bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Investigation Of Hybrid SAGD Using Carbon Dioxide, Propane, Nitrogen and Methane
Authors: Imran Muhammad
Published: May 2021

This study investigates a hybrid SAGD (steam-assisted gravity drainage) process utilizing four gaseous solvents, namely, carbon dioxide, propane, nitrogen and methane that are co-injected with steam at different concentrations of 5.0, 7.5 and 10.0 wt%. The objectives are to evaluate and compare the effectiveness of non-condensable gases like methane, nitrogen and carbon dioxide with those of condensable hydrocarbons like propane; to evaluate the performance of hybrid SAGD applied to depleted, low-pressure oil reservoirs; and to numerically simulate the experimental results and obtain tuned relative permeability curves. For this purpose, rigorous experimentation is done using a laboratory-scale, cylindrical replica (i.e., physical model) of an oil reservoir with a set of parallel horizontal injection and production wells. A numerical process model is developed, simulated, and calibrated with the help of experimental data.

The experimental setup incorporates i) an injection system designed to co-inject solvent and steam at the required injection temperature of 195°C and pressure of 1.45 MPa, gauge; ii) a production system designed to collect the produced fluids and measure the fractional flow of each phase while ensuring smooth operation with minimal variations in production pressure; and iii) control systems designed to precisely control the heaters temperatures. The experiments are performed at isothermal conditions with model permeability and porosity, respectively, 10.7 Darcy and 32%.

It is observed that for low pressure reservoirs, oil recoveries with co-injected solvents are at least 18% more than that from steam alone. On an equal-weight-percentage basis, methane is found to be the best solvent, and results in the highest oil recovery of 50.7% of the original oil in place. Compared to non-condensable gases, propane has the highest solvent retention of up to 15%. The gases with higher solubility in heavy oil, like carbon dioxide and propane, show a reduction in oil recovery with an increase in feed solvent concentration.

A numerical model of the process is developed and simulated using Computer Modelling Group’s (CMG) WinProp and STARS simulators. For the solvents that are found to be promising, the simulated oil, water and gas recoveries are history-matched with their experimental counterparts by adjusting the relative permeability curves. The resulting, calibrated model is able to predict oil, water and gas recovery in the hybrid SAGD process with less than 5% relative error.
Machine-learning and statistical methods for DDoS attack detection and defense system in software defined networks
Authors: James Rukshan Dennis Merlin
Published: May 2021

Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack is a serious threat on today’s Internet. As the traffic across the Internet increases day by day, it is a challenge to distinguish between legitimate and malicious traffic. This thesis proposes two different approaches to build an efficient DDoS attack detection system in the Software Defined Networking environment. SDN is the latest networking approach which implements centralized controller, which is programmable. The central control and the programming capability of the controller are used in this thesis to implement the detection and mitigation mechanisms.

In this thesis, two designed approaches, statistical approach and machine-learning approach, are proposed for the DDoS detection. The statistical approach implements entropy computation and flow statistics analysis. It uses the mean and standard deviation of destination entropy, new flow arrival rate, packets per flow and flow duration to compute various thresholds. These thresholds are then used to distinguish normal and attack traffic. The machine learning approach uses Random Forest classifier to detect the DDoS attack. We fine-tune the Random Forest algorithm to make it more accurate in DDoS detection. In particular, we introduce the weighted voting instead of the standard majority voting to improve the accuracy. Our result shows that the proposed machine-learning approach outperforms the statistical approach. Furthermore, it also outperforms other machine-learning approach found in the literature.
Development and Characterization of Fluorescent Mannose and Sialic Acid Based Chemical Probes for Lectin Discovery and Enzyme Studies
Authors: Abukar Tasnim
Published: May 2021

BODIPY (4,4–Difluoro-4-boro-3a,4a-diaza-s-indacene) dyes are relatively nonpolar fluorescent molecules used as biological labeling reagents. The advantages of using BODIPY dyes as tags include their unique photochemical properties, allowing for an easy and sensitive monitoring of target components. This thesis will discuss the synthesis of novel fluorescent “BODIPY”-labeled carbohydrate-based chemical probes and highlight their uses in different biological applications. In chapter one, we have focused on the development of BODIPY-mannose-based chemical probes for the discovery and characterization of mannose-binding lectins on surfaces of Actinobacteria. The synthesis of these probes and their efficiency to detect mannose-binding lectins using different techniques such as Fluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry are discussed. In chapter two, we have focused on the chemo-enzymatic synthesis of BODIPY-sialic acid based chemical probes for enzymatic detection of specific glycoconjugates on proteins. The use of these probes as donor substrates to probe the enzymes involved in glycan sialylation are discussed
Large receptive field networks for accurate high-scale image super-resolution
Authors: Seif George
Published: May 2021

