bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Exploring relationship strategies of overweight adolescents
Authors: Cooper Anna
Published: May 2021

Childhood obesity has been identified as a health crisis reaching epidemic proportions worldwide. Significant literature addresses the many aspects of this issue however little exists that honours the experiences and voices of overweight adolescents. Framed by relational-cultural theory, in this exploratory qualitative study, I examine experiences, strategies, and processes of overweight adolescents in relation to their interactions with others. A case study analysis of a focus group of overweight adoloescents ages 13-16 years was conducted with three salient themes emerging. Participant's verbalized experiences demonstrated a perception of issues related to their relationships with others and sometimes an identified awareness of factors pertaining to these relationships. The third theme centres on the varied and at times complex strategies participants used when navigating these potential or existing relationships with others. Implications for health promoting theory, policy, practice, and future research are outlined.
Adult Attachment And Relationship Satisfaction In Couples Facing Multiple Sclerosis
Authors: Crangle Cassandra J.
Published: May 2021

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a debilitating neurological disorder associated with significant relationship distress. Although greater insecure attachment (dysfunctional internal working models that guide one‟s approach to relationships) has been associated with worse relationship satisfaction, this association has been overlooked in MS. The actor-partner interdependence model was used to evaluate the effects of one‟s own (actor) and one‟s partner‟s (partner) attachment on dyadic adjustment, and whether they differed by sex or role. The effect of matching of attachment between partners (dyadic attachment) was evaluated, and hostility was examined as a mediator of effects. 110 MS couples completed self-report questionnaires. Results showed significant actor and partner effects of greater insecure attachment on worse dyadic adjustment, and sex emerged as a moderator. Dyadic attachment was significantly related to dyadic adjustment. Hostile conflict partially mediated actor and partner effects of insecure attachment. Implications for the greater attachment literature and relevance to MS are discussed.
Influence of Vibration on Diffusion in Liquid Mixtures On-Board the International Space Station
Authors: Parsa Aram
Published: May 2021

Experiments on-board the International Space Station experience a convective flow due to the oscillatory g-jitters induced by several sources such as crew activities, mechanical systems, thrusters firing, spacecraft docking, etc. Although g-jitter seems to have a major impact on diffusion-related experiments in Space, very few experimental studies have addressed this topic.

This study examined the effect of oscillatory g-jitters on transport processes (fluid flow, heat transfer and mass transfer). Cubic rigid cells filled with water and isopropanol at different concentrations were subjected to thermal gradients and forced vibrations. The cells were exposed to different levels of vibration in terms of frequency and amplitude, which were applied perpendicular to the temperature gradient. The full transient Navier Stokes equations coupled with the mass and heat transfer formulas were solved numerically using the control volume technique. The physical properties of the fluid mixture such as the density were determined using two different models.

The effect of different levels of vibration on the flow was analysed and the results were compared in a benchmark study with other scientific groups. The effect of the diffusion coefficients variation and other physical properties on the temperature and concentration distribution was compared to those results obtained with constant diffusion coefficients. Results show that use of variable physical properties in the modelling produces different flow patterns and component concentration. By examining different flow patterns, it was found that the effect of using variable coefficients is much more significant in the cases with high Rayleigh vibration that result in strong flow when compared with numerical analysis using constant variables. The numerical analysis was also performed for the actual experiment on board the International Space Station. The same trend was seen for both the numerical and experimental results. However, the separation of components was higher in the experiment in comparison with the numerical analysis. This was discussed in detail for various scenarios in terms of the applied frequency and amplitude. Recommendations are made according to the findings from this study for the improvement of accuracy in the numerical and experimental analyses of future diffusion experiments in Space.
Web based cost management tool prototype development using temporal-activity based costing (Temporal-ABC)
Authors: Vaithianathan Mourougavelou
Published: May 2021

The cost management system is a powerful tool for managers to understand manufacturing plant performance. It is essential for any organization to develop a cost management system to estimate the product cost and to account actual cost spent for the product manufacturing. The Activity Based Costing (ABC) system has recently attracted the attention of many companies and is considered to provide better information about the cost pattern and the relationship between resources and activities. However, a survey of earlier research reveals that there are several difficulties to estimate the true product cost due to selection of overhead drivers to activities. To overcome these difficulties Temporal-ABC has been developed by Dr. K.D. Tham.
In the first part of the report, costing system implementation issues are studied through real-time case studies. Then, research has been conducted and web-based proptotype application is developed using Temporal-ABC through collaboration with a world-class electronics industry - Celestica Inc. Toronto, Canada. The developed prototype demonstrates the application of Temporal-ABC for cost estimation at Celestica.
Improving and Evaluating a Software Tool for Providing Animated Text Enhancements to Close Captions
Authors: Mori Jorge
Published: May 2021

