title: Methods for Gait Analysis in a Supportive Smart Home

abstract: According to study, the elderly's mobility habits are closely tied to cognitive decline and other age-related health problems. Regular gait analysis may help with the early detection of various disorders, but the gathering of daily ambient data is difficult with current technology. The potential of ambient sensors on the market for estimating gait speed is examined in this thesis. The thesis's first section analyses data gathered from four motion sensors that were arranged in a straight line on the ceiling as used in some wide scale studies. The findings of this work indicate that the communications protocol limits the accuracy of gait speed estimation, which prompted the investigation of AI-enabled privacy-respecting cameras. Initial results showed the camera performance was limited by low and asynchronous frame rate, which led to significant error margins. A method is proposed that reduces this to 6% using techniques based on regression and interpolation.


title: Modeling the volatility of stock indexes and predicting VaR during COVID-19 pandemic

abstract: As COVID-19 spreads globally and becomes a pandemic disease, it has severely impacted the capital markets of major economies around the world, posing severe challenges to financial risk management. In this thesis, we study the ARIMA-GARCH model and the Markov switching GARCH model and its application in financial risk management. This thesis verifies and compares the predictive ability of ARIMA-GARCH models and Markov switching GARCH models on value at risk through empirical research. Especially incorporating the drastic fluctuations caused by the COVID-19 into the forecasting scope, we found that the ARIMA-GARCH model has basically no predictive ability, and the Markov switching GARCH model still has a good forecasting ability. Then we try to further improve the predictive power of the model by adding one additional regime. However, the performance of the model did not improve significantly. Key words: COVID-19, ARIMA-GARCH model, Markov switching GARCH model, value at risk, stock indexes


title: Investigating the Utility of Notional Machine Instruction in an Introductory Programming Lesson

abstract: Learning to program involves understanding how the computer executes programs. Code tracing is a simulation of the steps the computer takes to execute a program. The notional machine is an abstract representation of this process. Students form mental models of the notional machine when learning to code trace, but these mental models can be inaccurate or contain misconceptions. We experimentally investigated the effect on learning of using an explicit notional machine or not in a code-tracing lesson for novice programmers (N = 48). We created two versions of a tutoring system, one with a notional machine and one without, using the Cognitive Tutor Authoring Tools framework. The tutors included video lessons and self-explanation prompts to encourage participant engagement. We measured learning as the difference in scores from pretest to posttest, adjusted by prior knowledge. Learning increased overall, but there was no significant difference in learning between groups.


title: Immigrant Intercultural Development:  A Perspective Taking Approach to Support Intercultural and Workplace Adjustment

abstract: This two-phased study sought to understand the challenges Canadian immigrants faced in their workplace and intercultural adjustment as technology mentors and explore intercultural development interventions to address them. Drawing on sixteen qualitative interviews with ten Canadian immigrants and two co-founders of their non-profit employer, I found that technology mentors faced communication, technology, and personal challenges and were concerned with their intercultural and workplace adjustment as well as long term work integration. Clean spinning, a non-directive coaching intervention based on clean language and emergent knowledge principles, was used to facilitate perspective taking and support their intercultural development towards addressing their adjustment challenges. I found that clean spinning supported participants in finding resource(s) to address their topic or reframe the way they understood their topic and their relationship to it. These positive outcomes suggest the need for alternative types of intercultural development that support perspective-taking and self-reflection.


title: “Arrest Us or Consider Us Healthcare”: Towards Understanding The Counter-Conducts of Overdose Prevention Ottawa

abstract: Cities across Canada have responded to the opioid crisis in diverse ways. People who use drugs (PWUD) developed and administered unsanctioned services, including injection sites. Ottawa was host to an unsanctioned site run by Overdose Prevention Ottawa (OPO). This work is a case study on OPO's actions and rejections of medical practices. Through seven interviews with OPO organizers and managers of sanctioned sites, this project explores contestations of practices, knowledges, and logics governing substance use services. Analyses address contestations of practices from outside and inside the site, exploring visibility and invisibility of drug use and positioning of medical and experiential expertise. Care practices within the site highlight non-totalizing rejection of medical logics and practices, and articulate care on the fringes of these regimes. This is explored through a comparative analysis of sanctioned and unsanctioned replacement opioid programs. Ultimately this research investigates OPO's counter-conducts, highlighting alternative practices and logics of care.


title: Data-driven Modeling of Green Roof Thermal Performance in Ottawa, Canada.

abstract: This research investigates the thermal performance of a green roof in Ottawa, Canada. In chapter 1, the measured thermal performance of the green roof is defined as the percent reduction in total monthly heat exchange promoted by the green roof, relative to a conventional roof. Thermal performance ranged between 31.0 - 62.8% between May and September in 2016 and 2017, with reduced performance in the shoulder and winter seasons. In chapter 2, a resistor-capacitor (RC) and implicit finite difference (FD) model are developed, calibrated, and validated over the same period and are used to predict hourly rates of heat flux and thermal performance. Predicted heat flux exhibited a root-mean-square-error between 0.51 - 1.0 W/m2 and 0.41 - 0.81 W/m2 for the RC and FD models, respectively, in 2016.


title: Signaling Vigor in Gryllodes Sigillatus: Relationship with Age and Foreign Body Ingestion

abstract: Male Gryllidae acoustic signaling behaviour varies between and within species and may be influenced by a variety of factors including age, condition, and parasitism. I investigated variation within and among male Gryllodes sigillatus' mate attraction signaling behaviour and examined how variation in signaling vigour was influenced by age. I found extensive variation in male signaling between and within individuals; males differed in signaling vigour and quality, and their signaling changed over time. I found that smaller males signaled more consistently throughout their lives while larger males rarely called when younger and increased signaling vigour with age. As males have often been found to honestly signal their body condition (i.e., body mass), parasites may influence a male's perceived attractiveness to potential mates. I therefore also investigated how signaling vigour was influenced by the ingestion of the long barbed hastisetae from a typical pest species, dermestid (Dermestes ater), that plagues rearing facilities.


title: Decoding Passenger’s Brain Signals to Detect and Analyze Emergency Road Events

abstract: In this thesis, passengers' brain signals, including electroencephalography (EEG) and near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), were analyzed to extract road information to potentially prevent car accidents and provide public trust in high-level autonomous vehicles. For the EEG part, event-related potential (ERP) and machine learning techniques were used to analyze and classify the signals of two road events. Results show that the responses are 454 ± 234 ms before the reaction, and the average recognition accuracy of the regularized linear discriminant analysis (RLDA) classifier reached 95.81%. For the fNIRS part, a quantification method, which is based on cerebral oxygen exchange in the prefrontal cortex of passengers and a risk field is introduced. We also verified our findings in a real-car automatic emergency braking and cut-in experiment. Overall, the results illustrate that EEG-based human-centric assistant driving systems have the potential of being deployed in autonomous vehicles to enhance the safety of passengers.


title: Social Roles in an Experiential Activity in an Undergraduate Neuroscience Course: A Case Study with Emergency Remote Teaching Considerations

abstract: Undergraduate neuroscience students must learn how to effectively produce discipline-specific genres. Evidence suggests research experience may help students learn to write for discipline-specific purposes; yet, a need exists for more available methods of research experience than lab experiments. As an investigation into a more available method, this thesis presents a case study of an experiential activity used in a neuroscience writing course at one medium-sized, Canadian university. Using rhetorical genre theory, this study investigated if and how this experiential activity, which took place outside of the lab, helped students discursively construct the social role of researcher and learn how to write for disciplinary purposes. An inductive, thematic analysis of in-class observations, interviews, and open-ended questionnaire responses suggests that the research experience provided by this activity may help neuroscience students bridge the roles of student and professional researcher to effectively write for their discipline, in both physical and virtual environments.


title: Serving Consumer Expectations: Women Servers' Interpretations of Job Requirements in the Food Service Industry

abstract: The food service industry remains relatively understudied, especially in the Canadian context. However, many avenues of research exist on the labour performed by workers in this sector. In focusing on servers who rely on tips to supplement their income, this thesis explores how specific traits are commodified under management supervision to maximize corporate gain and consumer satisfaction. Utilizing aesthetic labour theory and feminist political economy with an intersectional lens, I argue that employers rely on attributes such as appearance and personality to sell the restaurant experience through the assignment of job requirements and duties. In doing so, servers become part of the product being sold. This has gendered and racialized implications. This thesis uses in-depth interviews to prioritize women servers' experiences negotiating their assigned job requirements and their observations of the gendered and racialized divisions in the food service industry.


title: Accountability, Empowerment, and the Ethics of Military Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief Operations

abstract: Abstract In addition to the traditional goals of saving lives and diminishing suffering, contemporary humanitarianism demands that practitioners also incorporate social accountability practices into their humanitarian programming. In addition to accountability to affected populations, this requirement places an emphasis on capacity building and sustainability, affording primacy to local participation with the aim to empower—rather than disempower—aid recipients. While this evolution of expectations is clearly visible within the civilian humanitarian sphere, a similar evolution of expectations has also occurred in the joint civilian-military domain of United Nations peace operations. Unfortunately, these social accountability considerations have yet to be widely incorporated into Canadian military doctrine. Accordingly, contemporary Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) operations remain modeled upon the former traditional narrow definition of humanitarian action, simply to save lives and reduce suffering. Moreover, a secondary stated objective of Canadian military HADR operations is to promote a positive image of Canada abroad and at home, suggesting that military HADR is not premised exclusively upon humanitarianism, but that geopolitics and domestic public relations play a significant role. The CAF has been very successful in achieving this secondary objective, with the majority of Canadian citizens strongly supportive of military involvement in HADR. In this dissertation, I explore these theoretical and practical differences between civilian and Canadian military HADR doctrine and practice, with a focus on social accountability and empowerment. I suggest that the doctrinal differences between these two groups can, in large part, be attributed to their respective accountability constructs. The predominantly upwards-oriented vertical accountability model employed by the CAF stands in stark contrast to the downwards-oriented social accountability construct increasingly utilized in the humanitarian sphere. The CAF has not incorporated social accountability considerations into its current HADR doctrine or practice, which raises concerns regarding the potential dis-empowering effects of military HADR, and by extension, the legitimacy of military involvement in the HADR sphere. Accordingly, I suggest that the HADR model currently utilized by the CAF carries ethical risks, which due to the secondary utilization of HADR as a geopolitical and public relations instrument, may ultimately become political risks.


