bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Investigation of a new effective bacterium for cellulosic degradation
Authors: Lin Weining
Published: June 2021

Clostridium phytofermentans, a newly isolated mesophilic anaerobic bacterium from forest soil, has received considerable attention for its potential application in producing ethanol directly from cellulose. This microorganism produces ethanol, acetate, CO₂ and H₂ as major metabolites from cellulose. Potential applications of this research include the transformation of waste materials into valuable products, such as fuels and organic acids.

As an initial part of a multi-staged project, this study is to focus on the characerization of this microorganism growth and to verify the bacterium kinetics, including biomass growth, substrate utilization, and gas production. A series of batch fermentation experiments using cellulose substrate (GS-2C) was performed under the incubation temperature of 37°C. To investigate the effects of pH and substrate concentration (S₀) on growth, 12 trial experiments were conducted with various controlled pH values (7.0 to 8.5) and with various initial cellulose concentration settings (0.1 to 6.0 g/L). Our experimental results showed that the optimal growth condition for C. phytofermentans in batch culture was at pH = 8.4 amd S₀ = 6.0 g/L. Under such condition, the maximum growth rate of 0.37h⁻¹ was observed. Comparing results with other celluloytic clostridium studies, relatively high biomass growth rate using C. phytofermentans is confirmed by our experiments.

Mathematical models, using a combination modelling approach with the logistic equation. Monod model, and Luedeking-Piret model, were developed for biomass growth, substrate degradation, and biogas production, respectively, base on our experiment results. This study demonstrated the determination of the four parameters (µmax, Ks, Y, and Smin), which can describe satisfactorily growth or degradation phenomena, using the proposed integration modelling approach. The experiments conducted under wide range conditions, such as changing pH and S₀, not only provide insight into growth kinetics but also provide an opportunity to evaluate the performance of the mathematical models and understand their limitations. This leads to look for improvement or modification to the models.

It is foreseen that the findings in this study will enhance the overall understanding of the kinetics of growth and substrate utilization and product formation of this bacterium, and provide important information on the design of the bench-scale anaerobic bioreactor for future studies.
Opportunities for Employers in Immigrant Labour Market integration: a Case Study of the Canadian Financial Sector
Authors: Burke Laura Caroline
Published: June 2021

The focus of this study is on the financial sector, and it asks two questions: a) what are financial institutions currently doing in terms of assisting in the labour market integration of newcomers? and b) where are the opportunities for improvement within the financial sector with respect to the employment of immigrants? The study examines current achievements regarding the sector’s successful labour market integration of immigrants, opportunities for improvement, and recommendations as to how the financial sector can become a leader in this domain as well as the benefits of doing so. Some key findings are that there is a gap in terms of the successful integration and inclusion of immigrants in the labour market despite recognition of the business case for diversity. Ingrained biases and beliefs persist, and the communication patterns and ‘rigid’ history of the financial sector are not maturing at the same pace as the global economy.
Shooting The Truth : How Photographs In The Media Betray Us
Authors: Icevska Gordana S.
Published: June 2021

This thesis investigates the manipulations photojournalists make to images that are intended to deliver news and present the reality/truth. It explores how documentary photography, which claims to present reality, has been manipulated throughout the years and analyses approaches of photographers and reactions of audiences in relation to these changes.

This thesis examines the work of four photographers (Kertesz, Cartier-Bresson, Smith and Salgado) and it includes a reveiw of photographers' codes of ethics, research on photojournalistic practice in various countries, audience surveys, interviews and surveys with photographers. The surveys include case studies of photos which were altered in various ways, with questions about the ethics of photo manipulation and the importance of disclosure of alterations. By shedding some light on past and current photo alteration practices and expectations of the public and employees in the journalism industry, this paper hopes to raise questions about and provide insight into the future of photojournalism.
Chemical Pretreatment and Enzymatic Hydrolysis of Mixed Source-Separated Organic (SSO) and Wood Waste
Authors: Faye Michael
Published: June 2021

This paper examines the effectiveness of two pretreatments on Source-Separated Organic waste (SSO) mixed with wood wastes: long term lime for SSO mixed with forestry waste (hardwoods), and the cellulose solvent-organic lignocellulose fractionation (COSLIF) method, with SSO and demolition waste (softwoods). For long term lime treatment, the highest overall conversions from cellulose to glucose and xylose were 50.4%, and 43.5% respectively. The best temperature found for long term lime pretreatment was 65°C. The COSLIF pretreatment glucose yield was found to be 93.7%. The highest enzyme hydrolysis yield found was 93.5% for a cellulase loading of 30 FPU/g glucan at 50°C. The best hydrolysis yield found at lower loading (10 FPT/g glucan), was 83.5%. At 40 and 50°C, all peak hydrolysis yields were achieved between 12 and 24 hours. A drop in temperature below 40°C caused a slowing of the hydrolysis rate.
In a fragile state: the Conservation Authorities Branch photograph albums at the Archives of Ontario
Authors: Knapper Ross
Published: June 2021

