title: Data Science Strategies for Modelling Total Knee Arthroplasty Patient Variability

contributor:
Department of Biomedical Engineering
Doctor of Philosophy
Dr. Gillian Hawker
Dr. Jeremy Brown
Dr. Joanna Mills Flemming
Dr. Syed Sibite Raza Abidi
Dr. Geoffrey Maksym
Dr. Janie Astephen Wilson
Dr. Michael Dunbar
Received
Yes
Not Applicable

subject:
Osteoarthritis
Biomechanics
Data Science
Machine Learning
Total Knee Arthroplasty
Gait Mechanics
Cluster Analysis

abstract: Knee osteoarthritis (OA) can present through self-reported patient symptoms and joint-level manifestations, impairing mobility and function. Symptom relief and functional restoration of end-stage OA is typically treated with total knee arthroplasty (TKA) surgery. TKA success it not universal; over 20% of patients do not report satisfaction or clinically meaningful pain and function improvements post-TKA. This thesis aimed to improve our understanding of multidimensional variability among OA patients, and investigate how variability manifests into different TKA outcomes. Four studies investigated relationships between patient-reported measures and knee kinematics and kinetics during walking gait, characterized demographic and knee biomechanical variability (clusters) among OA and TKA populations, and addressed relationships between clusters and functional outcomes after TKA. The first study objective examined demographic and patient-reported factors pre-TKA to two-years post-TKA associated with patient-reported TKA satisfaction using longitudinal analysis. Study 2 examine demographics, pre-TKA knee kinematics and kinetics during gait, and post-TKA gait changes associated with self-reported pain and function improvements one-year post-TKA using regression models. Studies 3 and 4 characterize demographic and knee biomechanical variability among (3) pre-TKA and (4) asymptomatic to post-TKA observations using machine-learning cluster analysis. Studies revealed that (1) pre-operative self-reported symptoms were not predictive of longitudinal satisfaction; however, findings support the ability to identify less satisfied patients as early as six-weeks post-TKA. (2) Frontal and sagittal knee kinematic patterns during gait pre-TKA, and less adduction angle reductions post-TKA were associated with greater self-reported pain and function improvements post-TKA. (3) TKA candidates and (4) patients along the OA continuum can be characterized by demographic and knee biomechanic clusters, separated by features corresponding to clinical OA severity. Collectively, these studies characterized temporal and multidimensional patient variability encompassing self-reported symptoms and knee biomechanics using data science and machine-learning strategies. Knee biomechanics provided important insights into mechanical factors impacting the patient experience, and biomechanical cluster profiling supported the ability to classify patients who may benefit most from TKA. Findings support the utility to reveal novel insights into the patient experience using advanced data science strategies, providing direction for innovations in OA management and TKA care. Presented methodologies are directly applicable to other clinical applications.


title: Can you see what I mean? The effects of iconic gestures on early word learning

contributor: School of Communication Sciences and Disorders

subject:
co-speech iconic gestures
gestures
typical development
children
word learning
fast-mapping

abstract: This study examined the impacts of co-speech iconic gestures (CS-IG) on fast-mapping in typically developing (TD) children. Twenty-three TD children 5-8 years of age were exposed to 6 novel toys – half referenced with a novel word and an IG depicting the object’s action, half referenced with a novel word only. Participants were tested on word and gesture production and comprehension immediately following the exposure task and after a 10-minute delay. Results demonstrated that 7-8-year-olds performed better than 5-6-year-olds in immediate word production tasks, and that both age groups had better gesture production and comprehension performance after a delay when words were paired with gestures. Gesture comprehension also increased after a delay when words were not paired with gestures. CS-IG did not improve fast-mapping of novel words contrary to research with younger TD children. However, children gleaned information about the action performed on an object and strengthened this representation over time.


title: FSM Modeling of Off-Blockchain Computation

contributor:
Faculty of Computer Science
Master of Computer Science
Dr. Michael McAllister
Dr. Dawn Jutla
Dr. Vlado Keselj
Dr. Peter Bodorik
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject: FSM HSM EVM IPFS

abstract: Blockchain benefits are due to immutability, replication, and storage-and-execution of smart contracts on the blockchain.  However, the benefits come at increased costs due to the blockchain size and execution.  We address three fundamental issues that arise in transferring certain parts of a smart contract to be executed off-chain: (i) identifying which parts (patterns) of the smart contract should be considered for processing off-chain, (ii) under which conditions should a smart-contract pattern to be processed off-chain, and (iii) how to facilitate interaction between the computation off and on-chain.  We use separation of concerns and FSM modeling to model a smart contract and generate its code. We then (i) use our algorithm to determine which parts (patterns) of the smart contract are to be processed off-chain; (ii) consider conditions under which to move the pattern off-chain; and (iii) provide model for automatically generating the interface between on and off-chain computation.


title: Towards understanding the prokaryotic contributions to cobalamin cycling in the Northwest Atlantic

contributor:
Department of Biology
Master of Science
Amanda Cockshutt
Sophia Stone
Chris Algar
Julie LaRoche
Erin M. Bertrand
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
metagenomics
Scotian Shelf
cobalamin cycle
proteomics

abstract: Cobalamin has the potential to limit primary productivity and shape the structure and ecological interactions of marine microbial communities. The identification of major sources and sinks of this vitamin is needed in order to understand its availability in the ocean. In this thesis, assembly-based and short-read-based approaches were combined to analyze metagenomic samples from the Scotian Shelf and Slope region of the Northwest Atlantic. This resulted in the first identification of major producers, remodelers and consumers of cobalamin and related compounds in this region. Mass-spectrometry tools to monitor the contribution of Synechococcus, an important cyanobacterial group, to the cobalamin cycle in the Northwest Atlantic were also identified. The implementation of these tools in culture experiments enabled the identification of environmental and physiological factors with potential to affect cyanobacterial contributions to cobalamin cycling in this region. In sum, this thesis is a step towards elucidating the influence that cobalamin may have on marine primary productivity and microbial ecological interactions in the Northwest Atlantic.


title: The Way Forward: Ecofeminism and the Creation of Society in Post-Apocalyptic Science Fiction

contributor:
Department of English
Master of Arts
Dr. Kathleen Cawsey
Dr. Andrew Brown
Dr. Kathleen Cawsey
Dr. Jason Haslam
Not Applicable
No
No

subject:
ecofeminism
post-apocalyptic
science fiction
young adult fiction

abstract: An ecofeminist analysis of created societies in contemporary young adult, post-apocalyptic, science fiction.

abstract: This thesis uses an ecofeminist lens to analyze the patriarchal and anthropocentric ideologies presented in Joelle Charbonneau’s "The Testing" (2013), Scott Westerfeld’s "Uglies" (2005), and Suzanne Collins’ "The Hunger Games" (2008). The female protagonists of each novel reject the ideologies purported by their society in favour of redefining their relationships with nature and each other to create more hopeful futures; this thesis aims to illustrate that the overarching plotline these novels share are implicit critiques of the structures of our current society. Each novel also critiques additional aspects of current: "The Testing" confronts access to education and idealization of the past, "Uglies" confronts the high-valuation of and preoccupation with beauty within our society, and "The Hunger Games" confronts socioeconomic inequality and the role of the media in our society.


title: Adverse childhood experience and loneliness among young adults: Exploring the roles of attachment style and resilience

contributor:
School of Social Work
Master of Social Work
Dr. Catrina Brown
Dr. David Kealy
Dr. Nancy Ross
Dr. Shelly Ben-David
Dr. Michael Ungar
Received
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
Adverse Childhood Experiences
Resilience
Loneliness
Attachment Style
Attachment Anxiety
Attachment Avoidance
Young Adults

abstract:
Objective: The health risks associated with adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) among different age groups in adults has been widely studied in recent years. Adults with ACEs are more likely to develop mental health concerns including feelings of loneliness; however, there has been limited research focusing on young adults. The purpose of this study was to better understand the relationship between ACEs and loneliness by examining insecure attachment patterns (anxious and avoidant) as potential mediators. The study also investigated whether positive traits such as resilience buffered the association between ACEs and loneliness through insecure attachment.
Method: Young adults aged 18 to 30 (N = 203) from the community provided self- ratings of ACEs, two dimensions of adult attachment, resilience, and loneliness. Parallel mediation and moderated mediation analyses were conducted.
Results: Anxious attachment style in adults were statistically significant, mediating the relationship between ACEs and loneliness; however, avoidant attachment style was non-significant. Furthermore, resilience was a significant moderator of the mediated relationship associated with ACEs and anxious attachment patterns.
Conclusion: Individuals with more ACEs experienced greater loneliness as young adults, which was explained by anxious attachment patterns in adult close relationships. Interestingly, this pathway depends on the individual’s level of resilience or their attitude towards adversity. Young adults with lower resilience were more likely to have an anxious attachment style after having suffered ACEs and thus were more likely to experience loneliness. The findings suggest the possibility that intervention and policy directed towards enhancing resilience among youth who experience childhood adversity may play a role in reducing loneliness.


title: Maternal Energy Allocation in a Capital Breeder: The Grey Seal (Halichoerus grypus)

contributor:
Department of Biology
Master of Science
Sophia Stone
Glenn Crossin
Aaron MacNiel
Don Bowen
Sara Iverson
Received
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
maternal allocation
capital breeder
pinniped
grey seal

abstract: Parental allocation animals is largely in the form of maternal allocation. In mammals, lactation accounts for the largest proportion of maternal allocation. Lactation is the most energetically costly aspect of reproduction in female mammals. To support the energetic costs of lactation, mammals have developed different strategies related to feeding during the breeding period. Among those strategies, capital breeding mammals exploit the ability to store nutrients and resources to fuel milk production and fast or reduce feeding during most or all the lactation period. As such, the degree of maternal energy allocation can be measured through maternal mass loss. Phocids include some of the most extreme capital breeding mammals. This study examined the predictors and consequences of multiple elements of maternal energy allocation in a capital breeding phocid: the grey seal (Halichoerus grypus). I analyzed maternal and pup characteristics from 222 females as possible predictors of total maternal mass loss.


