bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
CMOS Low Noise Amplifiers for Wireless Body Area Networks Applications: Techniques and Designs
Authors: Rezvani Mohammad
Published: May 2021

Recently, the growing advances in communication systems has led to urgent demand for low power, low cost, and highly integrated circuit topologies for transceiver designs, as key components of nearly every wireless application. Regarding to the usually weak input signal of such systems, the primary purpose of the wireless transceivers is consequently amplifying the signal without adding additional noise as much as possible. As a result, the performance of the low noise amplifier (LNA), measured in terms of features like gain, noise figure, dynamic range, return loss and stability, can highly determine the system’s achievement. Along with the evolution in wireless technologies, people get closer to the global seamless communication, which means people can unlimitedly communicates with each other under any circumstances. This achievement, as a result, paves the way for realizing wireless body area network (WBAN), the required applications for wireless sensor network, healthcare technology, and continuous health monitoring. This thesis suggests a number of LNA designs that can meet a wide range of requirements viz gain, noise figure, impedance matching, and power dissipation at 2.4Ghz frequency based on 0.13μm and 65nm CMOS technologies. This dissertation focused on the low power, high gain, CMOS reused current (CICR) LNA with noise optimization for on-body wireless body area networks (WBAN). A new design methodology is introduced for optimization of the LNA to attain gain and noise match concurrently. The designed LNA achieves a 28.5 dB gain, 2.4 dB noise figure, -18 dB impedance matching, while dissipating 1mW from a 1.2V power supply at 2.4 GHz frequency which is intended for WBAN applications. The tests and simulations of LNA are utilized in Cadence IC6.15 with IBM 130nm CMRF-8-SF library. The provided CICR LNA results inclusively prove the advantages of our design over other recorded structures. In the second step, a new linearization method is proposed based on Cascade LNA structure (CC-LNA). The proposed negative feedback intermodulation sink (NF-IMS) method benefits from the feedback to improve the linearity of CC-LNA. It proves that the additional negative feedback enhances the linearity of LNA despite the previous research. Furthermore, the heavily mathematical calculations of NF-IMS technique are carried on with the proposed modified Volterra series method. The NF-IMS method demonstrates more than 9.5dBm improvement in IIP3. Comparing to the previous techniques like: MDS and IMS, the improvement in the linearity aspect of the CC-LNA with is significant while it achieves a sufficient gain and noise performance of 16.7dB and 1.26db, respectively. Besides, the NF-IMS method presents a noise cancellation behavior as well. To increase the practical reliability of simulation, the real element model from TSMC 65nm CRN65GP library is applied. The CC-LNA that employed NF-IMS method is an excellent match with the market demands in WBAN’s gateway applications.
Incorporating cumulative environmental effects of finfish mariculture into Canadian environmental assessment
Authors: King Sarah Coldwell
Published: May 2021

A Traffic Light Decision Support System (DSS) used in marine finfish federal environmental assessments was expanded to include regional and cumulative environmental impacts. A retrospective review of 23 existing mariculture farms in southwestern New Brunswick indicated whether cumulative interactions would have justified site approvals. Six new criteria were added to the far-field component and other existing criteria were amended. Scores of A, B+, B⁻, C and pre-emptive C were based on acceptability criteria. Calculations of cumulative ecosystem indices and potential site indices revealed site acceptability, and the index combinations suggested potential site approvals predicted using Hargrave's (2002) three-colour Traffic Light scheme. Before mitigation was considered, 19 of 23 sites failed the amended set of criteria and after considering mitigation, 8 sites failed. Combining the site and ecosystem indices yielded varying site acceptability scores. The role of mitigation and other factors in hindering sustainable siting was discussed
Analysis of measurements of defects in multiaxial warp knitted fabrics for CFRP composites
Authors: Suk-Ching Liu Diane
Published: May 2021

Multiaxial Warp Knitted (MWK) Fabrics are used to create Carbon Fibre Reinforced Plastic (CFRP) laminates. In contrast to Prepregs, CFRP laminates made with MWK fabrics are of interest because they could lower costs and processing time by being already constructed with multiple layers and through the use of a hot air oven instead of an autoclave. Defect in the form of fibre angle orientation plays an important role in the compression strength for laminates made with MWK fabrics. The in-plane and out-of-plane waviness of the fibres were characterised by the standard deviation of the angular waviness: sample Standard deviation of Fibre In-plane (SFI) and the sample Standard deviation of Fibre Out-of-plane (SFO). The SFI value was found in two ways: analysis (Multiple Field Image Analysis (MFIA) technique) software and Fibre Image Analysis software. Measurements of the holes in the carbon fibre textile, colloquially known as “fisheyes,” caused by sewing the textile together were also gathered. The SFI, SFO, and “fisheye” dimensions were together used in the FMB-PMB model and the Unit Cell Model to calculate the compression strength. These predicted compression strengths were compared to the laboratory results. Also, a reliability model was developed to find R, the reliability of each textile, to be used as a textile classification tool. It has been found that the compression strength predictions found using analysis and Fibre Image Analysis yielded similar results, with predictions from analysis closer to the laboratory results. The R value yielded a positive correlation with the results from analysis. A large percentage of difference between the predicted and the actual compression strength was observed for some textiles. This could be attributed to the inherent lack of regularity for some of the examined textiles and variability in determining the SFI and “fisheye” parameters. Improvements would involve devising rules and methods to determine the SFI and “fisheye” parameters, modifying the FMB-PMB and Unit Cell Models, and making the analysis process faster and more applicable for on-line quality process control.
Rural access to education through digital media
Authors: Menker Bezayit
Published: May 2021