The preservation of a large volume of objects is often an examined compromise between the very best options available and appropriate allocation of resources. What, where, and how do institutions make the decisions necessary to properly preserve materials while accounting for constraints in available expertise, resources, funding, and institutional needs? Utilizing a collection of sixty acidic and fragile scrapbook-style albums held by the Archives of Ontario, this applied thesis project discusses preservation options suitable to photographic albums and scrapbooks, and explores the decision-making process required to develop a working method to restore access to the sixty Conservation Authorities Branch albums, which are currently inaccessible due to preservation concerns. While specific to the resources available at the Archives of Ontario, the basic methodology is applicable to a range of institutions both large and small.
Quantifying the impacts of the modifiable areal unit problem in travel demand models
Authors: Nix Sean
Published: June 2021

This project introduces new analyses of the impacts of the modifiable areal unit problem (MAUP) in traffic assignment models which are not widely available in the literature, as well as to reveal how stable the effects are in diverse models. A comprehensive review of the literature is conducted to provide an overview of MAUP, including the scale and zonal effects, as well as its recent applications in travel demand modelling and other subject areas. Particular scrutiny is made towards inappropriate methods of MAUP-analysis in travel demand models. The scale effect is tested in traffic assignment models using associated zone structures of the Greater Montreal Area (GMA), a unique geographic region involving island regions and water bodies.
Optimization of the effect of corrosion on bond behaviour between steel and concrete
Authors: Aldulaymi Zahir
Published: June 2021

This research program consists of laboratory study of corrosion phenomenon in reinforced concrete and further analytical study of the experimental results obtained by Amleh (2000). The laboratory study examined the influence of increasing levels of corrosion on the progressive deterioration of bond between the steel and concrete and determined the extent to which the various water to cement (w/c) ratio in concrete mixtures influence the corrosion of the steel reinforcement as well as the chloride ion penetration.

The influence of corrosion on the bond characteristics of the reinforcing bars in pullout test specimens made with two different w/c ratios and two different concrete cover thicknesses were investigated using control specimens to study the effect of the concrete cover ratio and the concrete compressive strength. The two w/c ratios were 0.47 and 0.37, with two concrete cover thicknesses of 40 mm and 65 mm. Hence, the effect of w/c ratio on different parameters like rate of corrosion, compressive strength and the effect of concrete cover thickness on the corrosion rate were studied.

An accelerated electrochemical corrosion procedure was used to develop four levels of corrosion including no corrosion to complete corrosion, with over 25 percent steel bar weight loss due to corrosion, with wide longitudinal cracks.

This research study clearly indicated that the bond stress-slip response of the embedded bar in the pullout specimen, was adversely affected by the width of the crack, and the level of corrosion. The crack width was found to develop faster and longer in specimens with lower compressive strength and as a result the maximum bond strength in the pullout test is affected signifcantly by the number and size of cracks, and thus, the level of corrosion. For a given crack width due to corrosion, it is observed that the available bond strength is higher for larger concrete cover thicknesses than for smaller cover thicknesses. Certainly, the quality of concrete in terms of its permeability is equally important for the corrision protection.

A relationship between the effect of w/c ratio on chloride ingress was developed to count for the deterioration in bond stress, and the induced current used in corroding the speciments of Amleh (2000) and of this investigation program were incorporated to consider for the lack of chloride lot content measured due to the shorter immersing time in this investigation and the high current used to force the specimens to corrode in the accelerated corrosion process.
Inservice road safety audit review of Toronto intersections
Authors: Latif Muhammad
Published: June 2021

This project uses a practical procedure for conducting in-service road safety reviews of existing intersections. The procedure in this project is based on current experience in Canada and other countries and applies road safety engineering research to the Canadian environment. An in-service road safety review is an in-depth engineering study of an existing road using road safety priniciples with the aim of identifying cost-effective countermeasures that would improve road safety and operations for all road users. A review can be done for any road section, intersection, or interchange, and is generally most effective when conducted at locations where a high collision risk has been identified. In-service reviews typically include a structured review of collision history, geometric characteristics, and traffic, operational efficiency and could also include traffic conflict observations and a human factors assessment. The main output from in-service road safety reviews is the identification of road safety problems and the development of cost-effective countermeasures to overcome these road safety problems.
Complex incremental ΣΔ ADC
Authors: Peker Shaul
Published: June 2021

This thesis examines the theory and design of incremental Sigma-Delta (ΣΔ) modulators when applied to complex oversampling analog-to-digital converters (ADCs). Two different types of approaches for the complex ADC are analysed and compared.

