bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Novel methods for automatic segmentation of abnormal lung parenchyma utilizing watershed and wavelet transforms
Authors: Shojaii Rushin
Published: May 2021

CT scan of the thorax is widely used to diagnose and evaluate numerous lung diseases. These scans yield a large amount of image data. The expanding volume of thoracic CT studies along with the increase of image data, elucidates the need of computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) schemes to assist the radiologists. Since several lung diseases are diagnosed based on the patterns of lung tissue in medical images, texture segmentation is an essential part of the [sic] most CAD systems.
The processing step of most CAD systems is lung segmentation. In the first part of this thesis a novel approach for lung segmentation is proposed. The proposed method is based on watershed transform, which is fast and accurate. Lung region is precisely marked with internal and external markers. The markers are combined with the gradient image of the original data, then watershed transform is applied on the combined data to find the lung borders. A "Rolling ball" filter is used to fill the cavities and make the contour smooth while preserving the original borders.
In the second part of this research work a novel composite method is proposed to segment the abnormality in lung tissue. The proposed approach is based on wavelet transform and intensity similarities. Our focus is on the honeycomb texture in lung tissue, which occurs with several interstitial lung diseases. After segmenting lung regions, Wavelet Transform is applied to decompose the image. The transformed lung region is thresholded to extract high resolution areas. Then the regions with low pixel intensities are kept and grown to segment the honeycomb regions. The proposed method has been tested on 91 pediatric chest CT images containing healthy and unhealthy lung images. Statistical analysis has been done and the results show the sensitivity of 100% along with the average Specificity of 95.14 %. A comparison with AMFM (82.5 % sensitivity and 99.9 % specificity) and ANN methods (100 % sensitivity and 88.1 % specificity) reveals the superiority of the proposed approach. The test results of both the lung segmentation and abnormal lung tissue segmentation techniques validate the robustness of the proposed methods.
Trust management in opportunisitic networks: a semantic web-based approach
Authors: Tamez Elvira Noelly Bonilla
Published: May 2021

The need for having a mechanism to automatically interpret content available on the Web without a human intervention has lead to the development of a new vision for the next generation of the Web, known as the Semantic Web. This new paradigm advocates the use of ontologies to achieve a common language for communication among humans, computers, and programs. In this thesis, a novel Semantic Web-based solution called SCOW-Q (Semantic Capability Discovery With QoS) model, is proposed, which provides an architectural basis for representing trust and trust management in Opportunistic Networks. The model is validated by means of a Use Case Scenario using a well-defined Semantic Web Service framework.
Design and Development of an Intelligent Agent-Based Supply Chain Simulation System
Authors: Wang Yucheng
Published: May 2021

An intelligent agent-based supply chain simulation model, in which each enterprise/consumer is represented by an agent, is designed. There are six layers in this supply chain simulation model: raw material providers, component manufacturers, product assemblers, product holders, retailers, and final customers. Each entity in the supply chain represented by an agent has five components: interface, task distribution, business processing activities, knowledge management and decision support, and information storage. A detailed agent structure is designed and various functions of an agent including communication among agents are described. Issues in the supply chain integration, information sharing among supply chain partners, demand forecasting, supply chain risk management, and automated communication and negotiation, could be simulated and studied by using the proposed system.

Based on the proposed supply chain simulation model, a generic six-layer prototype mobile phone supply chain simulation system is designed, developed and implemented. The system allows a user to setup and adjust a large number of parameters, including (1) simulation period, loan and saving interest rates; (2) customers' behavior and market demand; (3) each retailer's initial cash, loan, market share, inventories, Order Amount Policy and Order Point Strategy; (4) each product holder's initial cash, loan, market share, inventories, Order Amount Policy, Order Point Strategy and inventory strategy; (5) each assembler's and component agent's initial cash, loan, inventories, Order Amount Policy, Order Point Strategy, production strategy, and production capacities; and (6) each material provider's initial cash, loan, inventory, production strategy, and production capacities. Extensive simulation studies are carried out to examine and compare many supply chain management strategies and agent behaviors. This system can be used to test which strategy is most suitable in certain environments, The generic supply chain simulation system developed can be used in a number of ways, including: as an analysis tool for entity in a supply chain from the entity's perspective; as a tool for studying supply chain coordination and integration from the perspective of an entire supply chain, or portion of it; as a tool to design supply chains by answering "what-if" questions.
Theatre of the Mind: Podcasting and Public Health Communication, A Pilot Project
Authors: Chochinov Martin D.
Published: May 2021

