resilient group despite experiencing discrimination. Marginality in a positive stereotype seems like an oxymoron, however when the MMM is the only representation of the Asian community, it robs individuality of Asians who are excluded from this representation. Historically, the monolithic representation of the Asian diaspora with the MMM was used as a hegemonic tool to oppress racialized groups, including other Asians to legitimize whiteness. In this MRP, narratives of three participants provided counter stories to erode monolithic stories of Asians. Furthermore, it provided the discursive space to have conversations about Asianness with the participants.

Keywords : model minority, Asianness, race, gender, narrative approach, counter-story
Advanced DSP Control of Induction Motors Using Kalman Filter
Authors: Zhu Shiping
Published: May 2021

This research paper presents a novel method for the speed control of induction motors without using a speed sensor. The rotor speed can be accurately computed using an optimal control observer named the Kalman filter designed in this research paper. This replaces a speed sensor and eliminates the difficulty of the sensor installation in many applications. This research paper presents an advanced field oriented control of induction motors, based on a specific d-q coordinate model with the d-coordinate chosen to be in line with the rotor flux and the q-coordinate chosen to be 90⁰ lagging. The position of the rotor flux can be accurately computed using the Kalman filter. This eliminates the position sensors required accurately to monitor the flux. This research paper shows that as a result of this specific d-q transformation, the motor torque is proportional to the product of the rotor flux and the q-coordinate stator current. This significantly simplifies the induction motor control, such that the rotor flux is simply controlled by regulating the flux-related d-coordinates stator current and the motor torque is controlled just by regulating the q-coordinate stator current. This research paper presents a computational efficient recursive algorithm for Kalman filter which is specifically designed for the induction motor control. The Kalman filter provides the minimum variance state estimation and tolerates induction motor modelling and measurement errors. The Kalman filter can process all available measurements regardless of their precision (only two input current measurements required for the motor control), and provides a quick and optimal estimate of the variables of interest (the rotor speed and flux selected as outputs), as well as achieves a fast convergence. This research paper presents the digital signal processor (DSP) implementation of the field oriented control of induction motors using Kalman filter. The hardware requirements and all software modules are detailed. The experimental verification of the control method designed in this research paper is provided. Typical measurements are given to demonstrate the efficiency of the novel control presented in this research paper.
Towards the synthesis of photobactin: methodology and metal binding aspects
Authors: Shuoprasad Michelle
Published: May 2021

Siderophores are metal-typically iron-chelating compounds that have received countless
attention in research, as they can play a role in medicine intended for drug delivery and iron
overload treatment. The synthesis of Photobactin has been of interest as it has been previously isolated (<10 mg) from Photorhabdus luminescence and has not once been synthesized. This thesis examined the preparation of Photobactin using a multi-step approach: synthesizing two building blocks individually and coupling them together with an amide coupling reagent. Both building blocks were synthesized successfully. However, the deprotection of the ester group on one of the building blocks has been uncooperative, and therefore the total synthesis of Photobactin was not achieved. Moreover, DFT computation calculations were performed to study Photobactin binding properties with Fe3+. According to the results, iron (Fe3+) is likely to form a hexadentate (6-coordinate ligand) or a tetradentate (4-coordinate ligand) complex with Photobactin.

Each of the compounds leading to Photobactin was characterized using 1H and 13C-NMR.
Some compounds were characterized using elemental analysis and performing 2D-NMR
(COSY, HMBC, and HSQC) to make final assignments.
Poverty and the media : mainstream newspaper coverage of anti-poverty activism
Authors: Butler Kate
Published: May 2021

In the twenty-first century, the mass media is increasingly seen as having a very pervasive influence: the extent and reach if it simply cannot be ignored. In communities large and small, and in countries all over the world, the mass media has the ability to set agendas and influence public opinion. In North America, the mass media is particularly ubiquitous; from television, to the internet, to newspapers, it has become difficult to avoid mass media products.
Counterfactual thinking and repetitive thought in social anxiety
Authors: Monforton Jennifer
Published: May 2021

Research suggests that those experiencing Social Anxiety (SA) symptoms are more likely to engage in repetitive thought (RT), including upward counterfactual thinking (U-CFT). Findings indicate that these cognitive patterns may lead to deleterious thoughts and emotions, particularly when U-CFT focuses on non-repeatable, uncontrollable situations and negative self-appraisals. The present dissertation consisted of two complementary studies. Study 1 attempted to 1) validate new measures of state and trait U-CFT, 2) examine the relationship between U-CFT and established measures of RT and mood, and 3) explore the relationship between SA symptoms and counterfactual thinking within a student population. Results indicated that the U-CFT-S (trait measure of U-CFT) and the Counterfactual Likelihood scales (state measure of U-CFT) evidenced sound psychometrics in terms of internal consistency, factor structure, and relationships with related questionnaires. Factor analyses revealed that the Maladaptive U-CFT-S scale clustered with negative mood, rumination, and learned helplessness, while the Adaptive U-CFT subscale clustered with measures of positive mood and self-efficacy. Finally, symptoms of SA correlated positively with state and trait U-CFT generation. Study 2 1) compared patterns of U-CFT and emotions such as guilt and self-blame between a diagnosed Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) group and a Healthy Control (HC) group 2) determined if disorder-specific content impacts U-CFT generation, and 3) piloted a brief, CBT-based, video intervention targeting maladaptive U-CFT. Results indicated that the SAD group evidenced higher amounts of U-CFT in response to the socially-based scenarios than the HC group and in response to social than non-social scenarios. The SAD group evidenced higher levels of unhelpful emotions (e.g., guilt) both pre- and post-CFT generation than HC participants. Finally, the CBT intervention was generally unsuccessful at reducing maladaptive U-CFT, but was more likely to be effective among SAD than HC participants. Implications of this dissertation include: 1) the benefit of including state- and trait-based measures of U-CFT in future research, 2) the importance of conceptualizing U-CFT as a multifaceted construct, 3) addressing that those with SAD are engaging in maladaptive U-CFT and experiencing consequent guilt and self-blame, and 4) the direction of creating more comprehensive, brief interventions aimed at targeting maladaptive U-CFT.
Is an alibi a paper shield? An investigation of the factors that influence alibi credibility judgments
Authors: Cowan Sara
Published: May 2021

