bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Utility Benchmarking And Potential Savings of Multi-Unit Residential Buildings (MURBs) In Toronto
Authors: Ghajarkhosravi Mahssa
Published: June 2021

Building energy, water and solid waste benchmarking and developing meaningful performance indicators can help government and building owners to make effective decisions on improving their buildings' efficiency. For this study, information on 120 Multi-Unit Residential Buildings (MURBs) has been provided. The study entails the following steps: performing energy (weather normalized using the Princeton Scorekeeping Method (PRISM)), water, and solid waste benchmarking for the 120 MURBs, developing meaningful performance indicators; determining performance ranking; and estimating different levels of savings (energy, water, solid waste, cost, and GHG emissions). The most appropriate performance indicator and the benchmarking range for energy, water, and solid waste are as follows, energy consumption normalized by square metre, 141-580 kWh/m
Flight simulator system for research and teaching application
Authors: Thomas Siju
Published: June 2021

A spatial analysis of smog events in Southern Ontario and prevailing winds reveals various patterns that occur during smog advisories. Smog events cause numerous excess deaths and illnesses each year throughout Southern Ontario due to high levels of air pollutants that are generated in North America. Cardiovascular and respiratory illnesses are the main hospital admissions that occur during summer smog episodes. These effects are experienced throughout regions located along the Windsor-Quebec corridor, but there are variations in the numbers of affected people due to the effects of surrounding geographical features and the local contribution of air contaminants. Meteorological differences play a major role in the effects of smog events with factors such as temperature and prevailing winds. This study examines the effects of long distance transport of contaminants from origins in the United States into Canada as indicated by respiratory and cardiovascular mortality and morbidity effects during 9 smog events. This study found that during certain conditions there is a correlation between wind direction and smog related mortality and morbidity.
Exploring Sikh Youth in Toronto and Issues of Identity
Authors: Gill Jagjeet Kaur
Published: June 2021

My paper investigates ten Punjabi-Sikh youth from the ages of 18 to 25, across Ontario, this study attempts to answer how Sikh youth identify themselves and what external and social influences affect perception and identity. As Punjabi-Sikh youth struggle to find their identity in the midst of competing expectations, they may face institutional and structural barriers that may further complicate their identity. While there is extensive literature on the reception of first generation Sikhs in Canada, there is minimal information on how second-generation Sikhs have integrated within the mainstream culture. There are many important questions to be answered, such as, do Western euro-centric values and beliefs by the mainstream contradict with traditional and cultural beliefs? How do youth accommodate some cultural and religious values over others? Are there multiple oppressions, which are in conflict with retaining an ethnic and cultural identity? How do the values, expectations, and beliefs of Punjabi-Sikh parents differ from their children's? How do youth negotiate their cultural and religious identity in the face of conflicting expectations from parents, school, and their community? These are just some of the questions that will be explored in this study.
Test System Development For The Performance Testing Of Asphalt Containing Different Mineral Fillers
Authors: Valle Domenic
Published: June 2021

This research project identifies the materials and equipment needed to implement Simple Performance Testing (SPT) on Superpave asphalt mixtures. This project can be used as a guide or manual for others who would like to evaluate the performance of Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA) mixtures. This thesis outlines both physical and mechanical SPT requirements and applies them to the performance testing of asphalt mixtures incorporating different types of mineral fillers. Furthermore, this research evaluates the dynamic modulus of asphalt containing various mineral fillers. The results have shown a small increase in dynamic modulus values when 4% fly ash is used as mineral filler when compared to limestone dust (control mix). Portland cement has also shown an increase in dynamic modulus over the control mix although the increase was less than that observed with the use of fly ash. The higher moduli associated with the use of fly ash can be viewed as beneficial in terms of rutting resistance, but require further investigation for fatigue resistance.
Picturing the news: the intellectual arrangement and description of the Chatham Daily News collection
Authors: Glasgow Jessica Anne
Published: June 2021

This thesis is an applied project in managing and preserving photographic press collections in museums and archives, focusing on the Chatham Daily News Collection at the Chatham-Kent Museum. The collection was donated by the Chatham Daily News to the museum in 1990 and consists of ca. 300,000 black and white negatives, ca. 10,000 black and white contact prints and 8 administrative record books from 1946 to 1987. This thesis addresses the growing occurrence of press collections that are donated to museums and archives for preservation, and what these institutions can do to make them more accessible. The project was comprised of an inventory, a standardized finding aid and a detailed container list. Data from a representative sample of the collection was gathered and analyzed in order to better understand and describe the negatives and the role that photography played as a tool of communication at the Chatham Daily News.
Durability of blended cement against sodium sulphate attack and alkali-silica reaction
Authors: Adhikari Giri Raj
Published: June 2021

