bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Machine Learning Optimization for Prostate Brachytherapy Treatment Planning
Authors: Nicolae Alexandru M.
Published: May 2021

Prostate Low-Dose-Rate brachytherapy (LDR) is one of the most effective treatments for localized prostate cancer. Machine Learning (ML), the application of statistics to complex computational problem solving, was applied to prostate LDR brachytherapy treatment planning. Planning time, pre-implant dosimetry, and various measures of clinical implant quality for ML plans were compared against plans created by expert brachytherapists.
The average planning time to create an ML plan was 0.84 _ 0.57 min compared to over 17.88 _ 8.76 min for an experienced brachytherapists. Dosimetry was not significantly different for ML and expert brachytherapist plans. Clinical implant quality for the ML plans were ranked as nearly equivalent to the brachytherapist treatment plans in all qualitative categories evaluated.
The results of this thesis demonstrate that it is possible to generate high quality prostate brachytherapy treatment plans with comparable quality to those of a human expert using a custom ML algorithm.
A Novel Position Domain Controller For Contour Tracking Performance Improvement
Authors: Dam Truong
Published: May 2021

A common problem with modern manufacturing processes that utilize high feed-rate machining is how to accurately track a given contour for the tool center point (TCP) of a system. Various methods have been developed to increase axial tracking performance and contouring performance of computerized numerical control (CNC) machines. These include: high gain feedback controllers, feedforward controllers, zero phase error tracking controllers (ZPETC), cross-coupled control (CCC), and iterative learning control to mention a few. The common factor amongst these methods is that they are all based in time domain. This thesis will propose a new control law based in position domain applied to contour tracking control of a CNC machine. The goal of this developed controller is to improve the overall tracking and contouring performance of a CNC system. The idea behind a position domain control involves transforming the dynamics of a system from time domain into position domain through a one-to-one mapping. In the position domain system control, the motion of one of the axis is used as an independent reference by sampling equidistantly to control the remaining axes according to the contouring requirements. The overall contour error in a position domain controller should be lower relative to an equivalent time domain controller since there will be a zero tracking error from the reference motion. The stability of the proposed position domain control is proven through the Lyapunov method. Simulations with linear and nonlinear TCP contours using the proposed position domain controller and an equivalent time domain controller indicate that the proposed position domain control can improve tracking and contouring performance. In addition, a position domain controller with cross-coupled control was also proposed to further improve contour performance.
The "sell-out girl" in contemporary Hollywood cinema : training future generations of capitalist consumers
Authors: Dollack Anne Elizabeth
Published: May 2021

Contemporary Hollywood teen films are laden with ideological themes that advertise socially appropriate behaviours for young women. The following study, using a theoretical foundation in Marxism, presents a critical examination of the naturalized codes of consumerism, femininity, and adolescent subcultures found within the medium of film. The study of "alternative" female characters in Clueless (1995), 10 things I hate about you (1999), She's all that (1999), Ghost world (2001), Thirteen (2003), Mean girls(2004) and The perfect score (2004), reveals some of the hegemonic processes of capitalism that commodify potential forms of social opposition while reinforcing dominant norms about gender expectations, class status, and conspicuous consumption.
Complexity analysis and hardware implementation of extensible modulo addition for lightweight block cipher in Internet of Things (IOT)
Authors: Siddique Sheraz Raza
Published: May 2021

This project presents complexity analysis and hardware implementation of extensible modulo addition [15] encryption algorithm on a 32-bit lightweight FPGA based block cipher called INFLEX, which is designed for the internet of things (IoT) environment, supporting 64-bits key. It is designed for constrained hardware resources yet providing a highly secure scalable configuration for the variety of applications. This characteristic is obtained by the use of generalized Feistel structure combined with an improved block inflation feature. INFLEX follows a typical ARX (Add, Rotate, XOR) round function with a distinguished feature of block expansion and collapse as per user selected control string, which makes INFLEX act as a tweakable Cipher. We have shown comparison of INFLEX algorithm robustness and immunity against linear and differential attacks and demonstrated that it outperforms one of the benchmark block Ciphers Speck32/64 proposed by national security agency (NSA).
Settling and 'selling' Canada's West : the role of immigration
Authors: Malciw Johnny
Published: May 2021

This major research paper explores the promotional immigration material created by the Department of Agriculture during Sir John A. Macdonald's time as Prime Minister and within the context of western migration. The paper begins by examining the historiography of Canadian western expansion and continues by exploring the idea of western development as espoused by the business elites in Upper and Lower Canada. Sir John A. Macdonald's National Policy, which focused on increased tariffs, the completion of a transnational railway, and immigration are explored as well. Many attribute the active promotion of Canada to Europeans overseas with Clifford Sifton and the Laurier government. Sifton is known for having envisioned an agricultural paradise in western Canada and the idea of attracting hardworking peasant farmers, yet the contents of the promotional materials produced by the Department of Agriculture contain the same themes.
What Not To Wear At The Opera: Outfitting Sociability at the Met
Authors: Marland Kate
Published: May 2021