The first system is a traditional complex bandpass over-sampling ADC with incremental (time limited) ΣΔ architecture. This system uses cross-coupling switch capacitor (SC) integrators and quadrature two channel inputs.

The second system uses a low-pass architecture with time interleaved integrators. This system does not have a mismatch between the in-phase and quadrature phase (I/Q) output channels. The input is frequency shifted down to DC during the conversion.

A graphical user interface (GUI) design toolbox was created to design and simulate the two types of systems. The bandpass second-order system was fabricated in an IBM 130nm CMOS process with a 83kHz two channel input and 10kHz bandwidth at an OSR of 24.
Investigation of Load Distribution Factors for Two-Span Continuous Composite Multiple Boxgirder Bridges
Authors: Ibrahim Manal
Published: June 2021

Bridges formed of concrete deck slab over built-up steel-box girders are frequently used in bridge construction for their economic and structural advantages. Box girder bridges impose structural challenges to get the straining actions for the design of girders. The objective of this study is to determine the load distribution characteristics for continuous composite multiple–box girder bridges under CHBDC truck loading. An extensive parametric study was conducted using the three-dimensional finite element to evaluate the moment and shear distribution factors when bridges subjected to CHBDC truck loading. The parameters considered in this study are the span length, number of lanes and number of boxes. Then, simple empirical formula for the bending moment and shear force were developed for the structural design. Correlation of the developed expressions based on FEA results with available CHBDC and AASHTO-LRFD formula showed that the former allow engineers to design such bridges more economically and reliably.
“Bahala Na Ang Dios”: The Church’s Role in the Socialization of Filipinos in the Greater Toronto Area
Authors: Betsayda Mary Grace T.
Published: June 2021

This paper investigates the role that the Roman Catholic church has played in the socialization of Filipinos in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). The research is based on scholarly acknowledgment of the important place of social institutions—such as churches, synagogues, mosques, temples and other places for religious and faith-based gatherings—in the settlement and integration experiences of immigrants. The paper argues that Roman Catholicism, first introduced into the Philippines via Spanish colonization, has become an important marker of identity for many Filipinos and has functioned—aided by their facility in the English language (a result of American colonization of the Philippines)—as a means of easing the barriers to Filipinos’ integration into Canada.

To better analyze the role the Roman Catholic church has played in Filipino-Canadian immigrant life, the study provides an overview of the history of migration to Canada and discusses the place of the church as seen from the perspective of representatives of diasporic, transnational and second generation communities of Filipinos in Canada. As such, the main data for the study is drawn primary material comprising interviews with Filipino-Canadians from each of these community groups.
The Soul of the Matter: Maurice Maeterlinck, Alvin Langdon Coburn and The Intelligence of the Flowers
Authors: Potvin Marissa
Published: June 2021

The holiday edition of Maurice Maeterlinck’s essay The Intelligence of the Flowers, published in 1907 by Dodd, Mead and Company and illustrated with four photogravures from photographs by Alvin Langdon Coburn (1882 – 1966), is analyzed in order to address the means by which Coburn’s illustrations reflects his antimodernist desire to escape the materialism of early twentieth century society, as this is exemplified through his photographic use of mysticism and floral symbolism. Through an examination of Coburn’s publications (notably his 1906 collaboration with the American novelist Henry James) and personal correspondence prior to 1907, as well as secondary sources detailing the history and context of Maeterlinck’s publication, it is argued that Coburn was interested in mysticism from the onset of his photographic career, leading to an interest in floral symbolism including its use by the early twentieth century homosexual community, and that all of these factors variously affected his use of symbolic illustrations in Maeterlinck’s publication.
Boresight calibration of a terrestrial LiDAR scanning system
Authors: Parandeh Shahrzad
Published: June 2021