While television and film technologies have changed according to user preferences, Closed Captions (CC) have suffered from a lack of innovation since their inception in the 1970’s. For the Deaf and Hard of Hearing communities CC provides only limited access to non-speech audio information. This thesis explores the usability of a new captioning application, EnACT that provides animated text for non-speech audio information such as the emotions portrayed and their corresponding intensities. Reactions from software users were collected and evaluated. Participants found the software easy to use and a suitable alternative to conventional CC options for non-speech audio however, they disliked the amount of time it took for them to adjust timing for the animations of the captions. Overall, participants rated EnACT easy to use and the task of assigning emotions and their corresponding intensities to the video script as relatively simple, however, additional emotional labels were requested by participants overall.
35% Carbon Dioxide Reactivity In A Bulimia Nervosa Sample
Authors: Woznica Andrea
Published: May 2021

This study extended research on the specificity of the effects of the carbon dioxide (CO₂) challenge by examining panic reactivity in participants with bulimia nervosa (BN) (n=15) compared to those without bulimia nervosa (n=31). All participants completed self-report measures assessing state and trait anxiety, depression, anxiety sensitivity (AS), distress tolerance (DT), discomfort intolerance (DI), and eating disorder features. They subsequently breathed two vital capacity inhalations; room air and 35% CO₂-enriched air. Reactivity to room air was not different between groups. However, participants with BN displayed greater reactivity to CO₂ compared to the participants with BN. AS, DI, and DT could not be tested as potential mediators in the association between diagnostic group and reactivity because these constructs were not associated with reactivity. Eating disorder features and frequency of binges and purges were also not associated with reactivity. Detailed implications and suggestions for further research are discussed.
Using Presagis simulation software to model UAV aircraft in a humanitarian mission configuration
Authors: Sotto Aaron
Published: May 2021

Aircraft simulation software was used together to simulate a humanitarian variant of the MQ-9 Reaper drone as well as its longitudinal stability response upon dropping an aid payload. This project derives stability derivatives from the MQ-9 dimensions using the mass moments of inertia and approximate air- foil shape using Athena Vortex Lattice (AVL) code. The stability derivatives, aircraft properties, weights and control systems were modelled with Presagis FlightSim 14 to approximate the MQ-9 flight model. A graphics model was also built using Presagis Creator and the flight model and graphics model were unified into a virtual environment. Its longitudinal short period and phugoid responses as well as the lateral Dutch mode after dropping a 200 kg payload was recorded and analysed. The older Ryan Navion was also modelled using the same method which was used to model the MQ-9. The same dynamic responses were compared to real Navion flight test and calculated data in order to validate the aforementioned modelling method.
The Schostal Agency: A Finding Aid for the Schostal Agency Collection at the Art Gallery of Ontario
Authors: Madamba Rebecca
Published: May 2021

This thesis presents the applied project of housing, intellectually arranging and creating a finding aid for the Schostal Agency collection at the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO). This collection includes 5,066 gelatin silver prints, 58 information sheets, and 34 photograph envelopes dating from the late 1920s to mid 1940s. The paper is structured in two parts: 1) an analytical paper, and 2) the finding aid. Part one investigates the historical context of the Schostal Agency, finding aids and collections management practices, as well as the methodology for organizing, housing, and creating the finding aid. Part two is the finding aid, which includes a descriptive summary, administrative information, scope and content of the collection, biographies and historical sketches, box lists, and a summary box list tracing the collection as a whole. This document will be made available to researchers in the Marvin Gelber Print and Drawing Study Centre at the AGO.
Examining the effects of safety behaviours on fear reduction during exposure
Authors: Hood Heather
Published: May 2021

The use of safety behaviours has been considered one of the primary maintaining mechanisms of anxiety disorders; however, evidence suggests that they are not always detrimental to treatment success. This study examined the effects of safety behaviours on behavioural, cognitive, and subjective indicators of fear during exposure for fear of spiders. A two-stage design examined fear reduction and approach distance during an exposure task for participants (N = 43) assigned to either a safety behaviour use (SBU) or no safety behaviour use (NSB) condition. No differences were observed between the groups in subjective or cognitive measures at prettest, posttest, and one-week follow-up; however, unlike the NSB group, the SBU group did not maintain their gains in approach distance at follow-up, though this was no longer true after self-efficacy was covaried. These results call for a reconsideration of the practice of completely eliminating safety behaviours during exposure-based treatments for specific fears.
Empowering Indigenous Mexican Groups Through Fostering The Practice of Traditional Textile Crafts
Authors: Portillo Hoshiakari Endo
Published: May 2021