This research project proposes that fashion performs a critical role in the perpetuation of class hierarchies in American opera audiences. Dress is used by opera patrons as a mode of expressing their economic, social, and cultural capital, thereby affirming their status within society. The Metropolitan Opera house, opened in New York City in 1883, was built intentionally to create a space for the New York elite class to socialize, incorporating architectural features that reflected the power dynamics of New York society, effectively prioritizing sociability over musical integrity. This study is supported by analysis of early Vogue magazine articles that directly contributed to the formation of the opera as a pursuit for the upper-class; as well as a critical investigation of photographs drawn from the Met archive revealing the ways in which fashion at the Met performs economic and social power.. Ultimately, this project uses dress to examine the embedded class hierarchies that sustain an elite, exclusive audience for opera in America; indeed, the study shows that the combination of opera and fashion created class cohesion through mutually acknowledged cultural literacy in New York City.
Effective Time-Stepping For The Tau-Leaping Method for Stochastic Simulation Of Well-Stirred Biochemical Networks
Authors: Ruma Mahmuda Binte Mostofa
Published: May 2021

Biological processes at the cellular level are noisy. The noise arises due to random molecular collisions, and may be substantial in systems with low molecular counts in some species. This thesis introduces a variable tau-leaping method for the simulation of stochastic discrete mathematical models of well-stirred biochemical systems which is theoretically justified. Numerical tests on several models of biochemical systems of practical interest illustrate the advantages of the adaptive tau-leap method over the existing schemes.
Soret and diffusion coefficients easurement for binary and ternary mixtures on board the International Space Station using SODI
Authors: Ahadi Amirhossein
Published: May 2021

Thermodiffusion or Soret effect is a heat and mass transfer phenomenon in a non-isothermal liquid and gas mixtures. This phenomenon is more pronounced in oil fields, usually due to the porous environment. A precise and better understanding of the thermodiffusion phenomena in multi-component mixtures results in a more accurate modeling of oil reservoirs. Accordingly, the main objective of this study is to investigate the thermodiffusion phenomenon in the multicomponent mixtures. In order to achieve this objective, two series of thermodiffusion experiments conducted on board the International Space Station (ISS) using the SODI (Selectable Optical Diagnostics Instrument) facility were analyzed.
The first series of experiments aimed to study the effects of the forced vibration on the Soret phenomena. The experimental mixture was water and isopropanol with different compositions subjected to various temperature gradients normal to the vibrations. Results revealed maximum separation for the case with the minimum vibration and the lower temperature gradient; however, a linear relationship between Gershuni number and maximum separation was not found.
On the other hand, the second series of experiment was aimed to the measurement of the diffusion coefficients of selected ternary mixtures. Mixtures of tetrahydronaphthalene-isobutylbenzene-dodecane at five different compositions were hosted in the DSC (Diffusion and Soret Coefficient) cell array. Thus, the Soret diffusion coefficients and the molecular diffusion coefficients of the mentioned hydrocarbon mixture at five different compositions have been reported.
To process the results of these experiments an advance image processing technique was developed and implemented in an application with GUI (Graphical User Interface) for the Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI). Then, the application of the windowed Fourier transformation (WFT) to analyze the heat and mass transfer problem using the MZI setup is proposed. Results show that the WFT noticeably improves the measurement of concentration. This improvement is more evident for the ternary. It was shown that about 10% underestimation of the Soret coefficient would be resulted; if an accurate determination of the thermal time for the MZI is not used. The reliability and the repeatability of the MZI apparatus on board ISS to study thermodiffusion for binary and ternary mixtures were shown.
Relationship-based child protection: practice informed by indigenous social work students in the Northwest Territories
Authors: Lake Tasha
Published: May 2021

This study explores Ingenious perspectives of relationship building and how this perspective might be adapted into a child welfare context. The study was born out of my experience working in a child welfare in the community of Yellowknife, Northwest Territories. The theoretical framework draws from an Anti-Colonial perspective and the research methodology was adapted from critical ethnography to fit the scope of the research project. The sample includes 4 diploma of social work students from Aurora College in Yellowknife Northwest Territories as well as field notes form my personal journals from when I lived in the community and field notes from a data collection trip to Yellowknife, Northwest Territories in the Spring of 2014. Findings provide community perceptions of social workers, community standards, a process of relationships-based practice and the benefits to this practice style. Barriers to relationship-based practice are also identified as an area for further exploration.
A secondary option market design for reserve procurement by renewable energy sources
Authors: Ghaffari Reza
Published: May 2021

