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Recent Submissions

Access status: Open Access ,
Development of Phenological Models and Management Strategies for Narrowleaf Goldenrod (Euthamia graminifolia L.) in Wild Blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium Ait.) Fields
(2025-11-27) Hoeg, Lienna; Not Applicable; Master of Science; Department of Plant, Food and Environmental Sciences; Not Applicable; N/A; Not Applicable; Dr. Travis Esau; Dr. Andrew McKenzie-Gopsill; Dr. Scott White
Narrowleaf goldenrod (Euthamia graminifolia) has emerged as a major perennial weed challenge in wild blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium) production in Nova Scotia, impacting crop management and yield quality. This thesis investigated the phenological development of E. graminifolia and evaluated integrated strategies for its control. Predictive models based on growing degree days were developed to accurately describe shoot emergence and flowering timing, enabling growers to better schedule post-emergence management. Narrowleaf goldenrod ramet emergence began at 25-71 GDD, and continued to 1,047-1,665 GDD across all study sites. Narrowleaf goldenrod ramets were observed at the flowering bud stage between 710 and 871 GDD (June 21 – 28), and approximately 90% of emerged ramets reached the flowering bud stage between 1303 – 1956 GDD (July 17 – August 24). Emerged ramets began flowering between 1418 – 1626 GDD (July 30 – August 7), and approximately 90% of emerged ramets were flowering between 1992 – 2225 GDD (August 27 – September 12). Cumulative E. graminifolia seedling emergence ranged from 2.4 ± 0.8 to 4 ± 1 seedlings m-2, respectively, and seedling density from soil core samples ranged from 0.02 ± 0.01 to 6.92 ± 1.80 seedlings per core. Seedbank and seedling recruitment studies indicated limited establishment of new plants through sexual reproduction in managed fields, highlighting the necessity of focusing on established populations. Herbicide field trials were established across eleven commercial lowbush blueberry fields in Nova Scotia between 2019 and 2021 to evaluate early-POST, late-POST, and post-harvest, pre-pruning herbicide applications. These studies identified mesotrione-based treatments and targeted fall applications as the most effective methods for long-term suppression with minimal crop injury. The research supports renewed registration efforts for key herbicide programs and provides practical recommendations for sustainable weed management, helping Nova Scotia blueberry growers address the threat of an increasingly dominant, competitive weed species.
Access status: Open Access ,
DYNAMIC BALANCE OF THE SUPPORTING LEG DURING UNILATERAL OBSTACLE CROSSING IN YOUNG ADULTS
(2025-11-25) Kebritchi, Afarin; No; Master of Science; School of Health & Human Performance; Received; Ryan Frayne; No; Derek Rutherford; Christopher MacLean; Michel Ladouceur; David McArthur
Walking biomechanics, especially during tasks requiring postural adjustments such as obstacle navigation, present complex neural and mechanical challenges. Successful obstacle negotiation relies on anticipatory locomotor adjustments and precise dynamic balance control. The present study investigates dynamic balance during unilateral obstacle crossing by examining center of mass behavior and its relationship to the center of pressure across obstacle heights from 0 to 60 cm. Specifically, it evaluates the COM–COP inclination angle and the supporting-leg COM velocity to characterize anticipatory locomotor adjustments and determine potential differences between right and left support limbs. We hypothesize that (A) the COM–COP IA will increase in forward–backward and decrease in side-to-side directions as obstacle height increases, and (B) COM velocity components will vary systematically with higher obstacles. We further propose that lateralization effects may emerge, with inter-limb differences becoming more pronounced at greater heights. This research aims to improve the understanding of adaptive gait strategies.
Access status: Open Access ,
UNDERSTANDING TRAVEL ACTIVITY IN THE DIGITAL ERA: MODELING TRAVELLER PROFILES AND INTERACTION BETWEEN ICT ACCESS, AND WORK ARRANGEMENTS
(2025-11-27) Ibnat, Atkia; Not Applicable; Master of Applied Science; Department of Civil and Resource Engineering; Received; N/A; Yes; Dr. Hamid Afshari; Dr. Lei Liu; Dr. Ahsan Habib
Advances in digital technology have changed how people work, socialize, and travel, yet most transportation planning still focuses on physical trips. This thesis explores how digital access and flexible work arrangements shape mobility and how transportation systems can adapt. It uses the 2024 Calgary CanTRAC Survey, which collected travel diaries and information on ICT ownership, online activity, and lifestyle preferences from 1,474 individuals. A two stage calibration corrected selection bias. Using this weighted dataset, k prototypes clustering identified three groups: Traditionalists, Hybrid Workers, and Active Professionals. A latent segmentation mixed logit model showed that technology access supports hybrid work, while job type and flexibility influence technology adoption. It introduces new ways to integrate digital participation into travel analysis and provides policy guidance to support flexible transit, digital inclusion, and more inclusive urban mobility.
