Faculty of Graduate Studies Online Theses

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Access status: Open Access ,
Optimizing Circular Supply Chains for Novel Food Production Processes - A Case Study of Cellular Agriculture
(2025-10-08) Skinner, Dawne; Not Applicable; Doctor of Philosophy; Department of Industrial Engineering; Not Applicable; Nadia Lehoux; Yes; Alexander Engau; Uday Venkatadri; Claver Diallo; John Blake
Cellular agriculture (cell ag) has emerged as a promising alternative to conventional animal agriculture, offering potential environmental, ethical, and social benefits. Yet, commercialization faces critical challenges - two of which are predicting market demand for novel products like cultured meat and developing cost-effective, sustainable supply chains. This research addresses these gaps through four interconnected studies. First, a review of the circular supply chain (CSC) modelling literature identifies inconsistencies in the definition of CSC's, limited integration of uncertainty and multi-criteria decision-making. Second, a system dynamics (SD) model is developed to forecast early consumer adoption of cultured meat under varying price, quality, and marketing scenarios, incorporating consumer heterogeneity, awareness, and repeat purchasing behaviour. Third, opportunities to embed circular economy principles—such as industrial symbiosis, waste valorization, and localized production—into cell ag supply chains are explored, outlining potential improvements to the Quadruple Bottom Line (QBL) for this nascent industry. Finally, a bi-objective mixed-integer linear programming (BO-MILP) model is proposed to design an optimal circular supply chain network that minimizes cost and carbon emissions while integrating byproduct-based media inputs. Together, these studies provide a holistic framework linking consumer adoption modelling with sustainable supply chain design, offering strategic insights for industry stakeholders and policymakers seeking to scale cellular agriculture in an economically viable and environmentally responsible manner.
Access status: Open Access ,
Who Gets to be the ‘Ideal Gay’?: Queer Men’s Conflict and Microaggressions as Identity and Community Development
(2025-10-07) Kuzmochka, Nic; Not Applicable; Master of Arts; Department of Sociology & Social Anthropology; Received; n/a; Not Applicable; Not Applicable; Dr. Elizabeth Fitting; Dr. Mike Halpin; Dr. Fiona S. Martin
In this thesis, I investigate how ingroup negative interactions such as conflict, discrimination, and microaggressions impact how queer men in Halifax, Nova Scotia see themselves and their communities of queer men. To do this, I engage in qualitatively focused mixed methods analysis of 67 survey responses and 21 interviews with queer men currently living in Halifax, Nova Scotia. I engage with the literature on queer men’s inequalities, intersectionality, masculinity, stigma, and deploy the concepts of imagined community, infighting, and microaggressions to illustrate how queer men’s interactions influence how they see themselves and their broader community. My findings illustrate that queer men’s negative interactions extend far beyond negative slights or interpersonal spats, and instead represent queer men’s efforts to defend, affirm, and contest what they carry as the internalized image of the ‘ideal queer man.’ I call this process microaggressive identity conflict, bridging the gap between interpersonal slights and collective identity construction. In this way, queer men, when engaging with one another, deploy scripts of queer culture and behaviour and respond to local and broad narratives of what it means to be a queer man. Rather than representing interpersonal pettiness, microaggressions among queer men are instead part of a process of constantly defining and contesting queer community and collective identity.
Access status: Open Access ,
REAL GOOD FOOD: MOTIVATIONS FOR CONSUMER PATRONAGE AT FARMERS’ MARKETS IN NOVA SCOTIA
(2025-10-07) Pritchard, Kaitlyn; Not Applicable; Master of Science; Business; Received; NA; Not Applicable; Yes; Dr. Hamed Aghakhani; Dr. Albert James; Dr. Peggy Cunningham
This research paper examines the motivations underlying consumers’ patronage of farmers’ markets in Nova Scotia. This study utilizes qualitative methods in the form of semi-structured interviews with two participant groups, ten farmers’ market consumers and ten farmers’ market vendors, to identify participants’ shared lived experiences regarding farmers’ markets, utilizing thematic analysis. Three major themes were identified within the data and linked to three types of authenticity: moral authenticity, pure/literal authenticity, and approximate/symbolic authenticity. The three major themes included supporting local, product features communicating authenticity, and market experience. Price was an additional theme identified outside of the authenticity framework. A key contribution of the study is the emergence of community as a central influence on authenticity perceptions. This work contributes to and expands on existing literature on authenticity and intends to shed light on how the definition of authenticity differs among individual consumers.
