title: Experimental and Modeling Studies of Thermal Barrier Coating Failure Under Isothermal Oxidation and Solid Particle Erosion

abstract: The hot section components of aerospace gas turbines are facing a material problem with continuously increasing the working temperature (up to 1700°C) of the turbine engines in order to achieve improved efficiency. Commonly used nickel-based superalloys for these components exhibit deficiency in such a high temperature condition, therefore thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) have been developed, which can be applied on the nickel-based superalloy substrate via various deposition techniques, to reduce the temperature exerted on the substrate material. In this research, the failure behavior of a TBC system that consists of an 8 wt% yttria partially stabilized zirconia (YSZ) top coat and CoNiCrAlY (Praxair CO 211) bond coat, deposited on nickel based superalloy Inconel 718 substrate via atmospheric plasma spraying (APS) process, has been studied experimentally under isothermal oxidation loading and solid particulate erosion to have a better understanding of the failure mechanisms of the TBC system.


title: Pressurized Metered-Dose (pMDI) Aerosol Spray Deposition in Large-and Medium-Volume Spacers

abstract: Spacers are typically used with pMDIs by patients suffering from chronic lower respiratory tract diseases such as asthma. Deposition of medication, salbutamol sulphate, was studied in a medium- and large- volume spacer, namely, the Volumatic™ and OptiChamber® spacer. Experiments were conducted at inspiratory flow rates ranging from 30 to 60 L/min, and deposition of medication in the spacers were assessed using spectrophotometry. Computational fluid dynamics was used to quantify the deposition (and its mechanism) numerically at 30 L/min. Medication deposition in the spacers was found to be greater in the lower half due to a downward spray angle. Additionally, it was determined more deposition of medication could be expected in the distal half of the spacers. An increase in flow rate demonstrated a minimal increase (2-3%) in the medication delivered to the inline filter. The numerical analysis demonstrated that turbulence effects are likely to cause deposition in both spacers.


title: Efficient Backhaul Design for 5G Ultra Dense Cells

abstract: In 5G Ultra-Dense Cells, a distributed wireless backhaul is an attractive solution for forwarding traffic to the core. In this thesis, we investigate Gateway Location Problem and show that finding near optimal gateway locations improves the Backhaul Network Capacity(BNC). Toward this end, the p-median problem has been formulated as Integer Linear Program. Subsequently, we use Genetic Algorithm in combination with K-means algorithm to find gateway locations that maximize the BNC. We evaluate the performance of our new heuristic, K-GA, in comparison with six different approaches in terms of Average Number of Hops(ANH) and BNC at different node densities through extensive Monte Carlo simulations. All approaches are tested under different small cell distribution scenarios. K-GA achieves ANH and BNC within 3% of optimal and saves on-average 95% of time. We also analyze the effect of the number of gateways on ANH and BNC. The results show that more gateways are beneficial.


title: Moral Reasoning: The Roles of Social Anxiety and Theory of Mind in Preschoolers

abstract: Mature moral reasoning, which begins developing in the preschool period, requires the consideration of the motivating intention and outcome of an action. Therefore, moral reasoning is related to the ability to consider mental states (theory of mind) as this understanding is needed in order to accurately understand and interpret intention. Another factor that has been implicated in one's ability to accurately interpret intention is social anxiety as it has been found to be related to different socio-cognitive variables (e.g., threat biases, ToM, interpretations of intention and ambiguous situations). Thus, the goal of my study was to examine the relations among social anxiety, theory of mind, and moral reasoning. As data collection was not possible due to social distancing, my thesis will outline the planned methods and analyses and will examine the potential interpretation for finding, and failing to find, support for my hypotheses.


title: Reduced predation on roadside nests could compensate for additional road mortality in road-adjacent painted turtle (Chrysemys picta) populations.

abstract: Turtles are killed on roads, yet there is little evidence of negative road effects on abundances. We hypothesized that reduced predation of roadside nests could compensate for adult road-kill. To test this, we quantified the relative differences in predation of artificial painted turtle (Chrysemys picta) nests near and far from roads, in a field experiment controlling for potentially confounding differences between sites. We then estimated how much adult road-kill could be compensated for by an increase in roadside nest success using Population Viability Analysis (PVA). Linearly arranged roadside nests had a 26% higher survival rate than non-road nests in a "natural" (clumped) configuration. This lead to an estimate that 3-6% annual adult road kill can be compensated for by the lower nest predation. This suggests that compensation for adult road kill via predation release is a plausible explanation for the lack of road effects on turtle abundances.


title: Adaptive Transmission Techniques for Internet of Things

abstract: Connecting numerous Internet of Things (IoT) devices from different sources of information with diverse Quality of Service (QoS) requirements leads to the need of new transmission techniques. In this thesis, we proposed two sets of transmission schemes that take into consideration different properties of IoT devices and the heterogeneous requirements of IoT applications. The first set of adaptive transmission schemes takes into consideration the remaining battery of each IoT sensor node to decide on the transmit power and the modulation mode to be used during each transmission slot. The second set of transmission schemes presented in Chapter 4, considers a Massive Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (Massive MIMO) system, in which the base station (BS) is equipped with a large number of antennas serving a high number of IoT nodes from different traffic types and we aim to adapt and optimize the system and transmissions parameters for each of these traffics.


title: Suspension Plasma Spray Thermal Barrier Coating Systems - Modelling and Performance Characterization Under Isothermal and Cyclic Oxidation Conditions

abstract: The oxidation behavior of a vertically cracked thermal barrier coating (TBC) deposited by suspension plasma spraying (SPS) technique was studied in this research under isothermal and cyclic conditions. A peak temperature 1080ºC and the durations of 400, 800, and 1300 hours/ cycles were utilized. Two different Ni-based substrates, INCONEL 625 and HAYNES 233, were first characterized at 1080ºC for the purpose of material selection. INCONEL 625 was selected because of its superior oxidation performance under this condition. The TBC system consisted of an INCONEL 625 substrate, a NiCoCrAl bond coat, and finally a 7YSZ top coat with vertically cracked structure. During cyclic oxidation test, the TBC samples failed after 800 cycles, however, no evidence of failure was observed under isothermal condition for up to 1300 h. After the oxidation tests, microstructure, phase composition, microstrain, and mechanical properties were examined. Based upon the results obtained, samples under cyclic condition assumed faster sintering rate, which in turn shortened the lifetime of SPS TBCs under cyclic conditions more than that under isothermal conditions. Furthermore, stress distributions within the top coat under cyclic condition were calculated using ABAQUS in order to study the crack initiation and propagation under the influences of different TGO thickness, roughness, and mechanical property degradation of the SPS top coat. Moreover, the results of mechanical properties were utilized to predict the crack density distribution within the top ceramic coat following isothermal exposure, with the application of crack numerical density theory. The outcome of this study provides fundamental understating of the sintering mechanism and coating degradation associated with crack initiation and propagation in vertically cracked SPS TBCs under both isothermal and cyclic conditions.


title: Clustering Community Science Data to Infer Migratory Connectivity Patterns for Migratory Songbirds in the Western Hemisphere

abstract: Migratory connectivity describes the spatial linkage between individuals through time and is necessary for full annual cycle conservation. However, conventional methods used to study migratory connectivity can be expensive and expertise intensive. In Chapter 2, we infer migratory connectivity patterns for songbirds using relative abundance models created from eBird, a global community science program, and an underlying broad-scale parallel migration assumption. We compare migratory connectivity inferences for two species with previously described connectivity estimates from the literature. We find that our method is a fast and inexpensive way to infer broad patterns on connectivity for these two species, though it cannot predict leapfrog migration or extreme deviations from parallel migration. In Chapter 3, a literature review of migration patterns shows that broad-scale parallel migration is commonly observed for songbirds in the Western hemisphere, and thus the methodology presented in Chapter 2 should be widely applicable to other species.


title: "Have Some Respect! Black People Died Here!" The Politics of Modern Blackness at Cape Coast Castle

abstract: My thesis explores the Politics of Modern Blackness at Cape Coast Castle in Ghana by analyzing how identity and belonging can be mapped on to monuments. I critically assess the relationship between dominant anti-black transnational discourses and the diverse way national black identities engage with this transnational anti-blackness through border thinking. I do this by analyzing the dominance of black Americans at the Cape Coast Castle diasporic section of the museum and by presenting the Ghanaian context that this dominance is situated in. My thesis ultimately demonstrates how black heterogeneity and black agency can be sustained in the context of transnational anti-blackness and domination.


title: Fish–People–Place:Interweaving Knowledges to Elucidate Pacific Salmon Fate

abstract: Migratory organisms carry high ecological and cultural significance as their cyclic movements through time and space create influxes of nutrients into ecosystems and provide important sources of food to people - imprinting on cultures, bodies of practice and management as well as knowledge systems. However, their often long-distance movements between habitats expose them to multiple and potentially interacting risks. Migratory Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.) are threatened by a suite of stressors, both known (e.g., overfishing, climate change) and unknown, that jeopardize their wellbeing as well as that of linked social-ecological systems. A central focus of this thesis is to elucidate the ultimate fate (i.e., survival to spawning grounds) of salmon who encounter fishing gears but either escape or are released as bycatch, and how this fate is shaped by other factors at play (such as rising temperatures). To gain an improved understanding of what other potential factors may be, a second focus here is to identify leading threats endangering salmon and aquatic ecosystems more generally. Different ways of knowing are valued and interwoven in this work, motivated by the Mi'kmaw conceptual framework of Etuaptmumk or "Two-Eyed Seeing" which creates a pathway for learning from both Indigenous and Western sciences, using their distinct strengths and methodologies in tandem. Experimental fisheries approaches, carried out in partnership with local and Indigenous fishers and fisheries managers, reveal that the context of salmon capture influences upstream survival, with the severity of the capture experience, the damage incurred to fish in the process and surrounding environmental conditions (such as water temperature) each being predictive of fate. Two expert threat assessments involving international freshwater scientists and Indigenous knowledge holders, respectively, identified multiple shared concerns (e.g., climate change, infectious diseases, habitat loss, hydroelectric projects) and numerous place-based stressors of local significance for wild salmon populations. Each assessment revealed a profound change in the state of freshwater biodiversity and Pacific salmon harvests over time, respectively, with both declining by an average of 83% between ~1970 and present - signaling the urgency of conservation actions that protect fresh waters, their inhabitants and all that they underpin for people and place.


