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  • Quintopolis.

    Resource Type:
    Thesis
    Creator:
    Weir, Scott A.
    Thesis Degree:
    Master of Architecture (M.Arch.)
    Thesis Degree Discipline:
    Architecture
    Date Created:
    2000

  • Visualizing a hypertext narrative.

    Resource Type:
    Thesis
    Creator:
    Fraser, Jennifer
    Thesis Degree:
    Master of Architecture (M.Arch.)
    Thesis Degree Discipline:
    Architecture
    Date Created:
    2000

  • The architecture of war : a conflict generated architecture

    Resource Type:
    Thesis
    Creator:
    Al-Rawi, Reem
    Abstract:
    In cities of conflicts, the damage of war has become the visual common denominator that defines the region of destruction and vulnerability. According to Jonathan Budd, “the term 'Warchitecture' describes the condition of war waged specifically as the destruction of architecture."3 But the visual impact of such destruction is only the first stage in a long series of negative impacts which have social, cultural and humanitarian consequences. When the visual contact, or rather 'touch' with such conditions is made through the remains of destroyed architectural structures, it becomes understandable that it is architecture itself which is then responsible for the renewed existence, or the lack of, necessary elements that each society needs to restore and regenerate itself.
    Thesis Degree:
    Master of Architecture (M.Arch.)
    Thesis Degree Discipline:
    Architecture
    Date Created:
    2010

  • Modifactured : hacking the tools of architectural design

    Resource Type:
    Thesis
    Creator:
    Alford, Janak Babaji
    Abstract:
    This thesis considers the numerous, complex, and sometimes redundant tools of architectural design and attempts to unify them with a hacker approach. A hacker mentality allows one to consider the problems of design from the tools outward. Focusing on the ‘how’ instead of the ‘what’ to design, a hacker reconsiders the existing methods and concepts and recombines them to find new potential. Three hacker projects of architecture are considered: Katalogos, a tool to map and archive Internet media and references, nTerface, a hybrid drawing interface, and the Modifacture Machine, a fabricating instrument. Each ‘toolhack’ flows directly into the next, resulting in a critical practice that incorporates the best of human- and computer-assisted design in a singular process. Hacking the tools of design and manufacturing then becomes a way to reevaluate the looming challenges of energy generation and transportation. The hacker becomes a key individual in a de-globalized world.
    Thesis Degree:
    Master of Architecture (M.Arch.)
    Thesis Degree Discipline:
    Architecture
    Date Created:
    2011

  • Architecture doubt uncertainty.

    Resource Type:
    Thesis
    Creator:
    West, Mark
    Abstract:
    The drawings and accompanying text of this thesis describe a fictional culture (the Cypherians) possessed of an amorphous and indeterminant nature. Through this pretence the inevitable conditions of doubt and uncertainty confront the equally inevitable imperatives of determination and explanation. The charge of the enigmatic is thereby embraced, serving as the foundation for this work which is both descriptive of a condition of being and making, and speculative about its implications for an architecture which shares this same embrace.
    Thesis Degree:
    Master of Architecture (M.Arch.)
    Thesis Degree Discipline:
    Architecture
    Date Created:
    1997

  • Canadian jobs amid a pandemic: examining the relationship between professional industry and salary to regional key performance indicators

    Resource Type:
    Report
    Creator:
    Patsula, Michael, Tran, Christopher, Wang, Christopher, Khalil, Hoda, Dick, Kevin, Melone, Benjamin, Wainer, Gabriel, and Anilkumar, Rahul
    Abstract:
    The COVID-19 pandemic has contributed to massive rates of unemployment and greater uncertainty in the job market. There is a growing need for data-driven tools and analyses to better inform the public on trends within the job market. In particular, obtaining a “snapshot” of available employment opportunities mid-pandemic promises insights to inform policy and support retraining programs. In this work, we combine data scraped from the Canadian Job Bank and Numbeo globally crowd-sourced repository to explore the relationship between job postings during a global pandemic and Key Performance Indicators (e.g. quality of life index, cost of living) for major cities across Canada. This analysis aims to help Canadians make informed career decisions, collect a “snapshot” of the Canadian employment opportunities amid a pandemic, and inform job seekers in identifying the correct fit between the desired lifestyle of a city and their career. We collected a new high-quality dataset of job postings from jobbank.gc.ca obtained with the use of ethical web scraping and performed exploratory data analysis on this dataset to identify job opportunity trends. When optimizing for average salary of job openings with quality of life, affordability, cost of living, and traffic indices, it was found that Edmonton, AB consistently scores higher than the mean, and is therefore an attractive place to move. Furthermore, we identified optimal provinces to relocate to with respect to individual skill levels. It was determined that Ajax, Marathon, and Chapleau, ON are each attractive cities for IT professionals, construction workers, and healthcare workers respectively when maximizing average salary. Finally, we publicly release our scraped dataset as a mid-pandemic snapshot of Canadian employment opportunities and present a public web application that provides an interactive visual interface that summarizes our findings for the general public and the broader research community.
    Date Created:
    2022-06-08

  • Organized labour and the Laurier administration: the fortunes of a pressure group.

    Resource Type:
    Thesis
    Creator:
    Atkinson, William David
    Thesis Degree:
    Master of Arts (M.A.)
    Thesis Degree Discipline:
    History
    Date Created:
    1958

  • An examination of the role of the Board of Transport Commissioners for Canada as a regulatory tribunal.

    Resource Type:
    Thesis
    Creator:
    Wright, Arthur Robert
    Abstract:
    In order to fully comprehend the working of an administrative board or tribunal it is first necessary to establish the principles which form the basis of their operations. The concept of justice and equanimity between parties has come down to us in the form or theory of "a rule of law”. In attempting to examine the role of the Board of Transport Commissioners in so far as it affects railways in Canada the concepts of natural justice and impartiality form the test pattern in the light of which the history, development, and operation of transportation is examined and the procedure, practice and problems of the Board are discussed. An examination of the historical development, character, functions and practices of the Board, bearing in mind the evolution of the transport industry and the requirements of a "rule of law” even in administrative or quasi-judicial bodies, leads to the conclusion that it cannot be described accurately by either "administrative" or "judicial" designations. It is, nevertheless, possible to devise a "rule of law" in the administrative sense. It is the central thesis of this paper that the Board of Transport Commissioners for Canada is a judicial body possessing those aspects of administrative tribunals which are conducive to flexibility and informality in the discharge of its supervisory and regulatory functions.
    Thesis Degree:
    Master of Arts (M.A.)
    Thesis Degree Discipline:
    Public Administration
    Date Created:
    1962

  • The architect as creator of environments: Victor Gruen, visionary pioneer of urban revitalizations.

