bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Source-Channel Codec for a WCDMA Based Multimedia System
Authors: Backovic Boris
Published: May 2021

The project deals with the operation of a Source-Channel Codec for a WCDMA Based Multimedia System. The system is meant to transfer and receive both digitized speech and still image signals. It uses a part of the WCDMA technology to mix up the transmitted signals throughout the implementation of Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum and Chip Sequencing methodologies. The Walsh code algorithm is used to ensure the orthogonality among different Chip Sequences. On the transmitter side the system first offers the formatting stage where both a speech and a still image signal are digitized. The following stage in the system exhibits a significant degree of data compression applying appropriate compression algorithms: Lempel-Ziv-Welch for the speech signal and Huffman Code Algorithm for the still image. These compression algorithms are implemented in the Source Encoder stage of the system. The system also provides basic FEC (Forward Error Correction) capabilities, using both Linear Block Code and Convolutional Code algorithms introduced in the Channel Encoder stage. The goal of these FEC algorithms is to detect and correct errors during the transmission of data due to the channel imperfections. At the WCMDA stage the two signals are added together forming an aggregated signal that is being transmitted through the channel. On the receiver side a digital demodulator separates the aggregated signal into two signals using the feature of the orthogonality of vectors. Then the Channel Decoder stage follows, where both signals, which have gotten corrupted during the transmission through the channel due to channel imperfections, are recovered. The imperfections in the channel are simulated by random noise that is added to the aggregated signal in the WCDMA stage of the system. The last stage in the system, the Source Decoder stage, deals with the conversion of the received signals from the digital to analog form and reconstruction of the signals in the sense that they can be heard (speech) and seen (still image). Each stage in the system is simulated using MATLAB programming language. The report is formed of three major parts; the theoretical part where the theory behind each stage in the system is explained, the example part where applicable numerical examples are provided and analyzed for better understanding of both the theory and the Matlab code, and the result part where the Matlab results for each stage are analayzed.
Ethnic Identity and Heritage Language Ability in Second Generation Canadians in Toronto
Authors: Mah Bonnie
Published: May 2021

This study examines the relationship between heritage language ability and ethnic identity in a sample of ethnically diverse second generation Canadians. Previous literature suggests that ethnic identity and heritage language ability are strongly related. The findings from this study, gleaned from 114 surveys and 2 focus group interviews, only partially support this hypothesis. Instead, this study reveals that identity is a complex and mutable concept that is more clearly related to oral language ability than to language literacy. The findings suggest a distinction between external/behavioral expressions of ethnic identity, such as participation in ethnic activities, and internal/attitudinal markers of identity, such as pride or belief in group values. The results from both the interviews and the surveys indicate that participation in ethnic practices is related to oral language ability but not literacy. No clear link between internal aspects of identity and language ability was found.
Do Chinese associations facilitate second-generation Chinese-Trinidadians to integrate into the wider society?
Authors: Hong Vivian
Published: May 2021

This research project explores Chinese Associations in Trinidad and their relationship with second-generation Chinese-Trinidadians. It asks whether Chinese Associations facilitate the integration of these individuals into the wider Trinidadian society. This is a qualitative research project that involves content analysis of published literature surrounding this topic, case study analysis, and interviews with second-generation Chinese-Trinidadians. The discussions in this research include: the history of Chinese migration to the West Indies, the role of Chinese Associations for migrants, and the sense of belonging to the Chinese community for second-generation Chinese-Trinidadians. The potential benefits of this research include spreading further awareness and understanding of Chinese diasporic experiences in the fields of Caribbean and Asian American studies, and enriching the understanding of immigration and settlement strategies used by diasporic populations more generally.

Key words: Chinese migration, integration, creolization, imagined community
Minimizing makespan of a flexible machine under tooling contraints
Authors: Kabir Latiful
Published: May 2021