title: Failing Women: An Ethnography About the Experiences of Women with Larger Body Sizes in Southern Ontario Health Care Settings

abstract: This thesis explores the experiences of fat women in Southern Ontario health care settings and their relationships with their bodies. It is an ethnography of thirteen women who identify as curvy or fat and currently use Canadian medical care. It shows how fat women's relationships with their bodies are multifaceted and shaped by external influences, and the ways they experience denial in their access to health care because of their body size. This thesis ultimately points to how historical and cultural constructions of body size ideologies, power relations, and understanding of the physical form as a determinant of "health" impact fat women's health and well-being through structural violence and biases in health care. It argues that there is a need for fat cultural safety programs, along with other changes to current practices to improve care, and, as a result, the health and well-being of people with larger body sizes.


title: On Security Best Practices, Systematic Analysis of Security Advice, and Internet of Things Devices

abstract: While Internet of Things (IoT) security best practices have recently attracted considerable attention from industry and governments, academic research has highlighted the failure of many IoT product manufacturers to follow accepted practices. We begin by investigating a surprising lack of consensus, and void in the literature, on what (generically) best practice means, and provide a technical examination of related terminology. We use iterative inducting coding to design an analysis methodology for categorizing security advice and measuring its actionability. We use this methodology to analyze three datasets: a set of 1013 IoT security best practices, recommendations, and guidelines, and two formally recommended IoT security advice documents. We find all three sets to be largely non-actionable. Through design and use of this methodology, we identify the characteristics of actionable security advice. We also analyze recent work on IoT device identification based on three identification objectives (distinguish device instances, distinguish device classes, and authenticate device identity), and the technical approaches by which they are reached: device fingerprinting, classification, and authentication. We differentiate the role of these objectives and approaches in IoT security, and develop a model relating them.


title: An Age Dependent Seizure Vulnerability of Hippocampal CA2: Finding the Targets to Rescue Seizure-Induced Social Recognition Memory Deficits

abstract: Early life seizures (ELS) pose a significant threat to developing neurons and often result in later-life epilepsy and cognitive deficits, including social cognition deficits. Hippocampal CA2 has recently emerged as a critical region in processing social recognition memory. Little is known about the effects of ELS on CA2 pyramidal neurons in the developing hippocampus. Here, using established ELS models, we demonstrated that ELS impaired social recognition memory in mouse pups. We showed that unlike the adult CA2 neurons, ELS significantly activated CA2 neurons in p10 mice. Interestingly, ELS selectively enhanced AMPA receptor function in the activated CA2 neurons in the immature brain . Using a unique actviatiy-dependent labeling and manipulating system, c-Fos-GFP/c-Fos-tTA/TRE-hM4Di mouse model, we discovered that precisely suppressing ELS-activated neurons rescued ELS-induced AMPAR function enhancement in CA2 neurons and social recognition memory deficits. Our results identify the novel cellular target of ELS for potential intervention of ELS-induced cognitive deficits.


title: The Political-Emotional Economy of Interwar Fascism and Authoritarianism, With a Focus on the KKK and the Bund

abstract: This thesis examines the KKK and its fascist friends from 1915-1945 as a means of analyzing the changing role of the Klan in a changing international order. The KKK claimed to be, the defender of nativism, keeper of racial purity, and the guardians of white American way of life, but as an organization it was less unified. Part of this can be attributed to decentralization across U.S. states. This thesis contends that there was a growing fascist affect economy, within the transatlantic Euromerican community. Even as it declined in organizational coherence in the 1930s, the Klan was involved in a larger conversation than simply American nativism. It came to identify with international fascist organizations and embrace terminology, and conspiracies, while always rejecting close comparisons. Its return to nativism during the Second World War allowed its survival, even while continuing to participate in the affective language it once shared with fascism.


title: Wearable Identities: Understanding Wearables’ Potential for Supporting the Expression of Queer Identities

abstract: Queer identity research largely overlooks wearable technology. Most work exploring sociocultural considerations of wearable technology determines what is "socially acceptable" based on privileged bodies, excluding queer perspectives. We address this by establishing the foundations of a knowledge base for wearables that support queer expression. We conducted a two-phase qualitative study exploring queer expressive practices and wearable technologies through 16 semi-structured interviews and 15 body mapping workshops with the queer community. We observed themes framing the queer community's understanding of queer expression, wearable technology, and wearable technology for queer users. Providing discussions on current trends in queer expression and wearable technology use, along with design considerations, our work enables the creation of wearable technologies that offer meaningful user experiences for the queer community. CAUTION: This paper discusses topics that could trigger those with histories of homophobia, transphobia, gender dysphoria, racism or eating disorders. Please use caution when engaging with this work.


title: Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) as a Mediator of Microglia-Induced Neuroinflammation

abstract: Microglia are the primary immunocompetent cells that protect the brain from environmental stressors; however, their activation can also have deleterious effects on brain functioning. Indeed, environmental toxins and microbial agents can induce microglial driven inflammatory processes and induce a cytotoxic environment. Recent therapeutic strategies have sought to determine how to modulate microglia, to favour their neuroprotective effects, while minimizing toxic outcomes. We hypothesized that BDNF would have a modulatory effect on inflammation in isolated microglia cultures in the context of a bacterial endotoxin. It was found that a BDNF treatment following LPS-induced inflammation blunted the release of both IL-6 and TNF-α in primary microglia. In neurons, LPS-activated microglial media was able produce an inflammatory effect to some extent, and again, BDNF treatment attenuated this effect. We speculate that BDNF plays a role in regulating microglia activation and localized microglia-neuron crosstalk may be crucial in preventing damaging effects of inflammatory mechanisms.


title: An Employee-Supervisor Analysis of Counterproductive Workplace Behaviours as an Outcome of Social Rank

abstract: While there is support for various individual and contextual predictors of counterproductive workplace behaviour (CWB), little research has examined social rank and CWB. In this research, I examined social rank in terms of social dominance orientation (SDO), and leader dominance and prestige. Using data from a police organization (281 employees and 130 supervisors), I examined the association between employee SDO (time 1) and employee self- and supervisor-rated CWB (time 2). I also examined the association between perceived leader dominance and prestige (time 1), and employee self- and supervisor-rated CWB (time 2). Findings indicated that SDO was associated with CWB, and that both servant leadership and perceived social impact moderated this relationship. Findings also indicated that perceived leader dominance and prestige were associated with CWB, via leader trust. Findings contribute to the understanding of CWB as potential outcomes of social rank, highlighting the importance of moderating and mediating variables.


title: Investigating changes in Mangrove cover and conservation policy in the protected area of Yum Balam, Mexico, 1981-2020

abstract: Mangroves are highly important, endangered species that provide many environmental services. This research examines changes in the spatial extent of mangrove forest cover in the protected area of Yum Balam, in Mexico using data for the years 1981, 2005, 2015 and 2020, obtained from government agencies, together with a review of the history of mangrove conservation and the recent land management plan for the area. Results show an early period of losses, followed by a period of relative stability, culminating in a mix of losses in areas close to the urban centres of Chiquila and Holbox. A comparative analysis using spatial data obtained from Global Mangrove Watch and through Google Engine revealed inconsistencies, but similarities in the overall trend. Overall, the management plan favours tourism, allowing economic development in some sub-zones. Monitoring mangrove cover is important to identify drivers of change, and to elaborate informed policies for mangrove conservation.


title: Stress and Damage Analyses of Thermal Barrier Coatings Under Cyclic Thermal Loading Conditions

abstract: The premature failure of the thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) system is a preliminary phenomenon that can significantly limit their applications in gas turbine engines. The delamination of TBCs occurs typically at interfaces between the top coat and bond coat due to thermal mismatch stress via both crack nucleation and propagation and decohesion. In this thesis, this phenomenon was studied using a multi-physics approach...exceeding text limit


title: Learning Recommender Systems with Deep Structured Low Rank Matrix Approximation

abstract: In this study we propose a Deep structured LOw Rank Matrix Approximation model (DLORMA) that incorporates additional stacked denoising autoencoders and local matrix approximations in a loosely coupled fashion. To the best of our knowledge, DLORMA is the first hybrid recommendation system that combines deep learning and low rank matrix approximation. Comprehend experiments based on three real datasets show improvements in prediction performance over other state-of-the-art recommendation systems.


title: Canadian Impact Assessment: Gender-Based Analysis Plus and Intersectionality in Natural Resource Policy

abstract: This study seeks to examine how the federal government of Canada is applying Gender-Based Analysis Plus to Impact Assessment of natural resource projects, and to consider whether this constitutes an adequate application of intersectional policy analysis. Through a review of secondary literature and open-ended semi-structured interviews with key informants, this project examines the use of GBA+ in federal impact assessment, ultimately concluding that although improvements have occurred, much more work remains to be done to better align GBA+ with intersectional theory and practice.