Laser mapping has become quite popular in recent days due to its capability of providing information directly in three dimensions. A Terrestrial Laser Scanning (TLS) system operates by emitting and locating returned laser pulses. Locating the returned pulses requires knowing precisely for each laser pulse, the vehicle position (e.g. GPS), the attitude of the vehicle using Inertial Measurement Unit (lMU), the scanner angle when the laser pulse left the sensor, and the slant range to the surface for that pulse. One of the most critical sources of error in TLS or any other laser scanning system is the angular misalignment between the scanner and the IMU, which is called misalignment or boresight error. This error must be addressed before a TLS system can accurately produce data. The purpose of this research is to develop a method and identify the requirements for calculating the small misalignment angles between the laser scanner and the combined GPS/lMU solution for position and attitude. A mathematical model is developed in order to acquire the misalignment angles, using simulated data which consists of coordinates of target points, position of the scanner, rotation matrix of the IMU, and the product matrix (i. e. [LU., l1y, I1z]T) derived from the range and the MATLAB program which initially solves for the Projection Matrix using preset boresight angles (Rb). The equation is then rearranged to solve for the Rb as the goal is to obtain the same prearranged values that are initially used in the first part of the analysis. The calculation of the misalignment angles is considered to be successful as the prearranged Roll, Pitch, and Heading values are obtained after a few iteration, verifying that the mathematical model is sufficient for the purpose of calibrating the Terrestrial Laser Scanner.
PSM: A New Approach to Probabilistic Scheduling
Authors: Tedjakusuma Benyamin
Published: June 2021

A new scheduling method, where probability values can be assigned to activity durations, is proposed in this thesis. Probabilistic Scheduling Method (PSM) accepts activity durations tagged with probability or confidence intervals.

Tests were carried out using examples of 3,7, and 9 activities to evaluate PSM's practical capability. The comparisons of PSM to Critical Path Method (CPM), Performance Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT), and Monte Carlo application to PERT (MC PERT) conclude that PSM results in similar most probable duration estimation. Further tests were implemented to evaluate PSM's capability to project schedule revision on an ongoing project. A microsoft Excel application was used to organize tests data and calculations.

PSM computations are more industry friendly. They allow for a range of duration associated with a range of probabilites. PSM provides flexibility and simplicity, and also dependency information that will benefit its user in decision making
Flexural Creep Effects On Permanent Wood Foundation Made Of Structural Insulated Foam-Timber Panels
Authors: Sayed Ahmed Mahmoud Shaaban
Published: June 2021

A Permanent Wood Foundation (PWF) is a panel composed of expanded polystyrene insulation and preserved stud cores laminated between oriented-strand boards and preserved plywood. This thesis presents the experimental testing on selected PWFs' sizes to investigate their long-term creep behaviour under sustained soil pressure. The long-term creep tests were performed over eight months, followed by loading the tested panels to destruction to determine their axial compressive strength. The ultimate load test results showed that the structural qualification of PWF is "as good as" the structural capacity of the conventional wood-frame buildings. The obtained experimental ultimate compressive resistance and flexural resistance, along with the developed long-term creep deflection of the wall under lateral soil pressure can be used in the available Canadian Wood Council (CWC) force-moment interaction equation to establish design tables of such wall panels under gravity loading and soil pressure.
Structural behavior and shear bond capacity of composite slabs with high performance concrete
Authors: Abdul Faheem
Published: June 2021

Many research works have been conducted on the behavior of composite slabs with profiled steel deck to study the longitudinal shear bond resistance using the m-k method. In this study, experimental investigations are conducted to evaluate the shear bond characeristics of composite slabs. 15 composite slabs are tested to study the effect of different high performance concrete (HPC) mixes namely engineered cementitious composites (ECC) and self-consolidating concrete (SCC), diverse profile sheets (with embossments or without embossments) and variable shear span on load-deflection characteristics, stress-strain development in concrete/steel, cracking/crack propagation and failure modes. The values of shear bond parameters (m and k) derived from the test results can be used for the design of composite slabs.
Push-Off Tests On Full-Depth Precast Concrete Bridge Deck Panel To Steel Girder Connection
Authors: Marvi Bahman
Published: June 2021

The use of prefabricated elements and systems in bridge construction has recently been the subject of much attention and interest amongst bridge jurisdictions as a way of improving bridge construction. Through mass production of the materials, the repeated use of forms, reduction of on-site construction time and labour by concentrating the construction effort in a fabrication facility rather than at the bridge site, significant economic benefits can replacement. The current traditional bridge rehabilitation/replacement system in most situation is very time consuming and costly. Issues related to work zone safety and traffic highways because of the significant economic impact on commercial and industrial activities. As a result, prefabricated bridge technology is seen as a potential solution to many if these issues. Prefabricated elements and systems can be quickly assembled and could reduce design efforts, reduce the impact on the environment in the vicinity of the site, and minimize the delays and lane closure time and inconvenience to the traveling public, saving time and tax payers' money. This project investigates the full-depth precast bridge deck panels with no overlays connected to the steel girders using lumped shear connectors Eight panel-steel girder connections of different shear connector configurations were erected and tested to complete collapse to examine their structural behaviour, crack pattern and ultimate load carrying capacity. Based on the experimental findings, recommendations for practical applications were drawn.
Constructing the water works, constructing the narrative
Authors: Bruce Katherine
Published: June 2021

