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UNB Scholar is an institutional repository initiative of UNB Libraries intended to collect, preserve, showcase, and promote the open access scholarly output of the UNB community. Use UNB Scholar to explore specific collections, or search all content in the repository. Material submitted to the repository will also be freely discoverable online through Google and other major search engines.
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Recent Submissions
On the role of shell-crossing singularities in quantum black hole evolution
(University of New Brunswick, 2025-08) Fazzini, Francesco; Wilson-Ewing, Edward
The gravitational collapse of a spherically symmetric star within classical general relativity typically results in the formation of a black hole and the development of a central spacetime singularity—the Schwarzschild singularity. However, this classical scenario is expected to be significantly modified when quantum gravitational effects are taken into account. In this thesis, I investigate the effective dynamics of gravitational collapse incorporating quantum corrections inspired by loop quantum gravity. The analysis reveals a modified picture in which the stellar core undergoes a quantum bounce at Planckian energy densities, followed by the emergence of shell-crossing singularities shortly after the bounce. A comprehensive study of these phenomena is presented, both in the case of pressureless matter (dust) and in the presence of non-zero pressure, across a wide class of initial data. Particular attention is devoted to the central role played by shell-crossing singularities in the quantum-corrected dynamics. Their general properties are analyzed in detail, and possible strategies to extend the spacetime beyond these singularities are proposed. Finally, as a first step towards extending these results to the case of axisymmetric gravitational collapse, I analyze a metric for a rotating black hole inspired by loop quantum gravity.
New Brunswick Population and Demographic Counts Update: 2024 Data
(DataNB, 2025-10-09) Beykzadeh, Ali; Jones, Bethany; McDonald, Ted; Miah, Pablo
This sixth report in the Population and demographic counts series provides an annual update on New Brunswick’s population from January 2021 through December 2024. Drawing on administrative data, the report presents total population counts, demographic and geographic characteristics, and migration flows into and out of the province. The analysis highlights both growth and decline across different categories of residents, including Canadian citizens, permanent residents, and temporary residents such as study and work permit holders.
Findings show that New Brunswick’s population grew each year during the study period, reaching 854,580 by the end of 2024. Growth was driven by interprovincial migration and non‑citizen arrivals, particularly in smaller communities. However, the number of study permit holders declined significantly in 2024, coinciding with new federal limits. Out‑migration also increased, especially among temporary residents.
Wetland bird use of anthropogenic landscapes on the Chignecto Isthmus
(University of New Brunswick, 2025-08) Owen, Kiirsti; Nocera, Joe
The Chignecto Isthmus is a land bridge that connects Nova Scotia to New Brunswick and is a critical juncture of the Atlantic Flyway, an internationally recognized travel route and management zone for migratory birds. Since the arrival of European settlers in the 1600s, the Isthmus has experienced significant changes. Vast saltmarshes were drained to create productive agricultural lands (“dykelands”), which led to considerable losses of wetland habitat. Human-made wetlands (“impoundments”) were introduced in the 1960s to compensate for losses of natural wetlands. In this dissertation, I explored how wetland birds use human-created landscapes on the Chignecto Isthmus, including dykelands and impoundments. In Chapter 2, through systematic literature review, I investigated if impoundments are providing habitat for birds, if bird use is being monitored, and if so, if that information is readily available. I found that despite impoundments being built for nearly a century, the number of resources detailing monitoring are scarce. Despite this scarcity, results suggest a mostly positive response by a variety of bird taxa to impoundments, but some papers noted wetland senescence. In Chapter 3, I interviewed local people who interact regularly with the land and wildlife to understand their perceptions of change on the Chignecto Isthmus. Many people perceived an increase in wetland area during their lifetimes, which they attributed to more impoundments. Other notable changes that participants discussed were changes in wetland productivity, agriculture, aerial insectivore numbers, and ways that people interact with wildlife. In Chapter 4, I tested a strategy for rejuvenating productivity in impoundments via water-level manipulations (“drawdowns”) through a before-after-control-impact study. Overall bird abundance increased with the post-treatment stage, but individual taxa showed mixed responses. In Chapter 5, I challenged a long-held assumption that the Acadian subspecies of Nelson’s Sparrow (Ammospiza nelsoni subvirgata) is a “saltmarsh specialist”. I investigated breeding habitat use and nest survival in saltmarshes and dykelands. Despite greater use of saltmarshes, nest survival was higher in dykelands. The results of my dissertation highlight the importance of human-made habitats for birds in areas with significant landscape changes, like the Chignecto Isthmus. My results also emphasize the importance of long-term monitoring and social considerations in decisions on landscape changes for bird conservation.
New Brunswick dietitians’ experiences with providing care for food insecure individuals and families: An exploratory study
(University of New Brunswick, 2025-08) Veinot, Jayda Ocean; Doucet, Shelley; Luke, Alison
Household food insecurity remains a critical issue in Canada, with New Brunswick experiencing disproportionately high rates. While policy interventions are essential to resolve the root causes, healthcare professionals, particularly dietitians, play an increasingly important role in supporting individuals who experience this complex issue. This manuscript comprises two qualitative descriptive articles exploring the experiences of dietitians in New Brunswick working with individuals and families experiencing household food insecurity.
The articles explored dietitians’ responses to food insecurity and experiences with interprofessional collaboration. Thirteen purposively sampled dietitians completed semi-structured interviews, which were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis. Findings revealed food insecurity’s complexity beyond nutrition, the role of practice-oriented education, person-centred care, resource needs, and limits of community food programs. Barriers to collaboration included minimal engagement from other providers, lack of co-location, and part-time employment. Despite this, dietitians valued holistic, collaborative care. Insights highlight the need for targeted education, systemic support, and structural changes.
A privacy-aware fall detection system for aging-in-place environments
(University of New Brunswick, 2025-08) Rahimi Azghadi, Seyed Alireza; Cao, Hung; Palma, Francis
Falls are a major threat to the health and independence of older adults, making effective fall detection critical in smart healthcare systems. Traditional approaches face challenges like limited labeled data and privacy concerns from centralized data collection. This thesis introduces a privacy-preserving fall detection framework that integrates three key systems: (1) a semi-supervised federated learning model for wearable-based fall detection without requiring labeled data; (2) an adaptive indoor localization technique using a SLAM-enabled robot for autonomous WiFi and BLE fingerprinting; and (3) a multi-stage response system combining wearable alerts, robotic navigation, and vision-based verification. The Semi-supervised Federated Fall Detection (SF2D) model enables devices to learn collaboratively while safeguarding privacy. The robotic system builds a detailed radio map for precise localization, and the integrated system confirms falls through visual validation. Experimental results show improved detection accuracy, fewer false alarms, and enhanced privacy and resource consumption. This work presents a scalable, ethical solution to support aging-in-place through intelligent fall detection.