In a world in which globalization and technology are at their peak, indigenous Mexican communities are struggling between the pull of modernity and their ancestral traditions. They are caught between two antagonistic practices—the tension between mass-produced and traditional handcrafted textiles. This research explored strategies to foster traditional textile crafts amongst indigenous Mexican communities with the purpose of empowering indigenous Mexican groups. The main outcome of this creative research is a swimwear collection created in collaboration with indigenous Mexicans artisans. Each piece conveys indigenous Mexican craft authentically and through the creation process I was able to outline some guidelines to effectively nurture the practice of traditional textile crafts in Mexico. Given that traditional textile crafts practised by other indigenous communities are striving to survive, the findings of this study provide valuable guiding principles to preserve and reinforce the cultural legacies of traditional textiles crafts.
Gladiotron - 3D Interactive Comics as an Ideal Entry Point for Transmedia IP Development
Authors: Ball Gavin Ronald Nelson
Published: May 2021

Gladiotron is an online, interactive, 3D web-comic designed to test the efficacy of leveraging assets created for a 3D comic for reuse in other forms of media around the same intellectual property (IP), in this case a game, animation, and merchandise. The Gladiotron 3D web-comic exhibited advantages over basic storyboarding by increasing speed and efficiency of production between the comic and the game, audience growth potential, and opportunities for audiences’ feedback. This 3D web-comic model also demonstrates an alternative approach for developing video games and developing IPs.

Keywords: WebGL, Babylon.js, web-comic, interactive, indie game development, marketing, production
Social Media as a Storytelling Landscape: Analyzing Content & Engagement in Publisher's Social Media
Authors: Soszynski Marta
Published: May 2021

Understanding user expectations for using specific SNS platforms may help better manage affordances to fit characteristics of a brand’s persona. This paper attempts to gain insight into book publisher’s current social media strategies and how affordances are being used to enhance engagement.
A content analysis was conducted on three publishers on their Facebook and Instagram. Posts were categorized according to type. The most engaging post types were identified, and affordances were quantified. Finally, it was determined what engagement dimensionalities were embedded in comments.
Findings indicated that all publishers maintained similar post content between the two platforms, of a product-type. Dialogue-type content was the most engaging. Affective and behavioral dimensions were found in comments made by consumers, and cognitive engagement was primarily found in administrator replies.
Findings provide additional insight on social media affordance use by brands, the relevance of engagement dimensions, and the relationship between brands and online communities.
Design of a web-based multiagent system for electronic procurement
Authors: Atkari Shailesh
Published: May 2021

The proposed electronic marketplace (EM) is aimed to enhance the procurement process by acting as an intermediary between buyers and suppliers. The proposed EM consists of users (buyers and suppliers), various components and a user interface. As part of the decision engine, a prototype supplier selection system, SupplySelect, is developed and implemented.
Communicated identity and corporate social responsibility: a case study of Unilever's “Sustainable Living”
Authors: MacIntosh Emily
Published: May 2021

The goal of this study was to assess how best practices surrounding CSR messaging are employed from the perspective of stakeholder theory. Through an analysis of Unilever’s “Sustainable Living” web content, this paper establishes how a company can blend both messages about its CSR goals and achievements to create a consistent communicated identity. This paper builds on literature that suggests that communications about CSR activities and
policies must acknowledge that CSR benefits both corporations and the social good. By exploring how these two messages can be blended, this paper provides a concrete example of how both types of messaging do not need to be seen as at odds with one another but can actually strengthen each other.

Keywords: Corporate social responsibility, CSR, communicated identity, stakeholder theory
Rethinking space + place: negotiating a social realm between mobile technology and architecture
Authors: Chan Thomas
Published: May 2021

The thesis examines the relationship between mobile technology and architecture, and argues that architecture can better address the proliferation of mobile and communication technology through its social and perceptual implications. The thesis examines changing social conditions and spatial perception, through an investigation of our sense of space and place, and confirms the need to revisit the role of architecture in the physical public realm. Through observation and analysis in the underground PATH network in Toronto, the thesis tests these social and perceptual implications against real experiences, and establishes a role in which architecture can take part in rethinking space in the public realm. Through the design of a prototypical environment in Nathan Phillips Square, the thesis demonstrates that architecture, negotiating between direct, mediated, and virtual experiences, is capable of generating an augmented environment that enhances social engagement and encounters, making public space into places of public social encounters.
The acyltransferase lycat controls specific phosphoinositides and related membrane traffic and hormone receptor signaling
Authors: Bone Leslie N.
Published: May 2021

Phosphoinositdes (PIPs) are a group of signaling phospholipids involved in regulating many cellular processes, including organelle dynamics, nutrient uptake, autophagy and apoptosis. Through the action of lipid kinases and phosphatases, phosphatidylinositol (PI) can be phosphorylated on three different positions of the inositol headgroup resulting in seven distinct PIP species. Substantial research has focused on elucidating the function and importance of headgroup phosphorylation while much less is known about the significance of the incorporation of specific acyl chains within PI. PI exhibits unique specificity of acyl chain composition, where majority contains 1-stearoyl-2-arachidonoyl acyl species. This unique acyl chain enrichment is, in part, controlled by the PI acyltransferase lysocardiolipin acyltransferase (LYCAT). How LYCAT and, in turn, incorporation of specific fatty acids, controls the function of PI and PIPs is poorly understood. Thus, I investigated the impact of LYCAT perturbation on PIP acyl profile and effects on PIP-dependent processes.