title: Inclusivity and Adaptation: Designing Recreational Space for Individuals with Intellectual Disability

contributor:
Faculty of Architecture
Master of Architecture
Steve Parcell
Christine Macy
Christopher Trumble
Benjie Nycum
Christine Macy
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
intellectual disability
adaptive behaviour
recreational camp
accessibility
sensory cues
rhythmanalysis
user-driven

abstract: This thesis studies Intellectual Disability (ID), and the built environment designed for individuals with ID. It argues that this architecture must be approached strategically and holistically and should be informed by the psychology around ID. Throughout history to the present, architecture has been assigned for people with ID but has not been designed to suit the needs of the group or individual. This architecture should be informed by the psychology around ID. A common element of this psychology is adaptable behavior and by studying this, architectural elements can be translated. This design method looks at adaptive behavior and how designed space can accommodate people that are less able to adjust to their environment.  This theory is tested through a recreational camp in Alberta.


title: Nourished by Design: Public Architecture as Social Infrastructure

contributor:
School of Architecture
Master of Architecture
Christopher Trumble
Steve Parcell
Sarah Prodor
Christine Macy
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
architecture
Vancouver
British Columbia
community food centre
social infrastructure
public architecture

abstract: This thesis reimagines the role of public buildings in urban society arguing that their contemporary value comes not only from providing public services but also from being accessible places for socialization in the public realm. Drawing on the work of sociologist Eric Klinenberg, the thesis proposes a framework for designing public buildings as ‘Social Infrastructure’ using the principles of flexible programming, diversity in social spaces and porous thresholds. The illustrative design proposal is the Food Stop, a community food centre in downtown Vancouver that brings together and nourishes diverse social groups. The large adaptive reuse project articulates the principles of social infrastructure using seven design strategies to bring daylight into the building, organize complex adaptable programmes and connect people and food throughout the building. These strategies are: extending the street, bringing in light, zoning programmes, clustering programmes, ‘growing circulation,’ nesting spaces and inhabiting the fifth facade.


title: “TUNC TU CLAMAS CLARA VOCE”: MARIOLOGICAL ALLUSION AND THE MUSIC OF ST. HILDEGARD OF BINGEN

contributor:
Fountain School of Performing Arts
Master of Arts
Dr. Jennifer Bain
Dr. Barbara Swanson
Dr. Lori Kruckenberg
Dr. Jennifer Bain
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
Hildegard of Bingen
Mariology
intertextuality
plainchant
medieval

abstract: Hildegard’s Mariology, most overtly expressed through her sixteen Marian plainchants, has received close attention by scholars over the years. Nevertheless, unanswered questions remain concerning her Mariology as well as the musical manifestations of her devotion to Mary. This thesis seeks to fill a void in this area of Hildegard research by introducing a new lens—Mariological allusion—by means of which new aspects of Hildegard’s Mariology in her music may be discovered and explored. First, an investigation of Mariological allusion in the twelfth century, particularly as it is channeled through the theme of Mary’s voice, demonstrates its prevalence in medieval culture. Secondly, case studies, including select compositions by Hildegard of Bingen, manifest applications of Mariological allusion to female saints through musical intertextuality. Finally, Hildegard of Bingen’s liturgical drama, Ordo virtutum, illustrates the presence of Mariological allusion, a work which brings together themes from the previous chapters by showcasing both a twelfth-century focus on Mary’s voice and applications of Mariological allusion to the women in Hildegard’s community. Ultimately, the lens of Mariological allusion is employed in this thesis both as a means of reassessing and recontextualizing Mariology in the music of Hildegard of Bingen, and to provide a new mode of inquiry for future studies of the intersections of medieval plainchant with Marian devotion.


title: Development and Evaluation of a Radar System for Ground Surface Detection in Wild Blueberry Fields

contributor:
Faculty of Agriculture
Master of Science
Dr. Gordon Price
Dr. Arnold Schumann
Dr. Aitazaz Faroque
Dr. Qamar Zaman
Dr. Travis Esau
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
Precision Agriculture
Mechanized Systems
Ground Surface Detection
Microwave Radar
Harvester Head Automation

abstract: Mechanical wild blueberry harvest efficiency depends heavily on operator skill. The harvesting picking reel requires accurate and precise positioning based on fruit zone, field topography and foreign obstacles. Spatially variable topography in wild blueberry fields poses a serious challenge for the operators to maintain the optimum head height for efficient harvester operation. In this research study, the potential of microwave radar technology was examined for detecting and measuring the ground surface height in wild blueberry fields by comparing the performance of three selected radars. Results indicated that the Terrahawk® radar outperformed other selected radars (0.21 cm < SD < 1.12 cm, 4.45 cm < RMSE < 5.62 cm) and successfully detected the ground surface non-destructively within wild blueberry fields in dynamic and standstill conditions (R-sq > 0.92). The developed ground surface detection system exhibited great potential in the automation of harvester picking reel by utilizing real-time ground surface detection.


title: IMAGINING THE PAST FORWARD: FLAMENCO, ANDALUSIAN MUSIC, IDENTITY, AND CULTURAL DIPLOMACY IN THE FESTIVAL DES ANDALOUSIES ATLANTIQUES D'ESSAOUIRA

contributor:
Fountain School of Performing Arts
Master of Arts
N/A.
Jennifer Bain
Martha Radice
Estelle Joubert
Jacqueline Warwick
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
Festival
Flamenco
Andalusian Music
Cultural Diplomacy
Identity
al-Andalus
convivencia
Morocco
Spain
André Azoulay

abstract: This thesis examines the Festival des Andalousies Atlantiques d’Essaouira (FAAE)  between 2010-2020 and uses the 2020 edition as a case study, focusing specifically on flamenco, Andalusian music and the festival’s function in current Moroccan-Spanish relations. Scholarship pertaining to the FAAE is virtually non-existent and there has been no in-depth study of it; this thesis presents the first extensive study of the festival, demonstrating how it, and moreover its music as a representational force, is being used as a tool for cultural diplomacy between Spain and Morocco. By examining performances from the past decade, along with an analysis of two performance pieces in the 2020 edition, this thesis also demonstrates that while performers look to the past with utopian ideologies of an imagined, romanticized al-Andalus and convivencia, they are actively redefining identity and authenticity.


title: Optimization models for coordinating flock procurement in a poultry company

contributor:
Department of Industrial Engineering
Master of Applied Science
Dr. Ahmed Saif
Dr. Uday Venkatadri
Dr. M. Ali Ülkü
Dr. Ahmed Saif
Dr. Hassan Sarhadi
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
Supply management
Stochastic optimization
Robust optimization
Goal programming
Lot sizing
Poultry
Supply uncertainty

abstract: A poultry company must coordinate the collection of flocks of chickens from farms subject to supply management to meet demand while fulfilling the facility's operational constraints. A modified version of the multi-period lot sizing with supplier selection problem framework is used to formulate three models: an integer program, a weighted goal program, and a minmax goal program. A two-stage stochastic variation of the problem is then considered, in which forecasts of each average flock weight are uncertain, and the three models are adapted to solve it. Soft robust optimization is used with the integer program. The deterministic and stochastic minmax goal programming approaches significantly reduce the maximum expected deviation from optimality without significantly impacting quota fulfillment, reducing risk of a large deviation from optimality for all parties. The stochastic approach reduces the maximum expected deviation from optimality by between 40.3% and 86.6% of its original value for five test weeks.


title: Exploring Inclusion Policies in Canadian Municipal Recreation Contexts

contributor:
School of Health & Human Performance
Master of Arts
Melanie Keats
Karen Gallant
Colleen Reid
Sarah Moore
Susan Hutchinson
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
inclusion
disability
community recreation

abstract: Inclusion and accessibility in community recreation is currently in its infancy, therefore there is a need to research and understand inclusion service delivery in community recreation contexts. This thesis focuses on Canadian municipal recreation departments and inclusion policies, in an attempt to understand how inclusion policies intend to address inclusion of persons living with disabilities.

abstract: There is need for more scientific understanding of how inclusion should be defined and implemented within community recreation settings. Therefore, the research question was how do current inclusion policies intend to address inclusion of persons living with disabilities within municipal recreation departments in cities across Canada? An environmental scan methodology was applied; policy documents (n=24) were collected to represent data from eight municipalities chosen to represent each province (n= 8). 22 policy documents were included for extraction to analyze how inclusion of persons living with disabilities is currently being addressed. The thesis concludes with five key recommendations for policy development: 1) Apply the socio-ecological framework, 2) Use inclusive language, 3) Develop implementation policy documents specific to recreation procedures, 4) Consult and involve persons living with disabilities, and 5) Develop Therapeutic Recreation municipal role.


title: Centring Community: New Pathways in Resource Extraction Policy Processes

contributor:
Department of Political Science
Doctor of Philosophy
Dr. James Lawson
Dr. Katherine Fierlbeck
Dr. Mario Levesque
Dr. Anders Hayden
Dr. David Black
Dr. Deborah Stienstra
Received
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
resource extraction
intersectionality
public policy
Canadian politics
Northern Canada

abstract: The community dimension of resource extraction is a historically understudied area of inquiry in Canadian political science. While bringing prosperity and benefits for more privileged members of communities, resource extraction projects also bring substantial negative socio-economic impacts, which are disproportionately borne by historically marginalized members of communities (including women and girls, Indigenous people, people with disabilities, and people living on low incomes). I take impact assessments (IAs) – the primary regulatory and institutional mechanism to ensure that proposed resource extraction projects will not cause undue harm to communities and the environment – as my central site of inquiry. I explore three research questions: (1) Why do current resource extraction impact assessment processes fail to prevent the increased marginalization and unequal distribution of costs and benefits among members of Northern communities? (2) What are, and what should be, the responsibilities of the state and resource corporations in identifying and responding to the social impacts of resource extraction during IA processes? (3) What changes are needed to create a more equitable and inclusive IA process that centres communities and their concerns? The conceptual framework weaves together five inter-related literatures (settler colonialism in Northern Canada, the resource curse, multilevel politics, intersectionality, and environmental justice) to explain different aspects of Northern communities’ experiences of resource extraction and the IA process. I take a comparative, feminist critical policy studies methodological approach, completing a comparative scan of IA policy frameworks, interviews, and case studies of four resource extraction projects, in order to analyze the inclusion and exclusion of women and girls, Indigenous people, people with disabilities and people living on low incomes in resource decision-making. I argue that structural and systemic inequities exist within IA processes and policy frameworks that often prevent both the participation of marginalized members of Northern communities and the recognition of their concerns within the IA process. These inequities emerge from unequal relationships of power between communities and the state, communities and the proponent, and within communities themselves, which shape community impacts from resource projects but are also are reproduced in the IA process.


