bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An Investigation of Binary Coded Excitation Methods Using Golay Code Pairs for High Frequency Ultrasound Imaging
Authors: Su Xuegang
Published: June 2021

We are investigating the feasibility of binary coded excitation methods using Golay code pairs for high frequency ultrasound imaging as a way to increase the signal to noise ratio. I present some theoretical models used to simulate the coded excitation method and results generated from the models. A new coded excitation high frequency ultrasound prototype system was built to verify the simulation results. Both the simulation and the experimental results show that binary coded excitation can improve the signal to noise ratio in high frequency ultrasound backscatter signals. These results are confirmed in phantoms and excised bovine liver. If just white noise is considered, the encoding gain is 15dB for a Golay pair of length 4. We find the system to be very sensitive to motion (i.e. phase shift) and frequency dependent (FD) attenuation, creating sidelobes and degrading axial resolution and encoding gain. Methods to address these issues are discussed.
Crashworthiness of vehicle-to-pole collisions using a hybrid III 3-year-old child dummy
Authors: Krznaric Vid
Published: June 2021

To date, statistics indicate that motor vehicle crashes are one of the leading causes of death and injury for children despite improved crashworthiness of vehicles and child restraint systems, since children are at risk for devastating head and neck injuries due to their fragile physiology. Thus, this thesis focused on minimizing child injuries experienced during frontal vehicle-to-pole collisions by improving on the safety and energy absorption of existing traffic pole structures. A finite element computer model, using LS-DYNA software, was used to simulate crash events in order to determine the influence of pole structural and material characteristics on the injury parameters of a 3-year-old child dummy occupant. It was concluded that the anchored base support, and the embedded pole in soil systems provide desirable crashworthy results. In addition, it is recommended to mandate traffic protection devices in all areas with poor energy absorbing characteristics that resemble non-deformable objects.
A Descriptive analysis of Ten Painted Tintypes from the George Eastman House Collection
Authors: Pfeiffer Claudia
Published: June 2021

This thesis is a descriptive analysis of a selected group of ten painted tintypes from the George Eastman House collection. All ten objects are large, heavily overpainted portraits with dates ranging from the 1860s to the 1890s, which is considered the peak of the painted tintype’s popularity. All ten tintypes share two significant features: they all have a completely overpainted, or in one case an abraded, background and they all share a collage-like look due to the use of different paints on one image. The thesis will investigate the painted tintypes’ aesthetics in relation to their time period considering the major social changes that occurred during the Victorian era. It will contextualize them in a broader tradition of painted photography and show their connection with the notions of time, space and memory as they were influenced by and shifted with the introduction of new communication and transportation technologies.
The Klinsky Press Agency Finding Aid at the Art Gallery of Ontario
Authors: Yarnell Lisa
Published: June 2021

The Klinsky collection (comprised of Klinsky I and Klinsky II) contains over 20,000 press photographs from the 1930s and 1940s and was amassed by Emil Klinsky, the owner and operator of Recla, a picture distribution agency located in Amsterdam. Operating primarily during the 1930s, Klinsky at the helm of Recla, handled picture distribution in the Netherlands for numerous media agencies in Germany. The Klinsky I collection encompasses 9,236 press photographs, assembled from illustrated magazines and press agencies from the 1930s. The Art Gallery of Ontario acquired it in 2002 from the Archive of Modern Conflict. Although the Klinsky collection is one of largest photographic collection at the Art Gallery of Ontario, access to the collection is hindered by its lack of organization. The creation of a finding aid enables new access points to the collection which will facilitate and promote research. An intellectual arrangement based on 16 subject terms was implemented, and a database was created to reflect the new organization of the contents.
Voluntary environmental initiatives in Canadian manufacturing sector
Authors: Levin Maina
Published: June 2021

The traditional regulatory approach to controlling pollution is inadequate in supporting sustainability, drawing attention to alternative strategies including self-regulation. However, such efforts rely on voluntary action on behalf of industry. Little research has been conducted to assess the effectiveness of these initiatives in the Canadian context.

Utilizing a combination of telephone and written questionnaires, Canadian manufacturing associations were surveyed to determine the extent to which voluntary environmental initiatives were promoted to their members.