Blended cements were studied for their efficacy against sulphate attack and alkali-silica reaction using six different types of fly ashes, a slag, a silica fume and four types of General Use Portland cement of different alkalinity. The study results showed that low calcium fly ash, silica fume and ground granulated blast furnace slag enhanced the sulphate resistance of cement with increased efficacy with the increase in the replacement level. However, slag and silica fume, especially at low replacement levels, exhibited increased rate of expansion beyond the age of 78 weeks. On the contrary, high calcium fly ashes showed reduced resistance to sulphate attack with no clear trend between the replacement level and expansion. Ternary blends consisting of silica fume, particulary in the amount of 5%, high calcium fly ashes and General Use (GU) cement provided high sulphate resistance, which was attributable to reduced permeability. In the same way, some of ternary blends consisting of slag, high calcium fly ash and GU cement improved sulphate resistance. Pre-blending optimum amount of gypsum with high calcium fly ash enhanced the latter's resistance to sulphate attack by producing more ettringite at the early stage of hydration. In the context of alkali-silica reaction permeability was found to be a contributing factor to the results of the accelerated mortar bar test. High-alkali, high-calcium fly ash was found to worsen the alkali silica reaction when used in concrete containing some reactive aggregates. Ternary blend of slag with high calcium fly ash was found to produce promising results in terms of counteracting alkali-silica reaction.
Improving safety and traffic operations in urban zones with a high propensity for rear-end collisions at signalized intersections
Authors: Basit Abdul
Published: June 2021

At signalized intersections, rear-end accidents are frequently the predominant accident type. These accidents result from the combination of a lead-vehicle's decelereation and the ineffective response of the following vehicle's driver to this deceleration. The frequency and severity of rear end collisions can be reduced through traffic control and operational improvements. There are different traffic operation strategies for rear-end collision reduction like "Employ multiphase signal operation". "optimize clearance intervals" or "Restrict or eliminate turning maneuvers (including right turns on red)". In practice, the most cost-effective strategy appears to be "Employ Signal Coordination". The first objective of this research report was to use spatial analysis tools to disaggregate Toronto into 76 spatial zones (Toronto is usually divided into 158 zones). The second objective was to rank the 76 zones according to their propensity for rear-end collisions at 4-legged signalized intersections. The third objective was to demonstrate how safety can be improved through signal coordination and progression. The software package Synchro-4.00 was used to recommend improved signal coordination through optimization of cycle lenghts, splits and offsets. The coordination analysis for the 15 intersectins located in the zone with the highest propensity for rear-end collision revealed the following results. 1. Coordination was definitely not recommended for three of the intersections. 2. Coordination was probably not recommended for six of the intersections; and 3. Coordination was definitely recommended for six of the intersections. The coordinatability analysis for the 15 intersections located in the zone with the highest propensity for rear-end collisions was performed on the basis of current cycle length (based on field observations). At the nine intersection where coordination is either definitely not recommended or probably not recommended, current cycle length needs to be optimized.
High performance computing for linear acoustic wave simulation
Authors: Butt Fouad
Published: June 2021

Parallel computing techniques are applied to a linear acoustic wave model to reduce execution time. Three parallel computing models are developed to parallelize computations. The fork-and-join, SPMD and SIMT models define the execution of parallel computations. The precision and efficiency of the linear acoustic wave model are improved through substantial speedups in all implementations. Furthermore, axisymmetric properties of certain acoustic fields lead to a reduction in the spatio-temporal complexity of those acoustic fields by removing redundant computations. The same linear acoustic wave model is also modified and extended to describe wave propagation across multiple media instead of only a single medium. The developed implementations are integrated into a particularly useful package for high performance simulation of two- or three-dimensional linear acoustic elds generated by realistic sources in various fluid media.
Preparing An Acquisition Report For The Portfolio, F. Frith's Photo-Pictures Of The Lands Of The Bible Illustrated By Scripture Words
Authors: Phoenix Allan D.
Published: June 2021

This essay centers on the acquisition report written for the Menschel Library at George Eastman House on the nineteenth century photographic portfolio, F. Frith's Photo-Pictures from the Lands of the Bible Illustrated by Scripture Words, produced and published by Francis Frith in the late 1860s or early 1870s. The essay is divided into three sections. The first looks at the purpose, role, and components of an acquisition report and its relationship to the collection. The second section discusses research carried out on the Francis Frith portfolio. The final section consists of the actual acquisition record.
The Command to Look: The Nudes of William Mortensen
Authors: Pridemore Heather
Published: June 2021

The Command to Look: the Nudes of William Mortensen considers the use of the female form by William Herbert Mortensen (American, 1897-1965), who during his life was a prominent pictorialist photographer, writer, and teacher. The aim of this thesis is to better understand Mortensen's work through an examination of his most prominent subject matter -- the nude. This study focuses on 43 prints and negatives from the permanent collection of the George Eastman House International Museum of Photography and Film. Mortensen was chosen because he and his work represent a period in history of American photography that is given relatively little attention.
Exploring diversity of representation in Toronto and Vancouver : political voices
Authors: Maharaj Skylar
Published: June 2021