title: Small Light Weight LiDAR Systems with Remotely Piloted Aircraft for Powerline Detection

abstract: This thesis examines small low-cost light weight LiDAR systems for remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) for power transmission line (PTL) detection. Different PTL samples were used to understand how the low-cost light-weight LiDAR systems perform against them. A performance evaluation was done which included a specification comparison, data comparison, root-mean squared deviation comparison (RMSD) for both de-energized and energized PTLs and a sectional analysis. For the data comparison, the results showed LiDAR A performed better but not within the advertised precision for 5/6 of the test. The RMSD test resulted in the understanding in the accuracy of the data collected, lower deviations were found in the data collected by LiDAR B, but more consistent deviations were found in LiDAR A data. A conclusion was made that low-cost light-weight LiDAR systems would not be effective as a stand-alone system for PTL detection so it should be paired with an additional sensor.


title: The Knife's Edge of Visibility: Cruising, Surveillance, and Discursive Practices of Queer Communities in Ottawa

abstract: This thesis investigates how men who have sex with men (MSM) discern, discuss, and defy issues of surveillance in the context of casual, public sex—also known as cruising—and how these exchanges constitute and inform subaltern countersurveillance measures. Focusing on written exchanges by users of the queer hook-up website Squirt, I analyze how users discuss safety and surveillance of cruising locations in the Greater Ottawa Area. This work concludes that surveillance and cruising is normalized, both police and ordinary citizens present safety risks, great care is taken to act discreetly and not infringe on the safety of non-cruisers, and environmental factors contribute greatly to the construction and circumvention of surveillance infrastructure. The data additionally complicate well-established perspectives on surveillance, including surveillance realism and introduce opportunities for queering and expanding future research.


title: Resonantly Forced Waves and the Effect of Tank Geometry on the Free Surface

abstract: This thesis examines the evolution of small-amplitude, resonantly forced fluid waves in a tank of finite extent. A rectangular and annular tank are considered, with the fluid in each tank subject to periodic lengthwise or radial forcing. The resonant forcing of fluid in a rectangular tank has been examined previously. How varying the geometry of the tank affects the evolution of the free surface is not yet fully understood. This work aims to contribute toward better understanding the interplay between geometric and resonant effects in axisymmetric geometries. Analytic and numerical results are used to examine the effects brought forth by varying the tank geometry. The responses in the rectangular and annular tanks can be qualitatively distinct. The inner radius of the annular tank is connected to the degree to which the underlying spectrum is commensurate, and this is shown to play a key role in determining how the results vary.


title: Industry Insights: Assessing Canadian Undergraduate Industrial Design Practica through a Company Lens

abstract: This research is a qualitative assessment of current undergraduate industrial design practica that are implemented in 4-year-based accredited Canadian schools through industry expert insights. Bachelor of industrial design programs in this study offer hands-on industry experience to students between 3rd and 4th years who have completed preliminary program requirements to be considered as eligible candidates. Research findings from academic and company insights propose ways to enhance the current industrial design practica by examining the roles of a key supervisor at work placement, availability of student resources, degree of interactions within assigned departments, the need for funding sources, and understanding industry expectations. The research data also extracts other collaborative learning opportunities for undergraduate students through industry partnerships. Keywords: Undergraduate design practica, expert insights, transferable skills, industry expectations, work preparedness.


title: Regional Blood Flow Alterations Following Pediatric Concussion: A PedCARE+MRI Substudy

abstract: This study examined whether cerebral blood flow (CBF) differed between children with concussion and orthopedic injury (OI) controls at 72 hours and 4 weeks post-injury. It also examined whether acute CBF and psychological resilience improved prediction of concussion symptoms beyond the existing 5P score prediction tool. 70 children with concussion (Mean age=13.05±2.02, 47% female) and 29 with OI (Mean age=12.59±1.97, 41% female) were included in this study. Regional CBF alterations were present in children with concussion versus OI, with some regional CBF varying over time. Specifically, increased CBF was found in anterior regions, and decreased CBF was found in posterior/temporal regions. Regional CBF, psychological resilience, and the 5P score combined did not predict 2- or 4-week concussion symptoms. Though clinical significance remains unclear, these results are important for understanding persistent neurobiological deficits after pediatric concussion, as they indicate clear regional CBF alterations.


title: Unruly Appreciations: How Contestation Shapes the Value of Pharaonic Things

abstract: How have Egyptian struggles to repatriate and retain Pharaonic artifacts shaped the value and meaning attributed to these iconic but contested objects? And how have these public struggles influenced museum practice from the time of its modern origins? This dissertation works against the archival grain to trace a popular history of three Pharaonic objects (or collections thereof) around which highly-visible campaigns for ownership have been waged: Tutankhamun's treasures, The Bust of Nefertiti, and the obelisk typically titled the 'Paris Needle'. Each chapter examines the contestations through which these objects have gained a foothold in Egyptian liberatory projects and in the global imaginary, from the 18th century to the present day. Colonial expeditions in Egypt represent some of the earliest ventures in modern archaeological collection and museology, generating a foundation upon which many of the world's most authoritative museums have constructed their legacies as part of broader nation-building projects. In the case of the 'Tutmanias' of the 1920s and 1970s, media representations leverage public conceptions of ancient history to consolidate Western geopolitical power in the Middle East. Mass media plays a similar role with the Bust of Nefertiti, whose ownership becomes the focus of frenzied publicity in Weimar Germany, reflecting and reproducing the racial, geopolitical, and gendered anxieties of the era. The obelisk's transport from Luxor to Paris produces and mediates the public square in a different way, erasing Egyptian labour while glorifying the feat of its transport to substantiate its value as a trophy. Finally, this dissertation looks to the displacement of Gurna - a supposed "world capital of thieves" atop the Theban Necropolis - as a case study in intra- and inter-national contestation around the 'value' of heritage, preservation, and place. Doing so, this project draws links between the complex imbrications of artifactual value on the economic, sociological, and semiotic levels. These highly-public yet little-researched anticolonial struggles shed light on the ways in which rhetorics of (economic and affective) 'appreciation' are deployed to impose ways of feeling and knowing about history which produce normative museological ends.


title: Cardiac Dysfunction in People with Schizophrenia: Linking Clinical Outcome, the Heart, and the Brain

abstract: The link between cardiac dysfunction and clinical outcome remains poorly understood in people with schizophrenia. The current study was an exploratory analysis among clinical outcome, cardiac function, and brain volume of the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). Participants who achieved remission showed significantly better global functioning and lower positive and negative symptoms. Cardiac function and structure and ACC grey matter volume were measured using MRI. Cardiac function and structure did not differ between remitted and non-remitted groups; however, those not in remission had significantly less volume in the left ACC. While no significant relationships were found between ACC volume and clinical symptoms, there were inverse relationships between social withdrawal and cardiac function and structure. Bilateral ACC volume significantly correlated with cardiac function and structure. These results support that clinical outcome is related to brain volume but may not be related to cardiac measures of function and structure in people with schizophrenia.


title: A Tale of Two Fisheries: Exploring Angler Behaviour that Informs Different Management and Conservation Goals

abstract: Recreational fishing is an important activity primarily enjoyed for the purposes of pleasure or competition. Despite the many benefits of interacting with nature and harvesting wild food, recreational fishing presents a myriad of negative impacts to fish populations, thus requiring management interventions to ensure sustainability. Since management conservation measures typically involve angler compliance with regulations and voluntary adoption of proconservation behaviours, I analyzed social data from two fisheries facing contrasting conservation challenges to identify the prevalence of self-reported proconservation behaviours among recreational anglers. I further investigated the factors which influence such behaviours in an effort to dissect how certain desired behaviours may be encouraged to support management conservation goals and to contribute to knowledge surrounding angler behaviour. My results indicate high levels of participation in voluntary proconservation behaviours and may inform management strategies that would benefit from angler participation.


title: The Language Abilities of Children Considered At-Risk for Academic Difficulties Enrolled in Early French Immersion

abstract: Children with additional learning needs are disproportionately excluded from dual language education programs, in part because of concerns that bilingualism will exacerbate existing difficulties with language (Marinova-Todd et al., 2016). To address these concerns, this thesis investigates syntactic and morphosyntactic development in children with additional learning needs, who are registered in early French immersion (EFI). Participants were children who are often considered at-risk for academic difficulty (AR) enrolled in EFI (n = 13), children who were AR enrolled in an English-only program (ELoI; n =15), and children who were not AR enrolled in EFI (n = 10). No group differences were found between participant groups. The grammatical errors produced by children in each group were also examined and similar error patterns were observed across the three groups. These findings illustrate that children with additional learning needs are developing both English and French abilities when enrolled in EFI.


title: The Impact and Fidelity of the Structured Decision Making Framework (SDMF) In California Board of Parole Hearings (CBPH) Decisions

abstract: While California has one of the largest state incarceration rates in America, the state has recently observed the greatest increase in the use of parole nationwide (Carson, 2020; Oudekerk & Kaeble, 2021). The purpose of the present study was to investigate whether the implementation of a new guide, the SDMF (Serin, 2019), has led to differences in parole decisions in California. Retrospective reports and case files of parole applicants were rated using the SDMF to come to a new parole decision, which was then compared to the original California Board of Parole Hearings (CBPH) decisions to evaluate fidelity. Results showed that denial rates significantly differed between pre- and post-implementation. Furthermore, SDMF-based decisions and CBPH decisions did not significantly differ, except for low-risk cases, suggesting commissioners may be considering extraneous information. Furthermore, the SDMF as a whole significantly predicted CBPH grants, with Release Plan and offender risk individually predicting these decisions.


