bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Inclusive By Design: Creating A Dating App Built On Inclusive Design Principles
Authors: Clapperton Robert
Published: May 2021

Inclusive design is an approach to design that puts the diversity of people at the centre of its focus. By following this approach, designers can help users avoid unnecessary barriers and frustrations that lead them to feel excluded from the product or service. This study uses this approach to examine whether current popular dating applications such as Tinder, Bumble, and Grindr create barriers for their users especially those who identify as People of Colour and people who identify as transgender, non-binary, genderqueer, gender non-conforming or any other gender identity existing outside of the traditional female-male binary. By listening and using empathy to put these users at the centre of the design process, my objective is to build a dating app that will meet their needs, reduce unconscious bias, and create a safe and equitable experience for everyone.
Modelling and Current-Mode Control of a Modular Multilevel DC-DC Converter
Authors: Kaler Sandeep
Published: May 2021

The visions of multi-terminal direct-current (MTDC) grids, DC distribution systems for densely populated urban areas, and DC microgrids for more straightforward integration of distributed energy resources (including renewable energies, electric vehicles, and energy storage devices) have sparked a great deal of research and development in the recent past. An enabling technology towards the fulfilment of these visions is efficient, highly-controllable, and fault-tolerant AC-DC and DC-DC electronic power converters capable of interfacing networks that operate at different voltage levels. This thesis thus presents the results of an in-depth investigation into the operation and control of a particular class of DC-DC converters. The DC-DC converter studied in this thesis is based upon the so-called modular multi-level converter (MMC) configuration, employing halfbridge submodules and with no galvanic isolation. The thesis first presents the governing dynamic and steady-state equations for the converter. Then, based on the developed mathematical model, it identifies suitable variables, strategies, and feedback loops for the regulation of the submodule DC voltages as well as converter power throughput. In particular, two current-control loops are proposed that, in coordination with one another, not only enable the control of the power flow within the converter, but also promise protection against overloads and terminal shorts. The validity of the mathematical model and effectiveness of the proposed control are verified through off-line simulation of a detailed circuit model as well as experiments conducted on a 1-kW experimental setup. The results of this exercise motivate the extension of the proposed control method to more compact designs with galvanic isolation and enhanced power handing capabilities.
Increasing Network Lifetime In Cluster Based Wireless Sensor Networks Via Fuzzy Logic
Authors: Behrouz Rouzbeh
Published: May 2021

Energy efficient operation is a critical issue that has to be addressed with large-scale wireless sensor networks deployments. Cluster-based protocols are developed to tackle this problem and Low Energy Adaptive Clustering Hierarchy (LEACH) is one of the best-known protocols of this type. However, certain aspects of LEACH offer room for improvement. One such aspect is the arrangement of wireless sensor network with the fixed base station location. In this thesis we purpose Fuzzy Logic for Mobile Base Station (FLMBS) protocol that is based on LEACH but uses a Fuzzy Inference System driven approach to adjust the location of the base station. FLMBS produces reasonable improvement over LEACH in a network area greater than 1000 x 1000 m
Experimental And Numerical Invetigation Of Dependence Of Soil Thermal Conductivity On Temperature Water Content, And Soil Texture
Authors: Jowkar-Baniani Behnam
Published: May 2021

Comprehensive set of thermal conductivity data for a loam soil was generated, for temperature variations from 5ºC to 92ºC and water content variations from dry to saturation, and compared to two other soil textures. The results exhibited similar characteristics as those of the other textures, where a significant change in soil thermal conductivity was. Using the thermal conductivity data sets, a model representing heat and mass transfer in soil was used to study the apparent thermal conductivity due to vapour migration. In addition, a computer simulation of a ground source heat pump system was developed, where the experimental data was used to investigate the impact of water content and soil texture variation on the GSHP performance. It was observed that the GSHP energy consumption varied more prominently when the soil wetness varied from dryness to full saturation and less significantly when the soil type varied from coarse to finer texture.
Optimizing emotion regulation in borderline personality disorder: why and when strategies do and do not work
Authors: Fitzpatrick Skyler
Published: May 2021

