title: Metabolic Regulation of Antiviral Immune Responses in Macrophages

abstract: It is increasingly clear that there is an intimate link between cellular metabolism and macrophage function. Several studies in the last decade have established that alterations in cellular metabolism both drive and regulate macrophage function, allowing them to mount a functional immune response against viruses by promoting viral resistance, antigen presentation and the production of inflammatory and antiviral cytokines. As a result, metabolic reprogramming of macrophages allows them to adapt the spectrum and magnitude of their response depending on the microenvironment, stimuli, and stage of infection. Yet, it is unclear how different viral ligands alter metabolism to induce specific immune responses and if specific metabolic components can act as rheostats to amplify these responses based on the microenvironment. The central hypothesis of my thesis is that cellular metabolism is crucial to regulating antiviral immune responses. Specifically, we hypothesized that differential mitochondrial reprogramming allows macrophages to modulate ligand-specific effector response. Moreover, mitochondria further function as rheostats, fine-tuning immune responses based on the microenvironment. First, we used publicly available microarray datasets to develop a metabolic signature associated with early IFN-a responses in mouse BMMs and human MDMs. >500 metabolic genes related to cellular bioenergetics, cellular redox status, amino acid, and lipid metabolism were identified. Next, we show that TLR3 and TLR4 engagement in mouse BMMs drive differential ETC remodeling, linked to differential mitochondrial activity and subsequent ROS generation, to support ligand-specific inflammatory and antiviral profiles. Furthermore, when exploring different types of TLR3 engagement, based on ligand length, they trigger distinct inflammatory and antiviral programs, due to unique regulatory mechanisms surrounding HIF-1α function as well as altered ETC architecture and function, respectively. The aim of this thesis to gain a more thorough understanding of the critical role of cellular metabolism in regulating macrophage antiviral responses. A systematic understanding of these critical processes to regulating effector function under non-diseased conditions can provide critical insights into the dysregulation of metabolic processes during chronic viral infections. The data presented may be the foundation towards the development of new antiviral therapeutics by targeting selective mitochondrial components.


title: Silicon Photonics for Next-Generation Optical Processing and Communications

abstract: The rapid growth of transistor and fiber-optic technologies has brought unprecedented advancements in computing and telecommunications. While fiber-optics are poised to grow in speed this year, growth in computing power continues to slow down as the limits of transistor downscaling are approached. This has given rise to the growing field of silicon photonics, where the well-established microelectronic fabrication process is being adapted to create integrated devices that bridge the electronic and optical domains for large performance gains in data centers and high-performance computers. However, the inherent cost of switching between the two domains, and the fact that much of on-chip data transfer is still carried out by low-speed, high-power electronics, are problems that scale with the growing global demand for bandwidth. In this thesis, a novel optoelectronic computing logic architecture based on the silicon photonics platform is presented. This architecture combines the best of optical data transfer and electronic control for the highest level of throughput presented in the literature— presenting a promising option for future, "Beyond Moore" computing and processing. The main driver of this architecture is the silicon microdisk modulator, which achieves the best combination of energy efficiency, operating speed/bandwidth, compactness, and cost of all previously demonstrated optoelectronic processing devices. New configurations of the microdisk modulator are introduced to further improve the performance, not just for optical logic, but for all optical processing and communications applications. One of these applications is a novel on-chip optical communications circuit, presented in this thesis, that achieves ultrahigh-bandwidth-density through efficient microdisk-based design. As integrated photonic circuits like these become more complex, with hundreds or thousands of components on the chip, the design process becomes lengthier and more expensive. Even for small circuits, like those presented in this work, the time taken from design to characterization is delayed by having to design components secondary to the main devices (e.g., for coupling light into the chip). As the final part of this work, a machine learning based photonic device modeller is created to accelerate the photonic simulation and design process by multiple orders of magnitude, with minimal input from the designer.


title: Engagement, Empowerment, and Empathy: Cosmetics in the Work of Suzy Lake and Janine Antoni

abstract: This thesis explores the use of cosmetics in Suzy Lake's A Genuine Simulation of… (1973-1974) and Janine Antoni's Butterfly Kisses (1996-1999). Lake and Antoni are two prominent contemporary artists who have explored issues of gender, identity, beauty, and adornment in Western feminist art. Investigating the works' process-driven qualities and seeking to make sense of how each artist engaged in beauty rituals, this thesis argues that reflection on the artists' acts can deepen our understanding of the issues presented in the works. When observing A Genuine Simulation of… and Butterfly Kisses, viewers can engage with the artists' processes; in drawing on their own experiences to comprehend the artists' processes of creation, Lake and Antoni lead viewers towards reflection, empowerment, and empathy with respect to their own cosmetic adornment and the adornment of others.


title: Safety Comparison of Smart and Standard Channels Based on Sight Distance and Conflicts

abstract: Vehicle movements through intersections can be improved by channelization, by including separate channels for the right turn movements. A standard channel provides an entrance angle greater than 90°, while a smart channel design is a modified right-turn channel that decreases the channelized right turn to approximately 70°. This study compares whether the different configurations have different safety performances based on conflicts and sight distance. Vehicle interactions were manually identified using Post Encroachment Time (PET). A total of 805 interactions with PET less than or equal to 3s. were observed, involving the total movements of 58,546 right-turn and through vehicles on eight different channels. The means of the five safety performance parameters in this study were significantly higher at standard channels than at smart channels. Ordinal logistic regression results indicated that the probability of a potential conflict having a high severity is 4.1% higher at smart channels than at standard channels


title: Performance Enhancement of High Order LDPC Coded Modulation Systems with Application in Mobile Backhaul Networks

abstract: Wireless backhaul communication systems play a crucial role in the infrastructure of current cellular networks. In light of the expensive costs of fiber deployment, the importance of these links is anticipated to continue over the next few decades. Point-to-point microwave radio links (PtPMRLs) are the backbone of every wireless backhaul system. To achieve higher spectral efficiencies, the PtPMRL are designed based on the concurrent exploitation of high-order modulations and powerful forward error correcting codes. An example of such design paradigm is the high-order low-density-parity-check coded modulation systems (LDPC-CMSs). In this thesis two key challenges in the high-order LDPC-CMSs are overcome. In our first contribution, we consider the problem of oscillator phase hit (PH) in microwave backhaul communication links. PH results in a temporary link loss in the communication system and bears an expensive cost on the operators. In this work, we propose a two-stage solution to mitigate PH. In the first stage, we use Neyman-Pearson binary hypothesis testing to develop a low cost PH detection algorithm. In this test, a likelihood ratio test is designed and the optimal detection threshold is analytically calculated. The proposed PH detection scheme entails small real-time computations while using the existing pilot symbols in the system; thus, no extra pilot overhead is required. In the second stage, we use maximum likelihood estimation to develop a PH correction scheme. In particular, we formulate the joint estimation of phase noise (PN) and PH as a maximum likelihood estimation problem. Solving this problem results in the estimation of PN with the location and magnitude of PH. By applying the proposed correction scheme, the number of affected symbols by PH is significantly reduced. In particular, the number of remaining erroneous symbols due to PH (if any) is within the error correction capability of modern LDPC codes used in the PtPMRL. Numerical results verify the effectiveness of the proposed scheme in detecting and correcting PH. In our second contribution,...


title: Immunohistochemical characterization of GluN2 NMDA receptor subunit expression in the dorsal horn of rats and humans

abstract: NMDARs are excitatory glutamate receptors expressed in the superficial dorsal horn (SDH) of the spinal cord. The GluN2 subtypes of NMDAR subunit confer NMDARs with structural and functional variability, enabling heterogeneity in synaptic transmission and plasticity. Surprisingly, there is a complete lack of knowledge on GluN2 expression in female rodent or human spinal cord. In this study we aimed to investigate the relative expression of specific GluN2 variants in the lumbar SDH of both male and female rats and humans. We found a dominant expression of GluN2B and GluN2D in the SDH of male rats, while only GluN2B was preferentially localized to the SDH of females. GluN2B subtype was also more abundantly expressed in the medial compared to the lateral SDH, in male rats only. Finally, we adapted the staining approaches from rodents to human spinal tissue for future investigations on whether GluN2 subtypes expression patterns are conserved in humans.


title: Effects of Strain Rate Dependency on Moment Resisting Frames with Reduced Beam Sections

abstract: There have been numerous numerical and experimental studies conducted to investigate the performance of a moment frame with reduced beam section (RBS). However, most of the numerical studies have not been carried out using realistic material properties and constitutive model that can more accurately represent the material response. Strain rate dependent material properties and parameters for mixed-mode hardening model for two heats of steel have been considered. One heat has the yield strength close to the minimum yield strength of CAN/CSA G40.20/21 350W steel and the other has the yield strength close to the probable yield strength of 385 MPa for grade 350W steel. Non-linear dynamic analyses on four-storey moderately ductile and limited ductility moment resisting frames with RBS for a suite of scaled ground motions have been carried out to investigate effects of material properties strain rate dependency on the response of the frame.


title: Limiting Social Media Screen-time: Does Voluntary Reduction Impact Mental Health?

abstract: In recent decades, social media has become immensely popular, with the majority of young adults regularly using at least one platform. Some have argued that social media use may adversely affect well-being, claiming that it plays a meaningful, causal role in rising depression rates. However, evidence for this claim to date is mixed and weak. To assess the validity of this claim, I conducted an experiment replicating and expanding upon past work, exploring whether young adults (n = 39; 66.7% female; MAge = 19.54) who reported pre-existing symptoms of depression and/or anxiety would experience reductions in these symptoms after reducing social media use for three weeks. Results indicated that, in comparison to a control group, participants reported marginally significant decreases in anxiety (p = .056, η2 = .095) and the fear of missing out (p = .054, η2 = .097), but no significant changes in depressive symptomology or well-being.