title: Development of peptides for use as antimicrobial agents

abstract: Pathogenic bacteria are evolving resistance to conventional therapeutics at a rate which threatens our ability to reliably treat infections, necessitating the discovery of new therapeutics. Here, I employ the development of novel peptides that can be used to combat antimicrobial resistance. In Chapter 2, I employ a permutation of two known antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), Indolicidin and UyCT3, and through sequential generations of evolution, develop a peptide that can inhibit bacterial growth better than the wild type AMP. These AMPs are tested on clinically derived strains to help translate the clinical relevance of these findings. In Chapter 3, I use an orientated peptide array library (OPAL) to assist in the discovery of peptide β-lactamase inhibitors against the β-lactamase TEM-1. Candidates' activities were assessed for inhibition against TEM-1. These results show the significance of our findings and the robustness of the techniques that can be used for the discovery of peptide antimicrobials.


title: Summarizing Developer Chat Conversations

abstract: In recent years there is an unprecedented growth in online communication and collaborative platforms like Slack, Discord, Microsoft Teams,etc. These platforms facilitate communication among developers all over the world and allow distributed software development. Software developers rely on these platforms to discuss their projects and to seek technical help. It is challenging to summarize these chat messages due to their short size, unstructured and colloquial format. This thesis is an attempt to tackle this problem by applying topic modeling techniques to generate discussion summaries. We use a dataset extracted from the Discord chat conversations and evaluate four topic modeling techniques to identify the primary topics discussed. We evaluate different embedding models and study their impact on the performance of the topic modeling technique. We perform an extensive analysis of the topics per month and also study evolution of the topics over a period of one year.


title: Temporal Focus as a Motivator of Self-Directed Change among People Engaging in Problem Gambling Behaviour

abstract: Motivational strategies to facilitate behaviour change typically focus people living with addiction on a better possible future should the addictive behaviour be reduced or ceased. In contrast, emerging research suggests focusing people on positive aspects of the life one lived before addiction also has behaviour change utility. In the current program of research, I measured and manipulated temporal focus to systematically assess the process by which a focus on one's past or future motivates self-directed change as well as the limits and boundaries of each approach. In Study 1, a qualitative assessment of the meaning people living with problem gambling (N=57) assign to their past before gambling and future without gambling revealed two distinct types of past (i.e., positive versus difficult) and anticipated future (i.e., optimistic versus ambivalent) experiences. Those with a positive past or optimistic future reported being more ready to change their gambling behaviour compared to those with a difficult past or ambivalent future. In Study 2 (correlational), problem gamblers (N=229) who perceived their past before gambling to be more positive were more ready to change their behaviour to the extent that they felt nostalgic for their pre-addicted past. Moreover, participants who felt optimistic about their future without gambling were more ready to change to the extent that they felt a sense of longing for this better possible future. In Study 3, participants (N=273) manipulated to focus on a positive past (versus an ordinary past) reported greater nostalgia for the pre-addicted past, which was associated with greater readiness to change. In Study 4, participants (N=174) manipulated to focus on a positive future (versus an ordinary future) reported greater longing for a future without gambling, which was associated with greater readiness to change. Lastly, an integrated data analysis testing the relative efficacy of a positive past and positive future in promoting readiness to change revealed no between-condition differences. Many people living with problem gambling are resistant to behaviour change. This program of research has significance by demonstrating when and for whom self-directed change can be advanced by way of focusing on a positive past and better possible future.


title: The Fate of Microplastics Ingested by Gryllodes sigillatus

abstract: Plastic pollution has become a major concern in almost every natural environment. As plastics enter an environment, they undergo a degradation process and can become microplastics (MPs; plastics smaller than 5 mm). Thus far, most MPs research has focused on aquatic, rather than terrestrial environments, and standardized methods of plastic extraction and quantification from animals living in the latter are needed. For my thesis, I aimed to understand the fates of MPs ingested by the generalist insect, Gryllodes sigillatus. In chapter 2, I developed a new, clearly laid out protocol on how MPs can be extracted and characterized within a laboratory setting after they have been ingested by an animal. In chapter 3, I used this method to investigate the effects of the cricket digestive system on ingested MPs, and found that crickets radically physically degrade microplastics and may therefore serve as a path for plastic transformation in natural environments.


title: Writing our Wrongs: 'Justness', Accountability, and Transparency in Provincial Child Death Inquiries in the Context of Neoliberal Settler Colonialism

abstract: This dissertation examines the child death inquiry as a performative ritual of liberal-democratic governance in the contexts of ongoing settler colonialism and the implementation of New Public Management in Canadian public policy. I ask: what is the performative work of public inquiries in constituting political relationships in contemporary Canada? I situate the child death inquiry as a particular form of public inquiry shaped by settler affective responses to Indigenous child deaths and assembled by contradictory logics that emphasize the universal generalizability of Indigenous loss, while articulating a specific and targeted anger with liberal, democratic governments, who ought to be accountable to their taxpaying-settler-publics. I trace the movement of figures as they are re/produced in the inquiry process: the 'Indigenous Public Child', the taxpayer-citizen and the benevolent settler public, and the ir/responsible government. I then consider how these relationships are produced, contested, and reaffirmed, as well as what kinds of impacts, concerns, and possibilities exist in the political spaces and relationships produced. I demonstrate how the dispositif of the child death inquiry moves from organizing hegemonic forms of visibility (through mainstream media), structuring the vocabulary of problematization (through legislative debate), establishing normative 'solutions' (through public reports), and articulating 'progress'(through policy commitments). The shift to private-sector-infused managerialism as a proposed solution to the contradictions of settler colonialism reflects a transformation from justice (as a political demand) to justness (as a technocratic form of 'resolution' and a commitment to continuous self-improvement). In Manitoba, one child becomes a symbolic stand-in for the various political failures of what is portrayed to be a bloated bureaucracy; in Alberta, government accountability comes to be framed through the quantification (and publicization) of child deaths; finally, in Ontario, the absence of the figure of the Indigenous Public Child, compounded by the pre-emptive commitment to self-improvement, reveals how the dispositif of the child death inquiry changes when the benevolent settler public does not accept moral responsibility for the Indigenous Public Child. Each case study demonstrates how, in different ways, lives and deaths are made to be public in the settler state, and to what end.


title: Sex-e-Work: An Exploration on the Rise of OnlyFans as a Space for Sexually Explicit Content

abstract: OnlyFans is a platform that has become well-known for creators selling sexually explicit content, where creators share their content with fans, often for a monthly subscription fee. Currently, little is known within an academic context about the platform and its creators of adult content. Specifically, this study sought to understand how creators experience their platform, understand their labour, and how their experiences intersect with or diverge from current understandings of sex work. To understand the lived experiences of OnlyFans creators of sexually explicit content, nine qualitative interviews and a visual content analysis of 10 creators different from those interviewed were conducted. My research illustrates how there are parallels between OnlyFans creators of sexually explicit content and other forms of sex work however, creators are experiencing sex work in new manners, particularly within a digital environment.


title: Real-Time Autonomous Model Predictive Control of Spacecraft Rendezvous and Docking with Moving Obstacles

abstract: Autonomous rendezvous and docking, whereby two spacecraft come into close proximity and subsequently make mechanical contact, is used for on-orbit servicing missions. The safety of these missions is endangered by space debris and other hazards that pose a threat for collisions. The guidance algorithm onboard a spacecraft is responsible for planning a safe path to a target spacecraft and must actively avoid these hazards for the mission's success. This thesis presents a real-time optimal guidance algorithm for autonomous path-planning with moving obstacles based upon the Model Predictive Control framework. Numerical simulations are completed in two- and three-dimensions to prove the functionality of the algorithm. The current laboratory facility was upgraded to validate the real-time collision avoidance capabilities of the algorithm. The experiments are, to the best of the author's knowledge, the first to demonstrate the moving obstacle avoidance capabilities of a Model Predictive Controller for spacecraft rendezvous and docking.


title: Towards an Improved Ceramic Water Filter Paradigm: From Design Optimization to Participatory Implementation

abstract: Ceramic water filters (CWFs) are home-based drinking water treatment technologies promoted in rural and resource-restricted contexts due to their simplicity in terms of use, maintenance, and manufacture. However, cost, flowrate, breakage, and general misuse/disuse in the field are barriers to proliferation, adoption, and associated impact. This research addresses these limitations by evaluating technological innovations and participatory implementation in Tanzania. CWFs are produced by mixing clay, sawdust, water, and silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), pressing the mixture into a pot shape, and firing it in a kiln. AgNPs are added to enhance disinfection but are among the most expensive of filter elements. Cost reduction is thus explored through investigation of AgNP replacement and/or supplementation with zinc oxide (ZnO). Metals are challenged in isolation and combination against E. coli within batch and filter phases and disinfection and elution are assessed across time and varying water qualities. Combined AgNP-ZnO treatment proved synergistic under all conditions, consistently outperforming either metal alone. Supplementing silver with zinc in CWFs can therefore simultaneously reduce cost while improving bactericidal efficacy. Sawdust size and proportion within CWFs also relate to flowrate, strength, and bacteria removal, yet the nature of these relationships is unclear. Modelling these performance measures is consequently challenging. CWF disks with varied material characteristics are therefore evaluated for flow, strength, and disinfection efficacy. Nested multiple regression analysis with possibility-based design optimization is then investigated as a novel approach to predicting filter performance with generalized porous media characteristics. Optimum material parameters that maximize flowrate while maintaining sufficient disinfection and strength are identified. Optimization results show flowrate may increase to >8 L/hr without compromising water treatment capacity or strength if is porosity is <48%, dry density is >1.2 g/cm3, and intrinsic permeability is <29 x 10-9 cm2. Finally, multi-year community engagement and participatory program development processes in Longido, Tanzania are described. Three education and CWF provision structures are subsequently evaluated. Filter adoption, breakage, and associated health are monitored over 27 months. Multi-week and repeated knowledge communication proved critical to promoting CWF usage, maintenance, and protection. Long-term participant engagement and support is necessary to promote CWF longevity and improve related diarrheal health.