title: Reimagining Lemieux Island

abstract: This thesis explores the preservation and adaptive re-use of Ottawa's Lemieux Island Water Purification Plant, incorporating three new programs - biological water purification, aquaponics, and water-based recreation. Extreme weather conditions that lead to flooding in the Ottawa River basin, along with the public's accessibility to new options in water treatment in the future, may mean that the original function of the plant will become obsolete, offering opportunities for the facilities to be repurposed for public use. The proposed designs in the preserved, historical settling and filtering buildings will combine Dr. John Todd's Living Machines systems for bioremediation of Ottawa River's water, with natural swimming pools and aquaponics, while fostering education in sustainable water use and water filtration methods.


title: The Influence of the Visual Arts on the Landscape Photographs of William James Topley

abstract: Abstract My thesis proposes a new way of understanding one of the most prominent Canadian photographers of the nineteenth and early twentieth century: it considers William James Topley as an aspiring photographic artist. Previous literature has studied him as a commercial photographer and businessman; however, my argument moves away from that characterization and discusses his various connections and interests in the visual arts. The case study looks at photographic reproduction of artworks from Album 29 (Ottawa & Paintings), including Lucius O'Brien's, Sunrise on the Saguenay, Cape Trinity (1880). Furthermore, it compares them to selected photographs from Paysages canadiens, Topley II. The comparison brings to light Topley's connection to the arts and artists the Royal Canadian Academy of Art and The National Gallery of Canada. I argue that Topley used these reproductions of landscape paintings as references for his landscape photographs of the Cape Trinity on the Saguenay River.


title: Strategy Use of Children and Adults on Fraction Number Line Estimation

abstract: The goal of this thesis is to compare adult and children strategy use on a fraction number line estimation. Students in Grade 4 (64), Grade 6 (66) and university students (30) will complete whole number and fraction number line tasks as well as other measures of fraction skills and math achievement. Strategy reports were collected on the 0-1 fraction number line task for all groups, and adult strategy reports were also collected on the 0-5 fraction number line task. Results showed that adults who used more strategies were more accurate on the 0-1 fraction number line task. Moreover, when comparing performance across fractions on the 0-1 fraction number line, adults performed similarly across all fractions whereas children were less accurate on the fractions in the middle of the number line. Implications of these findings for understanding the age-related differences in strategy use on a fraction number line are discussed.


title: Fisheries escape, temperature, and infectious agents: multiple stressors impacting wild sockeye salmon spawning migrations

abstract: Across the globe animals that engage in migration are exposed to many threats. This is exemplified by the decline of Pacific salmon populations. Understanding causes behind declines of migratory Pacific salmon populations will help mitigate the threats these fish face during their iconic migrations. Spawning migrations return adult salmon from ocean feeding grounds to natal freshwater habitats to spawn and complete their lifecycle. These spawning migrations are naturally challenging, but due to human activity salmon are now also forced to navigate a gauntlet of fishing gears and dams, all while water temperatures are rising. This thesis aims to investigate how fishing gear escape, water temperature, and infectious agents affect a population of Fraser River sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) during their spawning migration. Approximately half of all fish that experienced a simulated gillnet entanglement were capable of volitional escape, suggesting gear escape is a frequent event for in-river fisheries. Despite finding no impact of fisheries escape on migration or spawning success, I did find novel evidence of behavioural thermoregulation following escape. High water temperatures confounded results of fisheries interactions due to exceptionally high mortality. During a year of warm river temperatures, fish showed increased expression of thermal stress biomarkers, dramatically reduced survival, and differences in infectious agent profiles compared with a cooler year. Infectious agent profiles were also analyzed in fish that perished below a dam, and differences in certain infectious agent prevalence and loads were found when compared with live fish, suggesting a possible involvement of infectious agents in en-route mortality. Behavioural thermoregulation was also observed in fish with higher overall infectious agent burden. This thesis adds further evidence demonstrating the severe consequences of high water temperatures for Pacific salmon. In an era of warming waters, thermal selection may be an increasingly important behaviour to improve survival and spawning success. I also demonstrate that escape from fishing gear can be a common occurrence that is currently unaccounted for in escapement estimates. Fisheries managers should consider incorporating gear escape consequences in escapement estimate models, and protecting thermal refuges along migration corridors, to help protect Pacific salmon populations.


title: Geometric Accuracy of BIM-BEM Transformation Workflows: Bridging the State-of-the-Art and Practice

abstract: The building industry is responding to the demands of high-performance buildings by leveraging Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) framework which facilitates stakeholder collaboration, supported by a digital platform named Building Information Modelling (BIM), as well as Building Energy Modelling (BEM) to quantify the performance effects of design choices. However, effective collaboration with BEM domain expert is yet to be realized due to the limitations in automated data exchange, largely arising from geometric transformation, necessitating a costly manual re-organization of data across disciplines. In this thesis, a BIM-BEM geometry comparison tool is developed, and three available BIM-BEM transformation workflows are examined through a case study. The case study shows that the choice of BIM-BEM workflow incurs a considerable geometric deviation, inducing deviations in simulated performances. A semi-manual approach is deemed the most appropriate workflow today, however, a fully automatic approach (Revit Systems Analysis) is promising for the future of automated data exchange.


title: Welcoming Refugees and the Virtue of Hospitality: An Analysis of Refugee Resettlement through Private Sponsorship in Small-Town Eastern Ontario

abstract: In the wake of the refugee crisis in Syria, national narratives of welcome propelled new trends of private sponsorship into rural communities across Canada. Through the Private Sponsorship of Refugees Program, sponsors are responsible for supporting the transition of refugee-newcomers into Canadian society. This study offers an analysis of private sponsorship from the perspectives and experiences of those that have mobilized to welcome refugees into small-towns in Eastern Ontario. Drawing on the concept of hospitality to analyze the dynamics of private sponsorship, I examine how everyday acts of welcome are informed by feelings of compassion, but also reinforce dynamics of power that perpetuate systems of control and dependency. Through an examination of the challenges experienced by refugee-newcomers, I highlight the major flaws of the program, calling for a critical evaluation of Canada's models of resettlement to reflect the authority of migrants to act as independent agents of their own mobility.


title: Instance Segmentation of Point Clouds via Similarity Learning

abstract: We introduce a novel approach for instance segmentation of point clouds using a form of similarity learning. Specifically, our neural network, called PointSimNet, based on PointNet, learns to predict point features that are close to each other in feature space if the points belong to the same semantic category. A similarity matrix is used to find the optimal number of clusters using the eigengap heuristic. Spectral clustering is then performed on the similarity matrix to obtain the final set of instances. We also provide an optional step of constrained clustering where the user can guide the clustering to refine the segmentation results. We show that our instance segmentation method outperforms SGPN by an average precision of 20% points according to a measure without requiring any instance information in the training set. We also demonstrate that the user can improve the accuracy of results by adding a small number of constraints.


title: Using Machine Learning and Deep Learning for Load disaggregation and Recognition of Activities in Household

abstract: Providing statistics about energy consumptions and accurate forecasts at appliances level can help energy clients and users to make informed decisions and reduce their electricity bills. This thesis presents a forecasting strategy that combines the benefits of load disaggregation, weather information, and ensemble learning to improve the accuracy of short-term load forecasts in a household. This thesis used combinatorial optimization to extract signature features of appliances from aggregated house energy consumption. The ensemble learning based on long short-term memory and the random forecast was designed to learn from the estimated energy consumption of appliances and predict the household energy consumption for three days ahead. The model was tested on a publicly available dataset, and the results showed that the load forecasting approach that considered the dynamic behaviors of home residents outperforms the accuracy of the benchmark forecasting methods that are trained with weather information or prior aggregated house power demand.


title: Theory and Practice of Sanctions Strategy and Effectiveness: Influencing Russian Foreign Policy

abstract: This master thesis will review the case of contemporary sanctions implemented against Russia by the European Union (EU) with regards to its Ukraine foreign policy, which will assist in determining the effectiveness of sanctions imposed in this specific case. This thesis considers sanctions implemented against Russia as not effective thus far, since sanctions have yet to force a change in Russia's foreign policy. The lack of effectiveness lies with Russia's unique capabilities that enable it to resist sanctions, in combination with major gaps in the EU's sanctions strategy towards Russia. This thesis utilizes the contemporary EU-Russia case to test and expand on Nephew's and Miyagawa's framework of sanctions effectiveness, and discovers new realm of sanctions categorization beyond the regular spectrum of 'effective' and 'ineffective' sanctions regimes — sanctions regimes with inadvertent effects.


