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“sad girlies how are we doing rn??”: Queer Youth’s Affective Engagements with ‘Sad Girl Music’ on TikTok
Full text linkIn recent years, TikTok has regularly been flooded with videos of mostly young queer women engaging with so-called ‘sad girl music’: a contested term referring to music that explores ‘ordinary’ sad feelings. This thesis examines sad girl music in the platform context, focusing on how identity constructions, emotions, and especially sadness, are mobilized in queer youths’ engagements with the music on TikTok. Drawing on affect theory, political economy, and fandom studies, I conduct a critical discourse analysis of 222 TikToks collected using the platform’s sound feature. My findings indicate that, in a context where the platformization of music is increasingly shaping discourses around music and emphasizing identity and mood as central to music consumption, TikTok facilitates new avenues for identity-construction and community-formation for young queer people in fandom spaces who utilize the platform’s affordances to subvert and queer mainstream trends and fandom practices. I further show how engagements with sad girl music reveal queer youths’ disillusionment with a future they are nonetheless continuing to yearn for. Expressions of sadness thus function as a way for queer youth to understand and process their sadness within broader socio-political contexts, allowing them to connect with others and potentially transform the inertia of waiting into political action. This thesis contributes to understandings of how queer fandom practices make use of and are (re)shaped by the TikTok platform, as well as understandings of the role of emotions in platformed music fandoms where collective experiences of sadness and shared affective investments can facilitate engagements with politics
Numerical modeling of the long-term poromechanical performance of deep geothermal energy systems
Full text linkIn recent years, the technological development of carbon-free energy sources has gained increasing attention among communities. Among various clean energy sources, geothermal energy stands out as an environmentally friendly alternative that is not affected by weather fluctuations, like solar and wind energy, and does not generate harmful waste, unlike nuclear energy. Geothermal energy production involves extracting the naturally stored heat within the Earth's crust for direct use or electricity generation. This process requires drilling one or more boreholes into the targeted formation, where fluid is injected and circulated to extract heat from the subsurface.
A wide range of injection and production scenarios exist for geothermal energy systems. However, a common challenge across all scenarios is the need to accurately capture and understand geological structures, including faults, fractures, and other planes of weakness, and to quantify, both spatially and temporally, the dynamics of relevant physical processes and their interactions with the geological environment. Continuous fluid injection and production induce thermodynamic changes within the reservoir, leading to significant variations in pore pressure and temperature. These variations create local stress gradients in the porous rock, affecting reservoir performance. The transport properties of the porous medium, namely porosity and permeability, are highly sensitive to bulk and pore volume deformations, which can influence or even control overall reservoir productivity. Additionally, changes in stress conditions along geological discontinuities, such as fractures or faults, induced by geothermal operations, can compromise the mechanical stability of these structures. This may result in the propagation or closure of existing fractures or induce slip along fault planes, potentially leading to induced seismicity.