The first decades of the 20th century were a great period in urban municipal politics that gave rise to the modern theory and practice of public health. In Toronto, the iconic R.C. Harris Filtration Plant (1941) stands as an emblem of modernity and the marvels of hydraulic engineering that assured every citizen of the social right to clean water. We no longer celebrate the material networks of water supply such as R.C. Harris and his public works department fought to achieve; filtered H20 has become another commodity with no reference to the production process. In this thesis I explore the local, historical specifics of water issues embedded in this site and suggest ways that they might contribute to the renewed visibility of hydraulic infrastructure; a re-imagined materiality that might in turn inspire a more sustainable, collective water citizenship.
Design and implementation of an unstructured overlay middleware to support MANET applications
Authors: Al-Sabah Mashael Saad
Published: June 2021

Recently, mobile ad hoc networks (MANET) have gained an enormous popularity, which has led to an increasing need for the development of MANET applications. Developing MANET applications, however, is not an easy task. Developers have to deal with difficulties inherent from the wireless network environments.

In this thesis, the design of a middleware that abstracts the functionalities of an unstructured overlay network is proposed. The main non-functional requirements that our design tries to achieve are portability, efficiency, and usability. Portability is achieved by following the J2ME platform specifications. The middleware has been implemented and tested on a real time ad hoc network using different platform devices. The performance measurements of the middleware show that it achieves its efficiency requirements. Furthermore, the middleware's usability is validated by showing how different applications can be designed and deployed easily on top of it. It provides a simple MBR-based file-search and path establishment mechanisms which we have proved to be the basis for implementing a wide range of applications, such as file sharing, ALM and gaming applications.
Evil doers from the 'hood or disenfranchised citizens? A critical analysis of the media representation of the MS-13 gang
Authors: Megas Elena
Published: June 2021

In the past decade and a half, the criminalization of MS-13 gang members in public discourse has operated to further marginalize and criminalize underprivileged urban youth, a segment of the populace already ridden by high levels of socio-economic exclusion. Using Fairclough’s critical discourse analysis method, this study explores the social construction MS-13 gang affiliated youth in mainstream media in Canada, the United States, and El Salvador. This study indicates that while the current gang research is becoming more critical, conceptualizing gangs as a crystallization of broader societal problems, the social construction of MS-13 gang members as permanent criminals is still predominant, as it circulates through all of the selected media. The criminalizing representation of MS-13 gang members has significant implications, as it justifies increasingly punitive policing strategies, which in turn validate the vilified construction of gang-affiliated youth, thus creating a vicious cycle in which gang members are deemed irremediable criminals.
The Mars Viking Lander Experimental Data Record: an Examination of Digital and Analogue Image Objects Within a Museum of Photography Collection
Authors: Pegnato Paul L.
Published: June 2021

Using a set of photographic print rolls containing over 4,000 image frames of the Martian landscape produced by NASA from images obtained by cameras mounted on the Viking Lander I and II spacecraft in 1976, and a companion CD-ROM set containing replicates of Viking’s visual data, this thesis will explore the photographic technologies and the image processing procedures used to create NASA image products for scientific research. It will also examine the relationship between the photographic rolls and the original digital entities on the CD-ROMs and explore why such science-based photographic objects should be collected by a museum of photography.
Numerical modeling of innovative film cooling hole schemes
Authors: Khajehhasani Siavash
Published: June 2021

A numerical investigation of the film cooling performance on novel film hole schemes is presented using Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes analysis. The investigation considers low and high blowing ratios for both flat plate film cooling and the leading edge of a turbine blade.

A novel film hole geometry using a circular exit shaped hole is proposed, and the influence of an existing sister holes’ technique is investigated. The results indicate that high film cooling effectiveness is achieved at higher blowing ratios, results of which are even greater when in the presence of discrete sister holes where film cooling effectiveness results reach a plateau. Furthermore, a decrease in the strength of the counter-rotating vortex pairs is evident, which results in more attached coolant to the plate’s surface and a reduction in aerodynamic losses.

Modifications are made to the spanwise and streamwise locations of the sister holes around the conventional cylindrical hole geometry. It is found that the spanwise variations have a significant influence on the film cooling effectiveness results, while only minor effects are observed for the streamwise variations. Positioning the sister holes in locations farther from the centerline increases the lateral spreading of the coolant air over the plate’s surface. This result is further verified through the flow structure analysis.

Combinations of sister holes are joined with the primary injection hole to produce innovative variant sister shaped single-holes. The jet lift-off is significantly decreased for the downstream and up/downstream configurations of the proposed scheme for the flat plate film cooling. These schemes have shown notable film cooling improvements whereby more lateral distribution of coolant is obtained and less penetration of coolant into the mainstream flow is observed.