This thesis presents a novel convolutional neural network architecture for high-scale image super-resolution.
In particular, we introduce two separate modifications that can be made to the convolutional layers in
the network: one-dimensional kernels and dilated kernels. We show how both of these methods can
be used to expand the receptive field and performance of super-resolution networks, without increasing
the number of trainable parameters or network depth. We show that these modifications can easily be
integrated into any convolutional neural network to improve performance. Our methods are especially
effective for the challenging high scale super-resolution due to the expanded network receptive field. We
conduct extensive empirical evaluations to demonstrate the effectiveness of our methods, showing strong
improvements over the state-of-the-art.
A content-based image retrieval system for hat database
Authors: Li Danhua
Published: May 2021

Content-based image retrieval (CBIR) is a technique for indexing and retrieving images based on the low-level features, middle-level features, and high-level features. Low-level feature is extracted from contents of the images such as color, texture and shape; middle-level feature is a region obtained as a result of image segmentation; high-level feature is semantic information about the meaning of image, its objects and their roles, and categories to which the image belongs. In this project, three low-level features texture-based retrieval, color-based retrieval and shape-based retrieval are implemented and compared on hat database. Texture features are obtained from parameters of a two-component Gaussian mixture model (GMM) in the wavelet domain. Color features are extracted from a two-component GMM on HLS color space. Shape features are extracted from the contour by using centroid-contour distance Fourier descriptor. A comprehensive experimental evaluation of the retrieval performance of different feature sets is performed. The experimental results indicate that the shape features based on the centroid-contour distance Fourier descriptor perform much better than the color and texture features for the hat database used in this project
Framing international crises: a comparative content analysis of media texts on the collapse of Venezuela
Authors: Olinto Berti
Published: May 2021

This research explores mainstream and diasporic media coverage and discourses surrounding the Venezuelan economic and political crisis from late March 2017 until early May 2018. A comparative content analysis was applied to a total of 256 news articles, editorials, and stories from the Toronto Star, one of Canada’s largest newspapers, and from La Portada Canadá, a Spanish-language Latin American newspaper in Toronto. The results demonstrated diasporic media’s appropriation of journalistic biases such as human impact, dramatization, and national interests and the reframing of dominant discourses from international news agencies about the Venezuelan crisis. Whereas there are significant similarities between both media’s content regarding the crisis, La Portada Canadá stressed the transnational component of the Venezuelan diaspora through discourses about political and civic engagement in Canada. The Toronto Star focused more on the economic and political components of the crisis, which are closely linked to the country’s national agenda.

Keywords: diasporic media, mainstream media, media coverage, media discourses, international crises, humanitarian crisis, Venezuela, Toronto
Voices of conflict, reconciliation, and transnational belonging : interrogating the events at the II roundtable discussions for Salvadorans in Canada
Authors: Guerrero Denise I-fen Chung
Published: May 2021

This Major Research Paper is a case study examining an act of civil disobedience at a Salvadoran community event which occurred in 2007 to explore the political participation, transnationlism and a sense of belonging for Salvadorans in Canada. Interviews were done with participants who attended the event as well as members of the community not present. The questions explored are: 1. Is political engagement a strong indicator of social relations within the community? 2. What do these social relations mean for the political participation of Salvadorans and how do these intersections affect their sense of belonging? and; 3. Do these dynamics affect a sense of identity for Salvadoran in Canada? Research data emphasized an understanding of politics as "party politics" among participants, embedded with socio-economic hierarchies which are transferred through generations. Other concepts emerging from the data highlight the political socialization of Salvadorans and the impact of the civil war.
Liveable Cities and Urban Transit: Liveability in a Global Context and its Connections to the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA)
Authors: D'Alessandro Daniele Alessio
Published: May 2021

This MRP outlines the importance of transit in enhancing liveability. It does so by conducting a review of literature, identifying seven components of liveability (including transportation), and explaining how transit contributes to the individual components of liveability. Then, a jurisdictional scan of transit policies in Zurich, Vancouver, and Seoul was conducted to examine whether transit policies enhanced liveability in these cities. Finally, this MRP presented transit policy recommendations for the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) and explained how improved transit would increase the GTHA’s liveability. This MRP found that transit augments liveability in Zurich, Vancouver, and Seoul and that the contributions of transit to liveability are often overlooked by the literature and liveability indices. These findings show that transit should be viewed as an important variable that enhances liveability in cities.
Accurate Stochastic Simulation Methods for Homogeneous Biochemical Networks
Authors: Ansari Farida
Published: May 2021

Stochastic models of intracellular processes are subject of intense research today. For homogeneous systems, these models are based on the Chemical Master Equation, which is a discrete stochastic model. The Chemical Master Equation is often solved numerically using Gillespie’s exact stochastic simulation algorithm. This thesis studies the performance of another exact stochastic simulation strategy, which is based on the Random Time Change representation, and is more efficient for sensitivity analysis, compared to Gillespie’s algorithm. This method is tested on several models of biological interest, including an epidermal growth factor receptor model.
The Architecture of Place: Placemaking In The Urban Fabric of Toronto
Authors: Rategh Pegah
Published: May 2021

