YorkSpace

YorkSpace is York University's Institutional Repository. It supports York University's Senate Policy on Open Access by providing York community members with a place to preserve their research online in an institutional context.

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Communities in YorkSpace

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Recent Submissions

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    Biofilm Control Inside Secondary Water Storage Containers Using UV LIght
    (2026-03-10) Di Falco, Patrick Alexander; Gora, Stephanie
    This thesis investigates the feasibility of ultraviolet (UV) light treatment for biofilm control inside secondary storage containers used in humanitarian settings. A scoping literature review investigating real‑world UV light treatment application revealed that, even though it is effective beyond controlled laboratory settings, it is underexplored as a method for biofilm control in humanitarian contexts. To address this gap, a ray tracing model was developed to simulate UV irradiance distribution within a representative jerry can, and experimental validation showed model predictions were within 17% of measured values. Lab-grown biofilms were then treated at locations inside the jerry can receiving moderate and low levels of UV irradiance. At a maximum UV dose of 16 mJ/cm², the location receiving moderate UV irradiance achieved 2.47 ± 0.75 (average ± standard deviation) log-reduction value (LRV) while the location receiving low UV irradiance achieved 2.99 ± 0.07 LRV. Comparisons with other UV/biofilm research showed that similar germicidal thresholds could be achieved even with the lower parameters incorporated into this research. These findings demonstrate that UV light treatment is a technically viable method for biofilm control inside secondary storage containers used in humanitarian settings. Future research investigating this treatment method under real world conditions will prove to be the next key step in determining its feasibility for future implementation in humanitarian contexts.
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    Design and Optimization of Sensor Interface Circuitry and All-Digital PLL in 22nm Technology with gm/ID Methodology Using Precalculated Look-Up Tables.
    (2026-03-10) Mohammadpanah, Amirhossein; Magierowski, Sebastian
    This thesis presents the design of a monolithic System-on-Chip (SoC) front-end for solid-state nanopore DNA sequencing, implemented in GlobalFoundries 22nm FD-SOI technology. A major bottleneck in portable sequencing is the massive parasitic capacitance of the sensor (approx. 5 pF), which severely limits the bandwidth required to detect rapid, picoampere-level ion currents. Additionally, designing high-performance analog interfaces in deep-submicron nodes using traditional, iterative SPICE simulations is highly inefficient. To address these challenges, this research establishes a systematic, hierarchical "Inverse Design" framework based on the gm/ID methodology. By utilizing 4D Look-Up Tables (LUTs) extracted from BSIM-IMG compact models, this flow deterministically synthesizes transistor geometries directly from system-level specifications. Crucially, the methodology integrates back-gate biasing (FBB) as a fourth design dimension to dynamically trade off leakage for speed and maximize voltage headroom. Utilizing this synthesis flow, a Transimpedance Amplifier (TIA) was designed, achieving a 1 MHz bandwidth and a 5 Mohms transimpedance gain while driving the large capacitive sensor load. To provide the low-jitter timing infrastructure required for full system integration and precise ADC sampling, a wide-range All-Digital Phase-Locked Loop (ADPLL) featuring a MASH 1-1-1 Sigma-Delta Modulator was also implemented, achieving a phase noise of -84 dBc/Hz at a 1 MHz offset. Ultimately, this work demonstrates that a deterministic LUT-based synthesis approach successfully enables robust, high-performance mixed-signal IC design for biosensors while eliminating the reliance on trial-and-error manual sizing.
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    Local Sustainability Assessment for Human Well-being Using Global Ecological Footprint Data
    (2026-03-10) Paudel, Kamal; Bunch, Martin J.
    This proof-of-concept study examined an approach to downscaling the ecological footprint (EF) at the local level. In this study, an EF disaggregation methodology was applied, using national EF data and adjusting them to the local level (Dissemination Area (DA)) using ratios informed by recent data. The study then employed a citizen science methodology to enhance and calibrate the EF data at the DA level. Data from 429 participants (403 complete) on consumption habits were analyzed using the Greater Golden Horseshoe Area (GGHA) average EF as a baseline. Linear regression, correlation analysis, t-tests and Cohen’s d tests validated findings across two Canadian demographic groups. The methodology focused on the Region of Peel in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) to compare the EF of consumption and related health and well-being outcomes between two demographic groups: recent immigrants and established Canadians. The study aimed to address a gap by utilizing a citizen science