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“It Has Been Touched by Haida Hands for the First Time in Over One Hundred Years”: Repatriation, the Museum Institution, and Haida Activism.
No full textEmergence and Interpretation of Han in Korean Society: A Sociohistorical Perspective
No full textHan is a complex cultural concept that insinuates the feelings of sadness, anger, resentment, grief, sorrow, hopelessness and hope. While plenty of historical literature examining the origins of han exists in Western scholarship, there is a lack of sociological exanimation on han.. This study examines han from a socio-historical perspective, analyzing an under explored period of the Joseon Dynasty within han research, while also exploring contemporary interpretation of han in Korean society through qualitative methods. It will show the particular salience of the Neo-Confucian order of the Joseon Dynasty in sowing the emotional nuances of han into Korean society through systematically hierarchical and dogmatic domination. This study will also show the role that the public imagination of their collective or personal “past” has in contemporary Korean interpretation of han, and explain how it could be framed as a precondition for social movements. While han was often represented as a bygone means of the past, this study shows a new understanding of han as a lingering force of past tragedy in Korean people and society, ready to manifest into movements, emotional responses and personal development
Integration of iGPMP2 and iSDF for Manipultor Motion Planning in a Partially-Unknown Semi-Dynamic Environment
No full textThe use of high degree-of-freedom (DoF) manipulators in industrial manufacturing is well established. Traditionally, manipulators operate in isolated, well-defined work cells with little need for flexibility. Increasingly, however, manipulators are being extended to tasks in unpredictable and, at times, dynamic environments. This thesis presents an approach which enables the Franka Emika (FE) Panda 7-DoF manipulator, to which an Intel RealSense D435i RGB-D camera is mounted, to navigate in partially-unknown semi-dynamic environments. This goal is achieved through the integration of the popular optimization-based motion planner iGPMP2 with a neural network (NN) based environment estimation module iSDF.
The main contributions of this thesis are the proposed modifications to iSDF and iGPMP2 to address their limitations in the application considered in this thesis, the integration of iSDF with iGPMP2, and the experimental validation of the proposed approach. The proposed modification to iSDF extends iSDF for use in non-static environments through the identification ..
ON THE SIGNIFICANCE OF COMMUNITY STRUCTURE IN COMPLEX NETWORKS: ROBUST FEATURES PROVIDE A DESCRIPTION OF VARIABILITY
No full textNetwork science has presented community detection as a valuable tool for revealing functional modules in complex systems rooted in the wiring architectures of complex networks. The varying procedures of community detection can produce, however, divisions of a network into communities that vary considerably in structure but are deemed to be of similar merit. This is problematic when the network is constructed on uncertain data, since small changes to the network's configuration can cause radically different structure to be detected. To reconcile with the ambiguity in interpreting degenerate network partitions as representations of the underlying system function, we put forth the notion of stable "cores" of a network that indicate the features of network structure that are well-supported by the data. We show that cores arrange themselves like building blocks to compose community structure, serving as a description of variability inherent to delineating communities in empirical networks
Safeguarding the Sargasso Sea: The Role of the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Agreement in Protecting High Seas Ecosystems
