Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Fast Fourier Transforms Over Prime Fields Of Large Characteristic And Their Implementation On Graphics Processing Units, Davood Mohajerani

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Prime field arithmetic plays a central role in computer algebra and supports computation in Galois fields which are essential to coding theory and cryptography algorithms. The prime fields that are used in computer algebra systems, in particular in the implementation of modular methods, are often of small characteristic, that is, based on prime numbers that fit on a machine word. Increasing precision beyond the machine word size can be done via the Chinese Remaindering Theorem or Hensel Lemma. In this thesis, we consider prime fields of large characteristic, typically fitting on n machine words, where n is a power of …

Analysis Of 3d Cone-Beam Ct Image Reconstruction Performance On A Fpga, Devin Held

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Efficient and accurate tomographic image reconstruction has been an intensive topic of research due to the increasing everyday usage in areas such as radiology, biology, and materials science. Computed tomography (CT) scans are used to analyze internal structures through capture of x-ray images. Cone-beam CT scans project a cone-shaped x-ray to capture 2D image data from a single focal point, rotating around the object. CT scans are prone to multiple artifacts, including motion blur, streaks, and pixel irregularities, therefore must be run through image reconstruction software to reduce visual artifacts. The most common algorithm used is the Feldkamp, Davis, and …

Nanoscale Thermal And Electronic Properties Of Thin Films Of Graphene And Organic Polyradicals, Sabastine Chukwuemeka Ezugwu

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Ultrathin film materials have attracted significant attention in light of their potential applications in very large scale integrated electronics and data storage. For instance, the amount of data that can be addressed and stored in a memory device scales inversely with the thinness of the active layer of these components. In our thesis, we have developed a suite of scanning-probe and nano-optical techniques focused on understanding the electronic surface properties and the thermal conductivity of ultrathin materials. We discuss a few specific examples in which we applied these techniques towards improved performance of thin films of graphene and organic polyradicals …

Synthesis Of Metal-Containing Phosphines And Their Use In Coordination, Polymer, And Materials Chemistry, Amir Rabiee Kenaree

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This thesis describes the investigation of a novel strategy for the synthesis of metal-containing small molecules, polymers, and nanomaterials. In this context, a new family of air-stable, homo- and heterometallic primary, secondary, and tertiary phosphines were prepared via the radical-initiated hydrophosphination reaction of PH₃ with vinylferrocene and/or vinylruthenocene. The full characterization of the phosphines confirmed their targeted structures and proved that the properties of the starting metallocenes are reflected in those of the resulting phosphines.

To study the coordination behavior of this family of phosphines, primary, secondary, and tertiary ethylferrocene phosphines were reacted with Group 6 metal carbonyl adducts …

Regulatory Compliance-Oriented Impediments And Associated Effort Estimation Metrics In Requirements Engineering For Contractual Systems Engineering Projects, Md Rashed I. Nekvi

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Large-scale contractual systems engineering projects often need to comply with a myriad of government regulations and standards as part of contractual fulfillment. A key activity in the requirements engineering (RE) process for such a project is to elicit appropriate requirements from the regulations and standards that apply to the target system. However, there are impediments in achieving compliance due to such factors as: the voluminous contract and its high-level specifications, large number of regulatory documents, and multiple domains of the system. Little empirical research has been conducted on developing a shared understanding of the compliance-oriented complexities involved in such projects, …

X-Ray Absorption And Emission Studies Of Anodic Titania Nanostructures, Jun Li

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

One-dimensional (1D) TiO₂ nanomaterials with ordered structure have been extensively applied in various fields, such as photocatalysts, solar cells, supercapacitors and rechargeable batteries, due to the unique structural and functional properties compared to the disordered nanoparticulate forms. Nevertheless, intrinsic disadvantages of TiO₂, such as its large band gap (~3 eV), fast recombination rate of photoexcited electron–hole pairs and insufficient ionic conductivity, severely limit the development of 1D TiO₂ nanomaterials for practical applications. To address the above issues, the scope of this thesis focus on the fundamental understandings of the electronic structure of highly ordered TiO_{2 …}

