VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
Manufacturing of Dielectric Barrier Discharge Plasma Actuators for Degradation Resistance
Keywords: plasma actuator
degradation

The performance and broader application of dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma actuators are restricted by the manufacturing methods currently employed. In the current work, two methodologies are proposed to build robust plasma actuators for active flow control; a protective silicone oil (PDMS) treatment for hand-cut and laid tape-based actuators and a microfabrication technique for glass-based devices. The microfabrication process, through which thin film electrodes are precisely deposited onto plasma-resistant glass substrates, is presented in detail. The resulting glass-based devices are characterized with respect to electrical properties and output for various operating conditions. The longevity of microfabricated devices is compared against silicone-treated and untreated hand-made devices of comparable geometries over 60 hours of continuous operation. Both tungsten and copper electrodes are considered for microfabricated devices. Human health effects are also considered in an electromagnetic field study of the area surrounding a live plasma actuator for various operating conditions.
Numerical and Experimental Crashworthiness Studies of Foam-filled Frusta
Keywords: Crashworthiness
Frustum
Finite Element

Thin-walled metallic components have been widely used as energy absorbers. One key drawback is the high initial crippling load, which typically results in passenger injuries. It is the objective of this study to introduce taper angle to thin-walled prisms, and to examine the crushing response of thin-walled frusta. Nonlinear finite element models of thin-walled frusta of different cross-sectional geometries were developed. Experimental investigations were conducted to validate these models. The effects of key design parameters on the energy absorption characteristics of frusta were explored. Comparison between thin-walled prisms and frusta show that taper angle helps to reduce the initial crippling load and increase the resistance to global buckling. To take advantage of the interaction effects, a novel multi-frusta configuration was developed and it was shown that the energy absorption efficiency is significantly increased. The results of this work are valuable for enhancing the crashworthiness performance of thin-walled metallic energy absorber.
A Comparison of Heat Shock Protein Expression in Rat Skeletal Muscle After Lengthening or Shortening Contractions
Keywords: Heat Shock Proteins
Muscle
Muscle Damage
Cell Stress

The mechanism and subsequent patterns of Heat shock protein (Hsp) expression in skeletal muscle specific to contraction type was determined. Rat tibialis anterior (TA) muscle was forcibly lengthened (LC) or shortened (SC) in 5 sets of 20 repetitions before being removed at 2, 8, 24, 48, 72, or 168 hours and analyzed for muscle damage and Hsp25 and Hsp72 expression. Isometric peak torque was reduced to 63% and 33% (P<0.001) at 3-minutes after SC and LC, respectively. Muscle fibre damage appeared at 8h and beyond following LCs, but no damage was observed after SCs. Hsp25 content in LC muscle increased by 3.1±0.53 fold (P<0.01) at 48h and remained elevated. Hsp72 content increased by 3.8±0.66 fold at 24h and remained elevated. Neither Hsp25 nor Hsp72 content was elevated following SCs. Muscle damage associated with LCs results in a greater Hsp accumulation than SCs and 100 SCs do not result in increased Hsp content.
The Case for Legal Personhood for Nonhuman Animals and the Elimination of their Status as Property in Canada
Keywords: animal legal person
animals as property
animal law in Canada

This article proposes that the legal relationship between humans and nonhuman animals in Canada must be redefined. It will be shown that the current Canadian legal system is based on the assumption of human superiority, which has resulted in the interests of nonhuman animals being given little to no legal consideration since at law they are merely property. This conceptualization of our relationship with nonhuman animals, and the resulting harm that it causes to them is in direct conflict with developments over the last century in science, ethics, and the laws, policies and jurisprudence of various countries. These developments support the argument that nonhuman animals are entitled to have their interests considered in law. This article proposes that the relationship in Canada be redefined to eliminate the property status of nonhuman animals, and that the new relationship should take the form of nonhuman animals being granted the status of legal persons.
The Binding and Blinding Effects of Collective Ritual: Intergroup Biases and Processes
Keywords: collective ritual
intergroup dynamics