This dissertation aimed to delineate ways to optimize emotion regulation in borderline personality disorder (BPD) by 1) identifying factors that influence general emotion regulation effectiveness and 2) examining whether these factors predict differential effectiveness of two classes of emotion regulation strategies: engagement (i.e., engaging with emotional content) versus disengagement (i.e., shifting attention away from emotional content) strategies. Factors that occur before (i.e., antecedent-focused) and after (i.e., response-focused) emotion provocation were examined. Specifically, four predictors of general and differential emotion regulation effectiveness were identified: antecedent-focused sleep quality (impaired sleep efficiency and rated sleep quality), antecedent-focused biology (basal vagal tone), antecedent-focused emotion (baseline emotional intensity), and response-focused emotion (emotional reactivity). Secondary analyses also investigated whether the relationships of these factors to general and differential emotion regulation effectiveness varied across BPD and healthy control (HC) groups. A sample of individuals with BPD (n = 40) and matched HCs (n = 40) completed a weeklong assessment of sleep efficiency and quality and then participated in an experimental procedure. First, basal vagal tone and baseline emotional intensity data were collected. Following, participants were trained to use two BPD-relevant emotion regulation strategies, mindful awareness (engagement strategy) and distraction (disengagement strategy), in response to negative emotion inductions. Emotional reactivity in response to the inductions, and the extent to which emotion was decreased using the strategies following the inductions (i.e., emotion regulation effectiveness), was examined. Emotion was measured comprehensively across self-report, sympathetic, parasympathetic, and behavioural/expressive domains. Results indicated that sleep efficiency and rated sleep quality predicted differential emotion regulation effectiveness as they improved distraction but not mindful awareness effectiveness across groups. As well, higher basal vagal tone and emotional reactivity predicted improved emotion regulation effectiveness across strategies and groups. Findings suggest that targeting sleep quality may specifically facilitate the attention mechanisms required for effective use of distraction in BPD. They also suggest that identifying ways to increase vagal tone may potentiate the emotion regulation capacity of individuals with BPD. Finally, results indicate that high emotional reactions may not necessarily be problematic and, in fact, may mark a particularly fluid emotional system that is responsive to emotion regulation attempts.
Techno-economic models for integration of wind energy.
Authors: Kankanamalage Chandrabhanu Opathella Ganehi
Published: May 2021

This thesis focuses on three specific areas of integrating wind energy with power systems: 1) technical modeling of wind generators for power flow analysis, 2) probabilistic modeling of wind generators for planning studies, and 3) economic modeling for integration of wind energy in electricity markets.

Wind generator output is a function of wind speed and 3-phase terminal voltages. Complete nonlinear three-phase models of wind generators are accurate but are computationally cumbersome and unsuitable for power flow analysis purposes. Intelligent models of wind generators are proposed for their accurate representation and use in power flow analysis algorithms. The main advantages of these intelligent models of wind generators are their mathematical simplicity, computational speed and numerical accuracy when the generators are connected to unbalanced three-phase distribution systems. These proposed intelligent models of wind generators were tested with the three-phase, unbalanced, IEEE 37-bus test system. The results show that the intelligent models of wind generators are computationally ten times faster than exact nonlinear models. In addition, simplicity of the proposed intelligent models of wind generators allows easy integration into commercial software such as PSS®E and PSS®SINCAL.

In the second study, a probabilistic model of wind generators was integrated with algorithm for distribution system analysis. The proposed probabilistic power flow analysis method for distribution systems takes into account the stochastic nature of wind generation and forecasted bus-wise peak load. Probability distribution functions for bus voltages are reconstructed. The proposed method is tested on a modified 70-bus distribution system and the results are reported.

Thirdly, an economic integration model for wind generators with electricity markets is proposed. The proposed model is in the form of a Wind Generators Cooperative (WGC). This proposed model overcomes challenges posed by uncertainty and intermittency of wind generation. The proposed cooperative model maximizes returns for wind generators by minimizing the effect of uncertainty by smoothing effect and using pumped-hydro facilities. A case study with actual data from Ontario (Canada) was completed. Analyses clearly demonstrate that the WGC increases returns to wind generators and reduces their exposure to uncertainty.
Air Duct Performance & Air Quality Control
Authors: Jovanovic Dragan
Published: May 2021

This report focuses on improving the air performance and air quality of the Bombardier Global 7500. A test rig is designed and built, with the intentions of simulating the inlet ducting of the Global 7500. The performance of the test rig has been measured, and the ducting is prepared for testing. Preparations have been made to test the effect that various air outlets have on the performance of the ducting. The temperature can vary throughout the cabin, causing discomfort for passengers, it is possible that the inlet ducting is responsible for this. Additionally, the effect of numerous air pollutants has been explored and a focus has been made to test particulate matter and carbon monoxide. The Honeywell HPM Series and the Adafruit MiCS5524 have been suggested for detecting particulate matter and carbon monoxide respectively. The ducting designed can be used for various air performance and air quality research in the future.
Managing Contradictions of Multiculturalism: Narratives of Belonging and Being Canadian Among Canadian Middle Eastern Women
Authors: Mohrdar Niki
Published: May 2021

