bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Zones of political power: cell phones and group formation in Kenya and the Philippines.
Authors: Jones Mark J.
Published: May 2021

This thesis proposes a way to examine the form of connection between cell phone use and the formation of groups advocating political change and democratic reform in developing countries. It uses two political events - the People Power II demonstration in Manila, Philippines in 2001, and the national election in Kenya in 2002 - as case studies to test a framework, one that draws from articulation theory and actor-network theory, and is informed by a history of development communication.

Cell phone technology has achieved a worldwide subscriber adoption rate like no other digital technology. People in so-called developing countries have been particularly fast adopters of cell phone technology, with Africa being the fastest growing market in the world since 2002, and the Philippines now the world's leader in the number of text messages sent each day. Popular media reports describe people's use of the cell phone as an instrument for the organization of potent political resistance in the digital age. This thesis strives to ground assumptions of the "power of texting" in a robust examination of the factors that lead to the formation of social groups that successfully and peacefully replace governments believed by popular opinion to be corrupt.

The first part of the paper reviews the theoretical foundations used to triangulate an examination of the topic. The second part reviews details of the two case events, including socioeconomic and telecommunications conditions that may have contributed to the formation and organization of social groups and the political ideology conveyed during these events. The third part brings together various types of data - voting patterns, poverty, telecommunication policy, and cell phone network coverage - to expose possible correlations between those geographic areas in developing countries that are cell phone enabled and the potential political influence those with access to mobile handsets can exert.

The thesis concludes by arguing that cell phone network coverage maps are useful tools in the study of social and cultural phenomenon for three reasons: cell phone networks are dedicated and singular, they track network penetration density in targeted regions with specific economic and demographic criteria, and they enable the tracking of network expansion over time, indicating emerging regions for wireless social communication and economic development. These maps may be read as zones of political power, enabling those with access to the technology to promote their political agenda, while those without access may be disadvantaged.
Corporate governance issues surrounding executive compensation and executive severance
Authors: Zanetti Andrea W.
Published: May 2021

This paper seeks to explain why and how executive severances of publicly-traded Canadian and U.S. companies have reached the financial levels they have, generating public and shareholder outrage and causing governments on both sides of the border to introduce new legislation. The paper investigates the role of the CEO, boards and shareholders in the setting of executive compensation. As the origins ofthe three roles lie in business corporation law, the legislative framework of Canadian and U.S. companies is presented to permit the reader to understand the legal accountabilities and rights of each of the three parties. The paper identifies that executives may exercise substantial influence over boards, possibly impeding effective governance. The paper concludes that effective governance, including greater board independence and board competence in executive compensation matters will help to improve board functioning and minimize the effects of the agency problem, cronyism and
managerial power.
Thickening the Public Realm: Choreographing the Interaction of the Public Realm with the Built Environment
Authors: Rahman Chowdhury Tasneem
Published: May 2021

The ground plane has always been the primary domain of public activities. However, cities developed under the Modernist influence demonstrate an “object-in-space” circumstance with proliferating sky-scrapers that fragment the city’s ground surface into mid-block spaces and vaguely defined plazas. The demands of motorized-transportation and private enterprise further scatter spaces for pedestrian activities across the plan, section and stratified layers of the city (subterranean or/and elevated networks).The result is an inconsistent public realm that remains from being animated by public vitality. Through the manipulation of the ground-plane, this thesis seeks to remedy such stratification. It posits that a thickening of the ground to create a three-dimensional spatial condition will amplify opportunities for social interaction within otherwise muted civic surfaces. Addressing the contemporary reality of the multiplied ground, this thesis advocates reactivating it as a thickened continuous public domain that dissolves the polarity between the built and social fabric of the city.
Catalytic and co-ordination chemistry of enolate oxazoline K2-N,O-ligands to group 9 & 11 transition metals
Authors: May Kathleen L.
Published: May 2021

The co-ordination chemistry and resulting catalytic potential of Group 9 and 11 transition metal centered complexes with the 2-acylmethyl-2-oxazoline skeleton are detailed. Each of the synthesized ligand species were treated with either a Copper (II) or Cobalt (II) salt to promote co-ordination, in all cases deprotonation of the ligand occurred. These complexes have, thereafter, been examined by infrared spectroscopy (IR), UV-Visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis), mass spectrometry (MS), cyclic voltammetry (CV), combustion analysis (EA) and x-ray diffraction and probed for their potential redox properties. In the case of Cu(II) chelated complexes, no desirable redox behaviour was observed. Although, with respect to Co(II) complexes, one complex displayed favourable redox potential. The redox active species have been shown to effectively catalyze the polymerization of methyl methacrylate with tosyl chloride as an initiator, through an ATRP-like mechanism. Work within also reflects preliminary co-ordination to Iridium and Rhodium metal centers. Successfully synthesized Iridium complexes have been tested with respect to their oxidative properties. Positive results have been observed in their ability to perform oxidative addition with both HSnPh3 and MeI. Both small molecule species have been effectively added to an Ir(I) complex, formally changing its oxidation state to Ir(III).
An Investigation Into The Fouling Phenomena Of Polycarbonate Membranes Used In The Treatment Of Latex Paint Wastewater
Authors: Bedasie Ruston
Published: May 2021