The results indicate that only a small percentage of manufacturing associations promote formal voluntary environmental initiatives, suggesting that this form of self-regulation is not widely accepted by industry. These initiatives placed significant emphasis on legislative compliance and the goal and were deficient in key transparency and credibility indicators, suggesting that reliance on self-regulation alone is inadequate to address sustainable environmental management.
Selective memory: an analysis of albums compiled at the return of the 1904 Younghusband mission into Tibet
Authors: Lachowskyj Catherine
Published: June 2021

Focusing on a collection of albums at the Archive of Modern Conflict related to the Younghusband Mission in Tibet (1903-1904), this thesis explores the the analysis of personal albums and their contribution to the history of the Mission. The first chapter, a literature survey, outlines the existing textual histories of the invasion, highlighting the absence of photographic analysis in the works, while also highlighting Tibet’s absence from contemporary criticisms of colonial photography. The second chapter is an overview of the visual conventions ascribed to Tibetans in British India’s photography prior to the Younghusband Mission, and the third chapter provides provenance information and detailed descriptions of the AMC’s albums. Finally, the fourth chapter discusses the objects, revealing their contribution to the perpetuation of Tibetan tropes, implicit visual documentation of British superiority, and the development of constructed narratives favouring the British colonizers. Each analysis acts as an example of how photographs should be used to articulate the colonial history of not only the Younghusband Mission, but of Tibet’s greater history with the West.
MaRRS : a software system for generating multimedia radiology reports using Adobe Acrobat
Authors: Moniz Kristy
Published: June 2021

Despite the proliferation of multimedia software technologies, radiology reports continue to lack image content that would improve the ability of referring clinicians to fully interpret and analyze radiological findings. This thesis demonstrates that it is possible to construct a radiology reporting software system that contains both text and image content using only "off-the-shelf" multimedia software. Specifically, a software system is presented that provides enhanced visual multimedia capabilities, structured content, and reduced report production time, using a well-known PDF program, Adobe Acrobat. The system, which we call the Multimedia Radiology Report System, or MaRRs, allows radiologists to quickly and simply create and deliver effective interactive multimedia medical reports. A detailed analysis describing the unique structure and functionality of MaRRS will be presented to demonstrate its advantages for both radiologists and referring clinicians.
Integration of precise point positioning and reduced inertial sensors system
Authors: Ibrahim Hassan E.
Published: June 2021

In Global Positioning System (GPS), Precise Point Positioning (PPP) achieves the highest accuracy in point positioning. It approaches centimetre-level accuracy in static mode and sub-decimetre accuracy in kinematic mode. PPP is an alternative approach to carrier-phase-based Differential GPS (DGPS) and offers advantages over DGPS. PPP uses GPS observations from a single receiver for position estimation, which is simpler than using more than one GPS receiver. However, PPP needs rigorous modelling for all errors and biases, which are otherwise cancelled out or mitigated when using DGPS. PPP’s popularity is on the rise, as it is ideal for land-vehicle positioning and navigation. However, in challenging environments, PPP suffers from a signal loss that prevent continuous navigation or a reduction in the number of visible satellites that causes accuracy degradation.

This research integrates PPP with a Reduced Inertial Sensors System (RISS) — a low-cost system that uses data from reduced MEMS-based inertial sensors and vehicle odometry — to provide accurate and inexpensive land-vehicle navigation systems. The system is integrated in a tightly coupled mode through the use of an Extended Kalman Filter (EKF), which employs an improved error model for the RISS data. The system was tested using data from real driving routes with single-frequency code-based PPP/RISS (SF-code-PPP/RISS), dual-frequency code-based PPP (DF-code-PPP/RISS), smoothed dual-frequency code-based PPP (S-DF-code-PPP/RISS), and code- and carrier-phase-based PPP (code-carrier-PPP/RISS). The performance of the developed PPP/RISS was evaluated using position RMS and maximum errors during continuous GPS availability as well as during signal outages.

The developed integrated algorithms were assessed using three real road tests that capture different navigational conditions. The results show that when five or more satellites are available, code-carrier-PPP/RISS solution is superior to that of SF- and DF-code-PP/RISS. For latitude, code-carrier-PPP/RISS solution was 47% and 20% more precise than the SF- and DF-code-
PP/RISS counterparts, respectively. For longitude, code-carrier-PPP/RISS solution was 65% and 31% more precise than the SF- and DF-Code-PP/RISS counterparts, respectively. Similarly, the altitude solution was improved by 46% and 25%, respectively. During GPS signal outages of 60 seconds, code-carrier-PPP/RISS’s algorithms outperformed that of SF- and DF-code-PPP/RISS by about 35% when the satellite availability level was set to three satellites. For other satellite availability levels, the algorithms performed almost identically.
Attitudes Of Transplant Nurses Toward Clinical Trials
Authors: Kolisnyk Olesya
Published: June 2021