This paper is a summary of the research conducted during the development and design of
Rural Access To Education Through Digital Media, a pilot education technology project in
Tipling, Nepal. Beginning with an analysis of the relevant socioeconomic factors affecting
school attainment nationally and those affecting Tipling in particular; the current challenges to
formal and informal education are identified. The considerable potential of digital media and
ICTs to address long-standing issues of access to both childhood and adult learning and thereby
contribute to international development and education reform efforts are explored. Key project
considerations and challenges are discussed along with project outcomes.

Keywords: ICTs, Rural Education, Literacy, International Development, Education Technology
Public Sphere Disruption : Public Service Broadcasting and the CBC at the Digital Crossroads
Authors: Baird Scott William
Published: May 2021

Public broadcasting is traditionally thought to be an essential element to public spheres. This paper charts how this relationship is formed, and then demonstrates how it is threatened in the Canadian context. Canada’s public broadcaster, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, has digital policies like Strategy 2020: A Space for Us All which suggests CBC is pivoting away from its relationship with the public sphere, and in some ways weakening the Canadian public sphere. Accordingly, this paper looks at the claims charged about this policy, particularly from Taylor (2016), and considers how it and similar digital policies affect the CBC as an element of the Canadian public sphere. While the paper finds CBC digital policies benefit the public sphere, the majority put into action hinder CBC’s relationship to the Canadian public sphere. Overall, this MRP highlights the importance of considering the philosophy of the public sphere when developing public media policy.
Regularization of the undocumented in Canada : lessons from Europe and the United States
Authors: Liu Diana Xiao En Liu
Published: May 2021

During the past decade, the number of undocumented people has been by far the most rapidly rising immigrant population worldwide. In Canada, the number of individuals living without a legal status is estimated around 200,000 to 600,000. Therefore, this issue has become increasing difficult for governments to ignore. Many countries around the world have implemented regularization programs as policy solutions to the issue of undocumented people residing within their borders. This study examines the different criteria and reasons based on which countries in Europe, the United States, and Canada have implemented or proposed regularization programs. The aim is to propose possible regularization criteria and options that Canada could take into consideration as policy solutions to deal with the undocumented residents currently in the country.
Automatic content-based image retrieval using hierarchical clustering algorithms
Authors: Jarrah Kambiz
Published: May 2021

The overall objective of this thesis is to present a methodology for guiding adaptations of an RBF-based relevance feedback network, embedded in automatic content-based image retrieval (CBIR) systems, through the principle of unsupervised hierarchical clustering. The main focus of this thesis is two-fold: introducing a new member of Self-Organizing Tree Map (SOTM) family, the Directed self-organizing tree map (DSOTM) that not only provides a partial supervision on cluster generation by forcing divisions away from the query class, but also presents an objective verdict on resemblance of the input pattern as its tree structure grows; and using a base-10 Genetic Algorithm (GA) approach to accurately determine the contribution of individual feature vectors for a successful retrieval in a so-called "feature weight detection process."
The DSOTM is quite attractive in CBIR since it aims to reduce both user workload and subjectivity. Repetitive user interaction steps are replaced by a DSOTM module, which adaptively guides relevance feedback, to bridge the gap between low-level image descriptors and high-level semantics. To further reduce this gap and achieve an enhanced performance for the automatic CBIR system under study, a GA-based approach was proposed in conjunction with the DSOTM. The resulting framework is referred to as GA-based CBIR (GA-CBIR) and aims to import human subjectivity by automatically adjusting the search process to what the system evolves "to believe" is significant content within the query. In this engine, traditional GA operators work closely with the DSOTM to better attune the apparent discriminative characteristics observed in an image by a human user.
Solid-Liquid Mixing In Agitated Tanks : Experimental And CFD Analysis
Authors: Hosseini Seyed
Published: May 2021

Solid-liquid mixing plays a significant role in crystallization, suspension polymerization, leaching, solid-catalyzed reaction and adsorption. In this study, a computational fluid dynamic (CFD) model was developed for solid-liquid mixing in a cylindrical tank equipped with a top-entering impeller. The multiple reference frame (MRF) technique, k-ε model and Eulerian-Eulerian approach were employed to simulate the impeller rotation, turbulent flow and multiphase flow, respectively.