title: ‘What Comes After Transmission?’ Genital Herpes Knowledge, Psychological Adjustment and Sex-Negativity

abstract: The present study sought to evaluate the role of knowledge in psychological adjustment to genital herpes. Sex-negativity- positivity (erotophobia-erotophilia) was also considered for its potential moderating effects on knowledge and psychological adjustment. To assess genital herpes knowledge the Herpes Knowledge Scale (HKS; Bruce & Mclaughlin, 1986) was updated for use within the current research. Participants (N= 401) diagnosed with genital herpes were recruited online using social media. Knowledge of genital herpes was not associated with psychological adjustment. Erotophobia-erotophilia was significantly associated with psychological adjustment, such that individuals high in erotophobia (sex-negativity) reported poorer adjustment to a diagnosis of genital herpes. Finally, erotophobia-erotophilia did not moderate the relation between knowledge and adjustment. Given the high incidence rate of herpes and the significant psychosocial effects upon acquisition, these findings are important to understand the role of knowledge in psychological adjustment and understand factors that may impede adjustment to genital herpes.


title: Deaf Education, the Politics of Humanitarianism, and State Formation in Saskatchewan and Alberta, 1880-1931

abstract: This study traces the development of deaf education in Alberta and Saskatchewan between 1880 and 1931 and its corresponding effects on state formation in Western Canada. Through this topic, it identifies a rise of deaf politics in the wake of the First World War that achieved notable successes in Saskatchewan in the interwar period. A new term for discussing oppressive attitudes against deaf communities from hearing people, humanitarianism, is proposed and explored. These provinces took decades to develop state institutions that were meant to ensure "productive" and "independent" futures for deaf children in the burgeoning nineteenth-century liberal colonial order on the Prairies. In doing so, they began to define their own provincial boundaries, both in the sense of geography and responsibility. They also began to define theoretical boundaries between deafness and hearing, intellectual ability and disability, as well as rights and humanitarian assistance. The development of deaf education in Alberta and Saskatchewan, I argue, pushed emergent provinces to accept the rights of deaf youth to education, though this process was uneven and did not represent a straight teleological arch. Deaf associations and individuals themselves pushed the provinces and took leadership roles in this process, making them heretofore unrecognized political agents in search of rights. Chapters include considerations of deaf education as an instrument of settler colonialism, histories of hearing and deaf families with deaf children, the role played by the Manitoba School for the Deaf in marking intellectual disability in the three Prairie provinces, and the role of the Western Canadian Association of the Deaf in the founding of the Saskatchewan School for the Deaf in 1931.


title: Freshwater Fish Populations in Eastern Ontario Benefit from Long Standing Protected Areas

abstract: Research has identified numerous conservation benefits attributed to the use of protected areas (PAs), yet the effectiveness of spatial protection in freshwater systems (FPAs) remains unclear. In this thesis, I assessed multiple longstanding (>70 years active) intra-lake FPAs within the Rideau Waterway system (Ontario, Canada) to evaluate their potential conservation value. Initially, these FPAs were established to protect exploited populations of largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides). However, since their inception, there has been no empirical data collected to evaluate their effectiveness for protecting bass or the broader fish community. To address this, I conducted a series of comparative assessments to evaluate how these FPAs influence largemouth bass space-use dynamics, capture vulnerability, and physiology. I also evaluated potential indirect benefits at the community level through measuring differences in fish community structuring between FPA and non-protected areas. The FPAs evaluated strongly benefitted largemouth bass through increased population densities within the protected area boundaries. These FPAs also indirectly benefitted several non-target fish species by supporting increased population densities and species richness, with evidence of fish spillover occurring into adjacent non-protected waters. Acoustic telemetry data revealed that largemouth bass displayed high occupancy, particularly during the spring-summer seasons, within a designated FPA. This space-use behaviour was repeatable across years, and also positively correlated to fish size, with larger individuals utilizing the FPA more extensively relative to smaller individuals. Beyond serving as a mechanism to benefit fish community structure, FPAs were also found to protect key phenotypes linked to angling vulnerability in largemouth bass, suggesting a potential for FPAs to provide evolutionary-enlightened benefits. The results presented in this dissertation are novel and showcase a host of biological benefits associated with the use of FPAs. Moreover, the consistency in results across all FPAs suggests an effective and transferable resource management tool, which may help to enhance freshwater conservation efforts. As challenges facing freshwater systems continue to mount, the need for effective management strategies has never been greater. As such, the data presented here provides a stronger understanding of how FPAs can offset anthropogenic impacts on freshwater fish communities, which may have far-reaching implications for contemporary fisheries management practices.


title: Designing New Atomic Layer Deposition Precursors for Third-Generation Photovoltaics

abstract: Atomic layer deposition (ALD) holds a critical position in nanofabrication because of its uniformity, conformality, and subnanometer thickness control. Its abilities arise from its chemical mechanism: precursors saturate the surface with a self-limiting monolayer and prevent continuous growth, then react with another co-reactant to deposit a thin film of material. Consequently, ALD first requires precursors with suitable volatility, chemical reactivity, and thermal stability. Motivated by the prospects of using ALD to fabricate next-generation solar cells, we set out to design and develop new Pb-containing ALD precursors. We began by attempting to prepare Pb(II) analogues of N-heterocyclic carbenes, eventually finding the stable lead(II) rac-N,N′-di-tert-butylbutane-2,3-diamide (1Pb) that displayed the best volatility of any reported Pb(II) complex (1 Torr vapour pressure at 94◦C). With 1Pb and the well-known lead(II) bis[bis(trimethylsilylamide)] (0Pb), we developed an ultralow-temperature ALD process for PbS using H2S. Crystalline PbS films were deposited with as low as 45◦C with 1Pb and 65◦C with 1Pb, enabling deposition on thermally sensitive substrates like CH3NH3PbI3 (MAPI) perovskites. Not only did the process encapsulate MAPI thin films, the films also had tunable p-type conductivity, hole mobility, and carrier concentrations. An unusual reduction to elemental Pb(0) of 1Pb by H2S was found to begin at 95◦C and its mechanism was studied experimentally and theoretically. ALD at higher temperatures with 0Pb and 1Pb was limited by their thermal stability (<155◦C), so we designed the more stable Pb-containing precursor bis[lead(II) N,N′-di-tert-butyl-1,1-dimethylsilanediamide] [(4Pb)2]. An in-depth theoretical study of its bonding, thermodynamics, and molecular electrostatic properties gave us a more nuanced view of the chemical nature of volatility with implications for future precursor design. The success of (4Pb)2 led us to adapt its ligand for Co, yielding the unprecedented spirocyclic low-spin Co(IV) bis[N,N′-di-tert-butyl-1,1-dimethyldiamidosilane] (4Co). Finally, we explored Sn trifluoroacetates as green ALD precursors to the transparent conductor F-doped SnOx. We analyzed their structure and bonding in the solid state and vapour phase, showing that their polymeric structures actually increased their volatility, which may represent a new precursor design strategy altogether.


title: Libra Association as a Case Study of Ecosystem Emergence

abstract: The ecosystems construct in combination with interorganizational network theories have been used to evaluate the emergency of the Libra Association ecosystem in a case study. Ecosystem formation is considered from the perspective of interdependencies, orchestration, and network structure; roles and phases are identified. The qualitative assessment of these features finds general consistency with the innovation ecosystem construct; however, differences were observed in the interdependencies between partners and the role of the orchestrator in the early stages of formation. Theories regarding the evolving role of the ecosystem orchestrator were not confirmed by the network position of the ecosystem leader; however, alliance building roles of entrepreneurs were confirmed. Network structure and the technological diversity of firms in the ecosystem was consistent with exploratory and exploitative theories regarding alliance formation and helped to explain the departure and entrance of firms in the emerging ecosystem.


title: Development of X-ray Coherent Scatter Projection Imaging Systems

abstract: Coherent scatter x-ray imaging systems are sensitive to material structure and chemical composition, and generate images with contrast superior to conventional transmission x-ray imaging. The goal of this thesis was to develop a scatter projection imaging system capable of acquiring images in less than ten minutes, in the range of nuclear medicine scans, to be practical for future applications such as bone specimen imaging. Two systems were developed. The first improved on the group's previous work and was configured at the Canadian Light Source synchrotron. It employed five 33.2 keV pencil beams in combination with continuous object motion. The system consisted of a primary collimator, motorized stages for object translation, a flat-panel x-ray detector for measuring scattered x rays, and discrete photodiodes for simultaneously measuring transmitted x rays. The acquisition time for a 5.0 cm × 9.0 cm object with 8425 pixels was 2.3 min. Use of continuous motion acquisition increases the width of image boundaries by the product of the object translation speed and the acquisition time per pixel. Contrast-detail performance was independent of acquisition speed. Pixel signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) measurements indicated that the scatter data were limited by the detector readout noise. The synchrotron system was a development stage in an idealized environment but a practical system requires a commonly available x-ray source. Therefore, a second system was developed using a conventional rotating-anode x-ray tube. An array of up to three rows by five columns of pencil beams can irradiate the object simultaneously. A 110 kVp spectrum with 2.25 mm of added Al filtration was used. Motorized stages translate the object through the beams for step-and-shoot acquisition. For this first x-ray tube-based system, the primary imaging capability was not optimized and transmitted x rays are measured through attenuators using the same flat-panel detector that measures scattered x rays. The shortest acquisition time for a 6.0 cm × 10.0 cm object with 6000 pixels was 8.8 min. Contrast-detail performance was similar to the synchrotron-based system. SNR measurements indicated that the scatter data were not readout noise limited.