This project explores how podcasting could be developed as a strategy for narrative self-representation as a means of exploring the broader sociocultural context of specific health issues such as HIV I AIDS or methamphetamine addiction. The aim of the project is to understand how podcasting can be used to aid health agencies in determining the social context of behaviors that in turn can inform strategic communication programs.
Enriching and characterizing an aerotolerant mixed microbial community capable of cellulose hydrolysis and ethanol production
Authors: Ronan Patrick
Published: May 2021

Cellulosic ethanol produced via consolidated bioprocessing may one day be a viable alternative to fossil fuels However, efforts must focus on streamlining and simplifying its production in order to make this a reality. The aim of this study was to enrich a cellulolytic community and characterize its soluble end-products and bacterial diversity. The community degraded cellulose in the absence of reducing agent, and appeared to generate anaerobic conditions through oxygen-consuming aerobic respiration. Ethanol and acetate were the major fermentation products and the activity of the community was stable in aerobic and anaerobic media, as well as yeast extract-free aerobic media supplemented with other waste-based nutrient sources. Several community members showed high similarity to Clostridium species, suggesting the presence of some functional redundancy. Reducing agent and yeast extract both represent significant costs in the culturing of cellulolytic, ethanologenic microorganisms. The community described here exhibited this activity in the absence of both.
Inspection optimization of load-sharing systems
Authors: Kassaei Maryam L.
Published: May 2021

In this thesis, periodic inspection of a load-sharing k-out-of-n system has been studied to obtain the optimal inspection interval using the analytical and simulation approaches. The components of a load-sharing system are stochastically dependent, which makes the analysis of these systems more complex than those with independent components. In order to acquire the optimal inspection interval for the system, two models have been developed to study load-sharing systems with Tampered Failure Rate (TFR) and Cumulative Exposure (CE). The former considers only the current load of the components and the later accounts for the history of load. Various load intensities are examined to study the effects of this parameter on each model. It is observed that as the load intensity increases, the system needs more frequent inspections. The results also reveal that a system with the CE model requires a shorter inspection interval in comparison to that with the TFR model.
Analysis and feasibility study of a multiple-pass heat and energy recovery ventilator with integrated economizer for residential use
Authors: Zhang Jun Long
Published: May 2021

The feasibility of a novel total energy recovery ventilator (HERV) was studied, through the use of an Excel-based screening tool developed for cost analysis, and through TRNSYS simulations for performance analysis. Cost analysis indicated that the HERV almost always outperformed the conventional systems, whereas its attractiveness could be limited by its high capital investment. Simulation results indicated that the counter-flow HERV provided better control of house humidity towards the setpoint, in the meantime, minimized the annual energy use. The performance of heat recovery (HRV) and energy recovery (ERV) ventilators was investigated side-by-side at the Archetype Sustainable Twins-House located in Toronto, Canada. The ERV sensible efficiency ranged from 76.4% to78.5% at an outdoor temperature of -20°C and 5°C respectively, while the HRV efficiency ranged from 91.0% to 95.0% at -16.6°C and 0.7°C respectively. Freezing caused a dramatic drop in the efficiency that was found to be as low as 50%.
From Public Interest To Creators’ Interest: An Examination Of The Policy Discourse Shifts in Canadian Broadcasting: 2003-2007
Authors: Whyte Emma
Published: May 2021

This thesis investigates the policy discourse shifts in Canadian broadcasting that occurred between 2003 and 2017 by examining two government consultation processes about Canadian broadcasting in the digital age: the 2003 “Our Cultural Sovereignty: The Second Century of Canadian Broadcasting” report, and the 2017 Canadian Content in a Digital World consultations. These two consultation processes are compared through a policy document analysis, analyzing government policy documents and stakeholders’ submissions to the consultations. Through this analysis, it was found that, although both reports stressed the necessity of policy reform, three key shifts in the policy discourse were identified: a shift from distinctly Canadian to internationally viable, a shift from cultural good to economic good, and a shift from public interest to creators’ interest. Because of these shifts, although these reports addressed similar problems about broadcasting in the digital age, the reports had considerably different outcomes regarding their policy recommendations
Computer Simulation and Optimal Control of Continuous Infrared Dryers
Authors: Sanjabi Farshid
Published: May 2021