Access status: Open Access ,
ESTABLISHING PATHWAYS TO ZERO-CARBON ENERGY SYSTEMS FOR REMOTE COMMUNITIES IN CANADA
(2025-10-07) Knowles, Hayley; Yes; Master of Applied Science; Department of Mechanical Engineering; Not Applicable; N/A; Yes; Dr. Michelle Adams; Dr. Dominic Groulx; Dr. Lukas Swan; Dr. Andrew Swingler
Remote community energy systems in Canada are undergoing supply and load technology-based interventions to support decarbonization efforts. Beyond reducing carbon emissions and decreasing system costs, many remote community decarbonization strategies are motivated to enhance energy autonomy, retain local wealth, and improve reliability. While significant work has been conducted on integrating renewable generation into existing infrastructure, the decarbonization of thermal loads has often been excluded. By not considering how renewable energy systems can support the decarbonization of both thermal and electrical loads, the benefits of these systems are limited in remote communities. This thesis evaluates zero-carbon electrification pathways for remote microgrid applications over a long-term planning horizon. The basis of these pathways is centralized battery systems combined with wind and solar electricity generation to support both electrical and thermal loads. The findings in this thesis present the techno-economic performance of each pathway and discuss how modelling strategies and challenges can better support the transition of microgrid energy systems to zero-carbon systems for remote communities in Canada.
Access status: Embargo ,
BRUNG SKIN GYAL STAY HOAM AND MINE BABY: GENDERED EXPECTATIONS AND TRANSNATIONAL CARING AMONG BELIZEAN MIGRANT WOMEN IN THE UNITED STATES
(2025-09-27) SMITH, MELANIE; Not Applicable; Doctor of Philosophy; Department of Sociology & Social Anthropology; Not Applicable; Anna Triandafyllidou; Not Applicable; Elizabeth Fitting; Catherine Bryan; Pauline Gardiner Barber
This study employs a multi-sited ethnographic approach involving forty-eight participants to examine the complex dynamics of migration, the commodification of care, and transnational social reproduction through the experiences of Belizean migrant women in the United States and their care networks in Belize. Grounded in Social Reproduction Theory and Feminist Political Economy, the study focuses on care workers and care practices across transnational social fields. I argue that Belizean migrant women address care needs and influence caregiving practices across multiple domains: the employer’s household, their own households, extended families and their communities both ‘here’ and ‘there’. In so doing, they reconfigure traditional gender roles, household economies, and the social organization of care. Drawing on concepts such as care circulation and economic motherhood, the study explores how caregiving obligations are negotiated within kin-based systems of reciprocity. These culturally embedded practices, offer women relative autonomy that facilitates mobility and entry into labor markets, while simultaneously sustaining multigenerational care networks. Findings indicate that Belizean women’s entry into the global care market as domiciliary care workers, particularly in roles involving childcare, eldercare, and care for the infirm, was shaped by the demand for racialized, migrant women. This labor, though commodified, closely mirrors the unpaid care work they performed in Belize and is often framed as a moral responsibility. The convergence of market, state, and domestic spheres significantly shapes Belizean migrant women’s transnational experiences, producing layered structural inequalities through global capitalist demands, racialized labor hierarchies and measures such as restrictive migration policies in the United States. Yet, despite these constraints, these Belizean women continue to contribute to family maintenance, extended kin support, and community-based provisioning care, effectively relieving the state of many responsibilities tied to social reproduction. They draw on moral economies rooted in colonial gendered divisions of labor, as well as cultural notions such as “time longer than rope”, and values likes broughtupsy to build reputational capital and secure work in a precarious labor market. Despite their significant contributions, Belizean caregivers remain undervalued due to entrenched gendered and racialized assumptions. This research advocates a revaluation of care work and stronger policy recognition of caregivers’ contributions, to ensure greater social protection throughout their working lives and into old age.