Your Body is a Battleground: Queering the Halifax Citadel


title: Adaptive Robust Impedance Control and Neural Network Based Control for Telerehabilitation with Upper-Limb Robotic Exoskeletons

contributor:
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Doctor of Philosophy
Dr. Rickey Dubay
Dr. Farid Taheri
Dr. Mae Seto
Dr. Robert Adamson
Dr. Ya-Jun Pan
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
teleoperation
adaptive control
telerehabilitation
robotic exoskeleton
neural network based robot control
telepresence

abstract:
With the unprecedented increase in global senior population and the accompanying debilitating neurological diseases, there is a growing and unmet demand for physical rehabilitation. Additionally, the drastic reduction of in-person care and the increased physical and cerebrovascular injuries during the current pandemic is not only interrupting the essential continuum of physiotherapy, but also causing the divergence between the demand and the supply of the service to grow even more.
Telerehabilitation with robotic exoskeletons is an emerging, and compelling complementary rehabilitation modality which could help address the widening gap between the demand and the supply of physiotherapeutic services. Some of the prevailing challenges for the robot controllers are to overcome the effects of dynamic modeling uncertainties and ensure good tracking performance, stability, safe and compliant motion, and a high degree of telepresence between the two remotely-separated human-robot systems in the presence of nonlinearities, human torques, and communication constraints such as time delays.
To address these challenges, two control methods are further developed, implemented, and validated for telerehabilitation with upper-limb robotic exoskeletons: Adaptive Robust Integral Impedance model (ARII) control and Adaptive Robust Integral Radial Basis Function Neural Networks-based Impedance model (RBFNN-I) control. Both implementations have been extended to provide compliant behaviour using an adjustable impedance model controller and revealed desirable performance for the conditions used in this research. A salient contribution of this research is the creation and implementation of a novel human torque regulator (HTR) which was shown to provide higher fidelity telepresence for the therapist compared to existing methods to enhance the safety and perception of the closed-loop physical interaction. Experiments were performed using single-joint robots while simulations were carried out using two-degrees-of-freedom (2-DOF) exoskeletons models to validate the proposed controllers and advance the state-of-the-art control for telerehabilitation with upper-limb robotic exoskeletons.


title: The Role of Sexual Violence in Shaping Women's Understanding of Possibility

contributor:
School of Social Work
Master of Social Work
Dr. Deborah Norris
Dr. Catrina Brown
Dr. Judy MacDonald
Dr. Catrina Brown
Received
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
sexual violence
women
possible selves
narrative

abstract: This thesis examines women’s understandings of the relationship between sexual violence and their expectations for the future. Rooted in an anti-oppressive feminist theoretical framework, this thesis uses narrative inquiry in its analyses of individual interviews with eight women to develop “possibility” as an analytical concept that holds relevance to social work practice. It identifies and describes a possibility story structure common to women’s accounts of the impact of sexual violence on their sense of possibility, and it positions these possibility stories as sites through which to connect the individual psychological impacts of sexual violence with the economic, educational, employment, and other social costs of sexual violence. This thesis makes connections between sexual violence in shaping women’s possibility stories and the power that dominant systems, structures, and attitudes hold in shaping notions of opportunity, hope, and imagined futures in the lives of survivors of sexual violence.


title: ANALYSIS OF THE EFFECTIVE PROPERTIES OF SMART COMPOSITE AND REINFORCED PLATES

contributor:
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Master of Applied Science
Dr. Farid Taheri
Dr. Pedram Sadeghian
Dr. George Jarjoura
Dr. Alex Kalamkarov
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
ASYMPTOTIC HOMOGENISATION
SMART COMPOSITES
PARAMETRIC ANALYSIS
EFFECTIVE PROPERTIES

abstract: The parametric analysis of various composite structures with different types of reinforcing elements is conducted in this thesis. The parametric analysis is considered by considering some materials suitable for the application and assuming realistic dimensions to the composite plate or shell. The aim is to calculate the effective properties of coefficients for a wide range of composites and provide valuable real-life usage data. These coefficients are calculated by use of the equations obtained using the asymptotic homogenisation method. The thickness of any other required dimension of the composite structure is varied for the same material properties, and the effective coefficients are calculated for each of the varying dimensions. This provides huge amounts of data and statistics to encourage the use of composites in more layman applications instead of them already being used in high-tech applications. The results are represented graphically and discussed in terms of the dimensional changes and material property variation. Optimization of the results is also carried out by tweaking the input parameters to obtain the best possible combination of properties from these composite structures.

abstract: In this thesis, current problems in the usage of composites in a myriad of applications are reviewed. The difficulties in the industry due to absence of data for long-term use of composites are put forward. The method acting as a solution to this issue called the asymptotic homogenization method is established, and the current literature available on this method is further elaborated. Then, the mathematical equations used to predict these long-term properties of the composites are illustrated. Further, parametric inputs are given to those equations, and the variation of the properties along the thickness of the structures is represented. The aim is to calculate effective properties for a myriad of structures with different combinations of material and dimensional parameters to encourage the use of composites more spontaneously. The results are illustrated graphically. Applications are put forth for the structures with resemblance to the behavior and comparison to specific mechanical properties.


title: Mending the Broken City: Grafting the Village Towards Regenerating Damaged Urban Environments

contributor:
School of Architecture
Master of Architecture
Anne Cormier
Steve Parcell
Diogo Burnay
Niall Savage
Not Applicable
No
No

subject:
Beirut (Lebanon)
Housing Culture
Regenerating Urban Environments
Contemporary Program Mixing
Social Instability
Dwellings--Social aspects

abstract: Pre-war Beirut was characteristic of a typical Mediterranean urban fabric with its densely packed low-rise buildings and a cultural scene that saw public program mixed homogeneously with dwelling and other civic functions, influential of the social stability that existed within the environment. These issues question the development of modern ways of living focused on the rigid organization of program. This thesis analyzes how housing models can be used as a method of healing in regions affected by social instability resulting from conflict or trauma. It considers how the contemporary integration of program within an urban environment - based on historical ideas of the village typology - can develop a path towards reconciliation and regenerate damaged urban environments, solidifying the role of combining dwelling and public program to facilitate the regeneration of Beirut, and other landscapes that have seen similar changes in recent history.


title: Power Intermittency and Technoeconomic Performance of Solar Photovoltaic Systems With Energy Storage

contributor:
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Master of Applied Science
Farid Taheri
Andrew Warkentin
Ghada Koleilat
Lukas Swan
Not Applicable
Yes
Yes

subject:
PV
Energy Storage
Electricity Grid
Intermittency
Solar
Photovoltaic cells

abstract: In support of continued photovoltaic (PV) electricity development this thesis uses measured PV generation and residential load data to evaluate the impacts of PV intermittency on grid stability, and the importance of electricity tariffs on PV value. The potential of pairing PV with energy storage for intermittency mitigation or to increase PV electricity consumption and system value was also assessed using an energy storage model. Measured generation data closely matched data obtained using pyranometers, supporting their application for future intermittency studies. Pairing residential PV and load profiles showed that PV has a negligible impact on net load intermittency. Energy storage capacities of 10 to 18 kWhDC paired with converter sizes of 2 to 3 kWAC were found to provide the most value in all scenarios observed and had greater economic value than using PV without storage.


title: DESIGN OF FUZZY LOGIC-BASED INTEGRATED ADAPTIVE DECAYED BRAIN EMOTIONAL LEARNING NETWORKS FOR ONLINE TIME SERIES PREDICTION

contributor: Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering

subject:
BRAIN
EMOTIONAL
LEARNING
NEO
Fuzzy logic
TIME
SERIES
PREDICTION

abstract: The emotional neural network (ENN) is a new field in artificial intelligence systems (AISs). Although ENN was proven in control applications and successfully solved several control problems, it still suffers severe technical issues concerning prediction. This study aims to design a new model for an intelligent forecasting technique constructed by unified Adaptive Decayed Brain Emotional Learning (ADBEL) combined with a Neo-Fuzzy Neuron (NFN) network. In the literature, the ADBEL network is used to predict time series in online mode. Unlike other popular learning networks such as ar- artificial neural networks (ANNs), the ADBEL network offers lower computational time, less complexity, and fast learning, making it ideal for time series prediction in online applications. This thesis aims to further enhance the ADBEL network’s forecasting accuracy through three significant modifications in design. The first modification is its integration with a neo-fuzzy network in the orbitofrontal cortex section. The result is the Neo-Fuzzy integrated Adaptive Decayed Brain Emotional Learning (NF-ADBEL) network. The second modification is the integration with a neo-fuzzy network in two sections: the orbitofrontal cortex section and partially in the amygdala section. This modification leads to a new design: the Expanded Neo-Fuzzy integrated Adaptive Decayed Brain Emotional Learning (ENF-ADBEL) network. The third modification is to design a fuzzy logic-based parameter adjustment model for the ADBEL network, resulting in the F-ADBEL model. The F-ADBEL model can set the learning parameters (namely, alpha, beta, and gamma) of the online mode’s ADBEL network. Root mean squared error and correlation coefficient criteria are used to evaluate the models. The chaotic time series, namely the Mackey-Glass, Lorenz, Rossler, Disturbance Storm Time Index, and the Narendra dynamic plant identification problem, were used for applications and validation. Stochastic series such as wind speed and wind power series are applied to validate the designed models mentioned above. Furthermore, we conducted a comparison between the developed models and the ADBEL and other models. The created models were tested in a MATLAB programming environment and showed superior performance compared to other state-of-the-art predictors.