The performance of the sister shaped single-holes are evaluated at the leading edge of a turbine blade. At the higher blowing ratios, a noticeable improvement in film cooling performance including the effectiveness and the lateral spread of the cooling air jet has been observed for the upstream and up/downstream schemes, in particular on the suction side. It is determined that the mixing of the coolant with the high mainstream flow at the leading edge of the blade is considerably decreased for the upstream and up/downstream configurations and more adhered coolant to the blade’s surface is achieved.
Resilient Teens: Social Exclusion of Parents and Impact on the Second Generation Eritrean Youth
Authors: Hassan Fatma
Published: June 2021

This paper investigates the experiences of eight Eritrean youth between the ages of 19-28 living in Toronto, with the purpose of contributing to existing literature on factors affecting the successful integration of second generation racialized youth. Literature on the integration and overall success of second generation racialized youth is growing in Canada, but addressing the experiences of Eritrean youth has garnered no scholarly interest. This is largely a result of little to no information on who the Eritrean community is, how it is integrating in Canadian society, and what kinds of settlement patterns it has followed in Canada. This study opens avenues of research opportunity on this community and seeks to explore, albeit in a limited fashion how the parents’ experiences with settlement and integration affects their children, if at all. My research suggests that the parents’ experiences with social exclusion, in the form of socio-economic disadvantage have in fact important implications for their Canadian children.
An investigation into the principles for creating and evaluating effective business cases for complex IT investments
Authors: Zhou Yao
Published: June 2021

This study combines interviews and online Q-­‐sorting to investigate the principles for effectively creating and evaluating business cases for complex IT investments, such as enterprise information systems. Interviews with
nine expert practitioners are analyzed to examine current practices and challenges with the process of creating
and evaluating business cases for complex IT investments. An online Q-­‐sorting study using 19 expert practitioners is also analyzed to examine the relative importance of 32 principles for the effective creation and evaluation of business cases for complex IT investments. The findings indicate there are at least two different types of opinions on the most important principles for creating and evaluating the business cases. Furthermore, several principles that have not received much prior study were judged to be highly important such as the need to consider change management, strategic alignment, and the process of “socialization” of a business case for complex IT investments.
Newfoundland And Labrador Photographs From The George Eastman House Legacy Collection
Authors: Cuerrier Edith
Published: June 2021

Photographs of Newfoundland and Labrador contained in two albums from the George Eastman House Legacy Collection constitute the subject of this thesis project. The project consists in accessioning, numbering and cataloguing each image, 299 in total, and in enriching the records with historical and cultural context for the purpose of making these images searchable through the George Eastman House database and accessible to researchers for future projects. This is important because of the historic value associated with the life and deeds of George Eastman and because these images are part of a large and yet not fully catalogued collection of Eastman's private photographs. The Newfoundland album photographs are consecutively numbered 2009:0039:0001 to 0110, the Newfoundland inventory sheets became objects 2009:0040:0001 to 0003, and the Labrador album photographs are numbered 2009:0041:0001 to 0189. These records are now available both electronically and as a hard-copy binder.
Assessing the communication network of a budding industry: rooftop urban agriculture in Toronto
Authors: Page Daphne
Published: June 2021

This research provides an analysis of the Rooftop Urban Agriculture (RUA) community in Toronto by taking an inventory of participants and key players, and illustrating the communication network surrounding this emerging community. A
social network assessment is used to reveal network connections, and explore the level of cohesion of the RUA community in Toronto. Consideration is given to the implications that this has on its growth, representation, and potential areas of
engagement with other factors, including municipal decision makers.

Semi structured interviews reveal the driving values expressed by RUA practitioners and others involved with the practice, and the characteristics of this group’s formation. Based on this information, RUA is identified in this work as an emerging Civic Food Network(CFN).

Based on the findings of the network assessment, this research argues that the lack of an organized and cohesive RUA Network is hindering the progress of this emerging group, and the potential for valuable knowledge sharing that would enable its growth. Finally, recommendations are provided to address how those practicing rooftop agriculture can seek to maximize knowledge sharing within the RUA community and build connections to the City of Toronto to strengthen this emerging CFN.
Kinetic And Oxidative Stability Of Oil-In-Water Emulsions Prepared With Denatured Soy Whey Protiens And Soy Soluble Polysaccharides
Authors: Ray Moumita
Published: June 2021

With increasing consumer awareness and growing demand for healthier processed food options, there is an ever-present push for the incorporation of nourishing ingredients into foods. Many health-promoting ingredients, for example Omega-3 fats, are prone to rancidity and are insoluble in water. A current challenge facing the Ontario agri-food sector is the addition of such ingredients that can normally be added to fatty foods, but not into water-based foods such as many store-bought beverages. Furthermore, oils such as flaxseed oil are also very sensitive to oxidation when in the presence of light, heat or air, resulting in the formation of undesirable odours and flavours as well as loss in nutritional properties. The use of food emulsions is considered an attractive approach to preserve their healthfulness while minimizing rancidity.