Access status: Embargo ,
ADVANCED MOLECULAR TOOLS FOR WASTEWATER TREATMENT OPTIMIZATION WITH FOCUS ON SLUDGE BULKING
(2025-10-03) Hamed, Reham; Not Applicable; Master of Applied Science; Department of Civil and Resource Engineering; Received; Azadeh Kermanshahi pour; Not Applicable; Graham Gagnon; Amina Stoddart
Effective microbial population management is critical to the performance of wastewater treatment operations, particularly in addressing filamentous bulking, which compromises sludge settling and effluent quality. Traditional bulking indicators, such as the sludge volume index (SVI), and microscopic identification of filamentous bacteria is typically performed only after bulking has occurred. This highlights the need for early-warning indicators of bulking events. The present study investigates the application of advanced molecular tools within a full-scale wastewater treatment context, evaluating whether these techniques offer advantages over traditional monitoring methods in managing activated sludge systems. Consequently, a full-scale evaluation was initiated to assess the predictive value of the specific floc-bulking Adenosine Triphosphate (s-fbATP) and to investigate the microbial basis of bulking. Initial system-wide assessments revealed clear ecological differentiation between two intermittently aerated tanks, which operated in either online (active) or offline (inactive) modes depending on seasonal conditions and hydraulic load. Principal coordinates analysis (PCoA) showed that microbial communities in Aeration Tank 3 (AT3) were tightly clustered, indicating ecological stability, whereas communities in Aeration Tank 2 (AT2) exhibited marked separation between active and inactive operational states. Multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) confirmed a significant tank-state interaction in AT2 but not in AT3. Based on these findings, AT3 was selected for detailed microbial and operational analysis. Time-series analysis over an 18-month period indicated that increases in s-fbATP consistently preceded rises in SVI by approximately 7 days, with the strongest cross-correlation (r = 0.67) observed when s-fbATP levels exceeded the 50% threshold, indicating conditions that required operational intervention. These elevated s-fbATP periods were frequently characterized by declining effluent quality, as indicated by increased BOD (22.0 ± 6.8 mg/L) and COD (129.9 ± 1.9 mg/L). Conversely, when s-fbATP values remained below the 30% interrupt ratio, effluent quality improved, with average BOD and COD levels of 7.0 ± 1.7 mg/L and 94.4 ± 20.4 mg/L, respectively. A filtration-based validation test confirmed that the DNA retained on a 250 µm filter used as part of the fbATP test was in fact enriched in filamentous and variable filamentous bacteria. Principal component analysis (PCA) revealed distinct community separation between the filter-retained fraction and the filtrate, supporting the analytical specificity of the fbATP assay for filamentous biomass, but additional verification in more locations and conditions is needed. Episodes of bulking were statistically associated (p < 0.05) with elevated levels of organic loading (COD, F/M), ammonia, sulfate, and chloride. 16S rRNA gene sequencing and Thiothrix-specific quantitative PCR identified Thiothrix as the dominant filamentous genus; however, its abundance explained only a small fraction of the variation in s-fbATP and SVI. Ridge regression and microbial community analyses suggested that multiple taxa were associated with bulking events. Notably, increases in filamentous genera classified as Mycobacterium, Flavobacterium, and Acinetobacter showed positive correlations with chromium and nickel concentrations (r = 0.72), these findings are based on limited samples. While Thiothrix abundance showed a positive correlation with sulfate (r = 0.51) and higher pH; it was negatively associated with cadmium, lithium, titanium, and selenium. Overall, the data indicate that s-fbATP showed promise as an operational metric and a indicated a potential one-week early-warning signal for sludge bulking and effluent quality deterioration., which would require more widespread validation. The results also suggest that filamentous growth is primarily driven by community-level responses, involving multiple microbial taxa rather than a single pathogenic genus. Routine monitoring of s-fbATP, particularly when integrated with molecular profiling techniques, could enhance early detection and support more proactive management of sludge settleability and effluent quality in biological wastewater treatment systems.