Wind power generation is uncertain and intermittent accentuating variability. Currently in many power systems worldwide, the total generation-load unbalance caused by mismatch between forecast and actual wind power output is handled by automatic governor control and real-time 5-minute balancing markets, which are operated by the independent system operators for maintaining reliable operation of power systems. Mechanisms such as automatic governor control and real-time 5-minute balancing markets are in place to correct the mismatch between the load forecast and the actual load. They are not designed to address increased uncertainty and variability introduced by large-scale wind power or solar power generation expected in the future. Thus, large-scale wind power generation with increased uncertainty and intermittency causing variability poses a techno-economic challenge of sourcing least cost load balancing services (reserve).
Social capital in online hashtag communities: analyzing #RubyPH
Authors: Lazarevic Jelena
Published: May 2021

This Major Research Paper uses theories of online community and social capital to explore how hashtag communities are formed, and whether or not social capital can be created in hashtag communities during a natural disaster. The focus is on #RubyPH, a hashtag created during Typhoon Ruby, which landed in the Philippines on December 6, 2014 (Malm, 2014). First, this Major Research Paper demonstrates the presence of social capital within hashtag communities emerging during Typhoon Ruby. Furthermore, demonstrating whether or not information shared by different parties can have an affect on the social capital present. This was done with a deductive content analysis of a sample of 2,000 tweets containing the hashtag #RubyPH. The findings of this study demonstrate that there is evidence of social capital within #RubyPH and that non-governmental organizations, news media, and governments contribute to social capital online.

Keywords: online community, hashtag community, social capital, networked collectivism, natural disasters, twitter, typhoon ruby, typhoon hagupit
Generalized Max-Cut and the Approximation Ratio
Authors: Zhang Junsi
Published: May 2021

In this thesis, we formulate a new problem based on Max-Cut called Generalized Max-Cut. This problem requires a graph as input and two real numbers (a, b) where a > 0 and −a < b < a and outputs a number. The restriction on the pair (a, b) is to avoid trivializing the problem. We formulate a quadratic program for Generalized Max-Cut and relax it to a semi-definite program. Most algorithms in this thesis will require solving this semi-definite program. The main algorithm in this thesis is the 2-Dimensional Rounding algorithm, designed by Avidor and Zwick, with the restriction that the semi-definite program of the input graph must have 2-Dimensional solutions. This algorithm uses a factor of randomness, β ∈ [0, 1], that is dependent on the integer input to Generalized Max-Cut. We improve the performance of this algorithm by numerically finding better β.
“It’s easier to be with them”: How children with mental health concerns perceive their experiences with equine-assisted therapies
Authors: Harvey Erin
Published: May 2021

Animal assisted therapy was founded as early as 1792 to support an individual’s health (Wilson, Buultjens, Monfries & Karimi, 2017). One form of animal assisted therapy drawing attention over the past few decades is equine-assisted therapy and interventions (EAT/I). Research in this area has largely considered adults’ perspectives of EAT/I and has failed to consider how children using EAT/I perceive treatments. Using a sociology of childhood framework (Prout & James, 1997), a children’s rights perspective (Di Santo & Keannelly, 2014), and a disability justice framework (Devlieger, 1999) the present research employed qualitative, semi-structured interviews with open-ended questions and play-based methods. Five children aged five to twelve were interviewed, each of whom were enrolled in EAT/I. The findings demonstrated the children’s appreciation for their experiences with horses and experiences at the farm. They provided insight into how EAT/I benefit them and contrasted these experiences to their lived experiences outside the farm.

Keywords: Equine assisted therapy, sociology of childhood, children’s rights, mental health
LEED Canada energy performance modelling of a medical office building using Carrier HAP and NRCan EE4
Authors: Khan Ali Nouman Saeed
Published: May 2021

The specific goal of this project is to model the energy performance of a medical office building in Carrier HAP and NRCan EE4 simulation software in order to qualify for LEED Canada energy and atmosphere perquisite 2 and credit 1. LEED Canada requires that to be eligible for EAp2 and EAc1, the proposed building must be 25% more energy efficient than a reference building which is designed according to Model National Energy Code for Buildings (MNECB). The demise of EE4 has created a demanding need to look for substitute software. One of the tasks of the project is to analyze HAP for EAp2 and EAc1 compliance process. EE4 generates the MNECB reference building itself but in HAP the reference building has to be modelled manually. The results from HAP and EE4 show that energy savings are 39.10% and 38.31% respectively with respect to MNECB reference building.
Architecture synthesis methodology of run-time reconfigurable multi-task and multi-mode systems with self-assembling micro-architecture
Authors: Chun Pil Woo (Peter)
Published: May 2021