title: Art Gallery as Bridge Between Port Industry and City

contributor:
School of Architecture
Master of Architecture
Maria Arquero de Alarcón
Steve Parcell
Roger Mullin
Emanuel Jannasch
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
Art Gallery of Nova Scotia
Port Industry
Adaptive Re-use
Port City
Connection
Social Connection
Grain Conveyor
Architecture
Halifax (N.S.)
Symbiotic

abstract:
For centuries port industry has played a vital role in Halifax, occupying the majority of its waterfront. As shipping developed, ports moved to specialized suburban areas, allowing cities to redevelop their urban waterfront. Even though we are drawn to marine industries for their grit and dynamism, contemporary waterfront redevelopments typically eliminate industry in favour of recreation. Through conscious architectural intervention, this thesis proposes new spatial conditions that allow city and industry to coexist symbiotically.
The current aspirations for the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia are bold socially but plans may not live up to these intentions. The alternative AGNS proposed here reconnects an active industry with its city through architecture and program. Derelict industrial elements are adapted to invite downtown users. Social spaces are designed to dissolve barriers between black tie patrons, regular gallery goers, marginalized seafarers, stevedores, and both successful and aspiring artists.


title: Pebble lithology of the tills of southeast Nova Scotia

contributor:
Department of Geology
Master of Science
Nota, D.J.Go
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
Glacial landforms -- Nova Scotia
Geology--Nova Scotia

abstract:
This preliminary investigation of coastal non-stratified
glacial deposits was planned to study the regional pattern, and
provide basic information necessary for the interpretation of
Scotian Shelf sediments. It is a detaiied-reconnaissance survey
aimed at establishing the geographic distribution of till types
as characterized by their pebble associations. The scope ranges
from detailed pebble analysis to stratigraphy and chronology.
One hundred and sixty ground moraine samples were col lected along road traverses over a 6000 square-mile area. The
5.6mm - 22.2mm pebble fraction was dry sieved in the field and
wet screened in a rotary washing mill. Number frequency pebble
counts were made on 500-grain samples and the data are examined
variously as; unit percentages of all rock species, bedrock
components versus foreign elements, relative proportions of the
foreign species, and as relative source area influences.
Fifty rock species are traced to seven source regions,
for which special topographic and geographic features pertinent
to interpretation are set out. A bar diagram map of source
area lithology, and triangular diagrams reveal that three mono lithologic till types form the bulk of the ground moraine.
Each contains at least 80 per cent bedrock material, and has a
distribution matching the ,corresponding local source - granite
quartzite or slate. Minor hybrid or mixed tills occur near
source area contacts. Isopleth maps oft he foreign elements,
recalculated to 100 per cent, reveal a lobate dispersal
pattern.
In the anomalous areas of foreign-pebble enrichment
occur red clay drumlin fields which were sampled subsequently.
Ternary compositional diagrams reveal a characteristic lith ology for each field. Lithology of individual drumlins can
be related to distance of travel over the underlying bedrock,
and away from the distant sandstone area. The anomalous fine grained red, 'drumlin' till matrix is interpreted as former
alluvial, lacustrine, and tidal flat deposits winnowed during
an interstadial from pre-existing red tills.
The lobate foreign-pebble distribution is interpreted
as the result of currents created in the thin ice sheet margin,
either by topographic channeling or confluence of local ice
caps. A tentative sequence of glacial events is based on
stratigraphic correlation of sections and radiocarbon dates.
Linear outcrops of cemented outwash are assigned to a pre Sangamon terminal moraine. 'Early' Wisconsin tills are pres ent, followed by pre-classical Wisconsin regoliths underlying
the compact sub-drumlin Tazewell till. The drumlin advance
dates from the 'Port Stanley' episode, and the drumlins were
overridden during the 'Port Huron' glaciation.
A parallel study of beach sand heavy minerals reveals
an identical dispersal pattern of indica~or augiteo The mis leading occurrence of 'transported' _geoch~mical anomalies in
drumlin fields is emphasized. Applications to oceanographic
sampling and sedimentary petrographic interpretation are
cited.


title: Remedial Tourism: Cultivating Rural Sustainability Through Community Directed Industry

contributor:
School of Architecture
Master of Architecture
Brian Carter
Steve Parcell
Sarah Bonnemaison
Talbot Sweetapple
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
tourism
Newfoundland
rural
Architecture
Terra Nova
sustainability
industry
resettlement
place making
remedial tourism

abstract:
This thesis originated as a response to the persisting collapse of various industries across
the Island of Newfoundland, and its impact on rural communities. Given the ongoing threat
of resettlement, many outport areas have begun developing new programs that attempt to
profit from the island’s growing tourism industry. Despite the economic benefits, tourism
has been shown to produce varying degrees of degrading effects on local resources and
cultural values.
Using the post-production logging town of Terra Nova as the site of application, this thesis
takes stock of regional resources, local knowledge, and community values to develop
productive community and tourism-based programs. Recognizing cottage owners as
both a valuable tourist population and part time resident allows for the introduction of
small-scale industry rooted in sustainable resource extraction and development. Tourism
becomes a mechanism to promote the continuation of local building, culinary, and textile
practices that fosters future development and rural wellbeing.


title: Ultimate bending strength of timber beams

contributor:
Doctor of Philosophy
Malhotra, S.K.

abstract:
The current design method of calculating bending strength of timber
beams is based on elastic theory, that is, on working stress approach.
The elastic theory does not hold true beyond the proportional limit of
stress and thus does not describe the actual behavior of timber beams in
the inelastic range up to failure.
The broad objective of this study is to develop a rational approach
of evaluating the ultimate bending strength of timber beams. The scope
of the research is to cover various sizes of clear beams and of beams
with strength reducing characteristics such as knots.
An ultimate bending strength theory for timber beams is developed.
The theory predicts the ultimate moment capacity of the beam using compressive and tensile strength values of the beam material obtained from
direct tests on small clear specimens.
A comprehensive experi mental program is carried out to verify the
theory. Tests were conducted on some two hurdred and fifty-five (255)
eastern spruce and Douglas-fir beams. Beams of five different sizes were
subjected to central and third-point loading. Good agreement is observed
between the theory and experimental results. Tests were also performed on
some one thousand and nine hundred (1900) small specimens matched with the
beams to determine direct compressive and tensile strengths of the test
material. The ultimate tensile strength of the test material is observed
tQ be two to three times the ultimate compressive strength.
The actual behavior of the test beams is investigated by measuring
strain at various levels along the beam depth. A linear variation of the
strain distributi.on is observed along the depth for all stages of loading
up to failure. It is observed that, at the proportional limit in bending
as obtained from the load-deflection curve, the neutral axis is aporoximately at the center of beam depth. Beyond the proportional limit, the
neutral axis shifted gradually towards the tension side, and at ultimate
load, the movement of the neutral axis ranged between five to fifteen
percent of the beam depth.
The proporti ona 1 1 imit 5.;tress in bending is not si gni fi cantly affected
by the depth of the beam. For beams subjected to third-point loading,
this stress is equal to the ultimate compressive strength of the beam
material obtained from direct tests . But for centrally loaded beams, the
proportional limit stress in bending is about eleven percent greater than
the corresponding value for similar beams loaded at third-span points .
The maximum tensile stress developed at the extreme fiber of a beam
at failure is statistically less than the ultimate strength in direct
tension obtained from tests on small size standard soecimens. The actual
value is dependent on the depth of the beam and is smaller as the depth is
increased. The effect of method of loading of the beam on maximum tensile
stress at failure is found to be the same as the effect on the prooortional
limit-stress. The difference between both methods of loading is about
eleven percent. An empirical fonnula relatinq the maximum tensile stress
at failure in a beam to its size is derived .
It is observed that the presence of knots influenced the type of
failure of the beam. Beams containing small knots failed in a compressiontension sequence, while beams with relatively large knots near the edge of
the tension zone failed in tension without any compression failare. The
1 oad-defl ecti on and 1 oad strain curves of the beams with 1 a rge knots
xxvii
indicated that the flexural behavior of these beams is elastic up to fa i lure .
To account for the weakeninq effect of knots on compressive ·and tensile
strengths in a beam, correlation equations between the strength and size
and location of knots, are obtained.
The concept presented in this thesis has the advantage that the ultimate
moment capacity of a given timber beam for both elastic and inelastic behaviors, could be predicted from two known mechanical oroperties of the
beam material, and it is simple to apply .~


title: Alternative baits to improve the sustainability of the snow crab (Chionocetes opilio) and American lobster (Homarus Americanus) fishery

contributor:
Faculty of Agriculture
Master of Science
Gordon Price
Stefanie Colombo
James Duston
Fraser Clark
Stephanie Collins
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
Alternative bait
Snow crab
American lobster

abstract: This study investigated the effectiveness of two attractants containing either betaine or lecithin, and LED light devices as alternative bait options for crustaceans. Sea trials were conducted during the 2018 and 2019 snow crab fishing seasons (CFA 23 and 24). Traps baited with fish bait, betaine attractant and LED light improved capture (P < 0.001) in 2018. Because of the limited variation in catch, a cost-benefit analysis was conducted for the 2019 season, which found that using additional betaine attractant and/or LED light could reduce the number of fishing trips needed to meet quota. In-laboratory preference trials were run on American lobsters, testing betaine and lecithin attractants, white LED light, fish bait and an empty control. Lobsters rested for a longer period (P = 0.001) by the lecithin attractant and chose it more often (P = 0.003) than the LED light to rest.


title: Taking the Plunge: The Re-use and Re-programming of a Coal Power Plant in Cape Breton

contributor:
School of Architecture
Master of Architecture
Brain Carter
Steve Parcell
Diogo Burnay
Sarah Bonnemaison
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
Adaptive Reuse
Remediation
Industrial Heritage
Cape Breton
Swimming Pool

abstract:
With coal power plants being one of the largest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions worldwide, Nova Scotia and its energy providers must address these mounting concerns by initiating the decommission of our coal power plants along with the development of strategies for future uses of these sites.
This thesis investigates the adaptive reuse of the Point Aconi Generating Station, a coal-powered energy production facility in Cape Breton. The thesis strategy is to explore the possibilities for public programming including, a pool, spa, rock climbing and bouldering, trampolining, and another form of recreation on past sites of infrastructure. Introducing new hubs of recreation and community gathering can revitalize the site for both locals and tourists, maintaining the significance of the building by keeping the industrial elements and adapting them for an entirely different function.