Computer Number Control (CNC) milling and lathe machines are widely used in manufacturing due to their flexibility in producing parts with a wide variety of geometries. Each flexible machine has a tool magazine capable of holding a set of tools. As machining requirements for each job change, tools can be removed and different ones can be inserted so that the next job can be processed. The existing literature on the job scheduling and the tool loading can be divided into four main areas. The first area is the tool loading for a pre-specified job sequence where the objective is to determine the optimal tool loading by minimizing the number of tool switching. In addition to tool loading, the second area also focuses on sequencing the jobs too; however, the objective is the same as the first one. Rather than to minimizing the number to tool switching, the focal point of the third area has been shifted to minimizing the makespan in presence of multiple process plans. However, the main assumption is that the magazine can hold all tools needed to process all jobs and tool switching is not required. The fourth area considers the geometric and mechanical properties of the tool, assuming a tool switching may be required due to tool life. The job scheduling and the tool loading literatures do not consider multiple process plans or tool life into their problem. Therefore, the first part of this thesis provides a Dynamic Programming method to determine the optimal makespan for a pre-specified sequence of jobs, assuming tool switching may required due to multiple process plans, the capacity of the tool magazine and due to the tool life. In the second part, the assumption for fixed job sequence is relaxed and a heuristic approach is used to first sequence the jobs and then Dynamic Programming is applied to find the optimal makespan for that particular job sequence.
Enhanced Green Production of Biobutanol by Novel Fusants of Two and Three Clostridia
Authors: Mohtasebi Banafsheh
Published: May 2021

Protoplast fusion, which is a novel genetic engineering approach, was developed between mesophilic and thermophilic butanol producing bacteria to enhance production of biobutanol as a green energy resource. Three strains of anaerobic gram-positive clostridia were fused through a protoplast fusion technique to produce biobutanol from wheat straw as a feedstock during the process of Simultaneous Saccharification and Fermentation (SSF). These strains have the natural enzymatic ability for biobutanol production, and include Clostridium beijerinckii (ATCC BA101), Clostridium thermocellum, and Thermoanaerobacterium saccharolyticum. The objective of the present study was to increase enzymatic activity during saccharification by raising the temperature of fermentation to increase biobutanol production. Results showed that protoplast fusion of thermophilic and mesophilic clostridia have led to improving thermostability in a fermentation medium at 45°C. This represents the optimum temperature for enzymatic hydrolysis. Results also showed that the fused strain produced essential hydrolysis enzymes, which eliminated the need to add any enzymes during the hydrolysis step. Furthermore, results in the present study demonstrated that the fused culture of bacteria was able to tolerate the elevated concentration of acetone, butanol, and ethanol during production, which resulted in higher biobutanol production of 13.8 g/L. This study included a comparison to the coculture as a benchmark to account for the effects of protoplast fusion.
Location-based key management, data authentication and aggregation in wireless sensor networks
Authors: Xiao Jie
Published: May 2021

The first design presents a novel location-based key management and en-route data authentication proposal. It divides the whole sensing area into a number of location cells. A group of location cells consist of a logical group. A pairwise key between two sensor nodes is established based on grid-based bivariate t-degree polynomials. Any valid reading report needs to collect enough message authentication code (MACs) from different neighbours. These pairwise keys used for generating the MAC are forwarded several hops down to the base station for future en-route data authentication.
The second design proposes a greedy location-based secure and energy-efficient data aggregation approach. It further utilizes data aggregation based on the previous design by setting up control groups, applying pattern codes, selecting and switching control head nodes dynamically and periodically. In addition, different from the first design, it only requires control head nodes to collect enough MACs in each reading report.
Extensive analysis, evaluations and experiments show us that both designs are secure, efficient and resilient.
Detection and monitoring for cancer and abnormal vasculature by photoacoustic signal characterization of structural morphology
Authors: Zalev Jason
Published: May 2021

Photoacoustic systems can produce high-resolution, high-contracts images of vascular structures. To reconstruct images at very high-resolution, signals must be collected from many transducer locations, which can be time consuming due to limitations in transducer array technology, In this thesis a method is presented to discriminate between normal and abnormal tissue based on the structural morphology of vasculature and permits data to be acquired quickly. To demonstrate that the approach may be useful for cancer detection, a special simulator that produces photoacoustic signal from 3D models of vascular tissue is developed. Validation of the simulator is performed against a derived exact equation for finite-length cylindrical photoacoustic sources and through FEM models. Results show that is possible to differentiate tissue classed even when it is not possible to resolve individual blood vessels. Performance of the algorithm remains strong as the number of transducer locations decreases and in the presence of noise.
Rerouting Networks: Promise and Impediment in Virtual Social Capital Models
Authors: Libin Kevin
Published: May 2021