Despite the success that programmable devices have enjoyed in the last two decades, architecture synthesis methodologies for Run-Time Reconfigurable (RTR) systems are still in their infancy. As the majority of consumer devices integrate multiple-functionality, the cost-effectiveness becomes the main focus of computing systems design. This thesis presents a novel architecture synthesis methodology for the cost-effective implementation of a multi-task and multi-mode workload. The proposed methodology creates a RTR system that changes its functionality in response to a dynamic environment and enables on-chip assembly of pre-constructed components by synthesizing a workload-specific static architecture. The proposed methodology presents novelties in design abstraction, partitioning method and in the procedure of deciding reconfiguration granularity. The experimental results show the cost benefits of the proposed architecture synthesis methodology saving 73% of area and 29.8% of power compared to fixed design approach
Learning through weblogs: students' perspective and learning evidences
Authors: Gagne Claude  S.
Published: May 2021

The study reported in this paper examines students' perception of the use of weblogs as learning tools; it also explores evidence of learning within blog postings. Two Ryerson University courses in Information Technology Management that require students to use weblogs are taken as examples. Twenty-two students from these two courses participated in an online survey concerning their blogging experience. The participants had very good computer knowledge - most of them had previous experience using blogs. Most of them thought that building and maintaining a blog was an easy task. However, the research shows that students' perception concerning the use of blogs as educational tools was neutral-students also perceived the impact of using blogs on their ability to learn the course material as neutral. The study shows a lack of clear communication between instructors and students, which could have had a negative impact on students' learning experience. Furthermore, the study indicates that most students perceived the content they posted in a somewhat negative way. A content analysis performed on 22 blogs demonstrates that that the objectives of each course played a significant impact on the evidences of learning apparent in students' blogs. Students in group B demonstrated more evidences of learning then students in group A. Overall, the study shows that the use of blogs as learning tool in university classrooms is promising. Providing students with clear goals, objectives and expectations could help them to build and maintain their blogs in a way that could be more beneficial to their learning experience.
A Physiologically-Based Pharmaco-Kinetic Model for Disposition of Dioxins and Furans in Fish
Authors: Zahra Parhizgari E.
Published: May 2021

A Physiologically Based Pharmacokinetic (PBPK) model was developed for the disposition of dioxins in various fish species. The model was developed based on available information on the mechanisms of uptake, distribution, storage and elimination of dioxins in various species (other than fish) and empirical data on disposition of dioxins in the fish tissues. Two versions of the model were implemented: one for exposure to dioxins in water through the gill and the other one for exposure through food. Model compartments included the gill, kidney, liver and other richly-perfused tissues, as well as fat and other slowly-perfused tissues. In the food exposure version, the gut was also included as a richly-perfused tissue. The water exposure model was calibrated using two independent data sets for exposure of fathead minnow and medaka to 2,3,7,8-TCDD in water. The estimated parameter values in the two data sets were comparable and the predictions agreed with the observations very well. The results were compared to those produced by the default methods (bioconcentration factors). Uncertainty in the model prediction as a result of variability in input parameters was also discussed for the parameters with the highest impacts on the model outcome. The predictions of the food pathway exposure model were compared to data for rainbow trout liver.
Theme and structure: key elements in the criteria for excellence in journalism
Authors: Dorbyk Anna
Published: May 2021

Journalism it is often claimed, is a social instrument that is the chief means by which citizens become informed and equipped to be active participants in democratic life. As Kovach expresses this point "the role of the press since its beginning has been to help the people overcome the scarcity of information upon which they could make thoughtful and informed decisions" (Kovach http://www.concernedjournalists.orglnode/492). The higher the standard of journalism, therefore, the more effectively it can fulfill its role. However, questions arise of precisely what is meant by standards of excellence in journalism and furthermore, what are the criteria by which it can be measured? As an area of research, criteria for journalistic excellence remain difficult to define and challenging to measure and quantify. Since industry awards programs devoted to recognizing the best in journalism would reasonably be expected to stipulate their understanding of excellence, they would appear a logical place to begin the task of investigating what constitutes journalistic excellence. Shapiro et al., however, have reported that "many [awards] programs simply don't have judging guidelines, while others consist mostly of lists of terms, without explanation or illustration" (7).