Perturbation of LYCAT by siRNA gene silencing resulted in a shift in the acyl profile of PIP2 species to contain shorter species. Additionally, LYCAT silencing altered the cellular localization and levels of phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate and phosphatidylinositol-3-phosphate but was without effect on other PI species examined. Consistent with this, silencing of LYCAT perturbed the membrane traffic of transferrin receptor dependent on these specific PIPs. I also observed changes in PI-dependent receptor tyrosine kinase signaling pathways that control cell survival and proliferation, which are regulated by phosphatidylinositol-3,4,5-trisphosphate. LYCAT perturbation altered activation of Akt1, which impacted a number of Akt substrates.

Additionally, using fluorescence microscopy, I discovered that LYCAT is localized to peripheral ER vesicles that contain PI synthase enzyme, which is responsible for PI synthesis. These peripheral vesicles partially overlap with endoplasmic reticulum-plasma membrane contact sites marked by E-Syt2 but showed little overlap with the ER maker, KDEL.

Collectively, my results show that the PI acyltransferase LYCAT controls the function of specific species of PIPs, which in turn selectively impacts specific stages of endomembrane traffic and hormone receptor signaling. Hence, the regulation of acyl content of PI is an important new dimension for the control of PI and PIP function.
Power allocation in OFDM-based cognitive radio systems
Authors: Zhao Shibiao
Published: May 2021

In this thesis, we develop an subcarrier transmission suboptimal power allocation algorithm
and an underlay subcarrier transmission optimal power allocation algorithm for the orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM)-based cognitive radio (CR) systems with different statistical interference constraints imposed by different primary users (PUs). Given the fact that the interference constraints are met in a statistical manner, the CR transmitter does not require the instantaneous channel quality feed-back from the PU receivers. First an alternative subcarrier transmission suboptimal algorithm with reduced complexity has been proposed and the performance has been investigated. Presented numerical results show that with our proposed suboptimal power allocation algorithm CR user can achieve 10 percent higher transmission capacity for given statistical interference constraints and a given power budget compared to the traditional suboptimal power allocation algorithms, uniform and water-filling power allocation algorithms. The proposed suboptimal algorithm outperforms traditional suboptimal algorithm, water-filling algorithm and uniform power loading algorithm. Second,We introduce an underlay subcarrier transmission optimal power allocation algorithms which allows the secondary users use the bandwidth used by Pus. And at the same time we consider the individual peak power constraint as the forth constraint added to the objective function which is the transmission capacity rate of the secondary users.Third, we propose suboptimal algorithm using GWF which has less complexity level than traditional water-filling algorithm instead of conventional water-filling algorithm in calculating the assigned power while considering the satisfaction of the total power constraint. The proposed suboptimal algorithm gives an option of using a low complexity power allocation algorithm where complexity is an issue.
A mathematical investigation of different growth rates in simultaneous tumors at two distant sites
Authors: Aktar Farjana
Published: May 2021

Experimental data demonstrates that simultaneous injection of cancer cells at two distinct sites often results in one large and one small tumour. Unbalanced tumour-stimulating inflammation is hypothesized to be the cause of this growth rate separation, causing one tumour to grow faster than the other. Here, a mathematical model for immune recruitment and competition between two cancer sites is developed to explore the role of tumour-promoting inflammation in the observed growth rate separation. Due to the experimental set-up, immune predation may be neglected, focusing the model on tumour-promoting immune actions. A new mathematical model with localized immune recruitment and competition between the two cancer sites is developed using a multi-compartment ODE system. A simulated annealing algorithm is used to fit the model to control data (one tumour burden). Stability and parameter sensitivity analyses are used to explore the mathematical model and parameter space. Next, the two-tumour scenario is predicted by testing parameter values tied to possible biological mechanisms of action. The model predicts that indeed inflammation may be a contributor to growth rate separation observed in simultaneous tumour growth, if one site is pre-inflamed compared to the other.
Making Toronto Solar Ready: Proposing Building Formations for the Integration of Solar Strategies
Authors: Colucci Andrew
Published: May 2021

