VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
Urban-rural Differences in Oral Bisphosphonate Utilization in Ontario Following Formulary Changes and Introduction of New Formulations
Keywords: Interrupted time series analysis
Oral bisphosphonates
Osteoporosis treatment
Pharmacoepidemiology
Urban-rural health

Rural populations often have less access to health services and information, potentially resulting in regional variation in drug utilization. We examined urban-rural differences in oral bisphosphonate utilization in Ontario following formulary changes and introduction of new formulations. The Rurality Index of Ontario was used to define urban, nonmajor urban, and rural regions. There were 16,367,752 oral bisphosphonate claims dispensed (77% urban, 18% nonmajor urban, 5% rural) to community-dwelling seniors from 2000/01-2014/03. Trends in dispensing following formulary changes were similar between regions. When examining trends in dispensing of new formulations, urban regions had significantly faster uptake than rural regions, and consistently dispensed a higher proportion of claims. These temporal and regional differences persisted over time. Rural physicians may be less aware of new drugs, indicating a need to improve information dissemination to these areas. Further research examining whether urban-rural differences in dispensing translates into differences in clinical outcomes is warranted.
Approach and Avoidance Processing: Investigating a Rostrocaudal Gradient in the Nucleus Accumbens Core
Keywords: accumbens
approach
avoidance
decision-making
GABA
motivation

The nucleus accumbens is a site of integration of positively and negatively valenced information. While a rostrocaudal topographical gradient in valence processing has been found in the accumbens shell, a potential gradient has not fully been explored in the core in relation to its role in motivation in response to conditioned cues. In the current study, rats were trained to associate visual cues with appetitive, aversive and neutral outcomes. In a test of motivational bias, the aversive and appetitive cues were superimposed in a maze arm and rats' exploratory bias was measured for this arm vs. a neutral cued arm. Animals receiving GABA receptor agonists in the caudal region displayed a bias in the direction of aversion, whereas those undergoing inactivation of the rostral core displayed an ambivalence similar to controls, with an additional behavioural difference of augmented chewing. This suggests a rostrocaudal differentiation in valence processing in the core.
A Comprehensive Study on the Effectiveness of Office-based TDM Policies
Keywords: Experimental Design
Policy Evaluation
Revealed Preference and Stated Preference Survey
TDM Evaluation
TDM:Transportation Demand Management

The objective of this thesis is to develop an employer-based Transportation Demand Management (TDM) evaluation tool that can be used for evaluating various employer-based TDM policies. The conventional method of evaluating TDM policies has typically been conducting expensive before and after TDM policy implementation surveys. On the contrary, this research used a pre-policy deployment joint Revealed Preference and Stated Preference (RP-SP) survey, where the data were collected to develop a TDM policy sensitive mode choice model, which is packaged into a software system for TDM investment decision support. The evaluation tool (named Off-TET) developed by integrating the mode choice model predicts changes in modal share by integrating all possible effects of single or multiple TDM policies implemented in isolation or combined. While the tool presented in this thesis was developed for the region of Peel, there exist opportunities for the application of this type of analysis across Canada.
Adolescent Cannabis Use and Brain Structure in Young Adulthood
Keywords: Adolescents
Brain Struture
Cannabis
Cortical Thickness
Drug Use
MRI

Cannabis is the most commonly used illicit substance in the world. Grey matter cortical thickness in young adulthood was compared in a sample of over 500 male participants from the ALSPAC prospective longitudinal cohort study based their cannabis use status (Never, Early User, Late User) at age 21, and their cumulative cannabis use at age 16.5. Thickness did not differ between early late and never users, however among early users those with the largest cumulative use had a thinner cortex relative to those who used the least after controlling for biological, environmental, behavioural, and substance use confounders in a GLM. Using CB1 receptor gene expression data from the online Allen Human Brain Atlas (restricted to the left hemisphere), we determined the heaviest users exhibited a thinner cortex in regions with the highest and lowest densities of CB1 receptors; psychosocial, pharmacological, and hormonal mechanisms could potentially explain our findings.
Tamoxifen Inhibits ERα Positive Breast Cancer Progression by Disrupting the ERα-JMJD2B Signaling Axis
Keywords: Breast Cancer
Estrogen receptor
histone demethylation
JMJD2B
Tamoxifen

