30921 research outputs found
Sort by
Law, business and human rights: holding Canadian corporations liable for the misconduct of overseas subsidiaries: legal and policy pathways
No full textThe globalization of business has enabled Canadian transnational corporations to expand their operations through overseas subsidiaries, resulting in complex legal and ethical challenges when misconduct occurs abroad. Recent high-profile cases, such as Araya v. Nevsun Resources Ltd., have signaled a shift in Canadian jurisprudence, suggesting that parent corporations may face direct liability for the actions of their foreign subsidiaries under tort law and even for breaches of customary international law. However, these legal approaches remain contentious and have attracted significant academic debate regarding their doctrinal soundness and practical effectiveness.
This thesis systematically examines the evolving landscape of foreign direct liability litigation against Canadian corporations. It analyzes the legal principles underpinning parent-subsidiary relationships, the traditional doctrine of separate corporate personality, and the circumstances under which courts may pierce the corporate veil or recognize direct duties of care. The study also explores comparative developments in other jurisdictions, such as the United Kingdom and the European Union, where legislative and judicial innovations have
expanded the scope of corporate accountability for human rights and environmental harms throughout global supply chains.
This research critically evaluates tortious, criminal, necessity-based, and contractual liability regimes. It identifies persistent barriers to accountability and highlights the urgent need for a coherent Canadian statutory framework. The thesis concludes that while recent case law has opened new avenues for holding Canadian parent companies liable for overseas misconduct, comprehensive legal reform—supported by clear legislative guidance and robust compliance mechanisms—is essential to ensure meaningful protection of human rights and responsible corporate conduct in the global economy.October 202
Brain activity associated with emotion regulation predicts individual differences in working memory ability
No full textPrevious behavioral research has found that working memory is associated with emotion regulation efficacy. However, there has been mixed evidence as to whether the neural mechanisms between emotion regulation and working memory overlap. The present study tested the prediction that individual differences on the working memory subtest of the Weschler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS-IV) could be predicted from the pattern of brain activity produced during emotion regulation in regions typically associated with working memory such as the dlPFC. One-hundred-and-one participants completed an emotion regulation fMRI task in which they either viewed or reappraised negative images. Participants also completed working memory test outside the scanner. A whole brain covariate analysis contrasting the reappraise negative and view negative BOLD response found that activity in the right dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) positively related to working memory ability. Moreover, a multivoxel pattern analysis (MVPA) approach using 10-fold cross validated support vector regression in ROIs associated with working memory, including bilateral dlPFC, demonstrated we could predict individual differences in working memory ability from the pattern of activity associated with emotion regulation. These findings support the idea that emotion regulation shares underlying cognitive processes and neural mechanisms with working memory, particularly in the dlPFC
Expected value metrics in women's soccer
No full textWith advancing technology, the collection and analysis of sports data has become more comprehensive and sophisticated. One of the latest developments in Sports Analytics has resulted in publicly available tracking data. In this research, we will first introduce a model based on dependent and sequential logistic regression that uses tracking data to estimate the probability of a shot, a shot on target and a goal occurring throughout a soccer match. Secondly, and most importantly, we will discuss how the above models can be used to construct expected value metrics such as the expected number of shots, shots on target and goals over a whole game. While previous research on expected value metrics focuses on men’s soccer, we concentrate our analysis on women's soccer to close the research gap between the two genders. This research analyzes the 2022 Union of the European Football Association (UEFA) European Women’s Championship. Finally, we will conclude by discussing our findings and the performance of our models.October 202
Parameterizing the release of iceberg meltwater at depth: impacts on the Subpolar North Atlantic
No full textAround half of the mass loss from the Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS) is in the form of solid ice discharge, partly represented by the calving of icebergs, which has been increasing in the last few decades. Icebergs release freshwater away from their sources, impacting ocean physical properties and primary production. Despite their significance to the marine environment, their representation in ocean models is still limited and simplified. In ocean models that represent icebergs, the release of meltwater is usually prescribed at the ocean surface. However, observations and laboratory experiments reveal that this is not always the case in the real world. Therefore, in this study we investigate the impacts of representing the release of iceberg meltwater through depth (along their keel) instead of at the ocean surface. We used simulations carried