Access status: Embargo ,
An exploration of natural killer cell diversity and education as a determinant of responsiveness against pancreatic adenocarcinoma
(2025-10-02) Lee, Stacey; Not Applicable; Doctor of Philosophy; Department of Microbiology & Immunology; Received; Dr. Scott McComb; Yes; Dr. Andrew Makrigiannis; Dr. Paola Marcato; Dr. Graham Dellaire; Dr. Jeanette Boudreau
Natural Killer (NK) cells are critical mediators of cancer immunotherapy but understudied for the treatment of pancreatic cancer (PDAC). Driven by the activation or inhibition of specific receptors, NK cells can target tumours. NK cell receptor-ligand pairs are germline-encoded and highly polymorphic, but measurable, which may enable selection of specific populations for precision therapy. NK cell recognition is dependent on the integration of heterogeneous signals for activation and inhibition; defining key receptors contributing to this signaling could inform precise direction of NK cells against PDAC. I hypothesized that ligands expressed by PDAC determine NK cell responsiveness, and that NK cells can be selected with “inclusion” and “exclusion” criteria to enable effective and comprehensive treatment of PDAC. Using a 27-parameter flow cytometry panel, I assessed the expression of NK cell-associated receptors on circulating NK and T cells. NK cells with markers associated with maturation (i.e. KIR, NKG2C, and CD16) also exhibited increased expression of CD8, and greater degranulation (CD107a) against the missing-self target K562. CD8+ T cells acquired expression of several NK cell associated receptors as they enter a more terminally differentiated state, with effector memory and TEMRA subsets expressing NKG2A, KIR, and CD16. I also developed a humanized mouse model that both recapitulates the human HLA landscape and produces human IL-15 to help support primary human NK cells in vivo. Using bioinformatics, I found that primary PDAC tumours express ligands for NK cells, especially those known to bind the activating NKG2D receptor. After exposure of PDAC cells to immune cells or inflammation, I measured dynamic changes in expression of both activating and inhibitory ligands when compared to a resting phenotype. In vitro co-culture assays revealed a redundancy in the activating receptors engaged in NK:PDAC interactions, but that HLA-KIR signaling dominantly interrupted anti-PDAC activity. Using NK-competent humanized mice, I showed that adoptively transferred, unselected NK cells slowed tumour growth in a dose-dependent manner, but NK cells selected to avoid HLA I-driven inhibition were ideal. These results indicate that selection of allogeneic NK cells to remove inhibitory signals and support activating receptor engagement augments NK:PDAC killing.
Access status: Open Access ,
Are Risk and Injury Integral to the Experience of Skateboarding?
(2005-08) Black, Karen Jacqueline Louise; Not Applicable; Master of Science; Department of Community Health & Epidemiology; Not Applicable; unknown; Not Applicable; Brenda Beagan; Eric Mykhalovskiy
Based on observations, and on group and individual interviews with fifteen young men in Halifax, Nova Scotia, this qualitative study investigates the experiences and subculture of skateboarders, exploring their perceptions of risk and injury in the sport. Skateboarders enter a subculture with distinctive norms and values. The subcultural identity includes adherence to an unwritten code of conduct in which disdain for authority co-exists with respect for skill and style, mutual encouragement, and absence of overt competition. Skateboarders do not appear to be reckless risk-takers; rather they demonstrate commitment and self-discipline, seeking physical and psychological self-mastery through careful calculation of ability and risk, employing strategies of injury prevention that include step-wise skill progression and knowing how to fall. Injury is unavoidable if the skateboarder is to master the sport. In the context of the norms and values of this sport, widespread use of protective gear is unlikely. Injury prevention might better attend to the naturalistic strategies skateboarders already employ.
Access status: Embargo ,
DEVELOPMENT OF A SCALABLE PROCESS FOR EXTRACTING AND PRESERVING ANTHOCYANINS OF HASKAP BERRIES FOR VALUE-ADDED PURPOSES
(2025-09-26) Costa, W.H.K Damith; Yes; Master of Science; Department of Plant, Food and Environmental Sciences; Not Applicable; n/a; Yes; Dr. Sonil Nanda; Dr. Stephanie Collins; Dr. H.P Vasnatha Rupasinghe
Haskap berries are rich in anthocyanins. Optimal ultrasonication-assisted extraction (UAE) conditions were established to recover anthocyanins from dehydrated haskap berries (540 W; 62 °C; 64 min), which provided a total anthocyanin content (TAC) of 16 mg cyandin-3-O-glucoside (C3G) equivalence (C3GE)/g dry weight. Extracted haskap berry anthocyanins can be microencapsulated by partially replacing maltodextrin with inulin, demonstrating a promising substitute coating material. The developed microcapsule using maltodextrin and inulin (1:1, w:w) had comparable characteristics to microcapsules prepared by 100% maltodextrin in terms of C3G encapsulation efficiency (40%), moisture content (6%), water activity (aw 0.17), particle size (5.1 μm), and protection of TAC at 35 °C after 6 months storage. Furthermore, haskap berry anthocyanins (10 and 50 μg/mL) reduced significantly intracellular reactive oxygen species and lipid accumulation in hepatocytes in vitro. This study concludes that microencapsulated haskap berry anthocyanins as a potential functional food ingredient or natural health product for steatosis management.