This thesis investigates experiences of belonging and being Canadian among first-generation Canadian Middle Eastern women through one-on-one interviews with 13 women. Since the election of Justin Trudeau in 2015, Canada has recommitted to bolstering discourses of multiculturalism. There have been, however, lasting impacts from mainstream discourses that followed 9/11, which positioned Middle Eastern women as imperiled and Middle Eastern culture as backward. Additionally, liberal multiculturalism in Canada has done little to address systemic racism, and instead encourages a superficial level of acceptance. Contradictions of multiculturalism can be found in the narratives of these women, who sometimes repeat discourses that do not benefit them. Conversely, women who have access to discourses that position multiculturalism as ideological, have a difficult time expressing a Canadian identity and display a critical understanding of their experiences. These narratives are considered in a wider context of how race and racism structure Canada today.
The management of post-consumer pharmaceutical waste: a comparison between British Columbia and Ontario programs
Authors: Kingsmore Lisa
Published: May 2021

The presence of pharmaceutical waste in the environment is an emerging concern. The challenges of achieving high levels of scientific certainty concerning its impacts has motivated jurisdictions to adopt medications return programs (MRPs) to safely manage the public’s post-consumer pharmaceuticals (i.e. unused/expired drugs). There are several variables for governments to consider when implementing MRPs, particularly when based on extended producer responsibility (EPR). This comparative policy analysis examined regulatory MRPs in British Columbia and Ontario as cases to compare and evaluate. It developed 12 criteria for an optimal MRP consistent with EPR practices, including key performance measures, and applied them to evaluate the British Columbia and Ontario programs. It then explored Ontario’s revised MRP, launched in 2013, to determine if the positive and negative indicators from British Columbia’s long-standing program have been incorporated, and analyzed if policy lesson-drawing or policy convergence occurred in practice.
Mixing of complex fluids with coaxial mixers composed of two central impellers and an anchor
Authors: Kazemzadeh Argang
Published: May 2021

The coaxial mixers composed of a high-speed central impeller and a low-speed anchor have been recommended by the previous researchers for the mixing of highly viscous and non-Newtonian fluids. However, no study has been reported in the literature regarding the use of the coaxial mixing systems composed of two central impellers and an anchor in the agitation of complex fluids. Thus, the main objective of this study was to investigate the performance of coaxial mixers composed of two central impellers and an anchor in the agitation of the xanthan gum solution, which is a yield-pseudoplastic fluid, through electrical resistance tomography (ERT), the computational fluid dynamics (CFD), and design of experiments (DOE) combined with the response surface methodology (RSM).
In the first stage of this study, the hydrodynamic performance of coaxial mixers, the single and double Scaba impellers in combination with an anchor impeller, was investigated in the mixing of yield-pseudoplastic fluids. Considering the mixing efficiency criteria, it was found that the double Scaba-anchor coaxial system was more efficient than the single Scaba-anchor coaxial mixer in the mixing of yield pseudoplastic fluids with regard to the mixing time and power drawn. In the second stage of this research project, the performances of three different coaxial mixers, namely, double Scaba-anchor coaxial (DSAC), double Rushton turbine-anchor coaxial (DRAC), and double pitched blade turbine-anchor coaxial (DPAC) mixers were assessed. It was found that the double Scaba-anchor coaxial (DSAC) mixer was more efficient system compared to the others at the same operating conditions. To evaluate the influence of the impeller spacing on the hydrodynamics of the double Scaba-anchor coaxial mixer, the lower impeller clearance and the spacing between two central impellers were changed within a wide range. The results demonstrated that a coaxial mixer with the impeller spacing of almost equal to the central impeller diameter was the most efficient configuration compared to the other cases. When the impeller spacing was varied, the merging flow and parallel flow patterns were observed. Finally, the hydrodynamic performances of different configurations of coaxial mixers composed of a wall scraping anchor impeller in combination with two different or identical central high-speed impellers were analyzed. The coaxial mixers utilized in this stage were the Scaba–Scaba-anchor (SSAC), Scaba-Rushton-anchor (SRAC), Rushton-Scaba-anchor (RSAC), Scaba-pitched blade-anchor (SPBAC), and pitched blade-Scaba-anchor (PBSAC). A new correlation was introduced for these complex configurations of the coaxial mixers by incorporating the Metzner-Otto constants (Ks) of the different types of the central impellers into the Reynolds number. The analysis of the collected data revealed that the Scaba-pitched blade-anchor coaxial (SPBAC) mixer was the most efficient mixing system in the mixing of the highly viscous non-Newtonian fluids.
Effective Multi-level Monte Carlo Methods for Stochastic Biochemical Kinetics
Authors: Senapati Priyabrata
Published: May 2021

Stochastic mathematical models are essential for an accurate description of biochemical processes at the cellular level. The effect of random fluctuations may be significant when some species have low molecular counts. While exact stochastic simulation methods exist, they are typically expensive on systems arising in applications. Thus more effective strategies are required for simulating complex stochastic models of biochemical system. Often, the expected value of some function of the final time solution of the stochastic model is of interest. Then, the approach employing multi-level Monte Carlo methods is
more efficient than the traditional techniques. In this thesis, we study multi-level Monte Carlo (MLMC) schemes for a reliable and effective simulation of stochastic models of biochemical kinetics. The advantages of these MLMC strategies are illustrated on several biochemical models arising in applications.
Hedging and pricing in non-probabliistic models with transaction costs
Authors: Rahsepar Massoome
Published: May 2021