The effects of impeller speed, solid concentration, particle size, solid density and impeller clearance on the mixing performance of four different impellers (A310, marine propeller, pitched blad turbine and A320) were investigated. The CFD results were in good agreement with experimental data measured using electrical resistance tomography (ERT). In order to investigate the mixing quality in this study, the impeller speed required for maximum homogeneity, clouding height, and just-suspended impeller speed were investigated.
The forgotten women: an exploratory study of baby boomers’ attitudes towards fashion magazines
Authors: Des Rosiers Danielle
Published: May 2021

An exploratory study of female baby boomers’ perceptions of fashion magazines was conducted using in depth interviews. This research acknowledges that fashion tends to focus on a youthful demographic, and fashion assumes this older demographic will conform to the youthful ideals that are displayed. Fashion magazines are therefore faced with the challenge of how to attract older female readers while still portraying a fashionable image. By taking a qualitative approach that focuses on verbal descriptions and human emotion, this research will help explain the perceptions and attitudes felt by female baby boomers. Participants indicated diversity, going green, embracing sexuality, clothedness, and body size, influenced their reading of fashion magazines. This research advances knowledge by revealing the central themes that influence baby boomer women’s responses to fashion magazines. It advises fashion editors to re-consider their current casting and editorial practices in order to attract baby boomer women.
A Review of Mechanisms and Fracture Mechanics of Moisture Ingress in Composite Systems
Authors: Gopu Janani S.
Published: May 2021

Composite materials help realize high strength to weight ratio requirements of the Aerospace Industry. Composite structures and sandwich composite structures are susceptible to moisture ingress. Moisture ingress causes degradation of thermo-mechanical properties of the composite panels. Water accumulation in sandwich composite structures causes rapid degradation of face to core bondline, damage of cells frozen water and even blow off skins owing to sudden pressure build up in the cells of the honeycomb structure. Mechanisms of moisture ingress can be broadly classified into direct and indirect mechanisms. Direct ingress occurs through pre-existing pathways formed by defects in the composite system. Indirect mechanisms are diffusion, Capillary actions, Wicking actions, and Osmosis. The first form of damage in FRP materials is microcracking. The rate of microcracking increases with moisture ingress. Microcracking fracture toughness is a material property for the susceptibility of a composite system to the formation of microcracks. This work implores the mechanisms and the fracture mechanics dominating the formation of microcracks.
Effects of experience-based frequency learning on posterior probability judgments
Authors: Armstrong Bonnie A.
Published: May 2021

Aging is associated with an increase in the frequency of medical screening tests. Bayesian inference is used to estimate posterior probabilities of medical tests such as positive or negative predictive values (PPVs or NPVs). Both laypeople and experts are typically poor at estimating PPVs and NPVs when relevant probabilities are communicated descriptively. Decision making research has revealed dissociations between described and experience-based judgments. This study examined the accuracy of posterior probability estimates of 80 younger and 81 older adults when statistical information was presented through description or experience. Results show that both younger and older adults can make more accurate posterior probability estimates if they experience probabilities compared to when probabilities are described as either natural frequencies or conditional probabilities. Results also indicate that most people prefer to rely on physicians to make their medical decisions regardless of how confident they are in their judgments of probabilities.
Studium: Your Personal Mobile Study On-The-Go
Authors: Ahmed Fariha
Published: May 2021

The landscape of studying is changing. There are now increasingly more mobile devices that allow people to learn content in numerous ways. This means that mobile devices play a large role in how a whole new generation of children, adolescents, teenagers and young adults understand information. Studium is a mobile application prototype that I have created to demonstrate how mobile devices can be used as a learning tool to enhance academic performance among postsecondary students. The objective of Studium is to illustrate how artificial intelligence can be incorporated into mobile learning applications to improve one’s studying by generating instant practice tests based off notes from lectures or readings. Studium will also demonstrate how traditional learning theories and strategies such as the spacing effect and the lag effect can be implemented into learning applications using brief mindfulness breaks, which incorporates an element of mindfulness that mobile learning applications often lack.
Optimal generative and discriminative acoustic model training for speech recognition
Authors: Joshi Neil
Published: May 2021

The focus of this dissertation is to derive and demonstrate effective stochastic models for the speech recognition problem. Acoustic modeling for speech recognition typically involves representing the speech process within stochastic models. Modeling this high frequency time series effectively is a fundamental problem. This dissertation devised an objective function that relates the true speech distribution to its estimate. It is shown that through optimizing this function the speech process time series can be modeled without loss of information. The thesis proposes two such models that are developed to optimize the devised objective function. The first an acoustic model formulated for the speech with noise problem. The second a discriminately trained model consisting of optimal discriminant ML estimators.

