Faculty of Graduate Studies Online Theses

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Access status: Open Access ,
“I do not desire healing”: Grief as Identity in Medieval(ist) Literatures
(2026-02-27) Foster, Gavin; Not Applicable; Doctor of Philosophy; Department of English; Not Applicable; Em Kightley; Not Applicable; Matthew Roby; Erin Wunker; David Evans; Kathy Cawsey
This dissertation examines the processes by which grief becomes identity in medieval and medievalist texts. Where scholars have traditionally read medieval grief through frameworks of consolation, I argue that an alternate tradition exists— one in which grief fundamentally transforms who characters are. Across the Old English elegies, The Wife's Lament and Wulf and Eadwacer, Beowulf, Le Morte Darthur, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion, as well as contemporary translations by Maria Dahvana Headley and Miller Oberman, I trace how grief operates as an enduring force that remakes identity at three progressive levels: grammatical identity, bodily identity, and inner selfhood. My project begins with grammar. In the Old English elegies, dual pronouns represent the movement of characters beyond normative cycles of grief and mourning into melancholia, as grief is woven into the speakers’ grammatical selves. I establish this framework by close reading the elegies through a Freudian lens, focusing on Freud’s definitions of “melancholia” and the “work of mourning,” and then apply and extend these insights to Sir Thomas Malory and J.R.R. Tolkien, arguing that shifts between “ye” and “thou” and modernized dual constructions are similarly used to signify characters’ turns to melancholia. The project then moves to the body, reading dysphoria— the painful disconnection between internal experience and external presentation— as grief made physical. Again, I develop this framework through one text before extending it. In The Lord of the Rings, Éowyn's transformation into Dernhelm reveals how dysphoric grief reshapes bodily identity, and this lens proves equally revealing when applied to translations from Old English, where characters suffer altered and/or imperfect genders through both Othering and translation processes, and when applied to Malory, where Lancelot grieves his imperfect masculinity and “monstrous” women are Othered. Finally, the project turns to inner selfhood, characterized through instances of performative death. Drawing on theories of performativity (Derrida, Butler, Phelan, Ahmed) and photography (Barthes's Camera Lucida), I examine how characters stage their deaths as the ultimate articulations of grief-as-identity. Gawain and Elaine in Malory performatively write and stage their deaths, and this framework extends to speakers in the Old English elegies and to Tolkien's Elves, revealing grief as a practice of self-making through which texts imagine what it means to remain changed.
Access status: Open Access ,
EXPLORING REAL-TIME MALICIOUS BEHAVIOUR DETECTION IN VANETS
(2026-02-20) BAHARLOUEI, HAMIDEH; Not Applicable; Doctor of Philosophy; Faculty of Computer Science; Not Applicable; Dr. Sudhakar Gant; Not Applicable; Dr. Riyad Alshammari; Dr. Srinivas Sampalli; Dr. Yujie Tang; Dr. Nur Zincir-Heywood; Dr. Tokunbo Makanju
Vehicular Ad Hoc Networks (VANETs) and Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) net- works are increasingly used in intelligent transportation systems and autonomous aerial missions. Due to their decentralized and wireless communication nature, these networks are vulnerable to cyberattacks such as Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS), spoofing, and message tampering. This thesis presents ADVENT (Attack/Anomaly Detection in VANETs), a distributed malicious behaviour detection framework de- signed to detect attack onset and identify malicious nodes in real time in both VANET and UAV environments, while preserving data privacy through federated learning. ADVENT integrates statistical analysis with supervised machine learning in a feder- ated learning architecture to support decentralized detection of malicious behaviours. The framework is evaluated under multiple attack scenarios and mobility models. A key methodological contribution is the design and integration of Adaptive Time Slicing (ATS) and Detection Threshold (DT) mechanisms within the malicious node detection (MND) component. These parameters can be tuned to accommodate dif- ferent network characteristics, including topology, node density, and communication dynamics. The ATS mechanism improves temporal detection resolution and mitigates the impact of transient misbehaviours by analyzing fine-grained behavioural snap- shots and aggregating evidence over time. This enhances the robustness of malicious node identification while reducing false positives and missed detections. ADVENT is evaluated using public and simulated datasets, including a custom VANET simu- lation (FourCities), the VeReMi-Extension dataset, a simulated UAV dataset, and a public cyber-physical UAV dataset. Its generalization capability is further examined using unseen attack types not included during training. Results show that ADVENT consistently achieves high F1 scores, low false positive rates, and timely attack onset detection across different network environments. By validating the framework in both ground-based and aerial vehicular networks, this thesis demonstrates the potential of federated learning–based approaches to provide scalable and privacy-aware security mechanisms for future intelligent transportation infrastructures.