It would be inaccurate to suggest that the societal amalgam created when democracy and media combine is something novel, or for that matter that it has ever truly been novel. Democracy and civil life, as the modem conceptualizations of those notions are typically understood, are bound to the idea that there exists not merely the functional devices of citizenry actively participating in the selection and implementation of governing, but that there also be a formidable, effective and widespread medium of one sort or another - or more than one - present. A product of society and culture, democracy cannot feasibly exist on an individual level, but only in a community and community, in tum, must be tethered together by commonly shared communicative threads (Van Benschoten 2000). Democracy, theoretically understood as it is based on the notion of citizens making informed decisions and choices about which manner and by which policies they themselves wish to be governed, must therefore thrive only on a framework which includes the allowance for a technology which provides for the effective dissemination of ideas to the citizens. In any other model, democracy would necessarily be undermined. There would exist a gap in the education in the abilities of different citizens to participate: those democrats fortunate enough to live in proximity to the major population centers, particularly those with real political relevance, would be more likely to directly have access to information about politicians and candidates, while citizens distanced from political centres by geographic barriers (agricultural workers would obviously be a predominant segment of just such a group) would similarly be distanced from the political process, bereft of any reliable means with which to equip themselves with the information they arguably need to make the educated electoral choices that are critical to the process of civic membership. This is particularly true, not only as it pertains to electing representatives - in which case candidates can often originate within regional proximity to voters, as is the case with Canadian members of parliament, and therefore will campaign regionally -- but additionally it is vital that citizens are kept abreast of the issues of the day and the performance of their elected officials once they are given power. Governmental responsibility is, if not a direct function of citizen proximity, then necessarily a function of citizen access to reliable channels of mass communication.
The bureaucratic organization of race in deportation and Canadian immigration policy
Authors: Kelly Mohanza
Published: May 2021

This MRP presents a literature review on race, immigration and Black male surveillance. It situates the discourse of racialization in a historical and contemporary context, drawing from different disciplines and frameworks to contextualize the interrelationships between race, crime and immigration. This research includes a critical analysis of the history of anti-Black racism in Canadian state policies such as deportation and presents the case of Alvin Brown as an illustration This paper argues that deportation represent a racist discourse that reinforces the criminalization of Black people, specifically Jamaican males. Razack’s concept of bureaucracy highlights deportation as a process that legitimizes the removal of legal rights in the name of public security. The case of Alvin Brown is utilized as an illustration of the processes through which deportation becomes racialized and ‘Jamaicanized’ based on the reification of criminal stereotypes in policy and practice.
Impossible or Inevitable?: Suggestions for Future Youth - Police Communication Online
Authors: Zettel Zoe
Published: May 2021

A lack of provincial standardization for social media use by Ontario police officers has
limited the progression and success of community policing among young populations. The
abundant success of police-youth communications in-person is evident in studies from studies by
Anderson et al. (2007), Hinds (2007), and Leroux & McShane (2017); these results suggests that
increased social media communications between youth and officers would prove beneficial.
However, the barrier between the community policing principles outlined in Ontario’s
Mobilization and Engagement Model (MEM) and actual police practice echo structural issues
that have plagued Ontario policing for decades. Recent literature from Hawkes (2016) and earlier
literature from Leighton (1991) demonstrate the ongoing struggle to translate theory into
practice. Combining a qualitative content analysis of Twitter data alongside semi-structured
interviews with police officers, this study identified MEM strategies used by officers on social
media, as well as additional strategies introduced by officers on an individual basis. Findings
indicate that there are inconsistencies between officer perceptions of their communications with
youth and that of their actual practice. The discovery of four additional strategies used to
accomplish community policing on social media suggests that the MEM should be restructured to accommodate for technological advances. Officer social media use varied but a strong
commonality included the fear of damaged reputation or job loss-- indicating a greater need for
standardization to instill confidence in officer social media use. While provincial standardization
would benefit officers, it should not be restrictive as humanistic elements such as information
dissemination and personalization derived from officer freedom on social media were most often
noted as beneficial to both officers and youth.
Immaterial Architecture: Composing Space From Sound
Authors: Siddiqui Yawar
Published: May 2021

In the post-digital, heterotopic society, human activities have transcended the limiting confines of physical space. The prevailing urban/architectural philosophies that defined programmed spaces by material enclosures and boundaries are less relevant when information, programs and activities transpire independent of such physical fields. Thus, architecture needs to address this emerging paradigm by conceiving new types of traversable spaces. This design thesis develops the use of electroacoustic techniques to generate immaterial sonic enclosures that allow unhindered penetration of light and matter, while blocking out sound within a strepitous environment. Sound is explored as a material for constructing interconnected spaces without physical boundaries. Through the use of the proposed Virtual Sonic Enclosures (VSE), this thesis aims to provide a weak infrastructure rather than an ‘object’ such as a building to facilitate the seamless networking of spaces and programs to generate new architectural possibilities that reflect contemporary conditions.
Unaccompanied refugee minors: settlement experience in Toronto
Authors: Hirsz Hannah
Published: May 2021