This thesis extends a non probabilistic market model proposed by Britten-Jones and Neuberger by incorporating transaction costs into their model. The original model is of rather general applicability as it incorporates the discrete nature of the market by allowing only a finite number of transactions and discrete jumps and requires few observable parameters to be deployed. Our addition of transaction costs gives the model an even more realistic character and, in this way, allows to use the model as an instrument to look for arbitrage opportunities in the market. The main output of the resulting model is a pair of numbers acting as lower and upper bounds to prices of financial instruments. The thesis does perform a limited search for arbitrage opportunities in market data and finds several interesting phenomena. A detailed analysis of several analytical properties, optimization and computational issues, along with a software implementation, are also fully developed in the thesis.
Fabrication of microfluidic channels via Two Photon Absorption (TPA) polymerization
Authors: Jariwala Samir
Published: May 2021

Fabrication of microfluidic channels via Two Photon Absorption (TPA) polymerization
Effect of Intermediate Washing on Ozonolysis Delignification and Enzymatic Hydrolysis of Wheat Straw
Authors: Al Jibouri Ali Kamel H.
Published: May 2021

Wheat straw was pretreated with ozone to increase the enzymatic hydrolysis yield. Ozonolysis pretreatment was performed in two stages with an intermediate washing step with water in between. Part of the delignification products (lignin fragments) were removed by a washing step so ozone was used to oxidize more lignin rather than oxidizing lignin fragments.

Three parameters, i.e. Initial Water Content (IWC) in wheat straw, Washing Starting Time (WST), and Washing Contact Time (WCT), were optimized to minimize Acid Insoluble Lignin (AIL) content of ozonated wheat straw. Performing an experiment using optimal parameters' values, i.e. IWC equal to 45 wt. %, WST equal to 20 minutes and WCT equal to 80 seconds, showed a drop in AIL content to 9.35 % with an increase in enzymatic hydrolysis yield to 80 % of the theoretical. Readjusting water content of wheat straw to 45 % before performing the 2nd ozonolysis stage further reduced AIL content to 7.36 % and increased the hydrolysis yield to 90 %. Increasing wheat straw fiber size from < 2 mm to < 6 mm decreased the hydrolysis yield to 72 %. All results were considered significant improvements when compared to untreated wheat straw with AIL content of 20.5 % and hydrolysis yield of 23 %.
Reframing Poetic Consciousness through Deconstruction and New Media
Authors: Ellsworth Erika
Published: May 2021

Generic Escape: Reframing narratives and breaking code
It is dark and stormy, and you switch on the television in the 1990s. The cable signal is out so what do you see? Often times you will receive a signal that looks like a bunch of coloured bars. Other times, all you get is an electronic noisy image. Today, this noisy visual effect is often intentionally produced by manipulating, distorting, or blurring the pixel structure of an image with photo-editing software. The accidental or unintended outcome of the technological errors that produce these images somehow speaks to our subconscious need for a break from the reality of well-defined narratives and circumscribed modes of interpretation (Kane, 2016).
Simulation of Non-Return Valve Closure in a Thixomolding Process Utilizing a Magnesium Alloy
Authors: Silva Robert Da
Published: May 2021

The objective of this thesis is to create a simulation model for a non-return valve in a thixomolding process with a magnesium alloy as the material. Modeling goals are to provide insight into the valve operation, as well as design optimization avenues. Model development first involved validation through element size and time step convergence tests. The next step involved determining the role of various operation parameters such as the viscosity density and pressure conditions.  The final step was to evaluate the model adaptability to valve geometry alteration.  The results showed good convergence in the validation portion. The pressure forces generated due to valve body movement and flow of the fluid pass the ring component were the dominant force governing the valve movement. Density measured the strength of the link between the valve body and the ring, governing the amount of momentum transfer. As for viscosity, it was shown to acts as damping to the system. Finally, alterations to the geometry were shown to directly affect the valve closure speed. Improvements to the model are possible by making the viscosity temperature dependent, as well as using experimental results to further verify the physical model. 
A Delta diagram synthesis for IoT optimization with grey wolf driven multi-objective automation
Authors: Siddavaatam Prathap
Published: May 2021