    Resource Type:
    Thesis
    Creator:
    Azrieli, David J.
    Abstract:
    This thesis will examine the social considerations which underlie Victor Gruen’s approach to urban planning and design. Known as the creator of the modern enclosed shopping mall, Gruen’s efforts were also concentrated in the revitalization and redevelopment of a number of cities and towns. Gruen’s work is of particular interest because of its social component: his consideration for the human condition and his desire to improve man’s quality of life through the design of multi-functional architecture. The requirements of the eventual "user" were, therefore, of the utmost importance and Gruen’s feasibility studies employed multi-disciplinary teams in attempting to fulfil "user" needs. Gruen’s ideal urban core positioned the commercial center as the core’s focal point, serving as a catalyst for economic and recreational activity. His vision was modern equivalent of the European market square, drawing great numbers of people for the dual purpose of commercial and social exchanges.
    Thesis Degree:
    Master of Architecture (M.Arch.)
    Thesis Degree Discipline:
    Architecture
    Date Created:
    1997

  • Aptamer Technology for Diabetes and Co-Morbidities

    Resource Type:
    Thesis
    Creator:
    Ferguson, Madison Quinn
    Abstract:
    Given that the number of people who are diagnosed with diabetes continues to rise at an alarming rate, there is a pressing need for therapeutic interventions that are either more efficient or potentially curative. Furthermore, comorbidities such as kidney failure, thrombosis, thyroid dysfunction, Alzheimer's disease, and an increased risk of severe illness from common viral and bacterial infections are more likely to occur in people who have type 2 diabetes. The advancement of nanotechnology may lead to the diagnostics and therapies that could improve the survival and quality of life of patients with diabetes. Aptamers are oligonucleotides that have the ability to bind to a particular target with a high degree of specificity as well as affinity. Systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (SELEX) is an in vitro evolution method that is responsible for the generation of aptamers. It has been shown that aptamers may function as medicines, diagnostics, theragnostics, targeted delivery vehicles, responsive materials and more. This work examines the application of aptamers to diabetes and related comorbidities. The selection and preliminary characterization of aptamers able to interact with Islet amyloid polypeptide (IAPP), a potential causative factor in the development of type II diabetes, are described. An aptamer-based diagnostic for the acute kidney failure biomarker neutrophil gelatinase lipocalin protein is also developed. An aptamer-modified janus nanoparticle system is investigated as a potential theragnostic for thrombosis that could combine photothermal therapy and magnetic resonance imaging. Finally, aptamers for the spike protein component 2 of SARS-CoV2 and a database for aptamer selection experiments are briefly described.
    Thesis Degree:
    Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
    Thesis Degree Discipline:
    Chemistry
    Date Created:
    2022

  • Using Bipartite Matching and Detection Transformers for Document Layout Analysis Transfer Learning

    Resource Type:
    Thesis
    Creator:
    Wilson, Joshua Randy
    Abstract:
    Business documents represent useful information which could benefit from automatic interpretation. The task of document layout analysis seeks to identify and localize semantic structures in documents. Contemporary techniques approach this as a strictly visual task. However, recent progress in Natural Language Processing (NLP) has enabled the incorporation of language information. Multimodal techniques have been proposed for the task of document layout analysis. These models make use of region based object detection techniques which require defining surrogate tasks such as region proposals and non-max suppression. This thesis presents LayoutLMDet, a multimodal layout analysis model. LayoutLMDet approaches object detection as a direct set prediction task as described in "End-to-End Object Detection with Transformers". Using bipartite matching, LayoutLMDet removes the need for surrogate tasks, simplifying implementation. Leveraging a pretrained transformer encoder, LayoutLMDet is able to achieve a mean average precision of 49.5 on the DocLayNet test dataset. A qualitative comparison of LayoutLMDets performance on the DocBank dataset highlights the impact of data selection.
    Thesis Degree:
    Master of Applied Science (M.App.Sc.)
    Thesis Degree Discipline:
    Engineering, Electrical and Computer
    Date Created:
    2023

  • Valuable Materials, Invaluable Relationships: Exploring Indigenous Culture and Sovereignty Through Moose and Caribou Hair Tufting in the NWT

    Resource Type:
    Thesis
    Creator:
    Wenzel, Abra
    Abstract:
    Moose and caribou hair tufting is an important Subarctic women's artform in the Mackenzie Valley, Northwest Territories. However, tuftings and tufters have historically been identified following non-Indigenous ideologies rooted in colonialism and capitalist values, resulting in labels such as "craft", and "artisan", that are difficult to change. This practice has undervalued, if not dismissed, Indigenous artists, their artistry and by and large their art. This dissertation takes a multi-sited approach using archival records, museum objects, and interviews with tourism shop employees, and especially with tufting artists to elucidate the complex ways artists have employed their art to traverse cultural borders. In tracing the history of tufting, I discuss how women have used their artistry as acts of agential resistance to re-assert their own cultural and place-rooted relationships and meanings in the face of centuries of colonial violations. The central objective of my research is to make clear the dimensions of significance engaged with in hair tuftings by Dene, Métis, and Inuvialuit artists. I show how important values such as skill, landscape, and culture are a connected whole that is embodied within each tufting. A second objective is to uncover how important Indigenous values were and continue to be impacted by colonization. In my early chapters, I explain how Western values were imposed on Indigenous peoples and livelihoods. Thus, the Indigenous values attached to artistic making were regarded as inferior as viewed through Western critics' lenses. Third, I discuss the ways tufters have used their creations as sites of sovereignty to continuously negotiate and challenge colonial endeavors and carry these vital knowledges and values into the future. A critical outcome of this research has been the deconstruction of the colonial spaces that have silenced Indigenous peoples and their textile creations. Here I have offered a revisionist narrative that is informed by artists, Elders, and community members to provide a critical understanding of the multiplicity of values that are essential to Indigenous societies. Finally, this dissertation reflects on my positionality as an anthropologist and highlights to importance of "listening" as a methodology.
    Thesis Degree:
    Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
    Thesis Degree Discipline:
    Anthropology
    Date Created:
    2023

  • Bring on the Apocalypse: Nostalgia and Tragedy in Hugo Santiago's Aquilea

    Resource Type:
    Thesis
    Creator:
    Rojas Anaya, Daniel
    Abstract:
    Hugo Santiago's films about the apocalypse of the fictional city of Aquilea work as an allegory to Argentina's blood bath during General Onganía's and General Videla's dictatorships (1966-1983). Invasion (1969) and The Sidewalks of Saturn (1985) portray an obsessive nostalgia that motivates the character's ideological performance of memento mori and pro patria mori. These tropes perpetuate a tradition that I have coined as the defeated defender myth, which expresses the glorification of the willingness to self-sacrifice as a heroic act and is reminiscent of the Argentine emblematic gaucho-martyrs tradition. Thus, philosopher Steve Rose's model of suicide (2015) contributes to understanding the influence of nostalgia and future nostalgia in enforcing the major and minor phenomenological forces that shape these tragic identities. Ultimately, this thesis finds that this romanticization of self-sacrifice illustrates Hugo Santiago's project of constructing an insurrectionary national identity that conversely practices a murderous cult of memory.
    Thesis Degree:
    Master of Arts (M.A.)
    Thesis Degree Discipline:
    Film Studies
    Date Created:
    2023