As highly dense urban areas are also the top energy consumers per capita, the question as to how we can design our cities to be "solar ready", i.e. suitable for successful integration of active and passive solar strategies in buildings, arises. Through a series of insolation simulations of typical urban morphologies found in the city of Toronto, this study will (i) identify if Toronto is "solar ready", (ii) suggest strategies to overcome obstacles, and (iii) propose new building formations that maximize insolation levels to promote the integration of solar strategies in our built environments.
Freedom of speech and access to technology: a case study of the 2011 BART cell phone service shutdown
Authors: Bang Jiwon
Published: May 2021

This study explores the online public sphere’s response to the San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART)’s decision to shut down cell phone service in select subway stations for three hours in August 2011 to prevent a rumoured protest from taking place. Through an in-depth discourse analysis of popular user comments in the San Francisco Chronicle and the Huffington Post, this research examines the informal social construction process of the meaning of freedom of speech and identifies salient themes and discourses surrounding freedom of speech in technologically mediated communication. The findings reveal that the online public sphere is starkly divided in many aspects in its understanding of freedom of speech outlined in the First Amendment to the United States Constitution and what constitutes its violation. Moreover, a careful examination of the discussion threads suggests that the presence of cell phones does not alter the public’s existing understanding of freedom of speech.
Parenting Circles Program: The Key Elements for the Meaningful Engagement of Spanish-Speaking Parents to Support their Children’s School Success
Authors: Garcia Catalina Beatriz
Published: May 2021

The present paper examines the Parenting Circles Program as a successful intervention for parental involvement and the Early Authors Program’s transformative framework for the creation of personal books. The question to be answered throughout this paper is, how did the participation of Spanish-Speaking parents in the workshop highlight elements that facilitated their meaningful engagement in their children’s education? The design of the project included newcomer Spanish-speaking primary caregivers with a child or grandchild younger than thirteen years of age, who were required to attend at least five of six weekly workshops dealing with topics related to education.  The main conditions were that the parents felt free to fully express themselves and exchange ideas, their children were part of the process, they gained access to valuable information and they took on the role of co-leaders.    Implementing lessons learned from this study will result in future successful parent interventions.  
Fault diagnosis with adaptive kalman filters and CMG design for picosatellite ACS
Authors: Abreu Noel
Published: May 2021

Picosatellites have only recently become a viable research topic thanks to the creation of the cubesat standard in 1999 and improvements in technology. However they are still limited in application because there are no high performance active actuators available in the market that can satisfy the mass/power/budget constraints of a picosatellite. Space and power are limited in these satellites which means that hardware redundancy is not very practical. If actuator faults occur, analytical redundancy techniques should be employed to determine if, where, and how the fault(s) occurred. This thesis focuses on enhancing picosatellite actuator tehnologies, as well as presenting an alogrithm for fault detection, isolation, and identification of ACS actuators.

A CMG cluster design is proposed to demonstrate the feasibility of using CMGs in picosatellites to enhance their performance. The proposed CMG cluster design weighs less than 100g, occupies less than 25% of a cubesat's volume, and theoretically consumes less than 1.5W and 1W of peak and average power respectively. Furthermore, it is capable of providing sufficient torque and momentum storage for picosatellite attitude control in LEO. Next a novel adaptive Kalman filter algorithm is presented that can be implemented with the EKF and UKF for linear and non-linear systems respectively. The algorithm performs parameter estimation with sequential adaptive estimation and fading memory mechanisms that allow it to track changes in faulty parameters even in the presence of high levels of measurement noise. Furthermore, it is capable of tracking continuously varying and instantaneous changes in parameters. Numerical simulations are carried out to verify the performance of the propsed CMG cluster design as well as the fault diagnosis algorithm. The capabilities of the filter are further demonstrated via its application to a systems identification problem for a nonosatellite RW prototype being developed at SSDC group.
The (un)sustainable game: An exploration of rhetorical strategies and risk communication in sustainable seafood campaigns
Authors: Dreger-Smylie Brigitte
Published: May 2021

In the 1990s, following the Newfoundland Grand Banks cod fishery collapse along Canada’s East Coast, the first seafood sustainability certification organization was formed to address this widespread crisis. Two notable campaigns were formed shortly thereafter, both programs the projects of marine aquariums along the West Coast, and have gained significant attention: Vancouver Aquarium’s Oceanwise provides seafood recommendations to restaurants on the most sustainable choices and Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch, creates and disseminates consumer guides. This MRP examines the communication strategies of Seafood Watch and Ocean Wise used to encourage the consumption of sustainable seafood and promote ocean conservation. More specifically, this MRP analyzes the organizations’ use of environmental rhetoric, particularly in terms of framing and topoi, and how they communicate risk and urgency. How sustainable seafood campaigns establish credibility and rationale in the public sphere to communicate urgent, technical information surrounding fishery mismanagement is examined. This research will help inform future guidelines for social marketing campaigns to improve strategy and encourage consumer change. Recommendations for future research include the creation of evaluative programs to measure campaign effectiveness as well as an analysis of the niche markets established through the rising sustainable seafood market.
A quasi-two-dimensional finite element formulation for analysis of active-passive constrained layer beams
Authors: Bekuit Jean-Jacques R. Boiluea
Published: May 2021

Active-passive damping is getting more popular with designers because it combines the complementary passive and active features in the control of structural vibrations. The classical three-layer structure has a viscoelastic-layer sandwiched between the host beam and a piezoelectric-layer.