Nowadays, due to economic dynamics, modernity, technology and urban sprawl, humans are suffering from “placelessness”. A look at the urban fabric of metropolitan cities makes evident that public places are losing their distinctive idiosyncrasies. 21st-century built environments are diminishing the unique characters that make places noteworthy. The problem with this is that people have the desire to associate with distinctive places. Ignoring this tendency will create a type of environment where places do not matter any more. Public spaces that serve as platforms for life are not only essential to the identity of cities but also provide venues for social-cultural activities that will attract people. This thesis aims to investigate the role of architecture in increasing the quality of people’s daily experiences in the public domain, and to explore opportunities to frame a new type of public market place in Toronto by imbuing ‘The Architecture of Place’ with ‘a sense of place’.
Role Of Selected Fimbrial Adheins In Pathogenesis Of Acid-Induced Eneterohemorrhagic Escherichia Coli 0157:H7
Authors: Haque Shahnaz
Published: May 2021

Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) 0157:H7 is a food-borne pathogen that causes hemolytic uremic syndrome and hemorrhagic colitis. The mechanisms underlying the adhesion of EHEC 0157:H7 to intestinal epithelial cells are not well understood. Like other food-borne pathogens, ECEC 0157:H7 must survive the acid stress of the gastric juice in the stomach and short chain fatty acid in the intestine in order to colonize the large intestine. We have found that acid stress and short chain fatty acid stress significantly enhance host-adhesion of EHEC 0157:H7 and also upregulates expression of EHEC fimbrial genes, lpfA1, lpfA2 and yagZ, as demonstrated by our DNA microarray. We now report that disruption of the yagZ (also known as the E. coli common pilus A) gene results in loss of the acid-induced and short chain fatty acid-induced adhesion increase seen for the wild type strain. When the yagZ mutant is complemented with yagZ, the sress-induced and short chain fatty acid-induced adhesion increase seen for the wild type strain. When the yagZ mutant is complemented with yagZ, the stress-induced adhesion pehnotype is restored, confirming the role of yagZ in the acid as well as short chain fatty acid induced adhesion to HEp-2 cells. On the other hand, neither disruption in the long polar fimbria genes lpfA1 or lpfA2 in the wild type showed any effect in adherence to HEp-2 cells; rather displaying a hyperadherant phenotype to HEp-2 cells after acid-induced or short chain fatty acid-induced stress. The results also indicate that acid or short chain fatty acid stress, which is a part of the host's natural defense mechanism against pathogens, may regulate virulence factors resulting in enhanced bacteria-host attachment during colonization in the human or bovine host.
Characterization of the microbial communities responsible for ammonia oxidation in activated sludge systems of municipal wastewater treatment plants
Authors: Islam GM Itheshamul
Published: May 2021

Nitrification is an essential microbial process in the global nitrogen cycle. The first step of nitrification is ammonia oxidation which is achieved by bacteria and archaea and is crucial in decreasing ammonia concentrations that are persistently high in wastewater. This study examined the composition, abundance and identity of the microbial community in activated sludge with a focus on characterizing ammonia oxidizing bacteria and archaea in a full-scale municipal wastewater treatment plant (MWTP). Specifically, two pharmaceutical compounds Tetracycline and Ibuprofen, and their effects on the community composition of bacteria and protozoa in activated sludge was investigated using PCR coupled with denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). In addition, the composition, abundance and activity of the ammonia oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and ammonia oxidizing archaea (AOA) were analyzed from aerobic activated sludge, recycled sludge and anaerobic digesters of the Humber MWTP using molecular techniques such as PCR, Quantitative PCR, Reverse Transcription-PCR and DGGE. The findings demonstrated that Tetracycline did not appear to alter community composition of bacteria in the activated sludge, rather, the operational parameters of the sequencing batch reactors such as feeding rates and SRT have shown to alter the richness of bacterial communities. However, Ibuprofen affected some members in the protozoan community in activated sludge. In the full-scale Humber MWTP using the conventional activated sludge system, the aeration tanks contained 1.8 × 105 copies of the AOB amoA gene per 100 ng of DNA. In contrast, the anaerobic digester tanks contained 7.3 × 102 copies of the AOA amoA gene per 100ng of DNA. This study also found that AOB were dominant in activated sludge samples, regardless of the operational parameters. The quantification of cDNA transcripts of the amoA gene also indicated that AOB may be more active than AOA in the activated sludge system. Overall, it appears that AOA are very niche specific and thrive in very low oxygenated environments, while AOB proliferate and play a major role in aerobic ammonia oxidation occurring in MWTPs.
Technological displacement: The Coat Check interactive augmented reality installation in perspective
Authors: Koc Aysegul
Published: May 2021