title: Search Engines That Scan For Internet-Connected Services: Classification and Empirical Study

abstract: In this thesis, we revisit outdated definitions of Surface Web and Deep Web and provide new definitions and apply them to Internet search engines. We argue that the scope of the term "Web" is too narrow when referring to information on the Internet. We offer, and define, new terms to better describe the state of the Internet: Surface Internet, Shallow Internet, and Deep Internet. We use these terms to describe: Responding Internet-Connected Entity (RICE), Search Engine for Responding Internet-Connected Entities (SERICE), Web search engines, and Internet search engines. We explain how popular Internet-wide scanning services - Shodan and Censys - are SERICEs that index RICEs. In empirical work, we analyze scans from Shodan and Censys and determine they use few resources and provide an up-to-date view of the Internet.


title: Multi-Objective Shape Optimization of a Boundary Layer Ingesting Engine Intake

abstract: Boundary Layer Ingesting (BLI) refers to the ingesting of the aircraft wake by the propulsors and has been associated with reduced fuel burn. Although, this can potentially be offset by the reduced efficiency and stability experienced by the propulsor in the presence of distorted inflow. Therefore, engine intakes must be optimized in order to mitigate the effects of BLI on the propulsion system. In this work, the shape optimization of a BLI intake is investigated using a free form deformation technique in combination with a multi-objective genetic algorithm, in order to minimize pressure losses and distortion at the engine inlet. The general trend of the optimal designs shows that to reduce the distortion the optimizer accelerates the flow to increase the dynamic pressure at the engine inlet. In contrast, the pressure losses were reduced by decreasing the velocity as well as shifting the region of maximum velocity to the outlet.


title: LEO Satellites and Frequency Synchronization

abstract: Using the parameters provided by the project Telesat LEO, this thesis addresses the Doppler frequency shift encountered when an earth terminal station receives signals from a LEO satellite. To achieve fast frequency synchronization, there is a necessity to construct a Costas loop to speed up the acquisition time. Based on the theoretical foundations of the PLL, this thesis reviews the theory of BPSK and QPSK Costas loops. Then the thesis creates a new way of achieving fast synchronization for a BPSK Costas loop by adding a quadri-correlator. An optimized way is then introduced, which guarantees both stability and rapidity of acquisition. The construction of a QPSK Costas loop is different from that of BPSK. The thesis then shows that the addition of a quadri-correlator cannot be used in a QPSK Costas loop, but that the synchronization time can still be reduced by changing the parameters in the loop filter.


title: Variability of Rates of Mutation and Fitness Decline During Mutation Accumulation in Escherichia coli Isolates

abstract: During infectious disease outbreak investigations, mutation rates amongst lineages of clinical bacterial pathogens can be highly variable; what is classified as multiple outbreaks could indicate high genetic variation amongst descendants of a single outbreak event. Consequently, the best way to define the genetic boundaries of an outbreak cluster is currently unclear. Over 2720 generations of mutation accumulation on average, I explored mutation rate and fitness decline variation in nine clinical isolates of Escherichia coli and I found that there was high variation between, but less commonly within, genotypes. Genotypes could be generally be categorised by mutation rate and fitness decline variation between replicates as either: (1) non-mutator genotypes with low variation, non-mutator genotypes with high variation because of (2) (an) infrequent mutator replicate(s), or (3) mutator genotypes with high or low variation. My findings have important implications both for molecular epidemiology of bacterial pathogens and predicting evolution in pathogen pathways.


title: Aerodynamic and Structural Design of Flow Conditioning, Flow Seeding and Testing Sections of a High-Speed Wind Tunnel

abstract: This thesis presents the design of two test sections, one annular and one rectilinear, to facilitate the study of ducted flows at high subsonic Mach numbers on the Carleton high-speed wind-tunnel. The structural performance of the two designs was evaluated using finite element tools and were deemed compliant with provincial pressure-vessel regulatory requirements. Both designs benefit from lighter-weight materials and a greater degree of modularity than existing high-speed test sections. The aerodynamic performance of an annular-flow air-supply system was evaluated using a transient, one dimensional algorithm. The annular flow path provides a steady Mach number flow in the range of 0.3 to 0.8 at the test section discharge, with minimal pressure loss to achieve minimum run times of 25-30 seconds on a blow-down type wind-tunnel. The present study also evaluates the flow seeding performance of a seed injection system on the annular-flow air-supply system for particle image velocimetry measurements.


title: Construction of QC-LDPC Codes with Low Error Floor by Efficient Systematic Search and Elimination of Trapping Sets

abstract: In this thesis, we propose a systematic design of binary protograph-based quasi-cyclic (QC) low-density parity-check (LDPC) codes with low error floor. We fifirst characterize the trapping sets of such codes and demonstrate that the QC structure of the code eliminates some of the trapping set structures that can exist in a code with the same degree distribution and girth but lacking the QC structure. Based on this characterization, our design aims at eliminating a targeted collection of trapping sets. Considering the parent/child relationship between the structures of the collection, we search for and eliminate those trapping sets that are in the collection but are not a child of any other trapping set in the collection. An efficient layered algorithm is designed for the search of these targeted trapping sets. Moreover, we design fifinite-length binary irregular QC-LDPC codes with good waterfall performance and low error floor. To achieve a low error floor, we eliminate a targeted set of dominant elementary trapping sets (ETS) in the Tanner graph of the code. This is a more challenging task since the variety of problematic structures is much larger than that of regular codes. The proposed search algorithms perform the construction process with minimal complexity, making it feasible to construct practical codes by running the search algorithm a large number of times. Simulation results are provided to demonstrate the superior performance of designed codes compared to similar state-of-the-art regular/irregular QC-LDPC codes. In addition, we address the problem of characterizing the trapping sets for non-binary (NB) LDPC codes and propose a search algorithm that fifinds the NB trapping sets of both regular and irregular NB-LDPC code within a range of interest exhaustively and with a minimum amount of complexity. Using the proposed search technique, we design regular and irregular NB-QC-LDPC codes with low error floor by removing a given collection of harmful structures. Compared to the existing codes in the literature, the constructed codes have better performance or smaller lengths with the same performance.


title: Studying the Evolution of Bitcoin-Related Topics Extracted from an Online Forum

abstract: Besides all the uncommon events of 2020, Bitcoin finally passed 20,000 USD this year, and grabbed more attention about what is going on in cryptocurrency and what will happen next? So far, several researchers used social media data in their works and the role of public opinion, especially in the specialized forums on Bitcoin price, was proved. To have a better understanding of the discussions in Bitcoin specialized forums, in this thesis we studied the evolution of discussions in bitcointalk.org, as the main references of discussions related to Bitcoin over the past 10 years. We found 31 different topics in the forum by applying LDA topic modeling and categorized them into 6 categories: Future, General, Mining, Monetary, Regulations, and Technical. Our investigation on this work finds a relation between Bitcoin price and the sentiment polarity of selected categories of discussions in the forum.


title: Adaptive Control and Control Allocation for Spacecraft Formation Flying under Perturbations, Uncertainies, and Faults

abstract: Spacecraft formation flying has been identified as an enabling technology. Researchers are focusing lots of efforts towards the development of autonomous control algorithms. Specifically, control laws are responsible for actuating the thrusters of the chaser spacecraft such that a relative desired trajectory is kept between the chaser and the target spacecraft. This research addresses fault tolerant control laws for spacecraft formation flying such that the chaser can accurately track a desired relative trajectory regardless of thruster faults, dynamical uncertainties, and perturbations. A controller based on simple adaptive control theory (SAC) is tested and compared to three other control laws in numerical simulation. All control laws are tested for three types of actuator failures: loss of effectiveness, stuck actuators, and total failure. Moreover, SAC is implemented for an over actuated system. Two control allocation algorithms based on optimization techniques are used to distribute the control signals among the healthier actuators.


title: Fractional-N PLL-Based Frequency Synthesis Through Sigma-Delta Modulation of the Reference Clock Frequency

abstract: Used in optical modems amongst a variety of other electronics applications, Integer-N PLL-based frequency synthesizers effectively multiply the frequency of a reference clock by an integer value to synthesize a higher frequency. When a synthesizer is packaged and its reference frequency should be generated externally, the solution is often to use another synthesizer system with another reference frequency and an oscillator that can tune to a valid reference frequency; one that divides evenly into the desired frequency. The proposed integrated-circuit solution divides a high-frequency clock already existing on the ASIC by a floating-point divisor to generate the packaged synthesizer's reference clock through the use of a sigma-delta divider and without requiring an additional oscillator. This thesis will detail the design considerations needed to allow tuning to a set of desired frequencies with a frequency error of less than 1 PPM and jitter less than 500 fs at the synthesizer output.


title: Abandoned chip: Investigating abandonment of commercial wearables

abstract: Abandonment of wearable fitness trackers continues to be an ongoing issue. Literature has compiled many reasons; however, the roles of data literacy and data visualization literacy have been underexplored. Two qualitative studies, an online survey and in depth semi-structured interviews investigated whether insufficient data interpretation is a barrier to sustained tracker use. Results found that users may overestimate their literacy levels potentially leading them to misinterpret health data, and better support from designers and professionals is warranted. In particular, mandatory tutorials and assessments unlocking data are explored. Interaction with smart shorts, smart insoles, and accompanying data provided insight on who might adopt newer wearables, who could benefit, and how to design a better onboarding user experience. Recommendations for better use of wearable technology to address physical inactivity and obesity, as well as suggestions to support literacies are presented that the HCI community can use to move the field forward.