The first, a combination of recognizers that through a simple system fusion, combines multiple speech processes at the decision level. This is a stochastic modeling method devised to combine a parameterized spectral missing data, MD, theory based and a cepstral based speech process using a coupled hidden variable topology. In using a fused coupled hidden Markov model, HMM, topology, an optimal acoustic model is proposed that is inherently more robust than single process models under noisy conditions. The theoretical capability of this model is tested under both stationary and non stationary noise conditions. Under these test conditions the fused model has greater recognition accuracies than those of single process models.

The second, formulated with a methodology that segments the acoustic space appropriately for discriminately trained models that optimize the devised objective function. This acoustic space is modeled with discriminant ML estimators formed with optimal decision boundaries using the large margin, support vector machine, SVM, learning method. These discriminately trained models maximize the entropy of the observation space and thereby are capable to model the speech process without loss. This is demonstrated experimentally with frame level classification error rates that are ∼ ≤ 3%.
Implementation of a novel reactive navigation algorithm
Authors: Somers Vijay
Published: May 2021

In this project a reactive navigation algorithm is applied to a non-holonomic differential drive robot. The algorithm uses a stochastic process to navigate a robot through terrain while lacking a priori information. A graph is made from a random array of points that is used to connect the current location of the robot to its destination. Dijkstra's algorithm is used to select the shortest route that leads to the destination. The robot attempts to traverse this route until it detects that it is being blocked by an obstacle. The graph is then recreated with different random points, an a new route is calculated. This procedure is repeated until the robot arrives at its destination. This is tested by making a simulated robot with perfect localization travel through two kinds of environments. Processing speed is maintained by hashing location information according to its coordinates.
Comparison Between Heidler Function and the Pulse Function for Modeling the Lightning Return-Stroke Current
Authors: Elrodesly Khaled
Published: May 2021

In the past, many functions were considered for simulating the lightning return-stroke current. Some of these functions were found to have problems related to their discontinuities or the discontinuities of their derivatives at onset time. Such problems appear in the double exponential function and its modifications. However, other functions like the Pulse function and Heidler function do not suffer from such problems.

One of the main objectives of this work is to simulate the lightning return-stroke current full wave, including the decay part, using either Heidler function or the Pulse function. This work is not only necessary for the evaluation and development of lightning return-stroke modeling, but also for the calculation of the lightning current waveform parameters.

Although the lightning return-stroke current, measured at the CN Tower, is simulated using the Pulse function and Heidler function, the simulation of the CN Tower lightning current derivative signal is considered using the derivative of the Pulse and Heidler functions.

First, we build a modeling environment for each function, which can be described as parameter estimation system. This system, which represents an automated approach for estimating the analytical parameters of a given function, is capable to best fit the function with the measured data. Using these analytical parameters transforms the discrete data into a continuous signal, from which the current waveform parameters can be estimated.

This analytical parameters estimation system is recognized as a curve fitting system. For curve fitting technique, the initial value of each analytical parameter and its feasible region, where the optimal value of this analytical parameter is located, must be specified. The more accurate the initial point is the easier and faster the optimal value can be estimated. On choosing the best approach of the initial condition, which gives the nearest location to the optimal point, applying the estimation system and achieving the analytical model that fits the CN Tower measured current derivative, the current waveform parameters can be easily studied.

In order to be sure that the analytical parameter extraction system gives the best fit of a function, it needs to be evaluated. Instead of going through the measured data, we first use artificial digital data as a productive way to evaluate the system. Also, a comparison between both the Pulse and Heidler functions is performed.

The described fitting process is applied on 15 flashes, containing 31 return strokes. The calculated current waveform parameters were used to form statistics to determine the probability distribution of the value of each parameter, including the range and the 50% probability level, which is fundamental in building lightning protection systems.
What You Say Matters: The Influence of Alibi Content on Memory and Forensically Relevant Judgments
Authors: Cowan Sara
Published: May 2021

Discussion of alibi believability has typically focused on the influence of the strength of the corroborating evidence. Little is known about the influence of the content of alibi narratives on legal judgments. The current studies explored the role of moral desirability of alibi activities on judgments about an alibi, the strength of the evidence against a suspect, and the probability of the suspect’s guilt as well as on recall performance. The role of Right-Wing Authoritarianism (RWA) and the alibi context were also evaluated. Alibi content did not affect judgments about alibis or evidence, but did influence perceptions of probability of suspect guilt. Morally undesirable and desirable alibis were both more memorable than neutral alibis. RWA was related to participants’ decisions regarding the alibi, the physical evidence, and the suspect’s likelihood of guilt. Finally, statements described as alibis were viewed with greater skepticism than statements described as narratives.
Transnational communities : Filipina nurses in rural Manitoba, 1965-1970
Authors: Bejar James
Published: May 2021

