bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of laboratory methods for the analysis of microcystins
Authors: Shabnam Rehana
Published: May 2021

Finding low cost, rapid tests to monitor microcystins in water is paramount to protect environmental and public health worldwide. Bioassays like Protein Phosphatase Inhibition Assay (PPIA) and Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) have many advantages over liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Analytical cost per sample was found to be $136 by ELISA and $365 by LC-MS/MS. An agreement of 76% was found between ELISA and LC-MS/MS results from 2010 to 2012 (n=854) on the basis of Method Detection Limits (MDLs). Among samples with LC-MS/MS results >1.5μg/L, ELISA missed 3 samples in 2010, 1 in 2011 and none in 2012.

Correlation between PP2A and ELISA was strong (R2=0.8155, p=0.8054, n=27) in surface water samples but non-existent in drinking water (R2=0.0366, p=0.0665, n=38). PP2A was found useful for monitoring non-coloured surface water but not for drinking water. A 2-tier test system is proposed: tier-1 ELISA and tier-2 PP2A for surface water samples.
Towards greener aviation : a comparative study on the substitution of standard jet fuel with algal based second generation biofuels
Authors: Haddad Mona Abdul Majid
Published: May 2021

The negative environmental impact of the aviation industry, related mainly to the gaseous emissions from turbine exhausts, is increasing with the increased demand on travel. In addition to the adverse environmental effects, the currently used aviation fuel is posing economic burdens on the air transport sector, with the increase in crude oil prices. Therefore, the aviation industry is investigating the potential of substituting the currently used aviation fuel with alternative fuels- mainly with those derived from second generation biofuels. Of all available sources of second generation biofuels, numerous studies indicate that those derived from algae seem to be the most promising, in terms of providing a viable and sustainable alternative to fossil fuels. This study explores the feasibility of microalgal jet fuel, taking into consideration technological, environmental and economic aspects. The results indicate that the viability and sustainability of microalgal jet fuel greatly depend on the technologies and inputs used during the different production stages of microalgal fuels. Provided certain conditions and characteristics are present, microalgal jet fuel has a realistic potential to provide the economic and environmental benefits needed to substitute conventional fuels.
An investigation into the feasibility of delivering online education to remote communities in Canada Case location: Yukon
Authors: Azmat Ehsan
Published: May 2021

Canada continues to be among the world’s most ‘wired’ countries. Life in urban Canada is fueled
by high-speed wireless connectivity, shifting brick-and-mortar services to cyberspace including
banking, shopping and socializing. However, rural Canada is still catching-up on such
technological advancement as a result of little investment in the digital infrastructure by the
telecommunications sector to elude lower ROI, causing a Digital Divide. This Digital Divide
poses an opportunity to be bridged by bringing rural Canada to cyberspace and giving them an
equal opportunity to thrive.

As cloud technology has disrupted many key sectors including business and social exchange; the
Education sector still has not been able to fully utilize the massive opportunity cloud offers as a
valuable platform for delivering education to remote Canada. My MRP focuses on the feasibility
of delivering online education through the effective use of cloud technology in Canada’s key
northwestern area called Yukon.
Geolocation using celestial measurements
Authors: Soto Marcela
Published: May 2021

This project involves the use of celestial measurements in order to predict the latitude, longitude and heading of the observer. The objective of the project is to assess whether a new inclinometer model and calibration procedure can significantly enhance the quality of navigation data acquired by the sensor suite. The suite consists of an Applied Geomechanics Tuff-Tilt digital biaxial inclinometer and a Sinclair Interplanetary SS-411 digital sun-sensor. The project will focus on the typical sources of error in an inclinometer and present a lab calibration method to enhance its performance. The sensor suite will also be calibrated together as a unit using a GPS receiver for time and geolocation data and a sun ephemeris as a measure of truth. Results from these tests are also presented.
Chalamaan (Ongoing): A documentary film journey aboard the only remaining tram system in India, the Kolkata tram system.
Authors: Ganguly Shounak
Published: May 2021

"Chalamaan (meaning “ongoing” in Bengali) is the name of a documentary film and research project
based on the last and only remaining tram (streetcar) system in the Indian subcontinent. This system
operates in the city of Kolkata, India under the administration of the West Bengal state government and
the Calcutta Tramways Company."--Introduction.
Design and Analysis of a Distributed Water Heat Pump System for Near- and Net-Zero Energy Commercial Buildings
Authors: Quazi Maudud Hassan
Published: May 2021

