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2020 — Targeted Knockouts of Selected GDSL Esterases and Class III Peroxidases In The Moss Physcomitrella patens Reveal Their Roles in Spore Wall Formation and GerminationRésumé
Early land plants evolved a number of key innovations to invade the land and diversify. One such innovation was a robust spore wall containing sporopollenin. Sporopollenin is the main lipidic component of spore and pollen walls and has been proposed to be the decisive factor for the successful terrestrialization by early plants. Until now, no enzyme involved in sporopollenin metabolism (polymerization and degradation) has been studied at the genetic and biochemical levels. I hypothesized that sporopollenin metabolizing enzymes might be homologs of cutin and lignin metabolizing enzymes belonging to GDSL esterases and class III peroxidase families, respectively. In this study, … Lire la suite
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2021 — Spatial and Temporal Variations in Composition and P-T Conditions of Ore-Forming Fluids Along Structures Controlling Unconformity-Related Uranium Deposits in the Athatbasca Basin, SaskatchewanRésumé
Unconformity-related uranium (URU) deposits in the Athabasca Basin occur within certain segments of basement-rooted reverse faults near the basin-basement unconformity. It is widely accepted that these deposits formed through interaction between oxidized basinal fluids and reduced basement-derived fluids or reducing lithologies. However, the factors that control localization of orebodies within limited areas along the structures remain to be determined. This study tackles this problem by examining the spatial and temporal variation of composition and pressure-temperature conditions of ore-forming fluids along two major URU-controlling structures, the Patterson Lake corridor (PLC) in the southwestern margin of the basin and the P2 fault … Lire la suite
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2016 — Petrography, geochronology, oxygen isotope geochemistry and fluid inclusion analysis of the Maw Zone REE deposit: new insights on the relationships with unconformity-related uranium mineralization in the Athabasca Basin, CanadaRésumé
The Maw Zone REE deposit is located in the southern part of the basin between Key Lake and the McArthur River unconformity-related uranium (URU) deposits, stratigraphically about 130 meters above the basal unconformity and confined to the MFd member of the Manitou Fall Formation. The spatial association of this deposit with URU deposits led geologists to consider a genetic relationship between each. The present study aims to further understand the genesis of the Maw Zone and its relationship with URU deposits through detailed petrography, U-Pb isotopic dating of xenotime, O isotopic analyses of tourmaline and coexisting quartz, and microthermometry, Raman … Lire la suite
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2022 — Psychological responses to COVID-19 and predictors of functional impairment among individuals living with chronic pain: A web-based population representation surveyRésumé
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in adverse physical and psychological impacts globally. Already vulnerable populations, such as individuals living with chronic pain, have been excessively impacted, having reported elevated levels of pain, functional impairment, stress, anxiety, depression, and traumatic stress symptoms. Evidence from previous epidemics and the current pandemic suggest that individuals with chronic pain may be particularly susceptible to certain pandemic-related stressors; however, research considering the multifaceted nature of COVID stress and associations with pain-related disability among individuals with chronic pain in the context of the pandemic have been limited. The current study was designed to 1) explore … Lire la suite
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2021 — Deep Learning Based Vehicle Pose Estimation and Truck Body Type Classification Using a Perspective CameraRésumé
Recently, image-based metric measurement and development of traffic surveillance systems have attracted wide interests within academia and industry as computer vision and processing power have advanced. Utilization of camera vision is gaining attention in this realm, as it is unobtrusive. Despite remarkable progress in vision-based monitoring systems for vehicle detection and image-based metric measurements, most of the research have focused on images taken from the side, the rear, or the front of the vehicle in a structured environment. Furthermore, they typically adopt the conventional image processing techniques to extract physical information, which are not robust to lighting and weather variations. … Lire la suite
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2012 — Granivory and Granivores in Native Grasslands and Agropyron Cristatum Stands in the Northern Great PlainsRésumé
Agropyron cristatum (crested wheatgrass) is a management concern in the northern Great Plains because of the low plant biodiversity and high stability in A. cristatum stands. Small consumers have the potential to contribute to A. cristatum invasion and stability through granivory and herbivory. Little is known about ant species composition in the Northern Great Plains. I quantified seed removal rates, granivore seed preferences, and ant communities in paired native grasslands and A. cristatum stands. I examined temporal variation in vegetation factors that influence granivory rates. Finally, I determined the relationship between seed size and vertebrate granivore preferences in herbaceous and … Lire la suite