Access status: Open Access ,
The impact of nasogastric tube gastric decompression on postoperative nausea and vomiting in orthognathic surgery
(2026-02-25) Curry, Katherine; Not Applicable; Master of Science; Faculty of Dentistry; Received; na; Not Applicable; Dr. Curtis Gregoire; Dr. Stephen Middleton; Dr. James Brady
The emetogenic effect of ingested blood is believed to be a major precipitating factor in the development of postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) following orthognathic surgery. This study aimed to determine whether perioperative nasogastric decompression with a nasogastric tube reduces the incidence of PONV. A randomized control trial of 133 patients was conducted, and participants were assigned to receive perioperative nasogastric decompression (n=64) or no decompression (n=69). Nausea and vomiting were assessed in the twenty-four-hour postoperative period and secondary outcomes evaluated patient and perioperative clinical factors associated with PONV. Nasogastric decompression did not significantly reduce PONV, although a lower incidence of symptoms was observed in the nasogastric decompression group. Opioid use was the only variable independently associated with increased PONV. These findings suggest that nasogastric decompression alone does not significantly reduce PONV following orthognathic surgery, but may be a useful intervention as part of a multimodal prevention strategy.
Access status: Open Access ,
Investigations Into the Synthesis, Physicochemical Characterization and Enzymology of Substituted Benzoxaboroles, Phosphonic-boronic acid anhydrides and Exoglycals
(2026-01-30) Ospanow, Elisa; Yes; Doctor of Philosophy; Department of Chemistry; Not Applicable; Dr. Christopher Cairo; Yes; Dr. Stephen Bearne; Dr. Carlie Charron; Dr. Alex Speed; Dr. David L. Jakeman
This thesis describes the design, synthesis, and evaluation of novel chemical scaffolds for the development of potent enzyme inhibitors. The work explores the strategic incorporation of boron and phosphorus to investigate their effect on the physicochemical properties and biological activity. Three distinct compound classes were investigated: benzoxaborole-phosphorus(III) hybrids, phosphonic acid-boronic acid anhydrides, and exoglycal derivatives. A one-pot synthetic route was developed to access previously unreported benzoxaborole-phosphorus(III) hybrids. These compounds demonstrated enhanced aqueous stability and oxidative resistance compared to conventional boronic acids. Subsequently, phosphonic acid-boronic acid anhydrides were introduced as a novel scaffold, where the appended phosphorus group was shown to affect the boron atom's acidity and stability. Biological evaluation demonstrated these boron-phosphorus compounds to be promising inhibitors of Class A, C, and D β-lactamases. A series of exoglycals were synthesized as transition-state analogues for glycoside hydrolase family 3 (GH3). One compound exhibited potent competitive inhibition against the model enzyme EryBI, with affinity comparable to the natural substrate, by mimicking the half-chair conformation of the hydrolysis transition state.