The more prevalent assumptions for modeling the system are the use of Euler-Bernoulli beam theory for both the host beam and piezoelectric-layer, and Timoshenko beam theory for the viscoelastic-layer. The assumption that transverse displacement is constant through the thickness limits accuracy and applicability of the model. The current formulation expresses the through-the-thickness dependency of the field variables as polynomials while their span dependency across a finite element is cubically interpolated.

The versatility of the formulation is demonstrated via static and dynamic studies of examples taken from the literature. A beam treated with active-passive damping is presented and examined. The constitutive relation of the viscoelastic layer is represented using fractional derivatives and the Grünwald approximation. The extended Hamilton's principle is used to derive the system governing equations which are integrated with the Newmark time-integration system.
Modelling Low Impact Development Potential With Urban Hydrological Response Units
Authors: Eric Marija
Published: May 2021

The purpose of this thesis is to develop a methodology for hydrological modelling the performance of Low Impact Development technologies using an Urban Hydrological Response Unit approach. The K-Means Cluster Analysis procedure was carried out to create clusters of lot parcels which represented the Urban Hydrological Response Units. Different sampling methods were used to select lots from each of the clusters to model before and after Low Impact Development implementation. The runoff response (m3) of an approximate final cluster centre was used to calculate the total runoff (m3) of each cluster. After adding the total runoff (m3) for a group of 15 clusters, the benchmark runoff value (m3) from modelling all lots was closely approached with and without Low Impact Development. A random sample of 7 % and 90 % of lots from each cluster for a group of three clusters closely approached the benchmark runoff value (m3) for both no Low Impact Development and Low Impact Development respectively.
On international students in Canada : a review of their experiences in the academic literature and the Canadian media
Authors: Saidjadi Sena
Published: May 2021

International students are considered active, rather than passive members of the Canadian society for a wide range of factors. First, it is important to note that the arrival of these individuals equip the country’s post-secondary education sector with an unprecedented amount of revenues in the form of tuition fees. Second, international students’ labour work and personal spending contribute towards Canada’s economic growth. Third, the presence of international students in Canada enriches the country’s socio-cultural climate. Unfortunately, international students encounter several challenges during their stay in Canada and struggle to have access to a set of comprehensive settlement services to enable them to smoothly adapt into their new environment. The following study is essentially a literature review that aims to fulfill two objectives. First, there will be an examination of the experiences and struggles of these students as they have so far been reported in the academic literature and the Canadian media. Second, some of the most prevalent knowledge gaps about international students that exist in the academic literature and the Canadian media will be identified and critically analyzed.

Key Words: International Students, Language Barriers, Discrimination, Micro-Aggression, Socio-Cultural Challenges, Settlement Services, Knowledge Gaps.
Outdoor Thermal Comfort Analysis in a Cold Continental Climate: The Case of a Pedestrian-Only Street in Downtown Toronto
Authors: Marleau Christopher
Published: May 2021

Increased interest in urban thermal comfort has emerged in recent years with unpredictable weather patterns and unprecedented temperature extremes around the world. Urban modelling computer software can help with understanding interactions between built environment and microclimates. However, results of simulations can be difficult to interpret if acceptable thermal conditions for a location are unknown. Using a compound approach of field investigation and microclimate modelling for a pedestrian-only street in Toronto, Canada, this study investigates urban outdoor thermal comfort (OTC) in a cold continental climate. Four thermal indices were used to analyze field data and the results were compared with OTC research conducted in other climates. In this study, the Physiological Equivalent Temperature (PET) provided the strongest annual correlation with the pedestrian thermal sensation votes. A PET comfort range between 9°C and 24°C was found. Survey results were then used to interpret the simulated effect of urban vegetation within the case study microclimate during a summer scenario.
Acid pretreatment and fractionation of source-separated organic waste for lignocellulosic saccharification
Authors: Ehsanipour Mandana
Published: May 2021

