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Architecture through a lens: re-framing narrative sovereignty, landscape and indigenous film pedagogy
No full textHow can architecture re-frame narrative
sovereignty, landscape and Indigenous
film pedagogy? This question is
explored alongside the community of
the Weengushk Film Institute (WFI),
located on Manitoulin Island which
is the home of six Anishinaabe First
Nations (M’Chigeeng, Sheguiandah,
Sheshegwaning, Aundeck Omni Kaning,
Wiikwemkoong and Zhiibaahaasing).
The institute is situated outside of
M’Chigeeng, a First Nation which is
home to the Anishinabek of the Three
Fires Confederacy: Odawa, Ojibway and
the Pottawattomi Nations. Indigenous
Filmmaker Shirley Cheechoo is the
founder of the Weengushk Film
Institute, a school that reflects narrative
sovereignty, connection to land and
Indigenous film pedagogy.
Her school curriculum incorporates
pedagogy based on land and traditional
Indigenous culture (moose hunting,
language restoration, cultural practices,
trapping) and pedagogy based on deep-rooted
colonial filmmaking systems
(screenwriting, directing, production and
post-production). The balance between
these two aspects of the pedagogy
establishes a foundation for narrative
sovereignty.
In order for Indigenous students to
succeed in filmmaking they must
adapt to the existing colonial systems
and standards put in place within the
filmmaking industry. Cheechoo has
developed an education program that
does just that. Her curriculum foregrounds
the individual behind the lens, providing students with the skills and resources
necessary to direct, produce and share
their stories independently. The existing
architecture for this unique curriculum
model takes the form of a warehouse
building. The existing building does not
reflect Cheechoos unique and creative
currciulum model, that highlights
narrative sovereignty, landscape
and Indigenous film pedagogy. The
community is looking for design ideas
that will encourage creativity and express
the existing pedagogy within the school.
The methodological approach follows
a strategy of “Two-Eyed Seeing.”
1 This
term is a Mi’kmaq concept of observing
the world through both an Indigenous
and Western lens. Taking on the role as
a facilitator I have designed through my
own lens to generate a school for the
Weengushk Film Institute (WFI) that is
responsive to their collective needs and
desires. As a settler designer there was
never an intention to answer this question
or solve the existing issues surfaced
within the project, the goal of this thesis
is to re-frame readers’ perspectives,
deconstruct a traditional approach
to architecture, welcome Indigenous
filmmakers and their stories, and continue
the conversation about narrative
sovereignty
Glutamine synthetase expression and stress tolerance in Drosophila melanogaster
No full textThis thesis explores glutamine synthetase in Drosophila melanogaster. L-glutamine, more than
other amino acids, is strictly required for cell survival. Like many complex organisms, D.
melanogaster has two forms of the enzyme glutamine synthetase (GS): GS1, located in the
mitochondria, and GS2, located in the cytosol. Interestingly, how these two isozymes partition
GS function is unknown. I validated a sample preparation protocol to separate the mitochondria
and cytosol from Drosophila samples, and assay solutions for the measurement of GS transferase
and GS biosynthetic activity. I created knockdowns of GS1 and GS2 and subjected these to heat
shock and paraquat-induced stress. The GS1 and GS2 knockdowns displayed differences in their
response to both stressors, indicating a potential functional differentiation of the two isozymes in
stress tolerance. This project is a step in the use of Drosophila to explore the GS network and
how glutamine modulates cell survival
L-Carnitine Production in Pseudomonas fluorescens under phosphate starvation
No full textGlycerol is a by-product of the biodiesel industry and an important carbon source for bacterial
growth. Phosphorus is an essential element in all living organisms and is utilized in numerous
metabolic processes, such as the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle and the electron transport chain.
Without phosphorus, no organism can either grow or perform regular functions. In this study, we
demonstrate that when the industrially-important microbe Pseudomonas fluorescens is deprived
of phosphate, it elaborates a metabolic reconfiguration aimed at producing and secreting copious
amounts of L-carnitine. To accomplish this biochemical adaptation, the organism bypassed the
TCA cycle and utilized the glyoxylate shunt to generate a constant supply of L-carnitine through
different metabolic networks. The upregulation of numerous enzymes including L-carnitine
dehydrogenase (lcdH) and isocitrate lyase (aceA) mediated this process. The metabolic
reprogramming triggered by phosphate may provide an effective means to transform an industrial
waste into valuable L-carnitine
Physician burnout and the risk factors associated
No full textIntroduction: The practice of medicine can be incredibly rewarding, meaningful, and fulfilling to
a physician, however it can be demanding and stressful. This paper set out to answer two main
questions 1) what is the definition of ‘burnout’? and 2) What are the risk factors associated with
physician ‘burnout’?