The overall goal of the present thesis was to incorporate soybean or flaxseed oil as micron-sized droplets within water-continuous emulsions using biopolymers derived from soy industrial processing waste to help ‘protect’ the oil from visual phase separation and coalescence as well as oxidative rancidity. To meet the goal, an extraction protocol to purify and concentrate the soy whey proteins (SWP) was initially developed. This was followed by establishing a method to increase the surface activity of the SWP via denaturation (dSWP). Subsequently, emulsions consisting of soybean oil or flaxseed oil prepared with dSWP and commercially-available soy soluble polysaccharides (SSPS) were analyzed for their kinetic and oxidative stability.

Results clearly showed that the combination of dSWP and SSPS could: i) kinetically stabilize model oil-in-water emulsions against coalescence and phase separation more so than dSWP or SSPS alone and ii) effectively protect emulsions containing flaxseed oil from oxidative rancidity to a greater extent than a commonly-used emulsifier (polysorbate 20).

Overall, this thesis yielded a novel method to emulsify and protect polyunsaturated oils using soy-based proteins and polysaccharides. The outcomes of this study offer the attractive potential of using soy-based ingredients from industrial waste in value-added food products such as beverage-type emulsions. Findings from this study may be applied to non-food products where there is a need for the development and stabilization of emulsions (e.g., pharmaceutical, cosmetics).
Designing and evaluating a system for the effective analysis of sign language video content for the improvement of video quality
Authors: Moscatiello Joseph
Published: June 2021

Signed Language communicators use video communication services as they can be used to relay manual communication. One aspect of successful video blogging (vlogging) is being able to communicate a message clearly. Visual clarity is important as manual communication relies on the visual channel exclusively for processing and can become compromised if certain elements in the video, such as the lighting or background, are not set up correctly. A tool, termed the Vlog Analysis and Suggestion Tool (VAST) has been developed to assess Signed Language, talking head style, video and provide feedback to users based on the quality. Quality, in this work, is based on three technical factors: (1) lighting; (2) signing space; and (3) background. Results from a user study on VAST indicate that the tool is easy to use, helpful to users for determining video quality, and the technical factors assessed by the system are important to users.
Optimization of a ducted fan propulsion system for a single engine aircraft
Authors: Jasudavisius Adam
Published: June 2021

The objective of this study was to perform a 3D aerodynamic shape optimization on a ducted fan propulsion system configured for cruise flight on an aircraft. The initial shapes of the duct and hub were determined using a basic grid searching optimization approach. An efficient optimization algorithm was created that utilized the BFGS searching technique with a QuasiNewton line search to refine the initial geometry. The ducted fan was chosen to be controlled by 13 control points connected using a combination of splines, ellipses and conics. The optimum design resulted in a 33.54% and 36.45% reduction in drag for the duct and hub respectively. The propeller thrust was also increased by 141.49%. The optimization methodology used throughout this study proved to be an efficient technique in finding the optimal design to within a high degree of resolution based on the entire design space considered.
Stochastic modelling of residual tropospheric delays / by Hassan Elobeid Ibrahim
Authors: Ibrahim Hassan Elobeid
Published: June 2021

Real-time and near real-time precise point positioning (PPP) requires shorter solution convergence time. Residual tropospheric delay, which exists as a result of the limitations of current tropospheric correction models, is a limiting factor for fast PPP convergence. To overcome the limitations of existing tropospheric models, we proposed a new approach. In this approach, the bulk of the tropospheric delay is accounted for using an empirical model, while the residual component is accounted for stochastically. The analysis of many daily tropospheric residuals data series for stations spanning North America shows that the residual component can be accounted for using an exponential cosine model. A random walk (RW) model was also developed and used along with the NOAA tropospheric corrections with Vienna Mapping Function 1. It is shown that the RW improved the accuracy of station coordinates within the PPP convergence time by a few centimetres.
The active audience of the weblog format
Authors: Kershaw Stephen Jay
Published: June 2021

Through interviews and a survey, this thesis examines blog reading along several dimensions, including motivations for reading weblogs, audience interaction with the weblog format, and the use of tools to find and keep track of blogs. It proposes a typology of 'audience activity' based on the structural features of the weblog format, which includes the navigation of, contribution to, and promotion of blog content. It identifies reading behaviours, impediments to audience activities, and the ways that readers judge the credibility of blogs. This research serves to inform the design of tools that interface with the blogosphere, and it provides a foundation to help software developers to harness different types of audience activity.
Three vernacular travel albums : a case study in the accessioning process at George Eastman House International Museum of Photography and Film
Authors: Cain Catherine A.
Published: June 2021

