title: Approximate Methods For Analyzing Semi-Parametric Longitudinal Models With Non-Ignorable Missing Responses

abstract: In this thesis, we suggest and explore semi-parametric generalized partially linear mixed models for longitudinal data with non-ignorable and non-monotone missing responses. The key subject of our attention is the estimation of mean response parameters and variance components using a semi-parametric Monte Carlo EM method, where the conditional mean response is semi-parametric. We first discuss the penalized regression spline method, which is often referred to as P-splines, for linear mixed model. We investigate the connection between P-splines and linear mixed model through incorporating the non-parametric mean functions into longitudinal linear mixed model. An extensive simulation study using different semi-parametric mean response functions are presented. Our simulation study reports that when the true underlying model is partially linear, the penalized spline method provides unbiased and efficient estimators. On the other hand, when the mean response is a correctly specified linear model, the P-spline still provides reliable estimates of the model parameters. Next, we present semi-parametric generalized partially linear mixed models for longitudinal data with non-ignorable missing responses. In this situation, we introduce a parametric model for non-ignorable missing data and incorporate it into the likelihood function. We obtain the asymptotic variances of the proposed estimators by the method of Louis (cf. [2], [7]). In addition, we propose and explore a semi-parametric Monte Carlo EM (MCEM) algorithm for simultaneous estimation of the regression parameters and variance components in partially linear mixed models with non-ignorable and non-monotone missing responses. In simulations, the empirical properties of the proposed method are evaluated. The simulation study shows that our proposed semi-parametric method performs well even under a large proportion of non-ignorable missing responses. Finally, the proposed semi-parametric MCEM method are applied to some actual longitudinal data obtained from a health survey, referred to as the Health and Retirement Study (HRS). The data showed strong evidence of a non-linear trend in the mean response function. It is evident from this application that our proposed methods can be used to improve the efficiency of the estimates in a partially linear mixed model for longitudinal data with non-ignorable missing responses.


title: The Cloud Factory: A Surrealist Rehabilitation of the Downtown Ottawa Library and Tower

abstract: In 2019, as a result of the spread of Covid-19, public spaces were closed, office towers were evacuated and workers had to adapt to a new sedentary way of working. As a result of this rapid change, most office towers in Ottawa are currently empty, and in some cases, unlikely to serve anytime soon, since many large corporations are now considering keeping their employees at home because this model would seem to be cost-effective. This major change in mentality and style of employment management has raised new social and financial questions. On one hand, the demand for affordable housing has become a problem; the cost of housing is growing exponentially while availability continues to decrease. On the other, office management companies and building owners are worried about the fate of their empty floor plates. This thesis imagines a solution that would benefit both parties.


title: Spinoza and Self-Destruction: Oppression and Suicide

abstract: This thesis project argues that Spinozism provides a useful framework for contemporary suicide studies. In Chapter 1, I introduce the project. In Chapter 2, I develop a reading of Spinoza's philosophy of suicide which holds both that suicides are externally caused and that suicide may sometimes be rational. In Chapter 3, I show that Spinozism demands that we make it so that suicide is never forced to be rational, and this demands abolishing oppression, despite the fact that Spinoza is certainly not an oppression theorist in the contemporary sense. In Chapter 4, I explain two risks present in the three main models of contemporary suicide research. In Chapter 5, I use the Spinozist framework as an interpretive tool for suicide studies, and explain how the Spinozist framework avoids the issues discussed in Chapter 4. I also emphasize the need to abolish oppression and provide evidence that good living is possible.


title: Adaptable Electrically Steerable Antenna Array with Diverse Switchable Polarization

abstract: Adaptability is essential for antenna systems operating in unpredictable environments. Adaptable electrically steerable antennas (AESA) and polarization diversity provide this flexibility. Simple 4x4 linear and circularly polarized arrays were fabricated on a compact 2.5x2.5in PCB. Measurements show these modularly scalable PCBs have gain between 12-22dB depending on how many boards are tiled together. Increasing the bandwidth of a patch antenna by 400MHz through resistive loading was also explored. Two switchable linear and circular polarization arrays were designed using the same PCB as the previous two arrays but with an added SPDT and hybrid coupler. Miniaturizing a hybrid coupler area by 30% through capacitive loading is also presented. Simulation of the switchable arrays showed promising results that can switch between two linear polarizations or two circular polarizations with up to 16dB of gain. COVID-related production delays meant the fabricated switchable arrays were not measurement ready at the time of publication.


title: Selective Detection and Removal of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles in Contaminated Water

abstract: Metal oxide nanoparticles (MONPs) are massively produced for various industrial, environmental and biomedical applications due to their high surface reactivity and unique chemical and physical properties. Among all the manufactured MONPs, human exposure to zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles may cause significant health concerns. This leads to a desire for efficient methods for their facile detection in the aqueous environment. In this work, two detection methods and one removal method were developed to selectively detect or remove ZnO nanoparticles in contaminated water with the presence of other MONPs. A detection method based on the fluorescence quenching of meso-tetra(4-carboxyphenyl) porphyrin (TCPP) has been developed to treat water samples containing MONPs. Quenching of the TCPP emission intensity at 650 nm provides a Stern-Volmer plot with adequate sensitivity for the detection of 0.15 mg/mL ZnO nanoparticles. Meanwhile, a unique emission peak at 605 nm is observed and can be used for the identification and quantitation of ZnO nanoparticles down to 0.0015 mg/mL. A removal method using 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) has been proved to sediment ZnO nanoparticles in aqueous suspension with TCPP as a color indicator for ZnO. When 2.0% (v) APTES is applied to treat water samples containing ≥ 0.5 mg/mL of ZnO nanoparticles, a web-like sediment adheres onto the glass vial bottom from APTES-ZnO conjugation. A high removal efficiency of over 99% (w) ZnO nanoparticles was attained using APTES. Another detection method has been developed using electroanalytical analysis by firstly drop-casting MONPs on a screen-printed electrode. When phenol is analyzed as a chemical probe by cyclic voltammetry (CV), measurement of the reduction current provides adequate sensitivity for the indirect quantitation of 0.1 mg/mL ZnO nanoparticles. Both the oxidation peak and charge storage capacity measured from the cyclic voltammogram are proportional to the ZnO nanoparticle concentration and can afford a better detection limit of 0.01 mg/mL. Overall, the above methods are labour and cost effective and can afford high selectivity towards ZnO detection or removal in the presence of other MONPs. Additionally, the electrochemical analysis method and the APTES sedimentation method can differentiate ZnO nanoparticles from Zn2+ and zinc peroxide (ZnO2) nanoparticles.


title: Variations on Zombies and Survivor in Simple Polygons

abstract: We study the pursuit-evasion game of a zombie and a survivor on point visibility graphs of simple polygons. A zombie has one objective: catch a survivor by occupying the vertex occupied by the survivor. On its turn, a zombie can only move on the first edge of a \textit{geodesic} path to the survivor's location. A survivor may choose to move to any vertex adjacent to its current vertex; the objective of the survivor is to survive as long as possible. Both players take turns and have complete information of the graph and each others' position. We consider two variants played on point visibility graphs: the case where edges have Euclidean weight between their endpoints, and the case where all edge weights are one; we denote these graphs as $PVG_D(P)$, and $PVG(P)$ respectively. We show that $PVG_D(P)$ is a zombie-win graph, and for any spiral polygon $P_s$, $PVG(P_s)$ is a zombie-win graph.


title: Deep Video Analysis Methods for Surgical Skills Assessment in Cataract Surgery

abstract: It is important for a graduate surgical trainee in ophthalmology to have a strong understanding of how to proficiently perform cataract surgery. The surgical training curriculum should incorporate methodical assessments of surgical skills and improve trainee surgeons expertise to maintain patient safety. Prior rating scales for cataract surgery are highly dependant on the subjective opinion of the observing grader and are time consuming. This project is intended to develop a deep learning model for skill evaluation in cataract surgery using raw surgery videos that can supplement human review. An advanced convolutional neural network model is leveraged in this work and was evaluated using a large custom dataset. Videos from four phases in cataract surgery were used to quantify the model performance. Our model yielded an average accuracy of 82% for all four phases of cataract surgery.


title: The Acoustic Realization of the Stop Voicing Contrast in Argentine Spanish

abstract: Consonant lenition is a synchronic and diachronic sound change in which consonants become "weaker" or more vowel-like in certain contexts, especially between vowels. Given the variability in how Spanish dialects lenite the voiced stops and given that some varieties of Spanish have been shown to weaken the voiceless stops too, this raises the question of how different dialects of Spanish realize the stop voicing contrast. This thesis explores this issue for Argentine Spanish. The findings indicate that the stop voicing contrast is maintained in Argentine Spanish. Also, place of articulation does not affect the stop voicing contrast in this variety. This study contributes to our understanding of lenition processes and contrast maintenance in varieties of Spanish by illustrating how the stop voicing contrast is realized in one particular variety.


title: Prediction of Bridge Fires Characteristics Using Machine Learning

abstract: Bridges are an essential component of transportation systems for traffic passage across natural or man-made obstacles. Modern urban trends and growing travel patterns have resulted in a rise in the number of bridges to avoid road conflict. A major fire might cause irreversible structural deterioration or the bridge's failure. This research studies the critical factors of bridge fire incidents using a comprehensive database containing 171 bridges. Using an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) model, the vulnerability of bridges in fire is estimated, and the extent of damage is determined based on several key factors including bridge proximity to urban, suburban, or rural areas, structural system, construction materials, annual average daily traffic (AADT), ignition source, types of combustible, position of the fire against bridges, and the fire-caused damage level. The outcome of this research will help predict the risk of fire in bridges with various characteristics and the level of damage.