This objective of this project is to determine the energy and environmental potential of distributed common loop water source heat pump system in a near or net-zero commercial office building, which has simultaneous heating and cooling load in winter and shoulder seasons. It is expected that the perimeter zones will have heating demand during those months, while the core zones will have consistent cooling demand throughout the year. The motive is to reclaim the rejected heat from the cooling operation and transfer it to the zones requiring heating. The building under study is a 60,000 ft2 three storey commercial office building, which has private offices along the perimeter, and open work area in the core.
In the first part of the analysis, the base building has been modelled and simulated to the minimum requirements of ASHRAE 90.1-Energy Standard for Buildings except Low-Rise Residential Buildings using simulation software eQuest 3.65. The Heating Ventilation and Airconditioning (HVAC) system used is four-pipe fan coil system serving individual zones. The fan coil units use a centralized natural gas boiler and a variable capacity centrifugal chiller as external source of heating and cooling respectively. The base case consumes a total of 524.54 x 1000 kWh of electricity and 1,056 million Btu of natural gas annually.
The second part is the modelling and simulation of a proposed case, which uses the same building envelope, occupancy, lighting and equipment as the base case. The HVAC system used is a distributed common loop heat pump system connected to a cooling tower for heat rejection, and a condensing boiler for heat addition. During the occupied hours, when simultaneous cooling and heating loads exist in the building, the cooling zone heat pumps rejects exhaust heat into the common loop, and the heat is subsequently used by the heat pumps operating in heating mode. Using this method, the heat pump system reduces its dependence on the cooling tower and the boiler, which only operate to maintain the loop temperature in an acceptable range.
There is 9,510 kWh (1.81%) increase in electricity consumption by proposed case comparing to the base building. Natural gas consumption has been reduced by 353.65 million Btu (33.48%). Annual utility bill has increased by $1,483.00 which is 1.88% higher than the base case. 15.7 tonnes of greenhouse gas can be reduced if the proposed case is adopted.
Developing A Collection Policy : Photographic And Digital Archives At The National Library In Chile
Authors: Fuente Soledad A.
Published: May 2021

The purpose of this thesis is to propose a model for a collections policy for the Photographic and Digital Archives of the National Library in Chile. The current policy is in its early stages of development and the institution has a large interest in its implementation. The main focus of this research is collections policies, as a form of generating best practice in the field, and a vehicle to implement institutional mission, vision, and objectives from a theoretical and practical perspective. 
Developing A Collection Policy : Photographic And Digital Archives At The National Library In Chile
Authors: Fuente Soledad A.
Published: May 2021

The purpose of this thesis is to propose a model for a collections policy for the Photographic and Digital Archives of the National Library in Chile. The current policy is in its early stages of development and the institution has a large interest in its implementation. The main focus of this research is collections policies, as a form of generating best practice in the field, and a vehicle to implement institutional mission, vision, and objectives from a theoretical and practical perspective.
Assessment of the effect of strontium, lead and aluminum on dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry and quantitative ultrasound using trabecular bone-mimicking phantoms
Authors: Jang Deok Hyun (Danny)
Published: May 2021

Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) is the gold standard of bone densitometry. However, inaccurate estimation of areal bone mineral density (aBMD) is of concern when calcium in bone mineral is partially substituted with bone-seeking elements such as strontium, lead and aluminum. Quantitative ultrasound (QUS) is an alternative bone densitometry technique that can assess bone health based on the measurement of acoustic parameters. This study aims to investigate the effect of the clinically relevant concentrations of bone-seeking elements on aBMD measured by DXA and the acoustic parameters measured by QUS, using trabecular bone-mimicking phantoms. Statistically significant linear relationship was observed between aBMD and strontium concentration. For clinically relevant concentrations of lead and aluminum, the deviation in aBMD measurements was within 1% coefficient of variation of DXA. No statistically significant deviation was observed in stiffness index measurement by QUS in the presence of any of the three bone-seeking elements
Design and analysis of transmission-level power system stability control
Authors: Phan Tu
Published: May 2021

After the August 14, 2003 blackout, power system stability probelm has received a great deal of attention. This project is focused on the analysis of transient stability following disturbances. The project investigates three generator-excitation techniques for controlling the stability of power system. They are the manual control (constant excitation voltage), the automatic voltage regulator (AVR), and the automatic voltage regulator plus the power system stabilizer (PSS) that basically can be a led-leg compensator using a rotor speed deviation as an input feedback. This project carried out a computer simulation study of the power system stability for various disturbances conditions. The simulation results from the project have shown that AVR coupled PSS generator-excitation control can achieve the best power system stability, comparing to the manual or AVR control. A major contribution of this project is that a computer platform using MatLab/Simulink software was designed and can be used by other researchers for the power system stability study.
Spatial data analysis for laser scanning based shape error inspection
Authors: Jia Haibin
Published: May 2021