Technological Displacement: The Coat Check Interactive AR Installation in Perspective is a two-part dissertation that involves the research/creation of an augmented reality installation and a textual critique of displacement both as a socio-cultural phenomenon and a technology-driven status quo. Digital technologies involve a series of displacements from data storage and transfer to creating global networks. Going hand in hand with human mobilities technological displacement affects our lives and interactions deeply. Multimedia and digital overlaying of information and interconnectedness (mobile devices, tracking technologies, the internet...) make up our quotidian in various degrees, impelling us to be 'present' in time and places we actually are not. Technological displacement may be viewed as an extension of physical displacement of individuals and communities in that the need to reconcile, re-invent and innovatively market proximity becomes more and more an underlying theme of contemporary lives. Nowhere the reorientations of presence is more accentuated than 'augmented space', as described by Lev Manovich, "a physical space overlaid with dynamically changing information, multimedia in form and localized for each user." (219) It may be argued that our sense of reality is already 'augmented' by digital stimuli in many ways. Here I make the case that in an augmented or digitally enhanced environment we are displaced multiple times, or "multiplaced". Augmentation is superimposing multimedia to real space, blurring the boundary between the real and the virtual, creating a heterogeneous space defined neither by the standards of the virtual nor the real but the coexistence and cooperation of both.
Augmented reality functions on the principle of multiple displacements in that real space is not a backdrop to multimedia: it is indispensable to the overall embodied experience. I created the Coat Check in 2011 using motion tracking technologies (Intersense IS900), specialized cameras (Point Grey 360 degree Spherical Vision Camera), screens (Fog Screen), software (Max/MSP), tools and applications (Snapdragon AR). The conceptualization of The Coat Check is based on an analogy between digital technologies and coat checks that are both storage, retrieval and displacement systems. The Coat Check also raises questions on identity and history as it refers to belonging, temporality, and mobility.
It's Alive: an exploration of contemporary poetry in the digital age using Rupi Kaur as a case study
Authors: Hood Lysle
Published: May 2021

In the digital age, technology and digital media shapes virtually every aspect of our lives. Poetry, which has seen a surprising revival in recent years, is no exception. One of the most popular contemporary poets today is Rupi Kaur, made famous for her verse posted on the social media platform Instagram. This MRP seeks to answer the following research questions:
1) In what ways has the digital age effected contemporary poetry?
2) What role has digital media played in shaping the success and formal elements of Rupi Kaur’s
body of work?
This MRP begins by offering a brief history of poetry’s relationship with media and an account of how poetry is produced and consumed in the digital age. The core of the MRP is a case study of contemporary Insta-poet Rupi Kaur. Through qualitative visual and textual analysis, the case study considers: 1) Kaur’s poetry, 2) her Instagram content, 3) her readership,
and 4) the criticisms of her work. As to the discussion, the analysis of the four categories reveals
Rheological and structural properties of lecithin-based organogels
Authors: Singh Karlene Stacey Tamara
Published: May 2021

The objectives of this study were to develop lecithin-based organogels made of a biocompatible organic phase and to study the structural and rheological properties of organogels made with different organic phases. The materials used were soybean lecithin of >90% purity (phosphatidylcholine), distilled water and the following organic phases: isooctane (ISO), mineral oil (MO) and isopropylpalmitate (IPP). Phase diagrams for the PC/Water/ISO, PC/Water/ISO/MO (20:80 vo1/vo1), PC/Water/IPP,PC/Water/IPP/MO (50:50vo1/vo1 and 30:70vo1/vo1) and Pc/Water/MO systems were analysed using polarised light microscopy. A narrow region of organogel formation was observed in all systems at molar ratios of water to lecithin between values of 0.4 and 4, depending on the organic phase used. Small-angle X-ray diffraction studies for the PC/Water/ISO system revealed the existence of a highly ordered two-dimensional crystal lattice likely formed by the bundling of the cylindrical reverse micellar tubes. The results for the Pc/Water/IPP and PC/Water/MO systems indicated that there was not enough structural material in the organogels to observe any level of molecular organisation. In summary, this study demonstrated that it was possible to develop biocompatible lecithin-based organogels.
Effects of Performance-Based Methods in Teaching of Difference with Youth
Authors: Gaudry-Routledge Madison Elizabeth
Published: May 2021

This qualitative research study explored the pragmatic ways in which youth ages 8 - 17 are taught within the Canadian education system, specifically Ontario, on topics of difference and power and how this influences their understanding of the construction of identity and the systemic oppression of marginalized groups. This study aimed to present findings from four elementary and high school educators and their perceptions of implementing performance-based practices with youth as a critical pedagogical tool in order to address issues surrounding difference. Through semi-structured interviews, these educators described their experiences using these methods in their classroom. Using a thematic analysis, this study revealed several benefits of including performative methods in the educational setting but found that there are a number of challenges that could impede the effective implementation of these practices. Including critical performance-based practices in the classroom has the potential to empower youth as they navigate their identities.
Evaluation of the Transfer of the TOL Plasmid Pseudomonas Putida to Groundwater-Derived Biofilms in a Model Rock-Fracture Aquifer
Authors: Starek Matthew
Published: May 2021