title: Development and Characterization of DNA Origami Nanostructures and their Application as an Aptamer-Mediated Targeted Delivery System

abstract: The predictable geometries and intermolecular interactions of DNA have led to the development of many arbitrary nanoscale objects, including a class termed DNA origami. DNA origami nanostructure fabrication occurs through the folding of long, single-stranded DNA using short, single stranded oligonucleotides. Detailed herein is the development and characterization of DNA origami nanostructures with site-specific modifications for aptamer-mediated binding of target molecules. Molecular self-assembly is performed by thermal annealing and fabricated objects are purified by centrifugal filtration through molecular weight cut-off membranes. Nanostructures are characterized by agarose gel electrophoresis, UV-Vis quantification, and visualization by atomic force microscopy. Thrombin-binding aptamers, TBA15 and TBA29, were captured to the surface of rectangular DNA origami nanostructures and were incubated with the target, thrombin, to demonstrate the site-specific binding of target molecules. DNA origami nanostructures functionalized with aptamers for specific target recognition bear attractive potential for application in targeted therapies and targeted delivery of molecular payloads.


title: Reece’s Pieces: The Limits of Law and the Life Sentences of Lucy the Elephant

abstract: In this dissertation, I examine the public debate over the welfare of Lucy, the zoo elephant at the heart of the 2011 Alberta Court of Appeal case of Reece v Edmonton (City). Attending to three sites of study ("species," "location," and "law"), I engage in a critical discourse analysis to uncover the conceptual limits within which this debate occurred with respect to animals and the law. Being socio-legal in nature, this is a case study not of Reece, but of "Reece's pieces" insofar as this project analyzes the discourse spread across print news media, websites, blogs, online videos, and social media feeds spanning from 2005 to 2018. Moving beyond the familiar legal animal studies binaries of welfarism versus abolitionism, property versus personhood, and so on, I use ecofeminist and posthumanist perspectives to uncover conceptual pressure points. For instance, while Lucy's trunk is alien in relation to human features, yet apparently capable of "human" capacities like art-making, go-to concepts of "the animal" and "the human" are found to be fundamentally unstable throughout this discourse. Similarly, insofar as the feel-good concept of "home" is deployed with respect to past, present, and would-be locations for Lucy, the discourse actively attempts to resist engaging with the conditions of a zoo elephant in North America -- ones that may actually imply that "home" is a fundamental impossibility for such a being. Relatedly, rather than the repeated deployment of criminal-law terms being a layperson's mistake when speaking of the civil lawsuit of Reece, this go-to legal language instead points to what is spoken around by all sides in the debate: the underlying power structures that accompany the figure of the captive elephant, with pastoral logics of care and carceral logics of punishment competing and combining in ways formal law cannot sufficiently articulate. Ultimately, in locating these limits, I spotlight what traditional ways of thinking one may need to move beyond if justice to animals is ever to be done, also identifying how and where the "life sentences" of the elephant at the heart of this debate may someday end.


title: Decentralized Cache-aided Offloading in Edge Cloud Collaborative Environment using Deep Q Reinforcement Learning

abstract: Many emerging applications such as augmented reality, facial recognition require heavy computation, and the processed results have to be available to the user in the order of milliseconds. Edge computing combined with cloud computing can address this challenge by distributing the load (offloading) on different connected computing resources. This thesis introduces a novel adaptive offloading framework using Online Deep Q reinforcement learning. The proposed framework considers strict latency constraints, high state space, rapidly changing user mobility, heterogeneous resources, and stochastic task arrival rate. It also highlights the importance of caching and introduces a novel concept called "container caching" that caches the dependencies of popular applications. Therefore, offloading decisions are taken to minimize energy consumption, latency, and caching costs. Simulation results and comparisons with existing benchmarking algorithms showed remarkable performance in terms of energy consumption, network traffic, task failures, remaining power on a large scale demonstrated the feasibility of proposed approach.


title: Simplified Maximum Torque per Ampere Trajectory Tracking for Permanent Magnet Synchronous Machine Drives

abstract: The permanent magnet synchronous machine is considered one of the significant electric machines used in different applications due to its high torque density, high power density, high efficiency, and low maintenance. Due to the PM synchronous machines' design, the control system can drive the motor to deliver high torque to mechanical loads with the lowest current, which is called the maximum torque per ampere (MTPA) control method, and operate the generator to inject maximum electric energy into the grid at any mechanical power, which is called the maximum power extraction (MPE).  MTPA control can be achieved by direct voltage control. Therefore, a simple direct voltage MTPA control strategy is suggested with a thorough insight analysis to define the control gains analytically, which simplifies the control ultimately and makes it more suitable for low-cost real-time implementation compared to other methods. The proposed method tracks the MTPA trajectory by finding the optimal pair of voltage angle and amplitude for each motor's speed and torque conditions. This is achieved without the need for any current control loop, which makes the technology simple to a great extent, contrary to most methodologies, but this simplicity is made possible by ignoring transient terms that guarantee MTPA only at steady-state. To overcome this limitation, simple dynamic direct control approaches are proposed to compensate for transient terms, making MTPA operation possible in all operating conditions with/without current sensors. The proposed strategies are applied to an interior permanent magnet synchronous motor (IPMSM) for industrial and electric vehicle applications and a surface-mount permanent magnet synchronous generator (SPMSG) for wind energy conversion system implementations. To illustrate the suggested control methods' capability, comparative studies are conducted against the popular MTPA vector control strategy. Experimental results for various situations reveal the suggested MTPA controllers' ability. Additionally, to quantitatively assess the MTPA trajectory tracking accuracy, the proposed control methods are compared using a qualification metric with energy consumption and energy efficiency studies.


title: Dynamic and Parallel Resource Allocation with Analytical Performance Estimation for Virtualized Environment

abstract: In this thesis, we propose an integrated approach for estimating the performance of virtual network resource allocation and a Genetic Algorithm (GA) based mechanism for online dynamic resource allocation in virtualized environment. The integrated approach is empowered by a novel loss network model with Dynamic Routing And Random Topology (DRART), which is combined with some existing models to create a synergy across different levels through an effective recursive process. Numerical results show the proposed integrated approach can provide accurate predictions on the performances of general virtual network embedding algorithms. We propose a virtual link mapping solution, i.e., Segment Based Genetic Algorithm (SBGA), which provides new definitions for genes and chromosomes in the Genetic Algorithm. Our SBGA approach enables parallel processing for searching optimal allocations. Our theoretical analysis shows that the execution time of our approach can be reduced to logarithmic time. To map virtual nodes and links to physical ones in one stage, we further develop an approach, named as GAOne. Our proposed GAOne approach applies the two-color graph coloring in graph theory to guide the crossover process in the Genetic Algorithm for valid solutions. Our simulation results show that the proposed GAOne approach is fast and efficient for online resource allocation applications in virtualized environment.


title: The Wellness Project: An Investigation of Oakville's Heart

abstract: This thesis explores the notion of wellness in the Canadian city of Oakville, Ontario, one of Toronto's most affluent suburbs, located approximately 30 kilometers from the city core. The Wellness Project proposes the design of a new heart for the city - an inclusive and accessible public program, situated on a golf course. This thesis argues that wellness is both an environmental factor, tied to health and income, and also about engaging with thoughtful, public space. The Wellness Project proposal seeks to reconcile past, present, and future for a happier community that benefits all, by meditating on the underlying question of, who do we actually design for? Thesis research initially explored metrics and qualifiers of wellness (through wellness and happiness indexes and rankings) and continued with historical site study analysis, and concludes with a proposal for re-developing the Glen Abbey Golf Course - known locally, as the heart of Oakville.


title: Improving Quality of 3D Printed Components for Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems with Curved Layer Fused Filament Fabrication

abstract: The work in this thesis, explores methods of Additive Manufacturing applied to Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems. The objective was to implement and test an alternate method of Fused Filament Fabrication using non-planar/curved layers. This was met by adapting a desktop 3D printer with an adapted nozzle and using a software offering non-planar layers. Both planar and non-planar prints were made to compare the strength using tensile and bend specimens. By completing flexural testing, it was determined that including non-planar layers did not provide a benefit to flexural strength with four or six non-planar top layers. Through printing different types of samples and angles, it was determined that using thicker layers and at low angles, non-planar printing provided improved surface quality. Recommendations for future work includes testing samples with different parameters, and improvements of printing hardware such as a custom printing nozzle or software.


title: Finite Element Analysis of Full Range of Motion Walking and Sitting Down in Patient-Specific Models with Cam Deformities

abstract: Cam impingement occurs in 15% of the population and is strongly associated with the development of osteoarthritis. Current clinical measurements do not predict the risk for asymptomatic hips and their risk of developing osteoarthritis adequately. Thus, developing FE analyses of cam-deformed hips that combine accurate material models, patient-specific morphology and kinematics to emphasize the dynamic quality of impingement is the objective of this study. Such models were developed for control, asymptomatic and symptomatic hips through CT segmentation and generation of 3D models of cartilage and the labrum. Forces and rotations during walking and sitting down were applied, where the Asymptomatic hip experienced the highest first principal stresses (0.32 MPa and 0.61 MPa, respectively). The contrast between the cam-affected hips highlighted the importance of morphology and kinematics when examining impingement. These findings emphasized the shortcomings of current measurements of cam deformities and the need to consider impingement as a dynamic problem.