Access status: Open Access ,
Working Tidal: Making Peace with the Avon River
(2025-09-21) Armour, Duncan; Not Applicable; Master of Architecture; School of Architecture; Not Applicable; Rashida Zakia; Not Applicable; Peter Henry; Roger Mullin
This thesis explores the role of architecture in mediating ecological restoration and social reconciliation along the Avon River in Windsor, Nova Scotia. In response to the contested legacy of the Windsor Causeway, the project proposes a tidal amphitheatre, a pedestrian bridge, and an indoor theatre, each designed to respond to the Bay of Fundy’s tidal rhythms. Drawing from fluvial geomorphology, Indigenous treaty rights, and climate adaptation, the design frames water as a collaborator rather than an obstacle. The architecture responds to the movement of the River, turning parts of the site into spaces where people can witness the tide’s return. Through sensory engagement and ecological integration, the project reimagines public infrastructure as both a learning space and a tool for participation. Rather than offering fixed solutions, the architecture embraces change, acting as a medium that communities can witness, respond to, and begin to repair the ecological and cultural divide of a fragmented river system.
Access status: Open Access ,
LEVERAGING ESG FOR ACCESS TO JUSTICE: REIMAGINING THIRD PARTY FUNDING FOR PUBLIC INTEREST LITIGATION
(2025-09-23) Michael, Odugbemi; Not Applicable; Master of Laws; Faculty of Law; Not Applicable; NA; Not Applicable; Professor Matthew Dylag; Professor Nayha Acharya; Professor Camille Cameron, KC
The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 16 aims to "provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable, and inclusive institutions at all levels." However, achieving this goal faces significant obstacles, such as the high cost of legal services, which create barriers for individuals seeking justice. This thesis examines how corporations can enhance access to justice through a corporate led funding for Public Interest Litigation (PIL) via a Third-Party Funding (TPF) model referred to in this thesis as “Public Interest Litigation Fund” (PILF). This thesis draws inspiration from the Ontario Class Proceeding Fund (CPF). The thesis argued for traditional TPF practices, shifting the focus from financial returns to one that emphasizes social value within the framework of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) factors. It concludes by proposing that corporations contributing to the PILF as part of their ESG strategies can earn both institutional and non-institutional credits by ESG rating organizations, for incentives for their active participation.
Access status: Open Access ,
A Comparative Evaluation of Natural Language and Dashboard Interfaces for Visualizing Real-Time Monitoring Data
(2025-09-23) Besharati Amirkandeh, Melika; Not Applicable; Master of Computer Science; Faculty of Computer Science; Received; n/a; Not Applicable; Stephen Brooks; Oladapo Oyebode; Derek Reilly
Natural Language Interfaces (NLIs) are emerging as an alternative to Dashboard Interfaces for data visualization, allowing users to formulate queries using conversational input rather than structured commands. In a controlled study (N=24) we compare an NLI-driven chatbot and a commercial visualization dashboard (RealFishPro) for a set of randomized analytics tasks involving real-time monitoring data. We find no difference in System Usability Scale (SUS) scores and no difference in task accuracy scores between interface conditions. NASA TLX scores show significantly higher mental and temporal demand when using the chatbot vs. the dashboard, and the chatbot yielded significantly higher task times overall. This pattern shows that while NLIs are flexible, they often impose greater cognitive effort and slower interaction compared to dashboards. Participant feedback indicated complementary strengths: NLIs were praised for simplicity and adaptability, dashboards for precision and clarity. These findings suggest that hybrid solutions integrating natural language and traditional interfaces could enhance data exploration and decision-making.