Access status: Open Access ,
Ethical Capital and Cybersecurity Behaviour: Exploring Large Language Model (LLM) Use in Organizations
(2026-01-30) Ayeni, Adebimpe; Not Applicable; Master of Science; Rowe School of Business; Received; na; Not Applicable; Dr Rita Orji; Dr Phillippe Mongeon; Dr Binod Sundararajan
This study examines how ethical orientations and organizational factors shape users’ ethical cybersecurity behaviour when interacting with large language models (LLMs). Using a quantitative design supported by thematic insights, it investigates how ethical capital and responsible LLM use influence cybersecurity ethics. Findings show that ethical capital affects behaviour primarily through responsible use of LLMs rather than through direct effects. Demographic factors, including age, gender, discipline, education, country, and usage frequency, did not significantly predict behaviour, suggesting that the rapid evolution of LLMs places users from diverse backgrounds on a similar learning curve. Complementary qualitative analysis highlights that human behaviour, organizational culture, and governance structures are as critical as the technology itself. Themes such as output oversight, responsible prompting, data protection, and overreliance reveal persistent human-centred vulnerabilities and the need for adaptive governance. Overall, the study identifies responsible LLM use as a key behavioural pathway for strengthening cybersecurity ethics and underscores the importance of continuous oversight, inclusive training, and human accountability in LLM deployment.
Access status: Open Access ,
NARCISSISM AND STOCK RETURNS: AN ASSET PRICING TEST
(2026-01-30) Khorram, Nakisa; No; Master of Science; Rowe School of Business; Not Applicable; n/a; Not Applicable; Dr.Fooladi; Dr.Hebb; Dr.Attig; Dr.Sy
This study looks at how CEO narcissism, measured by pronoun use in earnings call transcripts, relates to abnormal stock returns. Previous research connects narcissism to company outcomes, but it is still unclear how financial markets respond to it. We use data from U.S. firms in COMPUSTAT and CRSP to build monthly strategies based on CEO narcissism and test their performance with standard asset pricing models, such as CAPM, and the Fama-French factor models. We find that companies with highly narcissistic CEOs have meaningful higher returns than those with non-narcissistic CEOs, with a monthly spread return of about 0.29%. However, the return differentials driven by narcissistic CEOs is not statistically significant -at the standard 5% level- after controlling for different factors. Since the abnormal return is positive and marginally economically significant, investors can benefit from the strategy where they long firms managed by highly narcissistic CEOs and short those managed by non-narcissistic ones.
Access status: Open Access ,
EXPLORING EXPERIENCES OF A PILOT INTERGENERATIONAL PLAY PROGRAM IN NOVA SCOTIA, CANADA.
(2025-12-23) MacRae, Caitlyn; Not Applicable; Master of Arts; School of Health & Human Performance; Received; n/a; Not Applicable; Dr. Son Truong; Dr. Michelle Stone; Dr. Sara Kirk
Physical inactivity and social isolation are two pressing public health concerns in Nova Scotia, particularly among older adults. Intergenerational play (IGP) has emerged as a promising community-based strategy to address these issues by promoting both physical activity (PA) and social connection (SC). This thesis describes a study designed to explore the factors that influence participation in “Free for All” (FFA), a locally developed IGP program modeled after ParkPlay in the United Kingdom. FFA offered one free drop-in session in Halifax during the summer of 2024. Guided by a constructivist worldview and framed by the Social Ecological Model (SEM), this study employed a qualitative design to understand participant experiences. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with participants to explore personal experiences, barriers, and facilitators to participation in FFA. Data were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis, and three themes were generated: 1) Negotiating entry into play: ‘on ramps’ matter, (2) Play as an intergenerational equalizer: children open doors and adults walk through them, and (3) The fragile infrastructure of belonging: material conditions build social connections. The findings of this study contribute to a growing body of knowledge that IGP can serve as an inclusive, community-based health promotion strategy to promote PA and SC. Findings highlight the importance of cost-free design, child-led openness and supportive facilitation to promote participation. They also suggest that material and environmental conditions, such as accessibility and program continuity, are critical for sustaining participation and connection. Together, these insights have created a framework to implement IGP in Nova Scotia.