title: Who wants to lead? The role of romantic and parental relationship quality on motivation to lead

abstract: Although organizational leadership is widely studied, research on antecedents of leadership, including motivation to lead, has largely escaped empirical attention. This research includes two studies that aim to address this empirical gap, by examining relationship quality as an antecedent to motivation to lead. Study 1 focuses on parent-child relationship quality, while Study 2 focuses on romantic relationship quality. Results indicate that parent-child relationship quality is associated with both social-normative and non-calculative motivation to lead. Moreover, parental identification moderated the association between parent-child relationship quality and non-calculative motivation to lead, while parent leadership role occupancy moderated the association between parent-child relationship quality and affective-identity motivation to lead. Results also suggest that self-esteem and leader self-efficacy mediate the relationship between romantic relationship quality and the three sub-types of motivation to lead. Understanding antecedents to motivation to lead is important, as it predicts leadership outcomes and has implications for individual and employee development.


title: Mathematical Models for Task Assignment with Service Level Agreement in Fog Computing Networks

abstract: Fog computing was proposed to bridge the gap between the cloud computing capabilities and the new requirements introduced by 5G and IoT applications. Assigning clients' requests to fog nodes for processing while meeting the quality of service requirements is still a challenge. In this thesis, we propose two mathematical models for the task assignment problem in fog networks. The main objective of both models is to maximize the fog service provider's profit while satisfying the service level agreement requirements of the offloaded tasks. In addition, each model addresses multiple requirements to satisfy various service provider's needs. The first model addresses green computing requirements through an energy efficient fog nodes operation. The second model addresses load balancing requirements by minimizing the difference between the node's utilization across the fog network. Since these models provide optimal solutions, they can be useful with historical data and for benchmarking various real-time algorithms.


title: Relations Between Mathematical Vocabulary and Children’s Mathematical Performance

abstract: Students' general vocabulary and their mathematical vocabulary are both correlated with mathematical skills. I asked whether mathematical vocabulary mediates the relation between general vocabulary and mathematical performance. Canadian students in grade 3 (N = 234, Mage = 8.7 years) completed measures of general and mathematical vocabulary and several mathematical outcomes (i.e., arithmetic fluency, pre-algebra, and problem-solving). The results showed partially mediation of mathematical vocabulary on the relation between general vocabulary and applied mathematical outcomes (i.e., pre-algebra, problem-solving), and full mediation for arithmetic fluency; second, partial mediation of domain-general cognitive skills was found on the relation between mathematical vocabulary and applied mathematical skills, but not arithmetic fluency. Lastly, partial mediation of Numeration Words was found on the relation between general vocabulary and applied mathematical skills, and fully mediation effect for arithmetic fluency. These analyses provided information about how individual differences in domain-specific and domain-general skills are related to students' mathematical performance.


title: Evolution of the Modern Home: Reprioritizing Community, Sustainability and Plasticity

abstract: North America has been plagued by the curse of seemingly unlimited space. Developers have the luxury of buying cheaper land further from the city core, creating copy and paste neighborhoods, ignoring the existing landscape, and any potential for passive design benefits. This format of mass-produced housing has led to a lack of imagination in design or efficiency. Residential areas are separated from amenities and commercial spaces, the homes themselves separated by side yards and fences. The feeling of community is no longer evident, neighbours can go days without crossing paths. In order to better reconsider the idea of neighborhood and community it must be acknowledged that the owner demographic of single family homes has also changed over the years, the "Nuclear family" no longer exists. Gender roles within families have been overturned and the incredible cultural diversity of Canada's population cannot be ignored.


title: The Institutional Arrangements and Resilience of Québec Local Communities in the Welcoming and Integration of Immigrants: A Theoretical and Practical Contribution

abstract: This doctoral thesis focuses on the role of cities in immigration, particularly in Québec. The literature shows that cities can, and are progressively, intervening in order to ensure a complete offer of services to newcomers, in particular in the coordination of local actors. Thus, this research aims to answer the following question: How do local communities in mid-sized Québec cities welcome and integrate immigrants? This research seeks to understand the capacity of local communities to mobilize stakeholders, coordinate services dedicated to immigrants and deliver them. The research builds on the lessons learned across the rest of Canada. Two case studies are conducted, in Gatineau and Québec City. The analysis is based on multilevel governance theoretical framework, where immigration is a responsibility increasingly shared between various orders of government. This present study leads to empirical and theoretical contributions. At the empirical level, the two case studies make it possible to trace the contours of the Québec model of governance in terms of immigration. They show that the communities have taken responsibility for themselves and that the cities have assumed leadership to ensure the coordination of local actors and to meet the needs of newcomers although the institutional arrangements remain sub-optimal. The theoretical contributions of this thesis are twofold. First, the case studies conducted in this thesis improves an analysis grid developed by other authors. Two elements of analysis are added, analyzing the engagement of the political side versus the administrative side, as well as sufficiency of financial resources. These two elements of analysis have the potential to enrich the understanding of the portrait as well as the evaluation of institutional arrangements. Second, the other theoretical contribution is the development and definition of the concept of 'governance void'. Governance void is defined as an absence of clearly stated policies on the sharing of responsibilities between orders of government and other stakeholders. This absence of policy gives way to all types of structures, often suboptimal, that vary depending on regions and through time. In a context of multilevel governance, the roles and responsibilities of the actors must be clearly defined and understood.


title: Why We Still Own Cars: An Ethnographic Case Study of Car Ownership and Use in Ottawa

abstract: This dissertation comprises the results of a two year-long ethnographic study of car ownership and use in Ottawa, Canada. Based on interviews and observational data from thirty-two participants, this study aims present a profile of Ottawa residents' relationships to cars by providing an interpretation of cultural meanings and practices surrounding car ownership in a primarily urban setting. Building on literature from a variety of sources within anthropology and sociology, the major findings of this dissertation are broken into five interrelated chapters covering the diverse meanings and practices which construct car ownership as a necessary part of everyday life in Ottawa: 1) having a car is a response to the affordances of the built environment of Ottawa, 2) it means experiencing a desirable body; 3) it means having the human capital to realize complete flexibility and independence in one's economic and social pursuits; 4) it means being able to configure social relationships with transcendent cultural values and through the deployment of space and distance; 5) it means articulating autonomous politics and making sense of the interconnections between competing and complementary ideologies (such as freedom, independence, capitalism, family, work, able-bodiedness, modernity, and sustainability) which develop and change through everyday engagements with cars. In the final chapter of this dissertation, several questions are raised to prompt designers, social scientists, city planners, and citizens to think about how they might contribute to a popular shift towards a new kind of relationship to cars: one which is characterized by intentionality and choice, rather than by feelings of necessity.


title: Laser Ablation of Paint from 2024-T3 Alclad Aluminum - Numerical Simulation and Experimental Characterization

abstract: Removal of paint from substrate material through laser ablation is a very promising and environmentally safe process as compared to chemical stripping and other processes. Potential thermomechanical damage of substrate material subjected to laser paint removal process plays a vital role in deciding the efficacy and the accuracy of a particular laser beam profile to be used. In the present research work, numerical simulation of thermomechanical behavior of substrate material (2024-T3 Alclad aluminum) with paint layer is developed subjected to laser heating with Gaussian (TEM00) and Super-Gaussian (Top-Hat) beam profiles. It was observed that the Gaussian beam profile had the fastest stabilization time but produced higher thermal stresses on the surface of substrate material as compared to the Top-Hat beam profile. Moreover, the effects of various paint stripping processes (laser and chemical stripping) on the fatigue life and failure pattern of the substrate material (2024-T3 Alclad aluminum) were investigated.


title: First-Person Parent: A Longitudinal Study Exploring the Role of Wearable Cameras in Parent-Child Interactions

abstract: This study aimed to investigate the user experience of wearable cameras as a less disruptive way to capture and share interactions between parents and their children. In this research, I conducted a longitudinal study and 14 parents (12 female and two male), and 27 children participated for six weeks to see how a wearable camera integrated into sunglasses affected parent-child interaction in their everyday routines. According to the preliminary findings of qualitative travelogue research, utilizing a wearable camera or other semi-inconspicuous wearable devices will help parents to document moments between themselves and their children without having to engage in smartphone use behaviours during non-use times. In addition, the study found that younger children were less likely to feel obligated to "perform" for the wearable camera and that parents could capture their children's facial expressions and joyful moments in real-time.


title: Assessing and Improving Protein-Protein Interaction Prediction in E. coli

abstract: This thesis evaluates and extends the state-of-the-art in sequence-based binary protein-protein interaction (PPI) prediction for bacterial species. Accurately predicting PPIs for bacteria enables researchers to quickly identify targets for developing antimicrobial drugs and expand interactome knowledge for bacteria. E. coli is used here as a model organism for bacteria. A systematic and unbiased evaluation of four classifiers, SPRINT, DPPI, DEEPFE, and PIPR is conducted on new E. coli datasets. Classifier enhancement is accomplished using a stacked reciprocal perspective (RP) classifier, a technique recently developed by the cuBIC lab. Cross-validation results improve by 16.6% for the area under precision-recall (auPR) curve compared to the best base classifier, which increases to 262.5% when considering a 1:100 positive-to-negative sample imbalance. The results of this thesis also indicate the need for new benchmark datasets, more bacterial PPI data, and consistent evaluation protocols to be followed for new PPI predictions.