title: Evaluating Uncertainty in Hygrothermal Modelling of Heritage Masonry Buildings

abstract: Hygrothermal models are important tools for assessing durability risks in building envelopes, such as biological growth (mould and wood rot fungi), corrosion and freeze-thaw action in masonry. Hygrothermal modelling of mass masonry wall assemblies are known to have numerous weaknesses and gaps in our understanding. These include uncertainties relating to model inputs, calibration against data measured in the field, poorly understood two and three-dimensional interactions between adjacent materials, and the effect of geometric irregularities, imperfections and decay. Combined, these uncertainties can lead to reduced confidence in the model's conclusion and alter our opinions on the durability risks and whether certain retrofits are appropriate or not. This integrated doctoral thesis examines how uncertainty factors into hygrothermal as demonstrated using a combination of simulation studies and on-site monitoring work. First, a methodology for integrating calibrated hygrothermal and energy models of the Southwest Tower of the East Block for the purpose of assessing durability is demonstrated. This project consisted of in-situ monitoring of the masonry and interior climate of the tower for over a year. The calibrated energy model was used as basis for estimating the net benefit of interior climate retrofits on the durability of the masonry. Second, the imperfect nature of the mortar-unit interface in masonry and how this affects moisture transfer into and out of the wall is examined. Simulations showed that modelling this interface explicitly as a fracture will increase water absorption during wetting periods, but also help slightly with releasing moisture under drying conditions. And third, the uncertainty in geometry and construction of the rubble core walls is examined. The examined walls have highly irregular geometry and are known to have significant voids. A Python script was developed to stochastically generate sections of walls with and without voids. A significant variation in state variables, and heat and moisture fluxes was found between stochastically generated geometries and this variation increased with the number of voids. Overall, this research contributes to efforts make hygrothermal modelling of masonry more accurate and intuitive and how establishing sound baseline models and uncertainty windows is key to confidently estimating the deterioration risk in masonry.


title: Towards Computationally Fast and Electromagnetically Accurate Zero Thickness Sheet Models of Practical Metasurface Structures

abstract: Electromagnetic metasurfaces are 2D arrays of sub-wavelength resonating particles whose microscopic properties can be tailored to achieve a desired macroscopic field scattering response. Determining the scattered fields from large metasurfaces consisting of small resonators constitutes a multi-scale problem. To remedy this, metasurfaces are modeled as zero thickness sheets described using surface susceptibilities in conjunction with the GSTCs. Here, the GSTCs are implemented in an FMM-IE solver to simulate metasurfaces embedded in complex environments. While the FMM-IE-GSTC solver works well, the standard dipolar surface susceptibility model of metasurfaces is inadequate for modeling structures exhibiting spatial dispersion. These spatially dispersive structures can be modeled using surface susceptibilities that are rational polynomial functions of the transverse wave-vector leading to the extended GSTCs. In this thesis, the extended GSTCs are further developed to model non-uniform metasurfaces providing a computationally efficient zero thickness model for practical metasurfaces which is then integrated into the IE-GSTC solver.


title: Toward a Supplemental Haptic Interface to Aid Novice Gameplay

abstract: This thesis study investigates how the experience and mental models of novice players differ from experienced players, and how this information can be utilized to design more effective tutorials for these new players. To do this, an exploratory survey study about experiences related to difficulty and tutorials was presented. The results indicated support for hands on tutorials with gradual onboarding techniques. Participants also identified unfamiliar control schemes, game complexity, and assumed knowledge about video games as major barriers to entry for new players. To address this, a pilot user study was conducted to test the effectiveness of finger-based haptic cues in addition to the user interface as a novel technique to alleviate difficulty and aid learning for novice players in a first-person shooter game. Results indicated that the system produced somewhat positive effects on player performance, and the system was generally supported by players as a potential solution. However, there were several limitations impacting this study and the significance of its results.


title: Synthetic and Computational Investigation of Phosphorus-containing Lewis acids bound by 2,6-Bis(benzimidazol-2- yl)pyridine

abstract: Main group compounds can offer viable alternatives to transition metal catalysts, some of which are not optimal due to toxicity concerns, element endangerment, and non-sustainable extraction from Earth's crust. In this work, a series of dicationic 2,6-Bis(benzimidazole-2-yl) pyridine (BZIMPY) -bound phosphorus-based Lewis acids were synthesized, characterized and tested for catalytic reactivity. The BZIMPY ligand provides rigidity and tunability, the R' substituents on the phosphorus influence the electron-deficiency at the P atom, and the counter anions can influence the reactivity and  stability of the dication.


title: Participatory plant breeding in Canada: The political ecology of participatory research networks for organic agriculture

abstract: Organic farmers face many disadvantaging and marginalizing factors in their agricultural practices. Participatory plant breeding (PPB) is a method of crop breeding that pairs farmers' knowledge with the skills of formal plant breeders to bolster the insights generated by each partner. This study examines the potential of PPB programs to benefit Canadian organic farmers through a case study of the first-ever national PPB program. This study adopts a political ecology approach to analyse how PPB better meets the needs of organic farmers, compared to the dominant industrial seed systems. Farmers identified the networks and collaboration derived from the program to be as important as the actual materials developed. They also expressed the need for consistent institutional funding for PPB and organic agronomy. These findings will allow improvements to be made to the structure and methodologies of existing and new PPB programs to the benefit of all stakeholders.


title: Exploring Baryon Asymmetry and Naturalness with the Current Experimental Data and Observations

abstract: This thesis explores some extensions of the Standard Model in search of new physics. The research presented here concerns aspects of cosmology and collider physics. The research includes a combination of model building, constraints imposed by the current experimental data, and prospects of future experimental bounds. There is an aggregate of three main research projects composing this thesis. Firstly, the possibility of multiple hidden sectors to accommodate a successful framework to explain the abundance of matter over anti-matter and study prospects of a viable dark matter candidate. The evolution of cosmological history and the baryon asymmetry is studied thoroughly. The baryon asymmetry and the dark matter relic abundance are checked in light of the current cosmological data and a potential parameter space is computed. The analysis conducted reveals that a viable mechanism for the origin of matter and a feasible model for dark matter can be constructed considering the multiple hidden sectors framework. Secondly, we study the phenomenology of an extension of the Standard Model with fermionic top partners. The introduction of such new particles gives rise to rich collider phenomenology which is examined given the copious amount of data collected at the Large Hadron Collider. The discovery potential and the constrained parameter space for the proposed model are derived and discussed in great detail. The various available collider searches for top partners suggest that the limits obtained on the fully hadronic decay channels of the proposed model are less stringent compared to the traditional decay modes and the effects of future dedicated searches are outlined. Finally, a dedicated study analyzing some aspects of supersymmetric quantum chromodynamics (SQCD) like gauge theories is conducted. In particular, exploring the behaviour of a sub-category of SQCD theories which confines without chiral symmetry breaking for three quark flavours. The computations of the SQCD with the anomaly-mediated supersymmetry breaking effects lead to the conclusion that for the three flavour scenario, the scalar potential does not have a minimum away from the origin.


title: The Relationship Between Autonomous Motivation for Exercise, Self-Compassion and Physical Activity

abstract: This series of studies investigated the relationships between self-compassion, physical activity, and autonomous motivation for exercise. The purpose of Study 1 was to examine if autonomous motivation for exercise moderates the association between self-compassion and physical activity in Carleton University students using a cross-sectional design. The goal of Study 2 was to test the effects of a 5-day self-compassion writing intervention on autonomous motivation and physical activity in first year university students at Carleton University. Autonomous motivation did not moderate the relationship between self-compassion and physical activity in Study 1 (B = -1.04, SE = 1.88, t(383) = -0.56, p = .57, 95% CI = [-4.75, 2.65]). The self-compassion intervention in Study 2 did not affect autonomous motivation, self-compassion, or physical activity across time (p < .05, η2 = .01 - .24). Researchers should replicate these findings with larger sample sizes and better measures of self-compassion and physical activity.


title: Towards a Better Understanding of the Neurobiological Basis of Problematic Social Media use in Young Adults

abstract: Problematic social media use is a maladaptive and detrimental pattern of addictive behaviours towards social media. Although problematic social media use has been based upon framework characterizing behavioural addiction, it is currently not part of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). Morphological abnormalities of the striatum have been found in behavioural addictions, however the neurobiological basis of problematic social media use has yet to be investigated. The present study aimed to investigate striatal volume and shape in association with problematic social media use and frequency of social media use. Higher levels of problematic social media use and increased frequency of use were not significantly related to the volume of the striatum. However, when examining the shape of the striatum, surface area deformations were significantly associated with higher problematic social media use. We call for continued research to further validate problematic social media use as a behavioural addiction.