title: THE SOCIAL LEARNING PROCESSES INVOLVED IN INCORPORATING WILDFIRE RISK REDUCTION STRATEGIES INTO FOREST HARVESTING PLANS IN NORTHERN SASKATCHEWAN

contributor: School for Resource & Environmental Studies

subject:
climate change
adaptive capacity
wildfire
social learning

abstract: Increased risk of wildfires is a main concern for the Province of Saskatchewan with respect to climate change. There is an urgent need for natural resource-based sectors to make adaptive management changes to their operations to prepare for and adapt to these increases. This research project was undertaken in partnership with Sakâw Askiy Management Inc., a forestry corporation located in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, and stakeholders and rightsholders of the Prince Albert Forest Management Area. In the field of climate change adaptation, there is an established realization that learning is an integral part of any adaptive management process. However, there is lack of consensus on how to define and measure learning, what relationships exist between social interactions and learning, and how environments shape learning This project addresses this knowledge gap by describing the learning processes that occur through the development of landscape-level wildfire risk reduction strategies in Prince Albert.


title: Coastline as Commons: Using Spatial Devices to Link Littoral Temporalities

contributor:
School of Architecture
Master of Architecture
Nichole Wiedemann
Steve Parcell
Steve Parcell
Catherine Venart
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
Access
Cultural landscape
Event
Halifax harbour
Infrastructure
Layering
Littoral zone
Perception
Temporality
Sea-level rise

abstract:
This thesis argues that architectural interventions can extend the water commons to the fluctuating littoral zone of Kjipuktuk/Halifax Harbour. The present composition of the Harbour as a working waterway favours a colonial perspective and marginalizes already-othered surrounding communities.
The dynamic nature of the Harbour body and the tacit, layered stories embedded within it are activated to strengthen the connections to the coast. A looped path, two ferry stops, and an annual event act together to make explicit the changing sea level and give equal access at three spatial-temporal scales: the Harbour, cultural characters, and the individual. The rising sea level, fluctuating intertidal zone and passage of time are emphasized, measured, and framed architecturally using grids and nodes to position and tell a story through a symbolic event. The thesis imagines the role of architecture as a mediator between perceived and constructed spatial-temporal changes in the landscape and actual change.


title: Harmonized System Code Classification Using Transfer Learning with Pre-Trained Weights

contributor:
Faculty of Computer Science
Master of Computer Science
Dr. Evangelos Milios
Dr. Evangelos Milios
Dr. Srinivas Sampalli
Dr. Vlado Keselj
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject: Customs Clearance

subject: International Shipping

subject: Short and Noisy Texts with more than Six Thousand Classes

subject: Semantic Textual Similarity based Text Classification

subject: Natural Language Processing

subject: Deep Transfer Learning

abstract: The Harmonized System (HS) was developed as a multipurpose international product nomenclature that describes the type of good that is shipped. It allows customs authorities to identify and clear every commodity that enters or crosses any international borders. HS classification is to identify the HS code of a commodity according to its description information in a trade manifest. Compared with general text classification the challenge of this task is that commodity description texts are often short, unstructured and extremely noisy.  HS misclassification can lead to penalties, fines and delays upon import. We first propose novel approaches for extracting and filtering relevant commodity information from a trade document. Then our HS classification methodology utilizes pre-trained STS models via deep transfer learning using sentence-level transfer. We also introduce a new evaluation method to properly evaluate our approach based on real-world applications. Extensive experiments and model comparisons show the superiority of our approach.


title: Evolutionary dynamics under a stability-constrained model

contributor:
Department of Biology
Doctor of Philosophy
Claus Wilke
Alastair Simpson
Andrew Roger
Mark Johnston
Joseph Bielawski
Edward Susko
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
Evolution
Epistasis
Site-specific fitness landscapes
MutSel
Protein stability

abstract: The space of possible proteins is vast. For all but the smallest proteins, the number of sequences exceeds the number of atoms in the observable universe. Evolution—through the forces of natural selection, drift, and mutation—samples this space, leading to proteins with diverse structures and functions. Evolutionary biologists interested in understanding the history of a protein must identify signals from patterns of substitutions and decipher their likely causes. However, the true evolutionary process is often unknown. Simulations of protein evolution allow us to investigate various emergent phenomena with complete knowledge of the generating parameters in hand. Additionally, using plausible simulating models, we can assess the accuracy of inference procedures which, by necessity, make simplifying assumptions about the process of sequence evolution. In this dissertation, I focus on stability constraints of proteins using a modelling framework grounded in the formalisms of thermodynamics and population genetics theory. In Chapter 2, I show that stability-constrained evolution recapitulates various patterns present in natural alignments. I demonstrate that epistasis due to stability leads to elevated substitution rates compared to site-independent evolution and discuss the underlying mechanisms causing this increase. Additionally, I investigate the accuracy of rate inference from commonly used inference models. While the amount of among-site rate variability is often underestimated, the inferred rates correlated with the most common rates across sites. In Chapter 3, I explore the dynamics of resident amino acid propensities and show that decreases in propensities can occur due to epistasis, challenging claims that such a trend must have adaptive origins. In Chapter 4, I conduct a literature review on nonadaptive phenomena that lead amino acid preferences to change over time. Finally, in Chapter 5, I investigate the evolutionary response to destabilizing substitutions across and within protein structures. I find that destabilizing substitutions at buried residues often require a longer time for the effects to be mitigated than destabilizations at exposed sites. I end the dissertation by discussing the implications of epistasis on protein evolution and future research directions.


title: Risk and Protective Factors in Predicting Post-Traumatic Stress Symptoms and Post-Traumatic Growth in Parents of Children with Developmental Disabilities

contributor:
Department of Psychiatry Research
Master of Science
Dr. Sherry Stewart
Dr. Kristi Wright
Dr. Alexa Bagnell
Dr. Sherry Stewart
Dr. Patrick McGrath
Received
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
Post-traumatic stress disorder
posttraumatic growth
neurodevelopmental disabilities
social support
mental health

abstract:
Parents are of crucial importance for their children with a developmental disability. Research has noted their heightened posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) and posttraumatic growth (PTG). Based on current literature, my objectives were to expand the understanding of these parents and to examine predictors of PTSS and PTG.
A cross-sectional survey was conducted amongst 460 Canadian parents. It shows parenting trauma displayed a both negative influence on developing PTSS and a positive role in promoting PTG. Social support was protective in reducing PTSS and enhancing PTG. Barriers of seeking help were associated with increased PTSS but were unrelated to PTG. Negative parenting did not show key contributing effect to PTSS or PTG.
My study facilitates future research as several novel research questions were studied. Limitations included the COVID-19 impact, use of a cross-sectional design, a convenience sample and self-report measures. This study helps effectively identify individual cases and their specified challenges.


title: Information Literacy in Nova Scotia: Systematic Mapping of Learning Outcomes

contributor:
School of Information Management
Master of Information
Heidi Julien
Janet Music
Gwendolyn McNarin
Philippe Mongeon
Deborah Hemming
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
Nova Scotia
Secondary Education
Information Literacy
Content Analysis

abstract: Information literacy has never been more important for the functioning of the democratic process, and for autonomy over one’s decisions. The Association for College and Research Libraries (ACRL) created a framework for information literacy, which lists six threshold concepts that an information literate individual should understand. This paper seeks to identify when and how information literacy is embedded in the 2015-2021 Nova Scotia high school curriculum learning outcomes. Information literacy threshold concepts were mapped in the learning outcomes using qualitative coding. Codes were built based on the three integrated abilities found in the ACRL’s definition of information and their six threshold concepts. Findings from this study reveal where information literacy in embedded in the education system in Nova Scotia.


title: STRENGTH OF BUILT-UP TIMBER COLUMNS

publisher: Nova Scotia Technical College. Dept. of Civil Engineering.

contributor:
Department of Civil Engineering
Doctor of Philosophy
Malhotra, S. K.

abstract:
At the present only a limited amount of information is
provided by various timber codes and specifications for the
design of built-up timber columns. Very little information
is provided for designing layered timber columns and no
information is given for braced columns. The design method
provided for spaced columns is based on empirical tests and
formulas.
The objective of the present investigation is to develop
a rational procedure for the analysis and design of mechanically connected built-up timber columns including layered,
braced and spaced columns. The theory developed takes into
account the effect of interlayer slip and is applicable to
columns failing in the elastic as well as inelastic ranges of
stress.
The test material is Construction Grade No. 1 .Eastern
Spruce lumber. Connector types used are common wire nails,
steel bolts and split ring connectors. The philosophy and
the procedure presented herein are applicable to other species
of wood as well.
The investigation is conducted in three phases. The
primary aim of phase one is a general theory for predicting
the load-slip behaviour of timber joints subjected to
interlayer slip. Some 250 connections fabricated from three
to seven members and fastened with various types of connectors
are tested. Good agreement is observed between the theory
and the experimental results; the overall average difference
between the two is about five percent. In addition, 2,130
compression tests are conducted to evaluate physical, strength
and elastic properties of the test materials.
Phase two provides a general theory, incorporating the
results of phase one, for predicting the buckling stresses
of built-up timber columns. To verify the theory, a comprehensive test program is conducted on some 400 columns,
including layered, braced and spaced columns of various dimensions built up from two to seven members and covering the
range of slenderness ratio values from thirty-four to one
hundred and fifty. The cross-sections investigated have one
or two axes of symmetry. Statistical techniques are applied
to analyse the test data. Good agreement is observed between
the theoretical predictions and the experimental results.
The overall average difference observed between the predictions and the experimental results is about six and one-half
percent.
Incorporating the results of phases one and two in phase
three, a rational procedure, using dimensionless coefficients
called 'Buckling Coefficients', is developed for the de s ign
of built-up timber columns. This design method is simple
to apply and is applicable to elastic as well as inelastic
columns.


title: NEIGHBORHOOD CLUSTERING TO ANALYSE ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE IN BACTERIAL GENOMES

contributor:
Faculty of Computer Science
Master of Computer Science
Mike McAlister
Dr. Christopher Whidden
Dr. Christian Blouin
Dr. Robert Beiko
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject: Clustering Resistance Genomes

abstract:
Valuable insight into gene function and evolution can be obtained by analysing the order of genes in prokaryotic genomes, as neighboring genes often share related functions and evolutionary histories. Obtaining precise functional predictions is particularly important in the case of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) genes, as subtle differences in similarity patterns can reflect the potential for an organism to be treatable or resistant to one or more antibiotics. Databases such as the Comprehensive Antibiotic
Resistance Database (CARD) provide high-quality predictions, but there is a significant gray area (“Loose hits” according to CARD) where genes differ in sequence from the reference sequence and may or may not confer AMR.