Nurses may have an important role in supporting patients' decision making about their participation in clinical trials. Nurses' views about clinical trials and patients' understanding of the clinical trial process may shape the role nurses play in these trials. Little is known about transplant nurses' attitudes and beliefs toward clinical trials. This quantitative study employed a survey method involving a convenience sample of transplant nurses (n=39) in an urban hospital in Southern Ontario to describe attitudes and beliefs of transplant nurses toward clinical trials. The results indicated that transplant nurses had positive attitudes and beliefs toward clinical trials. Specifically, outpatient coordinators and older nurses were more positive in their attitudes. Nurses perceived transplant patients were knowledgeable about clinical trials. The majority of nurses (85%) engaged in the conduct of clinical trials. Transplant nurses also suggested educational, administrative and financial support as beneficial to further enhance their participation in these trials.
Joint admission control and power allocation in hospital networks based on cognitive radios.
Authors: Liu Yicong
Published: June 2021

In this thesis, we present an approach to solve the joint call admission control and power allo-
cation problem in a hospital environment based on cognitive radio. Specifically, a multi-objective
non-convex mixed integer non-linear programming (MINLP) problem with weighted-sum method
for wireless access in an indoor hospital environment has been formulated in order to maximize the
number of admitted secondary users and minimize transmit power while guaranteeing the through-
put of all secondary users and satisfying the interference constraints for the protected and primary
users. To solve this MINLP problem with different weights given to different objectives, we pro-
pose to use the standard branch and bound algorithm as appropriately modified to find the optimal
solution. We also coded a specific program using OPTI Toolbox to find the minimum objective
function value, number of admitted secondary users and all related values such as total system
power and throughput. To analyze the numerical results, we considered three cases with equal
and non-equal weights. We also changed the values of interference and maximum source power
to obtain and analyze different results comparing with the normal one. Our results indicate that
more power is allocated and better throughput is guaranteed while the number of admitted users
is increasing. However, as they increase, the objective function value increases steadily as well,
which means that it is more difficult to reach our minimizing objective.
The viability of pronatalism as a response to population growth decline in the Canadian context
Authors: Blair Katharine Emma
Published: June 2021

A decrease in fertility over the last thirty years has led to projections for population growth decline and possible population decline in the near future. Although immigration has traditionally been seen as a source of growth for Canada, current demographic trends suggest a more comprehensive approach may be needed. A pronatalist policy may help offset the long term effects of population decline if used in tandem with increased immigration and increased support for arriving immigrants. In order to be successful such a policy would need to address both the direct and indirect barriers to fertility as experienced by women and families while encouraging increased labour force participation by women.
Interrogating the efficiency paradigm : a study of language analysis as evidence in refugee status determination
Authors: Pease Erin Colleen
Published: June 2021

In 1993, Sweden commenced the unprecedented practice of using Language Analysis (LA) as evidence in refugee status determination. Since that time, Western governments trying to cope with the perceived refugee crisis have similarly adopted the tool to corroborate and undermine the nationality claims of asylum seekers crossing borders without identity documents. During this same period, language professionals, lawyers, various news media, and others across the globe have proceeded to fuel international controversy on the subject, largely challenging the linguistic integrity of the tool, while investing less energy addressing the political context of use, as well as the implications for violations of refugee rights. In 2007, Canada reflected prioritized concerns for efficiency when it made public a pilot project to address the value of this language tool in aiding status decision-making.

This paper interrogates the Canadian efficiency paradigm through the Australian lens of LA in practice. In exposing the ethical and legal sites of likely disengagement should Canada proceed with implementation, this paper cautions against LA becoming the most recent assault on a Canadian protection regime already under siege.
Non-Linear Analysis Of A Nuclear Containment Structure Under High Internal Pressure
Authors: Avval Ima Tavakkoli
Published: June 2021

The main objective of the current study is to investigate the response of an internally pressurized nuclear power plant containment structure at pressure values higher than design pressure, and is focused on the response of prestressed concrete containment to ultimate global structural failure. The containment structure consists of a prestressed concrete cylindrical perimeter wall, with a prestressed concrete tori-spherical dome, prestressed concrete ring beam, and conventionally reinforced concrete base slab. The finite element program ANSYS is used to predict the non-liner behaviour of the containment structure. Different techniques available in ANSYS program to model steel reinforcements for reinforced concrete and prestressed concrete is estimated to define a more suitable approach to model prestressing system. The approach proposed here is capable of incorporating parameters such as variation in tendon layout and non-uniform prestress losses in comparison to those done by other researchers.