title: Design and Implementation of a Reliable Container-based Service Function Chaining Testbed in Cloud-native System: An Open Source Approach

abstract: Academia has been moving attention from Virtual Network Function (VNF) to Cloud-native Network Function (CNF) since cloudification has brought the Network Function Virtualization (NFV) to an advanced level. It has already been demonstrated that cloud-native technology brings high flexibility and efficiency to large-scale network service deployment compared to the traditional VNF with Virtual Machines (VMs). However, more work is needed to provide a flexible and reliable Service Function Chaining (SFC) development solution. This thesis proposes a solution to dynamically deploy reliable SFCs consisting of multiple CNFs in a multi-node Kubernetes cluster using Network Service Mesh (NSM). Further, hardware and network usage are presented with the support of an open-source monitoring system, Prometheus, to help the network operator understand the deployed SFC. Additionally, the performance and limitations of this approach are analyzed and presented.


title: The Effects of Diet and Predation on Nesting Herring Gulls (Larus argentatus) in Pukaskwa National Park

abstract: Herring gulls (Larus argentatus) are used as ecological indicators of the coastal Lake Superior ecosystem in Pukaskwa National Park. Their populations have declined by 70% over the last 40 years, suggesting changes in the park ecosystem. I assessed herring gull diets and investigated how diet may influence population trends through effects on life-history endpoints. I additionally investigated the degree to which predation is affecting herring gull reproductive success by examining gull nest attentiveness with camera traps. Gulls utilizing anthropogenic food sources exhibited reduced levels of stress-associated hormones, increased egg size, and increased day-time nest attentiveness. Gulls were significantly more attentive to their nests during the day compared to the night. Nocturnal predation by great horned owls was the most significant predation-related factor affecting herring gull nest success. Understanding factors contributing to population trends in ecological indicator species is critical for identifying stressors that are likely affecting the broader ecosystem.


title: Comparative Evaluation on Effect of ELMo in Combination with Machine Learning, and Ensemble Models

abstract: Despite all the advantages made available by information and communication technology, its applicability is still limited due to problems caused by personal attacks or pseudo-attacks, which are called toxic contents. Since cyberbullying via the usage of toxic digital content on an individual may have severe consequences, it is important to implement various techniques to detect cyberbullying from social media using machine learning approaches. During a cyberbullying detection process, word embedding techniques are used to represent the words for text analysis. Feeding strong word representations to classification methods is an important issue. In this thesis, the effect of ELMo is evaluated against three other word embeddings using various machine learning algorithms. In addition, an ensemble technique based on machine learning models using Elmo word embeddings is proposed to evaluate the effect of ELMo word embedding on the proposed model and compare the results with other base machine learning algorithms.


title: Sensor Fusion For Navigation of Autonomous Ground Vehicles

creator: Baghery Tabatabaei, Seyed Mohammad Moein

abstract: This thesis proposes an adaptive visual-inertial loosely-coupled sensor fusion method that uses an Error State Kalman Filter (ESKF) and Fuzzy Logic Controller (FLC). The method applies to GPS denied zones. In previous attempts, researchers either tried to tune the Kalman Filter in the most precise way possible. This work aims to tune the Kalman Filter and makes it adaptive to overcome the disadvantages of previous methods and minimize the error of the estimated trajectories obtained by the Kalman Filter. The fuzzy system is trained via the Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) algorithm to achieve this goal. The results show that the proposed adaptive Kalman Filter improves the accuracy and outperforms other methods of tuning Kalman Filters. In addition, our proposed approach outperforms the conventional Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) methods.


title: Application of Metabolomics for the Detection and Evaluation of Cyanopeptide Mixtures in Ontario and Quebec Lakes

abstract: The magnitude and frequency of cyanobacteria harmful algae blooms is increasing on a global scale. The majority of cyanotoxin research has focused on specific groups: microcystins, cylindrospermopsin, saxitoxins, and anatoxins. Other bioactive cyanopeptides (CNPs) produced by cABs have received much less attention. The chemistry, toxicology, and environmental concentrations of other CNP groups are largely unknown despite having notable biological activities. Mass-spectrometry based metabolomic approaches were applied to study the CNP profiles of fifty-five bloom samples collected from nineteen freshwater watercourses. Based on environmental concentrations and ubiquity of the CP and AP groups, they are recommended for prioritization in future toxicological and environmental research. Additionally, historical records of cyanobacteria bloom are limited. An analytical method for quantitation of MCs in Lake sediments was developed and validated. The method was applied with multi-proxy paleolimnological analyses and radioistope dating methods to evaluate lake sediment cores archives in the Rideau Canal system.


title: Does Reducing Social Media Use Have an Effect on Loneliness and Social Comparisons?

abstract: Social media and mental health issues have become increasingly prevalent in recent years raising questions about the psychological effects of excessive social media use (SMU), especially amongst transitional-aged youth (TAY). The present study experimentally investigated the effects of voluntarily reducing SMU to 1 hour/day on loneliness and social comparisons in TAY with pre-existing symptoms of anxiety and/or depression. After completing a baseline survey and providing daily screenshots of SMU for one week, 220 participants were randomly assigned to an intervention or control group for the next three weeks. Participants completed an online follow-up survey at 4-weeks post randomization to assess changes in loneliness and social comparisons. A repeated measures analysis of variance indicated that the intervention group showed significantly greater reductions in loneliness but not in social comparisons. The findings suggest that reducing SMU may represent a feasible, affordable and effective strategy in reducing loneliness for TAY with emotional distress.


title: Spirituality and Service Design: Supporting Spiritual Care in Ontario Long-Term Care Homes

abstract: Spiritual care is crucial to the holistic care and health of a person, especially throughout the journey of aging. This study explores the role of spiritual care services in Ontario long-term care homes through a service design lens. The research involved a multi-method approach to understand the landscape of spiritual care services across Ontario, as well as the experiences of long-term care service providers. This study involved secondary analysis of an existing spiritual care questionnaire, an environmental scan of long-term care home websites, a service design questionnaire, as well as a series of multi-stakeholder co-design sessions. The results of this study reveal the diversity of spiritual care services provided across the province and share insight into the uniqueness of this service. Applying service design within this complex healthcare context demonstrated both the strengths as well as the limitations of the approach.


title: Three Essays on News Shocks and Fiscal Multipliers

abstract: This thesis includes three essays on news shocks and fiscal multipliers. In the first chapter, I demonstrate that a fiscal news shock originated from an increased defence spending in the U.S. can directly transmit to Canada in the form of an induced defence spending. This paper proposes a new channel of fiscal news shock transmission from the US to Canada labelled as induced spending channel. My transmission model shows that a US defence spending news shock has a positive impact on Canadian GDP. I coin a novel multiplier labelled as international defence multiplier which can estimate the magnitude of the induced defence spending change of a country in response to the defence spending change of another country. In the second chapter, I explore whether the transfer payments to households boost private consumption spending across provinces in Canada. I propose Universal Child Care Benefit payments across provinces in Canada as an instrument for transfer payments. Universal Child Care Benefit is a formula-based transfer where the total allocation for a province depends on the total number of eligible children in that province. Therefore, Universal Child Care Benefit payments can explain exogenous variation in transfer payments as these payments vary across provinces due to the differences in demographic characteristics rather than their economic conditions. Using the Two Stage Least Square estimation method for the period 2006-2015, this paper finds the estimated local transfer multiplier of consumption in Canada to be 0.47. The third chapter assesses the role of commodity terms of trade news shocks in causing aggregate fluctuations in Canada. Movements in commodity terms of trade due to sharp price movements can lead to aggregate fluctuations in commodity exporting countries such as Canada. I demonstrate that it is important to consider the role of commodity terms of trade news shocks to explain the fluctuations in aggregate variables. This paper identifies a combination of surprise and news shocks for Canada. My findings suggest that commodity terms of trade shocks can explain substantial variation in aggregate fluctuations in Canada.


title: A Mixed Methods Approach for Investigating Residential Building Thermostat Interfaces in the Context of Use, Usability, and User Understanding

abstract: Residential energy consumption is largely influenced by thermostat configuration and user interaction. Smart thermostats differ from other devices, offering new features and control. Little comparison or analysis of state-of-the-art systems is available, contributing to a gap in the literature. This thesis examines usability and user understanding related to smart thermostats, emphasizing comparison with literature. Two interview-based studies employing human-computer interaction methods are presented. Chapter two investigates usability, reporting quantitative metrics and user feedback. Smart thermostats demonstrated higher usability compared to programmable devices, while enabling the same or more functionality. Chapter three investigates users' understanding related to smart thermostat operation. Users demonstrated a relatively accurate conceptualization of their system and most employed temperature setbacks, suggesting that smart thermostats effectively communicate the function of the device and enable energy saving behaviour. Concrete objectives for future work are presented. This research brings the smart thermostat literature up-to-date, relative to manual and programmable thermostats.


title: An Investigation into the Differential Expression of NMDA Receptor Subunits in the Spinal Dorsal Horn Across Development, Sex, and Species

abstract: N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDARs) are glutamatergic receptors that consist of subunit variants GluN2A, GluN2B, and GluN2D. The superficial dorsal horn (SDH) is a critical site for nociceptive signaling; however, the expression of GluN2 subunits in the SDH remains unknown across sex and species. We used immunohistochemistry to identify the expression of GluN2 subunits in the SDH in rat and human adult spinal cord tissue across sex. We identified an enhanced GluN2 subunit expression in the SDH of rats and humans across sexes. GluN2A expression showed diffuse expression in juvenile rats; however, expression becomes localized to the SDH into adulthood. We also found that GluN2 subunits are preferentially expressed in the lateral SDH of adult rats; however, GluN2 subunit expression was uniform across the mediolateral axis in humans. Therefore, NMDAR subunit distribution in the dorsal horn appears to be relatively conserved across species and sex but diverges across postnatal development in rats.