Today, Internet of Things (IoT) is a major paradigm shift that will mark an epoch in communication
technology such that every physical object can be connected to the Internet. With
the advent of 5G communications, IoT is in urgent need of optimized architectures that
can efficiently support wide ranging heterogeneous multi-objective requirements of communication,
hardware and security aspects. The optimization challenges are rooted in the
technology and how the information is acquired and manipulated by this technology. My research
in this thesis provides a description of compelling challenges faced by IoT and how to
mitigate these challenges by designing resource-aware communication protocols, resource-
constrained device hardware with low computing power and low-powered computational
security enhancements. This thesis lays the foundation for optimizing these challenging IoT
paradigms by introducing a novel Delta-Diagram based synthesizing model. The Delta-
Diagram provides a road-map linking the behavioral and structural domains of a given IoT
paradigm to generate respective optimizer domain parameters, which can be utilized by any
optimizer framework. The fundamental part of the communication synthesizer is a mathematical
model, developed to obtain the best possible routing paths and communication
parameters among things. The ultimate aim of the entire synthesis process is to devise
a design automation tool for IoT, which exploits the interrelations between different layer
functionalities. This thesis also proposes a novel cross-layer Grey wolf optimizer for IoT,
which outperforms some of the contemporary optimizer algorithms such as Particle Swarm,
Genetic Algorithm, Differential Evolution optimizers in solving unimodal, multi-modal and
composition benchmark problems. The purpose of this optimizer is to accurately capture
both the high heterogeneity of the IoT and the impact of the Internet as part of delta diagram
synthesis enabled network architecture. In addition, the Grey wolf optimizer for IoT plays
a crucial role in design exploration of system on chip architecture for IoT device hardware.
The results generated by the optimizer yielded the most optimum feasible solutions in the
design space exploration process of the IoT.
Comparing Three Building Life Cycle Assessment Tools for the Canadian Construction Industry
Authors: Cormick Hayley
Published: May 2021

This research aims to contribute to quantifying whole building life cycle assessment using various software tools to determine how they can aid the construction industry in reducing carbon emissions, and in particular embodied emissions, through analysis and reporting. The conducted research seeks to examine and compare three whole building life cycle assessment
tools; Athena Impact Estimator, Tally and One-Click LCA to relate the input variability to the outputs of the three programs. The three whole building life-cycle assessments were conducted using a case study building with an identical bill of materials and compared to determine the applicability and strengths of one program over another. The research confirmed that the three programs output significantly different results given the variability in scope, allowable program inputs and generated “black-box” back-end calculations, where the outputted whole building life cycle carbon equivalents of One-Click LCA is less than half than of Tally meaning the programs outputs cannot be simply compared side-by-side.
Nutritional change due to climate warming: an analysis of fatty acid content of pasture plants common to Southern Ontario
Authors: Morris Emily
Published: May 2021

Climate change will produce a wide range of challenges for grassland ecosystems, including increased global surface air temperature. Increased temperature can increase cell membrane fluidity in plants and other organisms; a response known as homeoviscous adaptation. However, this phenomenon has not been extensively studied in grassland plant species and has not been widely observed in plants from a climate warming perspective. I exposed seven species of agricultural forage plants to a temperature gradient consistent with climate change estimates for Southern Ontario. I compared relative fatty acid composition between temperature conditions, paying particular attention to the relative content of saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fatty acids, and essential fatty acids. For most species, I found saturated fatty acid content decreased with increasing temperature, while polyunsaturated fatty acid content and essential fatty acid content increased with increasing temperature. My thesis provides insights into the effects of climate warming on pasture ecosystems.
Sensorless Current Source-Fed PM Drive System For Low Speed Operations
Authors: Al-Nabi Ehsan
Published: May 2021

In this thesis, a sensorless method for low and zero speed operation is proposed for a high-power medium-voltage pulse-width-modulated Current–Source-Converter (CSC)-fed Interior Permanent Magnet Motor (IPM) drive system. The proposed method is based on injection of a high-frequency (HF) pulsating sinusoidal signal into the estimated synchronous reference frame of the drive’s Field Oriented Control (FOC) scheme. The conventional FOC control scheme, low switching frequency, dc-link inductor and the inverter output three-phase filter capacitor of the medium-voltage high-power current-source drive present some challenges in the generation and design of the HF injection signal. To overcome the challenges, the FOC scheme is modified by introducing a modulation index control with a suitable dc-link current compensation to enhance the dynamic response of the injected signal and prevent any clamp in the injected signal. In addition, a Multisampling Space Vector Modulation (MS-SVM) method is proposed to prevent the distortion in the HF signal due to a low switching frequency to injected signal ratio. It is found that by using the proposed FOC scheme and multisampling modulation scheme, and proper design of the HF signal, an accurate rotor flux angle can be estimated for sensorless zero/low speed operation.

Moreover, a novel input power factor compensation method is proposed for a high-power pulse-width-modulated Current-Source-Converter (CSC)-fed Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor (PMSM) drive system. The proposed method is based on controlling the d-axis stator current component in the field-oriented control scheme of the drive system. The main feature of the proposed scheme is to compensate for the line-side power factor without the need for modulation index control in either the rectifier or the inverter.