The treatment of latex paint wastewater with ultrafiltration allows for the reuse of the filtrate as process water or for cleaning purposes, as well as the potential for reclamation of the valuable paint solids. In this study, the utilization of polycarbonate membranes for the ultrafiltration of dilute latex dispersions was evaluated. Hydrophilic, flat sheet ultrafiltration membranes with a mean pore size of 0.1 μm were used. All filtration experiments were conducted under constant pressure operation, in a circular, centre-fed, cross-flow filtration cell.

The effect of feed flow rate was investigated, and the steady-state permeate flux achieved showed an increase of 294% between 1.0 and 3.0 L/min. Increasing the operating pressure also resulted in an increased permeate flux, with a 320% increase from 1.5 to 5.5 psi. Also considered was the effect of the feed solid concentration on the permeate flux. When compared to the clean water flux (0% solids) of 5.5×10-

Surfactant-enhanced ultrafiltration was also studied, with concentrations ranging from 25% to 200% of the literature values of the surfactant's critical micelle concentration (CMC) in pure water. The addition of an anionic surfactant, sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS), reduced the effectiveness of the filtration. However, the addition of a cationic surfactant, cetyl trimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), increased the permeate flux of the latex dispersion up to 130% when twice its CMC was used, with evidence of a reduction in the effect of fouling of the membranes. This may be due to repelling interactions between the surface of the membrane and the surface of the formed micelles, as well as a reduced cake resistance due to the larger particle size of the constituents forming a less dense cake layer.
Molecular imprinting of hydrogels : improved drug delivery vehicles
Authors: McBain Kristin L
Published: May 2021

The present study aimed to characterize and evaluate the ability of two molecularly imprinted hydrogel polymers to uptake drug template molecules from solution. A copolymer of methyl methacrylate (MMA) and N, N-Dimethyl acrylamide (DMAA), and a homopolymer of 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) were synthesized. Both polymer types were either molecularly imprinted (MIP) with a drug template molecule (propranolol, naproxen or timolol) or prepared without a template (non-imprinted polymer, NIP). The polymers were characterized by water content, FTIR, DSC, XRD, and SEM. With the exception of the SEM data, no differences between MIPs and NIPs were noted. Polymers were used in template re-uptake studies and their isotherms fit to Langmuir and Freundlich models. Based on the results. we conclude that the MMA-DMAA ProMIP was most successful at rebinding propranolol compared to the corresponding NIP. By changing the composition of the polymer backbone the drug uptake ability of the polymer changes drastically.
Built-in-self-test system for FPGA-based vehicle video-detection and distance measurement
Authors: Anwar Md Forhad Ebn
Published: May 2021

Collision of vehicles in highways are very frequent. Because of high speed (more than 100 km/hour), the momentum of collision is too high that leads sever casualty. Automatic Driving Assistance system can assist the vehicle operators to take decision based on realistic practical calculation on safety measures. It is always better to have third eye working parallel with human to avoid road accident. There are several technologies used to develop perfect driving assistance system to achieve higher accuracy in detection, identification and distance measurement of obstacles where vision based system is one of them. Mono-vision system provides cheap and fast solution rather stereo vision. This project work conducted with objective to comprehend computational complexity in implementation of mono-vison camera based object detection where system will generate warning if the detected object has a motion towards target. Processing and analyzing of captured video image is the focused mechanism of implementation and used internal image generator module to mimic actual video camera. Appeared size of the shape of object considered for the decision making. The simulated image pattern can change it’s dimension to represent vehicle movement in one direction (Back and forth).

In this work the on-chip car image generation sub-system was proposed designed and partially implemented on the base of the FPGA where Xilinx Zynq-7010 (ZYNQ XC7Z010-1CLG400C) FPGA development board used.