Without evidence of excellence criteria being available from those industry programs and institutions whose professional role it is to recognize excellence, scholars have had to broach the subject in different ways. Some studies devoted to the goal of naming concrete characteristics of excellence have sought to define "excellence" by interviewing judges, journalists and newspaper editors. These have resulted in individually subjective answers. Other research initiatives have measured journalistic writing by equating quality with conformity to traditional journalistic standards such as "accuracy" and "impartiality" (Bogart 45). Like the subjective opinion of industry professionals, any list of standards in journalism is potentially elusive because of the manifold variables that influence conclusive final judgment. For some industry professionals though. These references to the more enduring standards of the profession "would be seen ... not as criteria of excellence ... but as bare minimum requirements" (Shapiro et al. 6). Shapiro et al. advanced the understanding of "excellence" by reinforcing the presence of these traditional journalistic standards, and by demonstrating that the weighting each judge placed on these criteria was subject to individual preference. While the weighting of criteria of excellence may be subjective, this study's findings indicate that there are indeed commonalities among award winning articles, and these relate to two main variables: theme and structure.
A biomechanical study of a novel biomimetic hip implant
Authors: Khurshid Shaheen
Published: May 2021

A three dimensional finite element (FE) model of a novel carbon fibre polyamide 12 composite hip stem was used to compare with two commerically available (Exeter and Omnifit) hip stems to minimize stress shielding and bone resorption. A virtual axial load of 3000N was applied to the FE model which replicated the experimental study. Strain and stress distributions were computed and compared with experimental results. Experimentally, three hip stems had their distal portions rigidly mounted and had strain gauges placed along the surface at 3 medial and 3 lateral locations. From the FE analysis, the von mises stress range for the composite hip stem was 200% and 45% lower than that in the Omnifit and Exeter implants, respectively. The aggregate average difference between FE and experimental microstrains for four proximal strain gauge locations were 7.5% (composite), 11.5% (Exeter), 14.6% (Omnifit), and the composite hip stem's stiffness (1982N/mm) was lower than the metallic hip stem stiffnesses (Exter, 2460N/mm; Omnifit, 2543 N/mm). This study showed considerable improvement in stress transfer to bone tissue.
Exploring support persons' narrative accounts of waiting for lung transplant
Authors: Liu Linda
Published: May 2021

Patients must have one designated support person (e.g., family member) provide constant care during the waiting period for lung transplant - this may involve relocation to be within 2.5 hours from the transplant site. There is little research concerning support persons’ experiences of waiting for transplant. This narrative study involving interviews and journaling, framed by the concept of liminality was conducted to explore support persons’ accounts of waiting for lung transplant. Findings indicate that support persons entered into a liminal space where they became focused upon and confined to patients’ routines and needs. The uncertainty of waiting was interwoven with emotions of hope, fear, and isolation. Implications include the need to identify the support person as a care recipient and implement supportive and counselling interventions responsive to their needs. This research also advances the theoretical concept of liminality in illness and provides direction for future research, policy and education
In/Commensurability in Chimerica: An Analysis of China’s Rhetorical Strategies Diplomatic Conflicts with the U.S.
Authors: Delaney Robert
Published: May 2021

Niall Ferguson (2006), the British economist and author of The Ascent of Money: A Financial History of the World, coined the neologism “Chimerica” to identify the increasingly important and interdependent bilateral relationship between U.S. and China since Beijing emerged as the U.S.’s largest creditor and supplier of goods outside of North America. China’s contemporary cultural orientation draws primarily from Confucianism, a tradition that insists on order and cohesion. This predisposition contrasts sharply with the Aristotelian intellectual tradition of the
West, and creates a constant source of friction between the two cultures. As China gains an equal economic footing with the West, and with the U.S. in particular, the sources of incommensurability between these cultures need to be understood more thoroughly to alleviate some of the conflict that would otherwise plague individual, organizational, and governmental communication spanning the two sides. This tension is evident in the editorial pages of the most important news outlets in China and the West. Focusing on selected editorials and drawing on Incommensurability Theory as an analytical framework, this research identifies some of the key cultural defaults, or commonplaces, that the Chinese government uses to guide its rhetorical position in diplomatic conflicts and the cultural roots of these default positions.
Solid particle erosion of materials for use in gas pipeline control valves
Authors: Akbarzadeh Ehsan
Published: May 2021

To aid in the materials selection of gas control valves, the solid particle erosion behaviour of twelve metals was investigated using impinging jets of magnetite particles. The erosion rates were measured for two different particle sizes, two different velocities, and six different impingement angles. Scanning electron micrography and EDX (Energy Dispersive X-ray analysis) mapping was used to investigate the erosion mechanisms and the extent of particle embedding. There was no measurable erosion for the Tungsten Carbide samples, even for very long exposure times. For nickel plated steel, the plating was found to delaminate, resulting in a brittle erosive response. For all other tested materials, the measured erosion rates and scanning electron micrographs indicated a ductile erosion mechanism under all conditions considered. The erosion rates were found to fit a semi-empirical erosion model due to Oka et al. [1] well. The most erosion resistant materials were found to be the Solid tungsten carbide (WC) and Solid Stellite 12 and the least erosion resistant materials were A1018 carbon steel nickel plated and A240 Type 410 stainless steel plate. With all other conditions being equal, a larger erosion rate was measured when utilizing the smaller particles, than when the large particles were used. This counter-intuitive result was demonstrated to be due to a combination of effects, including the formation of thicker hardened layer more embedded particles, and more particle fragmentation when utilizing the larger particles.
Development and implementation of interactive 3D video environment on run-time reconfigurable FPGA platform
Authors: Zhelnakov Sergiy
Published: May 2021