Previous research has shown that Canadian municipalities have lower visible minority proportionality rates among elected officials than other levels of government. To understand why, six visible minority city councillors and candidates from Toronto and Vancouver were interviewed. Respondents contributed their personal experiences and perspectives on issues of mirror, symbolic, and substantive representation of visible minorities. They discussed their initial involvement or interest in elite politics, their role models, and their understanding of the term “visible minority.” A broad narrative describes the complexities of political representation in practice and revealed that there were fewer entry points into elite municipal politics for individuals from marginalized groups. These entry points are further obscured by systemic barriers. Barriers were common for both cities despite differences in electoral systems and council structure. This paper recommends reimagining the “visible minority” categorization, and a policy framework that promotes the democratic ideal through institutional evaluations and acclaim for advancements.
Circuits and architectures for high frequency synthesizer in CMOS
Authors: Khan Nawreen Rashid
Published: June 2021

This thesis proposes a novel architecture for high frequency synthesizer design focusing mainly on the 60 GHz frequency range. It consists of a PLL cascaded to an ILO. In order to generate narrow pulses and to relax the multiplication ration of the ILO, a DLL with a pulse generator is used. Passive delay line stacked on top of LC VCO is used for power efficiency and replica-biasing technique of frequency tracking is used for increasing the locking range of ILO. The synthesizer operates at 50 GHz with a phase noise of -98, -117 and -128 dBc/Hz at 1 MHz, 10 MHz and 40 MHz respectively. The total power consumed by the frequency synthesizer from 1.2 V supply is 57 mW. To have channel selection capability, fractional PLL may be used. A novel fractional PLL architecture is also proposed which de-couples the residual jitter from the PLL bandwidth.
Investigating Effects of Metakaolin Content on the Physical Properties of Concrete, and its Susceptibility to Colonization and Biodegradation by Sulphur Oxidizing Bacteria
Authors: Bentley Christopher
Published: June 2021

Biogenic sulphuric acid attack on concrete is a concern worldwide, as it can lead to collapse of sewer infrastructure. Despite knowledge of the cause and the degradation pathways, not much is known about colonization patterns by sulphur oxidizing bacteria. These bacteria were grown on concrete in attempts to catalog degradation and colonization patterns. This was achieved using a battery of concrete property tests and experimenting with imaging techniques. Increased metakaolin content of concrete decreased sorptivity and chloride permeability of concrete while increasing strength and porosity. Concrete with higher metakaolin appeared more resistant to biogenic acid attack, despite increased porosity. Advances were made in protocols for imaging bacteria on a concrete surface, a challenge given the presence of autofluorescing materials in concrete. Information gained has shown that imaging bacteria on an autofluorescent surface can be achieved, and recommendations are made to further advance these efforts.
Examining the effectiveness of formal-informal sector engagement in municipal Pakistan political vs. institutional constraints
Authors: Shaheen Faisal Haq
Published: June 2021

Pakistan’s urban informal sector (IS) has been the subject of increased attention in recent years. In light of national policy failures and the rapid growth of the IS, this study asks whether there are differences in the political will and capacity in engaging the IS between upper and lower tiered state actors, and whether this engagement can be in a sustainable manner. The social contexts of housing, water and sanitation, transportation and labor conditions are examined in the cities of Lahore and Karachi to assess the experiences of the urban informal sector’s engagement with the state. A survey of state and non-state actors is carried out in field interviews to obtain the perspectives of state policies towards the IS as well as to understand the processes, constraints and possible solutions to engaging the IS. Evidence from the study supports the hypothesis that lower tiers of the state are capable of engaging the IS, but due to constraints from upper levels, are unable to do so. The study’s findings suggest that the combination of grassroots civil society efforts in mobilizing the urban IS alongside the provision of well resourced, accountable capacities of lower tiers of municipal government can generate low cost sustainable solutions to urban service delivery. Evidence also points to the benefits of civil society’s engagement with lower tiers of government to ensure that upper-level bureaucrats are held accountable for ill-conceived policy and its failures. The research shows that before success in national and provincial policy reforms can be expected, emphasis of policy has to be on the recognition and development of interactions between the IS and lower tiers of the state.
Signal analysis of sleep electrooculogram
Authors: Shokrollahi Peyman
Published: June 2021

Measures of sleep physiology, not obvious to the human eye, may provide important clues to disease states, and responses to therapy. A significant amount of eye movement data is not attended to clinically in routine sleep studies because these data are too long, about six to eight hours in duration, and they are also mixed with many unknown artifacts usually produced from EEG signals or other activities. This research describes how eye movements were different in depressed patients who used antidepressant medications, compared to those who did not.