This major research paper examines a unique group of Filipina nurses of the 1960s in Canada's immigration history. First, the conditions that encouraged the migration of Filipino professionals from the Philippines after World War Two are discussed. Second, the public and private sector maneuverings that facilitated the nurses' transportation to Canada are revealed. Third, the factors and experiences that resulted in the women's successful integration into mainstream rural Canada are explored. The achievement of Filipina nurses is indicative of a model example of social and professional integration into Canadian society.
Stabilization of oil-in-water emulsions via soy protein and soy soluble polysaccharide interactions
Authors: Tran Tu
Published: May 2021

The stabilizing behaviour of soluble soy polysaccharide (SSPS) on acidified dispersions of soy protein isolate (SPI) and SPI-stabilized emulsions was studied. SPI and SSPS suspensions were characterized via light scattering, surface charge measurement, turbidity, sedimentation analysis, and light microscopy. At acidic pH (pH 6-3), it was found the addition of at least 0.25 wt% SSPS was required to stabilize 0.75 wt% SPI suspensions against aggregation and phase separation, likely via steric repulsion. The mechanism of SPI-SSPS interaction was shown to be electrostatic in nature by testing the effects of increased ionic strength of the suspensions. The stabilizing effect of SSPS on SPI was then applied to 5% oil-in-water emulsions. The presence of SSPS stabilized the emulsions against droplet size increases and phase separation over time. Overall, the results demonstrated that it was possible for SSPS to stabilize SPI suspensions and that SPI-SSPS interactions may be used as a tool to stabilize O/W emulsions.
The Effectiveness of Associative and Rational Statistical Learning in Reducing Children’s Stereotype Formation
Authors: Chai Vera Bingchen
Published: May 2021

A stereotype is a rigid and overgeneralized belief about the characteristics of a social group. Stereotyping is a pervasive phenomenon, and has detrimental effects on children’s development such that it leads to biased information processing and stereotype threat. One of the underlying mechanisms for stereotype formation is illusory correlation, which refers to the erroneous inference about the relationship between two categories of events that in fact are uncorrelated. Given that most of the stereotype reduction training is focused on adults rather than children, this Master’s thesis aimed to examine the effectiveness of two methods that could potentially reduce stereotyping in children. More specifically, this work investigated whether facilitating associative and rational statistical learning could reduce stereotyping in children through inhibiting the formation of illusory correlation. The results showed that 5- to 10-year-old children consistently perceive an illusory correlation between the numerically smaller minority group and the infrequently occurring, negative behaviour. However, the perception of an illusory correlation among 5- to 8-year-olds was significantly reduced through the facilitation of statistical learning, but not associative learning.
Understanding the social practices of exclusion in the context of Canadian multiculturalism and acknowledging the importance of multiculturalism in Canadian school curriculum
Authors: Enriquez Almara
Published: May 2021

This paper provides an overview of Canadian multiculturalism, whereby the presented literature depicts considerable issues of social exclusion and a troubling Canadian perspective towards multiculturalism, integration and immigration. This study seeks therefore to enable an understanding of social exclusion in the context of Canadian multiculturalism. Furthermore, in the attempt to make multiculturalism ideologies and policies translate into concrete social practices of inclusion, this paper proposes that the school curriculum, particularly the civics realm, should take further responsibility in implementing measures that guarantee an effective understanding and valuing of multiculturalism and diversity, for all Canadian citizens. An improved multicultural education may facilitate inter-ethnic coexistence and integration in a society that inhabits a diverse population, thus raising the level of awareness and embracement of multiculturalism policies, ideologies and practices in society.
A Voice: The Role of Child Interpreters in their Parents’ Immigration and Settlement Experience in Canada
Authors: Araujo Liliana
Published: May 2021

Child interpreters are children of immigrant parents who have limited proficiency in the host country’s official language(s) and serve as their parents’ interpreters. Child interpreters, therefore, become their parent’s voice throughout their settlement in the host country. This paper explores the experience of Portuguese-Canadian immigrant parents who use their children as interpreters. More specifically, it investigates the extent to which child interpreters shape and/or influence their parents’ immigration and settlement experience in Canada. As I will demonstrate, my research found that child interpreters, as their parents’ voice, play a significant role in their parents’ experience in Canada. From interpreting at the doctor’s office to interpreting during the purchase of a home, the parents in this study agree that their immigration experience would not have been the same without their children as interpreters.
Development of a Library of Responses for an Early-Warning Biomonitoring System to Detect and Identify Various Aquatic Contaminants
Authors: Maradona Aryo
Published: May 2021