Keyword: Computer Vision, mono vision, image processing on FPGA, Automatic Driving Assistance, Vehicle Detection.
# Pillar of Defense: Using Social Media to Manage Impressions of Conflict: A Case Study of the November 2012 Israel-Hamas conflict
Authors: Djurkic Jelena
Published: May 2021

Threats to reputation can destroy a brand. Communicating effectively during a conflict can help to manage negative impressions that expose brands to reputation risk. This is important now more than ever as organizations—and nations—turn to Twitter to address various publics. The rigid 140-character structure of Twitter thus necessitates the creation of sound bites that act as productive texts to address multiple rhetorical objectives simultaneously. An examination of the Israel Defense Forces’ (IDF) Twitter account through sentiment and content analysis shows evidence that the Force took a significantly defensive approach to impression management of Operation Pillar of Defense in November 2012. There is evidence that Israel sought to re-frame public impression of its military involvement from aggressor to defender in the armed conflict. Codes discovered in the analysis suggest that the IDF tried to justify force, avoid responsibility and establish legitimacy of its operations.
From felt tip to technology: the challenges of representing traditional knowledge in a GIS platform to create a knowledge surface
Authors: Robertson Julie B.
Published: May 2021

Traditional knowledge (TK) has been the keystone to survival in the Arctic for thousands of
years. Caribou are integral to the society, health and culture of the Inuit, the Indigenous peoples of the
Arctic. There is a lack of research regarding caribou on King William Island (KWI), Nunavut. Through a
project in Gjoa Haven, located on KWI, Inuit Elders and hunters used maps to help represent their
knowledge of caribou in the region. These 32 maps were processed in a GIS to explore the spatial
dimensions of TK, and different forms of knowledge representation. Using vector data the features drawn
were separated into lines and polygons to show hotspots of caribou knowledge. Using a fuzzy raster
methodology, all caribou data was summed to create a collective knowledge surface of the caribou
features. These maps refine the data from the vector maps and create a continuous surface that aims to
better reflect the collective nature of TK. This research explores the challenges of representing TK using
western technologies, and application of fuzzy methodologies for improving the representation.
Preventing Collaborative Blackhole Attacks on Mobile Ad Hoc Networks
Authors: Peddi Rajender D.
Published: May 2021

This thesis proposes two protocols for addressing collaborative blackhole attacks in MANETs, referred to as the Detecting Blackhole Attack-Dynamic Source Routing(DBA-DSR) and Detecting Collaborative Blackhole Attack (DCBA) algorithms. The DBA-DSR protocol uses fake Route request packets to attract the malicious nodes before the actual routing process. The DCBA protocol uses our so-called suspicious value, which is based on the abnormal difference between the routing messages transmitted through a node, to identify the malicious nodes. In later stage, if the destination node detects significant loss in data packets, the initial detecting mechanism will be triggered again to identify malicious nodes. Simulation results are provided, showing significant improvement over the DSR protocol, as well as the Baited blackhole DSR protocol(chosen as a benchmark scheme), in terms of performance metrics such as packet delivery ratio, network throughput, average-end-to-end delay and routing overhead.
A validated finite element study of blunt trauma to the human maxilla
Authors: Krimbalis Peter
Published: May 2021

Six embalmed cadaver heads were obtained, prepared and subsequently impacted to the medial maxilla with a 142-gram baseball traveling at 14 m/s. Measurements of strain were obtained through the use of strain gauge rosettes located at the medial palate and both canine fossae. Three dimensional finite element models of a dentate human maxilla were constructed for the purpose of investigating the mechanical response to a simulated blunt impact. Convergence testing revealed that a refined mesh with over 70,000 degrees of freedom was necessary to obtain sufficient accuracy within the analysis. The simulated load case involved a transient, dynamic impact to the medial maxilla with boundary conditions imposed at the buccal segments of the model analogous to the experimental case. Results were validated by a direct comparison to the displacements and principal strains gathered from experimental and epidemiological data. For the examined load case, displacements were highly localized at the anterior portion of the maxillary incisors. The comparison of experimental and calculated principal strains as a result of the simulated impacts revealed a 1.67 to 11.37% difference in magnitude.
The impact of social media: how Instagram & Snapchat are revolutionizing the fashion industry
Authors: Arabi Deniz
Published: May 2021

Social media has been revolutionizing our ways of learning, engaging, and sharing information on the latest trends within the fashion industry. This research project focuses on two social media platforms that are highly relevant and influential in the fashion industry. Instagram, a social media application that was originally created to share photos between intimate social networks, has now become a powerful marketing platform. Now, one can carefully curate one’s profile and sell an aesthetically pleasing image of oneself/item, all through strategic techniques such as framing, editing, or simply using the filters provided by both Instagram (e.g. Sepia, Valencia) and Snapchat. Snapchat, a social media application originally used to share selfies amongst one’s intimate social group, intended to “express yourself, and reflect individuals based on a moment” (Evan Spiegal, CEO of Snapchat, 2016). The company now also promotes their app as a marketing tool and an advertising platform that targets more than 100 million active users daily between the ages of 18 and 35 years old. Initially, these two apps were intended to be used as entertainment tools, however, now they are also used to help re-structure a brand’s business model and approach. The purpose of this research is to investigate the effects of both Instagram and Snapchat, on traditional practices within the fashion industry, with a primary focus on the runway and advertising.
Three-Dimensional (3-D) Immersed-Boundary (IB) Based Tornado Model for Computational Analysis of Disastrous Wind Load on Buildings
Authors: Guo Xixiong
Published: May 2021

