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Green Time: Quasi-Linear Functions in Michael Christie's Greenwood
No full textWith the effects of climate change steadily becoming more evident, it is increasingly important to pin-point and address emerging literary responses to our changing world. Michael Christie’s Greenwood provides a unique opportunity to develop a time-centered critical approach to the ways climate change is culturally articulated. Through his arborescent, or tree-like temporal approach, Christie demonstrates the interconnected relationship between humans and trees. Drawing on alternative forms of temporal situatedness, I propose “tree-time” as a theoretical approach that more appropriately frames climate change in relation to kinship. I argue that Christie’s use of arborescent temporal frameworks within his storytelling emphasizes ecological disaster as a simultaneous issue of the past, present, and future, which inextricably links the longevity and kinship experiences of trees to the intergenerational kinship-based relationships of humans
The Vertical Street: Transforming Tower and Slab Urban Housing
No full textCurrent tower and slab urban housing often isolates residents from the public realm, creating a disconnect and diminishing community engagement. Conventional high-rise housing often lacks the interconnected public spaces and pedestrian-friendly qualities that define successful urban environments. This thesis aims to introduce the concept of a transformed tower and slab model by integrating the social vibrancy of traditional streets into the high-rise typology. A bridge between private and public spaces emerges by exploring how multi-path circulation, layered programming, and shared social spaces can transform sterile corridors and isolated towers into dynamic, interactive environments. The Vertical Street envisions a seamless blend of housing and ‘street’ interaction zones, activating shared spaces that support diverse programming and moments of spontaneous social engagement with the ultimate aim of demonstrating an alternative to conventional tower typologies, promoting inclusivity, community, and social interaction in high-density urban housing
A Partial Differential Equation Framework for Modeling Economic Growth
No full textThis work develops a novel mathematical framework for modeling energy dynamics in economic systems, combining production theory with spatial diffusion and transport phenomena. The foundation is a reaction-diffusion partial differential equation that extends classical growth models through the incorporation of endogenous spatial coupling effects. The model captures three fundamental equilibrium states whose stability properties are governed by the interplay between production efficiency and depreciation rates. Numerical simulations demonstrate dynamical behavior ranging from uniform convergence to spatially modulated transitions and cascading collapse sequences, depending on the structure of spatial coupling parameters.
The analysis reveals how prosperous regions can elevate entire networks through energy redistribution mechanisms. A second model formulation incorporates explicit transport mechanisms through higher-order spatial derivatives, producing nonlinear coupling terms that capture network effects. Traveling wave solutions demonstrate characteristic propagation speeds that scale with system discretization, while numerical implementation via backward Euler schemes provides stability for simulating these nonlinear dynamics
THE ROLE OF HYDROGEN AS A DECARBONIZATION STRATEGY FOR SEA PORTS TO FACILITATE MARITIME TRANSPORT NET ZERO TARGETS OF 2050
No full textThis thesis examines the role of hydrogen as a decarbonization strategy for ports in
facilitating maritime transport 2050 net-zero targets. Chapter Two explores the challenges
ports face in this transition, including economic, technological, and regulatory barriers, and
identifies the opportunities ports can use to facilitate it. The next chapter narrows the focus
to specifically assess the hydrogen readiness of the top 100 global ports, top 10 shipping
lines, and 20 most connected ports, revealing regional disparities. Ports in Europe and
North America lead with pilot projects and supportive policies, while other regions lag.
Finally, chapter four evaluates the International Maritime Organization’s draft regulations
on fuel standards and GHG pricing. The findings show these policies could accelerate
hydrogen adoption by making it more financially viable and supporting developing
economies to invest more on Hydrogen fuels. The thesis highlights ports’ critical role of
energy transition to enable hydrogen-based maritime decarbonization
Characterizing NOS1AP in the Rodent Cerebellum
No full textNitric Oxide Synthase 1 adaptor protein (NOS1AP) has been implicated in several diseases in the CNS. NOS1AP functions as an adaptor protein that can bind to several proteins, including neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS). Mice lacking NOS1AP show significant defects in balance and gait, consistent with a role for NOS1AP in the cerebellum. Although NOS1AP mutant mice show no gross cerebellar defects, using isoform specific antibodies combined with different NOS1AP mutant mice reveals that NOS1APa is expressed in parvalbumin positive interneurons in the outer molecular layer, and is necessary to maintain nNOS localization in these neurons. Unlike NOS1APa, NOS1APc is expressed in Bergmann glia, and is necessary for climbing fiber distribution. Further, quantitative mass spectrometry analysis reveals that loss of NOS1AP influences the expression of proteins involved in GABAergic signaling, highlighting the importance of NOS1AP proteins in maintaining excitatory/inhibitory homeostasis within the cerebellum which is necessary for normal gait
Simulation of Intact and Defected Marble Using 2D and 3D Continuum Grain-Based Models