Creating Functional Materials With Phosphorus, Tyler John Cuthbert

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Understanding the relationship between small molecules or polymers and how they affect the properties of materials they compose is the basis of materials science. Using unique and versatile components can impart useful and interesting properties to materials. Here, we aimed to extend this understanding to phosphorus, and the known properties it possesses. This included the production of photopolymerizable coatings containing phosphonium molecules and polymers for antifouling and antibacterial applications. The synthesis and characterization of these phosphonium components was completed and materials were produced utilizing UV curing technology. Addition of these components produced coatings that could resist bacteria attachment and efficiently …

An Evaluation Of The Lithologies And Geochemistry Of The Upper Beaver Deposit Of The Kirkland Lake Area, Katherine E. Feick

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The Upper Beaver Cu-Au deposit contains a unique style of mineralization in the Larder Lake and Kirkland Lake areas in terms of mineralization, alteration style, and age. This study aims to use company-provided data, supplemented with focused data collection, to evaluate what information can be attained from company-provided geochemical data. The evaluation uses a combination of hand sample, petrographic, geochemical, statistical, and microprobe analytical methods.

Lithogeochemical analyses indicated that the altered igneous host rock is calc-alkaline in composition and is most likely part of the diorite-monzonite suite. Further, exploratory data analysis of Au and Cu mineralization identified that there are …

Static Magnetic Field Interactions Of Medical Devices In The Mri Environment, Spencer Baird Parent

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Background: The current procedures and guidelines for testing medical devices require that conservative testing be carried-out using the “worst-case” device or device configuration for each interaction (force, torque, heating, et cetera) of importance, and the results of those tests be used to inform regulatory labeling for that device. One of the most difficult elements of carrying out the above procedure is the determination of what represents a “worst-case” device or device configuration. A simulation “pipeline” would enable a systematic procedure for identification of the worst-case device or device configuration for magnetic force from an otherwise impossibly large set of options. …

Synthesis Of Metal-Containing Polymers And Stable Organic Radical-Containing Polymers And Their Use As Advanced Functional Materials, Joseph A. Paquette

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The work presented in this thesis details the synthesis and characterization of two different families of multifunctional polymers. The first family involved the incorporation of stable 6-oxoverdazyl radicals into polymer scaffolds. This was originally achieved by the polymerization of the radical precursors, phenyl- and isopropyl-6-oxotetrazanes, followed by post-polymerization oxidation to afford the phenyl- and isopropyl-6-oxoverdazyl polymers. A second methodology involved the direct polymerization of isopropyl-6-oxoverdazyl radicals using ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) to afford polymers with controlled molecular weights and narrow molecular weight distributions. The polymers were characterized by the close comparison of the physical and spectroscopic properties …

Properties Of High Nitrogen Content Carbon Nitride Thin Films Prepared By A Radio Frequency Magnetron Sputtering Deposition Technique, David Pipher

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The properties of carbon nitride (CNx) films deposited onto various substrates using a radiofrequency magnetron sputtering technique were studied as a function of deposition parameters, especially magnetron power, gas pressure and nitrogen content in the plasma. Indium tin oxide (ITO) coated glass and fluorine tin oxide (FTO) coated glass as well as metal substrates (silver and tungsten) were used. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to study the surface morphology of the prepared CNx films. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) as well as survey X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) spectra were used to perform the elemental analysis of the CNx films.

Ultraviolet-visible …

Color Separation For Background Subtraction, Jiaqi Zhou

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Background subtraction is a vital step in many computer vision systems. In background subtraction, one is given two (or more) frames of a video sequence taken with a still camera. Due to the stationarity of the camera, any color change in the scene is mainly due to the presence of moving objects. The goal of background subtraction is to separate the moving objects (also called the foreground) from the stationary background. Many background subtraction approaches have been proposed over the years. They are usually composed of two distinct stages, background modeling and foreground detection.