No full textBiodiversity loss in the High Seas is an issue that has long evaded international action due to the legal standing of the High Seas as a global resource common (Ardron et al., 2014; Freestone, 2018). This has proven to be detrimental to High Seas biodiversity hotspots such as the Sargasso Sea, which could not be legally protected despite its ecological significance (Freestone, 2018). The advent of the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement has changed this, and for the first time, there exists an internationally recognized procedure for implementing legally enforceable conservation measures in the High Seas (Kim, 2024; Ricard, 2023). The BBNJ Agreement cannot, however, override or undermine any existing conservation policies of sectoral bodies (Langlet & Vardrot, 2023; Friedman, 2019; Scanlon, 2018). Such a provision is particularly influential in the Sargasso Sea, where human industrial activity is the leading cause of biodiversity loss (Laffoley et al., 2011). Using targeted policy coding and gap analysis, this thesis seeks to uncover the role that the BBNJ Agreement plays in stewarding the future conservation regime of the Sargasso Sea. It is revealed that sectoral bodies wield considerable power over the conservation future of the Sargasso Sea. The BBNJ Agreement, contrastingly, can exert little influence over the design of this regime, and strategies such as voluntary agreements and internal norm setting must be investigated to ensure that the Sargasso Sea is adequately protected
Cycle Life and Safety Characteristics of Lead Negative Electrodes in Sodium-Ion Batteries
No full textN/AThe choice of negative electrode plays a significant role in determining the volumetric energy density of a sodium-ion cell. Lead (Pb), along with other alloy materials, has emerged as a promising negative electrode material for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) due to its potentially high volumetric capacity compared to hard carbon, resulting in higher energy density on a cell level. This study focuses on improving the formulation of Pb negative electrodes and evaluating their capacity retention in half- and full-cell configurations while investigating potential degradation mechanisms in full cells. Additionally, the impact of oxide impurities on the cycling stability of Pb negative electrodes was studied using a controlled heat treatment procedure. The results show that the irreversible formation of Na₂O, a side product of the sodiation reaction of Pb oxide with sodium, leads to sodium inventory loss, decreased first-cycle efficiency, and a detrimental impact on the cell’s long-term cyclability. The thermal stability of fully sodiated Pb in the presence of glyme-based electrolyte indicates that Pb not only offers an energy density advantage but is also marginally more stable at elevated temperatures compared to hard carbon under the applied testing conditions. Overall, this work provides valuable insights into the cyclability, degradation mechanisms, and thermal stability of Pb, offering useful guidance for its future commercialization and deployment in SIBs
Increasing Evergreen Trees Reduces Soil Nitrogen and Aboveground Biomass Accumulation in Canadian Forest Plots
No full textEarth and Environmental Sciences Undergraduate Honours ThesisForests mitigate global warming by sequestering 45% of the world’s terrestrial carbon (C), keeping it out of the atmosphere where it amplifies global warming as a greenhouse gas. Carbon is stored in forests within woody tissues and soil organic matter (SOM). Nitrogen availability can limit plant growth and SOM stocks. Understanding which variables increase soil C, N, and ecosystem productivity is of interest in climate change mitigation efforts. Using data from the Canadian National Forest Inventory, we built Linear Mixed Effect Models to investigate the effects of symbiont affiliation, wood carbon: nitrogen ratio (C:N), and evergreen/ deciduous status on changes in soil C and N and aboveground biomass over a 10-year period. We found that decadal change in plot biomass decreased with evergreen dominance and increased with higher mean annual temperature. In the organic and mineral soil horizon, soil N decreased in plots with higher initial soil C: N ratios. C accrual in the mineral horizon decreased in plots with higher initial soil N stocks. N accrual in the organic horizon decreased with evergreen dominance as well (p <= 0.1). Interestingly, symbiont affiliation or wood C:N did not have a significant effect on soil C or N accumulation in either soil horizon. Forest stands with higher proportions of evergreen trees were associated with less biomass and soil N accrual over a decadal timeframe, possibly due to litter quality and microbial decomposition dynamics. In the face of a rapidly changing climate, maintaining forest productivity and C storage is highly pertinent. Understanding the factors that impact aboveground biomass and soil C and N accrual can help inform proper forest management, build accurate terrestrial biosphere models, and ensure that Canadian forests can continue to sustain growth and sequester C.