Alibis are a potentially powerful piece of evidence for innocence, but examination of criminal cases suggests that honestly offered alibis may fail to prevent wrongful convictions. Currently, little is known regarding how evaluators judge the credibility of alibis. Three studies investigated the effect of alibi moral desirability, suspect race (White/Indigenous Canadian), alibi evidence strength, and Authoritarianism on participants’ legal judgments. Participants read a fictitious police file (Experiment 1: N = 300; Experiment 2: N = 286) or newspaper article (Experiment 3: N =235) and rated a male suspect’s/defendant’s statement honesty, alibi accuracy, and the likelihood of his guilt, among other dependent measures, then completed the Authoritarianism-Conservatism-Traditionalism scale (ACT; Duckitt et al., 2010) and, in Experiment 3, the Revised Religious Life Inventory (Hills et al., 2005). In Experiments 1 and 2, participants were asked to sign a petition supporting the suspect. Results indicated that providing an alibi can be beneficial or detrimental to the suspect, depending on contextual factors and the narrative itself. In Experiments 1 and 2, alibi moral desirability affected participants’ responses, though different patterns emerged at Ryerson and at Iowa State, and moral desirability influenced judgments primarily for the Indigenous suspect. Consistent with Olson and Wells’ (2004) taxonomy, Experiment 1 showed that the strength of the physical evidence supporting an alibi is a primary determinant of judgments of its credibility. In Experiment 3, participants provided less favourable ratings for the Indigenous defendant than the White defendant, particularly when they already had more negative general feelings about Indigenous people, though this was not found in Experiment 2. More participants signed the petition when the alibi was morally desirable at Iowa State, and for the Indigenous suspect. Across all studies, higher scores on the ACT’s Authoritarianism subscale were associated with responses that were less favourable for the suspect/defendant, and many participants did not accurately define the term “alibi.” Understanding the complexities of decision-making in this context will help us better understand why some (honest) alibis are rejected, and how stereotypes and assumptions regarding the alibi provider may lead to bias in the investigation and adjudication of criminal cases.
The self-perceived health status and access to health care services among Korean immigrants in Ottawa, Ontario
Authors: Suh Sang-Mi
Published: May 2021

The objectives of thesis paper were to examine the current self-perceived health status of Korean immigrants and identify their health determining factors, particularly the impact of acculturative stress. Also, the use of primary health care services in Canada and the choice of participants' alternative use of health coping strategies were also under careful scrutiny. A qualitative approach was used based on focus groups and analysis was set within the population health perspective. The results indicated that acculturative stress was a major health-determining factor among participants. High acculturative stress and barriers to using Canada's primary health care system increased patterns of demands for outside of primary health care system, such as access to emergency department services. Also, continuously experiences difficulties in using the regular health care services, the Korean participants chose to utilize their high transnational activities and accessed medical services in their homeland.
For the many (but especially for you) : the personal, participatory narratives of videos supporting the UK Labour Party's 2017 election campaign
Authors: West Rachel
Published: May 2021

There is a growing body of research on the interplay between increasingly digitally informed
political campaigning and citizen engagement in the political sphere both on and offline. While
much of the existing scholarship concerns how digital technology impacts engagement,
participation and the spread of information, there is limited research into the ways in which
specific digital content modes and social media platforms intersect in ways that can lead to
increased involvement of individuals in high-effort political activities. This research paper
focuses on the personal action framing of campaign videos created in support of the Labour
Party’s general election campaign in 2017. Videos created by both the central campaign and the
grassroots political organization Momentum were designed to be shared widely over social
media platforms to achieve visibility over a broad network of supporters and undecided voters
over the course of the campaign. By analyzing the content of these videos, I will show how
specific instances of digital media, such as videos, can invite instances of high-effort political
participation through personalized political action framing. Drawing on connective action theory,
and in particular, the discussion of personalized politics (Bennett, 2012; Bennett & Segerberg,
2013), this research uses thematic content analysis to identify which high-effort political
activities are alluded to most often in the video content. By comparing the videos produced by
Labour with those of Momentum, this contribution addresses a gap in the existing literature as it
relates to how campaigns can benefit from loosely connected ties to organizations that use digital
media to expend their networks of influence to develop their strategic capacity. The methods
explored in this research can inform future study on the use of campaign videos in political
movement building and election campaigns.