title: Pharmacological Ablation of Astroglia in a Rat Model of Parkinson’s Disease

abstract: Parkinson's disease is a neurodegenerative motor disorder that currently has no effective treatment to halt the degeneration. While most studies examining this disease have focused on neurons, there is now an increasing interest in the role astrocytes play. Using 6-OHDA, as well as an astrocyte-specific gliotoxin, D- alpha-aminoadipic acid, we examined how dopamine cells would react to the sudden loss of the surrounding astrocytes. We found that a modest loss of astrocytes leads to dopaminergic cell death that is comparable to that which is seen in the group that received 6-OHDA. Furthermore, we observed behavioural deficits in the rats that received the gliotoxin to be on par with rats that received the neurotoxin. Together, the data suggests that a slight loss of astrocytes in the substantia nigra has detrimental effects on neuronal survival and motor behaviour, demonstrating that the pathology observed in Parkinson's disease could stem from astrocytes.


title: The Bang Bang PLL as a Clock Source in Serial-De-Serializer (SERDES) Applications

abstract: Demands for increased wireline data throughput necessitate multi-GHz clock sources of ever-greater fifidelity. At the same time, there has been resolute industry pressure for process geometry size reduction, digital circuit implementation and modularization to fulfill the objectives of development cost reduction, scalability, increased functionality and decreased power dissipation. In aid of these objectives, this work demonstrates a digital bang-bang phase-locked loop that develops the 14-GHz clock for a 56-Gb/s PAM-4 transceiver. This low jitter clock source is realized using an LC-based digitally-controlled oscillator having a frequency tuning range of 14 % and worst case resolution of 2.0 MHz/LSB. The major digital functions of the band-bang phase-locked loop are consolidated in a single, fully-synthesized digital signal processing unit operated at 3.5 GHz or 10x the reference clock frequency. Limit cycles are minimized, without the aid of a multi- bit time-to-digital-converter, through substantial reduction of loop latency using a look-ahead digital loop fifilter. Various design techniques exploiting an advanced 7-nm FinFET technology are discussed including noise reduction, frequency resolution and tank Q-enhancement. Additionally, methods of accurately modelling a digitally-controlled oscillator and linear loop analysis of the bang-bang phase-locked loop are demonstrated. Closed-loop phase noise performance is accurately predicted using an industry-standard digital event-driven simulator with dramatically reduced computation effort compared to analogue or mixed-mode simulations. Here, a method of faithfully calculating various noise profiles for digitally-controlled and reference oscillators is exploited. The measured RMS random jitter of the BBPLL, integrated from 1 kHz to 100 MHz, is 143 fs and shows limit-cycle free operation resulting in minimal spurious tone activity in the frequency spectrum. The BBPLL consumes 40 mW of power, while the DCO consumes 14.8 mW of this total. The RMS jitter demonstrated in this thesis is consistent or better than analogue charge-pump PLLs of comparable frequency and significantly better than the reported BBPLLs at very competitive area and power dissipation.


title: As the Planet Lost Its Orbit: The Myth of the Death of Political Philosophy

abstract: The death of political philosophy is a label applied to various debates in the mid-twentieth century. Those debates, however, only have the appearance of a singular, cohesive argument about the state of the art. Upon closer investigation, despite the fact that its interlocutors used similar language in their proclamations and protestations, its participants were not referring to the same discipline — let alone the same 'death' thereof. John Rawls' A Theory of Justice is widely credited as having renewed political philosophy, either reversing a decline in the tradition that had begun as far back as Machiavelli or altogether reviving a project that seemed untenable in post-war anglophone scholarship. Yet what was revived by Rawls' defense of modern liberalism is differs from the discipline that came before, solidifying an academic conception of political philosophy that was suitable for institutionalization in liberal democracies. Rawls' importance in Western political thought is undeniable, but it does not automatically follow that he resolved all of the many deaths of political philosophy of the preceding decades. This dissertation is both a contribution to the disciplinary history of political philosophy as a sub-field of anglophone political science and an investigation into the death of political philosophy as both a series of debates and as a theoretical concept. Although those debates are largely understood as resolved and widely considered to be irrelevant to contemporary political philosophy, this project shows otherwise. The death of political philosophy should be understood as a key moment in the development of the discipline as distinct from 'proper' political philosophy. While this does not uniquely emerge in the twentieth century, academic political philosophy does take on a new life in post-war anglophone institutions. Investigating the death thesis provides insight into contemporary assumptions about the shape and scope of the discipline — and its implications for the practice of political philosophy. As such, this project is also a critique of the contemporary discipline that has the appearance of an ossified body of knowledge which seems divorced from the active enterprise of political philosophy and pedagogy — albeit a hopeful critique that offers possible avenues for renewal.


title: Effects of Porosity, Wall Thickness and Length on the Filtration Efficiency of Gasoline Particulate Filters

abstract: The objective of this study was to understand the Gasoline Particulate Filter (GPF) filtration process and examine the effects of GPF parameters like wall thickness, porosity, Mean Pore Size (MPS) and length on the filtration efficiency (FE). It also aimed to investigate the implications of installing a GPF on a Gasoline Direct Injection (GDI) engine. Four filters were tested first on a bench setup with a soot generator as source for the particle emissions and then installed on a GDI engine on a dynamometer where the overall emissions and filtration efficiencies were investigated. Soot concentrations, particle number emissions and gaseous emissions were measured. Particle morphology and soot deposition were analyzed using a Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) and a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). Results showed an increasing filtration efficiency with increasing soot deposition. Results also showed a greater effect of MPS on filtration efficiency than wall thickness and filter length.


title: Domestic Politics and the Bomb: The Influence of State Regime Type on Nuclear Deterrence

abstract: Why are some nuclear weapon states attacked more than others? Reviewing attacks against them shows that nuclear-armed democracies are attacked more than non-democratic ones, indicating that state regime type may play a role in nuclear deterrence credibility. This is largely ignored in the nuclear deterrence literature despite many conceptual similarities to conventional armed conflict, which has numerous theories on regime type influencing state conflict behaviour. In this dissertation, I seek to explain the disparity in attacks on nuclear weapon states with a novel theory that state political accountability mechanisms influence nuclear deterrence threat credibility. I hypothesize that democratic states are more sensitive to the costs of fulfilling their nuclear deterrence threats in low-intensity conflict scenarios due to popular accountability. Non-democratic nuclear weapon states can make more credible threats due to being accountable to an elite audience instead of the general population, allowing them to engage in cost-insensitive behaviour. To accomplish this, I use process tracing within a broader comparative case study framework to study crises affecting four nuclear weapon states during the 1945-2018 period. For each of these four states (Israel, India, Pakistan, and North Korea), I study the makeup of their government, including their domestic audiences, their nuclear deterrence threats, and command and control structures. I then compare pre- and post-nuclear deterrent acquisition crises targeting them and evaluate the rationales of decision-makers for both the defending and challenging states, particularly how the latter perceived the former's cost-sensitivity. The results indicate that, as anticipated, nuclear-armed democracies face greater difficulties in having their nuclear deterrence threats considered credible in low-intensity crises than their non-democratic counterparts. However, each case comes with notable caveats. Israel's nuclear opacity policy obscures whether government restraint is due to accountability or potential international reactions, while the Indian government often goes against popular sentiment in demonstrating restraint. While Pakistan and North Korea have both successfully deterred even low-intensity attacks against them due to the perception that they are sufficiently cost-insensitive to use nuclear weapons against any attack, the latter's aggression has led to it being considered sufficiently dangerous as to encourage potential pre-emptive strikes against it.


title: CANDU Fire Probabilistic Risk Assessment

abstract: Advancement of fire risk analysis methods has led to a widespread development of detailed fire probabilistic risk assessments (PRA) at nuclear power plants. The Fire PRA assesses the possibility of a fire at critical plant locations and evaluates the fire damage. Fire PRA also evaluates the effect of the fire on safety-related cables and equipment. The scope of the Fire PRA is limited to demonstrating that the fire safe shutdown objectives and performance criteria are met. Hence, the Fire PRA is only used for plant areas where fires may have a potential impact on systems, structures, and components (SSCs) that are required to perform the fire safe shutdown functions. A CANDU Fire Database was developed by the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) to collect and maintain data of all CANDU related fires. There are 19 nuclear power plants operating in Canada today, with 75 fires reported from 1981 to 2020. The main objective of this thesis is to develop a Fire PRA for Canadian CANDU nuclear reactors. For this, a fuel load survey of all 1,230 Fire Safe Shutdown System (FSSA) rooms in CANDU reactors in Canada was carried out, and found that the average fuel density for the 1,230 general fire zones was 170.1 MJ/m2, and electric faults were the most likely ignition source. The results of the fuel load survey were used to group fire zones based on their areas, heights and combustible loads and to produce a list of critical fire scenarios. Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS) was used to simulate these critical fire scenarios and the associated consequences on FSSA cables. The fire scenarios' simulation results were used to create a qualitative screening method (decision tree) for CANDU reactors, which is an essential step in the CANDU Fire PRA. A CANDU Fire PRA methodology for CANDU reactors was developed, and two fire zones were selected to demonstrate the use of the CANDU Fire PRA methodology. In addition, High Energy Arc Fault (HEAF) risks in CANDU reactors were examined and analyzed, and recommendations were given to mitigate the risks and consequences of any potential HEAF events.


title: Regulation and Modification of Peripheral Circadian Molecular Clocks in 13-Lined Ground Squirrels during Hibernation.