Biomonitors can be implemented in aquatic ecosystems to continuously assess water quality, but existing monitors are still reliant on a single species and unable to identify any stressor. A library of responses could potentially address these drawbacks by stereotyping the responses of several aquatic species to different contaminants. A model for the library was developed by conducting a bioassay on Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata and collecting the response data of Daphnia magna, Hyalella azteca and Lumbriculus variegatus from published ecotoxicological studies. Multivariate statistical tools were then employed to process the response data set and evaluate the ability of the model to distinguish contaminations by atrazine and tributyltin. Based on preliminary tests, the library was able to detect and identify each contaminant within 4 hours with an accuracy of 97%. These findings supported the integration of a library of responses in a biomonitoring system to provide a more comprehensive water quality assessment.
ECE students' observations of Ontario's full-day kindergarten program in the first year of implementation
Authors: Marsh Bonnie Rose
Published: May 2021

This case study examined whether and how student's perceptions of their role (as they recall them) in a full-day kindergarten program changed after a field placement experience. Qualitative data was collected using a convenience sampling approach and semi-structured interviews. This study has the potential to contribute meaningfully to both the literature on educational practices in Ontario as well to future policy. As well, this study has the makings for assisting pre-service ECE teaching programs to accurately reflect the role of early childhood educators in the education system in Ontario. The combined answers to the three research questions revealed that teachers and ECEs were struggling with the implementation of the FDK in areas of team approach, play-based learning pedagogy and family involvement.
On The Road to Virtue : Meyer Brownstone and the Documentation of Human Development
Authors: Conrad Peter
Published: May 2021

On The Road To Virtue is a research project consisting of a thirty-minute documentary film and this supporting thesis paper. The entire project is built on the archival documentation of Meyer Brownstone from his visits to the Salvadoran refugee camps in Honduras in the 1980s. Through a cinematic examination of the visual and audio evidence, as well as Brownstone's commenting on it, we consider his memory of interacting with the refugees and contemplate their own efforts to retain agency in their lives. The film uses three primary vehicles — archival documentation, personal interviews, and enactments —to create a storytelling structure which encourages reflection on the direct testimony of the Salvadoran refugees and on Brownstone’s images, while assessing his evidentiary accounting of life in the refugee camps. The supporting paper and the film both reflect on his commitment to promoting human development in the camps and elsewhere, through the establishment of participatory democracy structures, the maintenance of sustainable living practices, and the insistence on free speech and movement. The film also conveys the fluid relationship between historical events and their contemporary remembrance while this thesis paper critically reflects on the implications of these ideas and the related artistic approaches used to present them in the film.
Fishnets & desire: performing the neoburlesque
Authors: Thorp Jessica
Published: May 2021

Fishnets & Desire: Performing the Neoburlesque is a reflection upon the art installation and performance piece of the same name, and reflects upon neoburlesque performance genre, through the lens of the author's primary research of creating these works. Written as a piece of per formative scholarship, this paper outlines the creative process of the author's project, and the theatrical history, theory, and methodology behind it. Fishnets & Desire is a reflection of performance and queer theories, meditating upon the specific art forms of burlesque striptease and drag, and how they enact gender performativity. Neoburlesque is a tongue-in-cheek and satirical form of expression, which lampoons gender stereotypes, and societal expectations. The current art form draws upon cultural nostalgia for the kitsch of burlesque striptease that was performed in theatres, and gentleman's clubs from the 1920s-60s. Through the use of comedic exaggeration and hyperbolic gender presentation, burlesque seeks to undermine conventional notions of femininity, and deconstruct them. The author's performance piece also sought to engage with the energetic relationship between the audience and the burlesque performer's reciprocal gaze; and neoburlesque as a genre of carnivalesque spectacle. As an integration of live performance, projected video, and photography, Fishnets & Desire created a space in which the audience simultaneously experienced the feeling of being on stage, as well as actively watched (and thus, participating in) a burlesque striptease.
Early childhood educators’ perceptions of their roles and responsibilities in Ontario’s full day kindergarten program
Authors: Hossain Rabeya
Published: May 2021

The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand early childhood educators’ perceptions of their roles and responsibilities based on their lived experiences in Ontario’s full day kindergarten (FDK) program. The theoretical framework that underpinned my study is post-colonial theory and Foucault’s post-structural concept of “power/knowledge” which offered different perspectives to understand how ECEs’ shaped their perceptions. Key messages from the findings suggest despite challenges within the FDK program, ECEs recognized and acknowledged their complementary roles within the teaching team, and identified the need for professional recognition of their work. The key messages further suggested that principals as the leaders of the school need to have a greater understanding about ECEs’ roles, and the relationship between the educators. The recognition of the role and knowledge that ECEs contribute to FDK programs is crucial in order to facilitate collaboration between the educators within the teaching team.
Graph Coloring and Ant Colony Optimization based Sub-channel Allocation Algorithms for LTE-A HetNets
Authors: Siddavaatam Richa
Published: May 2021