Laser scanning, a widely used technology, has been highly developed and adopted in various industrial applications. The methodologies used for scanner date processing are mostly point based. In this thesis, a new approach is presented to analyze spatial data obtained from a 3-D laser scanner for shape error inspection. Different from traditional methodologies, the method proposed in this research is frequency based. The method utilizes the Fourier transform to decompose a 2-D curve or 3-D shape into its spatial components by applying two 1-D FFT (Fast Fourier Transform) on 2-D curves or two 2-D FFT on 3-D shapes. The spatial components including frequency, amplitude, and phase are defined as shape characteristics to represent the shape under inspection. By relating spatial components with GD&T (Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing) standards using proper analysis techniques, such as frequency spectrum and cross correlation, shape errors can be detected and characterized. One of the applications of this method is automated inspection. In this research, the spatial data method is applied to MIG (Metal Inert Gas) weld inspection. Experiments are carried out to analyze the 2-D curve of a projection weld data, and the 3-D scanning data directly. A MIG weld inspection system is also developed for production use.
Mind The Gap Exploring The Experiences Of Diasporic Media Producers And Representations Of Cultural Diversity In Canada
Authors: De Silva Paul
Published: May 2021

Prime-time narrative is the most watched and influential genre of television. It creates a sense of belonging and contributes to identity formation. It also receives the largest amount of publicly mandated funding in the form of investment, subsidies, and tax incentives in Canada. Anecdotal and empirical evidence suggests that despite legislation requiring equitable representation in all aspects of screen media, and over thirty years of many “special initiatives” and training and mentorship programs, little progress has been made in the area of equitable representation in narrative programming. This dissertation investigates the representation of diasporic people of colour in the screen-media industry in Canada. In particular, it studies how “authentic voices” from these communities are finding expression in the area of prime-time television narrative programming (scripted comedy and drama) and feature films, which ultimately find their largest audiences in broadcast screen platforms on television and increasingly via the Internet. The focus is on the legislative frameworks pertaining to the reflection of “diasporic communities of colour” in the production of screen media, specifically for prime-time broadcast in narrative, or what is referred to in the industry as “scripted programming,” as well as on the current realities faced by creators of screen media from diasporic communities of colour in telling their stories in this arena. Through a case study of the television series Little Mosque on the Prairie, it examines the issues that affect the expression of “authentic voice” from individuals who have had the opportunity to work in the area of narrative screen media in the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Canada’s public broadcaster, which has as one of its key priorities the reflection of the cultural diversity of Canada. The issues involved in the production of feature films by diasporic people of colour is examined through a case study of the film Heaven on Earth, written and directed by Indo-Canadian filmmaker Deepa Mehta. Mehta’s film presents a unique situation in which the filmmaker, due to the previous international success of her film Water, was able to access the financial resources to produce the film in Canada and maintain her “authentic voice” without mediation in the production from external players. Part of this case study includes a documentary film featuring an interview with Deepa Mehta conducted in 2017 about her film Heaven on Earth.
Creative exploitation: intellectual property as a form of neoliberal cultural policy
Authors: Dottridge Yacine
Published: May 2021

"Until relatively recently, intellectual property (IP) has largely gone unnoticed as a subject
deserving of widespread public interest and scrutiny. In the past twenty-years, it has garnered
increasing attention from a growing number of academics across a range of disciplines and from
an ever-growing number of stake-holders in society. Several interrelated factors have contributed
to this spark in interest in IP. The rise of digital technologies and the internet through the 1990's
created a "networked society" (Castells 1996) that has brought greater attention to the exchange
and control of knowledge and culture in a range of human activities. 1 The push towards global neoliberalism, reflected in the creation of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and its control of
the Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS), has resulted in a phenomenon
that Toby Miller (1996) dubbed the "new international division of cultural labour" (NICL),
which is marked by the shift towards the production of intangible or informational goods as a
key driver of industrialized economies. Also, the increasing overlap between culture and the
economy in postmodern society, in what Frederic Jameson calls "the cultural turn" (1998)
focused attention on the commodification and consumption of culture in everyday life"--From the Introduction pages 1, 2.
Evaluating Performance of Southern Ontario Buildings Using Submetering data and Whole Building Modeling Results
Authors: Turcato Mark Adrian
Published: May 2021

The performance gap, the difference between how a building was intended to Perform and its actual performance, poses a challenge to successful high performance design. This research examines the application of submetering data and whole building energy models to evaluate the performance gap in buildings as related to energy consumption, and in specific energy use associated with receptacles and lighting. While difficulties in grappling with large amounts of data persist, results indicate that building management and occupancy issues can offer an explanation for a significant portion of differences between predicted and actual energy use. Experience working with these data sets also suggests that further efforts are required to demonstrate the value of submetering in order to ensure submetering systems are not compromised by the value engineering process.
The impact of thin ideal images on mood: what role do demand characteristics play?
Authors: Vahedi Zahra
Published: May 2021