abstract: During winter, hibernators are able to conserve energy during times of limited resources through the virtual cessation of energetically expensive processes that are thought to be intrinsic to the cell in homeostasis. During prolonged hibernation, these mammals, such as the 13-lined ground squirrel (Ictidomys tridecemlineatus), shut down the bulk of transcription and translation in order to preserve resources yet still require the expression of subsets of genes to assist with the challenges encountered during hibernation. Hibernators provide a unique opportunity for examining the dynamics of circadian clock activation in a system that requires the selection of groups of transcripts against a backdrop of suppressed cellular activity. This research shows that peripheral circadian clocks are regulated and have adapted to function in a tissue-specific manner that is congruent with the tissues functions during hibernation. In addition, substantial transcriptional and post-transcriptional machineries are required to endure deep torpor and low body temperature, including increased regulation over genomic activity by epigenetic enzymes. Both RNA adenosine and protein arginine methylation act to regulate activity within the circadian clock via epigenetic mechanisms and provide novel opportunities to uncover information about the post-translational modifications used during hibernation. RNA N6-methyladenosine (m6A) dynamics were maintained during hibernation and levels of m6A were increased on mRNA transcripts during torpor in liver. Responses by protein arginine methyltransferase (PRMT) enzymes were tissue-specific and within liver and white adipose, revealed responses that characterized metabolic reprogramming, whereas skeletal muscle PRMT activity was centered around transcriptional regulation. This research suggests that dynamic epigenetic modifications provide a mechanism for maintaining translation of selected groups of necessary transcripts during hibernation, including core circadian clock genes, against a backdrop of stunted transcript processing. These data also provide evidence that the circadian clock is an important and integral regulator of peripheral tissues within the mammalian hibernation phenotype.


title: Using an Electroencephalography Brain-Computer Interface for Monitoring Mental Workload During Flight Simulation

abstract: Background: The objective of the present research was to investigate an electroencephalography (EEG) brain-computer interface for monitoring mental workload during virtual reality flight simulation. Most aviation accidents are related to pilot cognition and a mismatch between task demands and cognitive resources. Real-time neurophysiological monitoring that identifies high-workload mental states offers an effective approach for reducing accidents during flight. Method: Non-pilot participants performed simulated flight operations. Workload was manipulated to represent regular flight scenarios by varying navigational difficulty and performing communication tasks. EEG data was collected and used to classify periods of flight as high or medium workload. Results and implications: A classification rate of 75.9% was obtained which provides promise for future use of EEG brain-computer interfaces in aviation practice. The most informative classification features (Alpha and Beta oscillations) may represent components of working memory which corresponds to predictions from a multiple resource theory approach to experimental design.


title: Giving a Fork about the Environment: Discursive Articulations of Food, Climate Change, and Environmental Sustainability in Canada's Food Guide

abstract: This research explores how the Canadian federal government incorporates climate change and environmental sustainability concerns in the 2019 iteration of Canada's Food Guide and its supporting documents. Using a mixed analytical approach to discourse analysis, I analyze 52 government documents to discover how food, climate change, and environmental sustainability are discursively linked. My findings reveal that these considerations are wed together through dominant storylines that operate as channels to enact change; positioning citizens to adjust their behaviours to be more environmentally benign as a 'solution'. I argue that the guide's 'solutionist' approach to communication constructs a 'good' Canadian consumer and neglects larger questions over creating enabling environments. In doing so, I contend that the 'solutionist' approach acts as a cornerstone for transforming food guides to address climate change and sustainability at the individual level but does not sufficiently address the need for systemic change.


title: Investigating Vibration Levels in Neonatal Patient Transport

abstract: Canada's first standardized Neonatal Patient Transport System (NPTS) has been introduced in Ontario. Vibrations experienced by neonatal patients during transport in the NPTS have been a concern, since previous studies have suggested that such vibrations could increase morbidity and mortality rates for neonates. A road test mimicking actual transport was carried in a ground ambulance with the NPTS. Results show an amplification of vibrations at the neonate's head, relative to the floor, mostly at 9.5 Hz, and that neonates likely experience vibrations exceeding adult standards. A standardized environment test has demonstrated the first successful installation and validation of an entire NPTS atop an industrial shaker table. Results demonstrate that custom mattresses decreased the vibration when compared to the currently used Geo-Matrix™ mattress by 2-4 times, and use of a head restraint harness showed a decrease in vibration when compared to the standard five-point harness by 1.7-3.3 times.


title: Children’s Ability to Save: The Effect of Resource

abstract: Saving for the future is an adaptive skill that humans benefit from regularly. Only some studies have explored the factors that contribute to children's saving ability in the early preschool years, such as the nature of the resource to be saved (e.g., symbolic versus non-symbolic). The current study contrasts two savings studies with young children. In one, 63 children aged 3.5-6 years saved a resource itself (i.e., marbles; Kamawar, Connolly, Astle‐Rahim, Smygwaty & Vendetti, 2019), and in another, 53 children aged 4- to 5-years saved a symbol of a resource (i.e., tokens; Jerome,  Milyavskaya, Atance & Kamawar, submitted). Each study included both a control and a budgeting condition where children could make a savings plan prior to engaging in the task, alongside a general planning measure (the Truck Loading task). Overall, children's performance across the two studies did not differ significantly, though the number of resources budgeted approached significance.


title: The Legend of La Corriveau: Québécois Folklore and The Politics of Nation-Making in Canada

abstract: This dissertation examines the role played by Québécois folklore in Canadian metanarratives of nation using as a case study "La Corriveau," a Québécois murderess whose folkloric tale emerged during the pivotal British Conquest of New France in 1760. It analyzes how the figure of La Corriveau expresses and mediates conflicts between English and French Canada in both literary traditions. Reading through intertextual and interlingual lenses francophone and anglophone texts addressing the legend of La Corriveau such as Philippe Aubert de Gaspé's Les anciens Canadiens (1863), William Kirby's The Golden Dog (1877), Victor-Lévy Beaulieu's Ma Corriveau (1973), Anne Hébert's La cage (1990), and Douglas Glover's "La Corriveau" (1993), as well as examining La Corriveau's portrayal in life writing, popular film, and the global marketplace, this dissertation argues that the legend and its reinterpretations are reworked by both Québécois and English-Canadian authors in a desire to recuperate the figure for distinct national metanarratives of Québec and English Canada. For Québécois writers, the legend has provided a semantically flexible focal point for national image-making across a range of historical contexts and ideological positions, from French-Canadian survivance to Québécois nationalism and settler nationalism. For English-Canadian writers, meanwhile, and in constant dialogue with Québécois uses of the legend, La Corriveau has been made to serve an equally complex and often contradictory role in narratives that alternately (and sometimes simultaneously) reinforce, question, and rewrite English-Canadian metanarratives of romantic nationalism. As it traces ongoing conversations among Québécois, English-Canadian, as well as other francophone and anglophone revisions of the legend, this dissertation shows not only how La Corriveau has developed as a mediator of French- and English-Canadian identity, but also how its treatment continues to regulate images of Indigenous presence in relation to those national metanarratives.


title: Functioning of the Default Mode Network with and Without Methylphenidate Treatment in Patients with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: A Systematic Review

abstract: Patients with ADHD display enhanced Default Mode Network (DMN) functioning, resulting in altered functioning with its antagonistic Task Positive Network (TPN). To conduct this systematic review, one investigator performed the search and screening methodology, in which 30 studies were detected that met the criteria. Mixed results were obtained for within DMN connectivity and connectivity between the DMN and TPN. However, majority of studies found reduced anticorrelation between the DMN and TPN, in other words, a reduced DMN suppression. Furthermore, all studies demonstrated that methylphenidate treatment results in a suppression of the DMN. Despite mixed findings regarding DMN intraconnectivity and interconnectivity with the TPN, this systematic review supports the conclusion that ADHD is a disorder of DMN dysfunction including dopamine alterations which can be reversed and treated by methylphenidate. Further research is needed to fully understand the correlation between DMN activity and ADHD.


title: Designing Graphic Messages to Promote Mental Health

abstract: Post-secondary students are experiencing elevated and increasing levels of mental illness. Colleges and universities have developed programs and services to help address this problem, however many institutions are overwhelmed by the high demand for counselling services and students must wait long periods for an appointment. This study explores the development and design of a persuasive mental health campaign that may help to increase the resilience and mental health of post-secondary students. The study consisted of four phases: exploratory interviews, a survey on the student experience and  mental health, and two rounds of evaluative feedback on prototypes from different populations. The results of these research phases led to insights on factors affecting mental health, the importance of collaboration between designers, experts, and the target audience, and design guidelines for persuasive graphic messages.


title: Power Gain Optimization for Multiple Active Multiple Passive Dipole Antenna Arrays

abstract: In this work we consider dipole antenna arrays of both active and passive dipole elements. The traditional approach assumes sinusoidal current distributions. Herein, we obtain the exact distribution from the Hallen equations using the Method of Moments (MoM). We show that the current distributions on the dipole elements can deviate significantly from the sinusoidal approximation. Optimizing the active and passive elements to maximize the gain; constitutes a non-convex optimization problem. To circumvent this difficulty, we develop an efficient algorithm that yields close to optimal results which are demonstrated by numerical evaluations and verified with simulations.