Access status: Open Access ,
The combinatorial game theory of Reverse Hex
(2026-01-13) Jeremiah, Hockaday; Not Applicable; Master of Science; Department of Mathematics & Statistics - Math Division; Not Applicable; n/a; Not Applicable; Richard Nowakowski; Julien Ross; Peter Selinger; Svenja Huntemann
Rex, short for Reverse Hex, is a set coloring game in which players try to avoid connecting terminals of their color. Combinatorial game theory (CGT) is the study of perfect strategy games. Until recently, both Rex and Hex were not examined through the lens of CGT. In this thesis we take inspiration from the study of normal play games by Berlekamp, Conway, and Guy, along with the combinatorial game theory of Hex developed by Selinger, to develop methods for analyzing Rex positions. We explore how to tell if one position is preferable to another, how to simplify positions, and some special properties of Rex (and antimonotone set coloring games in general). By the end of this thesis we will be able to take a position in a game of Rex, break it into smaller positions, analyze each of the smaller positions, then add the results back together.
Access status: Open Access ,
The Experience of Persistent Infertility: Beyond the Medical Model
(2026-01-09) Redgrift, Lisa; No; Doctor of Philosophy; Department of Sociology & Social Anthropology; Received; Dr. Sarah Earle; No; Dr. Fiona Martin; Dr. Brenda Beagan; Dr. Emma Whelan
This research explores the experience of persistent infertility among 15 childless Canadian women who discontinued fertility treatments when they did not work, who could not access assisted conception, and/or whose infertility is untreatable. By investigating how women understand their experience with persistent infertility and examining the parallels and divergences within and across the participants’ experiences, this analysis indicates that women’s fertility is an intricate lifelong journey, and persistent infertility disrupts this journey in ways that are biological, social, and gendered. Further, persistent infertility fractures the complex relationship between the body and the self. This research theorizes the embodiment of persistent infertility and the meaning placed on reproductive loss events (e.g., failed embryo transfer, miscarriage, and stillbirth), by the women in this study. Lastly, in the medicalized Canadian context, persistent infertility illustrates that hope for maternity is commodified, stratified, and reenforces the biological standard of normative motherhood.
Access status: Open Access ,
EXAMINING THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN BREAST CANCER TREATMENTS AND SELF-REPORTED SEXUAL DYSFUNCTION IN CANADIAN WOMEN: A POPULATION-BASED CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY
(2026-01-09) NISHIMAGIZWE, PATIENCE; Not Applicable; Master of Science; Department of Community Health & Epidemiology; Not Applicable; N/A; No; Dr. Jennifer Payne; Dr. George Kephart; Dr. Robin Urquhart; Dr. Cindy Feng
Background The prevalence of female breast cancer survivors in Canada has increased from 1.8% to 2.1% (2007-2021). Sexual dysfunction is a common long-term side effects of breast cancer treatments. Objective To estimate the prevalence of self-reported sexual dysfunction among breast cancer survivors in Canada and examine the association between of single and combined treatment modalities and sexual dysfunction. Methodology This cross-sectional study utilized data from 3772 participants who participated in the 2016 Experiences of Cancer Patients. The outcome was sexual dysfunction. The exposures chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and endocrine therapy. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to evaluate associations. Results Sexual dysfunction was most prevalent among survivors treated with chemotherapy (48.3%). Chemotherapy, endocrine therapy, radiotherapy, and combined modalities were associated with sexual dysfunction, with the highest odds observed among those receiving all three treatments. Conclusion Sexual dysfunction is common among Canadian breast cancer survivors and is associated with all treatment modalities.