The aim of the present research was to show that collective rituals have the potential to promote not only ingroup favoritism but also outgroup discrimination. In two studies, I used a minimal group setup and had participants engage in a lab-created ritual over the course of seven days. Afterwards, participants came into the lab and performed the actions in their &lsquo;minimal&rsquo; group. In Study 1, I found that participants who performed the ad-hoc ritual distrusted outgroup members significantly more than did the control participants. Study 2 extended these findings by looking at ritual intensity as a factor of intergroup bias. Results showed, again, that participants in the two experimental conditions &ndash; elaborate and simple ritual &ndash; showed greater outgroup discrimination compared to the control, though the data showed no difference in biases between the two experimental conditions. I also found that tolerance to ambiguity moderated the effect of condition on intergroup bias.
Investigating the Folding Network of Calmodulin Using Fluorine NMR
Keywords: NMR
Fluorine
Protein Folding
Calmodulin

Protein folding pathways can be extraordinarily complex. In this study, circular dichroism (CD) and 19F NMR are used to investigate the folding network of calmodulin, a calcium-binding protein, which is biosynthetically enriched with 3-fluorophenylalanine. In calmodulin’s calcium-loaded state, CD experiments identify the existence of a folding intermediate along a heat-denaturation pathway. In comparison to the native state, 19F NMR solvent isotope shifts reveal decreased accessibility of water to hydrophobic core, whereas O2 paramagnetic shifts show increased hydrophobicity of this folding intermediate. 15N-1H and methyl 13C-1H HSQC NMR spectra demonstrate that this folding intermediate retains a near-native tertiary structure, whose hydrophobic interior is highly dynamic. 19F NMR CPMG relaxation dispersion measurements suggest that this near-native intermediate state is transiently adopted below the temperature associated with its onset. The folding network also involves an unproductive off-pathway intermediate. In contrast, calmodulin’s calcium-free state exhibits a simpler folding process which lacks discernible intermediates.
Understanding a Methanogenic Benzene-degrading Culture using Metabolic Models Created from Metagenomic Sequences
Keywords: modeling
metagenomics

Metabolic models were constructed from the metagenome of a methanogenic benzene-degrading community to understand the metabolite interactions among the key microbes in the culture. The metagenomic sequences were assembled, and it was found that assembling the short DNA fragments before they were combined with longer reads can contribute to the overall lengths of the resulting sequences. The metagenome was then taxonomically classified into the domain of archaea and bacteria, and domain-specific models were built. A mathematical framework to fill metabolic gaps at the community level was then developed and applied to the benzene-degrading community model to study how metabolic gaps can be filled by via interspecies metabolite transfer, and it suggested that among other metabolites, acetate, hydrogen, formate, coenzyme A and histidine produced by the bacteria population could potentially contribute to the growth of the methanogens. The computational framework demonstrated its ability to generate testable hypotheses about microbial interactions.
High-permittivity Hemispherical Lens for MIMO Applications with Closely-spaced Antennas
Keywords: MIMO
Channel Capacity
Lens Antenna
Antennas

With the rapid adoption and development of new standards, Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) technology is becoming a necessity in current wireless systems. One problem posed by using multiple antennas at a transmitter or receiver is the undesirable effect of signal correlation between closely-spaced radiating elements. This thesis presents the concept, design, and evaluation of a hemispherical lens antenna for use in MIMO systems. A high-permittivity dielectric material allows radiating elements to be placed in close proximity with reduced spatial correlation effects. An intermediate matching layer and a hemispherical lens design facilitate the preservation of the pattern characteristics in the transition between the dielectric and free-space. The antenna was simulated against benchmark antenna arrays in free-space and showed a 35%-70% improvement in channel capacity in multipath-rich environments, showing strength as a candidate for further development in MIMO applications.
Effects of Dietary Pulses on Lipids and Oxidative Stress as Risk Factors of Cardiovascular Disease
Keywords: Dietary Pulses
Lipids
Oxidative Stress
Cardiovascular Disease
Systematic Review
Meta-Analysis
Dietary Feeding Trial
Dyslipidemia
Dietary Guidelines