We introduce an approach to compare the genomic neighborhoods of AMR genes in genomes with different degrees of relatedness, to provide additional insight into their potential function. Our approach uses a technique to identify candidate AMR,
then applies novel similarity measures and application of the UPGMA, MCL and DBSCAN graph-clustering techniques to identify patterns of similarity among gene neighborhoods. This analysis is complemented by phylogenetic analysis to assess the similarity of identified genes as well as their neighborhoods. We also provide a graphical tool to visualize the gene content in sets of neighborhoods.

AMR gene neighborhoods were observed to be very similar within closely related members of species including Salmonella Heidelberg. The proximity of some Loose hits to other AMR genes in many neighborhoods provided additional evidence for
their function, whereas in other cases the CARD Loose hits were isolated and likely not associated with AMR. We also considered a set of genomes that encompassed several enteric pathogens. In this set, we found cases where seemingly poor Loose predictions were associated with clusters of AMR genes, and instances where gene order was surprisingly similar across distantly related genomes which may indicate recent transmission of AMR genes between pathogenic organisms. Our method provides
new insights into the function of candidate AMR genes, and these refined predictions can be used to predict resistance and identify candidate evolutionary events.


title: AN E-PRESCRIPTION SYSTEM FRAMEWORK TO LOWER PRESCRIBING AND MEDICATION DISPENSING ERRORS USING BLOCKCHAIN, MACHINE LEARNING, AND NEAR FIELD COMMUNICATION (NFC)

contributor:
Faculty of Computer Science
Doctor of Philosophy
Dr. Kshirasagar Naik
Dr. Michael McAllister
Dr. Qiang Ye
Dr. Mike Smit
Dr. Saurabh Dey
Dr. Srinivas Sampalli
Received
Not Applicable
No

subject:
Automated pharmacies
Blockchain
ePrescribing
ePrescription
Machine Learning
NFC
Patient
Pharmacists
Prescriber
Privacy
Security

abstract:
Medication errors are among the most signiﬁcant risks facing the pharmaceutical industry. These errors can result from various issues such as a heavy workload, the misinterpretation of a prescriber’s handwriting, or dispensing the wrong medication to the wrong patient. Hence, many countries have implemented e-prescription systems trying to reduce medication errors. In addition, researchers have proposed several mobile apps that use near-ﬁeld communication (NFC) to manage patients’ medication intake instructions and remind patients about intake times. We conducted a comparative review involving eight countries implementing e-prescription systems. One of the challenges and limitations of the reviewed systems is the availability of medication histories to the parties involved in the system. Moreover, the clinical decision support (CDS) systems are not part of the e-prescription system, and they do not provide quality, valuable alerts that would help avoid potential harm from the prescribed medication.

The objective of the thesis is to develop a framework for an e-prescription system that aims to enhance the security, privacy, availability, and reliability of the ePrescription information while prescribing and dispensing medication. Therefore, the framework beneﬁts from the characteristics, features, and advantages of the technologies blockchain, Machine Learning (ML), Near Field Communication (NFC).

The framework will use blockchain technology to make the patient’s information secure, private, and available to the involved parties. Moreover, to enhance medication safety, we proposed using machine learning (ML) to detects any serious outcome caused by anomalies in the e-prescription before submitting it. Finally, using a mobile application enabled with NFC technology to transfer the patient’s token Id to the pharmacy management system will verify the patient’s identity and control the access to the patients’ ePrescription information. The application will help to manage and display the ePrescription information when needed to the patients. We developed a proof-of-concept and evaluated the reliability and performance of the blockchain and ML modules. Further, we conducted a user study of the NFC mobile application to evaluate its usability. Lastly, we conducted a survey study to understand better the strengths and shortcomings of the proposed features in the framework (i.e. blockchain and ML). The results are promising that the framework might help mitigate medication errors at diﬀerent levels, starting from prescribing until dispensing the medications to the patients.


title: Combination of brown seaweed (Ascophyllum nodosum) and butyric acid as in-feed growth and health promoters in broiler chickens

contributor:
Faculty of Agriculture
Master of Science
Gordon Price
Stefanie Colombo
Deborah Adewole
Stephanie Collins
Bruce Rathgeber
Received
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
brown seaweed
butyric acid
broiler chicken
performance
intestinal health

abstract: Canada’s broiler industry is transitioning away from the reliance of in-feed antibiotics, and investigations of alternative feed ingredients to in-feed antibiotics is required. The purpose of these studies was to determine if Tasco (brown seaweed) and Proformix (65% butyric acid) can substitute the antibiotic Bacitracin methylene disalicylate (BMD) either in combination or individually by examining broiler production and intestinal health parameters. Results including Tasco in broiler feed can improve growth and maintain intestinal health compared to broilers fed non Tasco diets. Tasco inclusion at 1.00% was the most consistent at improving growth performance. Mixing Tasco and Proformix did not produce larger broilers or improve intestinal health compared to broilers fed non Tasco + Proformix diets. In conclusion, Tasco can potentially replace in-feed antibiotics as a growth promoter. Mixing Tasco and Proformix requires further investigation, as the mixed diets did not alter broiler production and health traits compared to standard diets.


title: DEVELOPMENT AND EVALUATION OF A NOVEL TECHNOLOGY FOR MONITORING PATIENT MOTION DURING STEREOTACTIC RADIOTHERAPY

contributor: Department of Physics & Atmospheric Science

subject:
Medical Physics
Intrafraction motion detection
Stereotactic radiotherapy

abstract:
Stereotactic Radiosurgery (SRS) and stereotactic Body Radiotherapy (SBRT) are two of the most precise therapeutic radiation delivery techniques available. These techniques involve accurate delivery of high radiation doses to the target volume while minimizing the amount of radiation received by the adjacent healthy tissue. To achieve this precision, patients need to be accurately positioned with respect to the treatment unit, and the position must be maintained throughout the treatment delivery. While immobilization techniques reduce patient motion, they do not eliminate it. Thus, there exists a need for continuous position monitoring during treatment. An ideal monitoring system would provide real-time, high-accuracy measurements of patient position without using ionizing radiation or reliance on deformable surrogates such as skin. Additionally, the ideal system would be insensitive to the thermoplastic immobilization material and would not require direct view of the patient. While multiple monitoring systems are used in practice currently, none meet all of these requirements. Our research is focused on the development of a novel and non-invasive capacitive monitoring method that can fulfill the above-mentioned prerequisites.
This thesis includes four manuscripts. The first, entitled “A novel intra-fraction motion monitoring system for stereotactic radiosurgery: proof of concept,” describes the design and implementation of a prototype capacitive monitoring device capable of performing 3D motion detection. The second manuscript, “Finite Element Analysis of a capacitive array for 6D intrafraction motion detection during stereotactic radiosurgery,” focuses on the use of finite element analysis to simulate different array designs and introduces a method to compare the sensitivity of different designs to determine a capacitive array design capable of 6D cranial motion detection. The third manuscript, “Six-dimensional intrafraction cranial motion detection using a novel capacitive monitoring technique: evaluation with human subjects,” presents the results of a volunteer study with the most promising capacitive array for 6D cranial motion detection. The fourth manuscript, “Capacitive monitoring system for real‐time respiratory motion monitoring during radiation therapy,” describes the implementation of capacitive monitoring technique for respiratory motion detection during SBRT.
These manuscripts form the basis for design, fabrication, and performance evaluation of capacitive monitoring systems for cranial and respiratory-induced intrafraction motion.


title: Cultural Constructionism and the Problem of White Sensibility

contributor:
Department of Philosophy
Master of Arts
Greg Scherkoske
Greg Scherkoske
Tyler Hildebrand
Chike Jeffers
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
race
social construction
whiteness
cultural constructionism

abstract: This thesis defends the cultural constructionist theory of race proposed by Dr. Chike Jeffers as superior to the political constructionist theory of race and suggests that opposition to cultural constructionism on the part of white theorists is grounded in white sensibility, or an unconscious commitment to white interests.

abstract: This thesis proposes that whiteness serves as a barrier to understanding the cultural constructionist theory of race. Cultural constructionism, a social constructionist theory of race put forward by Chike Jeffers, argues that race is both politically and culturally constructed. This means that while the political hierarchy of races with the white race as dominant represents an important aspect of our contemporary conception of race, it is possible to imagine a future in which the hierarchy of races has been overcome and what remains of race is cultural groups. Political constructionists such as Sally Haslanger deny that race has a cultural dimension and therefore advocate for the eventual elimination of the race concept. I argue that being white makes it difficult to understand that race is cultural as well as political because of the dominant position of white people and the pervasive notion that whiteness represents a neutral and universal identity.