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2012 — Quantification of Amine Loss in the Post Combustion CO2 Capture ProcessRésumé
During the process of CO2 capture using amine solvents, there is a certain amount of solvent loss. Amine vapourization has been categorized under such solvent losses. A systematic approach is required to determine such losses. This study aims at quantifying amine vapourization loss for current operating plant conditions by an in-house process model using excel. Experimental data was generated for a binary solution of monoethanolamine (MEA) + water (H2O) in a range of 1-7 kmol/m3 at 80oC using a Swietoslawski Ebulliometer. At this low concentration range of MEA, the correlation between activity coefficient and the concentration of MEA obtained was … Lire la suite
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2017 — Quantum Fidelity and the Bures Metric in Operator AlgebrasRésumé
This dissertation undertakes the study of quantum delity, a distinguishability measure in the context of quantum mechanics, from the operator algebraic viewpoint. The notion of delity provides a quantitative measure of how close one state of a quantum system is to another state. High delity occurs when the two states are very close to each other. Evidently, this concept is closely related to a metric on the quantum states which is known as the Bures metric. In this thesis, delity and the Bures metric have been studied in the context of (i) unital C -algebras that possess a faithful positive … Lire la suite
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2023 — Effects of high permeability channel parameters on VAPEX performance: A numerical and experimental approach utilizing the reservoir-on-the-chipRésumé
Numerous heavy oil and bitumen reservoirs exist in Canada. Regarding the ever-growing energy demands and the economic aspects and the rising environmental concerns, these underground resources need to be produced from through advanced, environmentally friendly, and economically viable methods. The implementation of such techniques can secure the future of the heavy oil industry. Despite resulting in lower production rates, the solvent-based methods hold major advantages over the thermal recovery methods in many other areas such as those mentioned. The present research carries out an in-detail study of the VAPEX process, as one of the most recent solvent-based heavy oil recovery … Lire la suite
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2024 — Structural analysis and fatigue prediction of harrow tines used in Canadian prairiesRésumé
Canadian prairies are renowned for their agricultural contribution to the global food market, where harrow tine is a critical component of agricultural equipment used for soil preparation and weed control before crop cultivation. Unfortunately, during operation, these tines are exposed to repetitive cyclic loading, which eventually causes fatigue failure. Commercially available three different harrow tines named 5-1895, 5-2709, 5-2776 undergo an experimental fatigue evaluation and are validated through a numerical approach using Finite Element Analysis (FEA). After that, fatigue life estimation for different deflections under different circumstances in the real field was determined where 5-2676 showed ground-breaking life compared with … Lire la suite
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2023 — A novel scaling approach for micro-optical analysis of nanoparticle-stabilized CO2 foam flooding for enhanced heavy oil recoveryRésumé
Heavy oil reservoirs are considered one of the prime hydrocarbon resources for the upcoming decades in Canada. However, more technological and effective methods are needed to overcome the economic and environmental limitations of existing sole surfactants, polymers, nanoparticles, and CO2 flooding recovery methods. Laboratory experiments of these combined methods yields promising outcomes, but cost-effective manners and optimal operating conditions still need to be determined. In this dissertation, mathematical and experimental investigations of nanoparticle-stabilized CO2 foam flooding were performed to enhance heavy oil recovery. CO2 injection is one of the most promising techniques that can enhance heavy oil recovery by reducing … Lire la suite
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2021 — Exploring Contextual Factors and Trainee Characteristics: A Mixed Methods Study on Transfer of TrainingRésumé
Developing strategies for the successful transfer of knowledge, skills and attitudes from a training and development program to the workplace remains a key challenge facing organizations, including those operating in developing countries such as Pakistan. Studies have found that in general employees transfer less than 10% of the training they acquire to their workplaces (Georgenson, 1982; Kelly, 1982; McGuire, 2014). McGuire argues that one of the reasons for the low rate of transfer of training relates to the isolated and peripheral nature of the training function and the fact that transfer of training is not built into the training program. … Lire la suite
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2022 — Machine learning-based intrusion detection system in advanced metering infrastructureRésumé
Smart meters are quickly being introduced to households all over the world. Consumers will benefit significantly from Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI). This high-tech equipment, however, is vulnerable to serious threats. To detect attacks, many authors recommend using Intrusion Detection Systems (IDSs). An IDS use a classifier to distinguish between known and unknown threats. It is challenging to choose the proper IDS category, however, as no single category can accurately identify all types of attacks. A smart grid's autonomous meter reading system is built on Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI). It blends traditional utility operations and asset management methods with wide-ranging elements … Lire la suite