title: iCARE: Cyber Behaviours in Intimate Relationships

abstract: Technology usage is at an all-time high in Canada, resulting in almost all Canadians, under the age of 45, using the internet everyday (Statistics Canada, 2017). Recently, it has been highlighted that intimate partners are exposed to various vulnerabilities online. Individuals can be victimized by their intimate partners by means of cyber acts, called cyber aggression. Cyber aggression is characterized as threatening, insulting or humiliating acts intended to cause distress, such as sending embarrassing photos or videos over the Internet, using an intimate partner's passwords to access their social media and email to spy, or the using technology to exhibit control over one's partner (Borrajo et al., 2015; Buesa & Calvete, 2011; Watkins et al., 2016; Wright, 2017). There are two central types of cyber aggression: direct and control monitoring (Borrajo et al., 2015). Currently, cyber aggression among intimate partners has been scarcely examined in the literature. To address intimate partner cyber aggression, three foundational areas were examined in this dissertation, (1) who might predict intimate partner cyber aggression, (2) why perpetrators employ these behaviours, (3) and what the associations are between intimate partner cyber aggression perpetration and well-being. Both quantitative and qualitative research methods were employed to holistically address this topic. In an attempt to answer the question "who" perpetrates this form of aggression, an association between insecure attachment characteristics and partner directed cyber aggression was discovered. While exploring "why" individuals perpetrate intimate partner cyber aggression, six underlying motives were revealed. Lastly, while answering the question "what" is the relationship between cyber aggression perpetration and well-being, an association between mental health symptoms and relationship investment was discovered. Given technology's continuous advancements, the engagement in online aggressive behaviours also uniformly progress, making this research topic relevant and time sensitive. These research findings advanced the scientific literature tremendously as the results created a foundational knowledge for future research to build from. Additionally, this dissertation has clinical implications that can be implemented immediately, which is imperative given the recent reliance on technology as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Key Words: Intimate Partner Cyber Aggression, Perpetration, Attachment, Motivations, Well-Being


title: Description and Quantification of Debris Tongue Movement in a Retrogressive Thaw Slump Using Aerial and Terrestrial Photogrammetry

abstract: Retrogressive thaw slumps can modify large areas of the landscape and pose a significant threat to linear infrastructure in the Arctic. There is little published information on how retrogressive thaw slump debris tongues develop. This thesis demonstrates a novel technique for combining information acquired from near-monthly structure-from-motion surveys and hourly frequency photogrammetry to reconstruct the development of a retrogressive thaw slump over one thaw season. The study was conducted during the 2019 thaw season at Slump CRB, a retrogressive thaw slump located along the Dempster Highway in the Northwest Territories. It was found that material deposited in previous yeas does not move or change and the new debris tongue material flows over the previous deposits following the path of least resistance. In addition, two debris tongue development stages are outlined to describe the spatial and temporal variability of debris tongue movement and deposition in the early and late thaw season.


title: Universal Control of Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motors with Uncertain Dynamics

abstract: Permanent magnet synchronous motors (PMSMs) are used in various industrial applications and many theoretical advances have been achieved in the domain of PMSM control. However, more research is needed in area of self-commissioning drives which can operate with very minimum information of motor parameters. This thesis focuses on the universal control design of PMSMs and uses two control methods: conventional field-oriented vector control and simplified control. In vector control, the classical proportional-integral (PI) controller is used to control the d-q axis currents and speed of the PMSM. The main aim is to determine the PI controller gains using an empirical study and generalized mathematical expressions. In vector control, these equations use power ratings, while in simplified control, the product of number of pole pairs and flux linkage is used for automatic gain calculation. Validation of both the proposed control strategies is done in MATLAB/Simulink, and satisfactory results are obtained.


title: "No Place for Women":  A Graphic Narrative of Fanny Duberly's Crimean War

abstract: Conceptualized as an academic exercise, this thesis analyzes the layered representation of Fanny Duberly's lived experience during the Crimean War to develop a historical graphic narrative. The subjective choices present in the graphic narrative, titled No Place for Women, erodes the dichotomy between "fictional" and "factual" storytelling, and advocates for the validity of graphic mediums to represent historical narratives. In doing so it contributes to the visual representation of the Crimean War and gives scholarly attention to the often overlooked wives of British officers who accompanied their husbands to Crimea. By regarding Fanny as a "worthy" historical subject this project dispels the patriarchal power structures that oversimplify and obscure our ability to understand the Crimean War. It also provides a preliminary methodological framework for historians interested in alternative narrative structures. Finally, it argues for the fundamental recasting of terms and standards historians use to qualify objective, neutral, and universal history.


title: Who Supports Basic Income?  Constituency as a Constraint in Political Feasibility Testing

abstract: With a provincial welfare system in crisis, Basic Income is re-merging as a strategy to guarantee a minimum level of income for everyone, regardless of employment status. According to polls, public opinion on Basic Income in Ontario is almost evenly divided among those supporting it and those rejecting it. From a policy making perspective, understanding the demand for policy changes is critical in assessing the political feasibility of Basic Income. This research tests the political feasibility of Basic Income by examining soft constraints, specifically, its constituency base. It inquires on the socio-economic characteristics behind public support for Basic Income through the analysis of a survey conducted in 2016. The findings provide insights on the constituency base of Basic Income which proves to have no socio-demographic homogeneity. Instead, perception- and ideology-related variables have been identified as predictors of attitudes towards the Basic Income proposition in Ontario.


title: Effect of NFE2L1 Overexpression and Knock Down on the Response of XBP1 Splice Variants to Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress

abstract: The unfolded protein response (UPR) is responsible for the degradation and refolding of misfolded proteins. Nuclear factor erythroid-2 like-1 (NFE2L1) basic leucine zipper (bZIP) transcription factor which respond primarily to oxidative stress and proteasome inhibition. In its role in maintaining proteostasis, NFE2L1 upregulates production of proteasomal subunits. Over the years, functional similarities and parallel response pathways have been observed between the UPR and NFE2L1. NFE2L1 may be involved in maintaining proteostasis via involvement in the UPR, directly. The activation of XBP1, a UPR effector, was analyzed under NFE2L1 knock down and overexpression. At the protein level, NFE2L1 knock down decreases the amount of activated XBP1 produced when treated with thapsigargin. NFE2L1 overexpression increased activated XBP1 synthesis under untreated conditions. NFE2L1 knock down resulted in significantly disrupted splicing of XBP1 RNA into its active form. These results suggest that NFE2L1 expression has an impact on UPR signaling.


title: Automatic Page-Turner for Pianists With Wearable Motion Detector

abstract: Turning book pages is a simple act that readers do while reading. This simple act that we take for granted could be challenging when both hands are engaged in other tasks. In case that a pianist sight-read, using one hand for turning the music sheets can cause distraction or short delay in their performance. Previous studies predominantly utilized audio or video processing techniques for following the musicians' performance. We suggested a framework that uses wearable technologies as an alternative solution for solving page-turning problems. The proposed design recognizes the pianist's wrists oscillatory motion with accelerometer sensors and tries to sync them to digital music notes. This system uses dynamic time warping and cross-correlation methods to find the optimum alignment between actual and captured data and reducing time latency. Eventually, a heuristic decision model assesses the pianist's performance and decides to turn the digital music sheet at predefined points.


title: A qualitative evaluation of a co-responding mobile crisis intervention team in a small Canadian police service

abstract: Mobile Crisis Intervention Teams (MCITs) are meant to assist the police in responding appropriately to calls involving persons in crisis with the goal of providing short-term crisis management, and open doors to long-term support. Several MCITs exist, however, evaluations of these programs are limited. This thesis presents a qualitative evaluation of the South Simcoe Police Services' (SSPS) Crisis Outreach and Support Team (COAST), modeled after the MCIT. The COAST builds on a partnership between SSPS and two local mental health organizations. The evaluation consisted of interviews with various stakeholder groups. There was consensus among participants that the COAST provides a better service than a conventional police response while also helping to bridge the gap between the police and mental health providers. However, the lack of resources was seen as a major challenge. The findings suggest that co-responding teams may improve the way the police respond to individuals in crisis.


title: Reductions in Representation Theory of Lie Algebra of Vector Fields

abstract: We study representations of Lie algebras that do not have a Cartan subalgebra. The study of such representations required new techniques, one that we applied was to restrict the action of other algebraic structures that contain the Lie algebra. Our Lie algebras came from the vector fields on arbitrary varieties. We studied representations that admit the actions of the Lie algebra of vector field and the algebra of functions on the variety in a compatible way. More specifically, we studied two such classes of modules: gauge modules and Rudakov modules. We proved that gauge modules and Rudakov modules corresponding to simple glN-modules remain irreducible as modules over the Lie algebra of vector fields unless they appear in the de Rham complex. We also studied the irreducibility of tensor products of Rudakov modules. Lastly, we present a complete description of tensor modules belonging to the de Rham complex as gl3-modules. We also realize these modules using GT-tableaux


title: Characterization of Bioactivity and Antimicrobial Metabolite Production in Bacteria Antagonistic to Plant and Foodborne Molds

abstract: Biocontrol agents show promise in mitigating the drawbacks of synthetic chemicals. This study investigates potential biocontrol bacteria isolated from disease suppressive composts to reduce Fusarium dry rot on potato tubers, and to gain insight into the mode of action of Arthrobacter spp. The objectives were to (i) evaluate the antagonistic activity against Fusarium sambucinum in vitro and suppression of potato dry rot, (ii) assess the antimicrobial activity of Arthrobacter spp. in vitro and in vivo, and (iii) identify possible modes of action of these antagonistic bacteria. Results indicated that bacterial isolates from Bacillus, Pseudomonas, and Arthrobacter genera suppressed Fusarium dry rot. Additionally, Arthrobacter humicola M9-1A, M9-2, and M9-8, A. psychrophenolicus M9-17 and their cell-free filtrates possess antimicrobial properties suppressing various plant pathogens. Two antimicrobial compounds were isolated and characterized from A. psychrophenolicus M9-17. Overall, this study reported that antibiosis may be a major mode of action of these bacteria.


title: Characteristic Mode Approach to Understanding a Capacitively Fed Crossed Bow-tie Antenna

abstract: The Theory of Characteristic Modes (TCM) is a unique way to analyze antennas. It allows the response of an antenna to be decomposed into the sum of its parts. In this thesis, a bow-tie antenna and a capacitively fed crossed bow-tie antenna are analyzed using TCM. The bow-tie antenna was modified by placing stubs at the location of an eigencurrent minimum for the third order mode close to an eigencurrent maximum for the first order mode which reduced their modal resonances by 1.8 GHz and 25 MHz respectively. Three characteristic modes were found to make up the response of the capacitively fed crossed bow-tie antenna. Each mode was decoupled into auxiliary modes to remove coupling effects from eigenvalue crossing avoidances. The auxiliary modes were described as a ground plane mode, a dipole dominant mode, and a bow-tie dominant mode. The dipole and bow-tie modes were shown to be synchronously coupled.