This study investigates the dynamics of pore pressure diffusion and thermal effects within a geothermal reservoir subjected to cold fluid injection. The incorporation of International Association for the Properties of Water and Steam (IAPWS) equations enables realistic simulations of heterogeneous pressure field distributions. The simulated system represents a doublet within a faulted zone, featuring two hydraulically stimulated fractures. The primary objective is to assess the probability of fault reactivation under varying in-situ stress conditions over a 100-year geothermal injection and production period. The findings reveal that stress distribution patterns are primarily governed by thermal stresses along the fluid circulation pathway. Fluid velocity and temperature gradients significantly influence the reservoir’s mechanical stability, while minimal pore pressure changes suggest that thermal stresses play a dominant role in fault behavior. The analysis indicates no potential for fault reactivation under various in-situ stress conditions, even over the anticipated production and injection period, as thermal effects continue to influence the surrounding rocks. Slip tendency values remain below the threshold for fault reactivation, considering the reduced mechanical properties defined by the Hoek-Brown failure criterion. These results suggest that the geothermal reservoir, subject to thermo-poromechanical effects, exhibits mechanical stability conducive to sustained injection and production activities
Imprints of vector-like fermions on electroweak vacuum stability in extended Higgs frameworks
Full text linkThe issue of electroweak vacuum stability in the Standard Model remains a significant theoretical challenge. This thesis investigates the role of vector-like fermions in stabilizing the electroweak vacuum. We focus on three scenarios: the Higgs-Scalar Model with Vector-Like Quarks, Two-Higgs Doublet Model with Vector-Like Quarks, and Vector-Like Leptons in the Standard Model, exploring how the introduction of these additional fermions can modify the stability of the vacuum. We examine all gauge-anomaly-free vector-like representations under the SM gauge symmetry, and we analyze each of these models, taking into account all experimental constraints and electroweak precision observables, and considering both direct and indirect constraints from collider and cosmological data. The
work shows that, under certain conditions for the vector-like fermion masses and mixing parameters, the electroweak vacuum can be stabilized in all models studied, providing a viable mechanism for addressing the vacuum stability problem in the Standard Model
Nuns
Full text linkThe play Nuns is about Abby, a new student at Concordia University living in the Grey Nuns residence building. The play focuses on Abbys conflicted relationship with her own identity, and her mother. Despite a budding romantic relationship with a girl named Kaeli, she chooses to date a boy named Andrew to avoid acknowledging her own sexual identity. Her rejection of her identity allows her to fit within the role that her mother expects of her. On Halloween Abby’s avoidance of her sexuality comes to a head during a Ouija board game. The game opens the veil and allows one of the previous Nuns, Margaret, to begin haunting Abby as a means of guiding her to accept her identity.
The play focuses on themes of identity, family, freedom and gender roles. Abby is motivated to maintain a positive relationship with her Christian mom through fear. She worries that by accepting her identity as a gay woman, her relationship with her mother will fail. On the other hand, she struggles with avoiding her very real feelings for Kaeli, the object of her desire, who continues to intrude into the fantasy relationship she has created with Andrew. Despite the expectations of her parents, she will eventually accept her identity and reject the lifestyle that she has been expected to follow. As such, the text also grapples with ideas of found family, and connection
Turning Shareholder Pressure into Actions: The Impact of Environmental Shareholder Activism on Corporate Environmental Disclosure
Full text linkEnvironmental shareholder activism has increasingly gained attention as an influential mechanism shaping firms’ environmental reporting practices, yet prior research yields mixed findings on its impact. Whereas some argue that activism fosters substantive transparency, others maintain its influence as largely symbolic. To address these mixed findings, I examined whether environmental shareholder activism—particularly when initiated by institutional investors—influences the extent of firms’ environmental disclosures. Drawing on signaling theory, I proposed that environmental shareholder activists can pressure firms to issue stronger “signals” of environmental responsibility by enhancing their environmental reporting practices and that such pressure is more pronounced when driven by institutional investors. In this view, activism reduces information asymmetry and pressures firms to mitigate reputational risk, prompting more detailed or transparent reporting. I examined these arguments by testing hypotheses in the context of S&P 500 companies listed in 2023 over the period 2016–2023. The findings indicate that environmental shareholder activism does not significantly influence corporate environmental disclosure, suggesting that firms may respond to activist pressure through symbolic compliance or private engagements rather than public transparency. However, industry pressures remain a key determinant, with firms in high-pollution sectors engaging in significantly greater environmental disclosure independent of activist influence
Two Essays on the Role of Reference Point on Consumer Choice Behavior
No full textAccording to the reference point theory, individuals evaluate outcomes based on deviations from a subjective benchmark or expectation. This theory is integral in explaining how unexpected or salient contextual elements reshape consumer attitudes and behaviors. Positive deviations from the reference point are perceived as gains, eliciting favorable emotional and cognitive responses, while negative deviations are seen as losses, often triggering avoidance or corrective actions. In the first essay, reference points emerge from unexpected outcomes of macro-level events, influencing brand exploration through positive mood shifts. In the second essay, the percent daily value (%DV) of added sugars on nutrition labels serves as a reference point that consumers use to evaluate health-related goals. Together, these studies advance understanding of how reference points guide consumer behavior in varied contexts, offering insights into mood dynamics and goal alignment in decision-making.