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2023 — Classifying ovarian cancer using machine learning methodsRésumé
Ovarian cancer is one of the most fatal cancers for women nowadays. It is ranked as fifth most common cancer deaths among women resulting more deaths than any other cancers in female reproductive system. According to Canadian Cancer society that about 3000 ovarian cancer patients were detected, and among them 1950 patients died in 2022 which indicating more than 50% of mortality rate. Ovarian cancer is mainly generated from cancerous ovarian tumour. So, it is very important to classify cancerous tumour from noncancerous tumour to prevent false positive for ovarian cancer. Moreover, if cancerous tumour is diagnosed in early stage, … Lire la suite
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2012 — Reliable Bandwidth Conservative Queue-End Detection and Warning System Using Smart Phone Collaboration TechniquesRésumé
The goal of this thesis is to ensure public safety. Two of the major components of public safety are: threat detection and notification. This thesis provides threat detection through sensor networks, collaboration of devices, and notification through three types of warning messages using cell broadcast technology. Most emergency conditions, be it natural or manmade, either directly or indirectly create congestion both on the road and in the telecommunication network. The more severe the road congestion is, the more vulnerable the tail end of the congestion is to rear end collisions. In order to avoid rear end collisions, it is important … Lire la suite
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2023 — Systems Biology of Host-Pathogen Protein-Protein InteractionsRésumé
Despite undeniable therapeutic developments in infectiology, emerging infectious diseases continue to be a growing threat to public health, as seen by the current COVID- 19 pandemic caused by the novel virus severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2). This virus is classified as an obligate intracellular parasite that co-opts host cellular proteins, often through protein-protein interactions (PPIs), to ensure its replication. Therefore, this thesis aims to integrate high-throughput proteomic approaches with computational modelling to systematically characterize SARS-CoV-2-human networks for a detailed understanding of SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis. The angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE2) receptor of SARS-CoV-2 is displayed on many human cells, including the lungs … Lire la suite
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2013 — Dissemination of Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria and Plasmids Encoding Antibiotic Resistance Genes in the EnvironmentRésumé
Multi-drug resistant (MDR) bacteria (also referred to as superbugs) are classified among the world’s leading cause of death in humans. The continued emergence and spread of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) among different bacteria in clinical and non-clinical environments is cause for concern. Identifying and studying important reservoirs could lead to understanding of persistence, transfer and dissemination of these bacteria and ARGs from environmental sources to humans. The specific objectives of this study are to; a) Investigate the role computer keyboards may play as an environmental reservoir for community-associated methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) using culture based and molecular tools. b) … Lire la suite
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2023 — An intelligent system approach for predicting the risk of heart failureRésumé
Heart failure is a chronic, progressive condition in which the heart muscle is unable to pump enough blood to meet the body’s needs for blood and oxygen. It is a severe and long-term condition and there are several complications from heart failure that include irregular heartbeat, sudden cardiac arrest, heart valve problems, pulmonary hypertension, kidney damage, liver damage, malnutrition etc. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the number one cause of death in cardiovascular diseases (CVD) is estimated at 17.9 million a year, which accounts for 31% of all deaths worldwide. The majority of heart patients are diagnosed at … Lire la suite
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2023 — I was about to be them/thereRésumé
This paper supports my Master of Fine Arts graduation thesis exhibition, I Was About to Be Them/There, presented at the Fifth Parallel Gallery from December 13- 21 in 2023. My MFA exhibition consists of videos of performances, an audio/video installation, and a photograph, through which I convey the experience of being subject to external forces that shape my behavior, thoughts, and emotions. This work offers a metaphoric perspective on my experiences as an Iranian woman, and resonates with the experiences of many other women in our homeland. I aim to share the confusion and paradox that arises from existing in … Lire la suite
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2014 — Synthesis and Reactivity of Functionalized Electrophilic Phosphinidene ComplexesRésumé