title: Evaluating the Psychometric Properties of the Early Literacy and Numeracy Observation Tool (ELNOT)

abstract: The present study evaluated the psychometric properties of the Early Literacy and Numeracy Observation Tool (ELNOT), a tool aimed at identifying children who are at-risk or gifted, and monitoring children's academic progress. Kindergarteners (N = 356; 173 junior kindergarteners) were assessed at two time points (fall and spring). ELNOT consists of four literacy and six numeracy tasks; some tasks were eliminated from the analyses due to floor or ceiling effects. The measurement precision of three tasks (Print Concepts, Letter Identification, Number Recognition) was examined through item analyses. Overall, these tasks demonstrated sufficient measurement precision for most junior kindergarteners and some senior kindergarteners. The measurement invariance of five tasks (Print Concepts, Letter Identification, Early Spelling, Number Naming, Magnitude Comparison) was examined across gender, kindergarten level, and time through multiple-group confirmatory factor analyses; the model structure was invariant across all comparisons. ELNOT can accurately identify junior kindergarteners who are potentially at-risk.


title: Postmastectomy radiation therapy for patients with tissue expanders

abstract: Temporary breast tissue expanders contain a metal port that can vary in position throughout the course of radiation treatments. In this study, the magnitude and the dosimetric effect of the interfractional positional variations of the metal port was quantified. The robustness of the three most common external beam treatment techniques (tangential 3DCRT, VMAT and helical Tomotherapy) was evaluated against the measured positional errors. Results showed that interfractional positional errors were generally small, but errors larger than 1.5 cm were also observed. The interfractional positional variations arise from a combination of internal port errors and patient registration errors. Patient registration errors were shown to have larger dosimetric effect on target coverage and nearby organs than internal port errors. VMAT and Tomotherapy treatments are more robust when patient registration errors are minimized. The misalignment of the metal port during patient registration is acceptable when a more optimal anatomy match can be achieved.


title: Electrical Characterization of Silicon Strip Sensors for the ATLAS ITk at the HL-LHC with Extended Investigations of Sensor Properties

abstract: Silicon n+-in-p microstrip sensors have been developed for the ATLAS Inner Tracker (ITk). This is part of the phase-II upgrade programme for the High Luminosity Large Hadron Collider which will see a sevenfold increase in peak instantaneous luminosity. Prototype and preproduction generations of strip sensors are designed by the ITk Strip Sensor Collaboration and produced by Hamamatsu Photonics. The sensors undergo a variety of electrical and mechanical tests for Quality Control (QC) which are essential to verify compliance with specifications, monitor processing consistency, and predict the overall performance of the ITk. QC procedures are detailed and results from prototype sensors are given. A selection of results beyond the scope of QC are also presented. Topics include the effects of proton radiation, anomalous loss of strip isolation, and bias dependent changes in surface oxide charges. These studies are aimed at informing predictions of long term sensor performance.


title: On the Utility of Genomics-Based Methods for Surveillance of Antimicrobial-Resistant Bacteria in the Food Production Continuum

abstract: Overuse of antimicrobials in medicine and agriculture are believed to be drivers of the spread of AMR among pathogenic bacteria. Antimicrobial use in agriculture and food-producing animals may facilitate spread of resistant bacteria to food products as well as dissemination into the environment. Although regulatory practices currently monitor food, feed, and fertilizer products for presence of pathogenic organisms, they do not test for AMR genes (ARGs). My Ph.D. thesis focuses on filling current knowledge gaps for transmission and detection of AMR in food production by evaluating methodology to monitor transmission of resistance genes throughout the food production continuum. There are three main objectives of my thesis: (i) to evaluate the accuracy of genotype in predicting resistance phenotypes; (ii) to investigate the presence and mechanisms of resistance in food production; (iii) to determine whether short-read metagenomics is a suitable high-throughput method for surveillance of resistance in agri-food products. For the first objective, concordance of AMR phenotypes with whole genome sequencing (WGS) predictions of ARGs were determined in two separate studies. Requirements for sequence coverage suggest genotypic predictions of AMR are highly concordant when using a target-gene identity cutoff of >80%, assuming sufficient genome coverage. To investigate pathogen persistence in food production, analyses were conducted using WGS data for 1279 L. monocytogenes isolated from food products. The most frequently isolated clonal complexes were significantly associated with carriage of plasmid-borne quaternary ammonium compound resistance. Additionally, conjugation frequencies of plasmid-borne AMR between commensal food bacteria and a foodborne pathogen were determined. High rates of both pathogen persistence and plasmid transfer in foodborne bacteria emphasize the importance of monitoring resistance determinants in commensal food bacteria as well as pathogens. Finally, to determine the utility of shotgun metagenomics for monitoring AMR in agri-food production I conducted a study on LOD of ARGs in metagenomic sequences. This study highlights that as the number of sequence reads decreases, target organisms must comprise a larger proportion for ARG detection. This research emphasizes the importance of monitoring resistance dissemination throughout agri-food production and has provided guidance to aid in selection of appropriate methods for surveillance of AMR in food products.


title: Modelling Risk in Highway Infrastructure Investments: Decision-Theoretic, Bayesian, and Factor Analysis Approaches

abstract: Investments in highway infrastructure are expected to achieve a satisfactory rating for avoiding cost overruns and in fulfilling their role in enhancing the sustainability of cities and regions. Despite challenges, highway infrastructure investment assessments received insufficient research attention in modelling lifecycle cost risk and the associated sustainability effectiveness. The increasing acceptance of the sustainability rating tools for evaluating highway projects implies going beyond former attention to location and design of highway infrastructure guided mainly by functional considerations. Under present high demands from the transportation planning environment, there is emphasis on characterizing risk in the first cost as well as lifecycle costs. Likewise, there is an emphasis on inclusion of sustainability factors, including effective use of resources, in evaluating project alternatives. The use of infrastructure rating tools such as ENVISION has the potential to improve the effectiveness of investment in highway projects in terms of meeting sustainability criteria, including formal recognition of the importance of lifecycle analysis. To support the application of rating tools, research is needed in modelling risk in lifecycle cost estimates, including the identification and quantification of cost overrun factors. Besides, there is a need for a methodology for joint treatment of multi-attribute criteria that encompass cost and other factors of sustainability. To go beyond the current state of knowledge, research was carried out on: - The probability models of cost overruns. - Treating risk and uncertainty in lifecycle analyses, using decision-theoretic, utility-theoretic, and Bayesian methods for evaluation of investment alternatives. - Factor Analysis of variables that characterize the causes of cost overruns and logistics regression models based on factor analysis results. Data were obtained and analyzed on actual projects that may have experienced cost overruns. Also, a questionnaire study was implemented to obtain data from transportation jurisdictions in Canada, the USA, Middle East, and Australia. Following the study of cost overrun probability models, decision-theoretic and utility-theoretic methods were developed and illustrated in the evaluation of investment alternatives while formally treating lifecycle costs and other factors of sustainability. Finally, factor analysis and associated logistic regression models were implemented for characterizing the effect of factors that cause cost overruns.


title: Mass Spectrometry-based Anaylsis to Investigate the Pharmacokinetics and Proteomic Properties of a Viral Sensitizer

abstract: Attenuated oncolytic viruses (OVs) are a promising alternative cancer therapy to mainstream methods such as radiotherapy and chemotherapy. OV therapy takes advantage of the defective antiviral response present in most cancer cells however heterogeneity amongst target cells and attenuation of OVs to increase their safety profiles has limited the efficacy of this treatment. We have developed novel small molecules named viral sensitizers (VSes) capable of enhancing viral infection and cancer-specific cell death. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) methods were developed to study the pharmacokinetics (PK) and metabolomic activity of VSe1-28 via time course experiments. Parallel to this work, proteomic experiments were conducted to confirm the molecular target and mechanism of action of VSe1-28 through MRM and Auto-MS/MS methods. These new findings will aid in improving VSes and progress preclinical studies for clinical use in combination with OVs.


title: Studying How Cryptocurrency Development Characteristics in GitHub Affect Its Market Price and Developer Sentiment in Stack Overflow Discussions

abstract: Cryptocurrency development has continuous escalation in the past years and holds its presence significantly in open source development. Since, prices of each cryptocurrency are driven by many factors, we are interested in investigating how various characteristics of cryptocurrency's codebase development affect market capitalization price. We conduct a study on a panel dataset containing a year of daily observations of development activity, popularity, and market capitalization for over two hundred open source cryptocurrencies. Stack Overflow (SO) remains the most popular Q&A forum for software developers. We mine SO data to explore the hot cryptocurrency topics and study the sentiment of cryptocurrency discussions. Our results demonstrate 1) using Granger causality analysis, we find no convincing evidence of "predictive" relationship between software development metrics and market price except for Ethereum; 2) developers express positive sentiment in SO discussions; 3) the extracted keywords from SO discussions prevail the hot topics the developers discuss about.


title: Microstructure and Performance Studies of a Novel Cobalt High Entropy Alloy

abstract: A novel high entropy alloy (HEA), designated as HE6, is created based on Stellite 6 in this research. The new alloy has the equiatomic Co-Cr-Fe-Ni composition with a large amount of W and other minors. The bulk specimens are fabricated from the alloy powder via spark plasma sintering (SPS) and plasma transferred arc (PTA) welding. The microstructures of the specimens are studied using XRD and SEM equipped with EDX. A series of material characterization tests such as hardness, wear and corrosion are performed on the bulk HE6 specimens as well as Stellite 6 specimens. It is found that HE6 alloy has a similar microstructure compared to Stellite 6. However, the solid solution of HE6 consists of multi-element FCC structures rather than single FCC Co structure. As for the performance evaluation, Stellite 6 has better overall performance than HE6. And the effect of processing methods is not obvious.