  • A Web Based Architecture to Operationalize Geospatial Simulation Environments

    Resource Type:
    Thesis
    Creator:
    St-Aubin, Bruno
    Abstract:
    Simulation is inherently multi-disciplinary. It requires knowledge about the system under study, expertise in simulation theory to define models and programming skills to implement models. Geospatial simulation requires an additional layer of expertise in topology, geospatial data structures, spatial analysis, computational geometry, and other related topics. Commercial modeling and simulation software can be used to provide an environment to facilitate simulation studies for users. However, these software tend to be narrowly scoped to specific business applications and tightly couple model and simulator. As such, it is difficult to expand their usage and reuse them outside of the application domain they were intended for. The Discrete Event System Specification (DEVS) is a modular and hierarchical simulation formalism that clearly separates the model, simulator and experiments. It can be used break down the disciplinary silos within which single-use simulators are built and allow users to study real-world systems from a broad range of application domains. In this research, we present an architecture that facilitates the operationalization of DEVS based, geospatial simulation environments in multidisciplinary projects. The architecture relies on a clear definition of roles and responsibilities to leverage the different skillsets in an organization. It considers a series of business processes for modelers, subject matter experts, web developers and end users. It relies on a web-based architecture to provide simulation as a service capability and support users across the entire simulation lifecycle. It seeks to democratize DEVS simulation by making use of the strengths and skills available in larger organizations and by providing the necessary tools for collaboration. Importantly, it preserves key features of DEVS (genericity, modularity, flexibility, etc.) and encourages users to follow best practices in model documentation to foster model reusability and improve model discoverability. It relies on modeling and simulation as a service to overcome technological barriers of entry for DEVS simulation and provide a set of reusable tools to design simulation-based, web applications for end users.
    Thesis Degree:
    Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
    Thesis Degree Discipline:
    Engineering, Electrical and Computer
    Date Created:
    2023

  • A Retrospective Longitudinal Study of Federally Incarcerated Men Eligible for Intermediate Mental Health Care: A Description of Services and Short-Term Outcomes

    Resource Type:
    Thesis
    Creator:
    Petropoulos, Amanda
    Abstract:
    Intermediate care units have been proposed to meet the needs of incarcerated individuals with moderate mental health needs. Few studies have examined their profiles, and nature and effectiveness of interventions received. In the current study, the profiles of 295 incarcerated men in Canadian federal institutions were examined. File reviews were conducted over a 12 month period to extract treatment information as well as assess changes in number of incidents of self-harm, attempted suicide, overdose, and violence, and mental health needs. Coarsened exact matching and descriptive analyses revealed differences in the profiles across three treatment levels (mental health care delivered in: intermediate care units, treatment centres or mainstream institutions); roughly 30% improvement on all outcomes was observed across the groups. Overall findings highlight the need to further explore how best to meet the needs of incarcerated individuals assessed with moderate mental health needs, as this remains important for future management.
    Thesis Degree:
    Master of Arts (M.A.)
    Thesis Degree Discipline:
    Psychology
    Date Created:
    2023

  • Exploring Latent Biometric Constructs in a Model Predicting Mental States of Aviators

    Resource Type:
    Thesis
    Creator:
    Pejemsky, Anya Danilovna
    Abstract:
    Single-crew aircraft persistently have a high accident rate; these accidents are associated with high mental workload (MWL). The aviation industry would benefit from a passive MWL monitoring system that would predict flight performance. Passive biosensors offer an economical and non-intrusive method for indexing MWL. Many studies have overemphasized tonic data while ignoring phasic data. The present study explores the viability of a phasic data centered model in indexing MWL to predict flight performance. The study had non-pilots fly a simulator. Cardiovascular and epidermal data, objective and subjective MWL states, subjective reports of simulator sickness, and a variety of flight performance indicators were measured. The data were decomposed into several components to build formative latent variables that were pruned based on an objective MWL measure to then predict flight performance measures. The results indicate that phasic components explain more variance in flight performance than objective and subjective MWL and tonic data.
    Thesis Degree:
    Master of Arts (M.A.)
    Thesis Degree Discipline:
    Psychology
    Date Created:
    2023

  • A Comprehensive Solution to Predict Short-term and Long-term user Intention with Environmental Context

    Resource Type:
    Thesis
    Creator:
    Zhang, Hang
    Abstract:
    Prediction of user intention is an important task in business intelligence and analysis. Our research divides user intention into short-term and long-term, corresponding to the first purchase and repurchase scenarios respectively. To model short-term user consumption intention prediction, we present a comprehensive solution based on extracting user sequence behavior features and computing user different types of interest scores. At the same time, we take environmental context into consideration to explore the occurrence environment of user behavior. To detect long-term intention, we use a combined topic modeling method to extract aspects from user reviews with an unsupervised method. Our research builds a HGNN and RGCN using sentiment polarity, aspects, and items as nodes and edges of the graph neural network. This method entirely considers the close relation between user sentiment polarity change and item features, and the solution shows good performance when compared with the baseline model in the experiments.
    Thesis Degree:
    Master of Information Technology (M.I.T.)
    Thesis Degree Discipline:
    Digital Media
    Date Created:
    2023

  • Space Architecture and the Development of a Martian Habitat using Computational Design

    Resource Type:
    Thesis
    Creator:
    Zerrad, Yakine
    Abstract:
    Living in space is a subject that attracts the attention of many researchers, astronomers, entrepreneurs, and engineers because it allows the development of new technologies that will be available to humanity in the future. The idea of living beyond the earth is now connected to the planet of Mars, reaching which has become possible, and according to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, humans can make the journey to Mars; the problem is related to money. The aim of my thesis is to enable students and other interested parties to acknowledge the three points of computational design, space architecture, and the planet Mars to help them to better understand the subject before moving to the design of the Mars habitat, called Z habitat. Moreover, through a series of workshops, I have created a framework that use Rhinoceros 3D and Grasshopper to design a habitat for Mars.
    Thesis Degree:
    Master of Architecture (M.Arch.)
    Thesis Degree Discipline:
    Architecture
    Date Created:
    2023

  • Differential Introgression Between the Northern and Southern Extents of the Lodgepole x Jack Pine Hybrid Zone Suggests Environmentally-driven Selection and Local Adaptation.

