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Secure and Autonomic Framework for SCHC Context Management in LoRaWAN-IPv6 Networks
Get PDFThe rapid growth of IoT technologies demands seamless integration of communication protocols, es- pecially for devices in constrained environments. This thesis focuses on integrating LoRaWAN with IPv6 networks by developing a secure and autonomous framework for managing SCHC (Static Context Header Compression) contexts. The research aims to create a secure, human-free solution that maintains reasonable data transmission times between LoRaWAN and IPv6, essential for widespread IoT adoption. For instance, in smart agriculture, dynamic SCHC updates support equipment mobility; in industrial automation, SCHC ensures consistent data transmission amid changing topologies; in smart cities, it adapts to evolving infras- tructure; and in healthcare, it manages reliable health data transmission.
The thesis introduces the concept of SCHC Zero Context, enabling immediate device communication by embedding pre-configured SCHC rules during manufacturing. This innovation facilitates an efficient bootstrapping process. Additionally, a comparative analysis of BRSKI (Bootstrapping Remote Secure Key Infrastructure) and cBRSKI (constrained BRSKI) demonstrates the feasibility of the solution for energy- constrained IoT devices.
The research underscores the importance of integrating security across IoT architecture layers. By com- bining LoRaWAN’s data link layer security with IPv6’s global internet, the proposed framework offers robust protection against common threats, ensuring secure onboarding and communication throughout a de- vice’s life-cycle.
This work provides a scalable, secure solution for integrating LoRaWAN with IPv6, laying the ground- work for future research in secure and efficient dynamic SCHC context management
Authentic Spirituality in A Secular Age
Get PDFThis thesis explores authentic spirituality in the secular age by defining three key terms. It defines the secular age as one in which for the first time in human history, a purely self-sufficient humanism is possible. By using the work of philosopher Charles Taylor, it tells the story of the numerous developments and central anthropocentric shifts which had to occur in order for the secular to emerge. This thesis explores the development of the meaning of the term religion in the work of Wilfred Cantwell Smith, who argues that in modernity, a religion refers to a system of belief, by the generic religion refers to the sum total of these systems of belief. This thesis goes on to define spirituality as understood by romantic liberal modernity as a personal quest of self-actualization. The ten main tenets of romantic liberal modernity are outlined using the work of Galen Watts. An example of one such spirituality called wellness culture is explored through the work of Tara Isabella Burton. Finally, this thesis proposes an alternate definition of spirituality using the work of Keiji Nishitani and Bernard Lonergan, for whom spirituality is an orientation towards or relationship with reality. This definition of spirituality stresses the notion of authenticity, which for Bernard Lonergan is grounded in self-transcendence. Self-transcendence is achieved through intellectual conversion, moral conversion, and religious conversion
Multi-Satellite Network Size Estimation and Scalable Resource Allocation Mechanisms in Direct-to-Satellite IoT
Get PDFLow Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite constellations are crucial for connecting Internet of Things (IoT) networks globally. They facilitate Direct-to-Satellite (DtS) communications, especially in remote areas lacking terrestrial infrastructure. Although Low-Power Wireless Area technologies, such as LoRa, provide long-range connectivity in DtS-IoT networks, scalability remains a significant challenge due to heavy channel congestion associated with large-scale deployments. The LoRa Optimistic Collision Information-based (L-OCI) estimator was introduced to address a satellite's insufficient awareness of possible congestion in its service area by estimating network size. However, this mechanism was designed for a single LEO satellite.
This thesis introduces Constellation L-OCI (CL-OCI), a novel mechanism for estimating network size in multi-satellite constellations. CL-OCI integrates estimations from multiple satellites, accounting for their ground track deviations relative to the node deployment region, and groups the node population for estimation by each satellite. We thoroughly tested CL-OCI using FloRaSat, a discrete-event satellite constellation simulator in realistic orbital DtS-IoT scenarios. The results show significant scalability improvement, doubling the number of nodes it can estimate and reducing node-energy costs by seven-fold compared to LoRa/LoRaWAN OCI.