The objective was to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized feeding trials to assess the effect of dietary pulses (beans, chickpeas, lentils, peas) on established lipid targets of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and perform a secondary analysis of our randomized feeding trial to assess whether dietary pulses as a means of lowering the glycemic index offer further CVD protection by reducing oxidative stress. The meta-analysis of 26 trials (n=1013) found dietary pulse interventions significantly lowered LDL-C compared with isocaloric control interventions (mean difference=-0.17mmol/L [95% CI: -0.25, -0.09]; p<0.0001). No treatment effects were observed for Apo-B and non-HDL-C. Our feeding trial found no significant differences between the high-dietary pulse diet and high-fibre control diet on markers of oxidative stress, including thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), conjugated dienes (CDs), and protein thiols. Overall, the results suggest dietary pulses reduce LDL-C but not oxidative stress as a means of reducing cardiovascular risk.
The Cardiovascular Consequences of Recreational Hockey In Middle-aged Men
Keywords: Hockey
Cardiovascular
Blood Pressure
Maximal Exercise

The present study examined the hemodynamic response to recreational hockey (n= 22) in middle-aged men (53±6 yrs). Study participants were equipped with ambulatory blood pressure and heart rate monitoring equipment prior to a weekly hockey games. Participants were monitored throughout the duration of their hockey game for “On-Ice” responses and during seated bench time (“Bench”), and for a brief period afterwards. On-Ice HR’s and blood pressures were significantly higher than values obtained during maximal cycle exercise (HR 174±8.9 vs. 163±11.0 bpm) (SBP 17%; DBP 15%) (p<0.05), Blood pressures decreased throughout the duration of the game while HR increased significantly. The On-Ice endocardial viability ratio (EVR), an index of myocardial oxygen supply and demand, did not change from early (1.56±0.05) to late (1.44± 0.06) in the game. In conclusion, recreational hockey is an extremely vigorous form of interval exercise that produces cardiovascular responses exceeding intensities commonly recommended for continuous training.
Pulmonary Vascular Mechanics in Long-standing Male Endurance Athletes at Rest and During Exercise
Keywords: Exercise
Ventricular-Arterial Coupling
Right Ventricle
Catheterization

This study examined right-ventricular-pulmonary arterial (RV-PA) coupling and pulmonary vascular mechanics during acute exercise in 12 middle-aged men with a long-standing history of endurance training. Subjects underwent simultaneous right-heart catheterization and echocardiography, with measures obtained at steady state heart rates of 100, 130 and 150 beats/min. Subjects were highly trained and displayed RV remodeling of endurance-trained athletes. During exercise at 100 beats/min, systolic, diastolic, and mean pulmonary artery pressure increased significantly from rest, as did pulmonary capillary wedge pressure. The slope of pooled mean pulmonary pressure indexed to cardiac output was 1.436 mmHg⋅min-1⋅L-1 with a distensibility index of 0.112 ± 0.048 mmHg-1. The pulmonary arterial elastance-RV end-systolic elastance ratio (Ea:Ees) decreased from rest to exercise at 130 beats/min (P < 0.01). These results suggest that Ea:Ees becomes favourable for RV function during exercise, indicative of a pulmonary vasculature that is highly distensible and well matched to RV output.
Language, Power, and Race: A Comparative Approach to the Sociopolitics of English
Keywords: Politics of Language
Race
Language Policy
Power
Japan
Trinidad and Tobago
Language Education
Education
Anti-racism research methodology
Language Politics
Language Production
Commodification of Language
Racialized Bodies and Language
Colonialism
English
International Communication
Education Policy
Language Ideology
Critical Language Theory
Comparative Theory
Sociopolitics of English
Auto-ethnography
Linguicide
Post-Colonialism
Indigenous Research Methodology