This study compared two acidic pretreatments on Source-Separated Organic (SSO) waste preprocessed by Aufbereitungs Technology and System thermal-screw, on the basis of fermentable sugars for bioethanol production. The result showed that the SSO contained on average 27% glucan, 5.4% xylan, 1.2% arabinan, 5.7% mannan and 1.2% galactan. Dilute sulfuric acid pretreatment (at 121°C and 16.2 psi) was insufficient to solubilize cellulose and hemicellulose and did not remove much of the lignin. Cellulose-solvent and Organic Solvent-based Lignocellulose Fractionation (COSLIF) (at 50°C and atmospheric pressure) generated high glucose yield (70%). Substituting ethanol for acetone as organic solvent increased the yield to 89.5%. Fermentation using Zymomonas mobilis 8b with this hydrolysate confirmed the pretreatment is promising for the SSO conversion. Amenability of the SSO for biofuel production is validated. Enzymatic hydrolysis of both pretreatments using Accellerase 1500 is preferred over Celluclast 1.5L due to higher activity. Future work includes design of an appropriate batch and/or continuous bioreactor, and further understanding of Zymomonas mobilis 8b.
Cobalt or cerulean? Interpreting colour trends for the Canadian fashion industry
Authors: Guestrin Julia
Published: May 2021

The Canadian apparel industry faces many difficult decisions during product development, and selecting a colour palette for an upcoming season can be a significant challenge. With no specific Canadian colour forecasting services available, Canadian trend directors must rely on European and American forecasts for their colour trends. This study on colour trends and preferences demonstrated how colours that are forecast for the United States and Europe are adapted for Canada and the diverse target markets within it. Six case studies based on interviews with trend directors from Canadian retailers explore the methods used to develop seasonal colour palettes. These case studies reveal each retailer’s customers’ attitudes towards colour trends and colour preferences, and then compare them to the rest of the retail market. The results will allow Canadian fashion professionals—and those working in small markets anywhere—to better understand how to develop seasonal palettes for their customers, thereby increasing sales and profit.
Application of the extended Kalman filter to LIDAR pose estimation
Authors: Kuryllo Marcin
Published: May 2021

The goal of this work is to investigate the benefits of using a well-known nonlinear motion estimator, an Extended Kalman Filter (EKF), in conjunction with the Iterative Closest Point algorithm (ICP}, in particular, for the purpose of tracking the pose of a target satellite using a chaser satellite equipped with a LIDAR sensor. To accomplish this goal, two different architectures for tracking the pose of a target satellite were first implemented in MATLAB Simulink, and then implemented and tested on the Canadian Space Agency Automated Robotics Test Bed (CART} at the Canadian Space Agency (CSA} using a Neptec Laser Camera System as a sensor. The two architectures are: a} a pose tracking architecture that accepts the estimated pose supplied by the EKF to provide an initial pose guess to the ICP algorithm; and b) a pose tracking architecture that uses the pose supplied by the pervious pose measurement from the ICP algorithm as the initial pose guess for the ICP algorithm. The pose estimator combine with the EKF was able to track an object with a higher rate of motion then the rate possible without a nonlinear estimator. When the EKF estimate of the target satellite's states converges, a decrease in the number of ICP iterations per sensor measurement was also observed. Furthermore, the EKF increased the robustness of the system allowing the system to continue tracking after blackout periods. The test results showed an increased level of robustness of the tracking architecture that utilizes a nonlinear estimator in conjunction with the ICP algorithm. The advantages of the use of EKF were observed both in a simulated environment and experimentation.
Mainstream Psychology And The Gender Binary: Toward An Account Of Becoming "Non-Binary"
Authors: Vasilovsky Alexander T.
Published: May 2021

The gender binary haunts mainstream psychology’s history of medicalizing trans and gender nonconforming people, particularly its construction of their gender identities as psychopathological and in need of treatment for violating the binary logic of normative (cis) development. Drawing on interviews with 24 participants who identified as “non-binary,” this
dissertation advances: 1) a genealogical analysis of the construction, interpretation, and administration of “transgenderism” (psychology’s parlance) which elucidates the discipline’s maintenance of the gender binary through said construction, interpretation, and administration; and (2) an account of “becoming” gendered (non-binary, in this case) as an alternative to the mainstream models of gender identity development. Becoming (a) shifts from the etiological “why” to the psychosocial “how” (as in, how to go about assembling oneself as non-binary; labels and pronouns are key); (b) eschews teleology (there is no end goal with regard to embodiment); (c) privileges gender self-determination; (d) attends to intersectionality; and (e) foregrounds intersubjectivity. The participants were largely concerned with asserting the validity of their gender identities as non-binary, which are routinely dismissed and invalidated, and this dissertation works toward undoing psychology’s own invalidating practices.
Twenty years of unnecessary forward slashes: towards a post-ontological critique of Tim Berners-Lee's evolving aspirations for the Web and the World Wide Web Consortium from the cultural studies perspective
Authors: Dick Michael
Published: May 2021