The first essay focuses on how unexpected macro-level events, like the 2016 U.S. presidential election and the 2018 Super Bowl, influence consumer behavior. These events create reference points when outcomes deviate significantly from expectations. For instance, Trump’s unexpected victory generated strong positive emotional responses among Republican voters, shifting their reference point and leading to increased brand exploratory behavior. Using the Nielsen HomeScan Panel data and a difference-in-differences analysis, the essay reveals that in Republican-leaning counties, the share of new brands in consumer purchases increased by 32.5% post-election, compared to pre-election levels. This shift is attributed to mood elevation stemming from prediction errors, where unexpected positive outcomes encourage novelty-seeking. Similarly, the analysis extends to the 2018 Super Bowl, where the unexpected victory of the Philadelphia Eagles showed comparable effects, reinforcing the generalizability of the findings. This essay bridges reference point theory with real-world behavioral outcomes, providing actionable insights for marketers to leverage mood dynamics during surprise events.
The second essay examines how the inclusion of %DV for added sugars on FDA nutrition labels functions as a salient reference point, influencing consumer attitudes and behaviors. The 100% DV threshold serves as a critical benchmark; products exceeding this value are perceived as inconsistent with health goals, triggering feelings of guilt and reducing purchase intentions. By analyzing store-level sales data and conducting experimental studies, the essay identifies a 2% decline in sales for soft drinks with %DV exceeding 100%, compared to those with lower values. Experiments further reveal that these effects are mediated by consumers’ perceptions of goal inconsistency and anticipated guilt. Reference point theory explains this behavior as consumers compare sugar content to the normative standard set by the 100% DV threshold, framing higher values as losses to their health objectives. This essay not only provides evidence of the practical effectiveness of nutritional labeling but also contributes to understanding the cognitive and emotional mechanisms driving consumer responses to health-related information. These findings have implications for policymakers and marketers seeking to promote healthier choices through effective communication strategies
Nonreciprocal Vibration Transmission in Discrete Periodic Systems with Spatiotemporal Modulations
Full text linkMaterials with time-varying properties enable direction-dependent vibration transmission, meaning that interchanging the source and receiver changes transmission characteristics such as amplitude, phase, or wave speed, resulting in nonreciprocal behaviour. While unidirectional transmission in long, weakly modulated systems has been widely studied, the transmission characteristics of short, strongly modulated systems remain underexplored. This thesis addresses this gap, aiming to expand the application of materials and devices with time-varying mechanical properties. The focus is on discrete models of spatiotemporally modulated systems, where effective elasticity changes harmonically in time and space.
A methodology is developed to accurately predict the steady-state response of spatiotemporally modulated systems in response to external harmonic drive. The formulation is valid for strongly modulated systems of an arbitrary number of units. Using this methodology, vibration transmission characteristics of both weakly and strongly modulated systems are investigated. Contributions of primary and sideband resonances, and their overlaps, to nonreciprocity are clarified. The effects of modulation amplitude and wavenumber on the resonance frequencies are discussed.
The contribution of phase to nonreciprocity is highlighted, a feature that is often overlooked in the literature. It is shown that the difference between the transmitted phases is the primary contributor to nonreciprocity in short systems. To further emphasize the significant role of phase, a nonreciprocal response regime is introduced which is characterized by equal transmitted amplitudes in opposite directions. A nonreciprocal phase shift is the sole contributor to nonreciprocity in this case. A methodology is developed for achieving nonreciprocal phase shifts in short, weakly modulated systems based on the envelope of the response. A formulation is also presented that ensures the shapes of the transmitted response envelopes have the same shape but different phases.
