Toronto Metropolitan University Open Journals
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Performance Assessment of an Electric Vehicle Fast Charger In Hot Arid Climate of Qatar
No full textThe prolonged duration required for charging electric vehicles (EVs), particularly when compared to conventional fuel refueling, remains a key obstacle to broader EV adoption. This issue is amplified in hot climate regions, where elevated ambient temperatures impair the performance of EV charging systems, causing power derating and extended charging times. This study examines thermal behavior of a 50 kW Level 3 DC fast charger operating in Qatar’s harsh desert environment. A network of wireless temperature sensors was deployed across key internal components and ambient locations to monitor thermal conditions throughout the year across hot, transitional, and cold seasons. The results show that internal temperatures often exceed critical thresholds during summer, triggering protective derating and reducing power output. Charging performance is analyzed in relation to ambient conditions using a full charge cycle from 10% to 100% state of charge. To mitigate thermal stress, the integration of a vapor compression cooling system is investigated. The system is modeled to assess its capacity to manage a 3-kW thermal load, and a parametric study is conducted to evaluate performance across varying ambient temperatures. The findings provide practical insights into thermal management for fast chargers in hot climates and support the development of resilient charging infrastructure
Multiscale and Multiphysics Modeling of Processes for Evaluation of Eutrophication of a Sweet Water Lake
No full textThe paper has been prepared to summarize the results that have been obtained in the implementation of the Project DTE Climate - Competence Center for Climate Change Digital Twin for Earth forecasts and societal redressment: DTEClimate – contract nr. 760005/30.12.2022, cod proiect: 7 finanțat prin Planul Național de Redresare și Reziliență, Apel nr. PNRR-III-C9-2022 – I5.
Romania has around 3,500 lakes and most of them are surrounded by important communities with economical, industrial or tourism activities. The impact of Climate Change on sweet-water lakes and the coastal areas is affecting with a complexity of factors the surrounding communities. The impact of Climate Change on the biodiversity in sweet water lakes and related ecosystems it is a complex scientific challenge due to multiscale and multiphysics of systems and phenomena that are connected. In both cases, such as Climate Change and biodiversity depletion, the anthropogenic factors play a complex role of multiplication of the consequences.Lake Siutghiol is a generic sweet-water lake located on the Black Sea coast, being under the pressure of large tourism facilities, expanding urban agglomerations, agriculture, and related industries with a high degree of eutrophication. Within the project implementation, it has been developed a holistic approach to address the adaptation to Climate Change of the communities located in the neighborhood of sweet-water lakes. The approach is based on scientific evidence and a strong interaction with the local communities and industries.
Specifically, the paper is referring to the modeling process of a sweet water lake – Siutghiol located in South-East Part of Romania.A Systems of Systems approach has been developed by structuring the existing knowledge on the eutrophication of sweet-water lakes and Black Sea West Coast waters and the impact of Climate Change with an emphasis on the connectivity of systems and factors that are influencing the processes
Novel Internal Support Structure Design and Numerical Analysis Incorporating Nanocomposite Materials for Wind Turbine Blades
No full textThe structural integrity and longevity of wind turbine blades are critical factors influencing the efficiency and reliability of wind energy systems. This paper presents a novel internal support structure designed to enhance the mechanical performance of advanced wind turbine blades through improved stress distribution and material innovation. Using COMSOL Multiphysics®, a series of finite element simulations were conducted to evaluate the performance of the proposed internal architecture in comparison to a conventional blade design. The numerical results reveal that the final design iteration reduced high-stress concentrations by approximately 10%, extended the fatigue life factor by an estimated 10% per design iteration, and significantly increased the blade’s overall stability by minimizing out-of-plane displacements and reducing susceptibility to buckling. Notably, these mechanical enhancements were achieved without a substantial increase in the blade’s weight, preserving its structural efficiency and manufacturability.