title: Sequence Modeling with Linear Complexity

abstract: Sequence modeling represents a fundamental task in machine learning. Today, non-autoregressive attention-based methods that use self-attention are deemed standard for modeling sequences. The major drawback of self-attention is the quadratic time complexity O(n^2) for the processing of a sequence that it requires. This makes self-attention expensive and slow when it comes to long sequences. In this thesis, we aim to reduce this complexity to linear time without using attention and we introduce Time-aware Large Kernel (TaLK) Convolutions, a novel adaptive convolution operation that learns to predict the size of a summation kernel instead of using a fixed-sized kernel matrix, with a time complexity of O(n). We evaluated our method using benchmark datasets in four different NLP tasks: machine translation, language modeling, abstractive text summarization and text classification. Our proposed method is capable of achieving state-of-the-art results without attention and with a significantly faster execution time and smaller memory footprint.


title: Evaluating the effect of accordance measure choice on the selection of ground surface temperature models in a sub-Arctic environment

abstract: Thawing of permafrost has implications on global climate, but collecting ground observations to monitor its evolution is resource-intensive and consequently, observations are sparse. Computational models are powerful tools used to fill gaps in information required to inform sound policy decision-making but in the study of permafrost, such models are often validated using simple ad-hoc comparisons against observations. In this study, six ground-surface temperature (GST) models are compared against observations and their performance ranked by multiple mathematical accordance measures. A small variation in model ranks is present between accordance measures. Subdivision of the observations temporally by season and spatially by ground type result in greater rank variability, and reveals biases in the models and accordance measures. These results demonstrate the importance of a well-defined objective to guide the selection of accordance measures and observation data subsets to be used in selecting a "best model" on which policy decisions can be based.


title: New York : Circular Design + the Supertall Tower

abstract: This thesis explores the design of a supertall tower in New York (through an adaptive transformation of an existing building), by employing circular design principles and design-for-disassembly strategies. The research posits that circular design, in an age of resource scarcity and depletion, affords a more sustainable, integrated and wholistic approach to considering architectural practice. The research includes research into circular design, and builds on work experience at 3XN/GXN, to help situate circular design and its emphasis on Materials, Service Life, Standards, Connections and Deconstruction, as a method of thinking through architectural design and construction. This structure is used as a design lens for a transformation of the (slated to be torn-down and replaced) JP Morgan-Chase building on Park Avenue. The design project explores ideas of green infrastructure, carbon neutrality, flexibility and adaptability and more fully integrated social and public spaces into a supernal tower.


title: Quantification of Black Carbon Emissions from Gas Flaring and Standardization of the Sky-LOSA Measurement Technique

abstract: This thesis details the deployment and refinement of an emergent optical diagnostic for soot/black carbon (BC) emissions from gas flaring alongside investigations into optical properties of flare BC. Research efforts were first focussed on the field-deployment of the existing sky-LOSA (line-of-sight attenuation using skylight) technique to measure BC emissions from gas flares. Fourteen measurements from nine flares revealed BC emissions spanning more than four orders of magnitude, highlighting the disproportionate emissions contributions of individual "super-emitting" flares. BC yields measured at four flares varied with flare gas energy content, permitting extension of a laboratory-based emission factor model to consider field data for actual in-field flares. Available gas flare simulation data were subsequently leveraged to perform numerical simulations of radiative transfer through realistic flare plumes to quantify previously ignored radiative effects in the sky-LOSA algorithm. Refractive index gradient-driven beam steering was found to be negligible through cooled flare plumes. By contrast, multiple scattering was observed to significantly affect inscattering within the radiative transfer theory for sky-LOSA. These data revealed a simple model to correct for multiple scattering effects in the sky-LOSA algorithm with negligible impact on measurement uncertainties as evidenced by case study analyses. Laboratory studies of flare BC were performed in parallel to address a lack of data for flare-relevant BC mass-normalized absorption cross-section (MAC). BC MAC was quantified for myriad flare gas compositions/conditions and varied with numerous flare metrics. A phenomenological model for BC MAC was developed using a novel scaling parameter thought to capture the in-flame time-temperature history of BC particulate. The new model reconciled anomalous field data and suggested that flare BC MAC might be >1.3−2.0 times larger than other sources. The final focus of this thesis was the completion of a general uncertainty analysis (GUA) to support standardized setup and measurement protocols for sky-LOSA. Uncertainties over all practical measurement conditions were computed in a variance-reduced Monte Carlo framework. GUA data were compiled and presented in a new open-source software tool to allow sky-LOSA users to consistently obtain optimal measurement data for arbitrary measurement conditions, enabling broader deployment of sky-LOSA to quantify and reduce flare BC emissions.


title: How Working Memory Moderates Function Learning Behaviour: A Dual-Task Paradigm

abstract: A breadth of research has demonstrated that many cognitive phenomena can be explained by a dual-processing account. However, little research has attempted to apply a dual-task paradigm to function learning. The present thesis aims to fill this gap in the literature by exploring the relationship between working memory and function learning behaviour. Eighty Carleton University students were randomly assigned to learn either a linear or bilinear function. Moreover, participants were randomly assigned to complete training and transfer under either single- or dual-task conditions. It was hypothesized that the secondary task would hinder performance resulting in a dependency on exemplar-based learning. Using a novel classification approach, the results showed that the secondary task reduced the stability of learning approach. However, the results remain inconclusive due to low power. Therefore, additional research is required to determine whether dual-task paradigms can be used to distinguish between rule- and exemplar-based processing in function learning.


title: Development and characterization of aptamer-conjugated imaging tools for diagnostic applications

abstract: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) are imaging modalities commonly used to assess blood flow; however, neither can label a blood clot that may either disrupt flow, causing an ischemic stroke, or have the ability to demonstrate where a cerebral hemorrhage has occurred (hemorrhagic stroke). To improve the diagnosis and treatment of blood vessel diseases, such as stroke and aneurysms, we developed fibrinogen aptamer (FA)-functionalized contrast agents, enabling the identification and labelling of blood clots. Fibrin was chosen as the target of interest as it a major constituent of aforementioned conditions. Since FA was originally selected to bind fibrinogen, fibrin-binding validation was required. It was hypothesized that FA would retain some binding affinity towards the polymerized form, fibrin, given that most of the structural elements of fibrinogen remain unmodified in the final form. To assess the affinity and selectivity of FA towards non-solution-based fibrin, FA was tagged with a green emitting fluorophore and fluorescence co-localization was monitored. Solubilized fibrin was also used in a number of binding validation studies, including microscale thermophoresis, isothermal titration calorimetry, and circular dichroism. These techniques were used to calculate the apparent Kd, which was found to be within the acceptable range. Four different FA-targeted contrast materials were produced, including gadolinium conjugates (Gd(III)-DOTA/NOTA-FA) for MRI, iodinated-FA and FA-functionalized gold nanoparticles (FA-AuNPs) for CT, and FA-functionalized gold-coated iron-oxide nanoparticles (FA-Fe3O4-AuNPs) as dual-imaging agents for MRI and CT. All formulations were tested for their ability to produce significant contrast enhancement. In each case, when treated with aptamer-targeted formulations, contrast development was specific to the location of the clot. In MRI, T1- and T2-weighted scans revealed hyperintense contrast enhancement of fibrinogen in the blood pool and fibrin clots, respectively. In CT, both iodo-FA and FA-AuNPs showed high positive contrast enhancement, confirming that targeting minimizes dilution of the contrast material in the presence of the blood pool. FA-Fe3O4-AuNPs were successful in producing clot-specific hypointense contrast in MRI, allowing for delineation of clot parameters. However, CT imaging demonstrated that higher concentrations of the nanoparticles is required, and the thin gold coating is not sufficient to produce contrast enhancement.


title: Advanced Space Mapping and Artificial Neural Network-Based Techniques for Microwave Device Modeling

abstract: This thesis focuses on developing advanced space mapping and ANN-based techniques for microwave device modeling, addressing both microwave active and passive component modelings. Specifically, this thesis develops an advanced space mapping-based technique in combination with KBNN for modeling GaN HEMT devices. This thesis also develops advanced ANN-based transfer function mapping techniques for parametric modeling of microwave passive components. GaN HEMT model development can be time-consuming as the devices exhibit strong and sophisticated trapping effects that are hard to be accurately modeled. In the first part of this thesis, we propose to.develope separate mappings for different branches inside the existing device model, such that different behaviors in GaN HEMTs can be mapped separately. The KBNN drain current model is proposed, being used as part of the trapping mapping development. The proposed space mapping technique allows fast and systematic model development for GaN HEMTs to achieve an accurate large-signal model. The proposed technique also employs less training data, lowering the cost of data generation from measurements. Neuro-TF approach, a popular parametric modeling method, combines ANN and transfer function, where transfer function is used as space mapping between the ANN and EM responses. However, the existing neuro-TF approaches may have discontinuity and associated non-smoothness issues. In the second part of this thesis, we propose to systematically combine both pole-residue and rational formats of the transfer functions in the neuro-TF model based on whether the poles/residues have those issues or not. The proposed technique can obtain good model accuracy in challenging applications of large geometrical variations, addressing the discontinuity and non-smoothness issues. The existing neuro-TF approaches may also have a high-sensitivity issue. In the third part of this thesis, we propose to decompose the original rational-based neuro-TF model with high order of transfer function into multiple sub-rational-based neuro-TF models with much lower order of transfer function, decreasing the sensitivities of the overall model response with respect to the coefficients of the transfer function in each sub-neuro-TF models. The proposed modeling technique can achieve good model accuracy in challenging applications of large geometrical variations, addressing the high-sensitivity issue.


