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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Recent Submissions

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    A Castle of Consumption: The Horrors of Feudal Persistence and Capitalist Desire in Horace Walpole’s The Castle of Otranto
    (2025-11-29) MacPhail, Maryann
    This paper examines how Horace Walpole's The Castle of Otranto reflects anxieties of the late eighteenth century in which inherited feudal authority was displaced by the emerging logic of modern capitalism and material consumption. Drawing on the consumer culture theories of Neil McKendrick and Bill Brown, alongside Tom Duggett's insights on Gothic transitions, this work argues that Manfred treats feudal power not as a fixed birthright, but as a commodity to be acquired, expanded, and defended through material manipulation. Driven by an obsessive urge to legitimize his rule and outpace supernatural prophecy, Manfred turns the castle into a living extension of his identity, fetishizes and weaponizes its artifacts for means of authority, and reduces women, namely Hippolita and Isabella, to replaceable, transactional resources. Ultimately, Manfred's frantic attempts to preserve his lineage through consumerist impulses end up hollowing out the very feudal structures he seeks to protect. This depiction of Gothic monstrosity in Walpole's novel exposes the inherent instability of aristocratic rank when reshaped by market and consumer logic.
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    DYA 7.3 PROD UPG research paper
    (2026) Leong, Jack Hang-tat; Jon, Genny
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    DYA 7.3 PROD UPG presentation
    (2026-11) Quail, Stephanie; Leong, Jack Hang-tat
    Test presentation with 2 authors
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    DYA 7.3 PROD UPG article (Nov 2026)
    (YorkU, 2026) Leong, Jack Hang-tat
    This is a test article for Nov PROD upg.
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    Synthesis and Characterization of Composite Textured Surfaces with Enhanced Tribological Responses on Icy Surfaces
    (2026-11-06) Zahmatkesh, Sara; Reza Rizvi
    Slips and falls on icy surfaces remain a major safety concern, highlighting the need for elastomeric materials that combine ice traction with abrasion durability. This dissertation investigates the development, characterization, and prediction of textured polymer composites through experimental tribology, interfacial engineering, and machine learning. First, a novel laboratory-scale high-velocity ice tribotesting method was developed using a modified Bruker UMT Tribolab to evaluate small rubber composite specimens under walking-relevant conditions. Rotational sliding provided more reliable friction measurements than reciprocating motion, establishing a practical approach for high-throughput materials screening. Second, thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) nanocomposites reinforced with pristine and acid-functionalized graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) were developed to improve ice traction and abrasion resistance. GNP functionalization enhanced filler dispersion, interfacial adhesion, and mechanical performance. Bioinspired surface texturing and abrasion-induced surface evolution generated functional micro-asperities and channels that supported ice traction after wear. TPU containing 20 phr functionalized GNPs demonstrated the best balance between abrasion resistance and retained ice traction. Finally, machine learning models were developed to predict TPU abrasion resistance from mechanical and viscoelastic properties, with decision tree and gradient boosting regressors demonstrating promising predictive performance. An additional industrial study extended data-driven modeling to automotive polymer composites, including predictive model development and graphical user interface implementation. Overall, this research establishes an integrated experimental and computational approach for developing durable, wear-adaptive elastomeric composites with enhanced ice traction and predictive material design capabilities.