Electrophilic phosphinidene complexes play an important role in organophosphorus synthesis. The chemistry of neutral phosphinidene complexes has been well studied, but cationic phosphinidene complexes are not as well understood. Therefore, new cationic phosphinidene complexes have been synthesized and their reactivity towards bond activation, cycloaddition and nucleophilic addition has been examined. The terminal chloroisopropyl phosphido complex [Cp*Mo(CO)3{P(Cl)i-Pr}] was synthesized, and abstraction of chloride from it generates the transient cationic alkylphosphinidene complex [Cp*Mo(CO)3{P(i-Pr)}]+, which can be trapped with diphenylacetylene to form a phosphirene complex. Trapping with P(C6H5)3 leads to a phosphine coordinated phosphinidene complex. Trapping with diphenylsilane leads to SiH activation and … Lire la suite
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2020 — Corrosion Inhibitor for Potash Solution MiningRésumé
Corrosion has always been a costly operational problem in potash solution mining operations. With the aim of reducing operating cost, this work proposed to apply a corrosion inhibitor that is compatible to potash brine environments, less toxic than the base substrate potash, commercially available, and provides sufficiently high corrosion inhibition performance. To identify such inhibitor, three sets of chemicals totaling 19 chemicals were experimentally tested for their inhibition performance on carbon steel (CS 1018) immersed in a saturated potash brine at 85°C, 1 bar and a rotational speed of 1940 rpm. Hexamethylenetetramine (HMTA) satisfied all screening criteria with an inhibition … Lire la suite
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2013 — Intentions in Attending Faith-based Schools: Stories of Muslim Students in SaskatchewanRésumé
This qualitative study explores the question: How are students' intentions and experiences in attending a faith-based school reflected in the scholarly and religious intentions and practices of faith-based schools that are found in research? The study question is inspired in part by the works of Tariq Ramadan (2004), which used mixed methods, drawing on some aspects of grounded theory for data interpretation including coding analysis, narrative theory for the storyline method. In this study, the data collection was accomplished through the methods of interviews and an on-line survey. The data was based on seven participants from the graduating class of … Lire la suite
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2012 — The Challenges and Opportunities of Using a Competency Based Education Model in Social Work EducationRésumé
The ongoing expansion of neo-liberal globalization is affecting the milieu of both social work education and its practice and, in some countries, is actively promoting the adoption of Competency Based Education (CBE) models for education. To date, research addressing the question of whether CBE provides a useful theoretical framework in designing and implementing a curriculum for a Bachelor of Social (BSW) Work program has been sporadic. Given the importance of the ‘CBE question’ for education in general, and social work education in particular, the nature and process of current CBE curriculum designs for social work programs needs to be well … Lire la suite
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2015 — Prominent Social Anxieties Adapted: Three Film Adaptations of H.G. Wells’s The Time MachineRésumé
My thesis is concerned with three different film adaptation of H.G. Wells’s classic novella The Time Machine (1895). These adaptations are George Pal’s feature The Time Machine (1960), Henning Schellerup’s telefilm The Time Machine (1978), and Simon Wells’s Hollywood blockbuster The Time Machine (2002). There are certain elements in the source text that I identify as important that a film should engage with if it is likely to be considered an adaptation of The Time Machine. Absolute fidelity to the source text is not a requirement, I believe, to be an effective adaptation, but adaptations do need to respect the … Lire la suite
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2016 — Human Inspired Robot Walking Pattern PlanningRésumé
Development of full size humanoid robots can be simplified along with the bipedal walking formulation methods. These robots consist of rigid bodies connected with actuated joints supposed to mimic human like walking. Although many researchers have tackled the problem of bipedal dynamic walking, it is far from matching human skills. This particular problem is of the special interest and the main subject of this research. Biped robot walking is a periodic path of an unstable phase, called Single Support Phase, following a stable phase, Double Support Phase. A periodic approach providing a scalable gait with characteristic parameters such as gait … Lire la suite
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2020 — Innovative Value-Added Grain Bags Recycling with SandRésumé
Plastics are used in nearly every sector with multiple usages as they are versatile, economical and very stable. This stability means the material is not easily decomposed, and the result is accumulating harmful waste. Yearly, over 8 million metric tons (MMT) of plastic waste pollute water bodies (Andrady et al., 2015). The exponential plastic production has not been matched with plastic reuse and recycling. From 1950 to 2015, 8,300 MMT of plastic was produced; 4600 MMT discarded in landfills or water bodies, 300 MMT incinerated; 600 MMT recycled; and 2500 MMT remains in use (Geyer et al., 2017). Completely banning … Lire la suite
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2011 — Flexible Vision-Based Control of Rotorcraft - The Case Studies: 2DOF Helicopter and 6DOF QuadrotorRésumé
