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The incorporation of geophysical, petrophysical and geological constraints in gravity modeling to resolve structures at depth.
No full textGravity modeling is an important tool for interpreting and understanding geological
structures in the subsurface. In forward modeling or inverse modeling, the main goal is to
modify a geophysical/geological model to accomplish an acceptable level of
reproducibility in the observed data. However, due to the non-uniqueness of potentialfield data, more than one model might fit the observed data. In order to reduce the number
of acceptable models, constraints are commonly incorporated into the model. There are
countless studies available in the literature demonstrating the necessity of constraining
gravity and magnetic models. However, typically they do not demonstrate the individual
enhancements that come as a consequence of integrating each constraint into the
geophysical model. This study demonstrates how the model, either inverse or forward, is
improved as new constraints are built into the modeling workflow. The constraints include
information from a density compilation, high-resolution seismic sections, geological maps
as well as geological interpretations. The mapped surface geology and the density of this
surface data were important to explain the gravity variations associated with faults and to
estimate the dip and the error in this dip estimation. The high-resolution seismic sections
were helpful to identify reflective features that were most likely lithological contacts where
there could be changes in density. Incorporating some of these deeper features and the
gradual changes in depth evident in the seismic data resulted in changes in the thickness
of the near-surface rocks that was more consistent along strike. Information from previous
studies in the area, such as geological interpretations of seismic sections, were required
to ensure the geological feasibility of gravity models.Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Mineral Deposits and Precambrian Geolog
The regulatory roles of H2S in elastin homeostasis in vascular smooth muscle cells
No full textThe formation and development of elastic fibers in blood vessels are complex and tightly
regulated. Enzymatic degradation of elastin by matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) leads to the
degeneration of aortic wall and constitutes the most prominent characteristic of aortic aneurysm.
Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) as a new gasotransmitter exhibits a wide variety of vascular protective
functions through its anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative actions. However, the regulatory role
of H2S on elastin homeostasis in aortic wall has not yet been explored. Here it was found that an
active inflammatory cytokine TNFα could induce MMP2/9 hyperactivity and elastin degradation
in cultured vascular smooth muscle cells, which could be reversed by overexpression of
cystathionine gamma-lyase (CSE, a major H2S-generating enzyme) or exogenously applied H2S
at physiological relevant concentration. In contrast, knockout of CSE enhanced TNFα-induced
MMP2/9 hyperactivity and elastin degradation. Neither TNFα nor H2S affected the mRNA or
protein expression of MMP9, while H2S reduced MMP2 transcription. In addition, TGFβ1
promoted elastogenesis, but this process was not altered by H2S co-incubation. Furthermore, iron
enhanced endogenous generation of H2S, while iron alone or iron and H2S combination had no
effect on elastin homeostasis. Taken together, this study suggests that H2S can attenuate
dysregulated elastin degradation via decreasing MMP activity. Therefore, CSE/H2S system can
be a new therapeutic avenue for the prevention and treatment of elastin dysfunction-related
diseases.Master of Science (MSc) in Biolog
Architecture for well-being: improving mental wellness on campus through design
No full textMental health is as important as physical health, yet mental wellness is difficult to sustain without access to the necessary support. Post-secondary students are particularly vulnerable to experiencing poor mental health, and among the four largest of Ontario’s universities, Western University, ranks the highest for mental health concerns negatively impacting student academics. Despite Western’s current therapeutic and recreational offerings, more mental health support is needed on campus. This Thesis proposes a purpose-built Student Center on the campus’ pastoral western side in combination with the redesign of specific existing exterior and interior spaces to better support wellness. Guided by the concept of a journey toward well-being, these design interventions create a path leading from the University’s central “concrete beach” to the forested edge of campus. By providing incentives to walking with spaces for therapeutic services, private contemplation and social gathering, this Thesis offers a strategy for how architectural design may support well-being.Master of Architecture (M.Arch
Gateway to food for thought: cooking up a knowledge diverse library in North Bay
No full textAll Canadians have the responsibility
to understand the history of their community, to embolden one another's voices, and
celebrate the land as well as the diversity
of cultures upon it. This concept is studied
through the design of a public food library in
North Bay.