This study is aimed at developing a novel computational framework that can essentially simulate a tornadic wind field and investigate the wind loadings on ground constructions. It is well known that tornado is a highly turbulent airflow that simultaneously translates, rotates and updrafts with a high speed. Tornadoes induce a significantly elevated level of wind forces if compared to a straight-line wind. A suitably designed building for a straight-line wind would fail to survive when exposed to a tornadic-like wind of the same wind speed. It is necessary to design buildings that are more resistant to tornadoes. Since the study of tornado dynamics relying on field observations and laboratory experiments is usually expensive, restrictive, and time-consuming, computer simulation mainly via the large eddy simulation (LES) method has become a more attractive research direction in shedding light on the intricate characteristics of a tornadic wind field.

For numerical simulation of a tornado-building interaction scenario, it looks quite challenging to seek a set of physically-rational and meanwhile computationally-practical boundary conditions to accompany traditional CFD approaches; however, little literature can be found, as of today, in three-dimensional (3D) computational tornado dynamics study. Inspired by the development of the immersed boundary (IB) method, this study employed a re-tailored Rankine-combined vortex model (RCVM) that applies the “relative motion” principle to the translational component of tornado, such that the building is viewed as “virtually” translating towards a “pinned” rotational flow that remains time-invariant at the far field region. This revision renders a steady-state kinematic condition applicable to the outer boundary of a large tornado simulation domain, successfully circumventing the boundary condition updating process that the original RCVM would have to suffer, and tremendously accelerating the computation.

Wind loading and its influence factors are comprehensively investigated and analyzed both on a single building and on a multiple-building configuration. The relation between the wind loadings and the height and shape of the building is also examined in detail. Knowledge of these loadings may lead to design strategies that can enable ground construction to be more resistant to tornadoes, reducing the losses caused by this type of disastrous weather.
Strategy for Cellulase Immobilization and its Partial Purification and Characterization
Authors: Komarova Karina
Published: May 2021

Conversion of cellulose to glucose units by cellulases, called hydrolysis, is a very complex step in ethanol production. It requires the mixing of aqueous suspensions of cellulose/cellulases so that cellulases (majority composed of the active site domain and the binding site domain) can attach to cellulose chains, cut or hydrolyze ß(1-4) glycosidic bonds between glucose units, de-attach and move to another location. Mixing extent (insufficient or excessive agitation) might influence the attachment of cellulases and possibly lead to lower glucose yields. A long-term goal of this research is to determine the strength of mixing required to be applied during the cellulose-cellulase mixing cycle. For that purpose, one of the objectives was to purify CBH I exocellulase from the commercial cellulase mixture. A partial purification of the CBH I that was performed on a much smaller scale with uncontrolled flow rate was successful. Another objective was to propose a scheme that would covalently immobilize CBH I exoceullase via its active site domain (ASD) on an atomic force microscopy-compatible support, a silicon support. A theoretically-developed hypothetical scheme was constructed (with the provided detailed procedure). The approach of immobilizing the inhibitor specific to the ASD of CBH I enzyme led to the possibility that no purification of CBH I could be required. Skipping CBH I purification step would save time and hassle associated with purification step. Once the ASD of CBH I is immobilized on a silicon support, the AFM force profile between the free-floating CDB and substrate cellulose could be established.
Hardware Software Co-Synthesis of Heterogenous Hypercube Architectures for Fault Tolerant Embedded Systems
Authors: Levman Jacob
Published: May 2021

The hardware-software synthesis of an embedded system's architecture involves the partitioning of a system specification into hardware and software modules so as to meet various non-functional requirements. A designer can specify many non-functional requirements including cost, performance, reliability etc. In this thesis, we present an approach to the hardware-software co-synthesis of embedded systems targeting hypercube topologies. Hypercube topologies provide a flexible and reliable architecture for an embedded device with multiple processing elements. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that hypercube topologies have been supported in a co-synthesis algorithm. The co-synthesis approach represented here supports the following features: 1)input in the form of an acrylic periodic task graph with real-time constraints, 2) the pipelining of task graphs, 3) the use of a heterogeneous set of processing elements, 4) Support for fault tolerance through our newly developed group based fault tolerance technique. The co-synthesis algorithm has been applied to two case studies to demonstrate its efficacy.
Mitogenic and Metabolic signals regulate mTOR complex 1 function to control GSK3β nuclear program
Authors: Bautista Stephen James
Published: May 2021