Simulation and experimental verification for various objectives are provided throughout the thesis. The results validate the proposed solutions for the main challenges of zero/low speed operation of sensorless Current-Source-Converter (CSC)-fed Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor (PMSM) drive system.
Do Us a Favour: An Exploration of Lay’s Do Us a Flavour Contest through the lens of Social Media and Brand Community Features
Authors: Easto Emily
Published: May 2021

This study evaluated if and how the Lay’s Do Us a Flavour campaign could be classified as a brand community and how the features of this concept in conjunction with the features of social media are reflected in the design and interactions of the site. This paper uses the theory of technological affordances and the social media features of Trust, Transparency, and Authenticity combined with the three markers of brand community as a framework to understand the user interactions and design of the site. The study found that the design of the Lay’s site was limited in its design, especially in the presence of authenticity and transparency and therefore the brand community markers of moral responsibility and consciousness of kind did not have a strong presence within the site. Based on these findings, the study determined the contest, especially when considering its temporary nature, does not demonstrate the features of brand communities and cannot be considered one in its own right but could be effective as an incentive to participate in more permanent communities.
Towards an automated soft proofing system using high dynamic range imaging and artificial neural networks
Authors: Fdhal Nawar
Published: May 2021

In this thesis, an adaptive mechanism for controlling the illumination is combined with a closed loop technique and the use of High Dynamic range (HDR) to generate a black box model that can simulate the hard proof of a given digital image. An adaptive Artificial Neural Network (ANN) was used to create the black box model, using the camera as a measuring device. The non-uniformity of the illumination in the viewing booth is typically a barrier in creating such a black box model since color appearance varies with location in the viewing booth. This issue was addressed in this thesis by compensation for viewing booth illumination using an inexpensive camera and a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) projector. HDR was found to give a favourable representation that is more indicative of the image perceived by the operator, and was used as the basis for mapping the original image to the soft proof. A proof of concept was also developed to highlight the utility of the LCD projector based approach in providing a more broad range of varying intensity color illuminants (thus environments) under which a proof may be not only viewed, but modeled through the closed loop process. In this sense, a system has been developed to generate and provide custom soft proofs that can extend the functionality of the standard viewing booth. The proposed technique will open the doors to new automated systems that can be very beneficial to the printing industry.
Externally-imposed Institutional Barriers on Transnational Entrepreneurs: Lessons for the Iranian-Canadian Case
Authors: Tabasinejad Pouyan
Published: May 2021

Scholars of transnational entrepreneurship have largely focused on the issue of institutional barriers within the country of origin (COO) context, asserting that transnational entrepreneurs (TEs) can overcome these barriers in a way that constitutes a competitive advantage. What has not been analyzed in the literature is the way in which institutional barriers that are imposed from outside of TE networks can affect TE behaviour and success. In this study, I will introduce the concept of externally imposed institutional barriers, using the example of Iranian TEs as a case study in which to understand this concept. By looking at three cases of Iranian TEs functioning within the context of Iran’s exclusion from the global financial system, this study will draw conclusions on the state of Iranian-Canadian TE activity and its implications for scholars, practitioners, and policymakers.
High Performance Retrofit Opportunities of Toronto's 1970s Residential Detached and Semi-Detached Houses
Authors: Niger Sharmeen
Published: May 2021

Based on previous studies of Toronto's residential archetypes, this research focuses on retrofit opportunities of 1970s OBC (Ontario Building Code) detached and semi-detached houses in order to understand its viability at the micro level. A GIS mapping has been utilized to identify the concentrations of 1970s OBC archetype in old Toronto area. A comprehensive field survey has been performed to collect data for creating a baseline model which also establish a consistent characteristic of 1970s OBC archetype. The EnergyPlus baseline model is then validated by calibration method to finalize the baseline model for an in depth retrofit analysis. The energy simulation has been performed to identify the most attractive combination of retrofit opportunities for highest cost/benefit. The research illustrates that meeting the target of 75 kWh/m2 for 1970s OBC detached and semi-detached houses is not always possible with attractive cost-effective options because of their differences in geometric shape and envelope system.
Resilietn Coupling: The Systems Of Coastally Dependent Communities
Authors: Bortoluzzi Brandon Saverio Knight , Wrigglesworth Arthur
Published: May 2021

As climate change becomes a more prevalent reality, rising sea levels are increasingly a threat to cities and communities in coastal regions. In light of this it is important to consider architecture’s role in the strategizing of defences and resilience. The major issue with traditionally implemented coastal defence programs, such as those considered by the US Army Corp of Engineers, is their brute force approach is repressively one dimensional, undermining the diverse, and complex realities of any community. Orienting itself in the diverse and complex communities of Atlantic Canada, this thesis operates in the face of these challenges and shortfalls. Instead a coupling of systems, activities and events in these coastal communities can make possible an architecture that accommodates, and makes visible, the realities of its changing environs at a multitude of scales, allowing the continued success of human settlement.
Flat-cladding Fibre Bragg Grating sensors for large strain fatigue tests
Authors: Li Cheng
Published: May 2021