Research revealed that important cultural knowledge exchange happens around
food. Furthermore, literary knowledge
transmission can dismiss various forms of
cultural information, such as culinary knowledge. This is especially known to be true for
Indigenous voices but also for immigrating
cultures. Therefore, a public knowledge resource like a library fails to support everyone
equally.
As such the question to ask is: how
can architecture assist in acknowledging
independent cultural identity and reveal the
knowledge of a place through food?
By investigating literature, mapping,
food experimentation, and precedents, this
research reimagines the definition of library
to be more inclusive to a variety of knowledge forms and cultures.Master of Architecture (M.Arch
Genetic monitoring of at-risk species in Canada: an overview and a case study, the northern leopard frog (Lithobates pipiens) in Western Canada.
No full textGenetic assessment and monitoring are critical in evaluating the success of conservation
efforts for at-risk species. Genetic assessment can provide valuable information, such as
identifying conservation management units and revising taxonomy, which can be used to
improve population connectivity and perform translocations. Genetic monitoring helps
quantify changes in gene frequencies over time, thus providing feedback for conservation
management actions, particularly for at-risk species. In the first part of my thesis, I reviewed
the status reports of 788 at-risk designatable units (DUs) listed by the Committee on the
Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC), which were available up until 2019.
My objectives were to evaluate how many Canadian at-risk species have 1) been genetically
assessed and 2) undergone genetic monitoring. My results show that genetic data are
available for 50% of DUs, although only 2% of them underwent genetic monitoring, and
there is a significant taxonomic bias in the availability of genetic information, with mammals
and fishes being over-represented and mosses being under-represented. In the second
chapter, I investigated the population genetics of one such at-risk species, the northern
leopard frog, Lithobates pipiens, which has undergone a rapid decline in the number of
populations in western Canada, particularly in British Columbia and Alberta. The last
published genetic research on the populations and DUs of the species in Canada was in 2008,
and the Creston Valley population in British Columbia is the last remaining population in the
Rocky Mountain DU at the most western limit of the species range. To understand changes in
population genetics parameters over time, I compared current genetic diversity from four
populations: Creston Valley, Drain K, Prince’s Spring, and Cypress Hills, with 1) data from
the Wilson et al. study (2008) at the same locations and 2) the extinct population of Fort Steele, British Columbia. Furthermore, to assess changes in the genetic diversity of the
Creston Valley population in British Columbia over time, allelic richness and expected
heterozygosity of the population were compared at 3-time points using genotypes from 2000
(Hoffman and Blouin 2004), 2004 (Wilson et al. 2008), and 2019. My results show that the
current populations of the species in western Canada are highly genetically differentiated
from each other, that genetic diversity declines from east to west, and that the Creston Valley
population has likely experienced a population bottleneck. Yet, genetic monitoring of the
four northern leopard frog populations shows that both genetic diversity and structure had
changed very little between 2004 and 2019. But there was evidence of decline in genetic
diversity of Creston Valley population between 2000 and 2019, suggesting that genetic
monitoring may need to occur over longer time frames in order to detect meaningful changes
in genetic diversity. Overall, my results suggest that management plans and recovery
strategies should include genetic data in the conservation of at-risk species. My work also
contributes to the recovery efforts of the northern leopard frog, particularly in managing the
Creston Valley population.Master of Science (MSc) in Biolog
A nutrient analysis of traditional Anishinaabe recipes and the role of folic acid in the regulation of anti-diabetic GLP-1
No full textType 2 diabetes (T2D) is a metabolic disease that results from insulin resistance or limited
insulin production. The prevalence of T2D disproportionally burdens Indigenous people in
Canada. Interventions including dietary change can improve diabetes outcomes; however, many
aspects of Indigenous food knowledge and their role in metabolic health have not been
investigated.