Access status: Open Access ,
Landfill as Laboratory: (Re)Generative Architecture in Rouge National Urban Park
(2025-09-23) Haw, Austin; Not Applicable; Master of Architecture; School of Architecture; Not Applicable; n/a; Not Applicable; Eric Stotts; Joyce Hwang; Michael Faciejew
This thesis explores architecture’s role as ecological enabler within the degraded landscape of Beare Hill Park, a decommissioned landfill at the edge of Rouge National Urban Park. Framed through the lens of seed conservation, architecture supports ecological research and rehabilitation of this site through temporal mapping, prototyping, and data simulation methods in the design of a dynamic, evolving multi-operative scientific architecture of ex-situ interpretive seedbank and in-situ seed orchards. Grounded in systems ecology, the design investigates how built form can engage with air, water, and soil systems through a regenerative strategy that centralizes local effort in the rehabilitation process while balancing programmatic requirements of scientific research, historical interpretation and leisure. By representing both human and non-human processes in an evolving ecological network, the project reasserts architecture’s role as an active enabler of new ecologies in post-industrial landscapes.
Access status: Open Access ,
ENHANCING MICROGRID OPERATION BY INCORPORATING DEMAND RESPONSE USING EVOLUTIONARY OPTIMIZATION ALGORITHMS
(2025-08-27) Ghaffari, Mahdi; Not Applicable; Master of Applied Science; Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering; Not Applicable; n/a; Not Applicable; Dr. Mohammad Saeedi; Dr. Jason Gu; Dr. Hamed Aly
With the rise of distributed energy resources, microgrids (MGs) offer a resilient solution for local energy supply and smart management. This thesis proposes an enhanced MG operation strategy by integrating demand response (DR) programs with evolutionary optimization algorithms. Three methods, Imperialist Competitive Algorithm (ICA), Genetic Algorithm (GA), and Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO)—are applied individually and in hybrid forms. The ICA-GA hybrid is tested on the IEEE 33-bus system, while ICA-PSO is applied to the IEEE 37-bus network. Simulations are conducted in MATLAB. Results show that hybrid approaches outperform conventional methods in voltage regulation, power loss reduction, and system efficiency. This work demonstrates the potential of combining DR strategies with evolutionary algorithms to optimize MG performance and support reliable, cost-effective power distribution.
Access status: Open Access ,
Growth and reproduction of the green sea urchin Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis across a depth gradient
(2004-05) Brady, Sheanna M.; Not Applicable; Master of Science; Department of Biology; Not Applicable; n/a; Not Applicable; Anna Metaxas; Bruce Hatcher; Robert Scheibling
During periods of high water temperature along the Atlantic coast of Nova Scotia, the green sea urchin, Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis, is susceptible to infection by Paramoeba invadens, a pathogenic amoeba that can eliminate urchins from the shallow rocky subtidal zone along hundreds of kilometres of shoreline. Repopulation of disease affected areas by S. droebachiensis was monitored at a wave-exposed site (Chebucto Head) following a mass mortality in September 1999 at 3 depth strata ( 12, 16 and 24 m) and later at a grazing front. The primary means of repopulation was migration of adult urchins from deeper water while recruitment played a secondary role. Low temperatures below 20 m depth provided urchins with a thermal refuge from disease and a bedrock ramp at the study site provided a direct migration route to shallow water. Far-field surveys revealed an extensive deep-water population with an average density of 75 urchins m-2 on hard substratum. At 16 m, urchin density stabilized within 6 mo of the dieoff while repopulation at 12 m took closer to 2 y. Within 2.5 y, a grazing front of large urchins ( 40-60 mm) had formed along the lower margin of a kelp bed at 10 m depth, with densities up to 284 urchins m-2. As urchins migrated from the food-limited persistent barrens at 24 m, they responded rapidly to increased food quality and quantity in the shallows through increased growth and reproduction. Measures of annual increments of skeletal elements (rotules) from urchins across the depth gradient indicated that the fastest growing individuals from the source population formed the grazing front. Urchins in the front reached a larger asymptotic size and produced more gonad than urchins lower on the ramp. The annual cycle in gonad index showed a pronounced spring spawning period across all depths and a secondary fall spawning. The presence of mature, fertilizable ova and short response time to spawning induction in both spring and fall supported the occurrence of two spawning periods. Estimates of egg production across a depth gradient indicated that the urchin population in deep water spawned more eggs per unit area than either depth stratum in shallow water (12 and 16 m) during the first 2 y of repopulation. A higher urchin density at 24 m compensated for a smaller test diameter and lower gonad production, until a grazing front formed. Egg production in the spring increased over time at shallower depths but remained low in the fall . As a function of fecundity and density, fertilization rates and hence zygote production followed the same patterns as egg production. When the site was divided into two zones of equal area (1000 m2), persistent barrens (24 m) and transitional barrens (16, 12 m and the front), urchins in the persistent barrens produced a greater proportion of the total number of eggs spawned ( or zygotes produced) at the site, until density in the transitional barrens increased and a front formed after 2 y.