Most of the standard background subtraction …

Sedimentology And Geochemistry Of The Mixed Carbonate-Siliciclastic Espanola Formation, Paleoproterozoic Huronian Supergroup, Bruce Mines-Elliot Lake Area, Ontario, Canada, Mansour H. Al-Hashim

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The Espanola Formation of the Paleoproterozoic Huronian Supergroup is a mixed carbonate-siliciclastic succession. Detailed sedimentological analysis of the formation in the Bruce Mines-Elliot Lake region reveals 17 sedimentary lithofacies, which comprise three distinct lithofacies associations. The lithofacies associations represent, in ascending order, shoreface, offshore, and nearshore (or lagoon) depositional environments along a wave- and storm-dominated shallow siliciclastic marine shelf. Major, trace, and rare earth element analyses of the siliciclastic component indicate derivation from a mainly granodioritic Archean upper continental crust with some contributions from mafic volcanic and/or sedimentary rocks. The results show that the source rocks were subjected to relatively …

Applications Of Credit Scoring Models, Mimi Mei Ling Chong

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The application of credit scoring on consumer lending is an automated, objective and consistent tool which helps lenders to provide quick loan decisions. In order to apply for a loan, applicants must provide their attributes by filling out an application form. Certain attributes are then selected as inputs to a credit scoring model which generates a credit score. The magnitude of this credit score is proved to be related to the credit quality of the loan applicant. As such, it is used to determine whether the loan will be granted, and also the amount of interest being charged. Currently, little …

Joint Models For Spatial And Spatio-Temporal Point Processes, Alisha Albert-Green

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

In biostatistics and environmetrics, interest often centres around the development of models and methods for making inference on observed point patterns assumed to be generated by latent spatial or spatio-temporal processes. Such analyses, however, are challenging as these data are typically hierarchical with complex correlation structures. In instances where data are spatially aggregated by reporting region and rates are low, further complications may result from zero-inflation.

In this research, motivated by the analysis of spatio-temporal storm cell data, we generalize the Neyman-Scott parent-child process to account for hierarchical clustering. This is accomplished by allowing the parents to follow a log-Gaussian …

Cultural Diversity In Artificial Societies: Case Studies Of The Maya Peoples, Roberto Ulloa

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The existence of cultural diversity in a connected world is paradoxical given that all individuals constantly interact and share information, and that individuals are all part of one giant network of connections. In the long term, it seems logical to assume that everybody should hold the same cultural information and, therefore, the same culture. Yet cultural diversity is still manifest around the globe. Cultural diversity as a phenomenon becomes even more puzzling when we take into account how it survives catastrophic events which regularly befall societies, such as invasions, natural disasters, and civil wars. In this thesis, agent-based computer simulations …

Towards Comprehensive Parametric Code Generation Targeting Graphics Processing Units In Support Of Scientific Computation, Ning Xie

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The most popular multithreaded languages based on the fork-join concurrency model (CIlkPlus, OpenMP) are currently being extended to support other forms of parallelism (vectorization, pipelining and single-instruction-multiple-data (SIMD)). In the SIMD case, the objective is to execute the corresponding code on a many-core device, like a GPGPU, for which the CUDA language is a natural choice. Since the programming concepts of CilkPlus and OpenMP are very different from those of CUDA, it is desirable to automatically generate optimized CUDA-like code from CilkPlus or OpenMP.

In this thesis, we propose an accelerator model for annotated C/C++ code together with an implementation …

On The Promotion Of The Social Web Intelligence, Taraneh Khazaei

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Given the ever-growing information generated through various online social outlets, analytical research on social media has intensified in the past few years from all walks of life. In particular, works on social Web intelligence foster and benefit from the wisdom of the crowds and attempt to derive actionable information from such data. In the form of collective intelligence, crowds gather together and contribute to solving problems that may be difficult or impossible to solve by individuals and single computers. In addition, the consumer insight revealed from social footprints can be leveraged to build powerful business intelligence tools, enabling efficient and …

