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Simulation and experimentation of a MEMS electrostatic field sensor with a floating ground
No full textThis thesis presents the simulation and experiments performed on a Micro-Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS) electrostatic field sensor with a virtual ground. Because of their small form factor and low power consumption, MEMS electrostatic field sensors offer a promising alternative to commonly used devices such as field mills.
Four separate simulations were conducted on the device, each with varying parameters to gain an understanding of how the device behaves when exposed to a 10kV DC voltage carrying wire. The simulation environment was designed to mimic the experimental conditions as close as possible. That being, simulation #1 tested the device moving towards the high voltage wire from the ground plane, the second simulation preformed had the device moving away from the wire while in contact with the ground plane. The third and fourth simulations added a wooden pole to act as a handle, this was done to mimic a possible real-world application. In these two simulations the device was tested at different heights from the ground plane and at different distances from the high voltage carrying wire. The results of these simulations were then compared to analytically obtained values, of which the simulated values agreed.
Five experiments were conducted in the University of Manitoba’s High Voltage Laboratory of which four were completed with the same environment as the simulations to ensure the results have as little discrepancy as possible. Experiment #1 was setup the same as simulation #1 and so on. The fifth experiment was conducted to see the behavior of the device in a potential real-world environment where a surface has become energized. A close correlation between the simulated, calculated, and experimental values were achieved.
In addition, control electronics and a Printed Circuit Board (PCB) were developed for the sensor that allowed it to be used in the experiments to collect data and have it perform as it would in real world setting. This system included a wireless data transmission system over a 2.4 GHz radio that allows the user to be physically separated from the device when taking readings, reducing the danger from high voltage sources, a display that allows the user to visually see the output from the device and finally, the ability for the output of the sensor to be recorded, this recorded data could then be used to help determine the behaviour of the sensor.
After all simulations and experiments we completed, it was determined that the sensor has a response that follows the predicted behavior by the four simulations and the analytical values.October 202
Anti-Asian racism during the coronavirus pandemic: the invisible epidemic
No full textAlthough everything has been slowly returning “back to normal”, the coronavirus pandemic has caused irreversible social and economic harms, chief among them the racial discrimination experienced by Asian people. Anti-Asian terms are more frequently seen in social media, and news articles and research indicate the disturbing escalation in verbal and physical assaults that Asian people have witnessed or suffered from. Grounded in critical race theory and intersectionality and using cross-national survey data from the COVIDImpacts.ca team in Canada, USA, and Mexico, this thesis examines, quantitatively, if and to what extent does the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbate racism against Asian people in Canada and the U.S. Findings from bivariate and logistic regression analyses reveal that Asians in both countries have higher odds of experiencing racial discrimination during COVID-19 compared to those with other socioeconomic statuses or identities, and Asians living in the U.S. are more likely to experience racial discrimination or more inclined to report such experience compared to those living in Canada. These results provide insight into the lived Asian experience during COVID-19 and shed light on the struggles that the Asian community has been facing since even before this pandemic.Additional funding for study: Douglas Rennie Graduate Scholarship
Funding for data used in thesis: Canadian Institutes of Health Research (grant number: 2020-448105 and VS2-175571)October 202
Exploring northern Manitoba Red River Métis food sovereignty through the use of community gardens
No full textIndigenous communities in northern Manitoba are facing higher levels of food insecurity, the result of continued colonial impacts and a changing environment. Sustained levels of food insecurity can result in negative impacts to physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing. This research project aims to improve local food security and sovereignty in northern Métis communities within the Manitoba Métis Federation Thompson Region. This research project was conducted in collaboration with the Manitoba Métis Federation Thompson Region, and was co-led by Elder Julyda Lagimodiere, the Thompson Region Vice-President. This food security research was centered around a community greenhouse pilot project started in Thompson, Manitoba. The greenhouse pilot project demonstrated improvements to local food security in Thompson and acted as a medium for education surrounding food systems and food security initiatives. In conjunction, a food security survey and interviews were conducted with Métis Citizens located in the Thompson Region. This research project was guided by Métis methodologies including wahkotowin, keeoukaywin and Lii Taab di Faam Michif (Métis Women’s Kitchen Table). In addition, the 5 Rs of Indigenous research (relationship, reciprocity, relevance, respect, and responsibility) were used to conduct Métis-specific and ethical research. A combination of mix methods and action-based research approaches were used within this project to ensure that community-centered Indigenous-led research was achieved. The results of the survey and interviews found four key areas of food security emerge, including: access to healthy foods, health and diet, foods from the land, and food security initiatives and education. The results clearly identified that food insecurity is present in northern Métis communities and is at risk of becoming worse in the near future. This research begins to address the clear lack of Métis -specific environmental research. This research project demonstrates the importance of Métis-specific food sovereignty to combat the growing food insecurity crisis in northern Manitoba.SSHRCOctober 202
Divergence / convergence: caribbean diaspora as case study for advancing inclusive community engagement
No full textSimilar to other community formations, Afro-Caribbean identities are sustained by fulfilling instrumental and expressive needs wherever Afro-Caribbean individuals are situated, owing to the inherent diasporic nature of the community resulting from colonial regimes that sought to erase, displace, and relocate them. Crucial to this dynamic are the structures of integration within the host society. For many, the new environment they inhabit has been intentionally designed to deny their very existence.