    Resource Type:
    Thesis
    Creator:
    Yaremchuk, Danya Daria
    Abstract:
    Lodgepole and jack pine form a mosaic hybrid zone in western Canada. Introgression occurs between lodgepole and jack pine through this hybrid zone by repeated backcrossing with advanced generation hybrid progeny. Using environmentally-associated SNPs identified by redundancy analyses, we examined patterns of introgression between the northern and southern extents of this hybrid zone to identify differential introgression. Through genomic cline analyses, we found extensive introgression of these SNPs through the hybrid zone. Twenty-eight SNPs had significantly different patterns of introgression between the northern and southern extents. Fine-scale patterns revealed several SNPs that were introgressing more frequently than expected, suggesting adaptive introgression. We found that adaptive introgression is occurring more frequently in the northern hybrid extent compared to the southern hybrid extent, suggesting different environmental pressures. Using gene annotations and major allele frequency maps, we identified evidence of differing environmental pressures resulting in putative local adaptation within this hybrid zone.
    Thesis Degree:
    Master of Science (M.Sc.)
    Thesis Degree Discipline:
    Biology
    Date Created:
    2023

  • Simulating 3D Tailings Dam Breach With Thixotropic Bifurcation Rheology using the Material Point Method

    Resource Type:
    Thesis
    Creator:
    Xia, Xuexin
    Abstract:
    Mining is a booming industry and it indirectly involves everyone living in modern society. Tailings, the primary solid waste generated as the side effect of extracting valuable minerals, often require vast facilities to store the large quantity of waste. Failure of tailings storage facilities often causes significant damage both environmentally and economically, and frequently results in fatalities. Nowadays numerical simulation of tailings flows resulting from potential failures has become widespread in practice to assist the design of tailings storage facilities. In this thesis, tailings runout simulations are attempted using a numerical method suitable for large deformation analysis (Material Points Method) employing an advanced rheological model. This study aims to simulate the runout of tailings dam breach incident such as Merriespruit in South Africa using realistic geotechnical properties and producing results that fulfill the expectations from both geo-mechanical and hydrodynamical requirements.
    Thesis Degree:
    Master of Applied Science (M.App.Sc.)
    Thesis Degree Discipline:
    Engineering, Environmental
    Date Created:
    2023

  • Early life programming of neurodevelopment and growth: understanding nutritional, inflammatory, and placental contributions in complex pregnancies

    Resource Type:
    Thesis
    Creator:
    White, Marina
    Abstract:
    There is substantial evidence to show that inadequate nutrition in the periconceptional, pre- and post-natal periods can profoundly influence developmental and health trajectories of the embryo, fetus, and infant. However, improved knowledge on how nutritional factors may exacerbate, or lessen, suboptimal fetal and infant outcomes in pregnancies complicated by additional adversities is needed. To help address this knowledge gap, two core projects were undertaken to investigate relationships between perinatal nutritional factors (at the molecular, individual, and household levels), the placenta, and fetal or infant neurodevelopment and growth in: 1. pregnancies carrying a fetus with a neural tube defect (NTD), and 2. pregnancies affected by maternal HIV infection. In the first population, we show for the first time that fetal NTDs associate with placental maldevelopment and dysfunction, evidenced by an increased risk of placental pathologies and dysregulation in fundamental placental gene networks, including nutrient transport. Several dysregulated placental gene networks in fetuses with NTDs were sensitive to multiple nutrients, emphasizing the need for research to expand beyond a folic acid-centric view to identify new targets for NTD prevention and improve outcomes in fetuses with NTDs. In the second population, we found that infants who were exposed to maternal HIV infection and antiretroviral therapies in early life are susceptible to the adverse effects of suboptimal nutritional exposures both pre- and postnatally, evidenced by poorer growth outcomes in infants exposed to HIV and household food insecurity. We also found that there is potential for early life nutritional factors to be leveraged to improve outcomes in these infants. An integrated understanding of how nutritional exposures at the molecular, individual, and household/community levels contribute to fetal and infant programming in children exposed to suboptimal prenatal environments is key for developing interventions to improve developmental trajectories and lifecycle health globally.
    Thesis Degree:
    Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
    Thesis Degree Discipline:
    Health Sciences
    Date Created:
    2022

  • Analysis of Open-Source Data in Wind Power Prediction Modeling

    Resource Type:
    Thesis
    Creator:
    von Zuben, Elizabeth Lynn
    Abstract:
    As identified in the 2021 IPCC AR6 WGIII report, wind energy has a high potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The deployment of wind energy, however, has fallen behind its potential in part because of the need for improved wind power predictions. This thesis combines historical power production data, meteorological station data, reanalysis data, and numerical weather prediction output data (WRF model) to determine the optimal combination of data sources and variables for wind power prediction using a random forests model. A study then further evaluates reanalysis data and methods of bias correction for this type of data, to improve power predictions at 52 wind farms across Canada using power curve and machine learning methods. Recommendations are proposed for: the use of data sources and important input variables; the utility of global reanalysis data sources by terrain features; and the utility of bias correction methods for downstream wind power prediction.
    Thesis Degree:
    Master of Applied Science (M.App.Sc.)
    Thesis Degree Discipline:
    Engineering, Mechanical
    Date Created:
    2022

  • Unveiling Macrophage-Biofilm Interactions: Implications for Cellular Metabolism and Wound Healing

    Resource Type:
    Thesis
    Creator:
    Versey, Zoya
    Abstract:
    Chronic wounds are challenging to treat, prolong hospitalization, and may lead to infection and/or amputations. Bacterial biofilms impair wound healing and promote a low-grade inflammatory response. Macrophages are chronically activated in a pro-inflammatory state and are unable to promote tissue repair. It is unclear the macrophage-biofilm interactions that drive this persistent pro-inflammatory activation. In this study, we found that treatment of bone marrow-derived macrophages with conditioned medium from single-species biofilms of Staphylococcus aureus or Pseudomonas aeruginosa resulted in different patterns of mitochondrial reprogramming and inflammatory responses. S. aureus induced a low-grade inflammatory response, associated with a transient reprogramming of the mitochondria. Alternatively, P. aeruginosa induced a hyperinflammatory response associated with sustained mitochondrial reprogramming. Both SA and PA treatments induced terminal reprogramming towards sustained inflammation in macrophages. Our findings imply that secreted factors from biofilms of different species alter mitochondrial function to rewire macrophages to promote prolonged inflammation in chronic wounds.
    Thesis Degree:
    Master of Science (M.Sc.)
    Thesis Degree Discipline:
    Health Sciences
    Date Created:
    2023

  • Ontario youth workers' discourses on overrepresentation of Indigenous youth in the criminal legal system

    Resource Type:
    Thesis
    Creator:
    Venczel, Elizabeth
    Abstract:
    In an age of reconciliation, following the TRC's recommendations and the work of activists, the issue of Indigenous youth overrepresentation in the criminal legal system is being problematized more than ever. Although the use of incarceration towards criminalized youth has decreased since the adoption of the YCJA which emphasizes diversion, the overrepresentation of Indigenous youth has increased. This thesis explores the discourses and experiences of youth workers in Ontario in order to understand their perspectives on the problem of overrepresentation, focusing particularly on the critical role of the police in filtering in or out criminalizable youth. Although the youth workers interviewed in this project identify many contemporary issues in the policing of Indigenous youth, their discourses reveal the limits of attempts to tackle the problem of overrepresentation through reforms of criminal legal frameworks and institutions.
    Thesis Degree:
    Master of Arts (M.A.)
    Thesis Degree Discipline:
    Legal Studies
    Date Created:
    2023