This study focuses on Infrared Dryers, which are of great commercial importance in all industrial applications encompassing food, agriculture, mining and manufacturing sectors. An unsteady-state model, and a steady-state model are used to describe the operation of dryers with multiple heating stages, and fresh air injection units. The unsteady-state model is a set of three non-linear partial differential equations, which describe the three state variables: (i) humidity of sheet being dried, (ii) temperature of sheet and, (iii) temperature of air flowing above sheet for the start-up of the drying process as a function of time and dryer length. The steady-state model consists of three non-linear ordinary differential equations, which descrive the three state variables as a function of dryer length. The two sizes of infrared dryers, industrial and lab scale, with a wide range of temperature of the radiants and fresh air injection have been simulated with both models. The optimal control of infrared dryers is considered for the first time in this work. As the next step, radiant temperature has been used as an optimal control function along the length of a dryer to minimize the exit humidity of sheet. A robust optimal control technique based on genetic algorithms is used to achieve the optimal control objective. The results show considerable reduction of the exit humidity of sheet, by 19.5-99.9%, with the application of optimal control.
Laser induced reverse transfer for microfabrication
Authors: Dhami Gurinderpal Singh
Published: May 2021

The general objective of this thesis is to introduce ultrafast "Laser Induced Reverse Transfer" (LIRT) as a technique for material transfer in micro-fabrication. LIRT is performed using femtosecond laser radiation of wavelength 515 nm with gold coated silicon wafers under ambient conditions. The material transfer process is explained by the dynamics of a laser ablated plasma plume. The influence of processing parameters such as laser pulse energy, pulse width and scan speed on the width of transferred material is also investigated. The width of the deposition increases with the increase in pulse energy while it decreases with scan speed. Also, the width increases with laser pulse width ranging from femtosecond to picosecond range. In general the transferred material size is determined by the amount of material present in the plasma plume which depends on the energy deposited in the bulk material by laser irradiation. In the femtosecond pulse width range, the increase in pulse energy at constant pulse width transfers more energy in a short time with minimal heating effect to the surrounding material. Hence, the efficiency of material removal increases. This in turn enhances the feature size. On the other hand, as the laser pulse width increases from femtoseconds to picoseconds, the interaction time of laser radiation with material increases. This leads to an increase in the amount of material removed, thereby increasing the transferred material size. However, thermal damage to the surrounding material increases. An increase in scan speed at constant pulse energy decreases the laser interaction time, which results in a decrease in amount of material in the plasma plume. This in tum decreases the width of the deposited material. In general, femtosecond laser induced reverse material transfer is an efficient technique for microfabrication and can be used for device manufacturing.
Forced to flee : contemporary Colombian refugee migration & internal displacement
Authors: Vunderink Tracy
Published: May 2021

Examines the situation of forced migration in Colombia by identifying how profound inequalities, a lack of governmental authority, and a crisis in national identity have contributed to the emergence of armed irregular groups and the perpetuation of the civil conflict. The Colombian conflict which has last[ed] for more than forty years has perpetuated extreme criminal violence, grave human rights abuses and massive levels of population displacement. Determinants or push factors involved in Colombian internal displacement and asylum seeking are analyzed to draw similarities between these two experiences to further question the distinctions maintained between them in international law.
The California Gold Rush: approaches to producing daguerreotype views : an examination of views in the Matthew R. Isenburg Collection at AMC Toronto
Authors: Armstrong Marcos R.
Published: May 2021

This thesis examines daguerreotypes of outdoor views made during the California Gold Rush from 1848 to 1856, now in the Matthew R. Isenburg Collection at AMC Toronto. The views were made for private commissions, public viewings, and as models for engraving. Daguerreotypists encountered a number of challenging working conditions in the field, different from those in galleries where portraits were taken. In analyzing 18 daguerreotypes from the Isenburg Collection, this thesis investigates how working conditions during the Gold Rush such as light, climate, and terrain, influenced daguerreotypists`s decisions when making views; these include the choice of camera apparatus, optics and aperture, variations in exposure times, and composition and vantage points. By considering the purposes of such views, and the photographer`s approaches to making them, the thesis explains the appearance of these early visual documents of the western American frontier.
Preserving Jeff Wall : the inherent preservation concerns of Jeff Wall's early transparencies in lightboxes
Authors: Ackerley Samantha
Published: May 2021

Canadian artist Jeff Wall (b. 1946) created, between 1978 and 2007, over 130 silver dye-bleach transparency prints mounted in lightboxes. These works typify a growing problem currently faced by collections of contemporary fine art that contain works that use unstable materials and increasingly obsolete technology, both of which directly affects the nature of the works’ presentation and preservation. This thesis focuses on Wall’s early works, created between 1978 - 1985, a period during which he was exploring how best to utilize the lightbox technique. Using the works The Destroyed Room, Double Self-Portrait, and Steves Farm, Steveston as extensively illustrated case studies, this thesis focuses on the previously undiscussed evolution of the presentation and installation of Wall’s lightboxes as well as an exploration of the “objectness” of his works which encourages an awareness and fuller understanding of the lightboxes as physical and complex objects.
The future library in the digital age
Authors: Kokalari Erald
Published: May 2021

The technological revolution and the resulting inception of the World Wide Web have had an unprecedented effect in the ways we find, produce, and contemplate information today.