The goal is to track antidepressant medications effects on sleep eye movements. Clinically used SSRIs such as Prozac (Fluoxetine), Celexa (Citalopram), Zoloft (Sertraline), the SNRI Effexor (Venlafaxine) have been considered in this study to assess the possible connections between eye movements recorded during sleep and serotonin activities. The novelty of this research is in the assessment of sleep eye movement, in order to track the antidepressant medications' effect on the brain through EOG channels. EOG analysis is valuable because it is a noninvasive method, and the following research is looking for findings that are invisible to the eyes of professional clinicians.

This thesis focuses on quantifying sleep eye movements, with two techniques: autoregressive modeling and wavelet analysis. The eye movement detection software (EMDS) with more than 1500 lines was developed for detecting sleep eye movements. AR coefficients were derived from the sleep eye movements of the patients who were exposed to antidepressant medications, and those who were not, and then they are classified by means of linear discriminant analysis. also for wavelet analysis, discrete wavelet coefficients have been used for classifying sleep eye movements of the patients who were exposed to medication and those who were not.
Cosmopolitan county: migrant farm workers' impact on the agricultural community of Leamington
Authors: Jarvis Brianna
Published: June 2021

Migrant farm workers are behind-the-scenes backbone of Canada's agricultural economy. Despite their significant role within the food production industry, the outer public is typically unfamiliar with their contributions, experiences, and even their presence in Canada. Many researchers agree that workers arriving through the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Program hold a precarious status, primarily due to the invisibility of their plight to the rest of Canada. In Leamington, Ontario, large-scale greenhouse operations call for thousands of workers from Mexico and the Caribbean to grow vegetables year-round. This study sought to gain an understanding of the relationship between migrant workers and community members by surveying and interviewing Leamington residents. While worker visibility and local familiarity with the presence of migrant workers is heightened in the Essex County region, the quality of social interactions was found to be severely limited. The implications were found to involve social marginalization, culture clash, and racial stereotyping.
An Acoustic Backscatter-Based Method for Estimating Attenuation Towards Monitoring Lesion Formation in High Intensity Focused Ultrasound
Authors: Rahimian Siavash
Published: June 2021

This work investigated the transient characteristics of tissue attenuation coefficients before, during and after HIFU treatment at different total acoustic powers in ex vivo porcine muscle tissues. Initially, preliminary data for the changes in attenuation coefficient induced in ex vivo porcine muscle tissues due to coagulation were obtained. The data indicated that changes in least squares attenuation coefficient slope (Δβ) and attenuation coefficient intercept (Δα0) were both potentially reliable indicators of tissue thermal damage. Then, pulse-echo radiofrequency data were acquired to estimate Δβ and Δα0, and to construct Δβ, Δα0, and B-mode images. Dynamic changes of Δβ and Δα0 were correlated with conventional B-mode ultrasound images over the HIFU treatment process. During HIFU treatment, Δβ and Δα0 increased rapidly with the appearance of bubble clouds in the B-mode images, and bubble activities appeared as strong hyperechoic regions in the B-mode images, caused fluctuations in the estimated Δβ and Δα0 values. After the treatment, Δβ and Δα0 gradually decreased, accompanied by fadeout of hyperechoic spot in the B-mode images, until they were stable at 10 minutes post-treatment, at 0.84 ± 0.11 [dB/(MHz.cm)] and 1.36 ± 0.19 [dB/cm], respectively. Finally the results showed that Δβ and Δα0 images had significantly higher contrast to speckle ratios than the conventional B-mode images. 
Maternal incarceration : exploring the impact on children
Authors: Jenner Lia Morrin
Published: June 2021

The purpose of this exploratory research study was to examine the impact of maternal incarceration on mothers and their children from an ecological perpective. Individual interviews were conducted with four mothers who have previously been in conflict with the law and have been in custody for a minimum twelve months. Two primary workers from Elizabeth Fry Society of Simcoe County were also interviewed for another perspective pertaining to this topic. Participants were recruited by distributing advertisements at the Elizabeth Fry Society of Simcoe County. This study coincided with the literature and found that there are a number of combining factors from the broader system which impact the developmetnal outcomes of a child. After analyzing the data it appeared that there were two main aspects reported by all participants that affect children when their mothers are incarcerated. These include: System Barriers and Resouce Barriers. The participants from this study recommended child friendly centres and physical visitations to rectify and mainain the mother-child relationship while mothers are incarcerated. This study helped to deconstruct norms associated with traditional families and recognized the unique experiences of mother-child relationships during incarceration.
Properties of concrete containing recycled concrete aggregate of preserved quality
Authors: Andal Jonathan
Published: June 2021