Access status: Open Access ,
A Whale With No Name: Search for an unknown long-duration beaked whale (Cetacea; Ziphiidae) signal across ocean basins
(2025-12-28) Runte, Kiersten; Not Applicable; Master of Science; Department of Biology; Not Applicable; n/a; Not Applicable; Bruce Martin; Andy Horn; David Barclay; Hal Whitehead
Beaked whales (Cetacea: Ziphiidae) are known for producing frequency-modulated (FM) echolocation signals that are characteristic of each species, yet several species still lack confirmed FM signal descriptions. A distinctive FM signal, long in duration, and occurring only at night, has previously been documented in the North Pacific, the western Gulf of Mexico, and the Gulf of Guinea, but its broader distribution has not been assessed. Here, carried out is a basin-wide analysis of numerous passive acoustic monitoring projects to identify additional regions where this signal is present. Our dataset comprised 19 monitoring efforts (156 total datasets) spanning latitudes from 72° N to 42° S. An automated detector-classifier (per file Precision = 1.00 and Recall = 1.00) was run on all audiofiles to identify possible detections, which were subsequently reviewed and confirmed manually. We report the presence of this FM signal in five previously unrecognized areas: along a glider transect (512 kHz) near the Canary Islands; on three bottom-mounted recorders (250–512 kHz) off Western Australia; and from a single detection on Blake’s Plateau in the southeastern United States. Across all monitoring sites, detections occurred only during local nighttime hours and were not observed at latitudes higher than 29° N or 19° S. The signal’s median centre and peak frequencies ranged from 51 to 67 kHz, its median duration from 500 to 630 μs, and its −10 dB bandwidth from 19 to 28 kHz. This FM signal remains the longest known among both identified and unidentified beaked whale FM signal types. Although the producing species has yet to be determined, the signal’s temporal and spectral features were remarkably consistent across ocean basins. These results extend the known distribution of this unique FM signal and highlight the value of broad, cross-regional acoustic collaborations in uncovering previously unrecognized regions of beaked whale vocal behaviour and biogeography.
Access status: Open Access ,
Confronting Acoustic Data Scarcity: A Physics-Informed Approach to Trustworthy Machine Learning in Canada's Arctic
(2025-12-28) Thomson, Dugald; Yes; Doctor of Philosophy; Department of Oceanography; Not Applicable; Peter Gerstoft; Yes; Dale Ellis; Stan Dosso; JF Bousquet; Sarah Fortune; David Barclay
This thesis presents a novel, data-centric framework for building trustworthy artificial intelligence for passive acoustic monitoring in the Arctic, a region increasingly challenged by climate change and geopolitical pressures. The research addresses model brittleness in ship-radiated noise classification, framing it as a data problem that can be solved through a systematic, iterative process of data exploration, diagnosis, and augmentation. A detailed analysis of ship-radiated noise using horizontal line array element data provides a characterization of the complex variability of acoustic signatures. The thesis quantifies the horizontal directionality of radiated noise from individual ships and the broad-scale impact on the ambient soundscape, leveraging a unique data opportunity presented by the COVID-19 pandemic. Using these insights, a human-in-the-loop methodology is developed to diagnose the specific failure modes of a custom deep neural network classifier. This is achieved by visualising how real-world variability, such as source-receiver range and operational state changes, manifests in the model's learned feature space. The thesis culminates by demonstrating a physics-informed data augmentation strategy as the solution to data scarcity and diagnosed failures. Through the generation of targeted, high-fidelity synthetic data, this approach measurably improves classifier robustness on unseen real-world data, providing a validated methodology for developing reliable automated passive acoustic monitoring systems in complex environments.