In the design of mechanical components, the fatigue of material are of particular importance as ~80% of metal failures in practice arise from fatigue. The fatigue life is generally determined from low cyclic fatigue tests at large strain. This thesis developed a novel flat-cladding Fiber Bragg Grating sensor array applied in the characterization of LCF properties of three different specimens. With a new bonding process, large strain amplitude measurement of up to [plus or minus] 8000 μ [epsilon] was achieved in the Aluminum base metal and asymmetric hysteresis loops at high strain amplitudes due to twinning in compression and subsequent detwinning in tension was observed in Magnesium alloy. Moreover, an abnormal softening and hardening variation in different zone of friction stir welded Aluminum alloy was discovered throught the FBG sensor distribution. The validity shows that the FBG sensor a vital tool in the LCF tests at large strain amplitudes. Furthermore, due to its small size, the multiplexed FBG sensor array could also be applied to the measurements of strain distribution.
Enhancing Learning With Outdoor Experiential Support Spaces
Authors: Lee Kelvin
Published: May 2021

There is substantial evidence that primary school students whose education incorporates outdoor settings benefit from this addition to traditional classroom learning. Educational theories introduced by John Dewey, Maria Montessori, and Rudolph Steiner have provided a significant foundation for experiential learning in natural outdoor settings. This thesis explores educational environments that combine indoor and outdoor spaces. The result of this research is the design of three learning spaces sited in a natural environment that support education in a natural science curriculum. These three environments are proposed to supplement the provincial elementary curriculum, and involve three different natural conditions. These outdoor classrooms will provide children with exposure to the natural environment even as they learn within the boundaries of a controlled setting.
City of New York: 104 pages in beautiful natural color
Authors: Power Stephanie
Published: May 2021

My roots are showing: as a girl from out around the bay who “idolized New York all out of proportion” –
to quote Woody Allen’s Isaac in Manhattan – a sense of aspiration informs this project. Growing up in
Newfoundland, I had two tenuous connections to New York: my mother voraciously read the american
society bible “Town and Country” and my father travelled to New York twice in the 1960’s to visit his
sisters, Mary and Bride, who as young women moved to Brooklyn from Chapel Arm, Newfoundland in the
1940’s. As a child ever envious that my aunts had unlimited access to such a cosmopolitan place, I was
drawn to the idealistic notion of New York as a “magic city.” I idolized Mary, a fierce woman who was my
template for what I imagined was the archetypal New Yorker: brash, quick-witted, uncompromising. As a
child, I witnessed her throw the “chin flick” and it thrilled me. It was such a brazenly profane gesture from
an old school God-fearing Catholic. And it was so New York! She remained close to my father until he died
from complications due to Alzheimers in 2000. Now 95, and also with Alzheimers, she lives in an old age
home in the same Newfoundland town where I drifted through the pre-fab hallways of my high school and
plotted my escape to the magic city.
But I would never have the cojones to move to New York like Mary and Bride, even though opportunities
presented themselves to me. To this day, I remain an outsider: roaming the city with a camera, often
strolling by Robert Frank’s house on the slim chance I might find him sitting outside – I hear it’s a habit of
his. Frank, Garry Winogrand, Diane Arbus, Helen Levitt and Saul Leiter: I worship them in the same way I
worshipped Aunt Mary. Their traces remain on the streets I walk: ghosts that whisper sweetly while I look
forward and backward through my lens, caught in a temporal loop, searching for a city that I’m not sure
exists, except in my head. New York looms large in the collective imagination and we all have our versions
of it. This is mine.
Exploitation of perceptual information by 9.5 month old infants in search tasks
Authors: Ghazban Niusha
Published: May 2021

The relationship between object-knowledge and goal-directed action is critical to understanding cognitive development in the first year of life. Examining the organization of action, perception and cognition in 9.5-month-old infants, the current study first investigates the effects of manipulating perceptual information when searching for a goal-object by coordinating abi-directional detour reach around transparent, opaque and 50%-graded occluders to obtain a goal-object. Second, the study explored how changes in cognitive complexities via a manipulation to the number of hiding-locations (three-vs.five-) affect infants' problem-solving abilities. Results demonstrate infants' impressive ability to initiate a mental plan of action and subsequently execute appropriate motor actions. Infants' search benefited most when the object was visible through the occluder and some information about the occluder's solidity was provided. The findings support the lack of memory-inhibition accounts (Diamond, 1991) and shed light onto previously unexamined elements of perceptual-cognitive development during the first year of life. 
Characterization of user networks in Facebook
Authors: Pakzad Fatemeh
Published: May 2021