Non-aqueous phase liquids (NAPLs) can become entrapped in subsurface rock fractures and become a long-term groundwater contaminant source. While remediation technologies exist, they can be expensive. Subsurface microorganisms can also degrade NAPLs trapped in the subsurface; however, this is a slow process. The possibility of enhancing microbial degradation of NAPLs via a plasmid transfer mechanism in a model rock fracture aquifer was explored. There was no indication that introduction of donor strain Pseudomonas putida SM1443::gfp2x-pWW0::dsRed into the model system led to transfer of the degradative TOL plasmid pWWO, or led to increased degradation of model NPL toluene. Plate matings with the donor strain and a groundwater-derived microbial consortium indicated that few potential recipients existed in the community. Nutrient concentration was ruled out as a limiting factor of plasmid transfer.
Development of an Electrothermal Simulation Tool for Integrated Circuits
Authors: Attar Sara Sharifian
Published: May 2021

The goal of this research was to develop a capability for the electrothermal modeling of electronic circuits. The objective of the thermal modeling process was to create a model that represents the thermal behavior of the physical system. The project focuses on electrothermal analysis at devices and chip level. A novel method to perform electrothermal analysis of integrated circuits based on the relaxation approach is proposed in this research. An interface program couples a circuit simulator and a thermal simulator. The developed simulator is capable of performing both steady state and transient analaysis at devices and chip level. The proposed method was applied to perform electrothermal analysis of Silicon Bipolar Junction Transistor (BJT) to predict the temperature distribution and the device performance in a circuit. Thermal nonlinearity due to temperature-dependent material parameters in the context of thermal modeling of the device and circuit has also been considered. The DC characteristics of the device were investigated. The obtained results indicate that the operating point of the device varies while the device reaches its junction temperature. The accuracy of the electrothermal simulator has been evaluated for steady state analysis. The experimental results of a BJT amplifier were compared to the simulator results of the similar circuit. The electrothermal simulation results of BJT amplifier circuit indicate a good agreement with the available experimental results in terms of power dissipation, collector current and base-emitter voltage. The performance of the electrothermal simulator has been evaluated for tansient analysis. A current mirror circuit using Si NPN BJTs was simulated. According to the electrical simulator, the output current follows the reference current immediately. Nonetheless, the electrothermal simulator results depict that the load current has delay to reach a constant value which is not the same as the reference current, due to the influence of thermal coupling and self heating. The obtained results are in agreement with the available results in literature.
Modeling, Simulation and Optimal Control of Ethylene Polymerization in a High-Pressure Tubular Reactor
Authors: Yao Frederick Zuojiang
Published: May 2021

Low-density polyethylene (LDPE) is a very important material for the manufacture of engineering and commodity plastics. The products are usually produced in high-pressure free  radical polymerization either by autoclave or by tubular processes. This study presents a kinetic model based on a postulated reaction mechanism to describe the evolution of monomer, initiator consumption and the average molecular weights of ethylene polymerization in a high-pressure polymerization tubular reactor. The variations in the density and viscosity of the reacting mixture along multiple injection points for an initiator are used along reactor length is explicitly taken into account. A simulation program is developed to solve the mathematical model and the results are compared with those reported earlier. Further, the optimal control of the LDPE reactor is carried out using genetic algorithms to maximize monomer conversion using the jacket temperature of heat-exchange fluid as a control  function  along  reactor  length.  The  results  indieate  a 22-40%  increase  in the reduction of monomer concentration.
Tensor analysis of electroencephalogram signal for localization of event-related potentials
Authors: Pouryazdian Saeed
Published: May 2021