LTE-Advanced is a promising technology which supports much higher peak rates, higher throughput and coverage, and lower latencies, resulting in a better user experience. For ex-tended indoor coverage LTE-A supports two-tier network composed of conventional macro-cellular networks and femtocell networks known as HetNets. As the femtocell shares the same frequency band with underlying macrocell, the cross tier interference needs to be mitigated. The inter-femtocell and cross tier interference near femtocell boundary may result in unwarranted degradation of system performance. In LTE-A, as an OFDM based technology, we consider the use of prudent PRB (Physical Resource Block) allocation to mitigate downlink inter-femtocell interference as well as cross tier interference in the mentioned environment for this small HetNet. Allocation of PRBs to network users is formulated as a graph coloring problem. Based on this interpretation and initial sensitivity study, we propose dynamic resource allocation algorithms namely greedy allocation (GA), SINR based allocation (SINRA) and ant colony allocation (ACA). From the simulation results and its analysis we can conclude that, ACA algorithm outperforms rest of the considered algorithms while GA and SINRA provide performance with the significant improvement over random allocation (RA) algorithm as far as performance parameters such as averaged SINR experienced by a network user, outage probability and number of PRBs needed are concerned.
Exploring the language of death with dignity: a comparative and critical content analysis of Canadian news editorials
Authors: Kobewka Rya
Published: May 2021

My major research paper (MRP) focuses on the language and arguments used in the debate surrounding medically assisted dying. This paper was interested specifically in how arguments are framed, and if arguments have changed regarding medically assisted dying in the past twenty years. My central research questions are: what are the arguments on both sides of the debate used in news editorials? And if the arguments changed – how did they change? To answer these questions I compared two case studies: (1) Sue Rodriguez and (2) Gloria Taylor. To compare the two cases I analyzed the editorial pages and online comments of major Canadian newspapers. I used key words in context (KWIC) to identify frames and arguments used. Six frames emerged: medically assisted dying legal (ML), medically assisted dying medical (MM), medically assisted dying moral (MMM), pro-life legal (PLL), pro-life medical (PLM), and pro-life moral (PLM). The frames in support of medically assisted dying were used more than double
the amount that pro-life frames were used; they were also used more frequently in 2012 than they had been in 1994. Further, there fewer overall KWICs used in 2012, but they were used correctly more often than in 1994. These findings suggest that the act of medically assisted dying is better understood and defined, and that it seems to have more support now than it did twenty years ago.
Afrocentricism : situating theories of blackness in education
Authors: Yiga Hannington
Published: May 2021

This major research paper will apply theories of postcolonialism with blackness and social spatiality to understand how social discourses on race are reproduced within an educational context. It will argue that the construction of racialized spaces within the school has negatively impacted upon the academic performance of black students. This necessitates a critical analysis of the Eurocentric and racist educational practices and policies that have affected black academic achievement. An exploration of an anti-racist and culturally inclusive Afrocentric curriculum will also be undertaken to determine if an alternative teaching program, which is rooted in African cultural perspectives, can adequately address the effects of internalized oppression. However, Afrocentricism should not be interpreted as a culturally homogenizing theory of practice. It should instead be conceived of as a strategic essentialism. Ultimately, the psychological resistance to anti black racism, provided by Afrocentricism, should be linked to political actions which address socio-economic inequalities.
Robust video event recognition
Authors: Chen Feifei
Published: May 2021

Video Event Recognition is an important problem in video semantic analysis. In Video Event Recognition, video scenes can be summarized into video event through understanding their contents. Previous research has proposed many solutions to solve this problem. However, so far, all of them only target high-quality videos. In this thesis, we find, with the constraints in modern applications, that low-quality videos also deserve our attention. Compared to previous works, this brings a greater challenge, as low-quality videos are lacking essential information for previous methods to work. With the quality degraded, technical assumptions made by previous works no longer stay intact. Thus, this thesis provides a solution to address this problem. Based on the generic framework proposed by previous work, we propose a novel feature extraction technique that can work well with low-quality videos. We also improve the sequence summary model based on previous work. As a result, comparing to previous works, our method reaches a similar accuracy but is tested with a much lower video quality.
Energy benchmarking and ventilation related energy saving potentials for small and medium sized enterprises in Greater Toronto area
Authors: Ahmed Tamima
Published: May 2021