This paper begins by outlining the legal rights of unaccompanied refugee minors. The paper explores the initial settlement experience of unaccompanied refugee minors who live in Toronto. Their experiences with the Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB), their refugee hearings, and their experiences as they waited to be notified of their immigration status have been examined through primary research. Research questions that frame this project include: 1) How does the asylum process, which includes such elements as their legal rights, hearing date, and waiting for status, impact unaccompanied refugee minors’ sense of belonging, their establishment/settlement experience in Toronto, and their overall well-being? 2) How does arriving to a new place challenge and modify an existing identity, and what are the challenges unaccompanied minors face in their transition to Canada that have an effect on their identity? And, 3) How does this time in their life influence their perceptions of their future?
A Quantum Future: Preparing Canada for the Potential Impacts of Quantum Computing
Authors: Shoja Sahar
Published: May 2021

Quantum computation has the potential to transform the way various Canadian industries do business. Unlike classical computers which use bits, computers built using principles of quantum mechanics use qubits, which allows them to perform several complex tasks simultaneously and at a exponentially faster speed. This research will analyze the potential impact of quantum computing on Canada's cybersecurity and workforce. It will also highlight barriers to entry for this burgeoning technology and provide recommendations that address current and future challenges. It is proposed that if Canada embraces this technology's opportunities and addresses its challenges, it can continue to be a global leader in the eld of quantum computing.
Anthropogenic climate change coverage in two Canadian newspapers : the Toronto Star and the Globe and Mail, from 1988-2007
Authors: Ahchong Katrina Marie
Published: May 2021

Media portrayal of current events can influence public perception and the actions that policy and decision makers take with regard to these events. This study applied a content analysis to explore variations in the way Canadian news media depicted anthropogenic climate change by employing an approach previously used by Liu, Vedlitz and Alston (2008). This research applied their existing methodology to both the regional and national levels of media in a Canadian setting. Climate change articles from two newspapers published between 1988 and 2007, the Toronto Star, a regional newspaper, and the Globe and Mail, a national newspaper, were obtained. They were examined for aspects of climate change, including salience, image, scope, country representation, participants, and the origins of scientific information that was presented in the articles. Differences in the way climate change is portrayed between the newspapers at regional and national levels are also examined.

Overall, climate change is portrayed similarly in the two newspapers as a large-scale (national and global) problem, despite the differences in audience scope. The Toronto Star exhibits a more national perspective with respect to climate change although it is a regional newspaper. Attention paid by the media to climate change increases from 1988-2007. Climate change is predominantly depicted in both newspapers as a destructive issue. There are linkages to other public issues, including those in international co-operation, science research and development, and energy and transportation. The analysis reveals that a number of non-government and government actors are concerned with climate change and a wider array of interest groups is becoming involved. Finally, the majority of the solution strategies presented in the articles focus on mitigation techniques, as opposed to adaptation strategies.
Technology readiness, attitude towards computers and computer literacy among first year nursing students : A Canadian perspective
Authors: Wilson Rita
Published: May 2021

This descriptive correlational study used a convenience sample (n=30) recruited from one Canadian School of Nursing to investigate first year nursing students' preparedness for technology use. It examined the students' general technology readiness, attitudes toward computer use in general and in nursing as well as their general computer literacy. Most students were average "techno-ready", had positive attitudes toward computer use in general and in nursing and had low self-perceived proficiency in various computer applications. There was beginning evidence in support of statistically significant positive relationships among the students' technology readiness, their attitude towards computers and their computer literacy. The findings did not support correlations between the students' attitude towards computers and their computer literacy or between their technology readiness and their computer literacy. These findings suggest that some first year nursing students may need additional supports to enhance their preparedness to work in today's technology-rich health care environment.
Real-time classification of muscle signals from self-selected intentional movements
Authors: Momen Kaveh Seyed
Published: May 2021