Electroencephalogram (EEG) is widely used for monitoring, diagnosis purposes and also for study of brains physiological, mental and functional abnormalities. EEG is known to be a high-dimensional signal in which processing of information by the brain is reected in dynamical changes of the electrical activity in time, frequency, and space. EEG signal processing tends to describe and quantify these variations into functions with known spatio-temporal-spectral properties or at least easier to characterize. Multi-channel EEG recordings naturally include multiple modes. Matrix analysis, via stacking or concatenating other modes with the retained two modes, has been extensively used to represent and analyze the EEG data. On the other hand, Multi-way (tensor) analysis techniques keep the structure of the data, and by analyzing more dimensions simultaneously, summarize the data into more interpretable components.
This work presents a generalized multi-way array analysis methodology in pattern classification systems as related to source separation and discriminant feature selection in EEG signal processing problems. Analysis of ERPs, as one of the main categories of EEG signals, requires systems that can exploit the variation of the signals in different contextual domains in order to reveal the hidden structures in the data.
Temporal, spectral, spatial, and subjects/experimental conditions of multi-channel ERP signals are exploited here to generate three-way and four-way ERP tensors. Two key elements of this framework are the Time-Frequency representation (TFR) and CANDECOMP/PARAFAC model order selection techniques we incorporate for analysis. Here, we propose a fully data-driven TFR scheme, via combining the Empirical Mode Decomposition
and Reassignment method, which yields a high resolution and cross-term free TFR. Furthermore, we develop a robust and effective model order selection scheme that outperforms conventional techniques in mid and low SNRs (i.e. 0􀀀10 dB) with a better Probability of Detection (PoD) and almost no extra computational overhead after the CANDECOMP/PARAFAC decomposition.
ERP tensor can be regarded as a mixture that includes different kinds of brain activity,
artifacts, interference, and noise. Using this framework, the desired brain activity could
be extracted out from the mixture. The extracted signatures are then translated for
different applications in brain-computer interface and cognitive neuroscience.
Exploring how young Iranian immigrant women navigate their cultural differences of home and school in Vancouver
Authors: Sharifi Sholeh
Published: May 2021

This research addresses the gap in the literature on how first-generation young Iranian immigrant women conciliate differences in their identity between home and school. It captures the narratives of 6 Iranian immigrant women living in Vancouver, British Columbia; the women are between the ages of 18 and 24. Based upon semi-structured interviews and using a qualitative approach and narrative inquiry, the study explores how these young women negotiate their own space despite different cultural demands from school and family. The main research question asks: How do young Iranian immigrant women navigate the differences between school culture and home culture? The data is approached and analysed by drawing on the transnational feminist theoretical framework. Focusing on the themes of education and school experience, family relations, and intimate relations, the research looks at the ways in which these women, especially those facing multiple oppressions of gender, class, sexuality, and race, mediate the different expectations of parents, school, and mainstream Canadian culture.

Key words: Iranian immigrants, young Iranian immigrant women, transnational feminism, identity, first-generation racialized women
Fault Detection, Isolation and Prognosis for Control Moment Gyros Onboard Satellites
Authors: Muthusamy Venkatesh
Published: May 2021

Developing a Diagnosis, Prognosis and Health Monitoring (DPHM) framework for a small satellite is a challenging task due to the limited availability of onboard health monitoring sensors and computational budget. This thesis deals with the problem of developing DPHM framework for a satellite attitude actuator system that uses a single gimballed Control Moment Gyro (CMG) in pyramid configuration as an actuator. This includes the development of computationally light data-driven model, fault detection, isolation and prognosis algorithms that works only using the
attitude rate measurements from the satellite.
A novel scheme is proposed for developing a data-driven model which fuses the symmetric property of the data and the system orientation property of actuators that reduces the need for historical data by 93.75%. The data is trained using Chebyshev Neural Network. A threshold based fault detection algorithm is used to detect the faults of spin motor and gimbal motor used in a CMG. A novel optimization based fault isolation formulation is developed and simulated for given uniformly distributed system parameters. The algorithm has a success rate of 93.5% in isolating faults of 8 motors (4 gimbal and 4 spin) that can fail in 254 different ways. For Fault Prognosis, an error based scheme is developed as a measure of degradation. General path model with Bayesian updating is used for predicting the remaining useful life of the spin motor. It performs with 96.25% accuracy when 30% of data is available. Overall, the proposed algorithms can be regarded as a promising DPHM tool for similar non-linear systems.
Marketing With Emotion, Communicating With Reason: A Comparison of Google's Consumer-Brand Engagement Strategies by Ad Execution Format
Authors: To Vanessa
Published: May 2021

This Major Research Paper (MRP) studies how emotional marketing influences brand storytelling and aims to recognize why the tactic is considered effective for driving consumer-brand engagement. Current literature one motional marketing has had limited attention by researchers. This study expands the research available to marketers, advertisers, and communication professionals. To pursue the research, this study focuses on Google’s online advertisements, Dear Sophie (2011) and Your Chrome, Everywhere (2012), each of which use different ad execution formats for analysis; the former by emotion and the latter by reason. Following a two-part comparative and multimodal analysis, three major findings appear from the research. First, ad execution by emotion generates increased consumer-brand engagement, in comparison to ad execution by reason. Second, ad execution by reason appears to be more valuable for actionable consumer-brand interaction. Lastly, there is indication that ad execution format by positive emotion influences a response of positive consumer-brand attitude. This study concludes with suggestions for future research on emotional marketing.
The Enrichment and Characterization of Compost and Wastewater-Derived Microbial Cellulolytic Consortia for Biofuel Production
Authors: Dobosz Augustyna
Published: May 2021