Channel Form And Processes In A Formerly Glaciated Terrain, Nathaniel Bergman

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Despite that many places around the world in general, and North America in particular, were glaciated during the last ice age, relatively little is known about rivers that evolved over these landscapes once they deglaciated. These rivers are commonly categorized as alluvial with a glacial legacy, and often described as plain gravel-bed or sand-bed rivers. Alternatively, they are considered to be bedrock rivers when the glacial deposits were eroded and underlying rock was exposed. However, ignoring the glacial history of these rivers is scientifically wrong and they should be termed "semi-alluvial". This work shows that classification is important, not only …

The Geometry And Density Of B-Emission Star Disks From Statistical Analysis And Numerical Simulations, Isabelle H. Cyr

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This thesis is divided into 3 investigations. First we present a novel method to estimate the opening angles of Be star disks from interferometric axis ratio measurements, using Bayesian statistics and Monte Carlo techniques. A large set of theoretical axis ratios generated from disk models were compared to observational samples to determine which distribution best reproduces the observations. We find that the observed axis ratio distributions in the K-, H-, and N-band can best be explained by the presence of thin disks while measurements over the H$\alpha$ line point toward slightly thicker disks. Second, using a smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) …

Evolution Of Mafic Impact Melt Bodies At The Crater Floor Interfaces Of The Vredefort And Sudbury Impact Structures, Carmela Lisa Cupelli

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The Vredefort and Sudbury impact basins in South Africa and Canada, respectively, are currently the world’s oldest and largest impact structures. Over a hundred years of study on both impacts has still not answered all the questions surrounding these sites. The 2019 Ma Vredefort structure is thought to have an original diameter of 300 km, however, due to erosion all that is left of the structure is the basement of the central uplift. Small pockets and dykes of melt rock still remain but in the case of the gabbronorite its origin remains to be proven. The Sudbury structure is 1850 …

Geochemical Constraints Of The Gold Mineralization Sources From The South Mine Complex And The Main/’04 Breaks, Macassa Mine, Kirkland Lake, Ontario, Liana K.T. Stammers

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Kirkland Lake Gold’s Macassa Mine is a lode gold deposit in the Abitibi Greenstone. It has two systems of mineralization: the Main/’04 Breaks, and the South Mine Complex (SMC). The objective of this work was to constrain mineralization sources between these systems using geochemical signatures. The SMC has different structure, mineralogy, alteration, trace- and major-elements composition, and δ¹⁸O values. The Main/’04 is a series of faults with thin alteration dipping south 60-85º. The SMC is a series of structurally controlled zones dipping southeast 25-50° with wide alteration. It is interpreted to be a Riedel Shear between the ’04 …

A Stable Isotope Investigation Of Pollen From Pinery Provincial Park, Southwestern Ontario, Canada, Deana M. Schwarz

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Pollen is a useful proxy for reconstructing paleoclimate; however, the relationship between its stable isotopic composition and the environment in which it forms is still poorly understood. We examine the stable oxygen, carbon, and nitrogen isotope compositions of pollen from tree (coniferous and deciduous), grass (C₃ and C₄), and marsh species from Pinery Provincial Park, Ontario, and its environs, and maple and oak tree species from eight localities across the United States of America, to (i) determine the major environmental influences on pollen δ¹⁸O, δ¹³C, and δ¹⁵N values, (ii) examine the …

Giant Beaver (Castoroides) Palaeoecology Inferred From Stable Isotopes, Tessa Plint

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Stable isotope analysis was used to explore unresolved questions about the palaeoecology of the extinct Pleistocene giant beaver (Castoroides). The δ¹³C, δ¹⁵N, and δ¹⁸O of bone collagen and structural carbonate from enamel served as proxies for palaeodiet and palaeoclimate. A new baseline for freshwater and terrestrial plant δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N was utilized in a mixing model (SIAR) to assess rodent feeding niche. SIAR analysis indicated that Castoroides’ consumed a diet of predominantly macrophytes, making them reliant on wetland habitat for food. Based on isotopic data for potential …