Mitogenic and metabolic signalling are two cell pathways that control different aspects of cellular physiology including, growth, proliferation, metabolism, and transcription. Mitogenic signalling involves mitogens and growth factors to stimulate various receptor signalling pathways such as epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), while metabolic signalling involves proteins that sense changes in abundance of specific nutrients or metabolites such as amino acids and ATP. Here, I have uncovered that EGFR signalling is controlled by clathrin nanodomains at the plasma membrane, yet this requirement for clathrin does not reflect a role for receptor internalization in EGFR signalling. Specifically, I found that clathrin is required for activation of the key signaling intermediate Akt by EGFR upon EGF stimulation. Furthermore, I have also resolved a series of signals including Phospholipase C γ1 (PLCγ1) that may control EGF stimulated Akt activation by modulating the assembly of clathrin into plasma membrane nanodomains. These findings suggest that clathrin nanodomains at the plasma membrane are important for controlling EGFR signalling, thus impacting mitogenic signaling.

A downstream signalling pathway controlled by Akt is the Glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK3) pathway. GSK3 phosphorylates and thereby regulates a wide range of protein substrates involved in diverse cellular functions. Some GSK3 substrates, such as c-Myc and Snail, are nuclear transcription factors, suggesting the possibility that GSK3 function is controlled through regulation of its nuclear localization. I found that perturbations in mTOR complex 1 (mTORC1) leads to partial redistribution of GSK3 from the cytosol to the nucleus and to a GSK3 dependent reduction of the levels of both c-Myc and Snail. In addition to conditional nuclear localization, GSK3 was also detected on several distinct endomembrane compartments, including lysosomes.
Consistently, disruption of various aspects of the function and regulation late endosomes/lysosomes resulted in perturbation of GSK3 nucleocytoplasmic shuttling and activity.

Furthermore, I found that DEPDC5, a subunit of the lysosomal amino-acid sensing GATOR1 complex, controls amino acid sensing mechanisms to regulate GSK3 nucleocytoplasmic shuttling. These findings uncover a new signalling axis that is controlled by specific aspects of both mitogenic and metabolic signalling, which may interface with the nucleus to reprogram transcriptional cellular networks for growth and proliferation. Understanding how mTORC1- GSK3 signalling impacts transcriptional networks may be an important target for different therapies and treatments against diverse forms of cancer.
Investigating the cognitive and emotional features of hoarding disorder using virtual reality
Authors: McCabe-Bennett Hanna
Published: May 2021

Hoarding disorder was recently recognized as a mental disorder. It is characterized by difficulty discarding objects and excessive clutter limiting the functionality of living spaces in the home. Hoarding represents a considerable public and personal health concern, but there is still much that is unknown about its development and maintenance. Furthermore, current psychological treatments provide only modest outcomes. The present dissertation examined two key aspects of
the cognitive-behavioural model of hoarding: information processing (i.e., memory, attention, decision making, categorization; Study 1) and emotional features (i.e., emotional intensity, experiential avoidance; Study 2). Exploratory questions concerning preference for cluttered spaces were also examined (Study 3). Three novel virtual reality (VR) environments were developed to examine these components with improved ecological validity. Two groups (i.e., with hoarding disorder, n = 36; without hoarding disorder, n = 40) similar in age and gender were recruited from the community. In Study 1, participants completed a series of standardized and novel VR memory and decision making tasks, and created a categorization strategy for objects in a messy VR home office. Higher attentional difficulties, poorer category efficiency, and poorer trait, but not state, memory confidence was reported in the hoarding group. Indecisiveness was positively correlated with perfectionism. There was no evidence of memory and decision making impairments specific to the hoarding group. In Study 2, participants engaged in two VR shopping trips following a negative or neutral mood induction. The hoarding group acquired more objects and at a faster rate than the nonhoarding group, and discarded fewer objects following the negative mood induction. There were no group differences on emotional intensity, but the hoarding group demonstrated higher emotional reactivity and experiential avoidance. In Study 3, reactions to different levels of clutter were observed using a VR living room that became progressively more cluttered. There were no differences in subjective or physiological reactivity to increasing clutter levels. The hoarding group reported a preference for slightly more cluttered rooms; however, they also reported higher claustrophobic fear. Results from this research advance our understanding of the cognitive-behavioural components of hoarding and offer implications for future treatment and VR research initiatives.
A blockchain-based IoT trust model
Authors: Asiri Sarah
Published: May 2021

The Internet of Things (IoT) is a heterogeneous network of interconnected objects or
‘things’ that are typically connected via the Internet. Trust in most IoT networks is presumed
implicitly. This implicit trust assumption can be abused by adversaries to disrupt the network
and manipulate reputations of trusted devices. To tackle IoT trust issues, we use permissioned
blockchains that utilize Smart Contracts (executable policies) to evaluate and refine IoT
devices’ trust. Blockchains replicate a permanent append-only record of all transactions
occurring on a network on multiple devices. This prevents adversaries from modifying previous
transactions to influence trust evaluations. In this thesis, we propose an IoT trust model that
uses Blockchains to record and validate IoT devices’ identities and dynamically evaluates the
trustworthiness of devices in the IoT network. Moreover, our model allows for different levels
of security based on the sensitivity of data being transmitted across the IoT network.
Distributing productive play: a materialist analysis of Steam
Authors: Joseph Daniel
Published: May 2021