A novel method to automatically differentiate forearm movements has been proposed. The electromyography (EMG) signals were recorded from two muscle sites on the forearm in real-time. Two 2-dimensional feature spaces namely the natural logarithm of root-mean-square values (Log (RMS)), and the standard deviations of auto regressive model coefficients (Stdev (AR)) were created. The features were calculated within non-overlapping 0.2 second windows in real-time. The feature spaces were clustered using the fuzzy c-means algorithm [1]. The cluster multiplicities were investigated by five different cluster validity indices. Real-time EMG signal classification was achieved by calculating membership values.
Log (RMS) performed superior to the Stdev (AR) feature space. The silhouette validity index provided the best cluster validity index in this study.
On average, the proposed algorithm classified 4 movements with 92.7± 3.2% and 5 movements with 79.90%±16.8% accuracy. The algorithm also revealed the number of repeatable movements. It can also be adapted to daily variations in individual EMG signals.
Characterization of the Hygrothermal Properties of Wood Fibre Insulaton Board
Authors: Fordice Kelly Leanne
Published: May 2021

High thermal resistance building envelopes comprising wood fibre insulation board (WFIB) contribute to a reduction in building energy consumption associated with unwanted heat losses and gains. The longterm performance and durability of the WFIB material may perform differently than expected due to the temperature and moisture dependent material characteristics, including moisture sorption, vapour permeance, and thermal conductivity.
This research investigated the characterization of hygrothermal properties of WFIB at temperatures and relative humidities expected for a Canadian climate. The hygrothermal characteristics of WFIB were determined to have a range of values as a result of the variable nature of wood fibre materials with temperature and moisture, and the variability of WFIB materials amongst manufactured products. The variabilities of these hygrothermal properties are expected to impact the materials overall moisture storage at various in-situ temperature and relative humidity conditions, and the materials ability to transport moisture at various in-situ temperature and relative humidity conditions. Additionally, the thermal performance of WFIB is expected to vary with in-situ temperature and relative humidity conditions, with increased thermal losses/gains with increasing temperature and increasing relative humidities.
Surface Modification of Polyethylene Film by Catalytic Ozonation
Authors: Mastan Erlita
Published: May 2021

The hydrophobicity of polymer surfaces limits their applications in many areas such as for use as biomaterials and in membrane filtration. One solution to this problem is to modify the polymer surface by ozonation. Ozonation introduces peroxide groups on polymer surface, which can initiate graft polymerization of monomers with hydrophilic groups, and thus improves the hydrophilicity of the polymer surfaces. The concentration of peroxide groups formed can be used to indicate the effectiveness of ozonation process. In this study, the low cost polyethylene film was selected as a model polymer film to conduct the investigation. Ozonation treatment was carried out in both gaseous and aqueous phases, to study the contribution of hydroxyl radical in the generation of peroxide group. Results revealed that aqueous ozonation generated slightly less peroxide than gaseous ozonation. However, the addition of soluble catalyst, copper (II) sulfate, to the aqueous ozonation resulted in 18% more peroxide concentration than that yielded by gaseous ozonation. Further investigation indicated that 0.05 g/L copper (II) sulfate was the optimal catalyst dose, and the optimal pH was approximately 5.60. A 19% reduction in tensile strength of the film was observed after 120 minutes of catalytic ozonation. Upon addition of a radical scavenger, tert-butyl alcohol (TBA), a decrease of 12% in the peroxide concentration was observed for catalytic ozonation with 0.1 mol/L TBA. This decrease indicated that both ozone and hydroxyl radical contributed to the peroxide generation in catalytic ozonation. A reaction mechanism for aqueous ozonation of polyethylene was proposed in this study by combining the reaction mechanism for gaseous ozonation of polyethylene and the decomposition mechanism of ozone in water. The experimental data found in this study verified the exponential function obtained for peroxide concentration. This verification was obtained for various ozonation time and dose ranging from 15 – 120 minutes and 1.0 – 3.0 wt%, respectively.
Media Education: Rethinking the Role of Photographic Representation in Public Education
Authors: Erickson Kris
Published: May 2021

This essay investigates both the pedagogical and communicational roles of photography and education in contemporary society. Assuming that photography and education not only show people their world, but that they also offer them the means to help create it, this essay explores the various ways that social forces have kept people from the democratic possibilities such institutions offer. Indeed, since they are typically controlled by state and corporate interests, photographic institutions and public education systems, as well as their specific representations and practices, typically reinforce a hegemonic order rather than challenge it. Through these institutions such forces have shown and taught us only a limited version of what constitutes our lives by structuring and ordering the material conditions and symbolic spaces of our world, including many of our own thoughts, actions, and experiences. This essay suggests that the critical tendencies of the few alternative photographic and popular educational practices that challenge this order continue to collaborate and develop systematic practices designed to challenge depoliticizing forces, particularly by investigating the spaces most immediately accessible to a large portion of the population: the public school classroom.
Evaluating the impact of solar envelope zoning solar access and development density: A study of mid-rise buildings in Toronto
Authors: Saunders Kelsey
Published: May 2021