Previous research has shown that female viewers generally experience detrimental effects following exposure to idealized media images. However, in experimental studies, demand characteristics – or cues that help the participant deduce the true purpose of the study – might influence the responses participants provide, particularly in studies involving idealized images. The present study investigated the potential role of demand characteristics following exposure to media images. Undergraduate female students (N = 172) were assigned to three groups (Implied Demand, Minimized Demand and Control), two of which were exposed to idealized media images in fashion magazines. Demand characteristics were manipulated when the experimenter provided the magazines during a break period, and participants’ mood was assessed both pre and post-exposure. Contrary to previous research, our results indicated that exposure to magazine images did not have consistently detrimental effects on the measures of participants’ mood. Potential explanations for these results and future directions of research are discussed.
A Magic Thread / Um Fio Mágico
Authors: Jansen Eduardo Nunes
Published: May 2021

This thesis paper is written in support of my short documentary film Um Fio Mágico / A Magic Thread which combines different familial and historical narratives. In order to better understand the possibilities of living openly as a queer individual and to gain a stronger sense of my ancestral history, this thesis explores the parallels between the journeys of my ancestors and the contemporary journeys of my family members and myself.
The struggles that women in my family have endured in a patriarchal society, for example, and my own search for freedom and happiness are mirrored in the historical struggles that women, black, queer, and Indigenous people endured in colonial Brazil. The paper interrogates the impact of that historical context on the evolution and migration of my family. It also explores various expressions of the feminine, both in the context of the country’s delayed feminist liberation and the emergence of dynamic queer and trans identities in Brazil.
Instances of Exclusion and Inclusion in Ontario's Grade 9/10 Canadian and World Studies Curriculum Document
Authors: Landry Adrienne
Published: May 2021

This paper will evaluate the extent to which grade 9/10 Canadian and World Studies curriculum in Ontario perpetuates a monolithic, nation centered focus of citizenship and history at the exclusion of racialized and immigrant groups, and to what extent it includes racialized and immigrant groups. To achieve this, an anti-racist theoretical framework was utilized and the following themes obtained from the literature review were applied: Hegemony, citizenship education and global citizenship education, and curriculum design. Other sub-themes which have informed the broader categories mentioned above are racism and nationalism.
Decision Making Under Risk Across Different Contexts
Authors: Soh Debra W.
Published: May 2021

Decision making under risk has been intensively studied; however, little is understood about how decision making under risk changes with increased ecological validity. The current study investigated whether increased ecological validity resulted in greater decision quality and a minimization of the description-experience gap. Whether presenting items as abstract monetary gambles or framed within a meaningful context, decision quality was higher for loss items when presented as a description, and for gain items when experienced. When the rare event was a nonzero gain or loss, decision quality was increased when abstract monetary gambles were presented as a description. When the rate event was a zero gain, higher decision quality resulted if the gamble was experienced. When the rare event was a zero loss, higher decision quality resulted if the gamble was presented as a description. Implications for future research are discussed, with regard to improving understanding of decision making under uncertainty.
Description of Associative Behaviour During Microbial Cellulose Utilization by Clostridium Thermocellum for Application in Advanced Biomass Conversion Process Development
Authors: Dumitrache Alexandru
Published: May 2021

Recent findings support the concept that Clostridium thermocellum is a cellulose-utilizing specialist having growth benefits with increasing substrate chain length. We developed a continuous-flow system for in-situ detection of cellulose colonization and qualitatively assayed metabolic activities and behaviour of cellulolytic cultures. This study demonstrates the existence of strongly adherent celluloytic cells arranged in monolayers with invariably end-on attached spores. The substrate-cell distance was recorded to be lower than 0.44 pm and a typical EPS matrix was absent. Measurements on carbon dioxide released in continuous-flow cultures was successfully employed to monitor biofilm activity and total carbohydrate assays do not reveal loss of cellulolysis end-products in the effluent. These findings demonstrate the bacteria have optimized access to the cellulosic substrates and suggest that they have an ability to sequester products of substrate hydrolysis which confers benefits over non-adherent cellulolytic or non-cellulolytic organisms.
A Flat World for a Short Real
Authors: Soleimani-Deilamani Saman
Published: May 2021