title: Performance Evaluation of Industrial Waste Heat Driven Power Cycles Utilizing Low Global Warming Potential Working Fluids

abstract: Waste heat from the industrial sector can be recovered, but the process is dependent on its temperature, with considerations for the waste heat from data centers at 80˚C being different from those for waste heat from cement plants at 350oC. Most waste heat recovery systems utilize high global warming potential working fluids, which are hazardous to the environment. The objective of this research is to evaluate the thermodynamic and economic performance of power cycles utilizing low global warming potential working fluids for waste heat recovery in data centers and cement plants. Numerical models using theoretical waste heat data are utilized and a present worth analysis is conducted. In data centers, it was found that certain low global warming potential working fluids have better thermodynamic performance than conventional working fluids. In cement plants, it was determined that an inter-regenerative transcritical carbon dioxide power cycle had the highest thermodynamic and economic performance.


title: Characterizing Aptamer-Based Alpha-Synuclein Fibril Inhibitors as a Potential Therapeutic Agent of Parkinson's Disease

abstract: With predominant focus on the role of the protein α-synuclein, given its increased tendency to form neurotoxic oligomeric and fibril species, this thesis investigates aptamers as a Parkinson's Disease (PD) therapeutic generated specifically for the detection and inhibition of monomeric α-synuclein. Aptamers are single stranded oligonucleotide sequences designed for the recognition of target structures with high affinity and selectivity. Binding affinity and conformation analysis of five aptamer sequences, ASYN(1-5), for monomeric α-synuclein were evaluated through various detection methods. ASYN2, having the highest affinity for monomeric α-synuclein, discriminated against similarly structured proteins, preferentially binding with monomeric α-synuclein. ASYN2 truncations, exploiting potential binding domains within the aptamer, yielded six minimer sequences labelled A2m(1-6). Fibril inhibition assays determined both ASYN2 and A2m3 displayed inhibition potential at 1:1 molar ratios of aptamer to protein. Further investigation into ASYN2 and A2m3 could reveal its application as a PD therapeutic.


title: How and Why Do They Use Dietary Supplements? Unveiling Dietary Supplements Consumption in Social Commerce in China

abstract: Dietary supplements (DS) are used by consumers all over the world to promote health. However, in spite of the fact that clinical studies show some DS are ineffective in fulfilling their functional purposes, consumers are committed to the purchase and use of these DS. This apparent paradox leads us to seek answers for the following two research questions: "What are the benefits achieved by committed DS users?" and "How do they practice in order to achieve those benefits?" By answering these two research questions, this study aims to understand and interpret the particular horizons of meaning associated with a specific consumption object, and the variety of ways in which people consume. DS consumption in social commerce in China provides the research context and facilitates the examination of the benefits achieved by DS consumers and their practices for achieving those benefits. Active interviewing was employed to obtain a rich set of data from twenty-two mass elite females who are committed to the consumption of DS in the context of social commerce in China. Bourdieu's and Giddens's sociological theories of structure-agency dialectic provide the theoretical lens for this research. A grounded theory analysis based on the constructivist view revealed that individuals' DS consumption was influenced by the structure-agency dialectic, in which four different strategies were developed: self-learning, disciplined use, consumerism, and socializing. While practicing the four strategies, individuals selectively act upon the choices existing in the structure to actively engage in health promotion and to relieve the tensions caused by the structure-agency interplay. As a result, individuals achieve not only functional benefits from DS consumption but also various types of benefits associated with identity expression and status distinction. In this process, multiple layers of meanings of DS consumption are socially constructed. Importantly, this research provides implications for the DS consumption literature, health promotion literature, and consumer behavior literature. Recommendations for health product marketers and health promotion policymakers are suggested. Opportunities for future research are also proposed and discussed.


title: Design and Construction of a Double-Layer PVDF Wearable Ultrasonic Sensor for the Quantitative Assessment of Muscle Contractile Properties

abstract: Assessment of the skeletal muscle contractile properties provides valuable information for various medical applications. This thesis presents the development of a wearable ultrasonic sensor (WUS) and a method to measure the skeletal muscle contractile parameters. The proposed WUS was made of flexible polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) piezoelectric polymer film. A double-layer PVDF configuration was proposed to improve ultrasonic performance such as ultrasound signal strength. In order to study the double-layer PVDF WUS performance for its design consideration, a formulation of a numerical simulation model for the double-layer PVDF WUS was derived, based on Mason's equivalent circuit model of piezoelectric resonators. The double-layer PVDF configuration and the effects of non-piezoelectric layers on ultrasonic performance, such as backing, bonding, and electrode layers, were studied in detail using the simulation model developed to obtain a guideline for the design and construction of double-layer PVDF WUS. The construction procedure of the proposed design of the double-layer PVDF WUS was simple and relatively low-cost. The experimental evaluation showed the improved ultrasound performance of the developed double-layer PVDF WUS. The flexibility, lightweight, thinness, and small size of the double-layer PVDF WUS enable a steady attachment to the skin surface without affecting the underlying tissue motion in the area of interest. Such features could reduce the motion artifacts in the ultrasound measurement of tissue thickness. The developed double-layer PVDF WUS was tested for in vivo measurements of the skeletal muscle contractile parameters. Comparative measurements of the electrically-evoked static contractions of a skeletal muscle were performed by the developed double-layer PVDF WUS and the laser displacement sensor (LDS). The double-layer PVDF WUS demonstrated less variability in the extracted contractile parameters than the LDS. In addition, it was verified that the double-layer PVDF WUS was less susceptible to the motion artifacts induced by the body/limb motion than the LDS. The contractile parameters were successfully extracted from the tissue thickness changes measured by the double-layer PVDF WUS during voluntary and tetanic contractions. Furthermore, the muscle tetanic progression level was quantitatively assessed using the fusion index (FI) parameter obtained.


title: Stories Teachers Tell: A Narrative Exploration of American Sign Language Teachers’ Professional Lives

abstract: American Sign Language (ASL) is one of the most popular languages for foreign language study among hearing adult learners. ASL teaching has deep connections to the long-standing oppression of deaf people and sign languages, and so ASL teachers might be linguistic and cultural guides as well as deaf advocates, allies, and spokespeople. Yet, little research has addressed who ASL teachers are and how they have come to and navigated the profession. In Canada, there is no clear educational pathway to learning to teach ASL. Although formal and informal teacher learning opportunities exist, they are not widely adopted or enforced. In response, this narrative dissertation explored the professional life histories, or pathways, of seven ASL teachers in Canada through multi-part interviews. I was informed by theories of narrative as a social practice and teacher learning as embodied, and prior literature about the sociohistorical context of ASL and ASL teaching in North America. To further contextualize teachers' stories, I also conducted interviews with representatives from deaf cultural organizations and ASL program administrators and incorporated publicly available data about ASL in Canada. The findings of this study were an extensive collection of stories drawn from the seven teachers' accounts, organized into three chronological clusters: early ASL and teaching experiences (pathways to teaching), ongoing teaching experiences (pathways through teaching), and reflections on experience (pathways forward). Stories about teachers' early experiences underscored the diversity of people that comprised this workforce—native and non-native signers, deaf, hearing, and hard-of-hearing, formally and informally trained, and so on. Their accounts of ongoing practice illustrated how they variously strove to be teachers and the different successes and challenges they met along the way in meeting their goals. Teachers' closing reflections demonstrated that their teaching work was tightly intertwined with other goals, including the broader social justice aim of improving the status of sign languages and deaf people in Canada. This study aimed to make a space for ASL teachers in academic conversations where they are rarely featured. I hoped that ASL teachers, especially the study's participants, find meaningfulness in reflecting and sharing professional experiences documented in this dissertation.


title: Density of Neotropical Bird Migrants is Highest at Stopover Sites with an Intermediate Amount of Forest in the Surrounding Landscape and a Low Proportion of Forest in Conifer

abstract: Some nearctic-neotropical migrant forest-breeding songbirds have suffered large population declines in recent decades. Declining availability of high-quality habitat where birds refuel during the long migration may be contributing to these declines. Our objective was to identify landscape attributes that make sites likely to be used as stopover sites during fall migration. We sampled birds at 37 sites in southeastern Ontario, Canada. Bird density was highest at sites with an intermediate amount of surrounding forest within 2 km, and where deciduous trees were in higher proportions in surrounding forests within 8 km. These results suggest that birds are attracted to landscapes with an intermediate amount of forest cover. Their densities may decrease at higher forest amounts due to dilution, conifer avoidance, or reduced edges for foraging. Our study highlights the importance of retaining sites with around 50% forest cover, particularly deciduous forest, as stopover habitat for migrating songbirds.


title: Allocation of Resources and Support: Novice and Experienced French as a Second Language (FSL) Teachers in Ontario

abstract: At the inception of the Canadian French as a Second Language (FSL) program, researchers examined students' success (e.g. Cummins, 1998; Tardiff, 1990). However, there has been increasing focus on FSL teacher perspectives (e.g. Arnott, 2017; Salvatori, 2009). This qualitative study used a narrative inquiry method and semi-structured interviews to investigate six novice and experienced (i.e., based on years of experience) FSL teacher participants' accounts of the allocation of resources and support for their FSL teaching. Narrative inquiry allowed for a richly detailed understanding of the teachers' accounts of their practice. Results suggest that the novice teacher participants received more resources and support than the experienced teachers, based on the assumption that they were more willing to learn new teaching practices and in greater need. Ironically, this study suggests that the experienced teachers were very willing to adopt new strategies, and their need for resources and support was equally great.