Methods: A literature review was conducted to address the research questions. The PersonEnvironment-Occupation (PEO) Model was employed to structure the review of the literature with
the main causes of burnout being highlighted in each of the person, environment and occupation
domains of the model. Multiple databases were used in the collection of literature.
Main Findings: It was evident that the current definition of burnout in the literature no longer
reflects the needs of physicians and the healthcare field thus a reconceptualised definition is
warranted. The organizational factors associated with physician burnout were disruptive
behaviours, organizational climate, job satisfaction, organizational commitment and physician
engagement. The main personal factors associated with physician burnout were medical training,
work-life balance, sex and gender, personality traits and self-care. Lastly, the main environmental
factors associated with physician burnout were autonomy, cultural shifts in medicine, perceptions
of medicine in society and advances in medical technology. After assessing the definition and risk
factors, it became clear that the issue of physician burnout requires an intersectional approach to
fully understand physician needs and challenges.
Conclusions: This paper highlighted many recommendations and considerations to advance
burnout research and to increase the health and well-being of physicians including employing an
intersectional approach as a starting point for fully understanding and preventing physician
burnout
Predicting head and neck cancer in patients using epigenomics data and advanced machine learning methods
No full textEpigenomics is the field of biology dealing with modifications of the phenotype that do not cause
any alteration in the sequence of cell DNA. Epigenomics is formed up of the words epi and
genomics, with epi deriving from the Greek prefix. The epi- in epigenomics refers to features that
are "on top of" or "in addition to" the traditional genetic base for inheritance. As a result, it basically
adds something on the top of DNA to modify its characteristics, thereby prohibiting some DNA
behaviors. Such modifications occur in cancer cells and are the sole cause of cancer. Head and Neck
is one of the most important parts of a human body. HNSC (head and neck squamous carcinoma)
is one of the leading causes of cancer death, accounting for more than 650,000 cases and 330,000
deaths yearly throughout the world. Males, with a proportion ranging from 2:1 to 4:1, are slightly
more affected than females. Four different types of data are used in this research to predict
cancerous cells in the HNSCC patients namely methylation, histone, human genome and RNASequences. Nine feature selection methods and ten classifiers were used in this study. All data are
obtained through open-source technologies in R. The data is processed to produce features, and the
fine-tuned model is used to forecast Head and Neck cancer using statistical analysis and advanced
machine learning techniques. Also, with the help of cluster analysis and Variable Importance
measure we were able to find top 50 features which are important in the prediction of cancerous
cells in HNSCC
Inside & outside, a spectrum: exploring threshold as an organic architecture in south-eastern Ontario
No full textThis thesis is a study of the spectrum between inside and outside, or
the architectural concept of threshold, through the design of an artist studio and pavilion. It is explored across a continuity of three case studies by architects of the design philosophy of Organic Architecture and is being viewed through Aldo van Eyck’s notion of threshold, or the “in-between.” Frank Lloyd Wright, E. Fay Jones, and Ian MacDonald, three architects from varying generations, are of the design philosophy of an Organic Architecture. They have each created spaces that are filled with transformative threshold conditions. I began by speculating that designing with this philosophy inherently
creates architecture that has a meaningful sense of threshold – an artful bridge between inside and outside.
While reviewing three major case studies by these architects, I have developed a broad yet concise understanding of threshold. As a progression of ideas, I worked chronologically beginning with
Wright (1867-1959), then his apprentice Jones (1921-2004), and finally Canadian architect MacDonald (1953-present). Although my thesis is framed as a dichotomy – inside and outside – the focus is on the middle ground between the two, a continuity and transition through spaces. In this thesis I have created my own lexicon of architectural characters as a way to broadly understand threshold, I have cumulated lessons from an Organic Architecture, and developed a way to analyze the final design proposal. Through all of this I believe I have developed a nuanced method of understanding
threshold. I believe this has begun a journey for me of creating a contemporary interpretation of an Organic Architecture and of threshold
Augmented reality based indoor navigation using point cloud localization
No full textPeople of various ages may find it difficult to navigate complex building structures as they
become more prevalent. The future belongs to a world that is artificially facilitated, and Augmented
Reality will play a significant role in that future. The concept of Indoor Navigation using a smartphonebased Augmented Reality technology is explored in this research. Using readily available and affordable
tools, this study proposes a solution to this issue. We built an Augmented Reality-based framework to
assist users in navigating a building using ARWAY, a software development toolkit. To find the shortest
paths, we used the Point Cloud Localization and A* pathfinding algorithms. A shop inside a shopping
centre, a particular room in a hotel, and other locations can be easily located using this app, and the user
is given fairly precise visual assistance through their smartphone to get to his desired spot. The proposed
framework is based on augmented reality, and point clouds are the most important components. The
application allows the user to choose their desired destination as well as change their destination at any
time. To find the results from the technical, subjective, and demographic responses, we used hypothesis
testing and validation with statistical analysis and exploratory data analysis methods.Master of Science (MSc) in Computational Science
Reformulating underused facilities through adaptive reuse: making and remaking the architecture of Copper Cliff, Ontario
Get PDFIndustries have a history of shaping the development and heritage of communities.