In the past several years, energy benchmarking has become a very popular tool for the estimation of energy consumption and overall performance of buildings. More recently, industrial energy benchmarking has attracted attention all over the world, due to ever-increasing energy demands. Industrial facility ventilation is one of the most overlooked components in terms of overall industrial sector energy consumption. Therefore, a proper assessment and manage of energy can lead to a great reduction of energy usage, as shown in different small and medium industrial plant case studies. Although several articles and reports that have previously discussed ventilation analysis of industrial facilities in Ontario, energy benchmarking has never been conducted on ventilation. Therefore, the purpose of this thesis is to present a detailed energy benchmarking method and analyzing energy consumption and savings based on ventilation energy consumption. An energy benchmarking analysis was conducted in different small to medium sized facilities in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), based on ventilation analysis. It was determined from the analysis that the typical and inefficient performing facilities can reduce average of 9% of their total natural gas consumption from total ventilation, 25% from transmission heat loss and 10% from infiltration loss compared to the top performing facility among all the audited facilities in this study.
Digital integrated circuit design : "ASIC implementation of an adaptive digital predistorter for lasers on ROF
Authors: Lim Charles
Published: May 2021

Radio over fiber has become one of the most useful technologies for providing extended coverage of wireless communications services. ROF uses analog fiber optic links to distribute wireless radio signals from a central location to multiple remote locations where the added desired antennas are placed for stronger signal coverage. The adaptive predistortion technique of a LASER ROF chip is implemented using the digital IC design flow. The design flow can be separated into two main parts, namely the RTL design / synthesis and the generation of the actual chip.
The first part in the design flow consists of generating the proper logical functionality of the IC using a hardware description language (HDL), namely VHDL or Verilog, and synthesizing the code to ensure proper operation. The second part in the design flow consists of floorplanning and physical layout of the ASIC.
A DC-side fault-tolerant bidirectional AC/DC converter for power system in integration of low-voltage DC distribution systems
Authors: Kouchakipour Nikoo
Published: May 2021

With the rising potential for the employment of low- and medium-voltage direct-current (dc) electric power distribution systems, most notably for a more efficient integration of plug-in electric vehicles and such other distributed energy resources as photovoltaic (PV) panels, there is a need for robust ac/dc electronic power converters that can interface such dc distribution systems with the legacy alternating current (ac) power system. Thus, this thesis proposes a new single-stage low-voltage three-phase ac-dc power converter that is simple structurally, en- ables a bidirectional power exchanges between the ac and dc distribution systems, and can handle short-circuit faults at its dc as well as ac sides.
The proposed converter consists of three legs, corresponding to the three phases of the host ac grid, each of which hosting two full-bridge submodule (FBSM), in an architecture that can be regarded as a special case of the so-called modular multi-level converter (MMC). Thus, at the dc port each FBSM is connected in parallel with a corresponding capacitor, while the ac voltage of each phase is synthesized by the coordinated sinusoidal pulse-width modulation (SPWM) of the two corresponding FBSMs.
This architecture allows the generation of low-distortion ac voltage while it also provides the converter with the very important dc fault current blocking capability since, upon the detection of a short circuit across the converter dc port, the switches of the FBSMs are turned off and disallow the flow of any dc current. The thesis also presents a mathematical model for the converter, for analysis and control design purposes. Thus, the control for the regulation of the overall dc-side voltage, as well as those for the regulation of the dc voltages of the FBSMs are devised based on the aforementioned mathematical model and presented with details. It is further shown that the voltage conversion ratio of the proposed converter is the same as that offered by a conventional voltage-sourced converter (VSC), whereas the VSC is vulnerable to
dc- side shorts. The proposed converter can be extended to medium-voltage levels by multi- plying the number of FBSMs in each leg. The effectiveness of the proposed converter and its controls is demonstrated through time-domain simulation studies conducted on a topological model of the converter in PSCAD/EMTDC software environment.
Automatic coverage measurement of shot peened panels
Authors: Shahid Lubna
Published: May 2021

Shot peening is the process of treating metallic surfaces with a regulated blast of shots to
increase material strength and durability. Determining the coverage level of the shots is an
important parameter in the assessment of the quality of treatment. Traditionally, coverage
measurement is performed manually using a magnifying glass, which leads to inefficiency.
Despite the proposal for the use of image segmentation techniques for determining the coverage
measurement, literature on this topic is not extensively developed. In this thesis, various
relevant image segmentation techniques are investigated including thresholding, edge detection,
watershed segmentation, active contour, graph cut and neural network. The aim is to
develop a generic coverage measurement algorithm, which is accurate and robust to variations
in illumination, shot type, coverage level and has real-time capabilities using a simple
experimental setup. The results obtained from each method are discussed and compared
against a set of relevant performance criteria.