Today, there is a growing need for the implementation of sustainability in construction. Continuous construction and rehabilitation projects have begun to deplete virgin aggregate sources. The use of recycled concrete aggregate (RCA) in concrete has been regarded as a sustainable and environmentally friendly alternative aggregate source. This thesis focuses on producing RCA of preserved quality through the use of a new protocol aimed at maintaining the original properties of returned-to-plant concrete. The performance of RCA with preserved quality and commercially available RCA when used in concrete was compared. Different concrete properties were evaluated including the fresh, hardened and durability characteristics. Results showed that the RCA with preserved quality performed better in many categories, including strength, drying shrinkage and salt scaling resistance compared to the commercial RCA. The use of 30% preserved-quality RCA as partial replacement of coarse aggregate produced concrete of comparable quality to that produced with virgin aggregate.
Security Constrained Stochastic Power System Scheduling Algorithms - With Wind Electric Generators
Authors: Peng Yu
Published: June 2021

Power systems worldwide are embracing diverse supply mixes that incorporate a significant
portion from renewables such as wind and solar energy. Wind energy is characterised by
reliable equipment, but with an output that is uncertain and intermittent. In addition to
equipment unreliability (system N-1 criterion), output uncertainties of wind electric generators (WEGs) introduce risk into daily power system schedules. This risk from the uncertainty of output from WEGs can be quantified as expected energy not served (EENS). Furthermore, the introduction of new forms of generation changes the methods of operating transmission systems, further necessitating the use of transmission security constraints in power systems optimization algorithms.

This dissertation explores new approaches to stochastically model the real power output of
WEGs and to efficiently tackle AC transmission system security constraints for power system optimization algorithms such as optimal power flow (OPF) and day-ahead unit commitment (UC).

Usually, normal probabilistic distribution is used to model uncertainty in short-term wind
power output forecast and compute EENS. In this dissertation, a new triangular approximate distribution (TAD) model is proposed which is a linear approximation of normal probabilistic distribution to model short-term wind power output forecast and compute EENS. This TAD model is used to formulate a practical risk-constrained fast OPF for transmission systems to simultaneously minimize: 1) risk due to uncertainties in power output from WEGs, and 2) the total operating cost.

The integration of new energy resources causes transmission systems to operate in new,
challenging, and often unforeseen operating states. Thus, it is imperative that UC algorithms incorporate AC transmission system security constraints and stochastically model output of WEGs to ensure reliable operation of transmission systems. As a first step, a successive mixed integer linear programming (MILP) method is proposed for AC transmission system security constrained unit commitment (SCUC) challenge. Fuzzy sets theory is used to model infeasible constraints in this MILP formulation.

As a next step, the TAD model of WEGs is integrated into the MILP formulation of SCUC
to create a fast security and risk constrained probabilistic UC algorithm. The two UC
algorithms are tested on large systems.
Simultaneous removal of metal ions and oxidation of linear alkylbenzene sulfonate by combined electrochemical and photocatalytic processes
Authors: Saidi Mitra
Published: June 2021

Simultaneous electrochemical removal of Zn⁺₂ and Ni⁺₂ ions and photooxidation of linear alkylbenzene sulfonate (LAS) over TiO₂ particles were investigated. To achieve this objective, first, the effect of different variables such as current density, pH and flow rate on sole electrochemical reduction of metal ions was studied. Both controlling pH in the range of 5.5-6 and increasing the liquid volumetric flux effectively improved the rate of Zn⁺₂ ion reduction, but they did not have any significant effect on the rate of Ni⁺₂ ion reduction. Under optimum operating conditions ... and using total electrolyte volume of 6 L, zinc and nickel were reduced by 86% and 53% respectively, over a 7-hour treatment period. Sole photocatalytic treatment of LAS and controlling pH between 5-5.5 resulted in 60% LAS degradation. However, temperature and flow rate did not have any considerable effect on the rate of LAS degradation compared to the photocatalytic system alone. LAS was degraded in the combined system by 76% compared to 60% in the sole photocatalytic system. However, using the combined system, zinc and nickel were reduced by 81% and 47% respectively, which were slightly less than those obtained in the electrochemical system alone.
Experimental Study Of Short Hole Film-Cooling
Authors: Gandhi Mohammed A.
Published: June 2021

An experimental study was conducted to investigate the film cooling effectiveness of a few configurations of short injection holes: single row, double row and both of the preceding cases with an upstream ramp placed at two different locations. In order to perform the above study, a wind-tunnel facility was assembled to facilitate in the successful culmination of the experiments. The focus of the study was to determine the cooling provided by the short injection holes at a variety of blowing ratios and whether adding an extra row of holes, upstream of the first row would make a difference. For the second part, a ramp was placed upstream of the single and double row configuration to help improve cooling . All of the experiments were performed in a low speed wind-tunnel with a mainstream velocity of 8 m/s and a turbulence insity of 3.3%. Higher blowing ratios were ineffective in improving film-cooling effectiveness due to jet lift-off. Two rows of holes increased the cooling effectiveness by 200%, when compared to single row configurations at the same blowing ratio without ramps. Upstream ramps provided significant improvement in the near hole region of the injection holes.
Shock-less Hypersonic Intakes
Authors: Miri Seyed Hossein
Published: June 2021