Valve Corporation’s digital game distribution platform, Steam, is the largest distributor of games
on personal computers, analyzed here as a site where control over the production, design and use
of digital games is established. Steam creates and exercises processes and techniques such as
monopolization and enclosure over creative products, online labour, and exchange among game
designers. Stuart Hall’s encoding/decoding framework places communication at the centre of the
political economy, here of digital commodities distributed and produced by online platforms like
Steam. James Gibson’s affordance theory allows the market Steam’s owners create for its users
to be cast in terms of visuality and interaction design. These theories are largely neglected in the
existing literature in game studies, platform studies, and political economy, but they allow
intervention in an ongoing debate concerning the ontological status of work and play as distinct,
separate human activities by offering a specific focus on the political economy of visual or
algorithmic communication. Three case studies then analyze Steam as a site where the slippage
between game-play and work is constant and deepening. The first isolates three sales promotions
on Steam as forms of work disguised as online shopping. The second is a discourse analysis of a
crisis within the community of mod creators for the game Skyrim, triggered by changes
implemented on Steam. The third case study critiques Valve Corporation’s positioning of Steam
as a new space to extract value from play by demonstrating historical continuity with consumer
monopolies. A concluding discussion argues Steam is a platform that evolves to meet distinct
crises and problems in the production and circulation of its digital commodities as contradictions
arise. Ultimately, Steam shows how the cycle of capital accumulation encourages
monopolization and centralization.
Commercial Building Thermal Mass Precooling for Conditioning Reduction Under the Operative Temperature Metric
Authors: Raghubar Christopher
Published: May 2021

Building thermal mass precooling is highly variable due to the uncertainty of the convective heat transfer coefficient, and current research neglects the radiative cooling effects of reduced interior surface temperatures. The research presented aims to address the shortcomings of current research by modelling night ventilation through concrete slab hollow cores, increasing confidence in the heat transfer coefficient estimate; and modelling the operative temperature experienced by an occupant in an open office with simplified geometry. The cooling load of a baseline non-ventilated slab was determined through a custom numerical model and the operative temperature of the baseline was assigned to the same model with hollow core slab ventilation to determine the ambient air setpoint temperature associated cooling load. The ventilated model was found to achieve 35% cooling energy savings compared to the baseline, with compromised occupant comfort in the early morning, and improved occupant comfort for the rest of the day.
Location and sensing network for industrial automation
Authors: Moeini Peyman
Published: May 2021

The usages of Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN) have been growing exponentially. WSN are utilized for variety of applications such as monitoring environmental conditions of shipping containers or monitoring the utilization status of construction equipment. There have been many incremental enhancements with respect to energy efficiency and
latency improvement of Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) protocols; however, localizing WSNs in indoor environments is poorly understood. In this thesis reports, the performance of existing protocol designs under the assumption that indoor positioning is required will be evaluated. More specifically, the metric considered for this study includes throughput, latency and energy efficiency. Afterwards, an energy efficient WSN protocol is presented called the Location and Sensing Network (LSN) that also has indoor positioning capabilities.
Sustainable Supply Chain Management In Canadian Corporations
Authors: Morali Oguz
Published: May 2021

The purpose of this dissertation is twofold: (1) to examine the extent of integration and implementation of corporate sustainability (CS) into supply chain management (SCM) practices in corporations; and (2) to provide a basis for improved supplier selection with respect to sustainability criteria. Three interrelated research objectives were developed to achieve the purpose: (1) explore the extent to which CS principles are integrated into SCM in corporations; (2) investigate how sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) has evolved in corporations; and (3) develop a model to integrate the environmental and social criteria of CS into supplier assessment and selection. The dissertation is comprised of three main phases corresponding directly to the research objectives stated above. Canada is used as a case study to achieve this goal. Consequently, the first phase explores the extent to which CS principles are integrated into SCM in Canadian corporations. The study includes a primary content analysis of 100 Canadian corporate sustainable development reports (CSDRs) and in-depth interviews with thirty Canadian experts on SSCM. The second phase investigates how SSCM has evolved in Canadian corporations over a five-year period. The study is based on a sequential content analysis of 26 CSDRs to compare the findings with the results from the primary content analysis from Phase 1. The third phase aims to develop supplier assessment and selection models based exclusively on the environmental and social criteria of CS. This phase employs case studies of two major Canadian companies to develop a sustainable supplier selection model.