Short Real is the territory where the discourse of architecture thrives on binary oppositions and metaphors at the expense of the everyday and earthly realities of architecture. It produces a conspiracy that propagates that the Hinged-Door-Leaf (the door) only becomes architecture when it is 'a self-referential sign' ('doorness') or a subjective 'place' (the 'threshold'). Although seemingly contradictory, both concepts bestow 'architecture' with an 'essence': something that 'happens in the mind', is absolute and is analogous to philosophical ideals. These concepts undermine the Genius of architecture as a unique design discipline that is 'deceptive', contingent and paradoxical. Flat World, as the territory of operation for the projects presented here, forges Design-Conspiracies to Negotiate the Conspiracies of Short Real by focusing on the ubiquitous Workings of the Hinged-Door-Leaf and employing the Paranoid-critical Method (PcM) of Surrealism. It situates its operations at 'point supreme' where all oppositions are present without being 'contradictory'. The Design-Conspiracies challenge conventions and rethink the relationship of elements of Construction that make the Hinged-Door-Leaf architects' greatest invention. In the process, Design-Conspiracies manage to envision another way that architecture, humans and the built world can relate to one another.
Quantifying Propiconazole in Wood by Raman Microscopy
Authors: Kurti Erlet
Published: May 2021

Raman spectra of wood blocks treated with different propiconazole solutions (4%, 2% and 1%) in mineral spirits were recorded using a Raman microscope, equipped with a NIR (785nm) laser. The strong propiconazole Raman band, in the uncongested region 647-693 cm-1 was chosen as the analytical band. The normalized intensity of analytical band was used to determine the propiconazole distribution in white spruce. Mapping measurements on radial face of the treated samples revealed that on average the propiconazole concentration in summerwood was much higher than concentration in springwood. CG-MS analyses were ccarriedout on methanol extractions of soaked samples milled at ~1.5 mm intervals. The depth profiles in longitudinal directions, obtained by Raman and GC-MS measurements, suggested that propiconazole tended to bloom to the surface during drying. A linear calibration plot was produced from averaged Raman normalized intensity and GC-MS-measured concentrations. By using the regression line, concentration in the longitudinal direction was predicted for another wood block soaked in 3% propiconazole solution.
Assessing Organizational Capacity to Support Research Utilization in Ontario: a Descriptive Study Among Senior Nursing Leaders
Authors: Sharma Tanvi
Published: May 2021

Purpose: To examine the extent to which senior nursing leaders report the presence of components of organizational capacity that support research use; and to describe the facilitators and barriers to research utilization.
Methods: A survey method involving a sample of 43 senior nursing leaders was used in this descriptive study.
Results: The components that participants reported as most frequently available were organizational culture and values and supporting continuing professional development. The components that were reported as least frequently available were setting priorities for obtaining research and assessing quality and applicability of research. The top three facilitators were: networks, availability of resources and organizational support. The top three barriers were: lack of resources, an unsupportive organization and RN attitudes/beliefs.
Conclusions: The results of this study highlight the need for organizations to consider culture and values, leadership support, education and training and resource allocation in order to increase organizational capacity to support research utilization
Brightmind: outlining the objectives, strategies, market and financial forecast of an emerging tutoring agency
Authors: Gonzalez Nuria
Published: May 2021

This paper is an argumentative work that uses research to support the business goals outlined below, and the strategies that will be undertaken to achieve them. Specifically, research has been conducted to substantiate claims made regarding the opportunity, market, execution and advertising of BrightMind’s services.
As a result, this works aims to convince readers that BrightMind is a worthy company to invest in by exploring a major gap within the tutoring industry, and the ways in which this company attempts to address it.
Learning from experience: exposure to, attention to, discrimination of, and brain response to faces at 3, 6, and 9 months
Authors: Sugden Nicole Andrea
Published: May 2021

Infants learn and develop immensely in the first year of life. They show substantial learning in their ability to use the information provided by faces. Faces are important stimuli in infants‘ world and infants reliably prefer faces over other visual stimuli (Fantz, 1963). While experience likely plays a role in infants‘ early face processing, little is known about how infants‘ natural exposure to faces shapes attention and learning. We use head-mounted infant-perspective cameras to capture infants‘ natural experience with faces. We also measured infants‘ attentional preference for, ability to discriminate between, and electrical brain response to familiar (i.e., female, own-race) and unfamiliar (i.e., male, other-race) face types. Infants‘ face experience was highly homogenous: their primary caregiver‘s face represents the 57% of infants‘ experience and was present in all locations and nearly all contexts. Infants‘ other caregiver represented only 11% of their face experience, but was also highly consistent across location and context. Infants showed greater visual attention to female faces of familiar race at 3 months, but not later. They showed no race preference at any age. At 3 months, infants discriminated all face types except for male own-race faces. At 6 months, infants discriminated all face types. At 9 months infants discriminated all face types except for male other-race faces. Electrical brain response only differentiated male from female faces at 6 months, not at 3 or 9 months; there was no effect of race at any age. This may be due to the immaturity of the early face processing system or differential processing being indexed at later attentional components. Infants‘ overall face exposure, mom face exposure, and attentional preference for female faces predicted female own-race face discrimination at 3 months, accounting for 62% of the variance. Exposure to male faces correlated with attention to male faces and attention to male faces predicted discrimination of male faces at 3 months, accounting for 11% of the variance. At 6 months dad face exposure predicted discrimination of male faces, accounting for 17% of the variance. Infants‘ early experience, particularly to caregivers‘ faces, tunes infants‘ attention to faces, which in turn predicts discrimination.
Millennial Readers: An Analysis of Young Adult Escapism
Authors: Demetriou Marina
Published: May 2021