Over the last decade, a rise in energy demand and diminishing fuel resources have created a challenge for finding an alternative solution that could supplement our current energy sources. This study demonstrated that ethanol and other useful end-products can be produced from the fermentative activity of microbial consortia derived from cellulose-rich waste environments. Compost and wastewater were used as inoculum sources to enrich cellulolytic cultures at incubation temperatures 50 ºC and 60ºC. A chemically defined medium was used without complex nutrients such as yeast extract. Four cellulolytic cultures were obtained and their end-products were monitored over an active cellulose degrading period. The compost culture incubated at 50ºC produced the highest concentration of butyrate while the wastewater-derived culture incubated at 60ºC produced the highest ethanol concentration. Optimization of DNA extraction and purification from complex environmental samples such as the compost and wastewater cultures used in this study was also discussed.
Since we last spoke
Authors: Sabet Sophie
Published: May 2021

It was not until recent years that I noticed something curious about my family. That maybe the years of on going feuding and disappointment were not solely due to our conflicting personalities, and that there were other external, cultural and societal forces at play. When I began my MFA, I had no idea I was going to create a project about my own family – that I would be projecting giant portraits of my mother and father’s face on gallery walls. But, over the last two years, the deep-seeded troubles my family ignored for as long as I can remember bubbled to the surface. Just as the chaos began to unfold, I started my MFA, trying to figure out what story I wanted to share with the world. It turned out that our story would be the one to tell. If there is one thing I am sure of, this story would not have been discussed and shared with the public, if it wasn’t for the deep and unconditional love and trust we possess for one another.
A Comparative Investigation in Measuring Food Access: Food Deserts in Urban Setting
Authors: Amirmohsen Behjat
Published: May 2021

An increasing number of food desert studies over the past two decades have attempted to identify urban areas with inadequate access to nutritious and affordable food with implications for public health social equity and environmental issues. Due to different ways of operationalizing food desert analysis and the multifaceted dimension of the concept, there are inherent ambiguities in the validity and accuracy of food desert results across different studies. This study challenged the conventional measurements of food availability (
Position Domain Synchronization Control For Robotic Manipulators
Authors: Pano Vangjel
Published: May 2021

Developed in this thesis is a new control law focusing on the improvement of contour tracking of robotic manipulators. The new control scheme is a hybrid controller based on position domain control (PDC) and position synchronization control (PSC). On PDC, the system’s dynamics are transformed from time domain to position domain via a one-to-one mapping and the position of the master axis motion is used as reference instead of time. The elimination of the reference motion from the control input improves contouring performance relative to time domain controllers. Conversely, PSC seeks to reduce the error of the systems by diminishing the synchronization error between each agent of the system. The new control law utilizes the aforementioned techniques to maximize the contour performance. The Lyapunov method was used to prove the proposed controller’s stability. The new control law was compared to existing control schemes via simulations of linear and nonlinear contours, and was shown to provide good tracking and contouring performances.
Cyclic Deformation of Semi-solid Processed Magnesium Alloys
Authors: Patel Himesh
Published: May 2021

To improve fuel economy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, magnesium alloys are being considered for automotive and aerospace applications because of their high strength-to-weight ratio. The objective of this thesis was to study monotonic and cyclic deformation behavior of two semi-solid processed (thixomolded) magnesium alloys, AZ91D and AM60B. The fatigue life of these thixomolded alloys was observed to be higher than that of their die cast counterparts. As the total strain amplitude increased, the stress amplitude and plastic strain amplitude increased, while the pseudoelastic modulus decreased. The change in the modulus was attributed to the nonlinear (pseudoelastic) behavior caused by twinning-detwinning during cyclic deformation. The fatigue life increased with decreasing strain ratio, and partial mean stress relaxation occurred mainly in the initial 10-20% of the fatigue life. The fatigue life of theAM60B alloy improved after solution or solution-aging treatment, and the monotonic strength increased by aging, while the thixomolded condition itself exhibited moderate monotonic strength and fatigue life.
User experience design for route creation
Authors: Hradecky Julien
Published: May 2021

This research project aims to prove the viability of a digital marketplace application where locals can create and sell self-guided routes for tourists. The research will operate under the assumption that a route will need to be sufficiently ‘valuable’ by metrics that can be defined after an extensive review of literature. My hypothesis is that route creators can design a ‘valuable’ route in about fifteen minutes. In terms of methodology, I will begin by creating a template for locals to create a route. I will have a group of locals in Toronto create routes and time them in order to test the route creation process.
The results disprove that a route with ‘value’ can be created in fifteen minutes, instead hosts’ time needs can vary. Finally, a functioning prototype of the application is made based on user input and feedback.
Solubility measurement of polyethylene glycol polymers in supercritical carbon dioxide at high pressures and temperatures
Authors: Al Rafea Kamal
Published: May 2021

Solubility and its measurement of different materials including polymers, drugs, proteins, peptides and many other organic or non organic compounds in supercritical fluids are of great importance in a wide variety of applications. These applications include: production of controlled drug delivery systems, powder processing, pollution prevention, spraying paints and coatings, and food processing.