Traditionally, and to date, landscape architecture design processes have been concentrated around Eurocentric perspectives, overlooking alternative and marginalized discourses from non-Anglo-European contexts. This limited viewpoint and lack of critical engagement mirror the constraints of educational and professional institutions where design is taught and practiced, as well as the broader socio-political systems in which design is embedded. For many marginalized communities, the continuous perpetuation of the matrix of domination through design processes at every level generates a feeling of alterity. This feeling of not belonging is further enhanced for those belonging to the Afro-Caribbean community who experience a fluidity of intersecting narratives and identities.
This work acts as a conduit to preserve the collective wisdom of the Afro-Caribbean lived experiences and to situate the Afro-Caribbean voice within landscape architecture and community engagement. It explores the tools necessary to build a transparent, accessible, and collaborative approach to engagement that values the knowledge and experiences of those directly impacted by the design process through intersectionality, seeking to alter how landscape architects and designers engage with marginalized communities to better include, protect, and uplift the voices of those continuously left at the margins.May 202
The effect of thermal stress on whole-body metabolic rate and cellular stress response in the truncate softshell clam, Mya truncata
No full textRising global temperatures associated with climate change have led to various responses and consequences across aquatic ectotherms. At the whole-body level, temperature governs all physiological and biochemical processes, and an increase in temperature is normally positively correlated to the aerobic respiration rate of an organism. However, at a critical sub-lethal temperature (Tcrit), most organisms are unable to supply sufficient oxygen to meet demand of the tissues, leading to a reliance on anaerobic metabolism. At the cellular level, the heat shock response (HSR) is a primary mechanism driving differences in thermal tolerances of ectotherms through the induction of heat shock proteins (HSPs). At a species-specific onset temperature (Ton) when the HSR is activated, there is increased production of HSPs that is positively correlated with temperature but will reach a maximum capacity (Tpeak). Thus, Tpeak for HSP induction can be one metric used to understand thermal tolerance of a given species. Importantly, the HSR is energetically costly as energy demand increases under a thermal stress event, which leads to a further increase in oxygen consumption. This study aimed to examine the effects of increasing temperature on whole-body metabolic rate and mRNA transcript abundance in truncate softshell clam, Mya truncata. We acutely exposed clams from the Northern (Iqaluit, Nunavut) and Southern (Godbout, Quebec) populations to one of six temperature treatments (10, 13, 16, 19, and 22 ℃, and a control group at 7 ℃) for 2 hours and measured whole-body metabolic rate and transcript abundance of key molecular markers of the HSR. Our findings indicated temperature influenced both oxygen consumption and the transcript abundance of thermal stress-related genes. Although there was no statistical significance, a noticeable trend of increasing oxygen consumption with rising temperatures was observed. The impact of temperature on the HSR was clearly reflected in alterations in the transcript levels of hsp60 and hsp90, which are linked to protein protection, along with citrate synthase (cs), a marker of cellular aerobic metabolism. These results suggest that truncate softshell clam may be able to tolerate acute heat stress under climate change scenarios.University of Manitoba Graduate Fellowship
The Resilience Results Fund project, “Arctic Marine Ecosystem Resilience and Resistance to Environmental Changes”
NSERC Discovery Grant, Fisheries and Oceans Cana-da Ecosystems and Oceans Science Contribution Framework fund
University of Manitoba Field Work Support Program GrantsOctober 202
Quality and safety of cheese shipped to the United Arab Emirates
No full textDuring an examination of 3299 cheeses imported into the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from 2017 to 2021 for compliance with regulations regarding moisture and fat content, microbial quality, acidity, the presence of quinoline (a non-permitted colorant), sorbic acid, and the presence of rust discoloration, it was found that 91% of cheeses were compliant with UAE legislation. However, 9% were in violation of one or more of the mandated quality parameters, suggesting that adulteration had occurred. Within product categories the greatest level of non-conformity at 13% was noted for processed cheese, primarily due to violations caused by high moisture and low-fat content. This is important because moisture levels in processed cheese can influence its texture and shelf life. The microbial assessment of cheese showed that 85.7% of semi-hard and 77.5% of soft cheeses had non-compliant levels of E. coli. It was notable that 21.8% of non-compliant products originated from Turkey. Cheeses from Germany had the lowest level of non-conformity at 0.6%. This study illustrates the need for border scrutiny to include physicochemical examinations of cheese samples. The current initiative aims to promote the need for equity in global trade and to prevent the marketing of adulterated food items.