title: Extended Release of DTPA via Encapsulation into Nanoparticles for the Decorporation of Deposited Radioactive Contaminants in the Lungs

abstract: Diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA), in either H-, Zn- or Ca-form, is a complexing agent that has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the decorporation of radioactive actinides such as americium, curium, and plutonium following a radiological incident. However, DTPA is excreted rapidly from the body following administration, which limits its ability in removing intracellularly bound actinides. In this research project, DTPA loaded polyethylene glycol (PEG) functionalized TiO2 nanoparticles, Zn-DTPA encapsulated poly lactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA), and Zn-DTPA encapsulated lecithin liposomes were tested for extended release of DTPA in vitro. Furthermore, the toxicity of Zn-DTPA encapsulated lecithin liposomes has been confirmed to be nontoxic in the cytotoxicity study of Long Evans rats. Meanwhile, the efficacy of Zn-DTPA encapsulated liposomes in the decorporation of 241Am, 243/244Cm, and 238/239/240Pu from their lungs after intranasal administration is under evaluation.


title: An Examination of the Desistance and Risk Paradigms in Correctional Service Canada Policies

abstract: This thesis explores the concepts of desistance and risk and examines whether these aspects are present in Correctional Service Canada policies. This thesis uses thematic analysis, constructivist grounded theory and critical discourse analysis to examine four Correctional Service Canada policies: Commissioner's Directives: 705-6, 715-1, 715-2, and 715-3. Suggestions are made throughout this paper as to where and how aspects of the desistance paradigm could be further represented in these policies, while also providing a commentary on where risk paradigm aspects are present within them. This thesis concludes that the risk and desistance paradigms co-exist in Correctional Service Canada policy, which is beneficial for not only parole officers, but also for offenders.


title: Two complementary models and an experimental test of how receivers respond to multicomponent visual signals

abstract: In this thesis, I evaluate how human receivers respond to signallers displaying a two-component signal, when each component differs in its probability of being associated with a binary outcome (desirable/undesirable). I conducted tests under a broad range of conditions under which neither, one or both multicomponent signals were predicted to be attended to according to a simple signal detection model. I also considered a complementary modelling approach that predicts the same long-term response but uses exploration/exploitation theory to identify the optimal tradeoff between learning more about the nature of the signaller and using current information to reject it. I found that receivers frequently attended to both forms of signal even under conditions when they were not predicted to do so by the signal detection model. Exploration/exploitation was more successful in accounting for the observed behaviour and provides a promising starting point for future work on multicomponent signal evolution.


title: Raman Spectroscopy-based Analysis of Cartilage Composition with Applications in Finite Element Modeling

abstract: Articular cartilage possesses unique material properties due to a complex depth-dependent composition of sub-components. Raman spectroscopy has proven valuable in quantifying this composition through cartilage cross-sections. However, cross-sectioning requires tissue destruction and is not practical in-situ. In this thesis, Raman spectroscopy-based multivariate curve resolution was employed in porcine cartilage samples (n = 12) to measure collagen II, glycosaminoglycan, and water distributions through-the-surface and in cross-sections. These data were then used to create depth-dependent material property finite element models of cartilage, optimized to match experimental results. Through-the-surface Raman measurements could predict composition distributions up to a depth of approximately 0.5 mm. Depth-dependent FE models averaged an 18% reduction in error for predicted reaction force compared to simplified homogeneous distribution models. Use of a fructose-based optical clearing agent was found ineffective in homogenizing scattering. This measurement technique could be applicable for non-destructively modeling the evolution of joint diseases such as osteoarthritis.


title: Description of Calligenethlon watsoni based on Computed Tomography and Resulting  Implications for the Phylogenetic Placement of Embolomeres

abstract: Although Calligenethlon watsoni, an enigmatic embolomere from Joggins, Nova Scotia, has been known since 1934, an in-depth description of its anatomy and taxonomic diagnosis is missing from the literature, resulting in subsequent specimen referrals to be based largely on the nondiagnostic trait of small body size. Here, an exquisitely preserved Calligenethlon specimen is described in detail using micro-computed tomography. The anatomical knowledge gained here allowed for the re-evaluation of all referred specimens and creation of the first ever morphological diagnosis of Calligenethlon. This anatomical data was then used to test the prevailing hypothesis that braincase characters unite embolomeres in a stem tetrapod position. A series of analyses, using the most up-to-date sampling of characters and relevant tetrapod taxa, resulted in the conclusion that embolomeres do group together in a stem tetrapod position, but braincase characters are seemingly uninfluential in this placement, and taxon sampling may be of greater significance.


title: Modeling of Differential Stripline in the Presence of Oblique Crossing Traces

abstract: Due to continually increasing operating frequencies previously neglected effects of interconnects such as delay, crosstalk and attenuation are becoming major bottlenecks in high-speed designs. Effect of crossing trace angle on signal integrity of differential edge-coupled stripline is studied in this thesis. In this thesis, an efficient modeling and analysis method is presented for high-speed interconnects represented by differential asymmetrical transmission lines with oblique crossings. The method is based on dividing the structure into several sections, then using an appropriate technique for estimating the capacitance matrix of each section and subsequently evaluating the impedance matrix using the chain parameters. The thesis also investigates the implication of different angles for crossing traces on signal integrity metrics.


title: Novel analog devices & techniques for 5G communication & instrumentation using LWAs, FSS and metasurfaces.

abstract: This thesis presents novel devices and techniques for 5G applications. First, a linearly-polarized leaky-wave antenna array front-end is demonstrated at 60 GHz for real-time beam-switching for 5G communications applications. Second, an integrated analog spectrum analyzer is demonstrated over the unlicensed IEEE 802.11ad 5G band (57-64 GHz) with a nominal physical resolution of 1 GHz. Thirdly, optically transparent and ink minimized frequency selective surfaces (FSS) screen-printed on Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) at 28 GHz are proposed and experimentally demonstrated. Finally, a technique for the phase-only synthesis of multi-beam patterns in reflective metasurfaces based on a direct Fourier transform mapping of the near-field to far field is shown. These variety of proposed technologies provide an attractive solution to difficulties faced in common 5G applications such as spectral filtering, fundamental signal processing operations, and short-range indoor communications.


title: A Framework for the Robust Delivery of Respiratory Motion Adaptive Arc Radiotherapy

abstract: Respiratory motion during radiotherapy can distort the highly conformal delivery of dose to lung tumours, compromising treatment outcomes and elevating dose to healthy tissues. A new optimization and delivery framework is proposed to track and adapt for the tumour motion during arc delivery in real time. An aperture library, consisting of a radiation field aperture for each combination of beam angle and tumour position, is optimized before delivery. The tracked tumour position would then be used to select the appropriate aperture from the library, ensuring that the tumour is under continuous irradiation throughout delivery. The instantaneous delivered dose therefore depends on the respiratory motion trajectory realized by the patient. Robust optimization is applied to optimize the aperture library, such that the expectation value of the dose, which considers all possible respiratory trajectories, gives the desired dose to the tumour with minimal dose to healthy tissues. A Markov chain is used to model the respiratory motion, assigning each trajectory a probability. This model is trained using 5 min of patient motion data acquired in another study, and tested on the subsequent 5 min of data. Statistical tests confirm that the model is capable of adequately estimating the distribution of the patient's respiratory motion from fractions of a second to the order of a minute into delivery. The optimization framework is developed in matRad, an open-source treatment planning software. A novel dose calculation and optimization method is implemented, which accurately accounts for the continuous aperture motion undergone during arc delivery and tumour motion adaptation. Plans optimized under this framework are compared to treatments planned with other respiratory motion compensation methods, with focus on the quality of plans and their robustness with respect to variations in the motion trajectory. Robustness is evaluated by simulating trajectories and the corresponding dose from the probabilistic model. The proposed framework is found to generate plans which have more or slightly less robustness to variations depending on the method being compared, with an increase in robustness resulting in more consistent treatment outcomes. Compared to those methods which are more robust, the proposed framework delivers a lower dose to healthy organs.


title: Searching for a Public Transit 'Fix': A Multi-Scalar Study of Public Transit Policy in Ottawa and Waterloo Region

abstract: In recent years, Canadian governments have embraced transit-led planning strategies as a solution to problems of unsustainable urbanism. With this shift, investments in public transit systems have increased dramatically. This thesis explores the development of public transit policy agendas in two urban contexts, the City of Ottawa and Waterloo Region. It evaluates the priorities underlying particular visions of transit-oriented reform and points to the challenge of equitable transit planning under conditions of growth-first governance. The emergence of transit-oriented reform agendas has taken place as part of a broader project of sustainable city-building. Despite post-political appeals to holistic or triple-bottom-line policymaking, sustainable urbanism is a contested process that seeks to renegotiate ongoing tensions between the perceived exigencies of growth-first neoliberalism and the conditions of collective reproduction in the city. This negotiation has been characterized as a search for a 'sustainability fix' (While et al. 2004). In this thesis, I examine how public transit policymaking helps to constitute this search for a stable political and institutional 'fix'. In this thesis, urban policymaking is analyzed as a multi-scalar process. Transit policy is constituted across federal, provincial, regional, and municipal scales of governance. The thesis explores this multi-scalar process using an ideational-institutional approach. It analyzes the ways in which actors interpret and represent institutional contexts, as well as the ways in which institutional contexts filter and structure political demands. Transit policy agendas are negotiated across scales, but are also shaped by Canada's distinctive institutional form of urban governance.


title: Development of a Coupled Thermal-Mechanical-Biological Model to Simulate Temperatures and Settlement at a Landfill in Ste. Sophie, Quebec

abstract: A fully coupled Thermal - Mechanical - Biological (TMB) model was developed in COMSOL Multiphysics to simulate temperatures and settlement observed at a Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) landfill in Ste. Sophie, Quebec. The thermal model included heat transfer and storage, aerobic and anaerobic heat generation (biological model), heat conduction at the base and heat flux due at the top due to to net radiation and convection. The mechanical model was based on a viscoelastic Kelvin-Voight model. A temperature-dependent biodegration-induced settlement term was added to the mechanical model to simulate waste settlement. A unique modelling approach was developed that allowed optimization of model parameters over a single simulation which included both filling and post-filling stages. The optimized model was able to simulate temperatures and settlement field data reasonably well. Modelling results and sensitivity analysis illustrate the need for a coupled TMB model to simulate temperature-dependent, biodegradation-induced settlement of MSW in landfills.