Access status: Open Access ,
An Evaluation of Canada's Implementation and Enforcement of CITES: the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora
(1988-04) Hykle, Douglas J.; Not Applicable; Master of Environmental Studies; Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences; Not Applicable; n/a; Not Applicable; Robert Boardman; Robert S. McLean; Phillip Saunders; Arthur J. Hanson
Canada has been a signatory to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) since 1975. This thesis evaluates the effectiveness of Canada's implementation and enforcement of the Convention, focusing on five critical areas: the permit issuing system, technical support provided to enforcement officers, controls administered by Customs at ports of entry, enforcement action taken against violators, and public awareness initiatives. Research methods included a review of government files, interviews with officials in Canada and abroad, and analysis of wildlife trade statistics. Canada has performed poorly in each of the areas examined. A lack of co-operation and co-ordination among federal and provincial agencies hinders effective and uniform implementation of trade controls. The domestic legislation used to apply the Convention's provisions is not well-suited to the regulation of trade in wildlife, and is subject to inconsistent interpretation. Enforcement efforts have concentrated on wildlife products imported by travellers, but with limited success. The efficacy and cost-effectiveness of these controls is dubious. Statistical analyses reveal serious deficiencies in the regulation and monitoring of commercial shipments of live wildlife and manufactured goods. Training and reference materials provided to enforcement officers are inadequate. The numbers of seizures of illegal wildlife and successful prosecutions of offenders are negligible relative to the volume of Canadian trade in CITES-regulated species. The materials used to publicize the Convention are obsolete and their distribution is unreliable. Recommendations aimed at correcting these deficiencies are presented. It is proposed that wildlife shipments be cleared at a limited number of designated Customs offices, and that specially-trained wildlife inspectors be deployed at these entry points to verify documentation and to examine shipments. Enforcement efforts should be directed toward the commercial sector, where wildlife trade controls are most efficacious. Innovative public awareness initiatives are needed to inform the business community and the public at large of CITES' provisions and its rationale. Legislation specific to the regulation of trade in wildlife should be developed so as to remove the present dependence on statutes which have not served the interests of CITES enforcement. The federal CITES Administration requires a substantial infusion of human and financial resources to enable it to meet present and future commitments.
Access status: Open Access ,
The Owl and the Plagiarist: Academic Misrepresentation in Contemporary Education
(2002-10) Buerger, Geoffrey E.; Not Applicable; Doctor of Philosophy; Department of Philosophy; Not Applicable; Douglas Simpson; Not Applicable; William Hare; Joseph Murphy; Robert Bérard
"The Owl and the Plagiarist: Academic Misrepresentation in Contemporary Education" describes academic plagiarism, distinguishes it from other forms of plagiarism, and proposes a conceptual framework for the universal application of two essential principles of scholarship: students should receive credit only for their own work, and sources and assistance must always be appropriately acknowledged. Chapter One surveys the evolving public conception of plagiarism, and the identification of public expectations. The emphasis is on the late twentieth century, although the chronological emergence of the concept is addressed in broad terms. Chapter Two discusses the nature and unappreciated breadth of academic plagiarism, and introduces the idea that "false claim of credit" is the standard that we should adopt for academic plagiarism. A value/ credit paradigm is introduced to provide a conceptual framework for a consistently rational response to academic malfeasance. In this view a paper, project or test has no worth except as a receipt attesting that a student has received the learning value inherent in the assignment. Credit is given only when a student presents a valid receipt; a plagiarized assignment -- which is a fraudulent receipt -- earns no credit. Intent is irrelevant to the fact of plagiarism. Chapter Three is a discussion of plagiarism as it has evolved in colleges and universities, from its roots in the eighteenth century through contemporary case studies. Chapter Four is an analysis of plagiarism as it has evolved at the secondary level, from its roots in "cribbing" and "telling" to modem high-stakes testing. Included in this chapter are the concept of third-party plagiarism and an examination of the factors that contribute to endemic plagiarism in preuniversity education. Chapter Five explores the commercial traffic in essays before the internet, and institutional responses to the term paper industry. Chapter Six identifies the technological challenges posed by commercial traffic in term papers in the age of the computer, and an academic challenge to the concept itself by postmodern theorists. This thesis concludes both that neither challenge warrants reconsideration of the established view that academic plagiarism is unacceptable, and that the "false claim of credit" definition is sufficient to meet future challenges.