In addition to geometric optimization, the study explores the incorporation of advanced nanomaterials, specifically Carbon Nanotube (CNT) reinforcement, Nano-Silica, and Hybrid Nanocomposites, to further augment the mechanical properties of the blade. These materials were evaluated for their potential to improve strength-to-weight ratios, fatigue resistance, and stiffness. The synergistic effects of these nanomaterials with the new internal structural layout show promising improvements in both static and dynamic performance criteria. The integration of CNTs and hybrid nanocomposites also supports enhanced load transfer and crack resistance, offering greater resilience under cyclic loading conditions.
The findings from this study underscore the potential of combining structural innovation with advanced nanomaterials to significantly improve the performance and reliability of wind turbine blades. This approach provides a viable pathway toward developing lighter, stronger, and more durable components for the next generation of renewable energy systems
On the Determination of Thermophysical Properties of Casting Aluminium Alloys
No full textThe optimization of the high-pressure die casting (HPDC) processes and the enhancement of the performance of aluminum alloys in the automotive and aerospace applications require the accurate determination of the thermal properties of these alloys under thermal extraction conditions experienced in the HPDC processes. The present study involves the development of an experimental setup to measure these properties under thermal conditions similar to those experienced during cooling and solidification. The setup features a cylindrical copper mold, a cooling system that employs a set of high-speed water jets to control solidification under various cooling rates, and an induction heating system to facilitate situ alloy melting. Real-time temperature data is acquired using a set of K-type thermocouples. The thermophysical properties are determined using inverse heat transfer analyses. The developed experiments shall enable the investigation of the effect of a range of cooling rates on the thermophysical properties of the sample alloy. The setup has been validated using the AlSi10Mg0.3 (A365) casting alloy, and the evaluated transient thermal diffusivity, α is validated by published data
Resonances: Expanding Narrative Horizons in Interactive Media and Combinatory Cinema
No full textThis editorial introduces Resonances, a continuous issue of the Interactive Film and Media Journal dedicated to critical inquiries into interactive and generative cinematic practices. Focusing on non-linear forms of storytelling—from participatory documentaries and spatial interfaces to algorithmically driven narrative systems—this volume explores how digital media reconfigure cinematic temporality, audience agency, and modes of representation. Resonances, as a conceptual anchor, guides this exploration: the ability to form deep, meaningful connections that provoke thought, evoke emotion, and stimulate the senses through the everyday rhythms of personal and collective experience. In a time when accelerated life rhythms challenge interpersonal connection, this issue foregrounds how interactivity can help us reimagine storytelling as a resonant act—one rooted in dailiness, listening, and relational sensitivity. As part of the journal’s new continuous publication model, the issue will expand throughout the year, welcoming diverse contributions that interrogate and redefine the narrative, spatial, and ethical parameters of audiovisual storytelling
Encounters of Care In and Outside of the Bodies-without-Organs
No full textThis article develops a critical fat phenomenology rooted in the lived, fleshy, and affective experiences of being fat, racialized, and femme within uncaring structures of worldmaking. Drawing from fat studies, critical disability studies, and intersectionality theory as praxis, it interrogates how fatness is socially, politically, and medically constructed alongside race, gender, and coloniality. Fat racialized bodies are positioned within a continuum of “life-in-death,” subjected to biopolitical regulation through the medical-industrial complex, aesthetic norms, and the personal registry’s spatial-temporal logics. These interlocking systems uphold the thin, white, nondisabled, cisgender body as the artifact of full personhood, while framing fatness as pathology, spectacle, and failure. In response, this paper turns to Deleuze and Guattari’s concept of the “Body-without-Organs” (BwO) to reconceptualize fat materiality as non-prescriptive, relational, and generative. Through this lens, fat embodiment becomes a site of resistance and worldmaking, leaking beyond the confines of sizeism, shapeism, and whiteness, and affirming the potentialities of fat life beyond the coercive demands of thinness, health, and normativity
Meet the Collective: Editorial Collective Bios
No full textMembers of the Editorial Collective for Volume 2, Issue 1. 