In the case of Copper Cliff, the mining industry has influenced the architecture and culture
of the community. However, these mining operations no longer operate how they were
created. The community of Copper Cliff has transitioned from a miners’ town into an extension
of Greater Sudbury. This area encompasses a wide range of professionals that live and
work across the city. The constant pursuit of a sustainable future has informed this evolution.
Technology has permitted people to work from a distance, which has become a reality for
many industries more recently with the pandemic. The industrial vision within Copper Cliff
is to reduce the environmental impact, and to become world leaders in this sector. There
are areas within this industry that have negatively impacted the land. Key issues that are
relevant today are the waste management and water reclamation processes. A place for
further research and development would benefit both the industry and this community. The philosophy of tearing down underused facilities within industrial areas is
still a major problem. To sustain a viable plan for growth and to maintain the existing
community and surrounding areas it is essential to consider adaptive reuse. By analyzing
the culture, mining industry and the architecture within Copper Cliff, the design proposal
will provide a balance of these components. This community’s unique making and
remaking principles are represented within the following three elements. The architecture
undergoes a new life through adaptive reuse principles. The culture emphasizes the
arts and crafts of this built community and the reuse of materials and waste for a new
purpose. The industry is represented by their long history of mining in this area, and their
constant need to improve and remake these mining processes to increase sustainability.
The purpose for this thesis document is to explore the methods and strategies of reusing facilities
that are underused and proposing a new function for them before they become obsolete.
This will provide the community with more options for the future and prevent the industry from
demolishing and removing all community input. This project will consider the rich history of
the community, and how this heritage can be represented through adaptive reuse. This will
bring the architecture, mining, and culture together at the center of this design proposal
An architectural exploration of Mandirs: a new temple for the Sudbury Hindu community
Get PDFAs the time changes, so do the methods
of representation. Designs become intricate and
complicated to the point where they need to return
to the source of origin and start the search for a
contemporary temple design. The evolution of
Hindu temples from simple structure to complex
structure and from timber to brick, brick to stone,
and stone to concrete appears throughout history.
To date, there are few Hindu temples that have
been constructed according to the current time
period. This thesis will examine the opportunities
of designing a Hindu temple that is a combination
of both modern elements and traditional beliefs,
for the many Hindu sects that live in Sudbury,
Canada. This will be attempted by studying the
traditional methods of creating a mandir (Temple).
As Hinduism has many sects, and each of
them have slightly different beliefs in religion, it
becomes difficult to gather the entire community
in these conditions and design a temple to one
dedicated deity, especially in a foreign country.
A temple becomes more than a place of worship
when the mandir is located in a different country
and environment; it becomes the center and grounding point of the Hindu community. It would
represent the traditional culture that has adapted
to a new geography, climate and environment. As a
result, this new mandir will aim to continue being
a home for the gods and goddess that are being
worshiped by the current Hindu community of
Sudbury. It will house multiple gods, not just one
as in a traditional temple, and this will become a
method to keep everyone connected. As a temple
in Sudbury would develop into something more
than a place of worship, it will also integrate a
place where cultural events such as Diwali (the
Festival of Light), Navratri (Festival of Cultural
Dances) and many other events could take place.
The mandir will also become a place of traditional
knowledge, for all ages and different religions. This
mandir will be created by paying tribute to the
traditional temples, traditional texts, and methods
such as using Vāstuśāstra as a basis for temple
design and construction, adapting to the needs of
the community and site
Prospective housing decisions and self-determination theory
No full textThe purpose of this study was to understand seniors’ motivation to age in place or change living
arrangement using Self-Determination Theory (SDT) as a theoretical framework. Seven seniors
were interviewed, and the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) was applied. By applying a
thematic analysis four themes were identified: (1) Basic psychological needs and physical and
social surroundings as a factor of aging in place, (2) Health and the feeling of being a burden as a
major factor of housing decision, (3) Knowledge about assisted living environment as a reason to
age in place, and (4) Feeling of accomplishment and SWLS. Interpreting these results using SDT
suggests that intrinsically motivated seniors decided to age in place, and seniors with high
intrinsic motivation were satisfied with life. These findings represent an important move towards
understanding seniors’ wellbeing since a more holistic and respectful care can be provided to
seniors by understanding their motivations about housing decisions