The dissertation makes numerous contributions to the SSCM field. Taken together, Phase 1 and Phase 2 provide a holistic perspective for a range of interrelated criteria on SSCM; provide corporations and other supply chain partners with opportunities to learn from the best practices and shortcomings of the integration of CS practices into SCM; and encourage thinking and discussion into how the key gaps in the theory and practice of SSCM might be addressed. Phase 3 provides SCM professionals with a contingency-based, effective, and practical bespoke modeling approach to supplier assessment and selection within the context of SSCM.
Professional organizations versus international medical graduates and foreign-trained engineers
Authors: El Hakmi Saad
Published: May 2021

This paper explores the exclusionary practices in Canada conducted by professional organizations towards international medical graduates (IMG’s) and foreign-trained engineers through a literature review and critical discourse analysis of the certification process. The political economy approach explains the constant need of Canada to bring highly skilled immigrants but there is a discrepancy between their selection and the labour market outcome. The discourse analysis reveals that professional organizations use policies and regulations (that protect the White mainstream Canadian values) as a legitimate tool to impose tough requirements that devaluate IMG’s and foreign-trained engineers’ credentials/work experiences and prevent them from practicing their professions in Canada.
Hydrodynamic analysis of a liquid-solid fluidized bed via CFD-DEM simulations, stability analysis, and tomography
Authors: Zbib Hussein
Published: May 2021

A coupled computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and discrete element method (DEM) model was developed to analyze the fluid-particle and particle-particle interactions in a 3D liquid-solid fluidized bed (LSFB). The CFD-DEM model was validated using the Electrical Resistance Tomography (ERT) experimental method. ERT was employed to measure the bed-averaged particle volume fraction (BPVF) of 0.002 m glass beads fluidized with water for various particle numbers and flow rates. It was found that simulations employing the combination of the Gidaspow drag model with pressure gradient and virtual mass forces provided the least percentage error between experiments and simulations. It was also found that contact parameters must be calibrated to account for the particles being wet. The difference between simulations and experiments was 4.74%. The CFD-DEM model was also employed alongside stability analysis to investigate the hydrodynamic behavior within the LSFB and the intermediate flow regime for all cases studied.
Secure Data Deduplication in Cloud Environments
Authors: Rashid Fatema
Published: May 2021

With the tremendous growth of available digital data, the use of Cloud Service Providers (CSPs) are gaining more popularity, since these types of services promise to provide convenient and efficient storage services to end-users by taking advantage of a new set of benefits and savings offered by cloud technologies in terms of computational, storage, bandwidth, and transmission costs. In order to achieve savings in storage, CSPs often employ data dedplication techniques to eliminate duplicated data. However, benefits gained through these techniques have to balanced against users' privacy concerns, as these techniques typically require full access to data. In this thesis, we propose solutions for different data types (text, image and video) for secure data deduplication in cloud environments. Our schemes allow users to upload their data in a secure and efficient manner such that neither a semi-honest CSP nor a malicious user can access or compromise the security of the data. We use different image and video processing techniques, such as data compression, in order to further improve the efficiency of our proposed schemes. The security of the deduplication schemes is provided by applying suitable encryption schemes and error correcting codes. Moreover, we propose proof of storage protocols including Proof of Retrievability (POR) and Proof of Ownership (POW) so that users of cloud storage services are able to ensure that their data has been saved in the cloud without tampering or manipulation. Experimental results are provided to validate the effectiveness of the proposed schemes.
The utilization of the freshwater invertebrates hyalella azteca and daphnia magna for use in assessing potential endocrine distruption in aquatic systems
Authors: Doobay Sean
Published: May 2021

The chronic physiological effects of the compounds Atrazine, Tributyltin and 17 α-ethinylestradiol were tested on the freshwater aquatic organisms; Hyalella azteca and Daphnia magna. Daphnia magna were exposed to a series of conditions designed to minimize the parthenogenetic cycle of and maximize the sexual cycle resulting in the formation of males and ephippia to be used as a screening assay for potentially endocrine disrupting chemicals. Hyalella azteca were exposed to the three contaminants during a 42-day chronic toxicity assay and analyzed for morphological changes to male secondary gnathopods, female brood pouches and gender ratios. It was found that atrazine, tributyltin and 17 α-ethinylestradiol had no significant effects on the gender ratios or secondary sexual physiology of Hylalla azteca.
Early Childhood Educators' Knowledge and Perception of Mental Health In Their Preschool Classroom
Authors: Leon Asia
Published: May 2021