Within this evolution, the public library plays a pivotal role as it finds itself in the middle of this shift, needing to effectively respond to the exponential rate at which the "digital" is growing.

The public library stands as not just a symbolic institution responsible for conserving and distributing information, but also as an extension of the public realm itself. This vision goes beyond the agency of the book and looks at the library as a socio-cultural vessel that can be responsive and dynamic when seen through this new digital lens.
Coupled flexural - torsional vibration and stability analysis of pre-loaded beams using conventional and dynamic finite element methods
Authors: Jayasinghe Heenkenda
Published: May 2021

Dynamic Finite Element (DFE) and conventional finite element formulations are developed to study the flexural - torsional vibration and stability of an isotropic, homogeneous and linearly elastic pre-loaded beam subjected to an axial load and end-moment. Various classical boundary conditions are considered. Elementary Euler - Bernoulli bending and St. Venant torsion beam theories were used as a starting point to develop the governing equations and the finite element solutions. The nonlinear Eigenvalue problem resulted from the DFE method was solved using a program code written in MATLAB and the natural frequencies and mode shapes of the system were determined form the Eigenvalues and Eigenvectors, respectively. Similarly, a linear Eigenvalue problem was formulated and solved using a MATLAB code for the conventional FEM method. The conventional FEM results were validated against those available in the literature and ANSYS simulations and the DFE results were compared with the FEM results. The results confirmed that tensile forces increased the natural frequencies, which indicates beam stiffening. On the contrary, compressive forces reduced the natural frequencies, suggesting a reduction in beam stiffness. Similarly, when an end-moment was applied the stiffness of the beam and the natural frequencies diminished. More importantly, when a force and end-moment were acting in combination, the results depended on the direction and magnitude of the axial force. Nevertheless, the stiffness of the beam is more sensitive to the changes in the magnitude and direction of the axial force compared to the moment. A buckling analysis of the beam was also carried out to determine the critical buckling end-moment and axial compressive force.
Numerical modelling of impact damage on carbon fiber reinforced polymer laminates
Authors: Roy Kavya
Published: May 2021

In recent years, the usage of carbon fiber reinforced polymers in the aviation industry has increased significantly. While numerous advancements have been made in the field of testing and analysis of advanced composites, improvements can still be made in terms of time and cost. This thesis is focused on numerical modelling of nonlinear three-dimensional transient-dynamic impact damage, and also assesses various numerical techniques for reducing computational costs while maintaining the accuracy of results under impact loadings. This thesis does so using three studies and the computational package LS-DYNA. The first study is performed to elucidate the behaviour of a stiffened thin-walled fuselage section subjected to low-velocity, high-energy blunt impact. The fuselage section is comprised of thin skin panels, stringers, frames and shear ties, all of which are modelled as multidirectional carbon fiber laminates. The critical locations during the impact, the failure sequence, and the failure loads, locations and times are all identified. The obtained numerical results are compared to experimental results on low-velocity impacts on composite
A technique to measure turbulent free convective heat transfer in a vertical tall cavity
Authors: Poulad Mohammad Ebrahim
Published: May 2021

A time-average technique was developed to measure the unsteady and turbulent free convection heat transfer in tall vertical enclosure using a Mach-Zehnder interferometer. The method used a digital high speed camera to obtain the time-averaged heat transfer rates. Optical heat transfer measurements were made in a differentially heated vertical cavity with isothermal walls. The cavity widths (distance between the plates) were L = 12.7, 32.3, 40, and 56.2 mm. The corresponding Rayleigh numbers were about 3X10[superscript] 3, 5 X 10⁴, 1 X 10⁵, 2.7. X 10⁵, respectively and the enclosure aspect ratio ranged from A=18 to 76. The test fluid was air and the temperature differential was about 15 K for all the measurements. Finite fringe interferograms were taken with a high speed camera. Interferograms of the fluctuating temperature field were captured for ten seconds at a frequency of 100Hz. These images were enhanced and processed using MATLAB to measure the local time-averaged heat transfer rate. This time-averaged heat flux was measured at many locations along the vertical cavity walls in order to obtain the spatial average. To validate the proposed technique, the average Nusselt number was compared to measured values and correlations from the literature. In both laminar and turbulent flow conditions, the current measurements compared well with the ElSherbiny correlation.
Allowing service users to die at home: palliative care for vulnerably housed and homeless individuals
Authors: Archer Taggart
Published: May 2021