This thesis highlights the sociopolitics of English as a dominant/colonial language by focusing on the linkage between language, power, and race. Grounded in critical language theory, comparative education theory, and anti-racism research methodology, this research examines the inextricable relationship between language, power, and race. With this in mind, this thesis argues that language, specifically English, is not a neutral tool of communication but a highly contentious issue that is deeply embedded in sociopolitical ideologies and practices. The contexts of Japan and Trinidad and Tobago are used to illustrate how colonialism continues to impact English language policy, practice, and perceptions. In sum, this research aims to bridge the gap between critical language theory, comparative education theory, and anti-racism studies in a way that (1) highlights the complexity of language politics, (2) explores ideological assumptions inherent in the discourse of the "native" language, and (3) underscores the overlooked ubiquity of race.
Beyond Bone Mineral Density: Detecting Changes in Fracture Risk in the Absence of Mineral Loss with the Mechanical Response Tissue Analyzer
Keywords: mechanical response tissue analyzer (MRTA)
fracture risk
bone collagen
bone fatigue

The ability of current clinical tools to predict bone fractures is poor, likely because these tools focus on bone mass and mineral content and neglect bone quality and the collagen phase. The Mechanical Response Tissue Analyzer (MRTA) is an instrument that provides a non-invasive mechanical measurement of the whole bone. It has traditionally been used to obtain a bone stiffness constant (Kb), but can provide a bone damping constant (Bb) that has not previously been considered. The goal of this research is to determine whether the MRTA can detect three damage modes that do not alter bone mass or mineral density: γ-irradiation, collagen over-crosslinking, and fatigue. The MRTA detected a reduction in Bb due to over-crosslinking. Fatigue was found to increase Bb and decrease Kb, and these changes were confirmed through dynamic bending tests. The MRTA shows potential to diagnose increased fracture risk in scenarios where damage is currently undetectable.
Decolonizing the Curriculum in Chile: A Critical Discourse Analysis of the Notion of Human Being and Citizenship as Presented in the Subject of History Geography and Social Science in the Elementary Level Curriculum
Keywords: Chilean official curriculum
Discourse Analysis

Through an analysis of History Geography and Social Science subject matter in the elementary level curriculum in Chile, this thesis highlights the role of official education in constructing a notion of human being that gravitates toward Whiteness. The law of education and the curriculum are analyzed to examine the way in which official curriculum operates as a mechanism for oppression, exclusion, and marginalization. It is argued that through the curriculum, a national ideology that incorporates a hegemonic notion of ideal human being and citizen is promoted. Using an anti-colonial, anti-racist discursive framework, and techniques from Critical Discourse Analysis, this work locates Chilean official education and curriculum as the culmination of colonial and racist notion of human and citizenship values supported by the neoliberal state. The researcher advocates for equity and justice in the education system that acknowledges Chile as a multicultural country where different ways of knowing coexist.
Implications of Ambient Ammonia on Aerosol Acidity and Reactive Nitrogen Measurements
Keywords: atmospheric chemistry
ammonia
NOx measurements
NOy
Chemiluminscence
interference
aerosol acidity
inorganic aerosol

This study describes two projects involving recent research on atmospheric ammonia. The first project investigates differences in modelling techniques of aerosol acidity using data from two recent field campaigns. Our results show that allowing or disallowing gas-particle partitioning in the Extended Aerosol Inorganic Model (E-AIM) changed the average modelled aerosol activity of H+ from one campaign by seven orders of magnitude and that disallowing gas-particle partitioning may not accurately represent the chemical state of the aerosols. The second project investigates the interference of reduced nitrogen in commercial chemiluminescent nitrogen oxide monitors with molybdenum oxide catalytic converters. This phenomenon is strongly dependent on the temperature of the catalytic converter. Our results show these instruments can have high conversion efficiencies of gaseous NH3 and NH4+ salts to NO at typical reported converter temperatures, but conversion efficiency varies between instruments and may be the result of uncertainty in reported converter temperature.
Harmonic Models of Common Converter Topologies for Accurate Harmonic Analysis of Distribution Systems
Keywords: harmonic model
converter modelling
FCM
harmonic admittance matrix
harmonic analysis tool
harmonics