Leveraging OCI benefits, we apply the network size estimator in two novel window selection mechanisms for Aloha-based MAC protocols, namely Frame Selection Game and Intelligent Probabilistic, tailored for device sets of unknown size. These mechanisms enable nodes to select advantageous time frames for channel contention through network size estimation. Extensive simulations in Matlab demonstrate that these mechanisms outperform traditional Frame Slotted Aloha protocols, improving scalability to accommodate up to 1,500 nodes
Towards a Standard Test to Evaluate Back-Support Exoskeleton Efficacy for Rebar Workers: Test Design and Initial Implementation
No full textThe health span of construction workers is reduced by the nature of their work. Over the course of their careers, workers in the construction trades are set to face environments and tasks that put them at risk for debilitating musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). The emerging technology of occupational exoskeletons (OEs) offers a promising solution. OEs are wearable ergonomic tools designed to prevent work-related MSDs, particularly in the industries of manufacturing and logistics. The construction industry is uniquely placed to benefit from OEs due to the intensity and variation of construction environments and tasks that prevent the implementation of interventions that are available in more controlled settings. This intensity and variation, however, complicates the process of designing and evaluating OEs for construction applications. Following from a comprehensive literature review on OEs for the construction trades, this research aims to address a gap in the existing body of knowledge that acts as a barrier to OE adoption in construction: a lack of realistic trade-specific standard test methods to evaluate OEs for the construction trades. A novel test method is developed and implemented in a controlled environment to evaluate back-support OEs for the essential trade of reinforcing ironworkers, and insights from the implementation suggest improvements for future test methods. A pilot field study is conducted to investigate the realism of the proposed test method. Based on the literature review, test method design and implementation, and pilot field study, a roadmap is proposed towards the large-scale adoption of effective OEs in the construction industry via general and trade-specific standard tests
The Story is Everywhere: Polish Jewish Children and Adolescents in Soviet Central Asia during the Second World War
Get PDFClose to 80 percent of all Polish Jews still alive in 1945 survived outside Poland, either deported to or exiled in Soviet territories, yet their life stories have been overlooked in much of Holocaust historiography (Goldlust, 2012). This thesis examines young survivors’ intimate experiences of exile and deportation in the Soviet Central Asian Republics during the Second World War. Anchored in oral testimonies from the Montreal Holocaust Museum by survivors who were children or adolescents during the war, I explore youths’ journeys to and within the region as well as their relationships with local populations and family members during this period. In the first chapter, I argue that children and youth faced particular dangers of displacement specific to their age groups, and examine the impact of famine, illness, and interrupted education on their experiences, as well as the psychological consequences of these movements. The second chapter holds that children and youth connected with local populations in a manner different from adult refugees, often forging close bonds and friendship and displaying a notable sense of solidarity with local residents. The third chapter, finally, turns to the presence and absence of family members during young people’s wartime displacements, directing attention to the role of age in shaping family dynamics and highlighting the divergent experiences of children and adolescents. Overall, this work aims to bring attention to young people’s unique and distinct experiences of deportation and exile in the Soviet Union
Student-Centered Evaluation Research of Quebec’s Bill 151 – An Act to Prevent and Fight Sexual Violence in Higher Education Institutions
Get PDFIn late 2017, Quebec passed Bill 151, An Act to prevent and fight sexual violence in higher education institutions, making it mandatory for universities and CEGEPs to adopt a sexual violence policy by January 1st, 2019. Conversely, student advocates expressed serious concern in relation to the lack of student consultation in the development and implementation of Bill 151. Currently, most research related to sexual violence in higher education focuses on university settings, offering minimal insight into the CEGEP sector.
With the aim of consulting students, and of reducing the knowledge gap, this student-centered research evaluated the sexual violence prevention measures and support services at a public English-speaking CEGEP on the island of Tiohtiá:ke/Montreal. The anonymous online survey asked students about their awareness and opinions of the sexual violence support services and prevention measures available on campus and solicited their suggestions for improvements.