Supercritical Fluids are fetting more interest since the last two decades due to their abilities in replacing VOC solvents, and because of their tunable properties that could be achieved by varying their pressure and temperature in getting powerful solvents. Supercritical fluid is a substance under pressure absove its critical temperature. Under supercritical conditions the distinction between gases and liquids does not apply and substance can only be described as a fluid. Supercritical fluids have properties intermediate between those of gases and liquids, controlled by the pressure. They do not condense or evaporate to form a liquid or a gas. Fluids such as supercritical carbon dioxide offer a range of unusual chemical possibilities in both synthetic and analytical chemistry. Supercritical fluids have solvent power similar to a light hydrocarbon for most solutes.
Authors Online: Strategies for Digital Self Promotion
Authors: Regimbal-Kung Ashley
Published: May 2021

This paper explored strategies of digital self-promotion for authors online through the investigation of emerging, independent self-published writers. This research provides best practices through those strategies to assist self-published writers in furthering their public profile in digital marketing. The literature review provides context in the online self-publishing environment, connecting with the audience; encouraging collaboration (produsage); adapting to the shifting publishing marketplace through self-presentation strategies (branding), and; bolstering two-way communication (market sensing). It also provides the basis for coding self-presentation themes in self-presentation. This research suggests that best practices can optimize the time that writers spend on marketing, not only to attract initial attention from publishers but at any stage in their career. This research gathers data and develops case studies of four self-published authors that use Wattpad, a social media platform for writers. It analyzes these authors’ strategies for self-promotion and measures their effectiveness through the level of engagement elicited from their fans. It develops best practices from these strategies. This research finds that digital self-promotional activities are successful if they are creative, unique and develop a community of fan followers. It is especially effective when authors reflect the interests of their target audience. It was also found these strategies helped develop the author’s branding for long-term effectiveness
Embedded e-maintenance for an FPGA-based reconfigurable system
Authors: Goldenberg Dina
Published: May 2021

In recent years with the use of Internet Technologies e-Maintenance systems for remote connectivity, performance monitoring and diagnostics were introduced. As reconfigurable system based on FPGAs are becoming more and more popular due to their low time-to-market and reprogrammable feature, new possibilities for e-Maintenance are opened allowing remote repair of the system by sending new firmware via Internet for reconfiguration of FPGA. Up until recently programming of FPGA has been a complicated hardware design process. However, as FPGAs were evolving, their reconfiguration time was significantly reduced and partial reconfiguration became available, application programming into FPGA can be simplified as presented in [1]. This method is based on temporal partitioning of FPGA and periodically reloading it with segments of application for different tasks. This allows utilization of smaller and thus much cheaper FPGA and also simplifies the programming. With the help of e-Maintenance the whole system can be dynamically reconfigured. Remote programmer can perform partial reconfiguration, close the physical location in FPGA for reconfiguration and upgrade different segments. In this project a research of remote maintenance and reconfigurable systems is conducted and e-Maintenance system is developed for an FPGA-based platform.
The classification of gesture interactions and the study of their ergonomic effect on hands
Authors: Chau Yu Wai
Published: May 2021

In order to investigate gestural behavior during human-computer interactions, an investigation into the
designs of current interaction methods is conducted. This information is then compared to current
emerging databases to observe if the gesture designs follow guidelines discovered in the above
investigation. The comparison will also observe common trends in the currently developed gesture
databases such as similar gesture for specific commands. In order to investigate gestural behavior
during interactions with computer interfaces, an experiment has been devised to observe and record
gestures in use for gesture databases through the use of a hardware sensor device. It was discovered
that factors such as opposing adjacent fingers and gestures that simulated object manipulation are
factors in user comfort. The results of this study will create guidelines for creating new gestures for
hand gesture interfaces.
Thermal system-specific and net-zero carbon least-cost design of new houses in Canadian cold climates
Authors: Wilbur Brandon
Published: May 2021

Whole-building model optimizations have been performed for a single-detached house in 5 locations with varying climates, electricity emissions factors, and energy costs. The multi-objective optimizations determine the life-cycle cost vs. operational greenhouse gas emissions Pareto front to discover the 30-year life-cycle least-cost building design heated 1) with natural gas,
and 2) electrically using a) central air-source heat pump, b) ductless mini-split heat pump c)ground-source heat pump, and d) electric baseboard, accounting for both initial and operational energy-related costs. A net-zero carbon design with grid-tied photovoltaics is also optimized. Results indicate that heating system type influences the optimal enclosure design, and that neither building total energy use, nor space heating demand correspond to GHG emissions across heating system types. In each location, at least one type of all-electric design has a lower life-cycle cost than the optimized gas-heated model, and such designs can mitigate the majority of operational GHG emissions from new housing in locations with a low carbon intensity electricity supply.