It is concluded that the design criteria for the containment structure are fully satisfied. No through crack was observed at design pressure. The first through crack develops in the dome at a pressure of 2.1 times the design pressure. There is no damage to be expected to the reactor systems up to a pressure well above design pressure. It is observed that the containment structure subject of this study meets the design requirement of the current standards and behaves linearly in excess of 1.5 times the design pressure. The response of the internally pressurized containment structure including the major openings is investigated. It is concluded that presence of openings does not have a significant effect on the pressure capacity of the containment structure. The minor differences in the responses are at pressure values beyond the linear limit and are less than 5%. The response when openings are included are very similar to those without openings, except at the immediate neighboring of the equipment airlock opening. It is concluded that to predict the pressure response of containment structure, including the openings can be ignored. In case of need for a more exact response, only the equipment airlock can be included in the model
Integrated Planning Framework For Pumped Hydro Energy Storage (PHES) Systems
Authors: Hasan Faizul
Published: June 2021

The electric power industry worldwide has been focusing towards increasing utilization of renewable energy resources such as wind and solar to build and maintain clean, reliable and affordable electricity systems. Although these resources are environmentally clean, their uncertain and intermittent nature is a significant issue. Similarly, other energy generators such as nuclear and gas have serious environmental issues. These issues can be resolved with effective management of supply and demand using appropriate energy storage. Although various energy storage options are available, PHES is globally proven technology at grid level. Additionally, gravity power module (GPM) is a newly emerged technology in the power industry. However, its applications at full scale are still awaited.

This research developed methodologies for integrated planning framework for PHES systems at grid level, employing a GIS-based model to identify feasible PHES sites, optimizing the scheduling of feasible PHES potential, and performing the financial analysis of PHES system. The methodologies were applied on grid-connected electricity area of Ontario that identified 285 feasible PHES and GPM sites with storage potential of 56,268 MWh.

This research proposed the formation of a cooperative association namely „Pumped Hydro Storage Association (PHSA)‟ for integration of PHES system in the electricity market system operated by the IESO in Ontario. Using 2016 data, the optimization model resulted that PHSA supplied real-time energy 28,134 MWh/ day, provided ancillary services including variable operating reserve 23,914 MWh/ day, fixed operating reserve 4,220 MWh/ day, and purchased energy 65,060 MWh/ day. The optimization results and resultant financial indicators confirmed that proposed PHES system is technically and financially viable in a large electricity market system. As an initial step, partial development of PHES and GPM plants was proposed with an initial capital cost of C$ 1,052 Million utilizing 7,767 MWh/ day energy potential that resulted in a net profit share of C$ 13.36/ MWh for each participatory plant.

Finally, the developed PHES planning framework for PHES system can certainly be found valuable to the policymakers, system operators, energy developers, research scholars, engineers, financial analysts and scientist community to work on future improvement in the PHES system.
Photographic Censorship In The First World War : A Comparison Between The Realistic Travels Stereograph Set And British Personal Photograph Albums From The Collection Of The Art Gallery Of Ontario
Authors: Leverty Emma
Published: June 2021

This thesis compared a group of personal photograph albums compiled by British soldiers during the First World War to a set of stereographs produced during the war and published after by the British company Realistic Travels, both from the collection of the Art Gallery of Ontario. The development of British censorship restrictions during the First World War had a profound effect on who, what, where and how individuals were able to photograph the conflict. This thesis examines how these restrictions affected stereograph photographers and soldiers as they documented the war in order to ascertain how these effects shaped the construction of each type of photographic object. By comparing and analyzing both bodies of work as they were produced in three theatres of war -- the Western Front, Gallipoli and within Britain -- we see that objects created for public and private audiences are more similar than they initially appear.
Development Framework for Performance-Based Output Specifications to Encourage Innovation in Public-Private Partnerships
Authors: Qordja Demokrat
Published: June 2021

Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) have been emerged as a successful delivery approach for driving large-scale infrastructure projects to provide affordable services and to meet the public requirements. The successful development of performance-based output specifications (PSOS) for PPP infrastructure projects have been under the attention of many procurement agencies and public authorities. Many diverse groups from both public and private sector believe that the current practice of PSOS needs to be enhanced. The lack of guidance to ensure that the performance is properly linked with the designed end product is identified as the major challenge to develop a high quality PSOS. In this study, a set of performance criteria and a generic framework for developing high quality PSOS based on the hierarchy of system engineering approach is proposed. Moreover, two infrastructure projects were considered as case studies to evaluate the PSOS implemented and to compare the results obtained, with the proposed framework.
Exploring the experience of receiving Canadian Armed Forces’ mental health services
Authors: O'Rourke Erin
Published: June 2021