title: Performance Evaluation of Warped Virtual Surfaces in Virtual Reality

abstract: This thesis proposes a novel surface warping (scaling) technique similar to applying CD gain to the traditional mouse cursor on a screen with a 1:1 input device in Virtual Reality (VR). We call the technique Warped Virtual Surfaces (WVS). WVS solution is a promising way of providing large tactile surfaces in VR while using small physical surfaces with little impact on user performance. We utilized a stylus with VR head-mounted displays (HMDs), enabling users to interact with arbitrarily large virtual panels in VR while their real physical movement is within a fixed-sized real panel area.


title: Functional Genomics in Yeast

abstract: Living cells are complex biological systems with large networks of interactions between different macromolecules. A focus of systems biology is to study the dynamics of the living cells and their interactions through functional genomic approaches. High-throughput techniques and whole-genome screening experiments allow us to collect "big data" for various biochemical networks within the cell. The baker's yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, is a single-cell eukaryotic model organism used for functional genomics approaches, the genome of which has considerable homology with the human genome. In this thesis, we used functional genomic approaches to study novel function(s) for genes and pathways affecting translation. The process of translation is an essential pathway that leads to the production of functional proteins for living cells. Dysregulation of this process and its associated pathways have been linked to many diseases, emphasizing the importance and need to investigate details of genes that influence this pathway. Much has been learned so far but there are still unknown regulations that require more examination. One of the main objectives of this thesis is to discover and study novel function of genes that affect the translation of structured mRNAs in yeast. We designed different constructs to evaluate the effect of nearly 5000 non-essential genes on the translation of reporter genes. Through whole-genome screening experiments and follow up assays we proposed the heretofore unknown involvement of five genes in the translation pathway. In the current thesis, YTA6, YPR096C, NAM7, PUS2, and RPL27B are proposed to be important for the translation of mRNAs with structured regions within their 5'-UTRs in yeast. In another study, we used translation in mitochondria as a strategy to investigate the ability of a specific 3'-UTR sequence to direct a reporter mRNA into yeast mitochondria. Lastly, using additional screenings we propose the involvement of dozens of more genes that seem to be important for the translation of structured mRNAs. Together, our findings contribute to a better understanding of the translation of structured mRNAs. They also indicate that our overall understanding of the regulations of translation may require additional studies in years to come.


title: Caring for Refugees: Questioning the Public-Private Dichotomy in Canadian Resettlement

abstract: While the Canadian refugee resettlement system has recently gained national and international attention following the resettlement of Syrian refugees, there are concerns that the government is privatizing its responsibilities. This thesis uses care ethics to understand the relationship between public and private actors within Canada's resettlement system. It questions a dichotomy between "public" and "private" resettlement and presents a more interdependent relationship between actors, revealing care relations that are often hidden. It illustrates how in the "public" Government-Assisted Refugee program, NGOs, volunteers, and sponsors play critical roles. Likewise, in the "private" sponsorship program, the government is involved in a number of substantive ways. By critically engaging with power hierarchies in relations of care, this thesis shows how different actors exercise power and experience vulnerability in different ways. It concludes by considering implications for contemporary discussions on resettlement and for Canada's efforts to promote refugee sponsorship to other countries.


title: Development of a Simplified Method for Optimally Sizing Hot Water Storage Tanks Subject to Short-Term Intermittent Charge/Discharge Cycles

abstract: Hot water storage plays a pivotal role in the transition to low carbon energy systems by increasing energy efficiency and allowing a range of non-conventional intermittent energy sources in the energy mix. In the current study, a simple analytical method is developed to optimally size hot water storage tanks using only the system residual heating profile and the following system characteristics: the heat source temperature, the load service temperature, the auxiliary energy price, and the tank's surrounding temperature. Results show that all scenarios with a source temperature of 95°C, a source to load temperature difference of at least 35°C, and an auxiliary energy price of at least 0.105 USD/kWh have associated R2 values of 0.8 or greater, indicating the sizing method is able to predict the optimal storage tank volume with a high degree of confidence. A case study is presented for a hypothetical solar-thermal DHW system in Montréal, Canada.


title: Analysis and Maintainability of Complex Industry Test Code Using Clone Detection

abstract: Many companies, including Ericsson, experience increased software verification costs. Agile cross-functional teams find it easy to make new additions of test cases for every change and fix. The consequence of this phenomenon is the duplications of test code, which is often referred to as code clone. In this thesis, we attempt to understand the prevalence of test code clones, thus contributing to the clone detection and software testing fields, and we then study how test code can be refactored to remove clones, therefore improving software testing activities. In this thesis, we aim to achieve the following goals. Firstly, we aim to detect clones in industry test codes. We found 49% of lines of code of the entire C test code are clones; We found 73% of lines of code of the entire Java test code is a clone. The results we report on in our study include figures about clone frequencies, types, similarity, size distributions, and number of line differences in cloned test cases. Secondly, following standard definitions of clone types, if the source code contains fragments that are in a Type-1 clone class, we theoretical argue and empirically confirm that those fragments belong to a Type-2 clone class; Such inclusions occur with Type-3 clone classes. When one relies on standard definitions of source code clone types, they are therefore running a risk of overlapping information being returned for different types of clone classes. This leads us to refine the standard terminology on clone types to avoid possible miss-interpretations of clone detection results and define and implement a Clone Reduction Procedure to remove overlapping clone detection information.We then use this tool infrastructure to empirically study the extent of overlapping information in clone detection results produced by NiCad. The third goal is to refactor test code clones. Refactoring is about restructuring and enhancing existing code without altering behaviour to improve maintainability. We aim to identify the clone tests that may appear to be good opportunities for refactoring test codes according to well defined or to be discovered test patterns so that refactored test code is easy to enhance, understand, and maintain.


title: Internet of Torment: The Governance of Smart Home Technologies Against Technology-Facilitated Violence

abstract: While smart home technologies (SHTs) are often marketed as solutions to automate household activities, they can be used to cause harm. This thesis examines the emergence of smart home technology-facilitated violence (smart home TFV) in Canada to assess 1) how these Internet of Things (IoT) devices can be misused as technologies of torment and 2) how and why we may want to examine this phenomenon as part of a wider sociotechnical system of human and non-human actors. Using a modified Walkthrough Method (Light, Burgess and Duguay, 2018) and a hybrid theoretical framework of assemblage theory (Kitchin, 2014), actor-network theory (Latour, 1988; Latour, 2005) and multi-scalar analysis (Edwards, 2003), this approach illuminates what may initially be misconstrued as an isolated, one-on-one dispute as a practice that is enabled, mitigated, and ultimately shaped by a variety of contexts and interactions with other components within a complex and heterogeneous sociotechnical assemblage (Kitchin, 2014).


title: Routing on Heavy Path WSPD Spanners

abstract: In this thesis, we present a construction of a spanner on a set of $n$ points in $\R^d$ that we call a heavy path WSPD spanner. The construction is parameterized by a constant $s>2$. The size of the graph is $O(s^dn)$ and the spanning ratio is at most $1+2/s+2/(s-1)$. We also show that this graph has a hop spanning ratio of at most $2\lg{n}+1$. We present a memoryless local routing algorithm for heavy path WSPD spanners. A vertex $v$ of the graph stores $O(\deg(v)\log{n})$ bits of information. The routing ratio is at most $1+4/s+1/(s-1)$ and at least $1+4/s$. The number of edges on the routing path is bounded by $2\lg{n}+1$. We then show that the construction and routing algorithm can be generalized to metric spaces of bounded doubling dimension. The spanning and hop spanning ratios are unchanged. The routing ratio becomes at most $1+(2+\frac{\tau}{\tau-1})/s+1/(s-1)$, where $\tau\ge11$ is a constant.


title: Stable Isotope Analysis of Caribou Antlers as Ecological Indicators

abstract: This study aims to determine whether Rangifer tarandus (caribou) antlers can be used as effective ecological indicators relative to other hard tissues such as bone and teeth using stable isotopes of oxygen, carbon, and nitrogen. Variation in the rate and timing of tissue development should create different stable isotope profiles for each tissue. Tissue from fifteen male specimens housed at the Canadian Museum of Nature were sampled. Stable isotope analysis was conducted along the length of the antler, on the third molar, and the mandible. Isotopic differences were found between the three tissues, with the carbonate carbon (δ13C) and collagen nitrogen (δ15N) isotopes showing significant patterns of variation along the length of antlers. Isotopic variation along the antler length is likely due to seasonal migration and dietary changes within the male caribou. These results demonstrate the potential for Rangifer tarandus (caribou) antlers to be used as ecological indicators.


title: The Early Jurassic Metamorphic History of the Yukon-Tanana Terrane of Northwestern British Columbia: Insights from a New Inverse Garnet Fractionation Modelling Technique

abstract: A metamorphic study was conducted on metapelites of the Boundary Ranges and Florence Range metamorphic suites in the Yukon-Tanana terrane of north-western British Columbia. A new inverse garnet fractionation modelling technique was developed as the software program G FRAC. Through the combined application of G_FRAC and THERIAK-DOMINO, and its integration with Lu-Hf garnet-whole rock age dating of select samples, prograde and retrograde P-T points were estimated for Early Jurassic metamorphism of these two suites. The Boundary Ranges Suite experienced two garnet growth events in this period at 201.7±2.8Ma and 192.4±0.4Ma with the later event reaching peak conditions of ∼ 550◦C and 700 to 800MPa. The Florence Range suite experienced a synchronous garnet growth event between 190.9±3.3Ma and 185.3±1.1Ma reaching a peak pressure of ∼1000MPa at ∼620◦C and a peak temperature of 690 to 730 ◦C at 600 to 750MPa before cooling to ∼610◦C and ∼670MPa.