The accuracy of CFD for simulating hypersonic air intake flow is verified by calculating the flow inside a Busemann type intake. The CFD results are then compared against the “exact” solution for the Busemann intake as calculated from the Taylor-McColl equations for conical flow. The method proposed by G. Emanuel (the Lens Analogy) for generating an intake shape that transforms parallel and uniform hypersonic (freestream) flow isentropically to another parallel and uniform, less hypersonic, flow has been verified by CFD (SOLVER II) simulation, based on Finite Volume Method (FVM). The shock-less (isentropic) nature of the Lens Analogy (LA) flow shapes has been explored at both on and off-design Mach numbers. The Lens Analogy (LA) method exhibits a limit line (singularity) for low Mach number flows, where the streamlines perform an unrealistic reversal in direction. CFD calculations show no corresponding anomalies.
Automatic extraction of digital elevation from IKONOS in-track stereo images
Authors: Sun Xu
Published: June 2021

This Thesis addresses the topic of the extraction of Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) from the in-track stereo images acquired by IKONOS satellite. Research on this topic is mainly motivated by the need of DEMs in trasportation and the potential use of very high resolution satellite stereo images to replace the traditional aerial photography to generate the DEMs that may be used for preliminary planning and location issues, limiting expensive and time consuming photogrammetry work to the final alignment corridor.

In this thesis, two methods for DEM extraction from IKONOS stereo images using a modified Rational Function Model (RFM) and the 3D physical model developed at the Canada Centre for Remote Sensing (CCRS) are used and the accuracy of the DEMs generated using these two models are evaluated. The nominal accuracy of ground points determined with the vendor-supplied RPCs is evaluated and systematic biases are found. A significant improvement in the DEM accuracy is made by removing the biases in both the image and ground domain with the information of ground control. DEMs are automatically generated bya chain of processes using the PCI Geomatica OrthoEngine software package with the refined RFM and 3D physical model, respectively. The DEMs from these two methods are then compared in a desktop ERDAS Imagine environment and the accuracy of the DEMs is evaluated by comparing the extracted DEMs with the DEM from airphotos. The DEMs generated using different mathematical models have a very good consistence and more than 97% of the difference between the generated DEMs and the DEM from airphotos is between -2 m to 2m.
When do people lie, for whom, and why? : Altruistic lying in an alibi corroboration context
Authors: Marion Stéphanie B.
Published: June 2021

Three studies were conducted in order to identity factors that impact the likelihood that a witness will lie for a suspect in an alibi corroboration context. Specifically, the level of affinity between a suspect and a witness, the level of social pressure, and gender were investigated as factors impacting the likelihood that a witness would knowingly support a false alibi. During a study session purportedly intended to investigate dyadic problem-solving ability, a mock theft was staged in an adjacent office. When questioned by the experimenter, undergraduate students were provided the opportunity to either corroborate or refute a confederate’s false alibi that the latter had been in the testing room during the time of the theft, which participants knew was false. In study 1, participants who were explicitly asked to conceal the confederate’s whereabouts during the time of the theft were more likely to lie for him or her by corroborating the false alibi (61% vs. 26% of those who were not asked to lie). In study 2, there was a higher percentage of male participants who corroborated a male confederate’s false alibi (41%) compared to female participants who corroborated a female confederate’s false alibi (23%). In study 3, participants were found to be more likely to lie for a confederate when the latter was their friend (41%) than when he or she was a stranger (18%). How much a participant liked the suspect (study 1) and whether or not the suspect had previously helped the participant (study 2) did not affect the rates of false alibi corroboration. The results confirm that alibi witnesses often lie, but suggest that investigators and jurors may underestimate the frequency with which strangers and acquaintances lie for one another, and that witnesses who lie do so more often because they trust that the suspect is innocent rather than guilty.
The Balkans in exile : the relationship between Serbian and Croatian communities in Toronto
Authors: Milenović Jelena
Published: June 2021

The recent growth of the Serbian and Croation communities in the Greater Toronto Area has encouraged a change in attitudes between the two groups. Nationalistic sentiments harbored by many in the post-World War Two wave of predominantly Četnik and Ustaša émigrés have been laid to rest by the most recent influx of immigrants and refugees from the former Yugoslavia. This study will discern the reasons for which the new cohort of Yugoslav expatriates of Serbian and Croatian descent has been able to overcome seemingly crippling issues of nationalism. This paper will discuss how two major political figures in the Balkan wars of the 1990s, Slobodan Milošević and Franjo Tudjman, manipulated the nationalism of these two communities. In addition, an examination of media from Serbia, Croatia, and Canada will provide insight on the intricate web of factors that have influenced the conflict between the Serbian and Croatian communities in Toronto.
American Wedding Albums: a Case Study
Authors: D’Agostino Marisa Catherina
Published: June 2021