out with the Nucleus for European Modelling of the Ocean, with different numerical representations and depth of intrusion of the iceberg meltwater. Although the project initially employed four simulations, only two are considered here, since the differences between the simulations with different numerical representation of iceberg plumes showed very small differences compared to the ones obtained by varying the depth of meltwater intrusion. Here, we present the main findings in the form of a manuscript intended for submission, followed by a detailed methodology and a section presenting the differences between the initial simulations used in this project. This study demonstrated that parameterizing the intrusion of iceberg meltwater at depth, instead of at the surface, leads to significant changes in the subpolar North Atlantic and in the ocean surrounding Greenland. The intrusion of meltwater at depth decreases the water column stability, enhancing iceberg melt rates and allowing meltwater to spread into deeper layers and basin interiors (Chapter 1, section 3.1). This parameterization leads to colder and saltier upper layers in Baffin Bay, enhanced inflow of warm and salty Atlantic waters in the subpolar gyre, and saltier waters in the Labrador Sea (Chapter 1, section 3.2). The changes in physical properties in the interior of the Labrador Sea results in decreased water column stability and deeper mixed layers, during winter (Chapter 1, section 3.3). Finally, the intrusion of meltwater at depth enhances primary production of the study region (Chapter 1, section 3.4). These significant changes in physical properties in large-scale emphasizes the need for a more accurate parameterization of how the meltwater from icebergs is released in the ocean. The factors to be considered in an improved parameterization are discussed in Chapter 1, section 4.October 202
Desire lines: mapping well-being and ecological care through life writing practices
No full textThis thesis maps the concept of desire lines as both a method and a metaphor for shaping well-being and ecological care. Desire lines—informal, intuitive pathways shaped by human and more-than-human movements (Ramsden, 2017)—provide a framework for mapping relational, reciprocal entanglements across ecological and experiential worlds. This study uses life writing and art-making practices to examine how personal and scholarly ways of being are reshaped through embodied, creative, and place-based engagements. Rooted in diffractive inquiry (Barad, 2007) and eco-pedagogy (Misiaszek, 2023), the research draws on multimodal life writing (Chambers et al., 2012) to investigate how memory, motion, and place map evolving ecological attunements. Guided by the question—In what ways do engaging in diffractive life writing, movement, and art-making practices open pathways for un/re-learning, expanding, and strengthening my relationship with the more-than-human worlds I inhabit and move with/in?—this study uses journaling, photography, eco-poetry, and seasonal creative practices to map the dynamic relationship between theory and lived experience. Here, more-than-human refers to the animate and inanimate presences and forces—animals, plants, weather systems, waterways, and landforms—that co-shape our worlds through mutual responsiveness and entangled relations (Barad, 2007; Haraway, 2016). This research invites new desire lines—ways of living, teaching, and writing that honour interconnectedness, cultivate ecological responsibility, and foster reciprocal relations with the more-than-human worlds we move with/in.February 202
Exploring elder care in two communities in Ghana, West Africa, within the context of the current state of social, economic and environmental influences: a constructivist grounded theory study
No full textResearchers increasingly emphasize the importance of providing high-quality, accessible care to meet the needs of a rapidly growing ageing population. Although low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) remain in the early stages of demographic transition, evidence indicates that these changes are accelerating at an unprecedented pace. This rapid shift presents significant challenges, especially in Ghana, where society continues to frame caregiving as a private responsibility. Guided by a feminist gerontological perspective, this study explored the social, economic, and environmental factors influencing elder care, including the effects of COVID-19, by drawing on the experiences of older adults, family caregivers, and service providers such as government officials, community leaders, and not-for-profit representatives.
I employed a constructivist grounded theory approach and conducted thirty-three face-to-face semi-structured interviews and three focus group discussions between November and December 2023 in Akuapem-Mampong and Akuapem-Akropong, located in the Akuapim-North Municipality of Ghana’s Eastern Region. I audio-recorded the interviews with participants’ consent, transcribed them verbatim, and coded them using NVivo 12. Through iterative analysis, constant comparison, systematic coding, and detailed field notes, I developed a substantive theory grounded in participants’ lived experiences.
Findings revealed that traditional, culturally rooted caregiving norms face considerable challenges. Participants highlighted the inadequacy of government programs, the lack of formal care services, and the heavy physical and mental burdens carried by elderly individuals and their caregivers. They also pointed out environmental barriers that limit access to care. In response, participants called for urgent reforms in government programs, increased financial and in-kind support, and the integration of community- and faith-based support into formal caregiving systems.