This study uses a narrative approach to explore the experience of receiving mental health services within the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF). Data was collected from media sources where interviews were conducted with current and former CAF members about their experiences with the CAF’s mental health services. Thematic narrative analysis was used to interpret themes that emerged within participants’ stories and to identify similarities and differences across stories. Findings included the experience of structural difficulties when accessing the CAF’s mental health services, the negative effects of mental health stigma, fears related to disclosing issues of mental health and the need for changes to the CAF’s mental health system. The study also presents a preliminary discussion on the relevance of anti-oppressive social work practice for the CAF’s mental health services. Also detailed is the process of completing the research including the challenges encountered when attempting to access the population and recruit participants.
Use of Fiber Brag Gating Sensors in civil engineering applications
Authors: Yazdizadeh Zahra
Published: June 2021

This research presents an overview of development and application of Fiber Bragg Grating sensors (FBG) technology in civil engineering applications. The primary focus of this research is the use of FBGs to investigate two most important time-dependent properties of concrete namely: creep strain and shrinkage strain. The first phase of this investigation is focused on using FBG sensors to measure the concrete strains in unreinforced concrete beams and cylinders to determine modulus of elasticity, the modulus of rapture and fracture energy of concrete. The second phase of this research is designed to investigate the creep and shrinkage using FBG sensors. Normal strength concrete (NC), High performance concrete (HPC) and ultra-high performance (UHPC) specimens’ are used to measure creep and shrinkage strains and to compare the values with typical prediction models. The measured creep and shrinkage strains are compared to four different models to determine which model is the most accurate.
Optoacoustic imaging of gold nanorod based photothermal therapy
Authors: Tabibi Mehrnaz
Published: June 2021

Gold Nanorod Photothermal Therapy (GNR-PTT) is a minimally invasive technique and an alternative to surgery for destroying tumors while sparing normal tissues. Gold Nanorods (GNRs) with strong extinction peaks in the near infra-red (NIR) spectrum is a good candidate to convert light into thermal energy to destroy tumors. Opto-acoustic imaging (OAI) is a non-invasive method that detects time-resolved acoustic waves created by short pulses of NIR in tissue. It leads to a pressure rise in the irradiated volume. The question of whether OAI is a suitable candidate for temperature monitoring of GNR-PTT in the NIR spectrum was examined. In this thesis, for the first time, GNRs in a gel phantom was used to monitor the temperature during PTT with different laser powers and GNR concentrations. The imaging was performed by a commercial device IMAGIO, Seno, TX. The results show changes of the OA signal follow to temperature changes. The concentration of GNR and the power have a significant role in producing good results.
Modeling, simulation, and optimization of advanced oxidation technologies for treatment of polymeric wastewater
Authors: Ghafoori Samira
Published: June 2021

Most synthetic water-soluble polymers from industrial effluents are discarded into the aqueous environment. Due to their water solubility they can reach conventional sewage disposal systems and contaminate water resources as they are not amenable to biodegradation. Therefore, the possibility of rendering these materials to biologically manageable chemical compounds is a challenging task.

The applications of advanced oxidation technologies (AOTs) for treating wastewater containing recalcitrant and inhibitory organics have risen drastically during the past few decades. AOTs mediate fast degradation or decomposition of the target organic compounds by producing free radical species.

In this study, the photooxidative degradation of water-soluble polymers in wastewater is studied using different methods of AOTs. The experimental design, statistical analysis, and optimization of different processes of AOTs are investigated employing various methods of response surface methodology (RSM). Using RSM, the effects of different process parameters on the response function are determined. Also, a detailed mechanistic kinetic model is developed along with photoreactor design and modeling for a laboratory-scale batch recirculating photoreactor.

Most synthetic water-soluble polymers from industrial effluents are discarded into the aqueous environment. Due to their water solubility they can reach conventional sewage disposal systems and contaminate water resources as they are not amenable to biodegradation. Therefore, the possibility of rendering these materials to biologically managable chemical compounds is a challenging task.
The applications of advanced oxidation technologies (AOTs) for treating wastewater containing recalcitrant and inhibitory organics have risen drastically during the past few decades. AOTs mediate fast degradation or decomposition of the target organic compounds by producing free radical species.
In this study, the photooxidative degradation of water-soluble polymers in wastewater is studied using different methods of AOTs. The experimental design, statistical analysis, and optimization of different processes of AOTs are investigated employing various methods of response surface methodology (RSM). Using RSM, the effects of different process parameters on the response function are determined. Also, a detailed mechanistic kinetic model is developed along with photoreactor design and modeling for a laboratory-scale batch recirculating photoreactor
Simple and effective QoS schemes supporting VoIP traffic in IEEE 802.11 network
Authors: Chan Samson Chung Fai
Published: June 2021

This thesis presents several simple and effective QoS schemes aimed to support VoIP in the IEEE 802.11 network. The proposed schemes are called dynamic backoff adjustment (DBA), high priority DCF (HP-DCF), adaptive DCF (ADCF) and direct priority DCF (DP-DCF). All four schemes utilize the contention mechanism and are compatible with the IEEE 802.11 standard. The first three schemes use dynamic adjustment approach to improve the delay of high-priority traffic in infrastructure network and the last schemes is designed for use in ad-hoc network.