No full textIn this research, a series of numerical simulations were conducted using the finite element programs RS2 and RS3 to replicate laboratory unconfined compression tests on marble and to investigate the influence of defects (i.e., veins) on the failure mode and laboratory-measured properties. The unconfined compressive strength, Young’s modulus, failure mode, and stress-strain response were monitored and compared with laboratory test results. Unconfined compression tests were simulated via 2D and 3D homogeneous models (without grain-scale heterogeneities) as well as 2D and 3D grain-based models (GBMs), consisting of grains and grain boundaries. Joint elements were used in all these models to simulate grain boundaries and core-scale defects. The results show that all four types of models, when properly calibrated, can reasonably replicate laboratory test results. The key advantage of GBMs is their ability to capture the brittle failure process, including pre-peak damage evolution. The 3D GBM demonstrates strong potential for further research
A Land to Sea Perspective on Coastal Geohazards in Northeastern Canadian Fjords
No full textSituated at the confluence of cryosphere, land, and sea, fjords are both sensitive to, and shaped by, climate dynamics. At one end of the system, steep glacier-carved walls and glaciated headlands host active and complex geomorphic processes; at the other, deep fjord basins, also shaped by ongoing submarine activity, preserve marine sediment and bedforms that archive postglacial landscape evolution. Under current climate trends, deglaciation and permafrost degradation are increasing the frequency and magnitude of mass movements in fjord environments and heightening risks to public safety. These geohazards include rock avalanches, glacial lake outburst floods, submarine landslides, and turbidity currents—some of which can generate destructive displacement waves, posing risk to marine infrastructure and coastal communities. However, the prevalence, frequency, and magnitude of these events in eastern Canadian fjords and the processes that control them remain poorly understood. To address the knowledge gap, this thesis integrates marine and terrestrial records from eastern Canadian fjords to investigate the timing, drivers, and mechanisms of these processes in the context of a changing climate.
Three projects presented here investigate distinct processes in fjords —catastrophic rock avalanches, catchment-scale sediment flux, and progressive large-scale slope deformation—that collectively highlight the influence of cryospheric dynamics and climate variability on geohazard timing, frequency, and magnitude. The first project investigates the apparent scarcity of preserved rock avalanche deposits in northeastern Baffin Island, identifies key preparatory factors and environmental conditions that influence the timing and preservation of large slope failures in high-latitude fjord terrain, and provides a novel conceptual model that predicts increase in rock avalanche activity with increased permafrost degradation. The second project explores how ice margin processes and proglacial lake formation during deglaciation shape sediment transport and submarine deposition in the fjord head environment, revealing shifts in sedimentation style and geohazard potential linked to climate-driven ice margin dynamics. The third study focuses on the development of a deep-seated gravitational slope deformation in western Newfoundland, suggesting that glacial unloading played a critical role in its initiation and postglacial evolution, as constrained by structural mapping and terrestrial cosmogenic nuclide exposure dating. Together, these studies inform how deglaciation and climate variability shape high-latitude fjord landscapes and highlight evolving hazard potential in regions undergoing rapid environmental change
INTEGRATING METABOLOMICS AND GENOMICS BIOMARKERS TO IMPROVE PRODUCTION EFFICIENCY IN SHEEP
No full textThe growing global demand for food coupled with increasing pressure on natural resources, underscores the urgent need for more sustainable and efficient livestock production systems. In the context of sheep production, improving FE is a critical strategy for enhancing productivity, reducing input costs, and minimizing the environmental footprint of animal agriculture. This thesis set out to address these challenges by integrating phenotypic performance testing, metabolomics, and genomics to better understand and improve FE in sheep. Through a combination of DMI test optimization, metabolomics biomarker discovery, and selection signatures analyses, the study contributes new insights and tools for precision breeding. Chapter three addressed the inconsistency in FE testing by demonstrating that DMI testing can be significantly reduced in duration without sacrificing accuracy and precision of the FE test. The results showed that ewes, rams, and mixed-sex groups can be reliably evaluated for DMI using only 22, 24, and 25 days of data, respectively, instead of the conventional 38-day test period. This finding supports cost-effective and scalable FE assessment, especially critical for smaller operations or national breeding programs with limited resources. Furthermore, chapter four explored the metabolic profile of FE using a targeted DI/LC-MS/MS metabolomics approach. It revealed significant time-dependent shifts in serum metabolite profiles between high and low FE animals. Key metabolites, including citric acid, PC aa C32:2, and SM(OH) C22:1 were identified across multiple timepoints with high predictive value (AUC: 0.86, 0.84, and 0.72 at 0, 28, and 64 days, respectively). Pathways such as glycerophospholipid metabolism and arachidonic acid metabolism were consistently enriched, suggesting a strong physiological link between lipid metabolism, energy utilization, and FE. These insights advance our understanding of the biochemical processes driving FE and highlight the potential of metabolite biomarkers as early, non-invasive tools for selection. In chapter five, whole-genome resequencing and selection signatures techniques were applied to identify genomic regions under selection for FE. Candidate genes such as PER2, EGFR, GLP1R, ITGB1, and SNRPN were located in regions with high Fst and θπ values, suggesting recent selection and relevance to traits like metabolism, circadian rhythm regulation, immune modulation, and neural signaling. The discovery of these genes, some of which have had known associations with FE and growth in other species adds