Wedding photography is an area of vernacular studies that receives surprisingly little scholarly attention. This thesis explores the material culture of wedding photography, with a specific focus on the analysis of the wedding album in terms of presentation and consumption by families from the 1950s to the 1980s. The main section of this thesis provides an examination of selected wedding album owners. This case study contains a collection of oral histories from seven individuals on their experiences with presenting and displaying their wedding photographs. The analysis provides qualitative research on the production, organization, and consumption of the wedding album as a popular medium for exhibiting wedding photographs. In addition, this thesis offers some social and historical context on the development of the wedding album and wedding photography.
Hydraulic analysis of underground bioretention systems
Authors: Bandehali Sogol
Published: June 2021

The conventional practices of urbanization significantly increase the flooding and water pollution. This is due to reduction in pervious areas. To minimize the problem, various concepts of low impact development have been implemented such as underground bioretention cells. The main intention of this research was to review different aspects of Low Impacts Developments (LIDs) especially bioretention cells and develop a hydraulic model to predict the distribution of runoff throughout the bioretention cell under different scenarios.
In this study, the hydraulic simulation model was developed in Matlab in order to attain better understanding of bioretention systems. The hydraulic model was used to investigate the impacts of different design options on the distribution of flows over the entire bioretention cell. Understanding the effect of design options can be beneficial to improve the performance of bioretention systems and improving the water quality and quantity in developed areas.
Automated extraction of buildings from IKONOS imagery by integrating spectral and spatial information
Authors: Wang Xin Min
Published: June 2021

Very High Resolution (VHR) imagery is becoming indispensable in urban mapping and land management. But owing to its characteristics, traditional spectral-based building extraction methods are not appropriate. This thesis presents an automated spectral-spatial integration extraction approach to extract two-dimensional roof outlines of urban buildings from IKONOS imagery. It substantially improves accuracy, compared with the well-known Extraction and Classification for Homogenous Objects (ECHO) and Iterative Self-Organizing Data Analysis Technique (ISODATA). With spectral-based Multi-peak Supervised Segmentation (MSS), the approach generates first stage classification. In the second stage, the original colour image and the first stage result are fed into a spatial structure classifier. With analysis of overlapped neighborhood's degree of membership to classes, homogeneity and cross-neighborhood structure, the first stage classification is significantly improved. Finally, buildings are extracted with post-processing. Compared with ISODATA, Signature Editor and ECHO, unique contributions are three new algorithms: MSS, Overlapped Neighborhood Analysis, and Cross-neighborhood Structure Detection.
Structural behaviour of ultra high performance fibre reinforced concrete composite members
Authors: Hussein Luaay
Published: June 2021

The aging and deterioration of reinforced concrete infrastructures in North America present major technical and economical challenges to infrastructure owners. To effectively address some of the challenges, there is a need to develop innovative and cost-effective systems. The main objective of this research was to develop composite members of ultra-high performance fibre reinforced concrete and normal strength concrete or high strength concrete (UHPFRC-NSC/HSC). In order to achieve this objective, the first phase of this research investigates the structural behaviour of UHPFRC with varying fibre content beams without web reinforcement. Test results indicated that the addition of 1% of steel fibres effectively improves the shear strength of UHPC beams by 77% due to the crack-bridging stress that develops across the crack surface. In the second phase, experimental studies were carried out on UHPFRC-NSC/HSC prisms and beams without stirrups to investigate the flexural and shear capacity of those composite members. Each beam specimen was designed to have the UHPFRC layer in tension and the NSC/HSC layer in compression. Additional varied parameters included fibre volume content, and shear connectors were investigated. Test results showed that the performance of the proposed composite system in terms of the flexural and shear capacity was successfully enhanced. All composite beams failed in shear at a force that is 1.6 to 2.0 times higher than that of the NSC/HSC beam's resistance. Test results showed that the effect of using HSC versus NSC in the composite beam was negligible, and the bond strength between the two concrete material layers (UHPFRC and NSC/HSC) was significantly high that the addition of shear connectors was unnecessary. In the third phase, an analytical and finite element models to predict the ultimate shear capacity of UHPFRC composite beams were proposed and validated with the experimental results. The results of the finite element analysis showed that the size effect in structures made of UHPFRC material has little influence on the shear capacity. Finally a comparison between the finite element model and the analytical model indicated that both models developed in this research are capable of predicting the shear behaviour of UHPFRC and UHPFRC-NSC/HSC beams.
Development of a web-based collaborative PPGIS to support municipal planning
Authors: Butt Muhammad Atif
Published: June 2021