The current climate of death, dying and access to care is evolving on a daily basis. As community resources and shelters within Toronto are being revitalized, the demand on the healthcare system continues to increase. This study explores how an interdisciplinary community healthcare team is challenging the current model of palliative care for service users who are vulnerably housed or experiencing homelessness within Toronto. Specifically, I am looking at understanding strategies of resistance to receiving a one size fits all form of care. This qualitative design used interviews to speak with five healthcare workers who work within an interdisciplinary care team to support this population. The outcome of the study highlights the experience of the participants regarding the importance of an interdisciplinary team approach to care, the resistance embodied within practice and the field, barriers to care and the challenges of the role.
A Subject Index : The Canadian Architect Image Archive At Ryerson University Library's Special Collections
Authors: Shoemaker Katherine
Published: May 2021

The Canadian Architect Image Archive (1955-1990) was donated to Ryerson University Library's Special Collections in March 2009. Over the course of a year, the archive was catalogued and properly housed. This applied thesis project describes the process of subject indexing a photograph collection in order to provide easy user access and preservation of the archive. The two groups of photographs chosen as case studies are 'Toronto' and 'Quebec', and are the most commonly requested to use for research. This thesis provides a discussion of the context and methodology of subject indexing a unique photographic archive. The thesis contains an appendix with the two subject indexes, proposed subject index testing questionnaire, and an accompanying CD with the indexes in their full format.
Process of selection: Edouard Baldus, the New Louvre Commission photographs and Palais du Louvre et des Tuileries
Authors: Addelman-Frankel Kate
Published: May 2021

Edouard Baldus (1813-1889), a prominent figure in the history of French photography, is known almost exclusively for his silver-based photographs of the 1850s and early 1860s. Yet he was also at the forefront of developments in photomechanical reproduction, publishing seven books of photogravure prints between 1866 and 1884. Palais du Louvre et des Tuileries. Motifs de decoration (published in various editions between 1869 and 1875), his fourth, was the first to reproduce his own photographs rather than engravings by earlier artists. It depicts architectural elements of the Louvre and Tuileries palaces, images that stern largely from Baldus`s 1855-57 commission to document the construction of the New Louvre. Through an exploration of Palais` production and distribution, and comparative analyses of its prints with their corresponding photographs, this thesis situates Palais within Baldus`s oeuvre and argues for the significance of his photogravure production to the historiography of the photographer.
Drinking water quality and trust : communities and risk information
Authors: Burley Caitlin J
Published: May 2021

Ontario drinking water systems face increasing contamination risks due to over-taxed water systems. Canadian perceptions of drinking water, and trust in government, have declined as a result of Walkerton and other contamination episodes. Research in the field of trust, risk communication and risk perception has developed extensively in recent years. However, there is very little research regarding risk perception, communication and trust as it relates to drinking water. This study investigated drinking water perceptions, trust in drinking water authorities and communication needs of a small Ontario municipality with a positive drinking water history and good communication practices. The results indicated that the community members had positive perceptions about their source and drinking water. They had high levels of trust in their local government and low levels of trust in outside sources. Despite the high levels of trust in the local government, the residents displayed additional information needs; suggesting the presence of critical trust.
Numerical simulation of a fuel nozzle's spray
Authors: Fergusson Ashley Ann Marie
Published: May 2021

The aim of this thesis is to examine the boundary conditions that must be input into the computational fluid dynamic software, FLUENT in order to model spray. This can then be used to advance the current computational fluid dynamic models used to model an engine's combustor. This will save the industry time and money, in the design development stages. The parameters that were studied in this thesis included, changing the angle the spray is injected at and the Rosin-Rammler parameters: number of droplet diameters contained within the spray and the droplet diameters spread, determining the uniformity of the spread.

The results found that it was possible to predict the Rosin-Rammler plot with a minor change of the Rosin-Rammler parameter, spread, q. It was also found that the initial assessments of the spray parameters provide reasonable trends in the axial and radial velocities.
Predicting system collapse : application of kernel-based machine learning and inclination analysis
Authors: Hosseinizadeh Pouyan
Published: May 2021

While many modelling methods have been developed and introduced to predict the actual state of a system at the next point of time, the purpose of this research is to present and discuss two approaches NOT to predict the exact future states, but to identify the potential for final collapse of a system. The first approach is based on kernel methods, a sub category of supervised learning, and attempts to provide a visualization method to classify the active and dead companies and predict the potential collapse of a system. The second method aims to analyze the inclination of a system by looking at the local changes that have been observed over a certain period of time in the past. Application of these modelling approaches to predict collapse in different companies belonging to two industrial sectors by looking at behaviour of their closing stock prices are discussed in this research. Advantages and limitations of each approach are also discussed.
QoS-based data analytic service selection: a comparative study of different learning models
Authors: Alghofaily Bayan
Published: May 2021