title: Enabling Eye Tracking to Study the Use of Software Artifacts on Code Summarization

abstract: Application Programming Interface(API) form an important part of software development. Eye tracking is an interesting and emerging field which is gaining wide popularity. The goal of the thesis is to collect and utilize eye tracking data to better understand how software developers summarize code.  We perform a study that measures the effects of complex information sources on summarization tasks. In this work, we conduct a controlled experiment with 12 professional and student software developers to better understand how they perform code summarization tasks. These tasks aimed at summarizing  a set of APIs based on source code, Stack Overflow, Bugzilla, or a combination of them. We used iTrace, a plugin for Eclipse, to record the developers' eye movements.


title: Dismantling the Architecture of Othering: Queer Reclamations of Space

abstract: This thesis positions itself around the opposing forces of architectural normativity and queer spatial production. It investigates heteronormativity and its spatial manifestations, in order to engage in the practice of queering space as an act of resistance. By researching the heteronormative order, and typologies such as the public toilet and the private home, it seeks to demonstrate architecture's complicity in the process of othering queer bodies. Applying a norm-critical perspective to spatial phenomena, it encourages architects to divest from contributing to this form of spatial violence. Next, it explores the act of queering as a contestation of the normative order through design. Continuing to investigate various facets of heteronormative spatial production, six design explorations consider the body through a multi-scalar approach. As the site where queerness is initially produced, the body is where all contestations must begin. Throughout the whole document, this thesis seeks to question, reveal, subvert, and transform.


title: Hygrothermal Analysis of Vacuum Insulation Panels in New and Retrofit Walls for Canada

abstract: In Canada, residential buildings account for 16.7% of the total secondary energy end use and 12.7% of the total greenhouse gas emissions. Of these percentages, space heating and cooling account for about two-thirds of the total. As buildings are being built to higher standards, an air-tight, resilient, and thermally efficient building enclosure could be used to meet the targeted energy efficiency in new and retrofit construction. The research program was aimed at the use of vacuum insulation panels (VIPs) encapsulated within expanded polystyrene (EPS) board to form an exterior insulation system for use in new and retrofit construction nationwide. The program utilized experimental and numerical methods to evaluate the insulation system under steady-state thermal and transient hygrothermal conditions. The experimental study was split into two categories: steady-state thermal conductivity testing and in-situ hygrothermal monitoring. The steady-state testing, performed with a guarded hot-box at Carleton University, found that a 200 mm by 300 mm (8" x 12") VIP in the exterior insulation with a 1:1 VIP to EPS insulated area ratio on a code-built wood-frame wall would have an effective thermal resistance of R-5.1 to R-6.3 m2K/W. It was observed after the in-situ monitoring, performed at CanmetENERGY-Ottawa, that the backer material for the VIP-insulated system did not affect the long-term potential for mould growth or moisture-related damage in the assembly. The numerical study was performed using WUFI Pro 6.1 and WUFI 2D. The hygrothermal model was validated using the in-situ monitored data from 2016 to 2020 for Ottawa, CA. A methodology to model VIP insulated wall assemblies for building envelope retrofits was presented and performed in multiple cities across Canada. It was observed that masonry clad buildings (e.g., brick veneer) and wet climates (e.g., Vancouver and St. John's) had a higher potential to experience mould growth in new and retrofit buildings, for a similar envelope construction in a dryer climate. Finally, a screening study of eleven simulation inputs was performed using WUFI Pro 6.1 by following the Morris Method, a One-At-a-Time (OAT) screening procedure that compares the standard deviation and mean of the peak mould index.


title: Machine Learning and Optimization Model Development for Northern Community Energy Planning

abstract: This thesis investigates two key areas of northern energy planning through mathematical modelling. Firstly, a predictive machine learning model is developed to estimate stream velocity, a key variable for hydrokinetic power assessment. A generalizable Random Forest model, trained on 4,313 observations with novel geometric parameters, predicts stream velocity with a mean absolute percent error of 24%. This model improves on existing models, which require field data collection or were incompatible with smaller streams suitable for community-level energy planning. Secondly, a new, multi-phase, mixed integer linear programming generation expansion planning model for a comprehensive community energy system is developed which meets both thermal and electricity demand through a single electric load profile. An optimal investment plan consists of wind, solar, and battery storage, at an annualized cost of $13,525. A 20-kW wind turbine was found to lower the cost by 24% compared to using commercially available 100-kW wind turbines.


title: Near Infrared Imaging and Image Pre-Processing to Improve the Automatic Detection of Canada Geese

abstract: Migratory shorebirds populations are adversely affected by climate change and loss of habitat thus careful monitoring of their populations is important for early detection of population loss. Current counting methods generally rely on intrusive and time-consuming manual identification. This work is part of a larger project to develop automated classification and counting methods using a remotely piloted aircraft system (RPAS). In addition to the use of RPAS, this work will also investigate if near-infrared (NIR) imaging captured by the RPAS yields detection improvements. Healthy vegetation reflects NIR wavelengths of light which can potentially create a greater contrast between an object and the surrounding vegetation. Pre-processing NIR raw images to enhance the contrast between vegetation and Canada geese (Branta canadensis) to improve object detection using the convolutional neural network (CNN) YOLOv4-Tiny have been investigated in this study.


title: Distribution and Activation of Melanin-Concentrating Hormone Receptor-1 at Dopaminergic, GABAergic, and Glutamatergic Neurons in the Ventral Tegmental Area

abstract: Melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) is an orexigenic neuropeptide that acts through its receptor (MCHR1) to promote positive energy balance. MCH can inhibit dopamine release from the mesocorticolimbic dopamine pathway originating in the ventral tegmental area (VTA), and a hyperdopaminergic state underlies hyperactivity in animals lacking MCH or MCHR1. It is not known if the inhibitory effect of MCH on dopaminergic tone could be due to direct regulation of dopaminergic VTA neurons. We used a combination of molecular, neuroanatomical, and electrophysiological techniques to assess MCHR1 expression and activation in the VTA. We detected MCH projections to the VTA and, MCHR1 expression on dopaminergic, GABAergic, and glutamatergic VTA neurons, demonstrating potential sites of MCH-release and action, respectively. Furthermore, MCHR1 activation may regulate dopamine release by directly inhibiting dopaminergic VTA neurons, and by disinhibiting glutamatergic afferents to dopaminergic VTA neurons. These results signify that the VTA is a novel target for MCH-mediated physiology.


title: A Lexical Realizational Functional Grammar Analysis of Long-Distance Agreement in Ojibwe and Hindi-Urdu

abstract: This thesis provides an analysis of the morphosyntactic phenomenon, long-distance agreement (LDA), using the emerging Lexical-Realizational Functional Grammar (LRFG) framework. This project aims to illustrate that LDA requires the application of LRFG to explain the feature distribution that has been interpreted as such. I look at two cases that have been described as LDA in Ojibwe and Hindi-Urdu, and argue that neither operation is LDA. In Ojibwe, I analyze feature mirroring between the matrix verb and embedded clause, and show that this is in fact anaphoric agreement with the topic of the antecedent, that is conditioned by the adjunct. In Hindi-Urdu, I illustrate that this apparent LDA is not occurring with a true embedded clause, and is therefore not cross-clausal. I build on a previous observation of LDA, and show that restructuring verbs create a complex predicate, and follows the rules of simple agreement.


title: Russia’s “Foreign Agents” Legislation: The Case of “International Memorial”

abstract: The thesis will analyze the "foreign agents" legislation adopted in the Russian Federation. The analysis will be carried out at the intersection of political and legal realms. The thesis will aim to posit the laws within the theoretical framework of "authoritarian legality" and the "dual state" system introduced by Schmitt and Fraenkel, simultaneously exploring the law's instrumental role in contemporary Russia. The thesis's legal part will explore existing regulations and the legal repercussions of the "foreign agent" designation. It will also be aimed at comparing the "foreign agents" legislation's provisions with its United States counterpart and the newly adopted domestic legislation of 2022. The thesis's empirical part will focus on the covert consequences of the "foreign agent" designation and the "survival strategies" adopted by designated persons to maintain their functioning. Specific attention will be paid to the "International Memorial" case as an overtly politicized example of the legislation's usage.


title: A Message Passing Many-Core Architecture for an Asynchronous Graph Programming Model

abstract: Noticeable improvements in processor performance have been achieved by researching programming models, control flow parallelization, general architecture, memory access, and code compilation [53][4]. In this thesis, we seek to improve general processing by applying a many-core message passing (MPMC) architecture with a novel Asynchronous Graph Programming model (AGP). AGP abstracts higher-level languages into a graph of single instructions providing very high levels of parallelism and asynchronicity. The MPMC architecture utilizes a novel method of segmenting a graph among cores in tandem with the many-core model to exploit AGPs parallelism. We evaluate the MPMC architecture by implementing a functional simulation that, although incapable of providing empirical measurements, provides an an efficient method of evaluation that helps accelerate the development cycle. We found that the MPMC architecture can reach a 97% improvement in execution time from a single-core configuration, with room to improve given more cores and better node allocation strategies


title: Multi-Agent Deep Reinforcement Learning Assisted Pre-connect Handover Management

abstract: This thesis proposes a MBB adopted handover mechanism, namely, pre-connect handover (PHO). PHO aims to provide a seamless and reliable handover for 5G networks. PHO utilizes DQN algorithm to facilitate the sequential decision-making problem of target base station (BS) selection based on the RSRQs and RSRQ change rates of all the surrounding candidate BSs. A MADRL solution is tailored to extend the DQN-assisted UE-associated PHO management for modeling a multi-UE scenario, where the autonomous agents learn the action policy by interacting with the environment in a distributed manner. The feasibility of PHO has been validated extensively via NS-3 and NS3-Gym. The experimental results demonstrated that the proposed PHO is not only achievable, but also that the DQN-assisted PHO technique can productively accomplish the optimal BS selection to maximize the PHO success rate. Moreover, the MADRL-assisted solution can also be conducted and effectively applied to a realistic multi-UE environment.