title: Cognitive Evidence for Construct Validity of the IELTS Reading Comprehension Module: Content Analysis, Test Taking Processes, and Experts’ Accounts

abstract: Despite the growing demand for the International English Language Test System (IELTS) Academic as a high-stakes language proficiency test, and its significant impact on the lives of test takers, only a limited amount of validity research has been published. Among the four modules of the test, the Reading Comprehension Module (RCM) has been the least researched, with few studies examining specific dimensions of the reading construct operationalized by the test (e.g., Bax, 2013; Weir, Hawkey, Green, & Devi, 2009). Following Messick's (1989) advice that construct is central in considerations of validity and informed by Khalifa and Weir's (2009) Multi-Componential Reading Comprehension Model, this qualitative case study investigated the IELTS RCM construct. It drew evidence from three phases: 1) content analysis of an RCM sample test; 2) verbal reports of the processes used during RCM performance, elicited from three groups of test takers (N= 21) with different language backgrounds (i.e., first/L1 English; second/L2, English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners in Iran; across levels of language proficiency); and, 3) verbal reports and interviews with (N= 10) testing experts, who judged the skills, knowledge sources, processes, and strategies (SKPSs) (Gorin, 2006), that were tapped by each RCM task. Results of the content analysis showed gaps in representing features and practices of academic reading at both levels of texts and tasks. Coding (Saldaña, 2009) of the test takers' verbal accounts indicated the test construct differed across language backgrounds and levels of language proficiency. For L2 test takers, test performance was basically task-based, consisting of careful reading at sentence and inter-sentential levels rather than meaningful comprehension, and raising questions about the test as a measure of the academic reading construct. The experts' accounts reinforced findings from the test takers' reports and suggest that the RCM tasks tap into micro, lexico-grammatical features rather than macro, textual comprehension. Higher order inferential global comprehension reading skills were disproportionately underrepresented. Implications for different stakeholders are discussed. The study concludes that more research is essential in order to justify the use of IELTS RCM as an English language proficiency measure.


title: Shifting Ground: Fluid futures of Mexico City

abstract: Mexico City is defined by its aquafluxis; a duality of abundance and scarcity, floods and droughts. Infrastructure and ground manipulations are at the heart of a complex relationship between a lacustrine environment and the city. This thesis seeks to probe notions of ground and water to explore [sub]natural realities and possibilities within the urban context of Mexico City. The project takes a look at the historical, political, geographical and geological characteristics of the region, their impact on the urban development of the city and of ecological changes in the region. Drawings, maps and collages explore mythology, infrastructure and geology to speculate on fluid futures that re-conceptualize notions of inhabitation, water and ground.


title: Truncated Tyrosine Kinase Receptor B (TrkB.T1) plays a role in susceptibility to chronic stress

abstract: Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and tyrosine kinase B (TrkB) have been implicated in depressive/anxiety disorders. The efficacy of antidepressants may be related to BDNF-TrkB signaling fueling neuroplastic changes. TrkB.T1 might have novel signaling effects that may be relevant for dealing with stressors. Using mice lacking TrkB.T1 exposed to chronic stress, we assessed behavioral and TrkB expression profiles, as well as gut-microbial profile. Our results showed that while repeated different stressor regimen did markedly alter open-field performance, this was unaffected by the TrkB.T1 knockout. A sex effect was apparent, however male mice showed the greatest exploration abnormalities. TrkB expression in amygdala varied as a function of sex; yet, there were no observed difference in the gut microbiota among the groups. These data do not support major role for TrkB.T1 in modulating anxiety, but there were many limitations of this thesis study. Further experiments will focus on the phenotype of TrkB.T1 mice.


title: Mitigating Security Problems in Virtualized Networks Through Resource Management

abstract: Network Virtualization is the key to the current and future success of the Internet, and it has proven to be one of the core technologies in the evolution of the Internet. The virtualization of network resources offers many benefits. Resources are more efficiently utilized, and they can be deployed flexibly and elastically. It can lower the cost of ownership by moving from dedicated hardware to virtual resources. Another important benefit is the ease of management through standard abstractions. However, these benefits come at the cost of security. Network virtualization has increased the threat surface due to the virtualization of resources. Such as risk of isolation failure, privacy, and confidentiality of hosted services, side-channel attacks, and amplified impact of Denial-of-Service attacks. In this dissertation, we take a look at some of the security issues in the virtualized networks. We aim to utilize resource management to mitigate some of the security problems in the virtualized networks. In particular, we use Software-Defined Networking (SDN) and 5G mobile networks as a focus of our study to investigate and mitigate security issues. We identified that Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attacks pose a significant risk in SDN and emerging 5G mobile networks because both networks are virtualized, and the impact of DDoS is amplified. In a traditional network, there are usually very few stakeholders that are impacted by the DDoS. Whereas, in virtualized networks, many tenants share the same resources; therefore, many stakeholders can be impacted (e.g., from infrastructure provider to network operator to the tenants). We use resource management to deal with DDoS attacks. In SDN, load-balancing is used to deal with DDoS attacks. Whereas, in 5G mobile networks, we proposed an optimization-based resource allocation solution to mitigate DDoS attacks. We also analyze the defense against malicious co-residency using our solution in 5G mobile networks. Last but not least, we proposed a framework for resource allocation in the 5G mobile networks.


title: Future-Oriented Thinking: Saving, Prospective Memory, and Planning in Young Children

abstract: Saving is an important future-oriented thinking skill to acquire but little is known about how its early development relates to other future-oriented thinking abilities. The present study would have examined whether saving ability is related to prospective memory (PM) and planning, two other aspects of future-oriented thinking, during the preschool years, as little is known about the relation between saving and PM. Due to the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, data collection could not occur. However, approximately 80 participants would have been recruited from daycares in Moncton, New Brunswick and the surrounding area. Four- and five-year-old children would have completed a token and sticker saving task, a card-sorting and naturalistic PM task, and the Tower of Hanoi and Truck Loading planning task, as well as a vocabulary measure (abbreviated PPVT-V). Potential results are discussed regarding what may have been found should data collection have been able to occur.


title: Semi-Parametric Inference with Density Ratio Model Fitted to Distributed Data using Alternating Direction Method of Multipliers

abstract: This thesis also develops methodologies for carrying out inference using the semi-parametric DRM in the presence of distributed data. Techniques were developed for carrying out the dual empirical likelihood ratio test, which allows for the testing of composite hypothesis about DRM model parameters. This thesis also develops theories for the estimation of the baseline and marginal distribution functions for each sample alongside providing a method for estimating the quantiles of each distribution function. Applying the ADMM algorithm in the presence of distributed data, we have successfully fit a DRM and carried out inference which arrive to the same statistical conclusions as if the model was fit and inference was carried out using the same data in a non-distributed setting.


title: The Influence of Flexural Stiffness on the Performance and Preference of Bendable Stylus Interfaces

abstract: Flexible sensing styluses deliver additional degrees of input for pen-based interaction, yet no research on bendable styluses has looked at the influence of stiffness on performance or its integration with creative digital applications. We conducted two experiments that evaluated the influence of flexural stiffness on users' performance. To address this, we designed HyperBrush a flexible sensing stylus with interchangeable flexible components. We assessed the performance of different flexibilities on a bend menu technique. While bend input in styluses can perform similarly to pressure input, researchers only have measured stationary input. We furthered this discussion by evaluating performance of simultaneous bend and X-Y pen movement. We conducted a third experiment that investigated how HyperBrush can be a beneficial tool to support users' creativity for digital drawing. We concluded that different flexibilities can pose their own unique advantages analogous to an artist's assortment of paintbrushes.


title: Multiscale Design Optimization of Hopper Cars Employing Functionally Graded Honeycomb Sandwich Composites

abstract: A novel multi-stage structural design optimization procedure has been developed for the weight minimization of hopper cars. The first stage in the design procedure involves topology optimization whereby optimal beam locations are determined within the hopper car wall structure design space. Through determination of optimal beam locations, a novel frame was designed which concentrates mass in critical regions of the hopper car. In the second stage, hexagonal honeycomb sandwich panels have been implemented in regions of low criticality and are optimized by means of a multiscale design optimization. By invoking the methodology in a case study, it is demonstrated that a mass savings as high as 16.36% can be yielded for a single hopper car without sacrificing rigidity, which can be translated into a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of 13.09% based on available literature.


title: The Government of Canada’s Second Language Evaluation, Test of Written Expression: Exploring Validity

abstract: This study aimed to contribute to the literature on the Canadian government's Second Language Evaluation (SLE) by exploring the concept of validity within the context of the Test of Written Expression (TWE). The case-study approach combined stakeholder perspectives of three employee-participants and two teacher-participants along with a verbal protocol of a shortened practice test. The findings indicate that there may be evidence that threatens the validity of the inferences drawn from the TWE. There is additional evidence of negative consequences in terms of washback and impact of the SLE. These findings shed light on issues with the implementation of the Official Languages Act within the public service, suggesting a bottom-up approach to address these issues.