title: Geochemical and Sedimentological Evidence of Paleoclimatic Change in a Late Holocene Freeze Core Record from Walsh Lake, Northwest Territories

abstract: Climate warming in high-latitude northern environments has the potential to alter cycling of redox-sensitive elements such as arsenic (As) in lacustrine systems (MacDonald et al., 2005). The region around Yellowknife, Northwest Territories (NT), is impacted by widespread As contamination from historical gold mining and mineral processing (Jamieson, 2014). This thesis examines the past response of sediment geochemistry within Walsh Lake, NT, to paleoenvironmental changes in order to inform future mine remediation planning. Grain size, elemental geochemistry, and organic matter (OM) data preserved in an ~1100-year sedimentary freeze core record were analysed. Results suggest that (1) the cycling of trace metals (Cd, Cu, Pb, Sn, Zn) is tied to OM production and sequestration; (2) As sequestration depends on Fe and Mn (oxy)hydroxides; and (3) shifts in sediment geochemistry coincide with the Medieval Climate Anomaly and the Little Ice Age, suggesting that these climate events affected trace metal mobility in Walsh Lake.


title: Cultivating Death-worlds: Intellectual/Developmental Disability, Sex, and Intimacy in Ontario’s Sex Education and Developmental Services Policies

abstract: This thesis examines discourse within Ontario's sex education curricula and developmental services for intellectually/developmentally disabled (IDD) people, and how these provincial policies cultivate and rationalize contemporary death-worlds for IDD communities. Drawing from crip and queer perspectives of IDD, sex, and intimacy, I use critical discourse analysis to convey the ways Ontario upholds the settler colonial capitalist project through processes of normalization and the appropriation of language from community models of care. Using necropolitics as my theoretical framework, I show how normate fears of crips and queers are used to reproduce IDD death-worlds through the silent continuation of segregating, isolating, and sexually sterilizing IDD people. Despite Ontario's hyper-surveillance and attempts to sanitize IDD sex and intimacy, IDD communities exist, and they will continue to exist, transgress, love, "fuck", hold hands, and establish new sexual and intimate boundaries that will grow and imagine new possibilities. Keywords: intellectual/developmental disability, necropolitics, sex education, policy, death-worlds


title: Relation Mapping For Question Answering Over Knowledge Graphs Using Large Corpus Of Free Text

abstract: Researchers have developed several question answering systems that interpret the user's natural language question and fetches the answer from knowledge graphs. One of the main challenges of building question answering systems is determining which relations within a knowledge graph match the keywords found in the Natural Language question. In order to bridge the gap between the simple yet ambiguous natural language question, and the difficult relation mapping problem, we propose ReMLOFT, an interactive relation mapping approach which relies on external evidence from a large corpus of text for mapping relations to the keywords found in a Natural Language question. Our approach builds a free-text knowledge graph from Wikipedia. ReMLOFT interactively helps the user choose better candidate relations to build fine-grained SPARQL queries. We also build a dictionary of the most frequent keywords that define the context of a relation in the knowledge graph without using contemporary lexical tools.


title: A Dynamical Hierarchy of Banach Algebras

abstract: Stability theory has caught the attention of mathematicians in many areas, such as model theory and functional analysis. In particular, in the early 80's, J.-L. Krivine and B. Maurey introduced the concept of stable Banach spaces. This stability has a significant impact on the geometry of such spaces. They proved that any separable infinite-dimensional stable Banach space contains a copy of l_p for some p∈[1,∞) almost isometrically. Recently, S. Ferri and M. Neufang introduced the notion of multiplicative stability of Banach algebras as an analogue of stability of Banach spaces in Krivine- Maurey's sense, to which they refer as additive stability. In this work, we investigate properties of multiplicative and additive stability of Banach algebras such as the lp-direct sum of a sequence of multiplicatively stable Banach algebras, and the relation between additive stability and Arens regularity in a certain class of Banach algebras. Further, we introduce hyper-instability as a strong version of multiplicative instability. Moreover, we study multiplicative stability of some well-known Banach algebras. We define and study a stronger and a weaker version of multiplicative stability, inspired by spaces of functions on topological semigroups, namely, almost periodic and tame functions. Based on our work, we introduce a dynamical hierarchy of Banach algebras, which is a new classification of Banach algebras. This classification puts dividing lines to measure, in a sense, multiplicative stability of Banach algebras.


title: Biomimicry in Architecture

abstract: Biomimicry is an emerging field in architecture and design that seeks to create innovative solutions through the abstraction and transfer of insight from biological models. This thesis project uses one the most prominent techniques in this field, process based biomimicry, to design a primary education building in Ottawa with a biomimetic adaptive façade module and interior interactive components. Using plants as biological role models to inspire the design, the project shows how biomimicry can be used to create multipurpose solutions specific to the Canadian climate. Additionally, the project demonstrates that biomimicry may be used not only to enhance technical parameters of building performance, but also to enrich the occupants' experience by targeting the qualitative aspects of design.


title: Terrorist in the Eyes of Some: An Examination of the Quebec City Mosque Shooting and the Christchurch Shootings

abstract: The rise in right-wing extremism and violence against religious and ethnic minorities in Western countries has sparked a debate around how mainstream news media label these incidents. Are they reported as shootings or acts of terrorism? Drawing on news media framing theory, I conduct a content analysis of three mainstream Canadian news publications to understand how they reported on the Quebec City mosque shooting in 2017, the Christchurch shootings in 2019, while using the Parliament Hill shooting in 2014 as a backdrop for my analysis. In this study, I found that while there are attempts to challenge the War on Terror frame that has dominated the news, there is still a reservation to apply the terrorism frame to white-supremacist attacks, even when the perpetrators have been charged with terrorism.


title: Environmental Impacts of Connected and Automated Vehicles Considering Traffic Flow and Road Characteristics

abstract: Connected and automated vehicles (CAVs) have the potential to revolutionize the transportation system by improving traffic conditions, increasing road capacities and reducing congestion and crash risks. This study aims to investigate the implications of this technology on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions levels through traffic micro-simulations and emissions modelling. Three different driving behaviours (cautious, normal and aggressive) of CAVs are simulated along with a base driving behaviour of driver-operated vehicle (DOV) with varying traffic demands and under different network configurations to evaluate CAVs' implications. Results of this study show that aggressive CAVs can reduce large percentages of emissions compared to DOVs but can also increase emissions at situations of increased traffic demand and high congestion due to their higher acceleration rates which can cause irregular driving cycles. Analysis of the findings suggests there are optimal traffic demand levels of aggressive CAVs that can maximize the reduction of emissions relative to DOVs.


title: (K)not Building: Fabrics, Walls, Gender and Domestic Space in Nigeria

abstract: This thesis explores the reconceptualization of domestic space through fabric. Walls in domestic spaces function as apparatuses of control, capturing, orienting, and influencing the behaviours of its inhabitants. In patriarchal societies, the partitioning of domestic space is used to perpetuate and reinforce patriarchal constructs via the gender assignment of space. This thesis is contextualized by my Nigerian heritage and is a reckoning with the legacy of Nigeria's British colonization. Nigeria's existing patriarchal nature intensified, and as a result, Nigerian women are still prescribed to the domestic realm. I explore the agency of making, walls, and fabric. The traditionally women-led production of fabrics in Nigerian societies prompts the proposal for textile walls as soft and permeable dividers that suggest more malleable gender divisions.


title: Multiscale Modeling of Electromagnetic Metasurfaces Using Zero-Thickness Surface Susceptibility Models

abstract: This work presents a number of methodologies for determining the scattered Electromagnetic (EM) fields from metasurfaces at various simulation scales. The primary motivation for this work is the need to create a suite of simulation techniques that enable the multi-scale simulation of large scale EM propagation problems involving metasurfaces. For all of the methodologies, the scattering behavior of metasurfaces are characterized by the surface susceptibility tensors that appear in the generalized sheet transition conditions (GSTCs), which gives a physically motivated description of the surface. Using the GSTCs, these shared constitutive parameters are integrated into several different modelling techniques, each with their own advantages, allowing for the simulation of metasurfaces at several simulation scales. This work will present several simulation frameworks that have been developed, outlining their various advantages and limitations. This includes: a modification of Finite Difference Time Domain (FDTD) method to integrate non-paraxial scattering behavior of metasurfaces to a standard Yee cell grid; the integration of metasurfaces as surface boundary conditions in the Boundary Element Method (BEM); the development of ray diffraction methods to calculate the scattered fields from metasurfaces characterized by local periodic parameters, and; the expansion of the ray diffraction methods to account for surface diffraction off of curved topographies. For each method, a few representative examples are included to verify their accuracy. The methods outlined above are demonstrated to be self-consistent with each other and with other techniques available in the present literature and offer a wide range of coverage to simulate metasurfaces accurately for any given simulation scale.


title: Estimating End-User Throughput Using Service Provider Cell Traces Via Gradient Boosting

abstract: The adoption of 5G networks has enabled supporting applications that require high bandwidths and low latencies. Service providers need to manage their resources efficiently to avoid service interruptions. Therefore, being aware of customer's experienced bandwidth is of paramount importance. Utilizing the traces collected on the service provider's side to estimate the experienced bandwidth on the user's side is a problem that was not studied in the literature. Moreover, the traces collected by the service provider are sparse and missing a large number of values to be reliable in predicting the user's experienced bandwidth. In this thesis, we focus on accurately imputing missing values in the collected traces, and consequently, we build a Regularized Gradient Boosting model to predict the user's throughput using traces that are exclusively collected from the service provider's resources. Our approach shows that using our imputing and prediction approaches, we can accurately estimate the user equipment's throughput.