This research sought to examine traditional Anishinaabe recipes and the metabolic effects of
abundant nutrients within them. Several beneficial nutrients were identified, including folate. As
folate is known to have a valuable role in metabolic health, we explored the effect of folic acid
on the regulation of the antidiabetic hormone glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) from endocrine
cells. A 24-hour 1.0 mM folic acid treatment produced a 1.690 ± 0.12-fold increase in GLP-1
secretion in a GLUTag-cell line. This research demonstrates that traditional Indigenous foods
may have beneficial metabolic effects, and traditional knowledge can inform basic science
research.Master of Science (MSc) in Biolog
Convolutional neural networks applied to the interpretation of lineaments in aeromagnetic data
No full textParameter estimation in aeromagnetics is an important tool for geologic interpretation. Due to aeromagnetic data being highly prevalent around the world, it can often be used to assist
in understanding the geology of an area as a whole or for locating potential areas of further investigation for mineral exploration. Methods that automatically provide information such as the location and depth to the source of anomalies are useful to the interpretation, particularly in areas where a large number of anomalies exist. Unfortunately, many current methods rely on high-order derivatives and are therefore susceptible to noise in the data. Convolutional neural networks (CNNs) are a subset of machine-learning methods that are well-suited to image processing tasks, and they have been shown to be effective at interpreting other geophysical data, such as seismic sections. Following several similar successful approaches, we have developed a CNN methodology for estimating the location and depth of lineament-type anomalies in aeromagnetic maps. To train the CNN model, we used a synthetic aeromagnetic data modeler to vary the relevant physical parameters, and we developed a representative data set of approximately 1.4 million images. These were then used for training classification CNNs, with each class representing a small range of depth values. We first applied the model to a series of difficult synthetic data sets with varying amounts of noise, comparing the results against the
tilt-depth method. We then applied the CNN model to a data set from northeastern Ontario, Canada, that contained a dike with known depth that was correctly estimated. This method is shown to be robust to noise, and it can easily be applied to new data sets using the trained model, which has been made publicly
available
The distance analysis of a mine scale event
No full textMining induced seismic events greater then Nuttli Magnitude 3.0 are difficult to understand, have
high potential consequences and are becoming increasingly common in Canada. The term mine
scale event (MSE) is used to describe a seismic event in which the mechanisms and processes
involved take place on a scale similar to that of the mine.
A MSE from Nickel Rim South Mine was investigated using seismic data to explain its time,
location and large magnitude. A novel tool, Time Distance Analysis was developed to identify
spatial-temporal trends in seismicity around the MSE. Guidelines were developed to account for
the unknown spatial and temporal extent of the processes that led to and were affected by the
MSE.
The results showed that preceding seismicity tended to coalesce around the eventual hypocenter
of the MSE while subsequent seismicity migrated away. The coalescence was interpreted to
represent the deterioration of a fault asperity, leading to an eventual rupture. After the MSE
occurred, the dispersion of seismicity was interpreted to represent an unloading of the source
region.Master of Applied Science (M.A.Sc.) in Natural Resources Engineerin
Examining factors in presenteeism and absenteeism: physical activity rates and mental health related predictors of productivity loss in a mining population
Get PDFCanadian companies are estimated to lose $16 billion in work productivity per year from workers
calling in sick due to mental health issues (Mercer, 2018). Impacts in work productivity are
commonly reflected in rates of absenteeism and presenteeism. This study uses data gathered on
the Mining Mental Health Study to evaluate this issue in a Northern Ontario Mining Population
by identifying predictors of mental health-related and physical health-related productivity loss.
Previously receiving mental health treatments or taking mental health medication were the leading
causes of mental health-related work productivity loss, while a physical disease diagnosis was the
leading cause of physical health-related work productivity loss. Depression symptom severity was
significant in predicting instances of both absenteeism and presenteeism. Interventions in this
population should focus on providing resources to lower depression symptom severity and be peerbased, as to help overcome any existing mental health stigma in this male dominated industry
(Sayers et al., 2019).Master of Human Kinetics (MHK
The evolution of classroom design: 1804 - 2022
No full textSince 1804, the way we designed schools
has gone through significant changes. Societal,
philosophical and legislative actions have
influenced these changes. Through a historical
comparative analysis of eight significant
typologies of schools, we can showcase how
these changes have influenced the students’
quality of education.
Toronto’s public schools have failed
to adapt to our new understanding of
neurodivergent people. Since the 1980s,
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
(ADHD) has become more widely recognizable
to the general public and professionals, yet
we do not consider this new knowledge when
designing schools. To address this issue, we
must examine how we can use architecture to
create a better learning environment for diverse
needsMaster of Architecture (M.Arch