QoS-based web service selection has been studied in the service computing community for some time; however, data characteristics are not considered. In this work, we have studied the use of different machine learning algorithms as meta-learners in predicting the performance of data analytic services for the given dataset. We used a meta-learning algorithm to incorporate meta-features in the selection process and we used clustering services as an example of data analytic services. We have also investigated the impact of the number of data features on the performance of the meta-learners. We found that, out of the 5 classification models, SVM showed the best results in predicting the recommended service for the given dataset with an accuracy of 78%. When it comes to regression models, MLP was the best regressor. We recommend considering only simple meta-features that can be collected for most datasets, as those proved to be sufficient to achieve good prediction accuracy.
Experimental implementation of artificial neural network-based active vibration control & chatter suppression
Authors: Xia Yong
Published: May 2021

Vibration control strategies strive to reduce the effect of harmful vibrations such as machining chatter. In general, these strategies are classified as passive or active. While passive vibration control techniques are generally less complex, there is a limit to their effectiveness. Active vibration control strategies, which work by providing an additional energy supply to vibration systems, on the other hand, require more complex algorithms but can be very effective. In this work, a novel artificial neural network-based active vibration control system has been developed. The developed system can detect the sinusoidal vibration component with the highest power and suppress it in one control cycle, and in subsequent cycles, sinusoidal signals with the next highest power will be suppressed. With artificial neural networks trained to cover enough frequency and amplitude ranges, most of the original vibration can be suppressed. The efficiency of the proposed methodology has been verified experimentally in the vibration control of a cantilever beam. Artificial neural networks can be trained automatically for updated time delays in the system when necessary. Experimental results show that the developed active vibration control system is real time, adaptable, robust, effective and easy to be implemented. Finally, an experimental setup of chatter suppression for a lathe has been successfully implemented, and the successful techniques used in the previous artificial neural network-based active vibration control system have been utilized for active chatter suppression in turning.
Outsider today, insider tomorrow : the impact of the European Union's eastern enlargement on borders and citizenship
Authors: Puha Cristina
Published: May 2021

This paper analyzes the interrelationship between European Union (EU) enlargement and the issue of citizenship and border management with respect to Poland and Romania. It examines the changes of the EU's external and internal borders through an analysis of immigration laws in Poland and Romania which have been recently changed in order to meet the requirements of the Schengen aquis. This paper argues that the transformation of European borders through eastern enlargement creates a system of differentiated memberships which is incompatible with the concept of the EU citizenship and with some of the terms of enlargement. Unfortunately, this situation is opening the door for the creation of 'second class' citizens and demonstrates that the EU enlargement process is to some extent exclusive.
Localization or standardization? A comparative analysis of multinational agrochemical corporations’ environmental disclosure practices in India
Authors: Wilson Nicole  Andra
Published: May 2021

This thesis research seeks to provide insight into the corporate environmental disclosure practices of multinational agrochemical parent corporations, their public subsidiaries in India and domestic Indian agrochemical corporations. The study analyzes whether environmental disclosure practices are more strongly influenced by country-of-operation or country-of-origin. These analyses use a recently developed content analysis instrument named consolidated narrative interrogation (CONI), which is capable of measuring the diversity, quantity and quality of environmental disclosures.
Results indicate that the quantity, quality and diversity of Indian agrochemical subsidiaries’ corporate environmental disclosures are more similar to domestic Indian companies than their parent companies. These results may be explained by the institutional theory. The results of this study are of significance because they provide evidence that multinational corporations may not transfer their environmental disclosure practices to host countries. Instead, environmental disclosure practices of subsidiaries are localized to their host country and are not standardized with parent company practices.
Environmental decision making using multiple participant-multiple criteria decision techniques
Authors: Karnis Monika
Published: May 2021

Two environmental decision making problems are investigated utilizing decision making methods found to be appropriate for each situation. The first study on sustainability alternatives for the aviation industry evaluates possible actions by the industry in order to reduce emissions by utilizing multiple criteria decision making methods. Interdependence of alternatives is considered. In the second study, the graph model for conflict resolution is utilized to investigate the controversy surrounding the recommendations by the International Joint Commission on the fluctuating water levels in the Laurentian Great Lakes. These studies are carried out to clarify and understand the values and considerations that have led to the participants’ decision making behavior so that insights on creating movement towards desired outcomes are revealed. If the solution is undesirable, the movements on preferences of some participants needed to shift to a better outcome are explored, which add value to the analysis.
The Compatible House: hybrid architecture
Authors: Basso Roy Alexander
Published: May 2021