title: DEVELOPMENT OF ANTIMICROBIAL EDIBLE FILMS USING LOBSTER SHELL-WASTE DERIVED CRUDE CHITOSAN

contributor: Department of Process Engineering and Applied Science

subject:
Lobster shells
Chitosan
Fish gelatin
Edible packaging
Antimicrobial films
Response surface methodology

abstract: This thesis explored Atlantic lobster (Homarus americanus) shell-waste as a chitosan (LCh) source for developing antimicrobial edible films for food packaging applications. The study focused on improving the physicochemical properties of the films by blending fish gelatin (Ge) and sunflower oil (O) with LCh and evaluating the effect of plasticizer, polymer concentration (1-2%LCh w/v) and drying temperatures (37/60/80 °C) on these films. FT-IR, XRD and TGA analysis revealed excellent intermolecular interactions between film components; however, high-temperature drying adversely affected these interactions. The formulations of LCh-Ge-O composite films were optimized using Response Surface Methodology, and the obtained models allowed films to be tailored to a wide range of functionalities for niche packing applications. Regarding their antimicrobial activity against E. coli, neat LCh films presented a high degree of inhibition (77-83%), but composite films showed significantly reduced activity. Overall, LCh-Ge-O films demonstrated excellent potential as an eco-friendly alternative to conventional plastic films.


title: Reinforcement Learning with Real Valued Tangled Program Graphs

contributor:
Faculty of Computer Science
Master of Computer Science
Dr. Michael McAllister
Dr. Andrew McIntyre
Dr. Nur Zincir-Heywood
Dr. Malcolm Heywood
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
Reinforcement Learning
Genetic Programming
Diversity
Evolution
Machine Learning
Subpopulation
Continuous Control
OpenAI Gym
ViZDoom
SBB
TPG

abstract: Tangled Program Graphs (TPG) represents a framework for evolving programs under an explicitly emergent model for modularity. The framework has been very successful at discovering solutions to tasks with delayed rewards (reinforcement learning) when the actions are limited to a single discrete action per state. In this thesis, an approach is proposed for generalizing TPG to the case of multiple real-valued actions per state. Two empirical benchmarking studies are performed to demonstrate these outcomes: ViZDoom over multiple tasks, and bipedal walker control. The former is used to compare to original TPG with single discrete actions per state, the later is used to demonstrate multiple real-valued actions per state. It is shown that the complexity of the resulting solutions decreases considerably compared to the original TPG formulation. However, in order to reach these results, significant attention has to be paid to the adoption of appropriate diversity mechanisms. This thesis therefore also proposes a framework for intermittently injecting new material into the TPG population during training. The modular properties of TPG enable this material to be absorbed on a continuous basis. Results are comparable with those identified under certain recent deep learning approaches.


title: CONTRIBUTIONS TOWARDS SOLVING THE PARALLEL MACHINE SCHEDULING PROBLEM WITH NON-AVAILABILITY PERIODS

contributor:
Department of Industrial Engineering
Master of Applied Science
Dr. John Blake
Dr. John Blake
Dr. Majid Taghavi
Dr. Claver Diallo
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
Parallel Machine Scheduling
Availability
Resumable
Resumability
Non-availability
Constraint Programming

abstract: An abundance of research exists studying parallel machine scheduling, but only a portion of this research has focused on the case with non-availability periods and job resumability factors.  Research considering this case has mostly focused on limited cases such as a small, fixed number of machines or fixed number of non-availability periods.  In this research, we improve the runtime of the model by Beaton et al. (2016) who proposed a mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) model allowing an arbitrary number of machines, non-availability periods, and resumability factor for small instances of the makespan minimization case.  We propose a new MILP model for the Total Weighted Completion Time (TWC) case and two constraint programming (CP) models for both the makespan and TWC cases and find that the CP models outperform the MILP for the TWC case.  We confirm that the well-known Weighted Shortest Processing Time heuristic works well for large TWC instances.


title: eXSTS: eXplainable Semantic Textual Similarity

contributor:
Faculty of Computer Science
Master of Computer Science
Michael McAllister
VLADO KESELJ
FERNANDO PAULOVICH
EVANGELOS E. MILIOS
Received
No
No

subject:
Information Retrieval
Semantic Textual Similarity
Human-computer interaction
Visualization
Job advertisement classification

abstract: eXSTS comprises two parts, the back-end data analysis system and the front-end user interface (UI). The back-end system consists of a Siamese Neural Network (SNN) and BERT\textsubscript{base} pre-trained model. eXSTS receives two documents, and the back-end system splits two documents into sentences, defines pairs of sentences across the two documents, and calculates the STS score of each sentence pair by comparing the sentence embeddings of the two sentences. We normalize all the STS scores and calculate the document STS score of these two documents. The front-end UI visualizes the STS information of sentence pairs through proposed visualizations to explain the sentence pairs that significantly affect the document STS score of two documents and the global distribution of the STS scores of all the sentences pairs across two documents.

abstract: We propose eXplainable Semantic Textual Similarity (eXSTS) with two visualizations that allow the users to investigate the Semantic Textual Similarity (STS) relationship between two documents. eXSTS offers insights for the users who are not familiar with Natural Language Processing to the STS relationship between two documents. eXSTS was invented to deal with the job advertisement classification task. When a job advertisement is entered into eXSTS, eXSTS retrieves the five most relevant National Occupational Classification (NOC) unit group based on the document STS score of the job advertisement and each NOC unit group. The front-end user interface demonstrates the STS relationship between the job advertisement and one NOC unit group in the five most relevant NOC unit groups to explore the important STS information across the job advertisement and this NOC unit group and why eXSTS chose this NOC unit group to opt-in the five most relevant NOC unit groups.


title: Improved Charge Transfer and Barrier Lowering across a Au-MoS2 Interface through the Insertion of a Layered Ca2N Electride

subject:
electride
DFT
electrical contact
charge transfer

abstract:
Transition-metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) are a family of layered semiconductors
with great potential to impact the upcoming field of two-dimensional (2D) electronics.
In particular, MoS2 is a TMDC with a desirable band gap for the construction of
transistors, solar cells, and biochemical sensors. Despite immense promise, use of
TMDCs in electronics applications is hindered by the difficulties in forming effective
metal contacts with low resistance, as required in any practical device. Although to
varying degrees, transition metals spanning the entire d-block of the periodic table
fail to form proper ohmic contact with MoS2 .
In this work, we propose insertion of a two-dimensional electride [Ca2N]+(e-),
an electron rich material, at a metal–TMDC interface to establish proper electrical
contact. As a proof-of-concept, we study a Au–Ca2N–MoS2 heterostructure and
compare it to a Au–MoS2 heterostructure within a density-functional theory framework
using the exchange-hole dipole moment dispersion model. We choose Au since it is
a common metal and its interface with MoS2 leads to a van der Waals gap that is
known to exhibit strong Fermi-level pinning, as well as forming high Schottky and
tunneling barriers.
Calculations predict nearly complete charge transfer from the electride surface
states, resulting in a cationic [Ca2N]+ monolayer at the interface and metalization of
the negatively doped MoS2 . Thus, formation of the Au–Ca2N–MoS2 heterostructure
eliminates both the tunneling and Schottky barriers, indicating that inserting a single
2D electride layer at metal–TMDC interfaces is a viable strategy to achieve proper
ohmic contacts in device manufacture.


title: Prediction of Cerebral Palsy in Very Preterm Infants

contributor: Department of Community Health & Epidemiology

subject:
preterm OR premature
Cerebral palsy
prediction

abstract: This study used the AC Allen Provincial Perinatal Follow-Up Program Database to develop prediction models of CP using random forest (RF) and logistic regression. Both models were compared with regard to their accuracy in predicting CP among very preterm infants (< 31 weeks' gestation). Using clinical predictors, logistic regression was comparable to the RF ensemble method in predicting CP in this population-based cohort of very preterm children. To the best of my knowledge, RF method has not been used to predict CP in population-based studies of preterm infants, using only clinical predictors that can be readily abstracted from patient records.

abstract:
Background: The prevalence of cerebral palsy (CP) is ten times higher in preterm compared to term infants. Accurate and early identification of preterm infants at risk for CP would enable early referral to intervention programs with the potential to improve their functional mobility and quality of life. Large population-based studies of CP in preterm infants have only reported measures of association and did not develop prediction models of CP and assess their diagnostic properties. Furthermore, all these studies used conventional logistic regression for their models. Machine learning may provide more accurate predictions than logistic regression due to its ability to better handle complex relationships between predictors and the outcome. Machine learning methods have not been used yet to predict CP from clinical predictors in former preterm infants.
Objectives: The objective of this study was to develop prediction models for CP in very preterm infants (<31 weeks’ gestation) using the random forest (RF) ensemble method and logistic regression and to compare their accuracy in predicting CP.
Study Design: I used a population-based cohort of 777 very preterm survivors from the AC Allen Provincial Perinatal Follow-Up Program Database born between 2000 and 2014 in Nova Scotia. After randomly splitting the sample into training and testing datasets using a 70:30 ratio, clinical and demographic data from the infants and their mothers were used to develop prediction models of CP at three time points (prenatal, perinatal, and postnatal) in the training dataset using RF and logistic regression. Both models were then compared with regard to their discriminative ability (AUC) in the testing dataset.
Results: In this cohort, 86 infants (11%) developed CP.  Predictive performance of the models at the prenatal and perinatal time points was poor, regardless of the method used. At the postnatal time point, both RF and logistic regression provided good discrimination of children with and without CP (AUC 0.84 [95% CI 0.74, 0.94] and AUC 0.81 [95% CI 0.74, 0.95], respectively).
Conclusion: Using clinical predictors, logistic regression was comparable to the RF ensemble method in prediction of CP in a population-based cohort of very preterm children. Both methods can be used for predicting CP in former very preterm infants at the time of discharge.


title: Studying Behavior of Cultured Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar) using 3D Acoustic Telemetry in Nova Scotia, Canada

contributor:
Department of Oceanography
Master of Science
Dr. Fred Whoriskey
Dr. David Barclay
Dr. David Barclay
Dr. Anna Metaxas
Dr. Ian Gardner
Dr. Ramon Filgueira
Dr. Jon Grant
Received
No
No

subject:
Atlantic salmon
fish behavior
acoustic telemetry
aquaculture

abstract:
Climate change is altering ocean environments worldwide, requiring a better understanding
of how these shifting will affect fish welfare in aquaculture farms. Storms have increased
in strength and frequency, potentially affecting fish welfare. Furthermore, ocean
temperature rise and increased occurrence of low oxygen events affect fish behavior,
physiology, and health. Farms worldwide have begun to experiment with oxygen
supplementation systems to counteract low oxygen from climate change. In this thesis, high
resolution, high frequency acoustic tags were used to track movement of Atlantic salmon
at two commercial fish farms in Nova Scotia, Canada. The positioning of 30 fish was
recorded to characterize fish movement through four variables: depth, velocity, distance
from center, and turning angle. A baseline of fish behavior was determined and the effects
of temperature, dissolved oxygen, feeding, storms, and an oxygen supplementation system
were studied. Overall, this thesis provides information on fish behavior leading to
improved understanding of fish welfare in a changing climate.