JMJD2B is a histone demethylase for H3K9me3. Our lab has shown that JMJD2B is a co-factor of estrogen receptor in breast cancer proliferation: JMJD2B knockdown severely impairs estrogen-induced cell proliferation and tumor formation of breast cancer cells. Resistance to tamoxifen poses major problems in ER alpha + bc management. I hypothesize that tamoxifen inhibits breast cancer cell proliferation by targeting the ER alpha -JMJDB signaling axis. My results indicate that tamoxifen leads to inhibition of estrogen-induced enrichment of ERalpha , JMJD2B and RNAPII at the enhancer of an ERalpha target gene, c-MYB. Tamoxifen interfered with demethylation of H3K9me3 at the c-MYB- enhancer. These effects reduced expression of ERalpha target genes and diminished ERalpha positive breast cancer cell proliferation. This indicates a critical role for JMJD2B that may be amenable to therapeutic targeting in tamoxifen resistant ERalpha positive tumor cells. I discuss alternative roles for JMJD2B and outline potential experimental directions that will help elucidate its role in tumor response to tamoxifen.
Real-world Cost-effectiveness Analysis of Second-line Pemetrexed versus Docetaxel in the Ontario Non-small-cell Lung Cancer Population
Keywords: drug policy
health economics
health technology assessment

Docetaxel is a standard treatment for advanced non-small-cell lung cancer in Ontario after first-line platinum-based therapy. In 2008, pemetrexed was approved for funding in the second-line setting based on evidence of equal efficacy as docetaxel, with an improved toxicity profile at a higher cost. Net benefit regression was used to determine the cost-effectiveness of pemetrexed compared to docetaxel in the Ontario population using data from health administrative databases. Overall survival was not significantly different in those treated with pemetrexed compared to docetaxel; however, those treated with docetaxel had higher chemotherapy-related toxicities requiring inpatient hospitalization. The incremental net benefit for pemetrexed was -$8611-20,279 for WTP values ranging from $0-150,000/QALY, suggesting that pemetrexed was not cost-effective at the listed drug price. The probability of cost-effectiveness was 40.9% for a 50% price reduction of pemetrexed at a WTP value of $0/QALY gained, for price reductions of 10-50% and WTP values of $0-300,000/QALY gained.
ANSYS Fluent Modelling of an Underexpanded Supersonic Sootblower Jet Impinging into Recovery Boiler Tube Geometries
Keywords: ANSYS Fluent
CFD
Recovery boiler
Sootblowing
Supersonic impingement
Underexpanded jets

Sootblowers generate high pressure supersonic steam jets to control fireside deposition on heat transfer tubes of a kraft recovery boiler. Sootblowing is energy expensive, using 3-12% of the mill's total steam production. This motivates research on the dynamics of sootblower jet interaction with tubes and deposits, to optimize their use. A CFD investigation was performed using ANSYS Fluent 15.0 to model three-dimensional steady-state impingement of a Mach 2.5 mildly underexpanded (PR 1.2) air jet onto arrays of cylindrical tubes with and without fins, at various nozzle-to-tube centerline offsets. A free jet and four impingement cases for each of the economizer and generating bank geometries are compared to experimental visualizations. Pressure distributions on impinging surfaces suggest that the fins in the economizer produce a reduced but uniform sootblowing force. Pressure contours along the tubes (in the vertical direction) show a sharp decline one tube diameter away from the jet mid-plane.
The Blinking Eye: Biometrics and the Technologization of Privacy
Keywords: Biometrics
Critical Making
Privacy
Social Sorting

This project traces the technological and institutional development of the biometrics industry within the United States. In particular, this study explores how biometric tools migrated from local policing and administrative contexts to become centralized tools of state power. Using document analysis, critical making and historical methods, this study takes up biometric systems as sociotechnical systems, and examines connections between biometric technologies and social sorting. Although industry rhetoric describes biometric measurement as a process involving the capture and disclosure of individual identities, this study demonstrates that, in practice, private industry and the state mobilize biometric tools in order to construct group-level differences and manage categories of people. Beginning with biometry's origins in nineteenth century racial science, and moving through to the post-9/11 security state, this project investigates the social, political and technological conditions that contributed towards large shifts in the scope and scale of American biometrics.
Design and Optimization of Aluminum Cross-car Beam Assemblies Considering Uncertainties
Keywords: Artificial Neural Networks
Corss-Car Beam Assembly
Metaheuristic Optimization
Reliability-based Optimization
Structural Optimization
Subset Simulation