  • Human Factors in Drone Delivery of Automatic External Defibrillators for Out of Hospital Cardiac Arrest: Older Adult Considerations

    Resource Type:
    Thesis
    Creator:
    Tierney, Lauren Jamie
    Abstract:
    Automatic External Defibrillators (AED) delivered by drone have the potential to improve survival rates of Out of Hospital Cardiac Arrests (OHCA) due to earlier access to defibrillation. There is a lack of user-centred, and older adult-focused research in this area. The present study evaluated the perceptions and interactions of older adults with a drone delivered AED operation to identify human factors considerations that may enable the design development of a more inclusive and accessible drone delivered AED service. A Drone Bystander Centred Design Framework (DBCD) was developed and informed design concepts for key service touchpoints, including the drone, the drop mechanism, AED packaging, and dispatch communication. Results from this study provide novel insight into older adult characteristics and how they may relate to this emerging service model, older adults' service experience of a simulated drone delivered AED, as well as cognitive, psychographic, sensory, perception, and movement control considerations.
    Thesis Degree:
    Master of Design (M.Des.)
    Thesis Degree Discipline:
    Industrial Design
    Date Created:
    2023

  • Quantitative Assessment of Teleworking on Energy Consumption and Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions

    Resource Type:
    Thesis
    Creator:
    Simon, Sharane
    Abstract:
    Teleworking offers various socioeconomic benefits to society, but its environmental impact remains poorly understood. Using eleven participants from Ottawa, Canada, a year-long pilot study was designed and implemented to quantify energy usage and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in three domains: home office, transportation, and information and communications technology (ICT). The results show that transportation and home heating and cooling account for >94% of the energy associated with teleworking. Home office equipment, lighting, and ICT account for the remaining 6%, with an insignificant impact on GHG emissions (<2%) due to the low-carbon electricity grid. The results indicate teleworking will likely result in a net reduction in energy use and GHG emissions compared to conventional working arrangements due to reduced daily commute, especially when employees travel long distances to their company offices via personal vehicles. However, teleworking's net impact is highly variable, dependent on personal choices, routines, purchasing decisions, and household structure.
    Thesis Degree:
    Master of Applied Science (M.App.Sc.)
    Thesis Degree Discipline:
    Engineering, Building
    Date Created:
    2022

  • Towards a More Inclusive Museum: Developing Multi-Sensory Approaches to the Visual Arts for Visually Impaired Audiences

    Resource Type:
    Thesis
    Creator:
    Berube, Patricia
    Abstract:
    This thesis investigates the contribution of multi-sensoriality to the understanding and appreciation of two-dimensional artworks, such as drawings or paintings, by people with visual impairments. This exploratory study was conducted from a disability studies perspective, in which the researcher's role was that of a facilitator and the participants were experts of their own experience. This participatory action project draws on interdisciplinary research practices in several interrelated fields, including accessibility and disability studies, blindness studies, anthropology of the senses, tactile perception and haptics, and translation studies. Previous research focused primarily on initiatives to translate visual arts into tactile content to make them accessible to people with visual impairments. The present study contributes to multi-sensory initiatives for the low-vision and blind community, drawing on research findings of sensory museology and cognitive psychology to deepen our knowledge about multi-sensory translation. Data collected from three rounds of individual interviews and one co-design session with visually impaired participants was examined using a qualitative methodology. A thematic analysis was developed to inform design decisions and identify barriers to inclusion in art museums. The study also included the co-creation of multi-sensory translations of Franklin Carmichael's painting In the Nickel Belt (1928) and Outport Icon #2 (2001-2002) by Duncan de Kergommeaux. The broader findings of this study provide evidence to support the notion that touch and hearing can play a valuable role in conveying the nature of art to visually impaired visitors, giving them greater autonomy in their interpretation. This study challenges the long-standing tradition of museums relying on vision as the only acceptable sense through which visitors can access visual arts. While further work may be needed to assess the degree of equivalence between experiencing a painting through sight and accessing it through touch and hearing, this project establishes a foundation for further research and initiatives pertaining to the implementation of anti-ocularcentric approaches in museums. Keywords: Accessibility, Anti-ocularcentrism, Blindness, Co-design, Mediation, Multi-sensory, Museums, Museology, Painting, Visual arts, Visual impairments, 3D printing.
    Thesis Degree:
    Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
    Thesis Degree Discipline:
    Cultural Mediations
    Date Created:
    2023

  • No Decision About Us Without Us: Informing Rare Disease Policies in Canada with the Lived Experiences of Patients and Families with Rare Genetic Lysosomal Storage Diseases

    Resource Type:
    Thesis
    Creator:
    Khaddouj Awada, Nahya
    Abstract:
    Canadians born with rare diseases (RDs) experience a myriad of challenges as they navigate the healthcare system to access lifesaving drugs and related services. Canada lags behind other advanced industrialized countries in implementing a comprehensive national strategy to manage RDs and facilitate access to drugs for rare diseases (DRDs). The existing provincially managed system for accessing DRDs is fragmented, uneven, and uncoordinated. It is not reflective of patient experiences but rather aggravates patient challenges, including delayed access to treatment and inconsistent decision-making for drug coverage. The central purpose of this dissertation is to understand how lived experiences of RD patients can inform health policy and the healthcare system to improve RD care. Drawing from semi-structured interviews with RD (lysosomal storage diseases) patients and their families and a review of policy documents, this dissertation uncovers four major challenges encountered by RD patients beyond gaining access to DRDs. These include 1) difficulty in obtaining a timely correct diagnosis; 2) lack of coordinated, efficient, and holistic patient care; 3) lack of consideration of patient voice in decision-making processes; and 4) difficulty in navigating the healthcare system due to stigmatization. This dissertation also finds that the patchwork of programs that govern access to DRDs in Canadian provinces has been ineffective and has failed to support patients in receiving timely and equitable access to DRDs. The above factors demonstrate the necessity for a comprehensive national strategy for RDs that goes beyond an orphan drug framework and addresses the holistic needs of the patient population. Patients and families must be centrally included in the continuum of care and the policymaking process. Such a framework empowers people affected by RDs and reduces their marginalization and exclusion. This dissertation fills important gaps in the existing literature. It delivers important data and insights 1) by collecting extensive, hitherto unavailable, experiential data from RD patients and their families by bringing their unique voices to the policy table; 2) by making patient-centered recommendations for the proposed national RD strategy; and 3) by offering a structured patient engagement framework in the RD sector to meaningfully engage RD patients in decision-making.
    Thesis Degree:
    Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
    Thesis Degree Discipline:
    Public Policy
    Date Created:
    2023

  • Green Space, Physical Activity, and Complete Mental Health: Evidence from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging

    Resource Type:
    Thesis
    Creator:
    Forget, Genevieve
    Abstract:
    Bioecological theory (Bronfenbrenner, 1979) suggests that local green space and physical activity may be associated with complete mental health; however, evidence is mixed. Mixed findings may be attributable to the different operationalizations of variables and/or covariates that have been used. The current study used specification curve analysis to assess the robustness of associations between green space, physical activity, and complete mental health among middle-aged and older adults. Data came from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging and the Canadian Urban Environmental Health Research Consortium (n = 28,635). Green space and physical activity did not interact in most instances. Main effects of green space were mixed (49.71 - 75.26%), and median effect sizes were small (β = -0.016, 0.025). Main effects of physical activity were robust (89.47 - 97.22%), and median effect sizes were small (β = -0.036, 0.036). Results highlight that specification decisions influence the strength of associations between variables.
    Thesis Degree:
    Master of Arts (M.A.)
    Thesis Degree Discipline:
    Psychology
    Date Created:
    2023

  • A System for Bounding the Execution Cost of Web Assembly Functions

    Resource Type:
    Thesis
    Creator:
    Shortt, John
    Abstract:
    WebAssembly is a programming language and virtual machine architecture that allows code to be executed in any environment that implements a WebAssembly runtime. WebAssembly has been formally specified using an abstract syntax, and a soundness proof of this specification has been written and mechanized. We build on this to create a system that determines a bound on the runtime cost of a WebAssembly function. We show that for a broad class of real-world programs this cost can be computed efficiently and we develop a software tool called WANALYZE that does so. The software tool is comprised of a set of algorithms that perform a series of transformations on the raw WebAssembly bytecode into forms that are more suitable for analysis. We test WANALYZE against a suite of programs of varying size and complexity and find that WANALYZE is able to successfully analyze over 99.9% of the functions in these programs.
    Thesis Degree:
    Master of Computer Science (M.C.S.)
    Thesis Degree Discipline:
    Computer Science
    Date Created:
    2023

  • Exploring Accessibility and Companionship in Boardgames via Alexa

    Resource Type:
    Thesis
    Creator:
    Karim, Saman
    Abstract:
    The inaccessibility of rulebooks hinders the rule learning experience of boardgame players who are blind or low vision (BLV). We explore the design of conversational agents (CAs) to support players' learning needs and provide companionship by conducting two qualitative studies. In study 1, 14 boardgame players who are BLV first identified their rule learning challenges and co-designed desired social and functional characteristics of CAs to combat these challenges. Based on these findings, we developed a CA using Amazon Alexa and 9 players who are BLV evaluated our CA in study 2. Our findings generated five design principles for CAs to support boardgame rule learning: conciseness, ease of navigation, customization, supplementary features, and social characteristics. These principles guide designers and researchers in exploring the novel design space. Our research also demonstrates the feasibility of our method for conducting accessible remote co-design and evaluation with participants who are BLV.
    Thesis Degree:
    Master of Computer Science (M.C.S.)
    Thesis Degree Discipline:
    Computer Science
    Date Created:
    2023

  • The Role of Terraces in the Inca Empire

    Resource Type:
    Thesis
    Creator:
    Jensen, Philip D.
    Abstract:
    This thesis assesses the theoretical and empirical evidence that would support the proposition that terraces played a number of important roles in the Inca empire. The Incas borrowed and developed much more extensively, practices and statecraft from earlier Andean civilizations. Although the Incas relied on their predecessors, they also advanced their own distinctive statecraft which tied together ideology and practical means to grow and manage the empire. Terrace use and construction by the Incas were both more sophisticated and served several purposes beyond those in earlier civilizations. This paper finds little evidence that Wittfogel's hydraulic society theory was applicable to the Inca empire but is more persuaded that Andean spirituality, ideology and terrace use had natural links to aspects of Actor Network Theory. Important roles terraces played in the Inca empire included: economic, political, scientific, architectural, support to the military and state administration, aesthetic/ornamental, ecological, and spiritual.
    Thesis Degree:
    Master of Arts (M.A.)
    Thesis Degree Discipline:
    Anthropology
    Date Created:
    2023

  • Anisotropy and Non-coaxial Behaviour of Sand Along Different Strain Paths

    Resource Type:
    Thesis
    Creator:
    Selvarajah, Premnath
    Abstract:
    Anisotropic characteristics of granular soil, consolidated to various initial stress states, were evaluated under generalized strain paths using hollow cylinder torsional shear tests. Fraser River sand samples prepared by water pluviation were subjected to isotropic and anisotropic consolidation stresses and sheared under undrained con- ditions along specific strain paths characterized by constant intermediate principal strain parameter (𝑏𝜀) and various fixed principal strain directions (𝛼𝜀). A series of tests along different inclinations of the major principal strain with respect to the vertical depositional direction permitted an assessment of the interaction between principal strain directions and fabric. A decrease in strain hardening tendency is ob- served as the major principal strain aligned towards the bedding plane. Considering different levels of anisotropic consolidation stresses also allowed a detailed examina- tion of how initial static shear affects the responses. In particular, generated principal stresses and their direction, as well as the pore pressure responses, were closely exam- ined. Novel findings, that highlight range of intermediate principal stress parameter (𝑏𝜎) associated with the undrained plane strain condition, and the interaction be- tween 𝑏𝜎 and 𝑏𝜀 during shearing are presented. It was found that 𝑏𝜎 systematically decreases with shear strain in constant 𝑏𝜀 tests. The 𝑏𝜎 value in plane strain tests (𝑏𝜀=0.5) was found to be in the range of 0.2 to 0.4 depending on the loading path, and the stage of shearing. The relationship between principal stress directions and plastic-strain increment directions was assessed to identify the nature of plasticity in the material. In order to ensure confident assessment of non-coaxiality, total strain was decomposed into elas- tic and plastic strain. The existence of non-coaxiality in Fraser River sand (FRS) was observed when the sand was subjected to undrained shear at fixed principal strain di- rections that do not coincide with the fabric axis of symmetry. Non-coaxiality was not observed when the principal directions of stress/strain coincided with the fabric axis of symmetry. It was also noticed that irrespective of the initial condition, the degree of non-coaxiality reduces with increasing shear strain. The influence of initial fabric and principal strain direction on the degree of non-coaxiality was analyzed in detail. Test results show that irrespective of initial condition, the degree of non-coaxiality reduces as the principal strain direction aligns towards the bedding plane direction. The degree of non-coaxiality in FRS at the phase transformation (PT) state and the effect of intermediate principal stress on non-coaxiality were also examined. Different values of degree of non-coaxiality at PT state indicate that the phase transformation state can not be thought of as a good representation of the critical state even though the friction angle at phase transformation has been found to be similar to that at the critical state. The results revealed that the non-coaxial behaviour of soil is also influenced by the intermediate principal stress parameter (which could alternatively be represented by the Lode angle). The influence of non-coaxiality on stress-dilatancy of sand was investigated under generalized loading conditions, and it was found that the effect of non-coaxiality on stress-dilatancy characteristics of the sand was influenced by its initial fabric anisotropy. The effect of non-coaxiality in stress-dilatancy relationship has been investigated within the theoretical framework developed by Gutierrez and Ishihara (Gutierrez and Ishihara, 2000, Soils Found., 40(2):49–59) and Gutierrez and Wang (Gutierrez and Wang, 2009, Granul. Matter, 11(2):129–137) who extended the Rowe’s stress-dilatancy relation to the non-coaxial conditions. Our research study verifies this framework beyond its original context of 2D simple shear tests.
    Thesis Degree:
    Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
    Thesis Degree Discipline:
    Engineering, Civil
    Date Created:
    2023