Access status: Open Access ,
Conversing Landscapes
(2006-05) Cropas, Youki; Not Applicable; Master of Architecture; School of Architecture; Not Applicable; Lily Chi; Not Applicable; Catherine Venart; Susan Molesky
This thesis is about the perception and interpretation of space. It attempts to read the world as it is found, and investigate the relationship between human bodies and landscapes. All my thesis investigations have been rooted in a deep commitment to explore how we perceive space and interact with the larger realm of the city and the built and natural landscape. Places are physical, but they are also mental. Like buildings, bodies are permeable and deeply connected with their surroundings ... by themselves, perhaps they are incomplete. By engaging elements on the thesis site - an industrial landscape in Halifax, Nova Scotia - and by creating new elements, relationships between "subject" and "object" are studied. These elements were chosen for their unique sensorial characteristics, that remind the body of its presence and relationship to the landscape, revealing a reciprocal dialogue that landscapes and objects in them have with the human body. The site serves as an industrial laboratory where the scale of the body is at odds with the "industrial sublime". As landscape and architectural elements enter into relationship, intriguing physical and theoretical architectural experiences arise. Through reading, translating, and responding to concepts of "intertwining", this thesis pursues a deeper understanding of, and attempts to reveal, an architecture of "phenomena" within an industrial landscape.
Access status: Open Access ,
Empowering Occupational Therapists through Reflective Education & Client Centred Practices
(2002-05) Duggan, Ruth; Not Applicable; Master of Science; School of Occupational Therapy; Not Applicable; n/a; Not Applicable; Elizabeth Townsend; Sheila Banks; Loretta doRozario
Client-centred practice has been a key theme in Canadian occupational therapy literature since the early 1980s. Canadian occupational therapists are strongly encouraged by their national professional association and universities to continue in their attempts to engage in client-centred practice, despite concerns about challenges to implementation, because this practice embraces important concepts about partnership and justice (CAOT, 1997) . Therefore, it is important to understand how occupational therapists can engage in and continue to develop client-centred practice within the constraints of everyday practice and the organizational demands of their unique settings. This thesis describes an action research study that was undertaken to discover insights generated from and perceived usefulness of a reflective learning experience undertaken by a group of four occupational therapists using a set of reflective exercises (Rochon & Baptiste, 1998) to reflect on professional identity as it relates to the principles of client-centred practice. This thesis describes the process and insights generated by the group and demonstrates how participation in reflective practice is one way to empower occupational therapists to develop their own client-centred practice. The occupational therapists in this group felt that participation in this study was useful in promoting awareness and change to professional practice. Although actual change to daily practice and progress toward the personal goals set by group members was limited, reflective group discussion provided our group with a launch pad to start our journey toward a more client-centred practice. Ongoing support for reflective practice in occupational therapy is recommended, as this appears to be a useful method for empowering occupational therapists to begin to develop an increasingly client-centred practice.
Access status: Open Access ,
Beyond Passing: Reimagining Sites Adjacent to Transit Lines
(2025-09-09) Rasooli, Simin; No; Master of Architecture; School of Architecture; Not Applicable; Joyce Hwang; No; Cristina Verissimo; Catherine Venart
Transit lines often generate non-places—spaces of movement—shaped by efficiency and separated from civic life. This project explores how such spaces can be reimagined through continuity rather than interruption. By extending movement and allowing it to slow, overlap, and engage, transitional space becomes a threshold that supports presence and everyday life. The project looks at agora to understand how programs can be organized through historical and contemporary examples, such as arcades and courtyards, that show how movement shapes space. In doing so, it shifts the understanding from a purely functional definition toward grounded in programmatic interaction. Parking garages are studied as precedents where continuous movement defines form without fostering interaction. The thesis focuses on Gateway Station on the Expo Line in Surrey, BC—a growing transit hub with limited civic space—proposing the transformation of a transit-adjacent non-place into a civic environment responsive to urban rhythms and public needs.

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