Access status: Embargo ,
Women on the Water: The Feminine Seascape Onboard Nova Scotia’s Nineteenth Century Deepwater Merchant Sailing Vessels
(2025-11-25) McNutt, Brianna Grace; Not Applicable; Doctor of Philosophy; Department of History; Not Applicable; Dr. Heidi MacDonald; Not Applicable; Dr. Lisa Binkley; Dr. Aaron Wright; Dr. Jerry Bannister
Seafaring has long been considered as inherently masculine. This perspective has shaped the cultural legacy of Nova Scotian seafaring women, whose contributions to maritime industries are often forgotten or marginalized. This thesis challenges the dominant masculine seascape by establishing an equivalent feminine seascape. The feminine seascape recontextualizes ships as part of a woman’s household, a structure of power that bestowed married women with significant authority. By studying the life-writing of three Nova Scotian sea captains’ wives during the age of sail, as well as contemporary English-language newspapers and print culture, this thesis explores the paradoxical nature of women’s power within patriarchal systems, arguing that seafaring both challenged and reinforced ideals of Victorian married womanhood. Ideologies of domesticity provided sea captains’ wives with a discursive lens through which they could interpret maritime spaces and activities as normative for their phase of life. My thesis argues that this enabled captains’ wives to construct a multifaceted feminine seascape. It contributes to a growing field of gender history at sea and alters our understanding of captains’ wives. In doing so, it contributes to regional histories by positioning the experiences of rural, middle-class women as cosmopolitan and transnational, thereby disrupting the parochial and conservative narratives often attributed to, and occasionally embraced by, the Maritimes.
Access status: Open Access ,
From Aerosol to Climate Patterns: A Multi-Scale Study of Marine Fog Variability in Atlantic Canada and the Central Arctic
(2025-11-25) Duplessis, Patrick; Not Applicable; Doctor of Philosophy; Department of Physics & Atmospheric Science; Not Applicable; Adele Igel; Yes; Glen Lesins; Ian Folkins; Rachel Chang
Marine fog is a complex and under-constrained phenomenon shaped by interactions between aerosols, ocean conditions, and atmospheric structure. This thesis examines fog formation across two contrasting regions: the CCN-rich but increasingly unstable northwest Atlantic and the pristine, CCN-limited Central Arctic. Using in situ field observations, long-term climatology, and reanalysis data, the work identifies the key physical mechanisms controlling fog microphysics and variability. Field campaigns in Nova Scotia (2016) and the Central Arctic (2018) revealed distinct activation regimes. Nova Scotia fog featured activation diameters of 250–400 nm, reflecting an accumulation-mode aerosol population and size-dependent scavenging. Arctic fog instead activated ultrafine Aitken-mode particles (20–40 nm) under high supersaturations (0.3–1.0%) in a CCN-scarce environment, highlighting strong aerosol–supersaturation coupling. A 1953–2019 Sable Island analysis shows a shift from synoptic pressure control toward local thermodynamic regulation linked to warming SSTs. Together, these results illustrate two limiting fog regimes and underscore the need for models that capture both microphysical activation and evolving climate drivers.
Access status: Open Access ,
The Relative Importance of Social and Health Spending in Determining Health Outcomes Across Selected OECD Countries From 1990 to 2019
(2025-11-25) McCann, Bridget; Not Applicable; Master of Science; Department of Community Health & Epidemiology; Not Applicable; Not Applicable; Not Applicable; Mark Asbridge; Ruth Lavergne; Daniel Dutton
Governments in high income countries continue to prioritize health care spending to improve population health, yet evidence suggests that broader social factors also influence health. This study examined whether greater investment in social spending relative to health spending is associated with improved population health across 26 OECD countries from 1990 to 2019. Using standardized international data and two-way fixed effects regression models, we assessed the association between the ratio of social-to-health spending and five health outcomes: life expectancy, potential years of life lost, infant mortality, low birth weight, and maternal mortality. Higher social-to-health spending ratios were associated with better life expectancy, potential years of life lost, and infant mortality. Outcomes for low birth weight and maternal mortality showed inverse associations with the ratio over time. These findings suggest that redirecting government spending toward social programs may be a more effective way to improve health outcomes than prioritization of health spending.