  • Factors Affecting Axial and Lateral Load Transfer of Hollow Fibre-Reinforced Polymer Piles In Soft Clay

    Resource Type:
    Report
    Creator:
    Lowry, Kelly
    Abstract:
    The growing interest in the long-term performance of pile foundations and their ability to resist the negative effects of water exposure and aggressive soils has led to considering non-corrosive materials such as fibre-reinforced polymer (FRP). The most common applications are light-bearing structures in waterfront environments, while applications for larger structures have not been widely accepted in industry due to the lack of long-term records and design guidelines available. Previous research has primarily focused on the load transfer of concrete-filled FRP tubes—making it difficult to quantify the performance of FRP as a piling material on its own. In this study, a numerical model using the finite element method was developed to simulate small-scale load tests of hollow carbon-fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP) and glass-fibre reinforced polymer (GFRP) piles in soft clay. Verification of the model was attained using results from axial and lateral load tests on small-scale hollow CFRP and GFRP piles and pile-soil interaction was modelled using experimental data from interface shear tests conducted at Carleton University. A parametric analysis was performed to investigate and determine the key factors that influence the axial and lateral load response of hollow FRP piles. The findings of this research indicate that the number of FRP layers impacts loading behaviour significantly, while inner tube soil height has a reasonable influence on axial load response and fibre orientation has a minor effect under lateral load conditions.
    Date Created:
    2022-12-23

  • Research Publications

    Digital Collection
    Description:
    Articles, book chapters, working papers, reports, and other research works by members of the Carleton University academic community.
    0Collections
    421Works

  • Ice Island and Iceberg Fluxes from Canadian High Arctic Sources

    Resource Type:
    Report
    Creator:
    Crawford, Anna, Copland, Luke, Mueller, Derek, and Van Wychen, Wesley
    Date Created:
    2023-02-22

  • The emerging technology collection at Carleton University Library: supporting experiential learning in the university curriculum

    Resource Type:
    Poster
    Creator:
    Cross, Emma
    Abstract:
    The emerging technology collection at Carleton University is a successful collaboration between the Library, Discovery Centre for Undergraduate Research & Engagement and Information Technology Services. Starting with a pilot project in Jan. 2015, the collection now provides access to over 40 pieces of technology equipment for loan. The poster will discuss benefits and challenges associated with this project and the value of shared Library space for the development and delivery of an innovative new service. Conference poster presented at the Ontario Library Association SuperConference on Friday February 3, 2017.
    Date Created:
    2017-02-03

  • Threshold Concepts for Teaching Information Literacy in the Classroom

    Resource Type:
    Poster
    Creator:
    Tudin, Susan
    Abstract:
    Poster presented at the Teaching & Learning Symposium, Carleton University, May 11, 2016
    Date Created:
    2016-05-11

  • Research can be fun!: Recruiting future students by showcasing Library resources at Carleton

    Resource Type:
    Poster
    Creator:
    Tudin, Susan and McLeod, Margaret
    Abstract:
    A 9 person team of library specialists taught 10 half-day mini sessions to 15 students during the week of May 3-7, 2010 and explored different areas of the MacOdrum Library’s collection that incorporated innovative, academic research techniques. Poster presented at the Canadian Library Association National Conference. Ottawa: May 30-June 2, 2012.
    Date Created:
    2015-05-30

  • Report on the State of Alternative Energy in the Arctic

    Resource Type:
    Report
    Creator:
    Keyte, Lawrence, Dufresne, Vincent, Mallett, Alexandra, Cherniak, David, and Schott, Stephan
    Abstract:
    This report provides a contemporary snapshot of domestic energy usage in Canada’s Arctic (spanning Yukon in the west to Nunatsiavut in the east) with a focus on how Northern jurisdictions meet their electricity and space heating needs. Specifically, the research team investigated the role of alternative energy options, including the governance, policies and financial analysis of these sectors. The team also examined the emerging field of energy conservation and efficiency measures, which have featured prominently in recent years. The report also examines eight case studies from across Canada’s Arctic regions, which represent a cross-section of northern alternative energy and energy efficiency technologies, including both public and privately-driven projects. Each case study includes a project description, objectives and drivers, the role of policy, and a description of barriers, outcomes, success factors and lessons learned. The case studies are divided into five operational case studies, describing projects already constructed and producing renewable heat or power, or reducing demand-side energy loss, and three forward-looking case studies, representing projects still under active development. The report concludes with suggested areas for research and policy recommendations regarding energy system planning, financial policy, and education, engagement and collaboration, in the Canadian Arctic context.
    Date Created:
    2015-09-21

  • Exhibits and Events at MacOdrum Library: A Practical Guide

    Resource Type:
    Other
    Creator:
    Draayer, Ingrid
    Abstract:
    This guide combines the knowledge gathered during my long career coordinating the Carleton University Library exhibits program and my recent sabbatical research on exhibits and events in academic libraries. Between 1983, when I was hired as Exhibits Librarian at Carleton University Library, and 2002, when the Library had little space available for exhibits and I became Head of Access Services, I was responsible for running the Library’s exhibits program. After the latest renovation to MacOdrum Library was completed in the Fall of 2013 and included dedicated space for exhibits, I was once again asked to coordinate and produce exhibits for the Library. During my 2014/2015 sabbatical I investigated the current state of exhibits and events in academic libraries through literature and Web searches and site visits to a number of universities. The end result is this guide, which I hope is both practical and inspirational.
    Date Created:
    2015-09-10

  • Branding History at the Canadian Museum of Civilization

    Resource Type:
    Article
    Creator:
    Aronczyk, Melissa and Brady, Miranda J.
    Abstract:
    In October 2012, the Canadian Heritage Minister announced that the Canadian Museum of Civilization, the country’s largest and most popular museum, would be renamed the Canadian Museum of History. In addition to the new name, three strategies—a strategy of engagement, a strategy of authority, and a strategy of expansion—were elaborated by museum and government officials as part of the transformation. We examine these three strategies as an example of the Harper government’s attempt to “brand” Canadian identity and history in its own image, arguing that the strategies were designed expressly to paper over near-unilateral changes in the museum’s mandate and transformation. Ultimately, these changes have problematic implications for the democratic management of cultural production in Canada.
    Date Created:
    2015-09-01

  • University Biology Patrons in the Library Literature 2000-2010: A Content Analysis & Literature Review