Since it was first formally proposed in 1990 (and since the first website was launched in 1991), the World Wide Web has evolved from a collection of linked hypertext documents residing on the Internet, to a "meta-medium" featuring platforms that older media have leveraged to reach their publics through alternative means. However, this pathway towards the modernization of the Web has not been entirely linear, nor will it proceed as such. Accordingly, this paper problematizes the notion of "progress" as it relates to the online realm by illuminating two distinct perspectives on the realized and proposed evolution of the Web, both of which can be grounded in the broader debate concerning technological determinism versus the social construction of technology: on the one hand, the centralized and ontology-driven shift from a human-centred "Web of Documents" to a machine-understandable "Web of Data" or "Semantic Web", which is supported by the Web's inventor, Tim Berners-Lee, and the organization he heads, the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C); on the other, the decentralized and folksonomy-driven mechanisms through which individuals and collectives exert control over the online environment (e.g. through the social networking applications that have come to characterize the contemporary period of "Web 2.0"). Methodologically, the above is accomplished through a sustained exploration of theory derived from communication and cultural studies, which discursively weaves these two viewpoints together with a technical history of recent W3C projects. As a case study, it is asserted that the forward slashes contained in a Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) were a social construct that was eventually rendered extraneous by the end-user community. By focusing On the context of the technology itself, it is anticipated that this paper will contribute to the broader debate concerning the future of the Web and its need to move beyond a determinant "modernization paradigm" or over-arching ontology, as well as advance the potential connections that can be cultivated with cognate disciplines.
Multinational and domestic agrochemical corporations in India: an analysis of the standardization of corporate environmental disclosures
Authors: Jessop Anna
Published: May 2021

Multinational corporations operating in developed countries are leaders in corporate environmental disclosure (CED), this often isn’t true for subsidiaries operating in developing countries. The majority of CED research that has been conducted focuses primarily on large multinational corporations, leaving a gap of knowledge regarding the subsidiary operations of multinational corporations. This study provides insight into whether or not multinational corporations are implementing comprehensive disclosure practices throughout the entirety of their operations and if reporting practices are more strongly
influenced by country of origin or country of operation. Consolidated narrative interrogation (CONI) is used to quantify CEDs presented in annual and stand-alone sustainability reports published between 2002 and 2016 by companies from three categories of corporations. Results show that the corporation category is a significant factor affecting the diversity, quantity and quality of disclosures, indicating a lack of standardization among the reporting practices of the different categories of corporations.
Evaluation of the performance characteristics of the North American Lightning Detection Network based on extensive CN Tower lightning data
Authors: Kazazi Savdulla
Published: May 2021

The North American Lightning Detection Network (NALDN) has been providing lightning data since 1998. Important applications, such as detection of lightning-caused forest fires, power line fault locations and aviation safety procedures, have triggered a number of hardware and software upgrades for improving the network performance characteristics, including its detection efficiency and location accuracy. The NALDN performance characteristics are here evaluated based on the lightning currents measured at the CN Tower during three major storms (2005, 2011 and 2014). Each of these three storms followed one of the network’s substantial upgrades that took place in 2003-2004, 2010-2011 and 2013-2014. The major contribution of this extensive investigation is the determination of the network’s performance characteristics following each of the three major upgrades, which is expected to lead to additional upgrades. Since 1990, the lightning current derivatives of return strokes have been measured at the CN
Tower. Its 553-m height has allowed the recording of the current derivative signals of many hundreds of return strokes. Also, imaging systems have been used to record trajectories of flashes to the tower. The evaluated performance characteristics of the network include return-stroke detection efficiency, location accuracy, and return-stroke polarity and peak current estimation. The 2013 NALDN deployment of LS7002 digital sensors with enhanced embedded software has substantially improved the sensitivity of the sensors leading to a greater return-stroke detection efficiency. Furthermore, the 2014 total lightning processor (TLP100) –designed with new algorithm - provides smaller time-of-arrival errors, leading to better location accuracy. Based on the 2014 storm evaluation, the numbers and polarities of NALDN-detected return strokes were perfectly matched with those recorded at the tower. Furthermore, based on the 2014 storm evaluation, the NALDN is found, as expected, to overestimate the current peak measured at the tower by a factor of 3.89, which is due to the field enhancement effect resulting from the high-speed of propagation of the current within the tall tower. The presented analysis shows that the latest NALDN upgrades (2013-2014), following the 2003-2004 and 2010-2011 upgrades, have substantially improved the NALDN performance characteristics, especially in terms of stroke-detection efficiency and location accuracy.

Keywords: Tall-structure lightning; lightning detection; detection efficiency; location accuracy; peak current estimation.