Access status: Embargo ,
COLLOIDAL QUANTUM DOTS-ASSISTED HYBRID PHOTOCATALYST FOR WASTEWATER TREATMENT
(2025-12-30) Madhu, Swedha; Not Applicable; Master of Science; Faculty of Agriculture; Not Applicable; NA; Yes; Dr Lord Abbey; Dr Kuljeet Grewal; Dr Gurpreet Singh Selopal
Water pollution from toxic organic dyes and industrial effluents poses a severe threat to ecosystems and human health, underscoring the urgent need for sustainable, efficient wastewater treatment technologies. Among various approaches, photocatalysis has emerged as a promising technique for pollutant degradation due to its cost-effectiveness and environmental compatibility. However, the performance of conventional photocatalysts is hindered by several critical limitations, including poor light absorption capability, toxicity of heavy-metal-based catalysts, rapid e⁻/h⁺ recombination, and limited recyclability. This thesis aims to overcome these challenges by developing eco-friendly colloidal Quantum Dots (QDs) based nanohybrids integrated with one-dimensional (1D) and zero-dimensional (0D) nanomaterials to achieve efficient charge separation, broadened light absorption, and improved photocatalysis. Furthermore, the influence of external stimuli, including magnetic fields (MF), electric fields, and piezoelectric effects, was investigated to enhance the photocatalytic degradation efficiency of toxic pollutants. Firstly, a novel Cu:Zn-In-Se2 QDs decorated Fe3O4 nanorods mesoporous films were employed for the photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue (MB) under the influence of an external MF. The optimized hybrid nanohybrid photocatalyst achieved a remarkable 99.96% degradation efficiency, representing a 49% improvement over the control Fe3O4 photocatalyst (67.01%). This enhanced performance was attributed to the synergistic effect of the broad light absorption of Cu:Zn-In-Se2 QDs/Fe3O4 and the efficient carrier dynamics facilitated by the Lorentz force in the presence of the MF. Additionally, the toxicity of treated methylene blue (MB) water was evaluated using Brassica oleracea (kale) as a model plant system. Plants irrigated with treated water exhibited superior growth compared to those irrigated with MB-contaminated water, confirming the reduced toxicity of the treated water and demonstrating its potential for safe agricultural reuse and sustainable wastewater management. Secondly, a hybrid photocatalyst composed of Mn:CuInSe2 QDs integrated with a mesoporous TiO2 film photoanode was developed and evaluated for the simultaneous photoelectrochemical degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB) and hydrogen generation. The optimized hybrid Mn:CuInSe2 QDs/TiO2 nanohybrid photocatalyst achieved a remarkable 93.31% degradation efficiency of RhB at an external bias of 1.4 V and a photocurrent density of ~4 mA cm-2 at 0.8V vs RHE. The results highlight the potential of Mn:CuInSe2 QDs/TiO2 nanohybrid as a dual-function photocatalyst for efficient and fast wastewater treatment and clean fuel production. Thirdly, the piezoelectric degradation of pollutants was investigated using ZnSnO3-based nanomaterials, demonstrating the capability of piezo-catalysis to degrade organic contaminants effectively. Overall, this research provides new insights into the design of novel eco-friendly Cu:ZnInSe2 QDs/ZnSnO3 nanohybrid photocatalysts and presents external-vibrational-stress-assisted photocatalysis for efficient environmental remediation and renewable energy generation.
Access status: Embargo ,
Constructing Igboness: Ethnicity, Culture, and Social Change in 20th Century Southeastern Nigeria
(2025-12-31) Abuba, Chioma; Not Applicable; Doctor of Philosophy; Department of History; Received; Professor Bonny Ibhawoh; Not Applicable; Dr. Gary Kynoch; Dr. Jonathan Roberts; Dr. Philip Zachernuk
Contrary to the dominant binary conceptions of Igboness (Igbo cultural identity) as either invented in response to colonial rule or an essence unchanged since early times, it is a dynamic, heterogenous, social construct which developed in continual dialogue with global knowledge systems and social currents. This idea is based on a study of Enugwu-Ukwu, a culturally iconic town in northern Igboland, in southeastern Nigeria, renowned as part of the nexus of Igbo culture and civilization. It traces how, over a century (1900-2000), local historical actors (chiefs, townspeople, town unions, women’s groups, etc.) engaged with local, colonial and global forces attempting to apply Omenana (Igbo cultural principles) to routinize a society undergoing the revolutionary changes of the 20th century. Using extensive archival records, oral interviews, museum collections, and primary and secondary literature, this study shows what changes occurred, who made them happen, how they achieved this, and why they tried.