The global population is growing exponentially with a trend of people moving to cities, resulting in rapid growth in the urban built environment. It is critical for urban planners to promote health, comfort, and resiliency in urban areas through integrated solar access requirements within zoning regulations. This paper evaluates the potential for the Solar Envelope Zoning (SEZ) method as a zoning tool in Toronto, Canada. The SEZ method is compared with current zoning regulations and mid-rise buildings guidelines using parametric modelling to establish the solar envelope on a typical building site. The resulting development density and solar radiation incident on adjacent building facades is evaluated. A similar study is performed on a site that is currently proposed for development along one of Toronto’s main avenues. The results show that by redefining solar access requirements to include climate dependent variables, SEZ can provide competitive development density while improving solar access.
Montage In Architecture: A Critical And Creative Perception Of Our Space In The Everyday
Authors: Wong Sze
Published: May 2021

This thesis engages with our experience of architecture in the everyday. We appropriate spaces in a state of distraction. It slips past unnoticed by our critical minds. It is not until we look through the eyes and minds of artists that we begin to ‘see’ our everyday environment. But as soon as we ‘see’, we contemplate architecture as abstracted art. This mode of seeing distances architecture away from our daily experience.

This thesis searches for the possibility to superimpose, on top of our passiveness, a critical and creative perception of spaces in the everyday. This perception allows us to be far enough to ‘see’, while at the same time close and loose enough for questions and reinterpretations. Montage carries the critical and creative potential to encourage such a perception. This thesis explores and reveals aspects within montage and their engagement with architectural design to put forward this other possible perception.
Vertiginous pleasures
Authors: Kerr David
Published: May 2021

In the opening lines to his unique collection of cinematic art, Italian Movie Posters, Dave Kehr reminds us that "in the final analysis, movie posters are advertisements-in other words, promises made to be broken. But what
glorious promises they make" (9)1 In large part this text is dedicated to exploring these very promises, not so much to celebrate the grandeur and bombast of the film poster but to understand the complex processes of
interaction that exist between a film, its posters, and their audiences. Of course, the promises that Kehr is referring to are the more or less straightforward ones posters make when they implicitly offer us the chance at experiencing the films they promote as glamorous, adventurous, terrifying, and seductive. In this respect, film posters, like all forms of advertising, seek to create audiences by attaching a fixed social identity to a product that is by its nature polysemic, representing too many things to too many people to be completely represented by any single combination of text and image. Unlike most consumer products however, films are ephemeral in nature, disappearing from view the minute they have been consumed, and like dreams they are only half-remembered by those who have consumed them. Consequently, the relationship between the film and its poster is not quite the same as the relationship between a tangible consumer product and the advertising imagery that sells it. The intangibility of films, in that they are seen only temporarily in the dark and quiet confines of the theatre and our living rooms, make them especially in need of a body, a corporeal vehicle with which they can circulate in the world. In a consumerist culture such as ours, where social relations are structured through the fetishization of commodities, ephemeral products such as films leave consumers needing a tangible emblem, either because they crave owning a piece of what they love or simply to see for themselves whether or not a film is in fact "my kind of movie."
Influence of Internal Courtyards on the Energy Load and Hours of Illuminance in Row Houses in Toronto
Authors: Vaisman German
Published: May 2021

Natural daylight is desirable in locations where winter days are short. With
narrow front and long depth, row houses interiors in Toronto tend to be dark, as
natural light cannot penetrate to the central portion of the house. This study
aims to contribute to the development of guidelines for designers using
courtyards to create better space quality and to add to occupants’ delight,
health and wellbeing. It examines the potential benefits and drawbacks of
internal courtyards in houses located in cold climates and the implications of
such design on the energy performance, natural light and lighting consumption.
The simulations showed that the window to wall ratio doesn’t have major
influence on the hours of daylight inside the house. The main results also show
significant improvement of the hours of illuminance in the interior, with higher
increases in the shorter days of the year when light is more needed.
The Ontario parent involvement policy analysis
Authors: Kozak Anna
Published: May 2021