[Graphical abstract included in article
Searching for andreson localization of ultrasound in dielectric mesoglasses
No full textThe over half-century-old phenomenon of Anderson localization continues to encompass newly emerging physics of wave transport in strongly scattering media. In recent years, localization of classical waves (e.g., light or sound) has been extensively investigated experimentally. Successful experiments in three dimensions used ultrasound to probe disordered aluminum-bead networks (“mesoglasses”) and convincingly demonstrated Anderson localization in these metallic samples. In dielectric materials, on the other hand, it has been predicted that ultrasound localization is prevented by induced long-range electric dipole-dipole interactions, which are screened in metals. Motivated by this prediction, this thesis searches for experimental evidence for this claim by investigating three dielectric mesoglass samples made from weakly-sintered borosilicate glass beads. Resonant frequencies of individual and clusters of beads were measured to study the character of the vibrational modes, and simulations of the modes assisted in visualizing the mechanical deformations. Ballistic and transverse confinement experiments that measure both time- and position-resolved transmission through slab-shaped samples were used to investigate the approach to Anderson localization as a function of ultrasonic frequency. Transmitted ultrasonic intensities and their transverse expansion or confinement were compared with the self-consistent theory of localization (SCT). Although this theory has not been generalized to include electric dipole effects, it is expected to give accurate predictions at short transverse distances ρ where the intensities are large and the weak induced dipolar contributions negligible. For this range of ρ, good fits were obtained, revealing evidence of transport well beyond the mobility edge into localized regimes at some frequencies. By contrast, at large ρ, where dipolar contributions could be significant, the measured transmitted intensities were much larger than SCT predictions. However, the effect of applying a conductive silver coating to screen each bead in one sample was shown experimentally to be ineffective in reducing these anomalous deviations, thereby ruling out the dipolar mechanism as being responsible. A different mechanism is proposed to explain these large ρ anomalies. An explanation is also proposed for why the unique structure of mesoglasses enables a screening mechanism that suppresses long-range electric dipole-dipole interactions, making Anderson localization possible in dielectric mesoglasses, consistent with experimental observations.October 202
hauntings
No full texthauntings draws on personal archives to explore incidents of haunting in relation to print media, memory, and time. Through looping gestures of collage, printing, fragmenting, and reassembling, these works consider how the past and remembered experiences affect the present. Through these works, I propose that the hauntings found in the printed image—print variations and traces of process—parallel the hauntings of memory. While presenting a provisional record of memory, I ask, when do loops of re-printing, re-contextualizing, re-collaging slip into nostalgia? When do built worlds begin to resemble ruins?October 202
Experiences of people with prediabetes in a self-compassion and physical activity intervention: a qualitative study using participatory theme elicitation
No full textBackground: Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) is a chronic condition that impacts almost one in 10 people in Canada. Prediabetes signifies high T2D risk and is a call to action for risk-reducing behaviours like physical activity. Difficult emotions, stigma, and lack of support can prevent people with prediabetes from getting active. Self-compassion is a kind and protective approach taken towards oneself that should help people cope with prediabetes. The MOVE IT Study is a group-based intervention that teaches people with prediabetes self-compassion and physical activity behaviour-change strategies. Research is needed to explore how MOVE IT Study participants used self-compassion to improve their physical activity. Participatory Theme Elicitation (PTE) is a method of analyzing qualitative data alongside people with lived experience that should be useful for the present study.
Aims: (1) To qualitatively explore how participants in the MOVE IT Study used self-compassion to cope with prediabetes and improve their health. (2) To evaluate the acceptability and usefulness of PTE as a co-analysis technique.
Methods: A critical realist lens and the principles of patient engagement framed this research. Fourteen MOVE IT Study intervention sessions were audio-recorded and transcribed, representing N = 14 participants (Mage = 54 years, SDage = 7 years; 100% women). Transcripts were subjected to PTE alongside five co-researchers who had previously completed the MOVE IT Study (Age range = 51-74 years, 100% women, 40% White, 40% Indigenous, 20% Filipino). PTE was evaluated using the Public and Patient Engagement Evaluation Tool and a group interview with co-researchers.
Results: Six themes were generated from the data representing a “prototypical” participant’s journey of learning self-compassion and becoming more physically active through the MOVE IT Study. Cutting across these themes, participants in the MOVE IT Study used self-compassion to identify opportunities for growth, cope with physical activity setbacks and support their mental health, take action to protect their physical health, and support long-term lifestyle change.
Conclusions: Self-compassion training is relevant and useful to people with prediabetes who are seeking to become more active. PTE was a practical, highly acceptable method of co-analysis that produced meaningful results and should be used in future research.The Ruth Asper Scholarship in Kinesiology and Recreation ManagementOctober 202
Rediscovering Citta: Vignettes on Violence and Healing in Life and Commercial Yoga Spaces
No full textI have spent most of my life fighting for breath. It is hard to connect and fall in love with breath, the very life force of a person’s being, when you are busy every moment of every day fighting for it. When you are this structurally vulnerable, healing is near impossible because you are constantly bombarded by violence. I am a large built six-foot Black man who spent the first three and a half decades of his life disconnected and disembodied. I felt purposely separated from myself. Numb for the sake of survival, sober, but inebriated with disassociation just to make it through the day. This is an intentional and well-calibrated consequence of structural racism. I obviously did not know this as a child. Maybe I knew deep down inside, however like many young Black men I could not adequately put words to the emotional location of my experience. One thing I remember being confident enough to affirm (I was around the age of five), I did not feel “well” and things around me did not feel “sincere.