Access status: Open Access ,
Investigating Turnover Intentions of Immigrant Software Engineers
(2026-01-06) Amedzor, Eyram; Not Applicable; Master of Computer Science; Faculty of Computer Science; Received; na; Not Applicable; Dr. Dirk Arnold; Dr. Lizbeth Escobedo Bravo; Dr. Rina R. Wehbe; Dr. Paul Ralph
Context: Software companies around the world rely on immigrant software engineers to fill their gaps in the workforce. However, immigrants leave their jobs at higher rates than native-born workers. Objective: Our objective is to investigate factors contributing to the increased turnover of software engineers with immigrant backgrounds. Methodology: We conducted a grounded theory study interviewing twenty software engineers with immigrant backgrounds originating from seven different countries. Results: Participants identified four primary factors that shape their turnover intentions: career stagnation, compensation, remote work preferences, and family. Social embeddedness---how connected individuals feel to their surrounding communities and institutions---served as a secondary factor, and immigration policies acted as constraints to actual turnover behavior. Recommendations: In order to reduce turnover, we recommend that organizations pay their immigrant engineers market rates, provide growth opportunities, and offer remote work options to enhance the retention of migrant engineers. For governments, we recommend implementing employer-agnostic visas, extending renewals for expiring visas, and funding programs that promote the cultural integration of new immigrants.
Access status: Open Access ,
Architectural Redeployment: Reestablishing Urban Identity in the Ruins of Renewal
(2026-01-06) Rice, Colby; Not Applicable; Master of Architecture; School of Architecture; Not Applicable; Rashida Zakia; Not Applicable; Catherine Venart; Roger Mullin
The town of Portland, New Brunswick, was hollowed by urban renewal and rebranded as the North End of Saint John, triggering the neighbourhood's downfall. With a second renewal on the horizon, occurring in the ruins of past plans, this thesis asks: How might an architect participate in the successful renewal of a neighbourhood? An exploration of place and placelessness as cultural conditions suggests that intuitively valuable urban fabric is most readily produced through a bottom-up construction that maintains a legible relationship between individuals and their architecture. To foster this high-energy individual investment, a valuable sense of localized urban identity is restored by reconstructing the town's erased primary element, St. Peter's Church. The ruins are reoccupied by a new town hall, redeploying autonomy and distinction to Portland. A fragmentary architectural design method is developed to help architects achieve the human density of detail and consideration that naturally emerges from place-based dwelling.
Access status: Open Access ,
ACTIVATED BIOCHAR FOR THE REMOVAL OF PESTICIDES FROM WASTEWATER: PREPARED FROM, FLAX SHIVES, Linum usitatissimum L.
(2025-12-29) Perera, Wellaweediyage Pubudi Ama; Not Applicable; Master of Science; Faculty of Agriculture; Not Applicable; Dr.Su-Ling Brooks; Not Applicable; Dr. Sonil Nanda; Dr. Rahil Changotra; Prof. Quan Sophia He; Dr. Yulin Hu
Activated biochar, characterized by high porosity and abundant surface functional groups, has been widely applied to treat wastewater. In this study, flax shives, as an agricultural residue, were converted to activated carbon by pyrolysis followed by chemical activation to remove pesticides, i.e., 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) and imidacloprid (IMI) from water. The effects of pyrolysis temperature (300-500 ℃) and residence time (1-3 h) and activation using NaOH at a biochar: NaOH weight ratio of 1:1, 1:2, 1:3 and 1:4 at 700 ℃ for 1.5 h were investigated. The activated biochar (ABC-3) obtained at a biochar: NaOH weight ratio of 1:3 exhibited a specific surface area of 2292 m2g-1 and removed 95 % of 2,4-D and 100% of IMI respectively. The co-adsorption behavior of the two pesticides was also evaluated. Kinetic and isotherm analyses showed that 2,4-D adsorption followed a pseudo-second-order kinetic model and the Freundlich isotherm model while IMI adsorption fitted well with the pseudo-first-order kinetic model and the Langmuir isotherm. Overall, flax shives-derived activated biochar demonstrated strong potential as an efficient adsorbent for pesticide removal.