title: The Provincial Workmen’s Association of Nova Scotia, 1879-1898

contributor:
Department of History
Master of Arts
Kealey, Greg
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Yes

abstract:
This thesis examines the history of the Provincial
Workmen's Association of Nova Scotia, from iits formation in
1879, until the resignation of the union's ffirst Grand Secretary
in 1898. The study begins with a desiscription of the
economic background of the province's coal t.trade during the
19th century. The end of the "golden age" o of wood, wind and
sail, and the region's attempts to industria~alize in response
to the National Policy are discussed in rela·.ation to the coal
industry. The difficulties experienced by tlthe miners as a
result of these changing economic conditions1s are considered
in the second chapter, and the formation off the P.W.A. is
described. The early organizational activitities, constitution,
ritual _and structure of the society are also~o detailed. The
following chapter investigates the three tac1ctics employed by
the P.W.A. to protect the rights and improve,e the condition of
the Nova Scotia miners. The utility and idedeological underpinnings
of each method - strikes, governmen~nt lobbying and
electoral · politics - is considered in order t to clarify the
degree of success achieved by the union in i1its stated goals.
Chapter Four focuses more directly on the idtdeology of the
P.W.A. "Loyalist" and "rebel" attitudes towaward the coal masters,
the increasing alientation of the mine1ers from their work
resulting from the development of industriall capitalism, and
the growth of trade union consciousness and~ working class
awareness are described. The influence of RcRobert Drummond on
the Nova Scotia miners is also discussed. TlThe fifth and final
chapter describes the rank and file disconterent with leadership
that emerged in the late 1880s and culminateced with the compan.y
store dispute in 1896. The "invasion of thee Knights of Labor"
and the resignation of Robert Drummond are e}examined. Final
conclusions are then presented, followed by can epilogue, which
describes briefly the path taken by the P.W.1.A. from 1898 until
the dissolution of the union in 1917.


title: A ROBUST SIMULATION-OPTIMIZATION APPROACH FOR DESIGNING HYBRID RENEWABLE ENERGY SYSTEMS

contributor:
Department of Industrial Engineering
Master of Applied Science
Dr. Lei Liu
Dr. John Blake
Dr. John Blake
Dr. Ahmed Saif
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
Hybrid renewable energy systems
Simulation optimization
Metamodels
Response surface methodology
Phi-divergence
Distributionally robust optimization

abstract: Stand-alone hybrid renewable energy systems (HRES) provide a viable alternative to satisfy the energy demand of remote and isolated communities. We consider a PV/Wind/Diesel/Battery HRES and propose a design approach that minimizes the total setup and operations cost and maximizes the supply reliability. A finite number of supply scenarios, extracted from a limited sample of data points through clustering, are first used under the assumption that their probabilities are known with certainty to solve the nominal problem. Next, the robust problem is considered by constructing an ambiguity set, based on the Variation Distance phi-divergence, around the nominal probability distribution and minimizing the expected cost, where the expectation is taken with respect to the worst distribution in the ambiguity set. Since the cost and the reliability functions cannot be evaluated explicitly, they are estimated through simulation based on certain operational rules and using solar and wind supply scenarios drawn at random according to the considered probability distribution (nominal or worst-case). To solve the problem, two novel robust simulation-optimization approaches that estimate a surrogate objective function through a classical Response Surface Methodology (RSM) and a Global Response Surface Technique (GRST) are proposed. The classical RSM approach uses a three-level (R-III) fractional factorial design to estimate the steepest descent direction and perform a gradient search, before using a Central Composite Design (CCD) to estimate a local quadratic approximation and find the optimum solution when the gradient becomes sufficiently small. The GRST, on the other hand, approximates the response function over the entire search space using a convex quadratic function and finds the optimizer of the surrogate function, before restricting the search space around it to obtain a better quadratic approximation and repeat the process. The results obtained from implementing the proposed approaches on a hypothetical case study confirm their applicability and show that the robust solutions outperform those obtained from classical risk-neutral methods when applied with external data samples.


title: Redressing the Past to Repair the Present: The Role of Property Law in Creating and Exacerbating Racial Disparities in Wealth and Poverty in Nova Scotia

contributor:
Faculty of Law
Master of Laws
Meinhard Doelle
Kim Brooks
Jamie Baxter
Michelle Williams
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
Real Property Law
Anti-Black Racism
African Nova Scotians
Legal History
Reparations
Land Titles Clarification

abstract: This thesis explores the impacts of the law on racial disparities in poverty and wealth in Nova Scotia, through a legal-historical and critical race examination of the colonial land administration laws in the early 1800s and the settlement of the Black Refugees in Nova Scotia.

abstract: For over 200 years African Nova Scotians have been fighting to confirm legal title to the land on which their ancestors were settled. In 2020, the Nova Scotia Supreme Court remarked “the lack of clear title and the segregated nature of their land triggered a cycle of poverty for black families that persisted for generations.” Nova Scotia has a long history of obscure land titles; however, the ensuing cycle of poverty appears to have disproportionately impacted African Nova Scotians. This thesis reframes the African Nova Scotian land titles discourse into a broader understanding about systemic anti-Black racism and White supremacist ideology embedded within the origins of property law in this province, revealing the land titles issue as merely the tip of the iceberg.


title: A FRAMEWORK FOR COMPARING N95 AND ELASTOMERIC FACEPIECE RESPIRATORS ON COST AND FUNCTION FOR USE DURING A PANDEMIC

contributor:
Department of Industrial Engineering
Master of Applied Science
Dr. John Blake
Dr. Colleen Dewis
Dr. Wiesława Dominika Wranik
Dr. Peter Vanberkel
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
Decision making
Healthcare
Respirators

abstract: SARS-CoV-2 has posed implications for personal protective equipment (PPE) supply such as N95 respirators. In this research it was examined if elastomeric facepiece respirators (EFRs) are efficacious substitutes for N95s through comparing their functionality and cost. Dynamic modelling was used to compare respirator stockpiling requirements and costs depending on PPE utilization and disinfection strategies. A case study on Dartmouth General Hospital was examined. Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) was conducted to assess financial and functional criteria together. N95s are found to be favorable unless cost criteria are given the greatest weight of importance. The research shows that financial and functional findings are predictive, rather than prescriptive, as results vary according to epidemiolocal characteristics of a pandemic. Ultimately, this research provides more sophisticated techniques for forecasting respirator stockpiling demands and offers insights for comparing functional and financial aspects from an operational research perspective.


title: “A QUEER SANDBOX TO PLAY IN”: A CRITICAL DISCOURSE ANALYSIS OF SHOWTIME’S TV SERIES THE L WORD: GENERATION Q (SEASON ONE)

contributor: Department of Sociology & Social Anthropology

subject:
The L Word: Generation Q
Critical Discourse Analysis
Homonormativity
Heteronormativity

abstract: Motivated by my own positionality as a lesbian identifying queer woman, this thesis explores how lesbian characters are represented in the first season of the popular U.S. television show The L Word: Generation Q (GenQ). Using critical discourse analysis, I investigate how heteronormativity and homonormativity impact characterizations of lesbians within GenQ. I found that representations of lesbian relationships in GenQ uphold engagement and marriage trajectories, as well as reinforce of norms of monogamy. Additionally, GenQ depicts lesbian partnerships as unstable, and place cheating as a defining feature of these relationships. Moreover, my analysis reveals that GenQ presents bisexual characters in ways that erase their distinct sexual identity. Overall, I found that GenQ does contain heteronormative and homonormative representations, and characterisations of lesbian, bisexual, and other queer women in this show are built on stereotypical assumptions of queer people that reinforce problematic norms around monogamy, consumerism, marriage, and class.


title: FIRM-LEVEL PRESIDENTIAL PREMIUM

contributor:
Business
Master of Science
Ashraf Zaman
Hamed Aghakhani
Maria Pacurar
Oumar Sy
Iraj Fooladi
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable

subject:
Presidential Premium
Firm-Level
Micro-level

abstract: This thesis provides empirical evidence which supports that firm-level characteristics hold explanatory power for the presidential premium.

abstract:
This thesis investigates the relationship between the presidential administrations in the United States (U.S.) and equity performance at the firm level, using a large sample of about 8,700 U.S. firms for periods covering years 1926 to 2020. It makes two important contributions to the existing literature. First, it is the first to compute at the firm level the presidential premium and its expected and unexpected components. Second, this research is also the only study to examine which firm characteristics relate to the cross-section of the presidential premiums.
We confirm that firm size negatively affects the presidential premiums in that the smaller the firm size, the greater the performance differential of Democratic presidencies over their Republican counterparts. Surprisingly, many other fundamentals such as profitability, asset turnover, illiquidity, leverage, intangibles and financial constraint determine the presidential effects. Overall, the results suggest that Democratic presidents outperformed their Republican counterparts in U.S. firms’ returns.


title: Towards Current-Mode Analog Implementation of  Deep Neural Network Functions

contributor: Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering

subject:
Current-mode
Neural Network
ReLU
Softmax
Weight multiplier

abstract:
This thesis proposes a current-mode analog circuit
design that operates in the subthreshold region to implement
various Deep Neural Network functions. The implemented
circuit blocks include binary weight multiplier layer, Rectified
Linear Unit, and approximate Softmax layer. The proposed designs were implemented using 180nm CMOS technology
with a 1.5V power supply. Furthermore, the impact of the
proposed design on accuracy was simulated using the MNIST
dataset. Using a four layers Convolutional Neural Network (CNN)
with an 8 bits resolution, the design achieved an accuracy of
99.02% with 68.21uW power consumption, which is 35.65%
lower than the existing analog DNN design.