Harmonic distortion in a power system can excite non-characteristic harmonics from converter interfaced loads and generators which can then propagate back into the system, exciting other harmonics in the system. In this thesis, a harmonic analysis tool is presented that is designed to perform high accuracy, computationally efficient, steady-state harmonic analysis of distribution systems when multiple converter interfaced loads and generators exist in the system. The harmonic analysis tool requires less detail and engineering time than PSCAD/EMTDC while offering reliable assessment of harmonic coupling problems that are not captured by existing frequency-domain harmonic analysis tools. To do this, 5 harmonic models of common power electronic converter topologies were developed and implemented into this tool. The harmonic models are shown to be highly accurate; when tested in an unbalanced system with even and odd harmonic distortion, the harmonic models showed a maximum error of less than 0.4% when compared to PSCAD/EMTDC.
Mechanisms of Right-ventricular Dysfunction in a Rat Model of Chronic Neonatal Pulmonary Hypertension
Keywords: Pulmonary Hypertension
Hypoxia
Rat
Fasudil
Rho-kinase
Y27632
Vascular Remodeling
Right-ventricular Dysfunction

Chronic neonatal pulmonary hypertension (PHT) frequently presents with rightventricular (RV) dysfunction. In neonatal rats exposed to chronic hypoxia, RV dysfunction is reversed by sustained rescue treatment with a Rho-kinase (ROCK) inhibitor – the caveat being systemic hypotension. We therefore examined the reversing effects of pulmonary-selective ROCK inhibition. Rat pups were exposed to air or hypoxia from birth for 21 days and received sustained rescue treatment with aerosolized Fasudil (81 mg/ml t.i.d for 15 min) or i.p. Y27632 (15 mg/kg b.i.d) from days 14-21. Inhaled Fasudil normalized pulmonary vascular resistance, and reversed pulmonary vascular remodeling but did not improve RV systolic function. Systemic, but not pulmonary-selective, ROCK inhibition attenuated increased RV ROCK activity. Our findings indicate that RV dysfunction in chronic hypoxic PHT is not merely a result of increased afterload, but rather may be due to increased activity of ROCK in the right ventricle.
A Gold Mine of Information: Using Pharmaceutical Data Mining to Ensure Long-term Safety and Effectiveness of Pharmaceuticals
Keywords: Law
Policy
Pharmaceutical Regulation

In an era of highly advertised blockbuster medicines, newly approved pharmaceuticals can pose a hazard to the public if not properly monitored following their approval. Drugs are only given to a limited number of healthy individuals during clinical trials, leaving significant questions as to the risks for the population at large. There are limited opportunities for assessment following the product’s introduction onto the market and adverse effects may not be detected. This paper argues that hurdles in tracking long-term safety and effectiveness can be partially remedied through the aggregation and analysis of information collected through pharmaceutical data mining. Pharmaceutical data mining is a process whereby private organizations compile extensive information on patients’ prescription histories, including: the drug prescribed, recommended dosage, and the patient’s subsequent history with the medication. The Canadian government should collect this information and analyze its meaning to better ensure the long-term safety and effectiveness of drugs.
Effect of Helium Circulation on the Onset of Oscillatory Marangoni Convection in Liquid Bridges
Keywords: microgravity
marangoni
liquid bridge
thermocapillary

A half-zone experimental set-up was used to study the effects of various liquid bridge and helium flow parameters on the onset of thermocapillary convection in silicone oil liquid bridges. Experiments confirmed that helium flow has a stabilizing effect, with the effect increasing with helium velocity. Furthermore, helium flow in the same direction as surface flow due to Marangoni convection had a more stabilizing effect than countercurrent flow. It was established that increasing helium temperature has a mixed effect, producing a less stable bridge at low helium flow rates, but a more stable flow pattern at higher helium flow rates. Finally, it was confirmed that decreasing the cold disk temperature results in a decrease in critical temperature difference.