Access status: Open Access ,
Bridging Expertise Gaps in Safety-Critical System Monitoring: A User-Centred Design of Adaptive Visualization and Explainable AI for Elevator Systems
(2026-01-07) Anukem, Sussan; Not Applicable; Master of Computer Science; Faculty of Computer Science; Received; n/a; Yes; Rina Wehbe; Yujie Tang; Rita Orji
The operational failure of critical infrastructure like elevators directly impacts public safety and mobility. While modern elevators generate vast amounts of sensor data, translating this data into actionable insights for diverse user groups (from maintenance engineers to building managers), remains a significant challenge in the field of Human-Computer Interaction. Existing monitoring dashboards are often hindered by a one-size-fits-all approach, reactive architectures, and interfaces that assume domain expertise, thereby creating an expertise gap that impedes effective collaboration and situational awareness. Our work is a two-phase, user-centred research project that bridges this gap through an adaptive and intelligent monitoring system. In the first phase, a controlled study (n = 20) established an empirical foundation for visualization complexity, demonstrating that effectiveness is task-dependent, not universally simple or complex. These findings directly informed the second phase: the design and evaluation of a novel system that synergistically combines an adaptive visualization interface with an AI Assistant powered by a unified reasoning engine that provides both data-grounded prognostic reasoning and natural-language explanations. A comprehensive evaluation (n = 97) demonstrated the system's effectiveness. It achieved an outstanding usability score (SUS = 98.69, SD = 5.70), provided equitable performance across technical and non-technical users, and enabled a 100% diagnostic accuracy rate for AI-assisted potential fault diagnosis. Qualitative analysis revealed the AI assistant served as an "accessibility bridge" for non-technical users and a "productivity multiplier" for experts. The primary contribution of this work is a set of six empirically validated design principles for building inclusive safety-critical monitoring systems. This research demonstrates that moving beyond static interfaces to strategically adaptive interfaces, and reframing AI as an explainable collaborative partner through transparent prognostic reasoning, provides a viable path to bridging the expertise gap for multi-level users.
Access status: Open Access ,
Role of Absorptive Capacity in driving Artificial Intelligence based Digital Transformation Projects towards success
(2025-12-22) Anthonydura, Erandi; Not Applicable; Master of Digital Innovation; Faculty of Computer Science; Received; N/A; Not Applicable; Dr. Paola Gonzalez; Dr. Richard Evans; Dr. Fanny-Eve Bordeleau
With Artificial Intelligence (AI) gaining increasing attention in the industry, digital transformation (DT) based around the technology has become imperative for organizations seeking positive business outcomes. Firms embark on AI‑based DT journeys influenced by technological, organizational, and environmental factors, yet success depends on how these forces are strengthened by the inherent absorptive capacity. This study employed a semi‑systematic literature review of 34 articles to understand the specific role of digital absorptive capacity and to build the conceptual model. An initial plausibility assessment supported by deductive coding and analysis was conducted through a positivist interviewing approach involving four industry experts from Technology business sector, during October 2025. Findings provided preliminary support for the proposition, and identified external support as a critical environmental construct within the TOE framework. These findings contribute to the evolving theoretical perspectives on AI‑driven DT and absorptive capacity. The study also urges practitioners and policy makers to mobilize resources and strengthen support mechanisms in favor of AI-based DT.
Access status: Open Access ,
We must be Very Ignorant or Very Wicked: The Foundation of the Native Baptist Church in Jamaica, 1783-1841
(2025-12-22) Samson, Francis; Not Applicable; Master of Arts; Department of History; Not Applicable; n/a; Not Applicable; Jerry Bannister; Isaac Saney; Justin Roberts
In 1783, a former slave named George Liele fleeing the American Revolution started the first Baptist church in the British colony of Jamaica. For the next few decades, Liele’s organization would grow into a network of Black-led Baptist churches. In 1814, the Baptist Missionary Society sent British preachers to take over the existing network of churches after the colony outlawed the original Baptist preachers. And in 1831, an enslaved deacon named Samuel Sharpe in a British missionary’s church started the Baptist Rebellion, the largest slave revolt in British history, accelerating the date of emancipation up to 1833-1834. While nominally controlled entirely by White missionaries, enslaved leaders created a second leadership structure within the church that continued the legacy of Liele’s original Baptists. After the end of slavery in Britain, growing discontent with the suppression of Black leaders in the church would lead to the formation of the Native Baptist church.

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