This study developed the emergent theory, “Drive to Negotiate,” which illustrates how elderly individuals, caregivers, community leaders, and service providers actively adapt, improvise, and sustain care amidst systemic shortcomings. Despite resource constraints, declining kinship-based caregiving, and inadequate institutional support, participants negotiated solutions through interdependence and adaptability. Their resilience demonstrates how social relations and collective strategies sustain the availability and quality of elder care in Ghanaian communities under changing social, economic, and environmental pressures.February 202
Porous siloxane-based hydrophobic polyurethane sponges for hemostatic applications
No full textUncontrollable bleeding resulting from severe trauma or war conflicts, such as visceral perforation and arterial rupture, is one of the leading causes of mortality among injured individuals. It also presents a critical challenge that must be urgently addressed to utilize the golden rescue time effectively and improve survival rates. Traditional hemostatic materials often exhibit weak mechanical properties, poor adhesion to wet tissues, and a lack of adaptability to wound shapes, particularly failing to achieve the desired hemostatic effect in moist and irregular tissue conditions. In this study, a novel material (PDMS-MDI-PCL) was synthesized using polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), polycaprolactone diol (PCL), and 4,4'-methylenebis(phenyl isocyanate) (MDI) as the raw material. By combining methacrylated gelatin (GelMA) and hemocoagulase (HC), a porous hemostatic material (HGPU) with shape recovery, multimodal application, red blood cell aggregation, and platelet activation capabilities was developed. This material can be flexibly applied according to the size and characteristics of the wound, and its hemostatic speed is significantly faster than that of commercially available gelatin sponges. When compressed cylindrical HGPU is inserted into narrow and deep bleeding sites in visceral tissues, it rapidly recovers its shape under moist conditions to seal the wound and apply pressure to the bleeding point. When thin sheets of HGPU are applied to arterial bleeding sites, they quickly wrap around the artery without interfering with arterial pulsation or blood flow. In conclusion, the compressible, shape-recoverable, and multimodally applicable HGPU demonstrates significant potential in managing lethal and uncontrollable bleeding scenarios.February 202
Behaviour of circular concrete slender columns reinforced with GFRP bars and spirals in single and double curvature
No full textRecent advancements in the concrete industry and the development of high-strength materials have enabled the design and construction of increasingly slender reinforced concrete (RC) columns. However, when traditional steel is used as internal reinforcement, these slender members remain highly susceptible to corrosion, particularly in aggressive environmental conditions. To address this challenge, fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) reinforcement has gained significant attention as a durable, noncorrosive alternative to steel. Among the available FRP types, glass FRP (GFRP) bars are especially advantageous due to their large strain capacity, high tensile strength, and cost-effectiveness. These properties have promoted their use in structural applications where long-term durability is a primary concern.
A total of eleven GFRP-RC columns were fabricated and tested under three different end moment ratios: 1.0, 0.5, and -0.5. The applied eccentricities included 0 mm (concentric), 60 mm (moderate), and 120 mm (large). Seven specimens were constructed with normal-strength concrete (NSC) having an average compressive strength of 41 MPa, while the remaining four were cast with high-strength concrete (HSC), averaging 74 MPa. The study investigated the effects of concrete compressive strength, end-moment ratio, and eccentricity on the axial capacity, stiffness, failure mechanisms, and second-order behaviour of slender GFRP-RC columns. Results demonstrated that HSC columns exhibited greater axial strength and enhanced post-peak performance but were prone to more brittle modes of failure. Two distinct failure types were identified: material failure, governed by concrete crushing, and instability failure, characterized by excessive lateral displacements. Columns subjected to unequal end moments, resulting in a non-uniform bending moment distribution along their length, exhibited enhanced stability and more controlled load responses. This was particularly evident in cases with double curvature, where improved performance was observed. In contrast, columns with equal end moments (moment ratio = 1.0), resulting in single curvature, demonstrated amplified second-order effects and increased vulnerability to instability-induced failure. Comparison between experimental results and available North American codes and standards for FRP-RC structures demonstrated that the predictions of axial capacity and flexural stiffness are overly conservative by current design provisions, primarily due to neglecting the compressive contribution of GFRP bars or considering it at limited strains.University of Manitoba Graduate Fellowship (UMGF)October 202
Observables of relative structures and Lie 2-algebras associated with Quasi-Hamiltonian G-spaces
No full textA manifold is said to be -plectic if it is equipped with a closed, nondegenerate -form. This thesis develops the theory of \emph{relative -plectic structures}, where the classical condition is replaced by a closed, nondegenerate \emph{relative} -form defined with respect to a smooth map. Analogous to how -plectic manifolds give rise to -algebras of observables, we show that relative -plectic structures naturally induce corresponding -algebras. These structures provide a conceptual bridge between the frameworks of quasi-Hamiltonian -spaces and -plectic geometry.
As an application, we examine the relative -plectic structure canonically associated to quasi-Hamiltonian -spaces. We show that every quasi-Hamiltonian -space defines a closed, nondegenerate relative -form, and that the group action induces a Hamiltonian infinitesimal action compatible with this structure. We then construct explicit homotopy moment maps as -morphisms from the Lie algebra into the Lie -algebra of relative observables, extending the moment map formalism to the higher and relative geometric setting.October 202
Synthesis of Novel 2- and 8-Substituted 4-Amino-7-chloroquinolines and their N-Alkylated Coupling Products
No full textThe synthesis of a series of 2- and 8-substituted 4-amino-7-chloroquinolines is presented. The chloro in the 7-position can be effectively substituted using amino alcohols to yield novel analogues of the antimalarial (hydroxy)chloroquine. Both short chain (2-aminoethanol) and long chain (5-[N-ethyl-N-(2-hydroxyethyl)amino]-2-aminopentane) coupling partners can be used. While ketone and nitro functionalities were found to be incompatible with the coupling conditions, electron-donating amino and dimethylamino substituents were tolerated. In addition to characterization in solution using multinuclear NMR spectroscopy and high-resolution mass spectrometry, single-crystal X-ray structures are presented of two 4,7-dichloroquinolines as well as three of the N-alkylated products including a unique species in which a pyrrole heterocycle formed at the 2-position of the quinoline sub-unit and a rare example of a 4-aza-1,10-phenanthroline