Video data processing tasks are traditionally performed either through software-based systems when various algorithms must be applied to the data and when time issue is not critical, DSPs -- when certain time constraints are set but when the set of tasks is limited, or ASICs -- when the highest performance is required, the set of tasks is fixed and highly optimized, the data stream doesn't change, and the number of data streams is limited.
For a real-time system which must operate on multiple data streams which also can change in time and on which various data processing algorithms must be applied neither of the mentioned approaches can be used. Timing requirements and power limitation does not allow utilization of sequential CPU. ASIC becomes too big to accomodate multiple processing circuits for each algorithm and associated modes. Only Run-Time Reconfigurable (RTR) FPGA approach allows implementation of such a system.
The thesis presents a real-time stereo vision system with elements of synthesis of interactive 3-D virtual objects designed and implemented on the FPGA-based reconfigurable platform. FPGA chip integrates a hybrid architecture system with multi-mode and mutli-stream processing ability for critical time tasks and with embedded microprocessor(s) for computing complex algorithms for 3-D objects synthesis for which timing requirements are not so strict.
An approach for the formal presentation and processing of the 3-D virtual objects and their transformation is also analyzed and presented in this paper. Architecture synthesis and optimization for a hybrid system are also considered.
The experimental results proved the effectiveness of proposed approach: the FPGA-based system-on-chip provides stereo visualization in different modes (actual image and edge detection image), with synthesized 3-D controls (pressed and released buttons).
Protection of temporary foreign workers: the case of Filipinos in Canada
Authors: Leung Kwan  Ho
Published: May 2021

Temporary foreign workers have been employed – or simply used – throughout history. Their plights have gained some attention across the globe in recent decades. Canada as a major receiving country of these workers and the Philippines as a prolific sending country of workers are selected as case studies to examine whether measures taken internationally, nationally and locally are adequate to protect these workers, especially those in low-skilled occupations. Based on prior research on the workers’ well-being, the answer is no in at least five areas: recruitment, matching of qualifications, abuse, housing, and family separation. Suggestions are made to address these specific areas. In addition, it is argued that, in order to protect the workers, civil society should also be involved and expanded rights should be given to the workers.
Efficient Lifted Planning with Regression-Based Heuristics
Authors: Qovaizi Hadi
Published: May 2021

Modern state-of-the-art planners operate by generating a grounded transition system prior to performing search for a solution to a given planning task. Some tasks involve a significant number of objects or entail managing predicates and action schemas with a significant number of arguments. Hence, this instantiation procedure can exhaust all available memory and therefore prevent a planner from performing search to find a solution. This thesis explores this limitation by presenting a benchmark set of problems based on Organic Chemistry Synthesis that was submitted to the latest International Planning Competition (IPC-2018). This benchmark was constructed to gauge the performance of the competing planners given that instantiation is an issue. Furthermore, a novel algorithm, the Regression-Based Heuristic Planner (RBHP), is developed with the aim of averting this issue. RBHP was inspired by the retro-synthetic approach commonly used to solve organic synthesis problems efficiently. RBHP solves planning tasks by applying domain independent heuristics, computed by regression, and performing best-first search. In contrast to most modern planners, RBHP computes heuristics backwards by applying the goal-directed regression operator. However, the best-first search proceeds forward similar to other planners. The proposed planner is evaluated on a set of planning tasks included in previous International Planning Competitions (IPC) against a subset of the top scoring state-of-the-art planners submitted to the IPC-2018.
Integration Of Environmental Management Systems And Lean Concepts
Authors: Lam Brian A.
Published: May 2021

Organizations around the world have been implementing environmental management systems (EMSs) as an effective means to manage environmental performance. However, successful deployment of EMSs requires the effective integration of EMS considerations into existing core business functions. This has typically been challenging for many firms, as many business functions are typically not well aligned with EMS objectives. Process improvement, namely Lean concepts, is an example. The objectives of Lean concepts are very different from the objectives of EMSs, and certain differences in both systems create the potential for conflict. This report further explores the potential to integrate EMSs with Lean concepts. This report summarizes EMSs and Lean concepts across several comparable aspects including objectives, drivers, benefits, and implementation. The standards for each system, ISO 14001 and the Shingo Prize Model respectively, are also presented. After careful analysis and comparison of Lean concepts and EMSs, eight strategies are proposed to effectively integrate the approaches and succeed against individual system weaknesses. An integrated toolset of Lean concepts and methods with EMS considerations are also provided. The integration strategies are lastly discussed with respect to ISO 14001 and Shingo Prize Model requirements.
Affinity interactions of Actin with HS1 and Annexin I, II, IV, V and VI in RAW264.7 macrophages in vitro and in the Fc-receptor complex
Authors: Florentinus Angelica Kirsten
Published: May 2021