From the simulation results, the DBA scheme shows better bandwidth utilization over DCF and provides better differentiated service performance than EDCF. Whereas, the HP-DCF and AP schemes give better protection of the real-time traffic classes from the excessive best-effort traffic load in the infrastructure mode. Moreover, the DP-DCF also shows its ability in protecting the real-time traffic class in the ad-hoc environment.
Dynamic time-history response of concrete rectangular liquid storage tanks
Authors: Ghaemmaghami Amirreza
Published: June 2021

In this study, the finite element method is used to investigate the seismic behaviour of concrete, open top rectangular liquid tanks in two and three-dimensional spaces. This method is capable of considering both impulsive and convective responses of liquid-tank system. The sloshing behaviour is simulated using linear free surface boundary conditions. Two different finite element models corresponding with shallow and tall tank configurations are studied under the effects of all components of earthquake record. The effect of earthquake frequency content on the seismic behaviour of fluid-rectangular tank system is investigated using four different seismic motions including Northridge, El-Centro, San-Fernando and San-Francisco earthquake records. These records are scaled in such a way that all horizontal peak ground accelerations are similar. Fluid-structure interaction effects on the dynamic response of fluid containers are taken into account incorporating wall flexibility. A simple model with viscous boundary is used to include deformable foundation effects as a linear medium. Six different soil types are considered. In addition the application of slat screens and baffles in reducing the sloshing height of liquid tank is investigated by carrying out a parametric study. The results show that the wall flexibility, fluid damping properties, earthquake frequency content and soil-structure interaction have a major effect on seismic behaviour of liquid tanks and should be considered in design criteria of tanks. The effect of vertical acceleration on the dynamic response of the liquid tanks is found to be less significant when horizontal and vertical ground motions are considered together. The results in this study are verified and compared with those obtained by numerical methods and other available methods in the literature.
"I don't want to go back" : the complicated case of Polish displaced children to Canada in 1949
Authors: Payseur Monika Katarzyna
Published: June 2021

On September 7, 1949, a group of 123 Polish displaced children from Tengeru Camp in Tanganyika (Tanzania) arrived in Halifax on board the U.S. Army transport, the General Heitzelman. The Canadian government accepted these children on the assumption that they were all orphans, but shortly after their arrival, the Communist regime in Warsaw accused Canada of kidnapping the children and demanded their immediate repatriation claiming that some of them had parents and relatives living in Poland. This paper examines the diplomatic row between the Canadian and Polish governments over the resettlement of these children and argues that the Canadian authorities assessed the problem from a more balanced and less ideological point of view while taking into account the interests of the children and a humanitarian image of Canada.
Reliability Analysis of Sight Distance for Stopcontrol Intersections on Horizontal Alignments
Authors: Hussain Altaf
Published: June 2021

Intersection sight distance (ISO) for stop-control intersections refers to the provision of adequate sight distance between a minor-road stopped vehicle and a major-road vehicle. The AASHTO policy for ISO for intersections on straight roadways Is based on the extreme values of the component design variables, such as major-road design speed and time gap, and assumes that these variables are deterministic. This research presents a reliability method that considers the moments (mean and variance) of the probability distribution of each random variable instead of the extreme values. This reliability method also accounts for the correlations among the component random variables. A performance function in terms of a safety margin is defined as the difference between the expected available and expected required ISO. Relationships for the mean and standard deviation of the safety margin are developed using First- Order Second-Moment analysis. Design graphs for the obstruction location are established for different radii of horizontal curves, design speed, and probability of failure. The reliability method is very useful as it provides the reliability associated with I8D design values. For evaluation purposes, the method can be used to determine the probability of failure of a particular intersection for an existing obstruction and current traffic conditions. The method can also be used to design the obstruction location for a given probability of failure. It was found that the deterministic method generally provides a higher probability of failure when the obstruction is closer to the minor road.
Empirical Mode Decomposition and Analysis of Non-Stationary Cardiac Signals
Authors: Rahnama Nastaran
Published: June 2021