title: Canada-China Relations in the Age of Great Power Competition: An Assessment of Canadian Foreign Policy Decision Making and Strategic Outlook

abstract: Canada has, so far, awkwardly navigated the current U.S.-China geopolitical competition undertaking an ambiguous position, often labeled as inaction in policy circles, that has rendered any foreign policy decisions difficult to assess from a strategic perspective. Despite bilateral frictions that saw Sino-Canadian relations brought to their lowest point since the establishment of diplomatic relations, the Canadian government has yet to embark on any odyssey that would see it in strategic opposition to China regardless of the path its closest ally and current hegemon, the United States, has set for itself. The Canadian government has, in fact, adopted a hedging approach to the U.S.-China rivalry. Canadian foreign policy decision making, despite being in contradiction to traditional international theories that would see it balance with Washington, is consistent with Canada's policy of engagement towards China which emphasizes the need to work constructively with Beijing and the irrationality of containment for Canadian interests.


title: Moving Forward Together: Weaving Indigenous and Western Sciences with Practices and Peoples in Aquatic Research in Inuit Nunangat

abstract: Climate change and development are causing rapid and profound changes in aquatic ecosystems across Inuit Nunangat, the homelands of Inuit in what is now known as Canada. Shared concerns regarding ecological integrity and fundamental knowledge gaps are increasingly drawing Inuit communities and researchers together in partnerships that center Indigenous voices to understand local change. In this thesis, I reviewed the practices of weaving Indigenous and Western sciences in coastal and marine research and monitoring, where an exploration of decision points that shape co-developed projects highlighted a diversity of possible research pathways. Additionally, I collaborated with the community of Kinngait, Nunavut to document Indigenous knowledge of environmental and biodiversity change in marine and lacustrine ecosystems through a questionnaire. This valuable record may inform community decision-making and planning, and will serve future generations. This thesis provides insights to facilitate continued efforts towards meaningful relationships between Inuit and researchers in environmental discourses.


title: A Group Recommendation Method for POIs in LBSN

abstract: Point of Interest (POI) recommender systems help provide their users with a location or place that they might be interested in visiting. When combined with Location-Based Social Networks (LBSNs), POI recommender systems can be restructured to recommend POI for groups of users and not just individuals. The research focused on Group Recommender Systems (GRSs) and specifically, POI GRSs are scarce when compared to recommender systems for individuals. There are two main techniques that are used for POI GRSs, the Group Profiling methods and the Users Score Aggregation methods. Both methods have their drawbacks, as the Group Profiling methods do not recommend well for new groups and the Users Score Aggregation methods generally do not perform as well as the Group Profiling methods for established groups. In this paper, we propose new result aggregation methods that use both the Group Profiling method and the Users Score Aggregation method's results to provide the best POI group recommendations without the aforementioned drawbacks.


title: Workspace Control of Free-Floating Space Manipulators for Implementation in a Novel On-Orbit Servicing Mission Architecture

abstract: This thesis develops an output-tracking controller to control the end-effector pose of an $N$-link free-floating space manipulator, with non-zero momentum. The space manipulator is modelled as an open-chain multi-body system with multi-DOF joints, and its kinematics and dynamics are derived on the Special Euclidean group $\SE$. Using the conservation of linear and angular momentum of the system, the dynamics of the space manipulator is carefully reduced. The input-output linearization of the system is performed on the Lie algebra $\se$, without adopting any local coordinate chart for the $\SE$. Coordinate-free pose and velocity error functions on $\SE$ are then employed to define a modified feedforward, feedback PID control law to stabilize the end-effector pose to a feasible trajectory. Simulation examples are provided to demonstrate the tracking capabilities of the proposed controller.


title: Addressing Rural Health Access Inequity by Assessing Potential and Organizational Readiness for Antifragile Electronic Health Project Design in Rural Communities

abstract: There is a rural health access equity gap within Canadian and international universal healthcare systems. Electronic health (eHealth) interventions can address that gap, but intervention pilot projects rarely scale to other contexts, or sustain in their original settings. Antifragile design and complexity informed principles can improve pilot project lifespans, where antifragile entities gain stability from uncertainty, rather than lose integrity. Operators of antifragile projects include optionality, non-linear evaluation, hybrid leadership, starting small, and avoiding suboptimization. The greater the presence of these antifragile operators, the greater the likelihood a project succeeds in its initial context and successfully scales to others. The antifragile design portfolio (ADP) developed through this dissertation is an organizational readiness tool and evaluative framework which promotes integration of antifragile operators into rural eHealth projects. There are two central outputs of this dissertation: Output 1: Composite Design Cycle Theory - organizational readiness tool for antifragile eHealth deployment. Output 2: Matrix of Scale - evaluative framework to assess antifragility and institutional investment of an eHealth project. Together, these outputs can support rural eHealth interventions to sustain beyond the pilot project, scale-up from small local implementations, and contribute to addressing the rural health access equity gap. Further, these outputs reinforce placed-based health policies, where strong patient partnerships and care tailored for the needs of patients and communities can improve individual outcomes as well as overall health system functions. The antifragile design portfolio is uniquely situated as a mid-level theory to inform policymakers and decision makers and help reform rural health policy


title: Understanding Knowledge Exchange in Practice: Empirically Derived Insights for Engaging in Effective Knowledge Exchange for Environmental Management

abstract: Knowledge exchange (KE) is a dynamic process that can support evidence-informed decision-making for environmental and natural resource management. To minimize the gap between how engaging in KE is theorized versus how it is practiced, I investigate empirical case studies to determine what is required to practice effective KE. In Chapter 2, I use a scoping literature review to assess empirical case studies from around the globe. I identify and organize the enablers to KE into an existing framework, in addition to identifying the challenges and impacts of practicing KE. In Chapter 3, I use interviews to collect information on how practitioners at the Canadian Forest Service implement and operationalize KE, and how they evaluate the effectiveness of their efforts. This thesis demonstrates what is required in practice to support and facilitate effective KE and argues why long-term evaluations are necessary to improve how we engage in KE work.


title: Acidogenic Fermentation of Food Waste in a Leachate Bed Reactor at High Organic Loading: Effect of Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) and Inoculum

abstract: Food waste forms a major fraction of municipal solid waste worldwide. Sustainable management of food waste (FW) is necessary to protect the environment and public health. Acidogenic fermentation is emerging biotechnology that transforms FW into high-value biochemicals such as carboxylates. Dry fermenters such as leachate bed reactors (LBRs) are better suitable for acidogenic fermentation of FW economically. However, LBRs have technical challenges including low product yield at high volumetric organic loading and long fermentation times. This study investigated the impact of various granular activated carbon (GAC) loadings and different inoculum type/enrichment methods on hydrolysis and acidogenesis of FW in LBR at high volumetric organic loading of 49 g VS/Lreactor. Enrichment of return activated sludge achieved the highest hydrolysis yield of 683 g SCOD/kgVSadded and acidification yield of 617 g CODSCFA/kg VSadded at high GAC loading of 0.51 g GAC/g VSfoodwaste.


title: From Critical Voice to Critical Mass: An Examination of the Current State of Architecture Criticism and Role of the Popular Critic

abstract: The foremost intention of this research is to establish a more scholarly understanding of the academic, professional, and public significance of popular architecture criticism, and to re-imagine the role of the popular critic within a contemporary context. The thesis will do so through the defining of its practice, an analysis of its current state, a review of its theoretical groundings, the presentation of a project, and an overlaying of these findings to establish the value and future potential of a democratized popular architecture criticism. It will answer the question: What is the current state and contemporary role of the popular architecture critic within the context of a democratized critical media landscape?


title: Effect of Asphalt Pavement Compaction on Interlayer Bonding and Tensile Strength of Asphalt Concrete under Low Temperatures and Temperature Cycling

abstract: The maintenance and rehabilitation of highway network systems are major road agency expenditures. The combined effects of environmental conditions, traffic loading, moisture, construction quality, and maintenance contribute significantly to rates of pavement deterioration and the length of asphalt pavement life. One of the important performance parameters for asphalt concrete pavements, particularly in cold regions, is the capability to withstand cyclic temperature changes. Such temperature cycles, especially those that alternate above and below freezing, lead to mechanical stresses that can cause failure. This research presents the results and major findings of an experimental investigation performed on rectangular asphalt slab samples extracted from newly constructed pavements of actual highway projects, rather than gyratory-compacted samples that are created in the laboratory. The first phase (Test Series A) studied the effects of temperature cycles and compaction equipment on interlayer bonds by using a custom-made temperature cycling testing machine that allows the reproduction of several temperature cycles over a relatively short time (7-10 days). The second phase (Test Series B) focused on resistance to tensile stresses under cold temperatures. During Test Series B, a custom-made direct tensile strength test was employed to estimate the tensile strength of slab samples at different temperatures (i.e., 0°C, -10°C, or -20°C) for single- and double-layer samples. Test Series B included 171 asphalt samples 300mm long by 100mm wide, with thicknesses of 50mm for single layers and 100mm for double layers. The results of Test Series A showed that samples compacted with an Asphalt Multi-Integrated Roller (AMIR) had superior interlayer bonding in comparison with the samples compacted with a Conventional Compacting Method (CCM). Those latter samples were shown to experience debonding during cyclic temperature changes, which would cause the different layers to act independently and have lower resistance to thermal stresses. The results of Test Series B showed that construction-induced cracking affects the tensile strength of asphalt pavements. This research and its related laboratory tests explain how different types of equipment used for compacting asphalt can affect the tensile strength and interlayer bonding of asphalt pavement.