This study examines Ontario Parent Involvement Policy through the use of critical discourse analysis (CDA). The discourse patterns within the policy are analyzed in order to expose any implicit or explicit power relationships. As part of CDA, critical linguistics are applied, to reveal patterns of written form, such as grammar or sentence structure that may reinforce traditional social and/or educational practices which marginalize certain groups of people. The results suggest that the policy document uses both implicit as well as explicit language that disempowers and marginalizes certain groups of parents. Also, there is visible oppression of minority parents as they are inadequately acknowledged or completely unrepresented in the content of the policy. Although, the policy attempts to eliminate power structures by refocusing control over resources onto parent groups and providing vehicles for parent voice empowerment, many parents are excluded as a result of barriers preventing them from being involved in the school system. Barriers faced by parents are exacerbated for minority parents due to challenges associated with past experiences. language, socioeconomic status, supporting the needs of children with exceptionalities, and lack of familiarity with the system.
Vietnamese refugees' resettlement experiences in Peterborough, Ontario : Integration and mobility
Authors: Nguyen Michelle
Published: May 2021

Many immigrants and refugees arriving in Canada resettle in the gateway cities, including Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal. The Canadian government attempts to redistribute refugees across the country to reduce large metropolitan centers’ pressures to provide resources for newcomers and to revitalize small cities’ economies. However, there is a lack of literature on refugees’ challenges and successes while resettling in small cities. This paper is a historical case study of Vietnamese refugees’ resettlement experiences in Peterborough, Ontario. It explores how the Peterborough community responded to the arrival of Vietnamese refugees and analyzes the factors that influenced the participants’ decisions to stay in Peterborough or relocate to other cities. The participants’ experiences revealed that, the Peterborough community’s initial warm reception was important for building social networks, but the availability of employment and the ability to support their families were more significant factors in influencing their decisions to move.

Keywords: Vietnamese refugees, resettlement, integration, reception, Peterborough, redistribution, mobility, community, settlement services
Accommodating Multiplicity Adapting The Design of Canadian Urban Housing
Authors: Vandersluis Samuel W.
Published: May 2021

The remarkable spectrum of households, demographics and ethnicities in Canadian cities has become the primary identity of our multicultural society, an identity that typically is not reflected in our design for urban residential architecture. If our residential market does not provide housing that can accommodate the varied spatial demands of our diverse society, the quality of urban architecture will only degrade the vibrancy of city life. This thesis challenges the viability of conventional residential typologies, and introduces a new organizational system of high-density residential architecture that can flexibly accommodate a range of household types and sizes. The organization of contingent dwelling space is structured to forge a direct relationship between household, community and civic life. This restructured relationship forms a microscosmic reflection of urban diversity. By accommodating for the wide-ranging needs of urban Canadian households, this exploration adapts to the contemporary demands of urban life.
The impact of the digital order on sensemaking and being
Authors: Bhatia Aditi
Published: May 2021

The digital order refers to a culture that is profoundly shaped by digital technologies. The digital order is reshaping the way we comprehend and communicate as we adapt ourselves to the affordances of those tools. The role of the digital order in human development and it ultimate consequences remains unknowable; however, it is crucial that we have an awareness of its impact and are able to envision its possible effects on human behaviour and culture. To survive in such a moment of evolution, it is essential to be able to navigate in an informed manner one’s own position in the digital space. This paper examines the nature of individual empowerment within this space, asserts the significance of human will and discusses the methods to utilize this technology in a beneficial way.
A Spatial Model For The Spread Of Influenza Within The Human Respiratory Tract
Authors: Younis Nada P.
Published: May 2021

Several mathematical models with varying degrees of complexity are dedicated to charac-terizing influenza virus infection kinetics.  The majority of existing mathematical modelsof in-host kinetics are based on ordinary differential equations (ODEs) and do not in-corporate viral transport modes.  In this work, a spatial model was developed in orderto explore, for the first time, the effect of viral transport modesin-vivo:  diffusion andadvection.  Cellular regeneration and a simplified immune response were also included inthis model.  Although severe and chronic infections sometimes occur in humans, most ofthe existing models can only reproduce seasonal infections.  This new model has success-fully reproduced observed infection profiles within realistic biological parameters.  Thechanges in parameters required to shift the infection kinetics from a seasonal to a chronicinfection, for example, is consistent with the factors believed to be responsible for theestablishment of such infections.
Simulating public interest: the issue of the public voice in the fee-for-carriage debate
Authors: Williams Patricia
Published: May 2021