Energy Subtraction Methods As An Alternative To Conventional X-Ray Angiography, Christiane S. Burton

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Digital subtraction angiography (DSA) is a technique that is widely used to enhance the visibility of small vessels obscured by background structures by subtracting a mask and contrast image. However, DSA is generally unsuccessful for imaging the heart due to the motion that occurs between mask and contrasted images which cause motion artifacts. An alternative approach known as energy subtraction angiography (ESA) exploits the iodine k-edge by acquiring contrast images with a low and high kV in rapid succession to bring the benefits of DSA without motion artifacts. However, it was concluded that image quality for ESA could not compete …

Automatic Fracture Orientation Extraction From Sfm Point Clouds, Jon Kissi

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Geology seeks to understand the history of the Earth and its surface processes through charac- terisation of surface formations and rock units. Chief among the geologists’ tools are rock unit orientation measurements, such as Strike, Dip and Dip Direction. These allow an understanding of both surface and sub-structure on both the local and macro scale.

Although the way these techniques can be used to characterise geology are well understood, the need to collect these measurements by hand adds time and expense to the work of the geologist, precludes spontaneity in field work, and coverage is limited to where the geologist …

Multiscale Wind Modelling For Sustainability And Resilience, Djordje Romanic

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The research presented herein is a mix of meteorological and wind engineering disciplines. In many cases, there is a gap between these two fields and this thesis is an attempt to bridge that gap through multiscale wind modelling approaches. Data and methods used in this study cover a multitude of spatial and temporal scales. Applications are in the fields of sustainability and resilience. This relationship between multiscale wind modelling and sustainability and resilience is investigated examining several case studies of three different developments: urban, rural and coastal.

An urban wind modelling methodology is proposed and applied for a specific development …

Development Of Anatomical And Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Measures Of Alzheimer Disease, Samaneh Kazemifar

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Alzheimer disease is considered to be a progressive neurodegenerative condition, clinically characterized by cognitive dysfunction and memory impairments. Incorporating imaging biomarkers in the early diagnosis and monitoring of disease progression is increasingly important in the evaluation of novel treatments. The purpose of the work in this thesis was to develop and evaluate novel structural and functional biomarkers of disease to improve Alzheimer disease diagnosis and treatment monitoring. Our overarching hypothesis is that magnetic resonance imaging methods that sensitively measure brain structure and functional impairment have the potential to identify people with Alzheimer’s disease prior to the onset of cognitive decline. …

A Regional Chemical Characterization And Analysis Of Groundwater In Eastern Ontario, Laura M. Colgrove

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This study utilizes 234 samples to provide a regional characterization and analysis of groundwater chemistry in eastern Ontario, Canada, where elevated TDS, Na and halogens occur in shallow groundwater. Water-types, PCA and mapping are used to investigate the processes and features controlling the chemistry. The chemical patterns are associated with glaciomarine deposits (extent, thickness) and bedrock topography, which modulate residence time and flow-path of groundwater. These determine the relative effects of recharge, ion exchange, salinization and organic breakdown on groundwater chemistry. Anomalous chemistry east of Ottawa (brackish-to-saline TDS; elevated water δ¹⁸O; elevated Na, Cl, I, CH₄, …

Solvothermal Preparation And Characterization Of Superstructures Of Nanoscopic Cds And Cdse, Tetyana Levchenko

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Micrometer-sized superparticles, self-assembled from metallic or semiconducting nanoclusters, can be used as convenient building blocks for preparing functional materials, utilizing the electronic and photophysical properties resulting from the quantum confinement as well as from the coupling between individual nanoscopic constituents.

This research aimed at developing a novel approach utilizing the conversion of a cadmium phenylchalcogenolate precursor (Me₄N)₂[Cd(EPh)₄] (where E = S or Se) under solvothermal conditions for the preparation of nanoscopic CdE, including both crystalline superlattices of large discrete nanoclusters and superstructures with more complex morphology. In particular, 3D cubic superlattices of molecular CdS …