title: Study of Additive Manufacturing of Hastelloy X Using Plasma Arc Welding Technology

abstract: Plasma arc welding was implemented for additive manufacturing of Hastelloy X wire due to its potential to produce thin-wall structures for a high-temperature resistance of Hastelloy X. Single-layer beads were deposited to study and optimize the effects of arc length, nozzle size, shielding gas flow rates, wire feed rate, travel speed, current, and linear energy density. In the meantime, an additional trailing shielding mechanism was introduced to reduce surface oxidation while maintaining acceptable geometry for multiple-layer deposition. The multiple-layer deposited with optimized parameters shows complete fusion without visible voids. However, some interface separations were found due to the minor surface oxidation in between layers. Equiaxed-to-columnar grain structure was also observed along the deposition direction where molybdenum carbides were present. Further hardness test on the multiple-layer sample shows a superior isotropic hardness (HV 218) when compared with wrought Hastelloy X (HV 179). Multiple-layer depositing techniques were satisfactorily developed to prevent overheating.


title: Toward Indigenous Ultimate Permanence: Examining Settler Colonialism and Genocidal Elimination in Canada and Israel

abstract: This thesis critically compares technologies of settler colonialism and genocide in Canada and Israel. Keeping with the argument that recognizes settler colonialism as an entity that destroys to replace, genocide is taken up as a theoretical framing device that addresses comparable methods of both the material and discursive elimination of Indigenous peoples in Canada and Palestinians within and outside of Israel. At the same time as the two settler states continue to commit genocide against the original inhabitants of the lands they have stolen, Canada and Israel utilize similar self-promotion strategies that present themselves as humanitarian and democratic, a specific tool used to wash away the sins of settler colonialism and genocide. While no two settler regimes are exactly the same, this thesis identifies key structural similarities between the two states and makes the case for an international solidarity movement rooted in principles of anti-colonialism and Indigenous ultimate permanence.


title: A Toronto-Taiwan Food Atlas: Urban Connections from Dumplings to Beef Noodle Soup

abstract: This thesis investigates the connections of food and architecture locally and globally; It proposes a series of urban interventions in Toronto, through a study of the food culture of Taiwan. The phrase "you are what you eat" is often expressed relating to an individual's health but can also be seen as reflecting an individual's identity. For some, food is a family affair; the making of food as a family and the partaking of it together around the table speaks to many personal journeys. For others, food is about celebration; the concepts of hospitality and generosity being an integral part of many cultural traditions and lifestyles. As someone who is fundamentally connected and stretched between two physical and cultural landscapes, by leveraging works around spatial implications of food, my investigation seeks to make sense of personal family and cultural past and history.


title: Agent in a Box: A Framework for Autonomous Mobile Robots with Beliefs, Desires, and Intentions

abstract: This thesis investigates the use of Beliefs-Desires-Intentions (BDI) for controlling autonomous mobile robots. Autonomous systems should be designed for flexibility so that they can intelligently react to ever-changing environments and operational conditions. If they are given such flexibility, they can accept goals and set a path to achieve these goals in a self-responsible manner while displaying some form of intelligence. Developers of autonomous mobile robotics are interested in how to program mobile robots while guaranteeing reliability and resilience. In investigating BDI for controlling autonomous mobile robots, the Agent in a Box framework was developed. This framework includes a general architecture for connecting a Jason agent to the environment using Robot Operating System (ROS). This connection is flexible to a variety of application domains that use different sensors and actuators. The Agent in a Box provides the needed customization to the agent's reasoner, ensuring that the agent's behaviours are properly prioritized. Generic plans for behaviours that are common to a variety of mobile robots are also provided. These include plans for resource management and for navigation, which generates a route to a destination in the form of a plan which can be monitored and interrupted by the reasoner if needed. These components allow developers, for specific application domains, to focus on domain-specific code. Agents implemented using the Agent in a Box are rational, mission capable, safety conscious, fuel autonomous, and understandable. The Agent in a Box was used to demonstrate the capability of BDI agents to control robots in a variety of application domains through a set of case studies: a grid environment, a simulated autonomous car, and a prototype mail delivery robot. These case studies demonstrated that the agent was able to successfully control the robots in all the application domains tested, including when it was run on a Raspberry Pi computer. By implementing with the Agent in a Box, the development burden was reduced because the framework provided generic behaviours that could be used by each of the agents. The Agent in a Box was found to enforce good software engineering practices with better runtime performance than other approaches.


title: Localizing Retinal Blood Vessels In Fundus Images using Fuzzy Logic Approach

abstract: The condition of the vascular system is crucial in the diagnosis of vision abnormalities. The essential element of computerized retinal analysis is vasculature segmentation in digital fundus images. This work introduces an automatic algorithm based on fuzzy logic to detect the retinal blood vessels. The methodology uses the green channel of images and employs pre-processing techniques. The features are extracted using the Robinson compass mask. The Mamdani interval type-2 fuzzy rules are applied to these features to detect the blood vessels, and the result is binarized, followed by post-processing refinements to maximize the performance. The methodology is evaluated using the publicly available DRIVE (Digital Retinal Images for Vessel Extraction) database, and the results are compared with distinguished published methods. Achieving the average accuracy of 94.89%, the sensitivity of 74.78% and specificity of 96.85% show promising results for pre-screening treatments while the technique could be extended to other image segmentation applications.


title: Children's Understanding of Intention and its Expression in Language

abstract: Some English verbs carry a moral connotation and thus are relevant to moral reasoning. While research has examined children's understanding of lying, less is known about their understanding of other moral verbs. The current study examined 4- to 7-year-old children's (n = 44) usage and understanding of the 'language of intention' in morally relevant contexts that could be described by the verbs lie, steal, copy, and hide. Participants made intention attributions, moral judgements, and assigned punishment to characters who acted either intentionally or unintentionally. Results showed that younger children were not sensitive to intention across these contexts, but that older children's sensitivity was moving in the correct direction, based on a comparison of their performance to that of an adult sample (n = 48). Children's performance on the main task was generally not related to Theory of Mind and Morally Relevant Theory of Mind understanding.


title: Spatial Patterns of Mercury Accumulation in Wolverine (Gulo gulo) Across the Western Canadian Arctic: Landscape, Climate and Dietary Factors

abstract: Mercury contamination in Arctic aquatic biota has been monitored for decades. Little information exists on mercury concentrations and drivers in terrestrial Arctic carnivores. I assessed spatial patterns of mercury concentrations in wolverine (Gulo gulo) and the relationship with environmental and dietary factors across the western Canadian Arctic. Environmental variables were measured at two scales: collection location and around a 150 km buffer. This buffer size was selected from correlation analysis between hydrogen stable isotopes in precipitation and hair from 80 individuals. Mean mercury concentrations in wolverines varied geographically in decreasing order Northwest Territories > Nunavut > Yukon. Regression models illustrated that nitrogen stable isotope ratios (diet), soil organic carbon, % cover of wet area, % of perennial snow-ice, and distance to the Arctic coast explained best this variation. Diet was the main driver of mercury concentrations in wolverines with contributions from landscape characteristics near Arctic coastal areas.


title: Dragging Out Settler-Colonial Society: Exploring Gay and Queer Drag Scenes in Vancouver as (De)Colonial Spaces

abstract: Over the past decade, drag has shifted from an underground art form for queer communities to being a mainstream attraction for heteronormative society. However, one's ability to become a drag performer depends on their personal identities and subjectivities, as exclusionary practices gatekeep the borders of drag communities and businesses in Canada, on the bases of Indigeneity, race, gender, and sexuality. To consider the ways that drag within Canada continues the settler logic of elimination and benefits the goals of heteropatriarchal white supremacy, I conducted interviews with drag performers in Vancouver, a major city for drag performances and performers. This thesis will consider the nuances of Vancouver's drag communities to understand how colonial and neoliberal logics have taken hold of drag spaces that perpetuate and uphold colonial violence, as well as how these logics are resisted through decolonial love and queer worldmaking. Key words: homonationalism, homonormativity, settler-colonialism, drag performance, Vancouver


title: Living in Algorithmic Governance: A Study in the Digital Governance of Social Assistance in Ontario

abstract: The aim of this dissertation is to examine the impact of the digital governance of social assistance in Ontario via a new software program, Social Assistance Management System (SAMS). SAMS represents a hybrid of traditional methods of regimenting welfare assistance and a newer high-tech version. I reveal a critical shift in governance practice with SAMS, as the system governs welfare recipients into a particular mode of productive subjectivity. Despite the wealth and depth of research in surveillance studies about the potential impact of data mining, creation of data doubles, loss of privacy, and concerns about algorithms that replicate some of the worst biases about people in poverty, there is an absence of clear empirical research into or evidence of actual programs and how they work. We need a better understanding of the impact of delegated governance and algorithmic culture in the delivery of social services. Scholars posit that algorithms now govern and dictate the flow of information in many important ways, yet this is often not supported by empirical research and rarely involves interviews or focus groups with people from marginalized communities. This dissertation reveals what it feels like to be governed at a distance through a welfare algorithm. To explore this, I interviewed welfare recipients and caseworkers dealing with a software program that has removed much of their professional autonomy and discretion. Drawing from these in-depth interviews, including interviews with two software programmers who offered insight into algorithmic control of software systems, I reveal how a software program works to construct the 'ideal' welfare recipient. As this dissertation demonstrates, welfare recipients have developed techniques to resist this digitalized system through networks of support. Additionally, caseworkers have created 'unofficial' methods to bypass SAMS rigid regulations when they believe it is not flexible enough and often informally share these methods with each other. Welfare policy is being shaped and informed by the widespread belief that welfare recipients must often be forced into the workforce. As a result, SAMS software creates the 'ideal' welfare recipient, leading to an overall effect of the consolidation of the shift to employability being the ideal subjectivity.