Each year 400,000 North Americans die from sudden cardiac death (SCD). T- wave alternans (TWA) refers to an alternating pattern in the T-wave portion of the surface electrocardiogram (ECG) and has been shown as a risk stratifier for SCD. These subtle changes in the T-waves are in the micro-volt scale and ambulatory ECG recordings usually contain biological noise. Also, data non-stationarity owing to heart rate variability and the amplitude variability in TWA magnitude can limit the accuracy of the detection techniques. This necessitates the need for robust detection algorithms for processing such non-stationary data. In this thesis, we have proposed an Empirical Mode Decomposition (EMD) based scheme combined with the Instantaneous Frequency (IF). EMD decomposes the signal into several monocomponent signals called Intrinsic Mode Functions (IMFs). IF extracted from these IMFs provides an accurate estimate of time varying frequency components and hence can aid during characterization of TWAs. In order to validate the performance of the proposed detection technique, the feature vectors extracted from the IMFs were fed to a linear discriminant analysis (LDA) classifier. The performance assessment was carried out using two datasets: (a) Synthetic TWAs: 72 signals obtained from publicly accessible Physionet database and (b) TWAs from patients: 55 ambulatory ECG signals obtained from the Toronto General Hospital. Using an unbiased leave-one-out cross validation strategy, maximum overall classification accuracies of 86.1% and 81.8% were achieved for TWA detection from synthetic and ambulatory ECG recordings respectively. In addition, the usability of the proposed technique has been investigated to assess its suitability for addressing another cardiovascular problem stroke. Atrial Fibrillation (AF) has been identified as a risk factor to increase the chances of stroke. The most common method in studying the complex AF electrograms is to employ dominant frequency (DF) analysis; however, due to signal non-stationarity DF does not always provide the best estimate of the atrial activation rate. As a result, analyzing the electrograms via EMD and IF has been investigated as the second contribution of this work.
Situating hybridity and searching for authenticity in Canadian hip-hop : how do we "keep it real"?
Authors: Thompson Cheryl
Published: June 2021

This project explores the language and discourse around hip-hop in Canada. Through ethnographic interviews, I contemplate the narrative of an indigenized Canadian hip-hop, how that narrative is reflective of national and regional identities, the use of slang vernacular and resistance rhetoric, and, how female hip-hop community members articulate the genre's need for authentication. Through the use of critical content/textual analysis, I also explore the intersections of race, gender, sexuality and identity in the lyrics of five of Canada's mainstream rappers to illustrate how the rhetoric of hip-hop and that of the media influences the way we talk about, and consume, hip-hop culture. Ultimately, I draw conclusions related to the current status of hip-hop in Canada, and suggest that the genre's dominant contestations are centred on the lack of definition of the Black, White and Native Canadian identity, ownership, and how corporate annexation impedes the genre's ability to transcend.
The making of Sun Pictures in Scotland : influences and themes in Talbot's second photographic book
Authors: Knazook Elizabeth
Published: June 2021

William Henry Fox Talbot, an amateur scientist known for his invention of the calotype process, published two photographic books in his lifetime. The first, The Pencil of Nature, has received a lot of scholarly attention while Sun Pictures in Scotland, his second, has been largely ignored. There is little to account for this oversight, yet Sun Pictures has hardly registered in academic discourse. This thesis is primarily aimed at describing the contents of Sun Pictures in Scotland, but also considers the subjects photographed in light of the numerous biographical resources published on the character and artistic personality of Talbot. It is apparent Talbot had an artistic purpose in undertaking Sun Pictures in Scotland. He photographed subjects that reflected his own interpretation of the popular picturesque style, and he attempted to assemble his book in a manner that resembled the current fashion in art book production.
Analysis of neck muscle activity and comparison of head and body motion during rotational movement in a motion simulator
Authors: Sirikantharajah Shahini
Published: June 2021

Most of the research relating to neck injuries performed to date has been tested in environments with linear motions. Disabled individuals tend to experience jerky neck rotations during falls, bed transfers, and while travelling in wheelchairs. This thesis, using various signal processing techniques, studied how healthy neck muscles, the head and body react to jerky rotational motion. Electromyogram (EMG) and motion data were gathered from 20 subjects as they were rotated 45 degrees in the forward and backward pitch plane, with and without visual input, in a motion simulator.
Results showed that neck muscle behaviour was affected by the direction of motion and visual input. Maximum effective muscle power of 10.54% was reached, relative to maximum voluntary contractions (MVC). The factors found to influence neck muscle responses, such as head weight and visual input should be taken into consideration when designing headrests, neck braces and planning any rehabilitation programs.
Automatic generation of road network data from smartphone GPS trajectories
Authors: Niu Zheng
Published: June 2021