Decades of research on the impact of early mental health challenges in young children suggest that the effects are detrimental on children’s development without the presence of protective factors. As a factor for promoting mental health, early childhood classrooms and educators create optimal opportunities to identify and respond to children’s mental health concerns. However, little research explores the knowledge and skills of ECEs to effectively promote and support mental health challenges. The present study aimed to identify the mental health promotional knowledge, practices and experiences of ECEs in their preschool classrooms, as well as contribute to mental health promotion. Findings indicate that ECEs have little knowledge in promoting and supporting mental health in their classrooms and how that influences their practice. Suggestions for policymakers, early childhood practitioners, and future research are provided.
Best Practices? :
Authors: Scholtz Antonie E.
Published: May 2021

"The process of educating, of passing on the spirit of inquiry and wisdom in all its forms, is as old as humanity itself. From the oral tradition of Socrates and Plato, through the development of the Phoenician alphabet and Gutenberg's printing press, through the rise of the public school during the Industrial Revolution, and through the many inventions of the twentieth century, education has been an intersection of social practices, technological innovation, and competing ideological visions about children, learners, and what constitutes knowledge. Today's educational landscape is no different, with educators confronting the many challenges of globalization, diasporic cultures, and, the focus of this study, rapidly advancing digital technologies. It is my intention to use the pronouncements and initiatives of the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada (CMEC) to examine the ideologically-determined possibilities envisioned for emerging technologies. To this end, the CMEC will not serve as an exhaustive case study but rather as an example of how high level, heavily politicized policy choices are and will profoundly affect the structure, if not the very existence, of elementary and secondary public schooling in Canada. I will argue that the CMEC is an increasingly powerful coordinator on national pedagogical questions and is part of a broader trend towards privileging neoliberalist principles. Operating on both a contradictory and deterministic philosophy, I will argue that neoliberalism, embodied by the Council, is leading public education down the road not to a future where the liberal arts, individual needs and market criterion are balanced but rather to a more centralized, homogenizing, and weaker system which prizes economic utility over democratic virtues and individual growth. Further, not only is the position of the CMEC deeply paradoxical but, in the end, neither educational future it offers-radically child-centredness nor the hyper-competitiveness fostered by its policy initiatives-is in fact desirable."--Pages 1-2.
A computational study of the Ludwig-Soret effect on the thermal-induced phase separation process in polymer solutions
Authors: Kukadiya Sureshkumar B.
Published: May 2021

Thermal-induced phase separation (TIPS) is one of the methods used to fabricate functional polymeric materials, i.e. PDLC films for electro-optical devices such flat-panel displays, switchable windows etc., and microporous synthetic membranes from polymer solutions. Since the characteristic thermal, mechanical, and optical properties of these materials are controlled by the morphological features, it it important to understand the phase separation mechanism that forms these materials. In this work, the effect of thermal diffusion, also known as the Ludwig-Soret effect, on the TIPS method of phase separation via the SD mechanism in polymer solutions under non-uniform temperature field has been investigated using the computational technique. The Ludwig-Soret effect occurs when a temperature gradient applied to a fluid mixture induces a net mass flow, which leads to the formation of a concentration gradient. A rigorous mathematical model for TIPS via the spinodal decomposition mechanism based on the nonlinear Cahn-Hilliard and Flory-Huggins theories combined with thermal diffusion phenomenon has been formulated for binary polymer solutions under non-uniform temperature field and solved numerically. Numerical simulation results revealed that the thermal diffusion phenomenon had very little or negligible effect on the phase separation mechanism under a non-uniform temperature field, which was reflected from the studies of the time evolution of structure factor and transition time from the early to the intermediate stages of SD.
Admission Control and Bandwidth Allocation for Class A Traffic in RPR Networks
Authors: Xu Zhenning
Published: May 2021

In this thesis, we study the admission control and bandwidth allocation methods for classA traffic in RPR networks. First, we investigate the performance of classA traffic under the current RPR protocol. The simulation results show that RPR networks can support low-delay classA traffic even if the networks are congested with classB and classC traffic. The low-delay performance, however, is subject to the condition that the load of classA traffic must be properly controlled. Consequently, an admission control mechanism must be used for classA traffic. In this thesis, several admission control algorithms are studied. They are the Simple Sum algorithm, the Measured Sum algorithm, and the Equivalent Bandwidth algorithm. The simulation results show that the Equivalent Bandwidth algorithm is the most suitable to use as the admission control mechanism for classA traffic. The admission control mechanism makes admission decision based on the available bandwidth allocated to the classA traffic. The existing RPR standard assumes the bandwidth allocated for classA traffic at each node is fixed. The fixed bandwidth allocation introduces inflexibility and inefficient use of bandwidth for classA traffic. In this thesis, three bandwidth allocation algorithms are proposed to dynamically allocate bandwidth for classA traffic. These algorithms have different levels of complexity and can be applied to different traffic environments. Simulation results show that the proposed algorithms improve the bandwidth efficiency of the RPR networks. The proposed algorithms are also readily integrated with the existing Internet Quality of Services (QoS) paradigms such as Diffserv and RSVP services.