title: Transient Mathematical Modelling of Loop Heat Pipes and Experimental Validation

abstract: Development of state of the art electronics forces thermal engineers to develop more efficient and innovative heat transfer devices. Modern electronics do not only dissipate more heat per area but also their operation is subject to temperature stability. Loop Heat Pipes offer an important advantage over other heat transfer devices with their unique characteristics. These self-regulated devices utilize the latent heat of the working fluid circulating between a hot source and cold sink by using thermodynamic principles and capillary forces. Experimental work is performed, on two different LHPs under ambient conditions, to investigate the operational characteristics of LHPs and to collect data under different operating conditions for the validation of the numerical model developed in this research. The main investigated characteristics comprise of the operating temperature and its oscillations at given operating conditions, the LHP response to a change in the operating conditions, and the location of the two-phase/liquid interface inside the LHP condenser. Furthermore, the empirical correlations, required to calculate the LHP heat transfer coefficients and pressure drops, are chosen and verified for the numerical model. Following the correlation verification, a modular numerical model is developed and validated to predict the steady-state and transient operation of an LHP with minimum accommodation parameters. The sensitivity studies of the modelling parameters are conducted to investigate their effects on LHP operation. The model can be easily modified or improved because of its modularity feature. Additionally, the minimum number of the accommodation parameters allows the model to predict LHP behavior by relying on only one set of power cycling test results. The mathematical model can be used not only as a design tool in the research and development of new LHPs but also to examine and troubleshoot the operation of an existing LHP in remote locations such as onboard a satellite orbiting Earth.


title: The Design of Local Ecosystems within a Global Technology Entrepreneurship Challenge

abstract: Global organizations, often part of a business ecosystem, are continuously striving to expand their reach in local communities, but they face significant adoption challenges. These multilevel systems have a natural hierarchy, which can be analyzed from a design perspective. Leveraging constructs from design science, glocalization, and business ecosystems, this research examines Technovation, the world's largest technology entrepreneurship program for girls. Through an embedded multiple-case study, Technovation is described using ecosystem frameworks, then a cross-case analysis of six chapters from Canada and Mexico identifies similarities and differences, and global ecosystem requirements are specified as design rules. There are three key findings. First, local ecosystems have a different architecture than the global ecosystem. Second, chapters are influenced by passive and active forces. Third, design rules create boundaries for local adaptation of global components. These insights will assist managers, ecosystem designers, and Technovation practitioners navigate the complex, global context in which they operate.


title: Sensor Fusion in Autonomous Navigation Using Fast SLAM 3.0 – An Improved SLAM Method

abstract: This thesis introduces three important components of autonomous navigation: visual odometry and image fusion, Kalman filtering and its application, simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM). And presents Fast - SLAM 3.0: an improved approach to SLAM compared to Fast SLAM 2.0 and Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) SLAM. The Fast SLAM 3.0 models the particles as the robot pose mean of a Gaussian distribution, which keeps the error covariance matrix (P) of pose estimation propagating as normal EKF SLAM. Hence uncertainty could be remembered over the whole trajectories, avoiding Fast SLAM 2.0's tendency to become over-confident and keeping the best feature of Fast SLAM that locally avoids linearization of the robot model and provides a high level of robustness to the clutter and ambiguous data association. Extensive experiments in the randomly generated simulated environment show that the Fast SLAM 3.0 significantly outperforms either Fast SLAM 2.0 or EKF SLAM.


title: A Study of the Impact Response of Discrete Regions of the Human Cadaver Brain

abstract: The risk of trauma to the brain due to head impacts is high, despite widespread use of protective equipment and injury mitigation efforts. Mitigation techniques are developed through simulations that utilize complex finite element models of the brain and head. Validation of such models is limited, as existing empirical data is sparse. Due to technical constraints, empirical studies have only revealed broad brain tissue deformation. The objective of this study was to develop a comprehensive methodology for measuring the displacement of discrete brain structures during impact. An advanced X-ray system was used to capture brain motion for two cadaveric specimens at 7,500 fps. Displacement of brain structures was determined for 7 impacts on each specimen. Motion trends were region dependent, with some regions exhibiting multi-modal displacement. Displacement of discrete structures including the corpus callosum was measured. These methods will help clarify the response of the brain to impact.


title: How was Dark Matter Produced in the Early Universe? A Study of Fermionic Dark Matter with a Z-prime Portal

abstract: We study a model of fermionic dark matter interacting with the Standard Model through a sequential Z' mediator, the gauge boson of a U(1) extension to the Standard Model symmetry group, to understand the mechanism responsible for the dark matter relic abundance. We compare two different mechanisms for dark matter production in the early universe, freeze-out and freeze-in. For production through freeze-out, dark matter particles were in thermal equilibrium with the cosmic plasma until the expansion of the universe dominated over the interactions. For freeze-in, dark matter was never in thermal equilibrium with the visible sector, and its abundance is always negligible compared to the thermal bath abundances. The boundary between each production regime is explored by considering every free parameter of this model, namely the masses and couplings. Details of the boundary region between freeze-in and freeze-out could have implications for dark matter searches.


title: Encrypted Network Traffic Classification using Ensemble Learning Techniques

abstract: There is a continuous evolution of technological devices leading to a huge amount of traffic data on the internet. This presents Internet Service Providers with changes in the Quality of Service being provided and network security. The classification of these network traffic data promotes a better QoS, and management of the encrypted network. The major concern of the ISPs is protecting users' privacy, thereby generating network traffic data that are encrypted. In this thesis, we determine the best techniques as well as the relevant statistical features suitable for the classification of the non-VPN encrypted network traffic data. We utilize the opensource UNB and the Solana Networks encrypted network traffic datasets. We performed multiple experiments that led to developing an ensemble learning model with the stacking technique using the deep learning and machine learning classification algorithms with the best performances for the classification of the non-VPN encrypted network traffic data.


title: Power Supply Induced Jitter Including the Ground Bounce and Transmission Media Effects

abstract: In this thesis, an efficient method for estimation of power supply induced jitter (PSIJ) in high-speed designs is presented. EMPSIJ method is advanced to handle the combined effects of both the transmission media and ground bounce in the presence of supply noise. Semi-analytical relations are developed based on small-signal noise analysis for quick estimation of PSIJ and one bit simulation of the large-signal model. Also, an alternative and systematic approach is proposed based on MNA formulation and Thomas Algorithm. Also, a novel closed-form model for transmission line type interconnects is developed relating the input and the output nodes of the transmission line, which enables efficient PSIJ analysis in the presence of PCB traces. The proposed model is also advanced to include the effect of load. Several validating examples are presented for the proposed approaches and the results are compared with HSPICE to validate the accuracy and efficiency.


title: Studying the Change History of Code Snippets on Stack Overflow and GitHub

abstract: Stack Overflow (SO) is a popular Q&A forum for software developers, providing ready to use code snippets. GH Developers often reuse SO code in their GitHub projects. These code snippets get revised and edited on both platforms after their creation and adoption. We investigate such evolution of posts and their adapted code on GitHub. To accomplish our goal, we mine the SOTorrent dataset. We then create and Analyze an evolutionary history of adapted code snippets by mining ~26K GitHub projects to study their evolution. Along with studying characteristics of projects that reference SO posts, we demonstrate that, on average, developers make 45 references to SO posts. We also found that 79\% of the SO posts with code snippets referenced in GitHub, do change over time (at least ones). Finally, our results show that snippets on both platforms evolve independently of one another.


title: interActive: Designing the Active City through urban plug-ins

abstract: Designing Active Cities focuses on improvements to the built environment that will promote active lifestyles and healthy habits. Active Cities make physical activity a priority by transforming the urban environment into spaces that encourage activity for the urban population. Providing the opportunity to move, play and interact are ways that urban design and architecture can ensure the built environment is supporting active living. Active City design has become a relevant topic across Canada following research from the board of health that identifies Canadians to be increasingly inactive due to their surrounding environments. The relationship between the built environment and active living is mutually dependent, where improvements to the population's activity levels depends on improvements to the city's urban fabric. This thesis explores how design can address inactivity in the city and contribute to improving the population's activity levels through interActive Plug-ins that transform the urban fabric of Toronto, Ontario.


title: Asymptotic Graph Neural Networks Improve Adversarial Robustness in Machine Vision

abstract: I propose and evaluate the first theory and computational model that explicitly describes the cognitive constraints---in the form of relational architectural constraints---that produce adversarial robustness in machine vision. This theory proposes a new form of Graph Neural Network (GNN), called an asymptotic GNN, that uses a non-linearity with a vertical asymptote to constrain where the network should be sensitive and insensitive to variations in its substructure. This approach proposes a new invariance for artificial neural networks, similar to the translational invariance of convolutional layers. I call this type of invariance ``substructure invariance'' and I show how it is capable of producing adversarial robustness in machine vision. To support these claims I first provide a detailed analysis of the two core components of the model: the asymptotic barrier function and learning branch. I then compare the asymptotic GNN to four state-of-the-art models on the MNIST dataset: one baseline and three adversarially robust models. I show that the asymptotic GNN outperforms all of the models on gradient-based adversarial attacks, mainly the DeepFool attack and the Momentum Iterative Method, and performs similar to the state-of-the-art on the decision-based PointWise attack. This establishes that the asymptotic GNN is a viable candidate for adversarial robust modeling. In subsequent analyses, I show that ablations to the core asymptotic barrier function and learning branch distinctly and differentiably impair the adversarial robustness of the asymptotic GNN. I then vary the basic structure of my model to demonstrate how the PointWise attack is symptomatic of a fundamentally different type of problem than substructure-invariance, mainly a feedback-based denoising operation.