The purpose of this thesis is to illuminate several characteristics of Facebook user networks in order to model user network formation in Facebook. Based on the amount of data gathered during a seven-month period, we conclude that the user network node degree distribution in Facebook follows a Lognormal distribution, and the distribution increase in the number of fan's of Facebook's web pages follows the Weibull distribution. Also we present that the Facebook user network graph has small world characteristic. Finally, by using the distributions that modeled the Facebook user networks with the small world characteristic, this thesis proposes a new algorithm in order to simulate a Facebook user network graph and the increase in the number of Facebook's web page fans. We built the software that generates the graphs with similar static and dynamic characteristics of Facebook user networks.
Vegetation Trends in Whitehorse Yukon, 1984 to 2009
Authors: Kotylak Dexter J.
Published: May 2021

To assess temporal greenness trends at the landscape scale for Whitehorse, Yukon (417 km2), this study derived a Landsat normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) time-series from 1984 to 2009. Using a greenest annual pixel approach, NDVI trend analysis revealed that 37% of studied area had significant greening (p<0.05) and that only 1% of the studied land area had significant browning. Yearly mean NDVI values declined in drought years and increased in years with greater precipitation. Greening pixels were most prevalent in white spruce (Picea glauca) and subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa) dominant forests, suggesting that increased amounts of precipitation and rising temperatures have benefited both species and associated shrub communities. Forests where trembling aspen (Populas tremuloides) are dominant displayed the least greening, which may be explained by the proliferation of aspen serpentine leaf miner (Phyllocnistis populiella), and drought related die-back on south-facing slopes that have become warmer across the study period.
Stereo correspondence using an assisted discrete cosine transform method
Authors: Rosales Edward
Published: May 2021

Many approaches have been taken towards the development of a compliant stereo correspondence algorithm that is capable of producing accurate disparity maps within a short period of time. There has been great progress over the past decade due to the vast increase in optimization techniques. Currently, the most successful algorithms contain explicit assumptions of the real world such as definitive differences in disparity among objects and constant textures within objects.

This thesis starts by giving a brief description of disparity, along with descriptions of some common applications. Next, it explores various methods used in common stereo correspondence algorithms, as well as gives an in depth description and analysis of top performing algorithms. These algorithms are later used to compare with the proposed algorithm.

In the proposed algorithm, frequency stereo correspondence in parallel with the traditional color intensity stereo correspondence is used to develop an initial disparity map. Frequency stereo correspondence is achieved using a winner-take-all block based Discrete Cosine Transform (DCT) to find the largest frequency components as well as their positions to use in disparity estimation. The proposed algorithm uses methods that are computationally inexpensive to reduce the computational time that plagues many of the common stereo correspondence algorithms. The proposed algorithm achieves an average correct disparity rate of 95.3%. This results in a disparity error rate of 4.07% compared to the top performing algorithms in the Middlebury website [1]; the DoubleBP, CoopRegion, AdaptingBP, and ADCensus algorithms that have error rates of 4.19%, 4.41%, 4.23%, and 3.97%, respectively. Additionally, experimental results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm is computationally efficient and significantly reduces the processing time that plagues many of the common stereo correspondence algorithms.
The good, the bad, and the unwanted: women’s talk of desire and (dis)pleasure In heterosex
Authors: Thomas Emily J.
Published: May 2021

Critical and feminist sexuality scholarship contends that many key sexuality concepts are taken-for-granted definitions that have accrued common sense status but are missing an exploration of what these concepts mean to women. For example, sex is treated as synonymous with penile-vaginal intercourse, ‘good’ and ‘bad’ sex have implicit meanings in media representations, and consent is often seen as the dividing line between sex and sexual violence. This thesis explores and challenges these dominant constructions of female sexuality through one-on-one in-depth interviews with twenty-four women. Key findings explore how participants resist and recapitulate dominant accounts of what ‘counts’ as sex, what makes for good and bad sex, and how consent and desire are negotiated in sexual relationships. Given the considerable disparity between mainstream media representations of female sexuality and women’s embodied sexual experiences, this research aims to explore women’s discursive constructions of their sexual experiences as they elect to define them.
The Integration of Human Factors into Discrete Event Simulation and Technology Acceptance in Engineering Design
Authors: Dode Petrit
Published: May 2021

This action research thesis aimed to: 1) develop and test a viable Discrete Event Simulation and Human Factors Modeling approach for an Ontario based telecommunication company, and 2) identify the factors that affect the uptake and application of the approach in work system design. This approach, which was validated at the Company, incorporated fatigue dose and learning curves in a Discrete Event Simulation model. The barriers to uptake included: Time constraints, lack of technological knowledge and initial cost. The uptake facilitators were: High frequency products produced, clear value added to leadership, defects reduction and the Company being open to new technology. In addition to helping design a manual assembly line with fewer bottlenecks and reduce the human factors risks for the employee, the developed approach showed a 26% correlation with quality defects. Further research is recommended to identify additional human factors and their benefits.