method to gather local insights. The relationship between those two methods and two community groups was explored. The disaggregation method differed significantly from the citizen science method (p < 0.05). For example, despite having a national average of 7.42 gha/cap, established Canadians in the study area exhibit an EF of 11.5 gha/cap, while recent immigrants have an EF of 10.75 gha/cap, exhibiting a statistically significant difference (p ≤ 0.05) using the disaggregation method, with a ratio adjusted to reflect more recent data. The citizen-science-based approach revealed that established Canadians in the study area exhibit an EF of consumption of 8.73 gha/cap, compared to 8.07 gha/cap for recent immigrants, exhibiting a statistically significant difference (p ≤ 0.05). Thus, it was found to enhance the granularity and relevance of EF measurements, revealing important differences between population groups. As a proof-of-concept, the study demonstrates the value of local sustainability assessments, revealing differences between recent immigrants and established Canadians in the Region of Peel. Future attempts to employ this disaggregation approach to calibrate EF estimates should have sufficient citizen science data to adequately represent local phenomena.
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    Disrupting Traditional Narrative: Navigating Preservice Early Childhood Education Through Hospitality, Time and Dialogue
    (2026-03-10) Pytka, Barbara; Delgado Vintimilla, Cristina
    This dissertation examines the concepts of hospitality, time, and dialogue as theoretical and ethical counterpoints to the instrumentalism and anti‑intellectualism that persist in preservice early childhood education, particularly within practicum contexts. The inquiry begins with a critical analysis of the neoliberal discourses embedded in contemporary processes of professionalization and standardization in early childhood education in Ontario. It then explores how hospitality, dialogue, and time can create possibilities for more intellectually vibrant and ethically responsive encounters during practicum. Through generative dialogue with key thinkers in education and continental philosophy, the dissertation conceptualizes hospitality, time, and dialogue as potentially transformative, disrupting dominant narratives by foregrounding ethical responsibility and openness to the Other. It concludes with a series of propositions that contribute to ongoing efforts in early childhood education research to envision more ethical and intellectually generative possibilities for practicum and to enrich the educational experiences of future early childhood educators.
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    The Impact of Telework on Individual Innovative Behaviors and the Mediating Effects of Individual Collaboration: A Demands-And-Resources Perspective
    (2026-03-10) Tabassum, Ayesha; Singh, Parbudyal
    Despite the rise of telework following the pandemic, many businesses have and are continuing to mandate return-to-office (RTO) policies due to their persistent concerns about the effectiveness of telework. Businesses remain reluctant to acknowledge the potential benefits of telework, even in the face of empirical evidence that suggests improved employee innovative behavior through greater autonomy and flexibility. However, global work trends suggest that telework is here to stay; therefore, identifying why, how, and when telework influences employee innovative behavior is crucial. Drawing on the Job Demands and Resources (JD-R) model, this dissertation adopts a demands-and-resources perspective to understand the impact of telework on individual innovative behavior through the mediating effect of collaboration at individual-level. Based on the JD-R model, the research defines two novel and distinct constructs, namely telework demands and telework resources, and develops and validates measurement scales for these constructs in Study 1. Using the newly developed measurement scales, Study 2 (n = 389) empirically examines the impact of telework demands and telework resources on individual innovative behavior via collaboration. The findings reveal that telework demands hinder both collaboration and innovative behavior at the individual level. Telework resources appears as “too-much-of-a-good-thing” and fails to demonstrate a positive impact on collaboration and innovative behavior, including the buffering effect on demands. However, resources become valuable for collaboration and innovative behavior in the presence of high telework intensity. Therefore, both Study 1 and 2 make valuable contributions to theory and research. The study contributes to resolving the debate about the effectiveness of telework by explaining why, how, and when telework influences individual innovative behavior. Further, by incorporating nonwork demands and resources, this investigation extends the JD-R model in the context of telework beyond a traditional co-located work environment. In addition to theoretical contributions, this research carries important implications for HR managers and line managers in creating a collaborative and innovative work environment through the effective management of work and nonwork telework demands and resources.