The use of computing technologies to support workflows related to the planning and development of a municipality dates back to the late 1950s. The main boosts of computing technologies and applications, Geographic Information System (GIS) and Geographic Information Technology (GIT), in relation to a planning and decision-making context, became evident when the use of Public Participation GIS (PPGIS) started in the 1980s.
Collaboration is an important part of many tasks involving people from different organizations, in which maps often play a central role in informing and improving debates and facilitating the decision-making process. It allows diverse stakeholders to share and view maps or spatial images interactively over the Web in real-time, among other platforms. The geospatial collaboration technology not only provides an effective solution to decision makers, but also facilitates scientific and public debates with real-time geospatial information. More recently, some efforts have been made using open map services to develop simple map-sharing applications. However, little has been done on designing and developing such online open source tools in the context of municipal planning and management. Further, a literature review indicates the lack of scientific publications on empirical studies of their practical applications.

Web-based PPGIS applications, among others, have now been widely recognized as an efficient and integral part of sound planning and development processes to support public participation. However, GIS alone cannot make the planning process more participative. Demands for Web-based PPGIS tools, integrated with other information and computer-supported cooperative work (CSCW) tools, have rapidly become increasingly important for supporting collaborative participation during a decision-making process. Therefore, the establishment of public participation in GIS-based applications is an optimistic step taken by the researchers that are progressively working on municipal planning projects that incorporate public participation.

The main aim of this research is to provide a Collaborative PPGIS (Co-PPGIS) to enhance public participation in municipal planning related workflows. A research prototype has been developed and its usability is evaluated by adopting the evaluation criteria for the research prototype, as only proper testing will demonstrate whether the prototype is usable or the Co-PPGIS design framework is successful in meeting end-users’ requirements.
Development of innovative designs of bridge barrier system incorporating reinforcing steel or GFRP bars
Authors: Khederzadeh Hamidreza
Published: June 2021

In harsh environment, corrosion of steel reinforcement causes durability problems. Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) has emerged as an alternative to corrosion-related problem of steel bars in development of sustainable bridge deck and barrier walls. The current research program has been divided into five phases. In phase I, an extensive study has been conducted on pullout strength and bond behavior of pre-installed GFRP bars into concrete slabs and concrete cubes. In phase II, based on the Canadian Highway Bridge Design Code (CHBDC) factored applied moment at deck-wall junction, three configurations of GFRP-reinforced barrier detailing, using High-Modulus (HM) and Standard-Modulus (SM) GRFP bars, were proposed. The proposed barriers were tested by constructing five actual-size, 1.0-m long, PL-3 barrier models to determine their ultimate load carrying capacities and failure modes. In phase III, a full-scale PL-3 barrier made of GFRP-HM bars, with headed-end anchors as connecting bars to the deck slab, was constructed and tested under transverse static loading at both interior and exterior locations to-collapse to determine its crack pattern, failure mode and static ultimate load carrying capacity. In phase IV, from the trapezoidal failure pattern observed during testing the GFRP-reinforced PL-3 barriers, the research program was extended to revisit the triangular yield-line failure patterns in steel-reinforced PL-2 and PL-3 barriers specified in AASHTO-LRFD specifications. Experimental static tests to-collapse were conducted on constructed actual-size PL-2 and PL-3 steel-reinforced barriers, leading to more accurate expressions for their transverse load capacities developed based on the yield-line theory. In phase V, non-linear finite element analysis was conducted on GFRP-reinforced bridge barriers tested in phase III. The finite-element modeling was conducted to solely simulate the experimental test results for future research. A good agreement between experimental observations and numerical finite-element modeling was observed. Finally, this research led to (i) a more accurate design procedure for the GFRP - and steel-reinforced barrier wall and the barrier-deck joint, and (ii) design tables for the applied moment and tensile forces to be used to design the deck slab and the barrier deck-junction to resist transverse loading resulting from vehicle impact.
Factors Influencing English-majored Freshmen’s Speaking Performance at Ho Chi Minh City University of Food Industry
Authors: Ly Khanh Cong
Published: June 2021

It has been commonly recognized that many Vietnamese students encounter difficulties in communicating and speaking the English language. This study aims to explore the problems influencing university students’ performance in learning English speaking skills. The author carried out this research by surveying 178 English-majored freshmen at Ho Chi Minh City University of Food Industry. The findings from the analyzed quantitative data revealed that the respondents’ difficulties mainly came from internal factors. The internal factors were categorized into five main aspects: overuse of L1, weak listening and pronunciation, lack of topical knowledge and ideas, shyness and nervousness, and fear of mistakes and criticism. Some other external factors having less impact on the students’ speaking performance involved practicing time, the content of the topics, IELTS-oriented speaking tests, and lecturers’ support. This study was expected to help students overcome their internal problems and suggest some recommendations to minimize the undesirable effects of negative factors.