title: Rural Young People’s Experiences Through the COVID-19 Pandemic: Struggles, Support and a Way Forward for Young People’s Mental Health and Well-being

abstract: The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in Canada has increased attention and concern paid to young people's well-being and mental health. Narratives of isolation, exacerbated inequalities, and potential unequal recovery for young people, in particular, have been presented as a result of school closures across the country. Through these narratives, young people are framed as vulnerable, passive recipients of adult decisions and interpretations of their experiences. This research examines these narratives by conducting ethnographic fieldwork with a group of young people living in a rural Ontario town through the pandemic. This thesis presents and analyzes these young people's experiences of the pandemic related to mental health and well-being to reveal the missing nuances of adult narratives and to propose suggestions for future inclusive, accessible, rights-respecting programs for young people's mental health and well-being post-pandemic based on young people's accounts. Keywords: ethnography, COVID-19 pandemic, rural young people, mental health and well-being, children's rights


title: A Golden Green Belt: Integrating Nature in Ottawa’s Next Suburbs

abstract: Many of the modern Ottawa suburbs' greenspaces are conceived from the point of view of their human users but not as welcoming extensions of natural habitats for local fauna. An unbuilt greenspace in Nepean located at the westernmost point of contact between Ottawa's agricultural "Goldbelt" and its famous protected "Greenbelt"offers a lens to rethink human settlement from the point of view of animals. The design of a fauna-oriented retirement campus offers a footing for this re-oriented design methodology. Analytical design at various scales seeks to find a balance between private and public places for both humans and animals. In a time of urban sprawl and population growth, the Golden Green Belt concept offers a model for future suburban projects. The imagined "Golden Green Belt" offers itself as an essential link and safe wildlife passageway just as it listens to and honours the muted voices of animals amidst our human noises.


title: Fabrication-Tolerant Integrable InGaAsP C-Band Polarization Rotator

abstract: Modern communications have reached unpredicted bit rates due to rapid and accelerating research carried out in the field of Photonics. A design and simulation of a polarization rotator using III-V materials (InP/InGaAsP) with a feasible fabrication process were performed. The polarization conversion efficiency of ~98% and polarization extinction ratio of ~17.3dB over 1530nm to 1570nm wavelength (C-band) was achieved. The study was used to select the etch stop layer, visualize the state of polarization at different lengths of the device, and predict the variability of the polarization rotator over different lengths. The selected device structure provides a significant fabrication tolerance enhancement factor which consists of a one-sided tapered ridge waveguide and a deeper-etch structure on the opposite side. This work offers a practical path toward the integration of a polarization rotator in a photonic integrated chip and would pave a way for future innovation.


title: Game-based Learning and Co-Design with and for Newcomer Children’s Social Adjustment : a case study of Arabic speaking tweens

abstract: The research reported here addresses the use of Game-Based Learning (GBL) and co-design methods in the social adjustment of newcomer children (the children of recent migrant families). Educational games have been shown to be effective ways of learning for adults and children. While the subject of newcomer children has been studied broadly, there are still many open research questions, including the role of emerging technology (such as GBL) in the context of newcomer children's social adjustment. Also, the literature lacks a well-established digital technology framework in the context of newcomer children's social adjustment and the lack of studies in the role of newcomer children in designing such digital solutions. To bridge these gaps, we propose a social adjustment framework customized for newcomer children. It offers an interdisciplinary theoretical foundation, design guidelines, and a procedural model that consists of three elements (game-based learning, cultural inclusion, and co-design). Our research approach focuses on social adjustment problems faced by newcomer children to Canada aged 9-12 who are from Arabic-speaking countries, evaluating a solution using game-based learning, and engaging the children in co-designing such a solution. Our research has three main contributions: 1) it is the first study of the proper use of game-based learning in the context of newcomer children's social adjustment; 2) it introduces and implements a co-design approach to work with and for newcomer children; 3) it provides a customized educational game-based learning social adjustment framework including guidelines for cultural inclusion to help newcomer children in their social adjustment journey. Our first study showed the most pressing social adjustment problems through a fundamental survey study with newcomer children aged 9-12, parents, and teachers. Our second study showed the effectiveness of game-based learning through a proof-of-concept game we created called the New Beginning. Finally, our third study revealed that newcomer children could contribute effectively as co-designer for creating social adjustment computer games for newcomer children. Also, we present educational game design guidelines to work with and for newcomer children, and we conclude with a reflection on re-designing the initial study game and designing a new game called "Together-WeCan."


title: Accommodation of Freeway Merging in Environment of Mixed Vehicle Technologies

abstract: The connected autonomous vehicle (CAV) is the most significant breakthrough in the automobile industry since the wide adoption of automobiles as a mode of transportation. These vehicles can respond faster, drive more precisely within their lane, and keep gaps shorter than driver-operated vehicles (DVs). Therefore, they can improve traffic operations and reduce collisions resulting from human errors. However, shorter gaps on the freeway right lane (FRL) can create difficulty for on-ramp vehicles to merge onto the freeway. In addition, there is a transition period from all DVs to all CAVs. As a result, there would be a mixed traffic environment including DVs and CAVs, which might necessitate different merging management strategies. This study proposes eight possible solutions to address the merging problems by providing acceptable gaps or resolving the conflicts between merging and mainline vehicles in a mixed traffic environment. These strategies are then evaluated based on different measures to determine which merging solution is most effective for each traffic condition. Average travel times and the capacity drop are used as traffic performance measures, while safety measures include the percentage of vehicles with low merging speed (VLMS) and probability of non-compliance (PNC) of merging manoeuvre. The behaviour of CAVs and performance merging strategies are modelled using Vissim v2020, internal programing, and a MATLAB program. The simulation results indicate that when the CAV penetration rate is between 0% and 100%, most proposed strategies outperform the base condition of do-nothing. The traffic performance changes depending on the CAV penetration rate and the type of traffic management strategy. The results of the safety measure for most strategies based on the VLMS index indicate that at low traffic volumes, increasing CAV penetration rate reduces VLMS, thereby improving safety. At high traffic volume, some strategies such as dissolving platoons and ramp metering show better performance. For the PNC measure, most strategies have lower PNC and better expected safety performance than the base strategy. Furthermore, increasing the CAV penetration rate reduces PNC. Finally, a regression analysis between PNC and the existing collision database demonstrated a correlation between PNC and collision frequency.


title: The Independent Effects of Forest Amount, Fragmentation and Structural Connectivity on Small Mammals' Diversity, Abundance and Occurrence

abstract: Although habitat amount, fragmentation, and connectivity are thought to be important drivers of biodiversity, their independent effects have not been evaluated. We selected 70 forested sites in Ontario, Canada, such that forest amount, fragmentation (number of patches), and structural connectivity (treed corridors) in the surrounding landscapes were uncorrelated. We surveyed forest small mammals at each site and estimated the relative effects of the three landscape variables on individual species' abundance and occurrence and total species diversity. Most responses had high variability, with 95% confidence intervals crossing zero. Configuration variables (fragmentation and connectivity) generally had stronger effects on small mammals than forest amount. Fragmentation increased small mammal diversity but had variable effects on individual species responses. Unexpectedly, species diversity and individual species occurrence declined with structural connectivity. Therefore, landscape management aimed at decreasing fragmentation or increasing structural connectivity will not benefit all forest small mammals in this region.


title: Regenerative Architecture:  Plastic Biodegradation & Bioplastic Production Algae Farm

abstract: The current plastic recycling system burdens the environment with harmful CO2 emissions. Its operations mislead consumers to believe their duties of sorting waste according to material type will guarantee proper handling thereafter. However, this is not the case as less than 10% of all plastic ever produced has been recycled.2 Most of it has either been incinerated for energy, buried in landfills, or littered in the land or seas. Emerging technologies and government incentives are slowly changing this. One promising development is the use of genetically modified algae to biodegrade plastics and create bioplastic production. Algae has the potential to reduce land use, save water and improve the recycling economy to combat plastic pollution and climate crisis. By understanding algae, its environment, applications, benefits and risks, I have designed a space that requires no land to produce an algae farm.