title: Measurements for the Production Cross-section of a Z Boson in Association with High-transverse-momentum Jets with the ATLAS Detector at the Large Hadron Collider

abstract: In this thesis, the measurements of the production cross section of a Z boson produced in association with high-transverse-momentum jets and decaying into a charged- lepton pair are presented. The data used for these measurements are analyzed from proton-proton collisions at the Large Hadron Collider. The dataset corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 139 fb−1 collected at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV and recorded by the ATLAS detector between 2015 and 2018. The cross-section measurements are performed separately for the electron and muon decay channels of the Z boson and then combined in order to increase the precision of the final Z(→ l+l−)+jets measurements. Events with at least one jet with pT ≥ 500 GeV/c are selected and populate a high-pT region. In this region, the production of an on-shell Z boson radiated by a quark is enhanced and results in events with a small angle between the Z boson and the associated quark jet such that the two objects are measured to be collinear. A fraction of the events in the high-pT region are also described by Z+1 jet events where the Z boson and the jet recoil against each-other such that the two objects are measured to be back-to-back. The large dataset has made it possible for the first time to separately study these two event topologies where a Z boson and a jet are either collinear or back-to-back. This is achieved by measuring the angular correlation between the Z boson and the closest jet. The production of a Z boson in association with jets, Z+jets, provides a near inexhaustible amount of information about the physics mechanism for the production of vector bosons at the Large Hadron Collider. This analysis allows to measure the cross section of Z+jets as a function of characteristic observables. The resulting differential cross sections are compared with state-of-the-art theoretical predictions. The differential cross sections themselves provide a powerful way to test the Standard Model and in particular quantum chromo-dynamics. The data are found to agree with the latest next-to-next-to-leading-order and next-to-leading-order theoretical predictions for Z+jets production.


title: The Mantle Source of the 2.7 Ga Fe-rich Qullinaaraaluk Intrusion (NE Superior Craton) inferred through long- and short-lived Sm-Nd Systematics

abstract: To provide insight into the Fe-enriched mantle domains that may be the source of ferropicrites, we present a coupled 147Sm-143Nd and 146Sm-142Nd study of the Neoarchean Fe-enriched Qullinaaraaluk intrusion (NESP). An isochron yields an age of 2706 ± 29 Ma, which is interpreted to be the crystallization age of the intrusion. Accounting for the effects of crustal contamination, the initial Ɛ 143Nd values range from -0.39 to +1.26. High-precision measurements of 142Nd/144Nd ratios yield an average μ142Nd of -0.4 ± 5.5, revealing no deviation from the terrestrial standard. The absence of μ142Nd  anomaly indicates that the Qullinaaraaluk mantle source does not have a Hadean-formed component. Time-integrated 147Sm/144Nd ratios between 0.1944-0.2012 suggest derivation from a mantle source more enriched than the present-day depleted mantle. Similarities between the initial Ɛ 143Nd of the Qullinaaraaluk intrusion and Superior province ferropicrites indicates that their Fe-enriched mantle source may share a similar history.


title: Characterization and Classification of Fibrillar Collagen Networks using Gray-Level Texture Analysis

abstract: Biological tissues are a combination of cellular and acellular components. The extracellular matrix (ECM), or the acellular component of tissues, is often overlooked. Tracking changes in the ECM grants insight into how aging, diseases and treatments might affect tissue structures and cellular responses. Using gray-level texture analysis, we analyzed the architecture of fibrillar collagen, a major component of the ECM. Several gray-level textural features were extracted from second harmonic generation (SHG) images and used to characterize collagen network arrangements. This work provides a  basis for a classification model aimed to track changes in the cellular microenvironment. This information is vital if we wish to continue exploration of how diseases develop in different tissues, and develop novel and effective treatments for different types of chronic diseases.


title: Mining Collapse: Life and labour on the Cerro Rico de Potosí

abstract: This dissertation analyzes the relationship between small-scale miners (called cooperatives) and a transnational mining company (Manquiri) as they work alongside one another in the nearly 500-year-old mines in Potosí, Bolivia. I argue that traditional small-scale miners are undergoing a process of dispossession as the metabolic relationships required by the capitalocene continue to accelerate on the mountain. As miners struggle to maintain autonomy from capital over their workspaces and lifeworlds, the historic mountain, their means of subsistence and so much more, is crumbling around them. I interrogate claims against the sector as the one responsible for the mountain´s demise, and demonstrate that, in the context of ecological collapse, small-scale cooperative miners resistance to being subsumed by predatory capitalist relations of production, sheds light on the kinds of post-capitalist ecological labour we need.


title: Juvenile Stress:  A Sensitive Period of Vulnerability on Hippocampal CA2 and Social Recognition Memory

abstract: Social memory is the ability to discriminate between two or more conspecifics. The hippocampal CA2 is essential for social memory; dysfunction leads to social memory impairments. Early life stress has been found to cause social memory impairments. We examined whether social memory impairments observed after juvenile stress were due to CA2 dysfunction. Long-Evans rats were exposed to juvenile stress during P19-21. Social memory was recorded in early adulthood (P60/P61). Tissue was collected to determine CA2 cFos expression using nickel-enhanced 3,3'-Diaminobenzidine (DAB) immunohistochemistry. Adults exposed to stress did not differ from controls in sociability. However, they displayed social memory deficits, with a greater deficit in females. We also determined that juvenile stress significantly decreased cFos-positive cell density within the CA2, exhibiting reduced neuronal activity. These findings indicate that the CA2 is vulnerable to stress during the juvenile period, with long-term effects that persist throughout adulthood.


title: Improving Aeromagnetic Surveying Capabilities of Uninhabited Aircraft Systems

abstract: Uninhabited aircraft systems (UAS) have grown in popularity for aeromagnetic surveying. While the technology has been demonstrated to be viable, studies have not addressed three areas. First, comparisons with traditional platforms over geologically interesting regions are limited. Second, demonstrations of advanced processing with UAS data are rare. And lastly, methods for magnetic compensation of UAS data is outstanding. This thesis addresses these three areas and provide approaches to evaluate UAS performance and improve data quality. A hexacopter UAS was used to fly an aeromagnetic survey over a property with prospective gold targets. The UAS data was found to be repeatable and consistent. Qualitative and quantitative comparison with data from traditional magnetic surveys revealed that the UAS data could delineate geological structures better than the helicopter data and more efficient to collect than ground data. Unconstrained and constrained magnetic inversion demonstrated that the quality of the data collected by the UAS was sufficient to model the structural framework of banded iron formations within the survey area. It highlighted that the potential gold ore zones are not directly associated with them, but rather with steeply dipping faults that transect the area. The exercise showed that, at the early stage of exploration, performing unconstrained inversion yielded a realistic and detailed model of the subsurface, opening the possibility of implementing magnetic inversion as a continuous process during targeted high-resolution surveying for mineral exploration. Magnetic compensation of noise from aircraft attitude variations is typically modelled by performing a least-squares fit to a 16-term model by bandpass filtering data from a high-altitude (3,000 m) figure-of-merit flight. Government and hardware limitations generally prevent UAS to fly at such altitudes (over 122 m AGL), so an alternative solution was developed that uses recurrent neural networks on survey data, without the need of an FOM. The algorithm was tested on data from a traditional fixed-wing airplane survey and data from UAS flying at 120 m and 50 m above ground level. Comparisons with established compensation methods showed that the proposed algorithm could become a practical alternative.


title: The Strains of Inequality: An Exploration of the Effects of Cannabis Legalization on Black and Indigenous Peoples in Canada

abstract: This thesis presents the lived experiences of 19 Black, Indigenous, and white individuals in the new age of cannabis legalization within Canada, to demonstrate the long-lasting consequences of decades of drug prohibition and criminalization. As a response to the promise that legalization would bring with it racial justice, this research centres the experiences of racialized people, bringing into focus forms of inequality, prejudice and discrimination that remain intact despite changes to drug policy. To complement numerous quantitative studies on the lasting impacts of cannabis criminalization, this qualitative research explores the nuances of individual experiences of legalization among cannabis users. This research draws on broader theoretical perspectives surrounding settler colonialism, intersectionality, and race to situate both the historical and contemporary effects of cannabis prohibition.This research situates the interview findings within a critical race and cumulative disadvantage framework, using racial habitus as a conceptual tool for understanding the differences in experience.


title: A Theoretically and Comparatively Informed Description of Yogad Morphology

abstract: Yogad is an Austronesian language spoken in the Northern Philippines by approximately 16,000 speakers. Previous descriptive work on Yogad follows a nonaprioristic approach, where no categories are imported from other languages. This description makes it difficult to gloss functional morphemes or to discuss Yogad in a cross-linguistic context. In this paper, I reanalyze the morphology of Yogad following a restrictivist approach to language description, particularly the verbal affixes, case marking particles, and personal pronouns. I provide a description of Yogad morphology which does not exoticize the language, is informed by theory, and can contribute to discussions and debate within the language family. I situate Yogad in the larger context of Austronesian languages through a comparative study and a diachronic discussion. I provide two descriptions of Yogad morphology, following the analyses and theories held by the two sides of the Austronesian voice debate.