This thesis project considers three vernacular travel albums from 1899-1900 donated by Donald Weber to George Eastman House International Museum of Photography and Film in 2008. The objects are not clearly attributed to any one person. The objective of this project was to make these objects available to staff and researchers. This process consisted of condition reporting, collection description writing, cataloguing and, potentially, properly housing the objects. The thesis includes an analytical paper and examples of the practical work done, such as condition reports and cataloguing worksheets. The analytical paper includes all aspects of the process and decesions made to execute this project. It also includes historical information on travel albums in American history. The primary focus of this thesis was to accession these objects to make them available for staff and researchers. While this thesis concentrates on only three objects, it is intended to serve as a case study in the accessioning process at one particular institution.
A New Phase-Locked Loop with Active Inductor Ring Oscillator
Authors: El-Hage Mohamad
Published: June 2021

Many of today's applications require that a phase-locked loop (PLL) operate at high speeds, while maintaining reasonable phase noise and jitter performance. Voltage-controlled oscillators (VCO) are important building blocks in PLLs. More importantly, the VCO is the major contributor of phase noise in a PLL. The noisy environment, mainly due to the switching noise generated by the digital portion of these systems. imposes stringent constraints on the design of VCOs, especially phase noise or timing jitter. The switching noise originated in the digital portion of the systems are coupled to the supply and ground rails of the VCO of PLLs. Another important block of a PLL is the charge-pump, a block that is responsible for generating the control voltage to be applied to the VCO. The stability or fluctuation of the control voltage, can severely affect the phase noise performance of the VCO. The research in this thesis, centered on (i) the design considerations of CMOS charge-pumps, (ii) the timing jitter of the delay-cells of low-voltage CMOS ring-VCOs and (iii) the design of a high-speed ring oscillator. A PLL was designed using a new active inductor 6.3-GHz ring oscillator, with a tuning range of +/- 15% was designed in 0.18um CMOS technology. The ring oscillator employed active inductor loads that resulted in an improvement of about 42% in oscillation frequency when compared to the conventional resistor loaded ring oscillator.
Identifying the Potential Sources of Contaminants to the Welland Canal, the Major Source of Drinking Water in the Niagara Region
Authors: Labbaf Zahra
Published: June 2021

The Welland Canal is the only source of raw water to the largest drinking water treatment plant in the Niagara Region in southern Ontario. The water of the Welland Canal has historically been contaminated from different sources, and identifying these potential pollutants to drinking water relies on direct chemical analysis that is time-consuming and costly to identifying the critical contaminants of concern. Therefore, the aim of this research is to access and prioritize the chemicals of concern and the possible sources of contamination impacting the Welland Canal water. Metals and organic contaminants originating from industrial effluent, agricultural runoff, Port Colborne STP effluent, Lake Erie sediments and antifouling paints on ship vessels are identified as major contributors of pollutant loads into the Welland Canal. Specifically, atrazine, glyphosate, metolachlor, TBT, mercury, lead and zinc are identified as major contaminants that could pose a health risk to over 300,000 residents in the Niagara Region.
Modeling of Methane Gas Generation and Emissions from Landfills
Authors: Mahbuba Khanam
Published: June 2021

This study was carried out to develop a model capable of predicting the generation and potential emission of methane gas into the environment. Ryerson Landfill Gas Model (RLFGM) was developed using the IPCC tier two model (revised guidelines), the most recent national assessment model (Brown et. al. 1999) from UK and the model developed from DEFRA, UK. This report outlines the findings of the study and its recommendations. The study was performed on detailed characterization of solid waste as RDO, MDO and SDO and by dividing these waste components into nine waste fractions. The waste fractions are described by the percentage of moisture content of the fraction, the proportion of cellulose and hemi-cellulose, and the percentage of the degradability of the cellulose and hemi-cellulose fraction. Methane generating potential (L₀) was calculated from DOC and DOC(subscript f) value. The three methane generation rate constants (k) were used. Methane oxidation, methane correction factor, percentage of methane gas recovery, percentage of methane content in landfill gas were assumed based on comprehensive literature review. After the verification of the output of the RLFGM model with the LandGEM model it was found that the model is producing similar type of output graph as the LandGEM model but the rate of emissions of methane gas into the environment is lower in RLFGM model. It has been concluded that RLFGM model gives the realistic output with respect to individual landfill sites, taking into account of specific waste streams and deposition rates.