The results showed that most students did not know how to access, nor had read their college’s sexual violence policy and procedures. Most respondents rated the prevention measures as ‘somewhat effective’ (48.2%), and the support services as ‘helpful’ (43.3%). However, students decidedly expressed the desire for a greater diversity of sexual violence prevention measures and support services on campus, as well as for more in-person interventions. The survey findings were further observed through the intersections of age, gender, sexual orientation and ethnicity. The differences in averages between dominant and marginalized groups were also checked for statistical significance through the application of t-tests
Wawêsiwîn: The Act of Dressing Up
Get PDFThis thesis aims to redesign the nostalgic, early 2000’s dress-up game from a Cree perspective. Video games and digital media often reflect negative stereotypes of Indigenous peoples if they are included at all. The ability of Indigenous creators to use these tools to tell their own stories allows Indigenous peoples to take back and rewrite the narratives so often forced upon them. Examining projects and literature from Indigenous scholars provides context and guidance as to how others incorporate Indigenous values into their works. Other examples of independent dress-up games are examined to provide additional context as to how other creators subvert the genre with unique game design. Limitations of this research include the possible use of archival documents containing clothing designs belonging to other peoples and Nations, as well as considerations for Indigenous knowledges and values being incorporated respectfully. These issues highlight the importance of examining other works and guides by Indigenous creatives, as well as being grounded in Indigenous values like miyo-pimâtisiwin ¬-in order to conduct this work respectfully and in conversation with others to hold the researcher accountable to community. Wawêsîwin, the videogame produced through this research, is grounded in miyo-pimâtisiwin and is meant to be a joyful and nostalgic experience for Indigenous players, where they can see themselves in both the aesthetics and the design of the game itself
Deep Learning Ultrasound Image Analysis: From Classification to Segmentation with Limited Data
No full textUltrasound (US) is one of the most widely used imaging modalities in diagnostic and sur- gical settings due to its affordability, safety, and non-invasive nature. However, US images are prone to speckle noise, leading to low resolution and making clinical interpretation chal- lenging. Recently, researchers have applied state-of-the-art deep learning (DL) algorithms from the field of computer vision to the clinical domain. These algorithms require extensive annotated data to achieve meaningful results. In clinical US imaging, however, there are limited available datasets because annotating US images is time-consuming and requires ex- pert radiologists. Additionally, many hospitals restrict data sharing due to patient privacy policies, further limiting the development of DL algorithms for clinical US images. To ad- dress these limitations, this thesis focuses on developing innovative DL algorithms capable of performing with small datasets. Specifically, in Chapter 2, we use simulated US images as an alternative dataset to pre-train a breast tumor segmentation model. We further explore how network design complexity affects segmentation performance with limited data. In Chapter 3, we leverage 2D planes from 3D uterus US scans to develop a segmentation model using data from only 10 cervical cancer patients. In Chapter 4, we create a compact segmentation network with just 0.82 million parameters, applying knowledge distillation to transfer knowl- edge from a well-trained teacher model with 96 million parameters. This approach is ideal for portable US devices, where computational and memory-efficient models are required at the bedside. In Chapter 5, we introduce a novel approach to breast lesion classification by incorporating background as an additional class, improving the detection of invasive ductal carcinomas. In Chapter 6, we develop a framework for detecting quadriceps muscle thickness in US images, an important biomarker for frailty assessment. This framework also provides activation maps, highlighting the model’s focus on either the muscle body or bone surface. The availability of well-annotated datasets for DL model development has been a significant challenge in this thesis. To address this gap, in our final chapter, Chapter 7, we present a publicly available, expert-annotated dataset of intra-operative US images for brain tumor resection—the first of its kind, verified by two expert surgeons. Finally, in Chapter 8, we summarize our findings with concluding remarks and potential future works
Spatial experience of cancer inpatients in the oncology wards: A qualitative study in visual design aspects
Get PDFPurpose
This paper aims to explore how the visual characteristics of cancer wards' interior spaces can be improved based on the combined visual design themes to help cancer inpatients’ spatial experience and relieved state of mind. Accordingly, we present a visual design framework that can be applied in oncology wards.
Method
This study adopts the Ulrich-supportive design theory as a theoretical framework using two main methodological phases: observation of cancer wards and interviews with professional caregivers. The first phase critically explores hospital cancer wards' interactive aesthetical and visual interior characteristics. Next, we adjusted the visual criteria based on the Post Occupation Evaluation (POE) method to develop the interview questions. Interviews were conducted with experienced nurses, oncologists, and a general physician, all from a cancer ward at McGill University Health Center (MUHC) in Montreal, Canada.
Results
We presented 11 main themes in the categories of color and light, natural/artistic images, way-finding, and visual clutter. To present and justify our visual design framework, these main themes were then classified based on the common goals, resulting in four combined themes: applying simplicity and usability; developing naturality; creating homeyness and respecting patients’ agency; and promoting trustworthiness.
Conclusion
Our findings suggest that—apart from the last theme, promoting trustworthiness, the rest are in line with Ulrich's supportive design theory. Therefore, further research is needed to investigate “promoting trustworthiness” in the context of cancer wards. In addition, each aspect of the visual design framework can offer practical design recommendations for future studies
ground is the bottom of anything
Get PDFNina Vroemen's MFA Graduate Projects (Non-Thesis).
Echoes, reflections, cycles—the notion of elemental looping is the place of departure for this exhibition that examines the agency and legacies of materials extracted from the ground–and those released back into it. Intertwining unlikely threads–personal, political, scientific, and mythological