[Introduction]: "The emphasis on the generational identity of American millennials and their portrayal in the current cultural landscape of the twenty-first century furthers the idea that millennials are exhibiting escapist tendencies by engaging themselves as a majority (fifty-five percent) of young adult readership (“New Study”). Born within 1981 and 1996, millennials (also known as Generation Y) are defined, as those that are—for reasons such as student debt, cost of living, and the financial crisis—delaying typical milestones of adulthood like obtaining a degree, securing a career, purchasing a house, and starting a family. This examination of the social and cultural factors that have affected twenty-first century American society exposes how authors have navigated a world increasingly defined by evolving identity, displacement, discrimination, and a generational lack of agency for the age-diverse young adult market. These themes—including Black Lives Matter, socio-economic hardships, and totalitarian power—have been written with younger audiences in mind, as authors attempt to mimic societal pitfalls within literature in an approachable narrative. The regression of adulthood and millennial priorities have evolved the young adult genre over the last twenty years (since the first millennials became adults), and as a result, they have generationally transitioned into a redefined version of adulthood that requires an escapist outlet."
Fault detection and isolation in an aircraft engine bleed air system
Authors: Shang Lan
Published: May 2021

High temperature pressurized bleed air generated in the engine compressor is used for air conditioning in a jetliner. The engine bleed air must be regulated to a target temperature in the bleed air temperature control system using cold ram air before it can be used in the cabin or other low temperature area. The bleed air system is a control system that consists of sensors, and valve actuators. Potential faults associated with these components need to be considered in the design of the control system. This dissertation focuses on fault detection and diagnosis of the bleed air temperature control system. The faults in temperature sensors and valve actuators are detected using two unscented Kalman filters. The source of a fault is identified using the squared residuals. Nonlinear governing equations for the engine bleed air temperature control system are derived in state space form. Convergence analysis of the proposed fault detection and diagnosis methods is conducted. Heat exchanger is another core component in the bleed air temperature control system. A common fault associated with a heat exchanger is fouling which reduces the heat transfer efficiency, introduces additional resistance to flow, and increases fuel consumption. This dissertation presents a heat exchanger fouling detection method based on the valve control command of an engine bleed air temperature control system. Heat exchanger fouling is monitored by estimating the deviation of valve control command. A simulated bleed air temperature control system has been designed and built. Experiments have been conducted for temperature sensor fault, valve actuator fault, and heat exchanger fouling. Computer simulations for each of these cases are conducted and compared to experimental results.
Intermittent Arc Fault Detection And Location For Aircraft Power Distribution System
Authors: Yaramasu Anil
Published: May 2021

This thesis addresses a non-destructive diagnostic method for intermittent arc fault detection and location. Intermittent arc faults appear in aircraft power systems in unpredictable manners when the degraded wires are wet, vibrating against metal structures, or under mechanical stresses, etc. They could evolve into serious faults that may cause on-board fires, power interruptions, system damage and catastrophic incidents, and thus have raised much concern in recent years.

Recent trends in solid state power controllers (SSPCs) motivated the development of non-destructive diagnostic methods for health monitoring of aircraft wiring. In this thesis, the ABCD matrix (or transmission matrix) modeling method is introduced to derive normal and faulty load circuit models with better accuracy and reduced complexity compared to the conventional differential equation approach, and an intermittent arc fault detection method is proposed based on temporary deviations of load circuit model coefficients and wiring parameters. Furthermore, based on the faulty wiring model, a genetic algorithm (GA) is proposed to estimate the fault-related wiring parameters, such as intermittent arc location and average intermittent arc resistance. The proposed method can be applied to both the alternating current (AC) power distribution system (PDS) and direct current (DC) PDS. Simulations and experiments using a DC power source have been conducted, and the results have demonstrated effectiveness of the proposed method by estimating the fault location with an accuracy of +/- 0.5 meters on 24.6 meters wire. Unlike the existing techniques which generally requires special devices, the proposed method only needs circuit voltage and current measurement at the source end as inputs, and is thus suitable for SSPC-based aircraft PDS.
The valuation of product introduction time strategies using a real options approach
Authors: Yazdi Mehdi Hossein
Published: May 2021

In today’s economy, new technologies rapidly emerge in the durable goods market. Therefore, it is paramount for manufacturing companies to optimize product introduction time for their second-generation product (SGP), which is an upcoming product in the production line, when profitability is at stake. The main factors affecting this timing are technology advancements and changes in customer tastes, which make determining an optimal introduction time for a product a
challenging task. The main goal of this research is to find the optimal product introduction time for the SGP that maximizes the net present value (NPV) over a given period while product life cycle (PLC), pricing, and advertising are explicitly being taken into consideration.