Keywords: Canadian Forests, Soil Carbon Stocks, Soil Nitrogen, Symbionts, Evergreen and Deciduous Trees, Wood Nutrient
IMPROVING HOSPITAL DISCHARGES AND CARE TRANSITIONS: PREDICTIVE AND OPTIMIZATION INSIGHTS
No full textImproving discharge planning and long-term care capacity is essential to reducing delayed discharges and enhancing healthcare system efficiency. Delayed discharge patients, particularly those designated as Alternate Level of Care, contribute significantly to hospital overcrowding and poor patient outcomes. This thesis addresses these challenges through two interconnected themes: developing tools to predict patients at risk of delayed discharge and their expected length of stay, and designing mathematical models to optimize long-term care capacity and patient flow. The first theme begins with a systematic literature review that classifies
existing studies based on the statistical and machine learning methods used to predict discharge destination, length of stay, and discharge volume. Identified gaps in discharge-related predictions motivate the development of data-driven models. The second and third studies introduce machine learning–based decision support tools built on patient health records from Nova Scotia. The second study predicts Alternate Level of Care designation at the time of admission, enabling early identification and intervention. The third study estimates the length of stay for Alternate Level of Care patients using key predictors such as discharge destination, patient service type, and season, offering insights to understand complex discharges. In the second theme, the fourth study presents a multi-period mathematical optimization framework for long-term care capacity expansion and patient assignment. Two models are proposed: one for planning expansions and assignments, and another that incorporates interfacility transfers. Applied to a real case study, results show that incorporating interfacility transfers reduces system costs while improving flexibility and equity in resource allocation. Additionally, column generation and rolling time horizon algorithms are developed to enhance
scalability. Together, this thesis offers integrated predictive and prescriptive tools, built on real-world data, to support timely patient discharges and inform strategic planning for long-term care across health systems
IMPACT-DETECTING HELMETS AS INDICATORS OF CONCUSSION AND BLOOD-BRAIN BARRIER DYSFUNCTION IN UNIVERSITY FOOTBALL PLAYERS
No full textRepeated exposure to sub-concussive and concussive head impacts in contact sports can alter brain
architecture and lead to lasting symptoms. Prior research suggests such impacts may contribute to
blood-brain barrier disruption (BBBD). This study examined the relationship between repetitive
head impacts, concussion incidence, and BBBD in 190 university football players over five
seasons. Head impacts were tracked using ferroelectric sensors, with symptom assessments
conducted using the SCAT-5/6 and ImPACT. A total of 11,635 impacts were recorded, with
defensive players sustaining the most. Concussion symptoms and severity increased significantly
from baseline. Fifty-nine dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) scans assessed BBBD
across various timepoints. A significant reduction in BBBD% was observed following the
implementation of protective helmet padding during the 2023–2024 seasons. These findings
highlight the role of repetitive impacts in early brain injury and support the use of impact
monitoring and soft-shell helmet covers as effective interventions for safer play
HYPOXIA MEDIATES N-METHYL-D-ASPARTATE SIGNALING RELATED SUSCEPTIBILITY TO TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY
No full textCortical spreading depolarizations (CSDs) are an early hallmark of traumatic brain injury
(TBI) and are associated with poor clinical outcomes, yet their underlying mechanisms
remain poorly understood. We hypothesized that post-traumatic hypoxia promotes CSDs
and impairs neurovascular responses. This study examined how hypoxia and CSDs affect
neurobehavioral outcomes post-TBI and evaluated the effects of NMDAR antagonists as
potential therapeutics.
Using an animal model of single moderate TBI (N=67), we assessed its outcome
variability (Chapter 2). TBI impaired neurological scores at 48 h post-impact (p<0.0001)
and disrupted the neurovascular response to CSDs. Behavioral scores showed a bimodal
distribution (R²=0.88; trough=7.01), categorizing animals into “susceptible” and
“resilient” groups. Susceptible animals exhibited early cardiorespiratory dysfunction
(lower HR and SpO₂ at hind paw and neck; p=0.02, p<0.001, p=0.01) and a significantly
reduced neurovascular response to triggered CSDs, along with prolonged post-CSD
oligemia.
To explore the relationship between hypoxia and CSDs (Chapter 3), I used epidural
electrodes and cranial window surgery. Animals that developed CSDs had lower mean
SpO₂ (83.6%) compared to those that did not (92.2%). The co-occurrence of CSDs and
hypoxia significantly altered the neurovascular response, with a 16% reduction in
cerebral blood flow during the expected hyperemic phase, suggesting potential
hypoperfusion and ischemia.
In Chapter 4, I studied CSD-induced vascular responses in resilient vs. susceptible
animals under hypoxia or following NMDAR antagonist treatment. Memantine reduced
CSD incidence by 42–73% and mitigated cortical hypoperfusion. In a randomized pre-
clinical trial, memantine treatment improved behavioral outcomes and preserved
neurovascular function.
This multi-modal investigation identified post-impact hypoxia as a key driver of CSDs
and demonstrated that hypoxia and CSDs synergistically impair neurovascular regulation.
Targeting these processes through oxygen support and NMDAR antagonism prevented
secondary injury and improved outcomes. These findings may inform mechanism-based
strategies for mitigating TBI susceptibility across injury severities