title: Three Essays on Non-Price Competition

abstract: This thesis is comprised of three chapters that examine aspects of non-price competition among firms. The first chapter theoretically studies the effects of exclusive dealing in the presence of service competition. In our model, retailers compete not only in price but also in service. We find that the adoption of exclusive dealing by upstream manufacturers induces the retailers to offer higher service levels than under common agency. Depending on consumers' marginal valuation of service, the manufacturers may indeed adopt exclusive contracts in equilibrium. The second and third chapters consider a specific aspect of services in airline industry, namely flight delays. Specifically, the second chapter analyzes the flight delay impact on equilibrium airfare and passenger volume in metropolitan and secondary airport market in the United States. Using quarterly data from 2013 to 2019 , we find that delay is more likely to increase the airfare of connecting flights in metropolitan markets and reduce the price of direct flights in less busy routes. Passenger volumes between metropolises may not be affected by delay, but secondary airport markets may lose passengers because of delay. In the third chapter, we continue the study of the flight delay impact and explore the effect of flight delay on welfare. By using the three-stage least squares method to estimate a simultaneous equations system, we quantify the welfare change of both consumers and airlines in response to delay reduction. We find that existing passengers would substantially benefit from improvement of flights' on-time performance, and airlines would mainly gain from increases in passenger volumes.


title: The Archive of Lost Stories & Dormant Memories: A Portal into the Oasis

abstract: The Old Town of Ghadames, in Libya, is a desert oasis that is a portal through time. Its walls have long carried with them the scars, traces, and stories from its ancient past. Despite its abandonment in the 1990's, every summer it is rejuvenated by the temporary migration of its past inhabitants. Ghadames continues to hold the latent memories of its history, waiting for an opportunity to be ignited once again. This thesis reflects on Ghadamesian narrative, histories and experiences as a means of revealing, analysing, and interpreting the spatial possibilities of the town as an archive of stories . It uses semi-fictional narratives to speculate on a series of interventions that engage with past and present, and explore architecture's entanglement with place, memory and time.


title: Secure in our Masculinities: A Phenomenological Investigation of Private Security Work in Ottawa

abstract: This dissertation explains why people work in lousy jobs in the private security industry, as illustrated by a case study of this work in Ontario, Canada. This industry has experienced rapid growth worldwide for decades and is a significant and intrusive part of many lives. Private security worker jobs are precarious, usually poorly paid, offer few benefits and require long and erratic hours. It is a lousy job that requires both endurance and skill. The workers have less public respect and fewer resources available than the police, yet the industry has few problems attracting many workers. Some of these workers develop a solid attachment to the industry and strong emotional engagement with the work. Their attachment to the industry is strongly associated with specific ideas and practices of masculinity and this helps explain the continued dominance of men at all levels. They also engage in specific forms of emotional labour that helps give them feelings of self-worth about their role in protecting people from threats such as accidents, acts of violence, and loss of property. This combination helps perpetuate a specifically masculine concept of providing security. Using ethnographic methods and phenomenological analysis, I show how workers practice gender in the workplace and how the emotional labour required by their job discourages some people from working in the industry and attracts other. The resulting industry practices help formulate unique practices and ideas of security that are gendered, racialized and relevant on a global level. The industry's expansion deepens and expands the social understandings of security in contemporary society as a masculine project and this project shows how that occurs at the level of individual workers in the field.


title: Unearthing Seattle's Subterranean: A Proposal Dedicated to the History of the Queen City

abstract: The land we occupy is not limited to what we see on the surface. Land, like time, accumulates in rich layers that blanket the past. Unearthing space and artifacts buried beneath these layers enables us to honour the past, understand the present and prepare for the future. The thesis explores the Seattle Underground, a network of space beneath the city's historic Pioneer Square District. It proposes the unearthing and revitalization of a portion of this network to accommodate a museum and complementary facilities dedicated to Seattle, Washington's rich history. Leveraging the unexploited qualities of the Underground, the proposal will create an important social and economic nexus for the stagnant neighbourhood. Through using design as a form of research, the thesis aims to inspire the city of Seattle to leverage this untapped, buried asset.


title: Cyberbullying Detection using Ensemble Method

abstract: Cyberbullying can be defined as a form of bullying that occurs across social media platforms using electronic messages.These platforms provide a ground for the cyberbullies to engage in bullying activities.State-of-the-art technologies such as Machine learning, NLP and Deep learning can be used to develop models that can detect cyberbullying.This dissertation proposes three different approaches and five models based on these technologies to identify cyberbullying using a newly generated email dataset.Our initial approach consists in using a traditional supervised machine learning.Our second approach is based on DistilBERT.Our last approach employs an ensemble technique. Our initial approach led to the implementation of two SVM models, one using TF-IDF feature extraction, the other using a combination of different tokens of TF-IDF vectors. Our third model was implemented using DistilBERT word embeddings. The highest accuracy was obtained using an ensemble model and the lowest accuracy was obtained using the SVM model with simple TF-IDF.


title: Offerings and Inheritances: Reconstructing Family Altars for Queer Vietnamese Kin

abstract: My architectural thesis explores the spatial incongruencies of queer, Vietnamese, and diasporic communities living in Canada by reconstructing new ancestral altar practices. Since the influence of patrilineal Confucian ideologies, domestic altars (bàn thờ) have been created to practice ancestor veneration within Vietnamese households across the homeland and the diaspora. However, queer and trans Vietnamese youth are often excluded and displaced from the patriarchal home, as it is assumed that embracing queer identity is an act of dishonouring tradition and lineage. To seek wholeness among displaced familial, sexual and racial identities, I offer this spatial exploration to reconstruct and reimagine queer altar practices. I investigate multiple "sites of exchange" through the design of three altars for three scales of intimacies: bodies, streets and clubs. Through this process, I invite designers and architects to engage in new practices of belonging for our ancestors, kin, and our multi-adjectival selves.


title: Urban Agritecture: Inherited and Contemporary Strategies for the Canadian Landscape

abstract: Historically, both architecture and agriculture have been cornerstones of social and technological advancement, insofar as developments in these areas have permitted humans to cast their gaze beyond the fulfillment of basic needs such as shelter and nourishment. Past agricultural revolutions - spurred by events like the invention of the plow, or the development of crop rotation - have heralded the beginning of new eras. Today, the immense advancements in genetics of the past two decades place us yet again at a crossroads. Standing at the cusp of a fourth agricultural revolution, where may we expect these advancements to lead us socially, and therefore spatially? This thesis seeks to address the interconnected nature of architecture and agriculture, and to determine how recent technological developments in farming could shape the future spaces we inhabit. Building on new technologies and ancient wisdom, a new prototype for the future of agriculture-optimized urban housing is proposed.


title: Beyond the Pristine: Reframing the Notion of Nature Conservation through the Agency of Plant 'Vagabonds' in Toronto's Rouge National Urban Park

abstract: Protecting nature in its pristine state and within designated geographic boundaries is embedded within historical framings of conservation. Yet, in the context of today's rapid anthropogenic change, this concept is increasingly flawed and irrelevant. This thesis draws from interdisciplinary literature in political ecology, geography, and landscape architecture to explore Rouge National Urban Park, Toronto's newest category of urban nature preserve. It foregrounds Botanist Gilles Clément's research on "vagabonds" as valuable ruderal species with design agency. Using fieldwork, mapping, document analysis, and model making as catalysts for design intervention, the work proposes the park's transformation into a vagabond living lab, employing a network of experimental design instruments across the landscape. Each design frames the site as a testing ground for new understandings of nature conservation within urban contexts—done by exploring the role of vagabonds. Ultimately, this thesis speculates what future urban landscapes can be like in conditions of environmental flux.


title: Tending to Weeds: A Ruderal Approach to Architecture

abstract: Could tending to weeds inform more reciprocal modes of occupying space? Noticing the mutual thriving of unlikely neighbours, this thesis learns from the resilience of undesirable ecologies to investigate how we might better grow together more sustainably. The entanglement of social and environmental needs is addressed by drawing on ruderal ecologies (a term for disturbance-prone plant communities) to develop an interdisciplinary and transcalar approach to architecture. Tools for noticing overlooked worlds are first created to learn specificity through modest site interventions in ruderal places. Like the dandelion rooted in a sidewalk crack, a reflective design project then imagines how unsealing paved grounds would reconfigure relations among human and nonhuman occupants in Ottawa, Canada. To find more hospitable grounds for growing and dying in common, a ruderal approach shows that ecotones of abundance can flourish among the gaps in things that matter, if tended to carefully.


title: Supervisory Control Using DEVS with Approximate Method and Hybrid Layer

abstract: Supervisory control is a formal method for the control of Discrete Event Systems (DES). The benefit of using supervisory control is that it allows the use of Modelling & Simulation (M&S) techniques to model an application and then use the model to create controllers. The use of supervisory control is currently restricted to robotics due to the issue of state space explosion as model size increases. Reduction in the state space complexity can expand the practicality of the model. We use the Discrete Event System Specifications (DEVS) formalism to implement supervisory control with an approximate method that reduces the state space complexity of the model. We also investigate the use of the hybrid layer to incorporate human interaction with a model and show that for certain cases a general approach can be used to reduce the complexity of the controller.


title: Connecting Forward and Backward Simulations for Target Driven Fluid Animation

abstract: Fluid dynamics simulations are governed completely by physics laws and are difficult to control for artistic requirements. We present a new method for art-directable control technique for liquid simulations by connecting forward and time-reversed backward target simulations in the background of a turbulent source simulation. From a given target shape to approximately match, our backward target simulation with negative initial velocity is simulated forward in time generating a sequence that when played reverse results in the formation of the target shape. The forward target simulation results in the deformation of the target shape and the coupling of these two gives rise to the desired target shape motion at the desired time step. We address a number of challenges in coupling the target simulations and blending them with the source simulation and achieve an art-directable control method.