Demand for each product contains two regimes life cycle, and each regime is defined by a geometric Brownian motion (GBM). Each GBM has a drift rate and volatility. Moreover, there is a correlation between different regimes for different products. Correlated GBMs are discretized using a lattice approach. The Bass model is used to determine demand parameters including drift, volatility, and correlation, while dynamic programming is used to optimize NPV. Flexibilities, such as expansion, contraction, and switching, are identified between two products. Examples are provided to show the applicability of the developed models. Accordingly, the results show as the drift rate, volatility, and initial demand for a first-generation product (FGP) increase, the SGP introduction time has to be delayed. Furthermore, results demonstrate that in decreasing pricing policy, the SGP has to be introduced as early as the FGP. In increasing-decreasing pricing policy, as the increasing pricing rate is increasing, the SGP introduction time is delayed. When the advertising budget percentage increases, the NPV increases up to a certain level and then it will be saturated. Major contributions of this thesis are as follows: first, investigating the product introduction time by integrating marketing and manufacturing aspects; second, developing a model to incorporate the flexibility and production cost of the system for determining the optimal product introduction time. Third, the value of the product introduction time is expressed in terms of dollar value and this would help managers to make decisions easily. The models developed in this research can be used as practical tools for manufacturers to find the optimal product introduction time (PIT) and also the research can be used as a guideline to introduce the second-generation PIT.
Femtosecond Laser Nano-Fabrication And Its Biomedical Applications
Authors: Tavangar Amirhossein
Published: May 2021

This dissertation aims to develop a new technique for fabrication of three-dimensional (3-D) interwoven nanofibrous platforms using femtosecond laser ablation of solids in ambient conditions.

In the first part, the mechanism of ablation of solids by multiple femtosecond laser pulses in ambient air is described in an explicit analytical form. The formulas for evaporation rates and the number of ablated particles for laser ablation by multiple pulses as a function of laser parameters, background gas, and material properties are predicted and compared to experimental results. Later, the formation mechanism of the nanofibrous structures during laser ablation of targets in the presence of air is discussed. The results indicate that femtosecond laser ablation of solids at air background yields crystalline nanostructures. It’s also shown that this technique allows synthesis of 3-D nanostructures on a wide range of materials including synthetic and natural materials.

Later, potential practice of the proposed technique for integration of nanostructures on transparent platforms as well as inside microstructures toward device fabrication is investigated. Presented studies show that integrated nanostructure inside microchannels can be fabricated in one single step using this technique.

Finally, to address the potential use of the nanostructures for biomedical application, several studies are performed to evaluate the bioactivity and biocompatibility of the nanostructures. The fabricated nanostructures incorporate the functions of 3-D nano-scaled topography and modified chemical properties to improve osseointegration, while at the same time leaving space for delivering other functional agents.
Experimental investigations of chatter and critical cutting conditions in turning
Authors: Shah Vipul
Published: May 2021

Vibration can cause problems when it occurs during machining, especially if it cannot be damped and continuous to increase, a phenomenon known as chatter. This thesis project focuses on reviewing the state-of-the-arts work in chatter research, identifying a reliable mechanistic dynamic cutting force model for orthogonal cutting operations when machining slender shafts, carrying out a series of experiments on uniform and stepped workpiece[s], and validating the theoretical predictions of chatter onset conditions against experimental results.
A Study Of Three Dicitonary Learning Algorithms
Authors: Xing Zhiliang
Published: May 2021

Sparse Representation is a topic that has been gaining popularity in recent years due to its efficiency, performance and its applications in communication and data extraction fields. A number of algorithms exist that can be used to implement sparse coding techniques in different fields which include K-SVD, ODL, OMP etc. In this project one of the most popular sparse algorithms, the OMP (Orthogonal Matching Pursuit) technique, is investigatedin depth. Since OMP is not capable of finding the global optimum, a Top-Down Search (TDS) algorithm is proposed in this project to achieve much better results by sacrificing the execution time. Another contribution of this project is to investigate the properties of dictionary by modifying the frequency and shifting the phase of a standard Discrete Cosine Transfer (DCT) dictionary. The results of this project show that the performance of sparse coding algorithm still has room for improvement using new techniques.
A Robust 4D Treatment Planning Approach For Lung Radiotherapy
Authors: Pokhrel Chandra P
Published: May 2021