"One of the most fractious Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC, or the Commission) policy hearings on record has recently come to a close. This was no run-of-the-mill, watch-the-paint-dry policy hearing. Tempers and passions flared as two industry titans, over-the-air (OTA) broadcasters, such as CTV and Canwest Global, and broadcast distribution undertakings (BDUs) such as Shaw Communications, Bell Canada and Rogers Inc. fought the battle of their lives over an issue called fee-for-carriage (FFC). The media covered the issues day in and day out. Canadians bombarded the CRTC with dose to 200,000 comments and the Government of Canada forced the CRTC to hold an additional hearing just to address the impact the decision could have on the public. With extensive media coverage and uncharacteristically active public participation, could this public policy process be deemed 'democracy in action'? This paper will argue that this is not the case. Through a discourse analysis of the debate within two distinctly differentiated public spheres -- 1) the battling media campaigns and 2) the CRTC public hearings in November and December of 2009 -- this paper will show that the public's ability to define its own interest, using its own voice, is tarnished to such a severe degree that this policy process fails"--From Introduction (page 3).
Reducing the barriers for foreign-trained engineers: a literature review & study of the role of a bridging program in assisting engineers
Authors: Mojadiddi Dunya
Published: May 2021

Foreign-trained engineers make up a significant number of the skilled immigrants
accepted to Canada annually. This study seeks to identify the various barriers discussed
in the literature that these foreign-trained engineers face in gaining licensure and
successful employment in Canada. It also examines the findings from a survey conducted
of previous graduates of Ryerson University's Internationally Educated Engineers
Qualification Bridging (IEEQB) Program. The purpose of the research was to identify
whether or not the bridging program assists foreign-trained engineers in obtaining a
P.Eng license and finding employment in their fields. Twelve participants were involved
in the study; the study found that the participants faced the barriers discussed in the
literature. The information found in this study will be used as a stepping-stone in future
research to reduce the difficulties foreign-trained engineers face and assist them to
successfully integrate into the Canadian labour market.
Mass production for mass customization: application of digital fabrication techniques on tower renewal
Authors: Love Pamela
Published: May 2021

The opportunity to regain the essence of art and customization in architecture presents itself in a variety of ways if industry becomes open-minded about the potentials our modern technologies bestow. Despite the impact of digital technologies on architectural form, representation, production, and drawing methods, there has been very little innovation in the general flattened rectilinear form of the high-rise due to material innovation and construction methods that evolved out of rationalized techniques and modes of mass production. This thesis investigates ways to re-appropriate surface depth, curvilinear form, variety, and the composition of the high rise cladding by looking at ways that the conventional high-rise envelopes construction and its materials and methods can be manipulated using new design and construction methodologies that have evolved through digital techniques of design and production. The repetitive nature of tower design and the industrial nature of the construction process create an ideal opportunity for the reassessment of this process using post-fordist design and construction methods.
Availability Modeling of Computing Systems with Virtual Architectures
Authors: Paharsingh Ricardo
Published: May 2021

Cloud computing services are built on the premise of high availability. These services are sold to customers who are expecting a reduced cost particularly in the area of failures and maintenance. At the Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) layer resources is sold to customers as virtual machines (VMs) with CPU and memory specifications. Both these resources are not necessarily guaranteed. This is because virtual machines can share the same hardware resources. If resources aren't allocated properly, one virtual machine for example, may use up too much CPU power reducing the processing power available to other virtual machines. This can result in response time failures. In this research a framework is developed that integrates hardware, software and response time failures. Response time failures occur when a request is made to a server and does not complete on time. The framework allows the cloud purchaser to test the system under stressed conditions, allocating more or less virtual machines to determine the availability of the system. The framework also allows the cloud provider to separately evaluate the availability of the hardware and other software systems.
Hydrodynamics of Turbulent Bed Contactor with Non Newtonian Liquids
Authors: Abukhalifeh Hadil
Published: May 2021

Little information is available in literature in terms of the hydrodynamic characteristics in a turbulent bed contractor [sic] (TBC) with viscous liquids. In this study, the hydrodynamic characteristics in three-phase turbulent bed contactor with counter current flow of air and non-Newtonian liquid was studied and compared with that of Newtonian liquid under consistent conditions. Aqueous solutions of carboxy methyl cellulose (CMC) with apparent viscosities ranged between 5 to 25 cP were used as non-Newtonian liquid. The hydrodynamic parameters iinvestigatedwere: bed pressure drop, minimum fluidization velocity, liquid holdup, bed expansion, and gas holdup. The effect of rheological properties of the CMC aqueous solutions and operating parameters on hydrodynamic characteristics of the TBC were examined. Results showed that increasing CMC concentration increased the net pressure drop across the bed and the liquid holdup, while the gas holdup and bed expansion decreased. At that quoted apparent viscosity range, aqueous solutions of CMC behaved as Newtonian viscous liquids in the TBC.