to the species-specific genomic architecture of FE in sheep and lays the groundwork for marker-assisted or genomic selection strategies. By integrating shortened performance testing protocols, metabolic biomarker profiling, and genome-wide selection signatures mapping, this study demonstrates the power of multi-omics approaches to enhance the precision, efficiency, and biological relevance of selection for FE in sheep. The outcomes offer a comprehensive framework for precision breeding that aligns with global goals for sustainable agriculture and provides practical solutions for Canadian and international sheep producers facing rising input costs and tightening profit margins. Overall, this body of work not only contributes scientific knowledge but also provides tangible pathways for industry implementation, positioning integrated omics selection as a viable and transformative approach to improve livestock efficiency, sustainability, and competitiveness in the face of global challenges.The growing global demand for food coupled with increasing pressure on natural resources, underscores the urgent need for more sustainable and efficient livestock production systems. In the context of sheep production, improving FE is a critical strategy for enhancing productivity, reducing input costs, and minimizing the environmental footprint of animal agriculture. This thesis set out to address these challenges by integrating phenotypic performance testing, metabolomics, and genomics to better understand and improve FE in sheep. Through a combination of DMI test optimization, metabolomics biomarker discovery, and selection signatures analyses, the study contributes new insights and tools for precision breeding. Chapter three addressed the inconsistency in FE testing by demonstrating that DMI testing can be significantly reduced in duration without sacrificing accuracy and precision of the FE test. The results showed that ewes, rams, and mixed-sex groups can be reliably evaluated for DMI using only 22, 24, and 25 days of data
HUMANIZED MOUSE MODEL TO STUDY CYSTIC FIBROSIS-RELATED DIABETES
No full textUp to 50% of people with cystic fibrosis (CF) develop CF-related diabetes (CFRD), accelerating lung function decline and mortality, particularly among women. Our study validates the B6-Tg(CFTR508del)Cwr (hCF) mouse, expressing the human ΔF508del CFTR gene, to study CFRD. Glucose handling was assessed by oral (OGTT) and intraperitoneal glucose tolerance tests (IPGTT); insulin and glucagon levels were evaluated via ELISAs; and islet structure was analyzed by immunofluorescence. Following IPGTT, hCF mice showed glucose intolerance with higher glucose area under the curve than WT mice; OGTT showed progressive glucose intolerance. hCF mice exhibited low fasting insulin, impaired insulin secretion, and reduced islet insulin signal intensity. Glucagon levels were generally similar across experimental groups; however, pancreatic glucagon levels were elevated in hCF males. hCF pancreata contained fewer and smaller islets than WT pancreata. These results demonstrate features of CFRD within the hCF mouse model: glucose intolerance, insulin insufficiency, and impaired islet architecture
BRIDGING THE PSYCHOLOGICAL TREATMENT GAP THROUGH SUPPORTIVE TEXT MESSAGING: MENTAL HEALTH OUTCOMES AND USER ENGAGEMENT AMONG DIVERSE POPULATIONS
No full textPopulations like the public safety personnel, wildfire victims, and patients receiving mental healthcare are usually confronted with gaps in their psychological support. Supportive text interventions provide cost-effective and scalable solutions to bridge care gaps by delivering accessible daily support while improving mental health outcomes.
Objectives
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To assess the impact of Text4PTSI for Public Safety Personnel in Alberta, Canada.
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To assess the impact of Text4Hope-AB and Text4Hope-NS for subscribers who experienced wildfires in Alberta and Nova Scotia, Canada.
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To conduct a randomized controlled trial assessing the impact of Text4Support supportive text messaging programs for patients receiving mental healthcare in Nova Scotia, Canada.
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To evaluate users’ satisfaction, receptiveness, and perceptions of the supportive text messaging programs among Public Safety Personnel, wildfire-affected individuals, and mental health patients.
Methods
This dissertation comprises three separate but related studies, employing both qualitative and quantitative research methodologies. A longitudinal design was employed to implement and evaluate Text4PTSI, while both cross-sectional and longitudinal designs were adopted in the Text4Hope-AB and Text4Hope-NS programs. A randomized controlled trial design was employed to evaluate the Text4Support program. Self-reported validated tools assessed mental health conditions among all study participants. User satisfaction, receptiveness, and perceptions were assessed via Likert-scale surveys and qualitative feedback.
Results
All three programs demonstrated improvements in mental health outcomes. In the Text4PTSI study, a reduction was observed in all clinical conditions, and a statistically significant decrease in the mean anxiety score was noted over a six-month period. During the 2023 Alberta and Nova Scotia wildfires, affected participants with increased anxiety showed significant clinical improvements at six weeks and three months. Findings from the randomized controlled trial showed that the Text4Support program resulted in greater reductions in suicide ideation and sleep disturbance than the control group. Participants across all programs reported high satisfaction.
Conclusion
Supportive text messaging programs are a promising tool for prevention, intervention, and recovery in mental health care. Incorporating them into existing mental health systems could improve access and support for diverse populations. Future research should investigate how artificial intelligence and machine learning can be used to deliver personalized, real-time messaging that enhances user engagement and improves therapeutic outcomes