Keeping road network databases up-to-date is crucial to Geographical Information System (GIS) applications such as vehicle navigation. The vector road centerlines extracted from satellite images or in-car Global Positioning System (GPS) devices are likely to be inaccurate due to costly and labour intensive or long updating circle. The GPS data crowdsourced through smartphones provides an emerging source for refining road map due to its rich spatio-temporal coverage and reasonable level of accuracy. This thesis introduces an optimized methodology to automatically generate road network data from smartphone GPS data without using any reference maps. The horizontal accuracy of the extracted road centerlines, measured as a root mean square of 1.424 m and 1.252 m for curved and straight road segments respectively, is better than that of some existing road datasets. The outcome of this research will provide a new way of generating a more accurate and up-to-date road network databases.
Experimental study on static response of prefabricated concrete bulb-tee bridge girder flange-to-flange connections
Authors: Tu Siyin
Published: June 2021

Prefabricated concrete Deck Bulb-Tee (DBT) bridge girder system requires precast girder flanges to be connected and formed bridge deck at site. In this study, a new bridge deck slab flange to flange connection system for precast DBT girders has been investigated. Two types of moment transferring connection and another two types of intermittent bolted connection were developed. A total of four full-scale bridge DBTgirders for the developed connection details were fabricated and then tested to collapse under simulated wheel load. This thesis reports on an experimental study on static behavior and ultimate load carrying capacity of bridge Deck Bulb-Tee girders jointed with proposed connection detail and technology. structural behavior, including stress and strain, crack formation and propagation, deflection, failure mode, and ultimate load capacity, has been identified. Experimental results are compared to those obtained using the Yield-Line Theory and the available Punching Shear Equations.
Using microsimulation and crashes to evaluate the safety of left turn lanes at rural signalized intersections
Authors: Farid Nima
Published: June 2021

Left turn movements at intersections can be particularly unsafe. One treatment aimed at making the movement safer is the provision of left turn lanes. However, there is a missing piece in the related research, specifically how the length of left turn lanes impacts the safety of intersections. The Ministry of Transportation Ontario (MTO) has defined this as a high priority research topic. There were two major objectives in this research, both of which were addressed with microsimulation. The first was to determine a relationship between a length of left-turn lanes and safety performance of an intersection, and second was to examine the combined impact of simultaneous installation of left turn lanes with varying lengths and protected left-turn signal phasing. The findings suggested that the longer a left turn lane is, the safer the intersection would be, especially with regard to rear-end crashes.
October culture : photographic theory and the beginnings of postmodernism
Authors: Allen Jamie M.
Published: June 2021

This thesis explores the birth of the journal October, in its context of late 1970s academia and the decline of modernist criticism in the United States. It analyses three articles first published in October: Rosalind Krauss's two part "Notes on the index: seventies in art America" (spring/fall 1976), Thierry de Duve's "Time exposure and snapshot: the photograph as paradox" (summer 1978), and Douglas Crimp's "The photographic activity of postmodernism" (winter 1980). The thesis attempts to understand the key role played by October in changing our understanding of photography as an artistic practice and cultural object by discussing the position of October in the creation of photographic theory and the function of photographic theory in the critique of modernism that has come to be known as postmodernism.
Determining a refugee's identity by means of categorical principles : the role of evidence in the refugee determination process : a case study of the Immigration & Refugee Board Documentation Centre
Authors: Smith Adrienne C
Published: June 2021

This project considers the role that evidence plays in determining a refugee's identity within Canada's refugee adjudication process. Its main contention is that Canada's refugee determination system works within a framework that values legalistic and categorical principles, which ignore the complexity of a refugee's identity. Since Canada's refugee system excludes claimants who do not fit designated categories, it encourages them to modify their identity in order to meet the strict criteria for qualification. This project is based on interviews with individuals involved in the refugee process, including refugee decision-maker(s), community activist(s) and refugee lawyer(s). Using important historical and contextual analysis, this paper demonstrates the restrictive nature of refugee definitions and policies that act as barriers that exclude claimants. Moreover, the role of institutions within the Immigration and Refugee Board also operate to restrict claimants. A case study on the IRB Documentation Centre illustrates how evidence, as the determining factor of identity, is one specific method of restricting claimants.
Improved methods for distribution of superelevation
Authors: Hassein Udai
Published: June 2021

The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) provide 5 methods for distributing highway superelevation (e) and side friction (f). Method 1 (linear) is inferior to Method 5 (curvilinear). AASHTO Method 5 deals with speed variations, but its complex mathematical calculation affects design consistency. Safety margin is the difference between design and maximum limiting speed. This thesis describes distribution of superelevation (e) and side friction factor (f) based on the EAU and SAU methods using AASHTO and two different curves from the unsymmetrical curve; the equal parabolic arcs "EAU Curve" and a single arc unsymmetrical curve "SAU Curve". The thesis also describes e and f distributions based on the optimization model. The EAU and SAU methods and Parametric Cubic Optimization Model improve highway design consistency based on safety margins. Examples show the methods and optimization model are superior to AASHTO methods.