Actin binding proteins HS1 and Annexin I, II, III, IV, V and VI proteins were examined in RAW macrophages in vitro using affinity chromatography, LC-MS/MS, western blot, cell staining and expression of fluorescent proteins. Actins and many related actin isoforms were observed in the phagosome. However, actins were also observed on polystyrene beads incubated with crude extracts readily bound to NHS affinity chromatography beads in the absence of anti-actin antibodies. Annexin II and V and the haematopoietic specific proteins HS1 (also called Lyn substrate) were prominently observed in isolated phagosomes and not observed in control beads incubated with crude extracts of RAW macrophages. Annexin II and V as well as G3BP, FLT1, FARP2, STARD13, RAB25, and FRAP1 were observed to bind actin in affinity chromatography experiments using LC-MS/MS and western blot. Cell staining and/or expression of GFP constructs showed that actin, HS1 and Annexin V prominently accumulate at the nascent Fc-receptor complex of RAW macrophages.
Pilot Plant Study of Aqueous Linear Alkylbenzene Sulfonate Degradation by Combined Advance Oxidation and Biological Processes
Authors: Tabrizi Gelareh Bankian
Published: May 2021

Photochemical degradation of linear alkybenzene sulfonate (LAS) using a pilot plant photoreactor is studied. LAS at 100 mg/L is degraded by UV-254 and UV/H2O2. Degradation of LAS is effectively enhanced by 720 mg/L H2O2. Moreover, the effectiveness of phototreatment on the biodegradability of LAS is examined. Both pretreated and untreated LAS are used in biological experiments. Combination of UV-254 with optimum concentration of H2O2 effectively enhanced the biodegradability of LAS. However, LAS at 100 mg/L can inhibit the growth of microorganisms. It is observed that the adaptation of activated sludge increases the biodegradation of LAS. However, due to the presence of intermediates in the effluent of the photoreactor, the biodegradability of this effluent is less than the biodegradability of the same as the concentration of untreated LAS. It is also observed that using the integration of UV/H2O2 and biological processes instead of single step of UV/H2O2, reduces the total residence time in chemical reactor while obtains the desired total efficiency.
The role of collective memory in solidifying identity : the case of Palestinian refugees
Authors: Hamdan Ghaida
Published: May 2021

Through a critical review of scholarly literature on the role of collective memory as a resistance tool to memoricide, this research paper uses an analytical approach to examine the efforts exerted by Palestinian refugees in post 1948 Nakba (catastrophe of dispossession) to preserve and consolidate their national identity through the transmission of history of displacement and cultural heritage. With a specific focus on the fourth-generation Palestinian refugees living under occupation, and through studying cultural practices, oral history, and the Great March of Return Movement, this paper examines the role played by the collective memory in consolidating the Palestinians national identity in the post-Nakba era. The research argues that the collective memory constitutes a central anchor to preserving the Palestinian national identity and becomes an instrumental site for resistance, creating a generation of hope and rights, not despair and loss, as claimed by the recent literature.

Key Words: Palestinian Refugees, Nakba, Collective Memory, Memoricide, National Identity, Oral History, Memory, Heritage, Occupied Palestinian Territory, Right of Return
Comparative analysis of different image denoising methods in spatial and transform domain
Authors: Ahmad Zeeshan
Published: May 2021

Digital Images are the best source for humans to see, visualize, think, extract information and make conclusions. However during the acquisition of images, noise superimposes on the images and reduces the information and detail of the images. In order to restore the details of the images, noise must be reduced from the images. This requirement places the image denoising amongst the fundamental and challenging fields of computer vision and image processing.
In this project six fundamental techniques / algorithms of image denoising in spatial and transform domain are presented and their comparative analysis is also carried out. The noise model used in this project is Additive Gaussian noise. The algorithms are simulated on Matlab and experimental results are shown at different noise levels. The performance of each image denoising technique is measured in terms of Peak Signal to Noise Ratio (PSNR) , Mean Structural Similarity (SSIM) Metrics and visual quality. It is observed that the transform domain techniques used in this project achieved better results as compared to spatial domain techniques
In Search Of Place
Authors: Taghi-Poor Melody
Published: May 2021

The following thesis will explore the contemporary meaning of ‘Place’ and the lost relationship between human sensitivity -both emotional and physical- and the setting, which together would form the very definition of a place, and will make an attempt to re-define this relationship. By returning to the basic definition of place, this paper emphasizes the fact that place without memory is simply space without meaning and that unlike places of our time that put little emphasis on the embodied memory, memory of place is experienced through not only mind but also the entire body.