    Resource Type:
    Article
    Creator:
    Newton Miller, Laura
    Abstract:
    The researcher conducted a content analysis and literature review of papers written from 2000-2010 that focused on university biology students, faculty, and their papers. Scholarly articles were divided into the library research domains. The largest number of papers was from the Education domain, followed closely by Collections. Only two papers were categorized as Reference/Enquiries, and no papers were found in Management and Professional Issues. This research will enable science librarians to better understand what has already been written about biology subjects in a university setting. Gaps in the literature can help other librarians who are interested in pursuing more research with biology subjects.
    Date Created:
    2011-10-16

  • Labour Costs for Inventory Control Less Expensive than Repurchasing [Evidence Summary]

    Resource Type:
    Other
    Creator:
    Newton Miller, Laura
    Abstract:
    Review of article describing an inventory system that was created within the library and to show the cost-effectiveness of using the inventory system compared to the price of reacquiring mis-shelved books.
    Date Created:
    2010-10-16

  • NAT Traversal in Peer-to-Peer Architecture

    Resource Type:
    Report
    Creator:
    Daigle, Alexandre, Poulin, Marc-André, Maldague, Lucas Rioux, and Gagnon, François
    Abstract:
    Peer-to-peer networks are well known for file sharing between multiple computers. They establish virtual tunnels between computers to transfer data, but NATs makes it harder. A NAT, Network Address Translation, is a process which transforms private IP addresses, such as 192.168.2.1, into public addresses, such as 203.0.113.40. The idea is that multiple private addresses can hide behind a single public address and thus virtually enlarge the number of allocable public IP addresses. When an application in the local network establishes a connection to Internet, the packet passes through the NAT which adjusts the IP header and maps an external port to the computer which sent the request. When packets are received from the Internet by the NAT, they are forwarded to the internal host which is mapped to the port on which the packet was received, or dropped if no mapping exists. In this paper, we will introduce you to NAT and P2P, we will discuss the numerous ways NATs use to translate private IP addresses into public ones, we will discuss known techniques used to fix the problem and we will also present how popular peer-to-peer programs bypass NATs. This paper is written so anybody with a reasonable knowledge of networking would grasp the essentials. It is important to keep in mind that the traversal methods presented in this document work for UDP and TCP and require no manual configuration of the Network Address Translator itself.
    Date Created:
    2012-10-30

  • Entropy, triangulation, and point location in planar subdivisions

    Resource Type:
    Article
    Creator:
    Langerman, S., Morin, P., Dujmovic, V., Iacono, J., and Collette, S.
    Abstract:
    A data structure is presented for point location in connected planar subdivisions when the distribution of queries is known in advance. The data structure has an expected query time that is within a constant factor of optimal. More specifically, an algorithm is presented that preprocesses a connected planar subdivision, G, of size n and a query distribution, D, to produce a point location data structure for G. The expected number of point-line comparisons performed by this data structure, when the queries are distributed according to D, is H' + O(H^{1/2}+1) where H'=H'(G,D)$ is a lower bound on the expected number of point-line comparisons performed by any linear decision tree for point location in G under the query distribution D. The preprocessing algorithm runs in O(n log n) time and produces a data structure of size O(n). These results are obtained by creating a Steiner triangulation of G that has near-minimum entropy.
    Date Created:
    2013-02-25

  • The "Xochimilco model" for managing irregular settlements in conservation land in Mexico City

    Resource Type:
    Article
    Creator:
    Wigle, Jill
    Abstract:
    Mexico City has long been known as one of the world’s largest mega-cities. Although, the city’s growth rates have slowed since the 1980s, this process is not manifested evenly in spatial terms. Peripheral municipalities continue to grow at higher rates, including those municipalities in the southern part of the Federal District that contain its remaining conservation land. This growth is largely, but not exclusively, driven by the ongoing search for housing among lower-income households in the form of irregular settlement. Over time, this incremental pattern of settlement expansion has fragmented conservation land and impaired its ecological functioning. Given their role in land use planning with the reintroduction of elected local governments in the Federal District in 1997, this situation has placed municipalities quite literally at the ‘‘frontlines” of this planning and sustainability challenge. This paper examines the approach for managing land use regularization processes related to irregular settlement in conservation land adopted by the municipality of Xochimilco in its 2005 urban development plan, with reference to the experience of a specific case study community. Based on a series of interviews with residents and planning officials, the paper documents the highly-negotiated nature of ‘‘normative” planning that focuses on mitigating the impact of settlement in the conservation zone rather than stopping it completely. Given the enormous social pressures to access land for housing, the paper concludes that realistic efforts to preserve the remaining conservation land must involve a more comprehensive approach that better integrates environmental and social equity issues within and among municipal and upper-levels of government.
    Date Created:
    2010-04-17

  • Social Relations, Property and 'Peripheral' Informal Settlement: The Case of Ampliación San Marcos, Mexico City

    Resource Type:
    Article
    Creator:
    Wigle, Jill
    Abstract:
    This article explores the complexities of informal urbanisation at the metropolitan periphery of Mexico City through a case study of Ampliación San Marcos, a former agricultural area on the city's south-eastern periphery. While the physical annexation of small towns and their environs is a common feature of Mexico City's growth, the settlement of Ampliación San Marcos is more accurately described as a two-pronged process involving the extension of a nearby pre-Hispanic town and the expansion of Mexico City itself. The case study shows that the rural periphery of Mexico City is no tabula rasa upon which urban growth simply 'takes place', rather, settlement processes are influenced by longstanding in situ social relations and practices related to property. The paper highlights the importance of considering the relationships among social relations, property and informal settlement for understanding the complexity of metropolitan growth and change in large cities such as Mexico City.
    Date Created:
    2009-03-01

  • Information Management in the Canadian Federal Government: Principles, Practices and the Role of Information Professionals

    Resource Type:
    Report
    Creator:
    Stricker, Ulla de and Jordan, Isla
    Abstract:
    Information management (IM) in the Canadian public sector is a complex area involving many professions such as librarians, archivists, records managers and information technology professionals. This exploratory study looks at the literature and experiential (qualitative) evidence from IM professionals in order to paint a picture of information management principles and practice in the Canadian federal government. Personal interviews were conducted with 20 librarians, information managers, records managers and other information professionals. Responses indicated that although the public sector has made tremendous strides in IM, there is often a gap between IM policy and practice as shown by inconsistencies and confusion in day to day operations compounded by the decimation of federal libraries (which are repositories of external as well as government information). The study also looks at roles of librarians and other IM professionals now and in the future. These professionals are well positioned to help close the gap between information policy and practice, moving forward toward more coordinated and integrated practices in information management as well as making information accessible and usable for their clients. Such functions aid the Canadian public sector in becoming a more effective knowledge organization.
    Date Created:
    2013-04-02

  • Personal Learning Environments (PLEs): Ecologies for building student capability for lifelong learning

    Resource Type:
    Report
    Creator:
    Renon, Flavia
    Abstract:
    The purpose of this working paper is to examine the role of Personal Learning Environments (PLEs) in higher education. This information will serve as a framework to inform a study of PLE use at Carleton University.
    Date Created:
    2013-04-30