Two case studies of flexible vision-based control structure are presented in this work. The first structure is proposed for a 2DOF (degrees-of-freedom) model helicopter. The second structure is proposed for a 6DOF quadrotor. The position-based vision control was adopted for both structures with images acquired from a single camera in an eye-in-hand configuration. The control law proposed for the 2DOF model helicopter is able to track a fast maneuvering object regardless of its initial position on image or its distance from the camera. The equations of motion of the model helicopter are presented for the development of joint level Linear … Lire la suite
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2012 — Automatic Calibration of Optical Multitouch SurfacesRésumé
In this, thesis a novel system for automatically calibrating an optical multitouch surface is presented. The current state of multitouch software forces the user to manually calibrate a surface prior to usage. This process can be tedious and error prone, especially for large surfaces. Our system automates the process of calibration by combining small electronic devices, called Blinks, and a specialized calibration algorithm, called Dasypus, that uses the Blinks to create a camera-to-display transformation function. This thesis presents an overview of the current state of optical multitouch technologies, with special emphasis placed on calibration processes. Popular open-source software packages are … Lire la suite
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2012 — An Investigation of Professional Learning Communities as a Tool for Educational Change Within One Saskatchewan School DivisionRésumé
The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate how one Saskatchewan school division used professional learning communities (PLCs) as a tool for change. The investigation involved in-depth interviews with seven participants to determine their perceptions, understanding and viewpoints of PLCs and their implementation within the school division. The participants included one superintendent, one consultant/teacher, one elementary in-school administrator, two secondary in-school administrators, one elementary teacher, and one secondary teacher. The participants were all veteran employees and had experienced the implementation of PLCs firsthand. The main PLC model used in this division was based on the work of DuFour (2004). … Lire la suite
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2024 — Assessing construction and demolition waste generation rates using satellite imageryRésumé
Municipal solid waste management has seen a surge in the use of satellite imagery in decision-making processes, yet its application to analyze quantitative variations in construction and demolition (C&D) waste remains underexplored. Especially the COVID- 19 pandemic disrupted conventional municipal solid waste (MSW) management practices and affected waste generation rates. While MSW streams have been extensively studied and reported, the impact on construction and demolition (C&D) waste remains overlooked. As such, the first part of the study develops an innovative analytical framework utilizing satellite imagery to quantify C&D waste disposal rates during COVID-19 restrictions in a mid-sized Canadian city. Supervised … Lire la suite
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2011 — The Amending Formula, Meech Lake, and the Quebec Secession Reference: The Difficulties of Provincial SecessionRésumé
The Quebec Secession Reference, rendered by the Supreme Court of Canada,affirmed the position held by the Government of Canada, which claimed that a referendum on sovereignty is not a sufficient legal instrument, in of itself, to effect the removal of a province from the current constitutional order. The Reference also maintains that a constitutional amendment is necessary in order for the province to legally secede. Moreover, it is the opinion of the Court that a referendum on sovereignty is the formal consultation of the people, by their government, with the purpose of determining the province‟s democratic intent to remove itself … Lire la suite
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2022 — The Erdős-Ko-Rado Theorem for Transitive Permutation GroupsRésumé
Given a transitive permutation group \(G \le Sym(\Omega)\), a subset \(F\) of \(G\) is \(\textit {intersecting}\) if any two elements of \(F\) agree on some elements of \(\Omega\). We are interested in the problem of finding the structure of the largest intersecting families of \(G\). This problem is the analogue of the \(\textit {Erdős-Ko-Rado (EKR) Theorem}\) for transitive permutation groups. We say that a transitive group \(G \le Sym(\Omega )\) has the \(\textit{EKR property}\) if any intersecting set of \(G\) has size at most the order of a stabilizer of a point of \(G\). Moreover, \(G\) has the \(\textit {strict-EKR … Lire la suite
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2023 — Precision-based boosting for regressionRésumé
Regression is a type of predictive modeling problem that involves estimating a continuous numerical value based on input variables. The goal of this research is to investigate whether incorporating the precision of regression models on specific target values can improve the performance of ensemble-based regression models. We begin by reviewing two existing ensemble methods for classification, namely AdaBoost and PrAdaBoost, which will form the basis of our proposed ensemble method for regression. We also provide a formal analysis of the training error upper bounds for PrAdaBoost and AdaBoost. The mathematical proof shows that PrAdaBoost’s upper bound is always less than … Lire la suite