4D treatment plans are optimized to compensates for a patient's individual respiratory motion. However, changes in the time spent in the each respiratory state may render a 4D plan invalid. We introduced and evaluate two robust treatment planning approaches to compensate for respiratory motion variations. Robust 4D plans can be designed either using an average pdf approach or a worst case pdf approach. We tested these approaches on two motion variation scenarios and compared them with nominal 4D optimization and ITV plans. The nominal 4D plans were very sensitive to the variation in respiration pattern while the average pdf and worst case pdf plans were less sensitive under the similar variations. The average and worst case pdf plans were not as robust as the ITV plans but had better healthy tissue sparing. The worst case pdf approach was found to be the most promising for robust 4D plan optimization.
Multiresolutional characterization and mitigation of GNSS signal for robust positioning
Authors: Aram Mohammad Hossein
Published: May 2021

While the use of wavelet filtering on applications such as audio and video is known, in this research. wavelet filters are applied as a practical tool to improve positioning accuracy of a navigatioll-grade receiver in challenging environments. A single, stationary recel\,'er operating OIl the L1 frequency, and collecting data in 15-minute segments, was used to obtain pseudoranges which were then used to compute positions. The magnitudes of these
pseudoranges are often overstated due to multipath. ~Iultipath mitigation was applied tothese signals using a hvo-stage wavelet filter. The first stage operates in the pseudorange domain to remove bias error and the second stage operates in the position domain to minimize the effect of the low velocities that existed among the stationary positions.
This filtering had a marked effect of reducing positioning scatter (variance). To measure the effect of this filtering, several statistical moments (before and after filtering), were compared. Throughout datasets studied, the unfiltered position scatters tend to be markedly non-Gaussian showing extreme effects of skew and kurtosis in addition to high variance. The position scatters after filtering tend to be highly Gaussian with far lower degrees of skew and kurtosis. In this study, the results obtained from the data sets sho'Ned significant improvement, less than 1.5 m with a probability of 96.5%, in standard deviation of the estimated positions.,
Sudden Studios - AI-Powered Branding
Authors: Abdel Fattah Mohamed Ashraf Tawfik
Published: May 2021

Many businesses face the issue of retaining customers. There are many reasons why customers leave but an inconsistent brand experience is one of the biggest faults. Sudden Studios is a concept for an AI-powered web application aimed at helping brand owners identify their reputation’s potholes. With such insight, brand owners can fill in their gaps faster to develop greater customer loyalty, sooner
Human emotional state recognition using 3D facial expression features
Authors: Tie Yun
Published: May 2021

In recent years there has been a growing interest in improving all aspects of the interaction between human and computers. Emotion recognition is a new research direction in human-computer interaction (HCI) which is based on affective computing that is expected to significantly improve the quality of HCI system and communications. Most existing works address this problem using 2D features, but they are sensitive to head pose, clutter, and variations in lighting conditions. In light of such problems, two 3D visual feature based approaches are presented in this dissertation. First, we present a recognition method based on the Gabor library for real 3D visual features extraction and an improved kernel canonical correlation analysis (IKCCA) algorithm for emotion classification. Second, to reduce the computation cost and provide a more general approach, we propose using a fiducial points' controlled 3D face model to recognize human emotion from video sequences. An Elastic body spine (EBS) technique is applied for deformation feature extraction and a discriminative Isomap (D-Isomap) based classification is used for the final decision. The most significant contributions of this work are detecting and tracking fiducial points automatically from video sequences to construct a generic 3D face model, and the introduction of EBS deformation features for emotion recognition. The experimental results show the robustness and effectiveness of the proposed methods.
An ecological assessment of invasive plant species in a constructed stormwater wetland in Markham, Ontario, Canada
Authors: Capotorto Antonia
Published: May 2021

It is generally assumed that increased plant biodiversity will enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the pollutant removal processes in wetlands constructed for stormwater management and will provide ancillary benefits for wildlife and the general public. However, the development of a diverse plant community may be jeopardized by colonization by invasive species. This study reports on a detailed assessment of the changes in plant species composition in a wetland complex constructed for stormwater management in Markham, Ontario, Canada.
The research presented focuses on the relationship between the presence of invasive species, the lack of development of native species diversity, and the environmental factors that may be associated with the presence and distribution of invasive plants. Today, vegetation diversity of the wetland remains extremely poor and there has been significant establishment of invasive species, especially Typha angustifolia. Despite the complexity of the site, there are few environmental determinants for plant growth.