As a speculative vision of the future, the Compatible House was designed to promote critical thinking in architecture by questioning the validity of hybrid space design. The house, once a private space now pierced with public network signals, proved to be an ideal typology to demonstrate the influence of digital space on our physical space. Research and case studies concluded that current technology can be misused within architectural design with serious repercussions. The research also concluded that achieving successful hybrid architecture is to understand the role of the user within the context of the Information Age and enable that user to manipulate the properties of their physical space. As a means to embrace the obsessive trend of digital immersion without disregarding the importance of architectural space, the Compatible House makes use of specific design techniques and emerging forms of technology that demonstrate a productive, evolutionary vision of a possible way of life in the future.
Park-scape infrastructure
Authors: Breccia Jordan Emmanuel
Published: May 2021

This thesis is predicated on the objectives of Toronto's Official Plan: the cessation of outward suburban development, increased growth in the urban core, increased public amenity space to support this greater density, reduced presence of the car, and the support of public transit, walking and cycling. Recognition of the serious lack of available public domain within Toronto's core to provide the appropriate scale of public space required to support this new level of density, is the subject of this thesis proposal.

This thesis proposed a new large scale, north to south linear park for Toronto that integrates a system of bicycle, jogging, and pedestrian paths that connect it into existing mass transit systems, the urban core, and the existing east west park system, the Martin Goodman Trail. It creates this new public space by re-appropriating several vehicular lanes of Jarvis Street, and proposing the integration of new building development, park, sidewalk and street to amalgamate the space needed to accomplish this. Building and landscape, private and public space overlap and interconnect, to complete this new seamless urban park.
Re-Designing Contemporary City Blocks: Designing in Favour of Energy Conservation for a City in Desert: Kerman, Iran
Authors: Sajadpour Paria
Published: May 2021

In Iran, urban block morphology has changed as a result of the architectural focus shifting away from traditional concerns such as climate-and-energy sensitivity onto issues such as land use, transportation and finance. Current architectural practice while has completely overlooked the architecture of the past, failed to improve the quality of life. The hot, arid climate in combination with non-responsive urban building design has resulted in high energy consumption to keep occupants comfortable. Although it is possible to overcome many of the negative effects of an inefficient design by the use of mechanical systems, this thesis through an architectural response, explores the role of climate sensitive strategies, practiced in the traditional architecture, in recognizing the importance of energy conservation. While it is only at the urban scale that energy-saving strategies could effectively tackle problems, the applicability of these principles will be studied at a neighbourhood scale.
An investigation of corporate responsibility & sustainability goals in the Canadian commercial real estate and construction sector
Authors: Stankovic Irena
Published: May 2021

This thesis investigates the potential integration of leading Corporate Responsibility and
Sustainability (CR&S) goals across selected Commercial Real Estate (CRE) firms, key
anchor tenants, and construction companies within the Canadian market as they relate
to office building assets. Current literature provides limited observations and analysis on
CR&S within the CRE sector, particularly for the Canadian market. In order to address
this gap and advance the principles of CR&S across the Canadian CRE sector, the
research provides a comprehensive qualitative content analysis of publically available
CR&S reports, along with interviews conducted with subject matter experts in the sector.
Reduction of energy, water and waste consumption, along with associated GHG
emissions have been identified as leading elements driving environmental resource
management, which in turn is identified as the founding base for integrating CR&S goals
across the Canadian CRE market. In addition to uncovering leading CR&S goals, the
study identified market differentiators and regulatory compliance as key CR&S
motivators, along with leading tracking and implementation measures for CR&S goals,
and their associated internal and external barriers to integrating CR&S goals. Ultimately,
the study provides an academic contribution in identifying environmental resource
management as a base for CR&S integration across the Canadian CRE sector.
Perioperative nurses' experiences of point-of-care nursing leadership: a narrative inquiry
Authors: Gaudite Victoria
Published: May 2021

Front line nurses are increasingly being encouraged to engage in point-of-care nursing leadership to positively influence the health of the persons in the healthcare team and the landscape within which care ensues. Using Connelly and Clandinin’s Narrative Inquiry, I explored how perioperative nurses experience point-of-care nursing leadership in the operating room (OR). My co-participants and I engaged in narrative interviews and Schwind’s Narrative Reflective Process. Participants’ stories were re-constructed and analyzed using Narrative Inquiry’s three levels of justification (personal, practical and social), through the theoretical lenses of Leadership Model and Person-Centred Nursing. Narrative patterns that emerge are: advocacy, relationships, and teaching and learning. The participants’ stories are re-presented using poetry. Implications for nursing and healthcare include a need to embody person-centred care to inform point-of-care leadership practices. A new concept of person-centred point-of-care leadership is developed for further exploration in research.
Low-skilled temporary foreign workers in Canada : how their subordinate status is discursively legitimated through public opinion
Authors: Boate Carol Lilian
Published: May 2021