title: Plastic ingestion, retention, and transport in animals from the eastern Canadian Arctic

abstract: Plastic and microplastic pollution has been recognized as a global concern. I aimed to assess the retention and transport of plastic pollution in the Canadian Arctic using two important animals from the Arctic ecosystem: seals and seabirds. First, I examined 142 seal stomachs from four communities in the eastern Canadian Arctic to identify whether seals are accumulating plastics in their stomachs. No evidence of accumulated plastic debris in seal stomachs was found, suggesting that seals in the eastern Canadian Arctic are likely not exposed to plastics during foraging. Second, the faecal precursors of northern fulmars (Fulmarus glacialis) and thick-billed murres (Uria lomvia) were examined to identify if these birds are excreting microplastics in their guano. Anthropogenic particles were found in both species, however, there was no relationship between the microplastic particles in the faecal precursors and plastic debris found in the stomachs of the same birds.


title: Population Genetics of Antimicrobial Resistance in Campylobacter isolates from across Canada

abstract: Campylobacter jejuni is a leading cause of gastroenteritis in the world. Widespread use of macrolide and fluoroquinolone antibiotics in animals and humans has resulted in the evolution of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) within Campylobacter, leading to increased costs in healthcare. The objective of this study is to provide insight into the contributions of populations genetics factors including mutation, recombination, and population size and structure on the evolution of virulence and AMR. These processes are investigated to evaluate the potential for local hotspots to contribute disproportionally to antimicrobial resistance in Campylobacter. To test these predictions, 1789 assemblies of Campylobacter jejuni from all across Canada were analyzed to assess rates of recombination and its effect on resulting population structure, and in particular its association antimicrobial resistance alleles. A thorough exploratory analysis has provided limited evidence of positive selection in virulence genes, evidence for one or a few origins of fluoroquinolone resistance as well as high levels of recombination and complex population substructure across the Campylobacter genome.


title: Textual Transformations and the Challenges of Self-Narration in Bevis of Hampton and Guy of Warwick

abstract: This thesis studies the narrative challenges presented to individual subjectivity over time in two Middle English romances, Bevis of Hampton and Guy of Warwick. These long, episodic texts put pressure on the social, cultural, national, religious, and personal identities of their heroes, testing their capacity and willingness to perform the personal memory work necessary to maintain a coherent identity over time. Combining an historicist interest in medieval models of autobiographical memory with New Philological attention to the social and cultural implications of manuscript variance, I argue that the variation in the manuscript traditions of Bevis and Guy points to a persistent textual interest in the portrayal of romance heroes as engaged in the critical cognitive work of personal reflection and subjective cohesion. This was a particularly important function in relation to the capacity of these texts to provide moral and spiritual models of Christian selfhood for both knights and laypeople.


title: Equilibrium Behaviour of Double-Sided Queueing System with Dependent Matching Time

abstract: In this thesis, we consider the equilibrium behaviour of a double-ended queueing system with dependent matching time in the context of taxi-passenger systems at airport terminal pickup. We extend the standard taxi-passenger model by considering random matching time between taxis and passengers in an airport terminal pickup setting. For two types of matching time distribution, we examine this model through analysis of equilibrium behaviour and optimal strategies. We demonstrate in detail how to derive the equilibrium joining strategies for passengers arriving at the terminal and the existence of a socially optimal strategies for partially observable and fully observable cases. Numerical experiments are used to examine the behaviour of social welfare and compare cases.


title: Reinforcement Learning for Reducing Congestion in Mixed Autonomy Highways

abstract: This thesis focuses on assessing the impact of AVs on improving traffic flow in mixed autonomy collision-free highways. Roads were simulated using micro-traffic models, with adjustments designed to simulate a future world in which Automatic Braking Systems will be good enough to completely prevent rear-end and lane-change collisions on highways. We combined Deep Neural Networks with Reinforcement Learning (Deep Q Networks) to model the AVs, and this approach was tested on single and double lane highways. Among many other salient issues, our results show that replacing only 5% of human-drivers with AVs can, remarkably, improve average road speeds by up to 10% on single lane roads, up to 24% on double lane roads, and also significantly reduce the percentage of fully-stopped cars on average, for most situations. Furthermore, these trends, for the most part, continue to amplify as higher percentages of the human drivers are replaced with AVs.


title: Empire of Liberation: Investigating Soviet Activity in Africa from Khrushchev to Gorbachev

abstract: Africa is often treated as an inconsequential sideshow in the Cold War, with Soviet activity in Africa during this period being discussed only in a regional or sub-regional context. This reduces scholastic understanding of Soviet activity in Africa and Africa's role as a theatre in a truly global Cold War. This thesis is not a survey of Soviet interactions with African partners, but an investigation of trends in Soviet policy towards Africa that become evident with a wider lens. This approach places Soviet activity in a continental and global perspective. This project focuses specifically on the post-Stalin era between 1953 and 1991. While Soviet leaders hesitantly collaborated to defeat the United States and its allies in what the Soviets considered a zero-sum game, this project concludes there was no grand plan towards Africa. This allows for a better understanding of the trajectory of present Russian relations with African states.


title: Studying the Health of Bitcoin Ecosystem in GitHub

abstract: Bitcoin is a virtual cryptocurrency, that operates in a peer-to-peer network. This thesis presents the first comprehensive study of the Bitcoin ecosystem in GitHub organized around 481 Bitcoin-related projects over eight years (2010-2018). Our work includes manual and data-driven categorization of the projects, defining software health metrics, classification of the projects into three different classes of health, and evaluation of trends in the health of the ecosystem. Four classification algorithms such as Decision tree, Support Vector Machines, K-Nearest Neighbor, and Naive Bayes are leveraged to predict the health of a project. The dataset is a combination of GHTorrent and a dataset collected during this study. The main findings suggest that the Bitcoin ecosystem in GitHub is represented by nine categories by manual categorization and 4 clusters based on the data-driven approach. Moreover, most of the projects are assessed as "Low Risk" and decision tree outperforms with an accuracy of 98%.


title: Rational Bureaucratic Actors: Examining Germany's Russlandpolitik

abstract: The relationship between Germany and Russia is complex, with Germany often considered the bridge between the West and Russia. Although balancing western priorities and good relations with Russia has always been a challenge, relations have become even more strained since Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014. Since then, Germany has supported economic sanctions against Russia, sent troops to Russia's borders, played an integral role in the Minsk Accord negotiations, and supported the construction of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline. To explain Germany's seemingly contradictory behaviour, this thesis goes beyond the commonly accepted "dual-track policy" of Germany's Russlandpolitik by analyzing Germany's Russia policies through the lenses of the rational actor and bureaucratic/governmental politics models. Though the bureaucratic/governmental politics model may seem more applicable in describing Germany's Russlandpolitik at first, this thesis finds that the rational actor model more adequately, albeit not perfectly, explains Germany's behaviour vis-à-vis its allies and Russia.


title: Imagining Age-Friendly “Communities Within Communities”: Uncovering Social and Physical Barriers to Age-Friendly Transportation

abstract: Transportation policy and research extensively consider physical barriers to transportation, but often overlook social barriers to using transportation. Given that accessible transportation is associated with decreased prevalence of social exclusion and isolation among seniors who have been identified as most at risk (e.g., seniors with language barriers and mobility limitations), ethnographic field research was conducted in Ottawa to observe seniors' transportation use and explore potential links between transportation poverty and social disadvantages. Interviews and informal discussions were also conducted with seniors, seniors' service providers, bus operators, and transportation managers. The inclusion of multiple perspectives provided insight into seniors' transportation needs while considering how those needs are (or are not) translated into practice. Barriers to transportation involved the interaction between transport and social disadvantages. However, promising practices and/or facilitators of transportation appeared to involve initiatives that aimed to reduce transport poverty by addressing transportation inequities that resulted from social disadvantages.


title: Procedurally-Generated Audio for Soft-Body Interactions

abstract: Procedural audio generation is an important method for automatically synthesizing realistic sounds for computer animations and games. While synthesis techniques for rigid bodies have been well studied, few existing works have tackled the challenges of soft-body interactions. In this dissertation, we explore practical methods for procedural audio generations of soft bodies. First, we synthesize both impulsive and continuous sounds for elastic deformations. Our method is built on granular synthesis that retargets sound tracks of real-world recordings to match the motion of input elastic objects. Next, to synthesize sounds for plastic deformations, we introduce a concatenative synthesis method with a fast feature correlation technique, which is able to calculate the motion events of highly deformable objects at run time and simultaneously generate sounds according to these motion signals. Last but not least, we focus on evaluating the synthesized audio using both subjective and objective techniques, and the results demonstrate that our proposed synthesis methods can produce convincing sounds for soft bodies that are comparable to the recorded ones. Our presented methods do not require computationally expensive physics simulations and have improved previous data-driven synthesis approaches with more efficient analysis, control and evaluation techniques, which makes it possible to automatically generate plausible audio for a variety of soft-body interactions.


title: Soil structure interaction (SSI) analysis of shear wall buildings with a below-ground parkade

abstract: The response of buildings to earthquake is affected by the soil surrounding the below grade portion of the structure, or supporting the foundation. A common seismic design approach is to neglect the soil and analyze the entire free-standing structure for its response to earthquake ground motion applied at the foundation. Soil-structure interaction (SSI) effects are not considered in routine design. Concerns have been expressed whether the foregoing approach is acceptable. The analytical research undertaken in this thesis evaluates the response of shear wall buildings with towers of variable heights, but with a five-level below-grade parkade in Vancouver. The analysis provides insight into the effects of the inertial and kinematic components of SSI, and the results are compared with the traditional approach. The results illustrated that there is magnification in seismic response with SSI, and the effect depends on various parameters. Therefore, ignoring SSI may lead to unsafe design.