The paper will take a bottom-up approach where ‘Space’ as a fundamental element of ‘Place’ and its transformation to place is discussed. There will be a comprehensive discussion on place itself and the role and ability of embodied memory in creation of place. Each section will make an effort to consider the current circumstances of ‘Place’ and how they might be transformed to establish a relationship between embodied memory of space and the physical location. Here, senses, movement and basic orientation of the body will be discussed as elements empowering the embodied memory and having the ability to transform spaces–or non-places- of our time into place.

Movement if not one of our five senses, inspires us to engage our whole body; we see, touch and smell what surrounds us, and also understand the setting in the sense that we engage or interact with it. The design project will explore the act of movement as the fundamental element of forming embodied memory of ‘Space’ and transforming it into ‘Place’. Element of path, which links two significant nodes - one known as a place and another a non-place- will be incorporated to represent the act of movement and its impact on creation of a ‘Place’.
Eating identity: challenging narratives of Canadianness through culinary identity building
Authors: Ramtahal Natalie
Published: May 2021

This MRP will examine how food can be used as a tool for challenging traditional nation stories and growing notions of what it means to be Canadian. There is an opportunity to write and shape a Canadian narrative that is inclusive of its evolving demography while simultaneously reconciling its violent history by developing a Canadian culinary identity. Food is political, social and cultural. Food can bring people together and can provide a platform to have compelling discussions about what it means to be Canadian; who is included in the definition of Canadian; and, how we can develop a sense of Canadianness that speaks to an evolving population.
Historically and at present, Canada’s story has often excluded or minimized the cultural, political and social contributions of Indigenous peoples and racialized immigrants. There remains a prevailing sense of Canadian identity being tethered to whiteness despite over a century of global immigration. However, the very idea of what defines Canadianness is relatively tenuous one. There are few traits, markers, or qualities that are seen as characteristically Canadian. This is even more true for Canada’s culinary identity. What exactly is Canadian food? Canada, as a nation, is a relatively new country without a clear culinary identity. Further, Canada is an expansive land mass covering different time zones, geographic regions, and climates. To further complicate matters, it is place for people from all over the world to immigrate.
Nowhere is the impact of immigration and the diversity of people more evident than in Toronto. How the city has changed demographically is reflected in the diversification of it’s culinary landscape. The wide range of available foods reveals and affirms how the appetites and desires of those that live here have also changed. International foods, restaurants and markets are not only ubiquitous, but a defining characteristic of the city. Where, what and how people eat can
provide insight into how historical systems of inequality and colonial narratives persist. Growing
and developing Canadian culinary identity is a way of challenging the idea of whiteness as a
prerequisite for being Canadian. It is a potential way to acknowledge and include immigrant
contributions.
Food is wrapped up in politics of inequality and injustice, just as much as it is in pleasure and desire. Mapping how food is used as a tool that furthers colonization and racist dogma is key for shifting food to a tool for education and understanding. Food has the power to open up conversation and reshape understandings of Canadian identity through developing and defining a
distinct Canadian culinary position. If an understanding about Canadian culinary identity is
inclusive of its complex and divergent cultural and political history, then perhaps there is an
opportunity to rethink Canadian identity as a whole. The goal of this MRP is to establish that food can be used as an ideological intervention that examines, challenges and reimagines Canadian identity.
The Effect of XR in Audio Visual Medium: Consumer Revolution of Virtual Platforms
Authors: Bello Carlos Emmanuel Ferro
Published: May 2021

This paper Investigates usage cases and consumer studies of AR/VR technologies that corroborate the positive impacts of Virtual applications in learning. Taking a look at the history of audiovisual media and the impact of screen technology in modern life, helped justify the creation of the DirectAR app which enables young Cinematography enthusiasts to learn basic concepts used in video creation.
RFID security protocols simulation and prototyping
Authors: Yu Xiaohui
Published: May 2021

As Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology achieves commercial success, its privacy and security issues are becoming a barrier to limit its potential for future start of the art applications. In this report, we present an investigation of the past and current research related to RFID security algorithms and protocols for product authentication. We also present a novel RFID security protocol based on eXtended Tiny Encryption Algorithm (XTEA). Analysis of the security and privacy level of our proposed protocol is performed using SystemC based modeling and different attack models are simulated to show that the protocol is robust and safe against application, protoypes of these attack models are implemented on FPGA platform. We also compare our proposed protocol technique with similar protocols presented in the near past that also use symmetric key algorithms to verify and demostrate main advantages of our protocol in terms of security and performance.