Parametric stability is analyzed using Floquet theory, revealing the influence of key system parameters, including modulation phase, wavenumber, amplitude, frequency, damping, and system size. Perturbation theory shows that parametric instability occurs at specific frequency combinations of the unmodulated system. Instability is more likely at higher modulation frequencies, whereas lower modulation frequencies provide wide stable amplitude ranges. These insights enhance the design and safe operation of spatiotemporally modulated systems, potentially broadening their applications
The use of Infrared Thermography to Measure Injury Biomarkers in Lower Extremity Musculoskeletal Injuries of Professional Football Players
Full text linkMusculoskeletal injuries in football (American) are common, and health-care professionals are continuously trying to find new ways to prevent, assess, and rehabilitate sports injuries. While magnetic resonance imaging is considered the gold standard in diagnosing soft tissue injuries, magnetic resonance imaging is expensive, difficult to access, and requires a qualified professional. Infrared thermography is a novel technology that is quick, non-invasive, easily accessible, and can provide a static or dynamic image. This study evaluated the use of infrared imaging as a tool to monitor the healing and rehabilitation of injured professional football athletes. The first objective was to use infrared thermography to track changes in average maximum temperature of the injured limb following an injury up until return to play. The second objective was to use infrared thermography to track the average temperature asymmetry between the injured limb and the healthy limb after injury up until return to play. The third objective was to identify the relationships between average maximum temperature, average temperature asymmetry, and LEFS scores at time of injury and return to play in football players recovering from an acute lower extremity musculoskeletal injury. Infrared imaging could measure the changes in temperature from acute inflammation all the way to increased blood flow during sport specific rehabilitation. Infrared imaging can be provided by any health care professional at any time and could improve player safety in the CFL
Ins and Outs
No full textIns and Outs is a novel that explores the dynamics of a first encounter between its two protagonists, Hannah and Mark, who meet online on a photography subreddit. After two years of photo exchanges and video chats, Hannah decides to accept Mark’s invitation to stay with him in New York City: there is a retrospective at MOMA of the photographer Hannah Molson, whom they both admire and whose work they have discussed at length. Mark is a loner who is obsessed with time and numbers, convinced that every significant action he makes must align with a specific point in time. He looks for meaningful coincidences everywhere to reassure himself that he’s on the right path. The encounter with Hannah, whom he’s fallen in love with, pushes his defense mechanisms into overdrive as he invents nightmare scenarios to preclude the possibility of them taking place in real life; Mark believes that to imagine a situation is to erase it from reality. In this way, the novel deals with the mechanics of decision-making, how over-thinking can lead to anxiety and paralysis, and the role magical thinking plays in our choices, a pseudo-rationalization of a chaotic universe that is in fact highly irrational
Socio-economic Determinants of Infant Mortality Rate
Full text linkThis study investigates the socio-economic determinants of infant mor- tality rates using panel data from the World Bank’s World Development Indicators (WDI) for over 100 countries spanning multiple decades. Given the potential endogeneity in the fertility-mortality relationship, a two-stage least squares (G2SLS) instrumental variable (IV) approach is employed, us- ing the second lag of fertility as an instrument. This strategy accounts for reverse causality and omitted variable bias, ensuring more robust estimates of the causal effect of fertility on infant mortality. A fixed-effects regres- sion model is implemented to analyze the dynamic effects of fertility rate, real GDP per capita, urbanization, and economic growth on infant mortal- ity, incorporating interaction terms to examine how economic development moderates the impact of fertility. The results confirm that higher fertility rates are associated with increased infant mortality, but this effect dimin- ishes in wealthier economies, highlighting the role of economic development in mitigating child mortality risks. Additionally, urbanization and short- term economic growth exhibit significant negative associations with infant mortality, underscoring the importance of healthcare access and economic stability in improving child health outcomes