Narrative Literature Review: Recommendations in Using Culturally Responsive Pedagogies (CRP) to Implement Cultural Competency Education and Training for Canadian Dietetic Students
No full textThe Partnership of Dietetic Education and Practice (PDEP) has introduced two new competencies surrounding diversity and culture to the Integrated Competencies of Dietetic Education and Practice (ICDEP). Dietetic educators can consider utilizing critical pedagogies, such as culturally responsive pedagogy (CRP), to support their implementation. Currently, it is unknown how CRP can be applied to support cultural competency education and training for Canadian dietetic students. As such, this narrative literature review aims to address this gap through the following research questions: 1) What is the current state of cultural competency education and training for Canadian dietetic students?; 2) What are the key principles and strategies of CRP?; 3) How are other healthcare professionals implementing CRP in their curriculum?; 4) What are the barriers and supports needed to implement and sustain CRP?; and 5) What are the best practices and recommendations for using CRP in implementing cultural competency education and training for Canadian dietetic students? From the findings, seven recommendations for stakeholders to implement into practice were generated: 1) Implement policies that support the delivery of cultural competency; 2) Implement faculty development training on CRP; 3) Recruit ethnically diverse faculty and student population; 4) Engage in self-reflection on personal attitudes and beliefs; 5) Design culturally relevant curricula; 6) Implement group assignments; and 7) Create opportunities for engagement for social action. With effective implementation, we can expect Canadian dietetic students to improve their cultural competence. Developing culturally competent dietitians is essential to reducing racial and ethnic disparities in immigrant populations and supporting equitable healthcare
Stakeholders’ perspectives on internationally educated nurse workforce and workplace integration pathways in Ontario: Qualitative descriptive study
No full textBackground. Integrating internationally educated nurses into the Canadian healthcare system is a multifaceted process involving numerous stakeholders who can influence their successful integration. Since the registration examination changes in Canada, in 2015 and amidst evolving registration requirements, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, little is known about stakeholder perspectives. This study aimed to describe stakeholder views on internationally educated nurse integration processes and the strategies to streamline these processes. Methods. This study employed a qualitative description approach, using semi-structured one-on-one virtual interviews with six stakeholders. Data collection and analysis were completed concurrently, guided by the Braun and Clark framework and the Fourfold Model of Acculturation Theory. Results. Two main themes emerged from data analysis: stakeholder insights during workforce and workplace integration. Stakeholders valued the internationally educated nurses’ expertise in Canadian healthcare and were committed to improving the licensing process to accelerate integration. Conclusion. This study highlights stakeholder perspectives on the integration pathways of IENs into the Canadian healthcare system. Collaboration among stakeholders, including IENs, is essential to streamline integration processes.
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Barriers and facilitators in gender-affirming hormone therapy: Scoping review of healthcare providers’ and transgender patients’ perspectives
No full textIntroduction: Gender-affirming hormone therapy is a critical component of healthcare for transgender individuals. However, barriers in access and provision persist, impacting both patients and healthcare providers. This study aimed to explore the literature on gender-affirming hormone therapy provision from the perspectives of transgender adult patients and healthcare practitioners to identify facilitators and barriers to care. Methods: A scoping review was conducted using the JBI methodology and guided by the PRISMA extension for scoping reviews. A systematic search was performed in PubMed, CINAHL, and Scopus databases. Inclusion criteria focused both healthcare providers’ and transgender adults’ experiences with gender-affirming hormone therapy. The search, conducted on July 23, 2022, and updated on March 1, 2023, identified 12 studies meeting the inclusion criteria for the final analysis. Results: Facilitators for gender-affirming hormone therapy included regular access to primary care providers, multidisciplinary care approaches, and strong patient-provider relationships. Barriers identified were the lack of knowledgeable providers, denial or refusal of care, and inappropriate treatment. Both patients and providers emphasized the need for improved training and competence in transgender healthcare. Conclusion: Significant gaps in provider competence and systemic issues in accessing gender-affirming hormone therapy was identified. Addressing these barriers through targeted education and improved care systems is essential for ensuring affirming, patient-centered care and better health outcomes for transgender adults