This paper attempts to show how public opinion discursively legitimates the subordinate status that low-skilled temporary foreign workers are assigned in Canada. The author first shows how this status has been created through the Temporary Foreign Worker Program and, more specifically, the Pilot Project for Occupations Requiring Lower Levels of Formal Training. In order to analyze public opinion, comments made online in reference to news outlet articles concerning low-skilled temporary foreign workers were located. Using a dual labor market theoretical framework a critical discourse analysis is performed on these comments, attempting to uncover how power and dominance are reproduced within them. The results of this analysis demonstrate how the discourse contained within public opinion helps to maintain the current status faced by this population.
Sports fans in the digital age: will virtual reality integrate into the sports space?
Authors: Kletke Kristian
Published: May 2021

Virtual reality (VR) is an immersive technology that is increasingly considered for use in the sports media space. With the proliferation of digital media, stakeholders in the sports ecosystem are looking to leverage new technology as part of their distribution strategy. This paper will seek to investigate the potential for virtual reality as a sports broadcasting medium.
Through an exploration of various points of view in the field, use cases, and theoretical frameworks, this research will attempt to understand the various barriers to mainstream adoption. This MRP concludes that virtual reality for sport viewing is still in its infancy, but will pervade the market as a complementary broadcasting offering in the future. It will furthermore seek to outline a business model for virtual reality sports to monetize content.
Images of an illness : a case study of Albert R. Stone's tuberculosis photographs
Authors: Caswell Tasha Lin
Published: May 2021

This master's thesis is a case study of sixteen black-and-white photographs of tuberculosis treatment facilities in Rochester, N.Y., by local photographer Albert R. Stone. They appeared in the Rochester Herald in as two photo essays, one in 1909 and the other in 1923. The aim of my research was to provide contextual information about Albert Stone and the Rochester Herald, tuberculosis and its treatment, and how the disease was portrayed photographically, and ultimately, to determine whether Stone's photographs were typical of tuberculosis-related images. I examined them in the context of other sanatorium images and based on statements about the conventions of sanatorium photographs made by Daniel M. Fox and Christopher Lawrence in Photographing Medicine: Images and Power in Britain and America Since 1840, and concluded that they were representative of photographs of sanatoriums made in the early twentieth century.
An environment for teaching computational thinking to non-majors
Authors: Khan Irfan
Published: May 2021

The fusion of computers and computational thinking is a key part in our transportation systems, communication systems, security systems, financial systems, and in our social and political instruments. These systems have become part of everyday life and the use of computational devices are rising. Despite being dependent on these computational devices, the majority of users remain oblivious to the inner workings of these devices.

We designed a course called CPS650 - Computational Thinking In Our World to illuminate the social, historical and technical context of these systems to students and citizens so they can better understand the technologies that are underpinned by computer science. The course is designed for non-major students and an audience with no previous programming experience.
Synchronous Generator Excitation Control Based on Model Predictive Control
Authors: Jin Qingxiang
Published: May 2021

This thesis research has designed and developed an optimal predictive excitation control, named the Model Predictive Excitation Control (MPEC), for utility generators. Four significant results are achieved: First, the MPEC has been designed and has significantly improved the classical model predictive control and is much simpler and computationally efficient. Second, the MPEC simulation program and results have been accomplished, and study cases have demonstrated the effectiveness of the MPEC. Third, the Modified classical model predictive control procedure has been formulated to correct a timing error such that the controlling input for the present time is re-written as that for the next step. Fourth, the MPEC optimization formulation and procedure has been developed for the generator control with only two substation-ready-available measurements which are the generator terminal voltage and speed.
Representation of interracial couples on mainstream television : confining identities of race and gender in Heroes
Authors: Lasch Sarah
Published: May 2021

Using textual and discourse analysis and a semiotic, narrative approach to television texts, I explore representations of identity, specifically interracial couples. I use three interracial couples on the popular mainstream television show Heroes to analyze and explicate the ideological portrayals of gender, race and their interplay as shown on television. Taking into account historical gender and race representational studies on television, I analyze Heroes as a multiracial, current mainstream television show in the contemporary comic book genre to understand the ways interracial couples are represented.