Designing real-world structures with small failure probabilities has been always a burdensome issue due to high computational efforts demanded for structural reliability assessment. In this thesis, a new reliability-based design optimization (RBDO) framework is proposed to hasten reliability design of practical structures. Exploiting artificial neural networks along with subset simulation, the developed strategy, significantly diminishes the sampling load of probability evaluations compared to conventional Monte Carlo simulation, so the design process can be carried out within a realistic time frame. To explore the superiority of this approach, it is applied to a 25-bar truss structure. In this study, also, a new framework for designing automotive aluminum cross-car beam (CCB) assemblies from the ground up is developed by implementing various structural optimization techniques. To assay the capability of this approach and the proposed RBDO strategy, an aluminum CCB, for replacing its steel counterpart, was designed considering deterministic and probabilistic constraints.
A Multi-mode 1 MHz PFC Rectifier with Digital Peak Current Modulation
Keywords: 1 MHz
boost rectifier
Digital
GaN
PFC

This work presents a novel digital implementation of a peak current mode control, boost power factor correction rectifier for efficient operation at 1 MHz. Through cycle-by-cycle calculations using the converter operating conditions, the digital controller actively modulates the inductor peak current to produce an average sinusoidal input current for unity power factor. At low input currents, the converter operates from 125-500 kHz in discontinuous conduction mode for optimal efficiency. At high input currents, the converter operates at 1 MHz in Continuous Conduction Mode (CCM) for reduced inductor footprint. An off-time generator with a frequency locked loop facilitates CCM without requiring slope compensation. An adaptive output voltage of 250/450 V for low/high mains line voltage (85-265 Vrms) is used to optimize efficiency. The 150 W prototype operates up to 1 MHz with a peak efficiency of 95%. Additionally, a novel integrated circuit implementation with co-packaged Gallium Nitride cascode and integrated sensing is presented.
Lightweight DC-DC Converter with Partial Power Processing and MPPT for a Solar Powered Aircraft
Keywords: aerospace
dc-dc converter
Lightweight
MPPT
Partial Power Processing
Solar Aircraft

A lightweight dc-dc partial power processing converter is demonstrated for solar aerospace applications. A system-level model is conceived to determine conformity to payload and target distance objectives, with the Solarship aircraft used as an application example. The concept of partial power processing is utilized to realize a high efficiency lightweight converter that performs Max Peak Power Tracking (MPPT) to transfer power from the aircraft solar array to the high-voltage battery bus. The isolated Cuk is determined to be a suitable converter topology for the application. A small-signal model is derived for control design. The operation of a 400V, 2.7 kW prototype is verified at high frequency (200 kHz), high efficiency (> 98%), small mass (0.604 kg), and uses no electrolytic capacitors. MPPT operation is verified on a 376 V commercial solar installation at The University of Toronto. The prototype serves as an enabling technology for solar aerospace applications.
Assessing Heart Rate Variability as a Surrogate Measure of Cardiac Autonomic Function in Chronic Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury
Keywords: Autonomic nervous system
Cardiac function
Cardiovascular disease
Heart rate variability
Spinal cord injury

Individuals with a spinal cord injury (SCI) are at greater risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) than able-bodied individuals. A major CVD contributing factor is the presence of autonomic disturbances, but the SCI-related changes in cardiac autonomic function are poorly understood. Heart rate variability (HRV) has been reported to non-invasively assess the cardiac autonomic nervous system (ANS). The following thesis involves investigating resting HRV in 56 subjects with a traumatic chronic SCI with the aim to 1) describe the overall distribution of HRV in SCI; 2) determine whether there are HRV differences based on level and/or severity of injury; and, 3) determine whether there is a relationship between parasympathetic and sympathetic frequency measures. The results revealed that HRV is variable between-subjects, there were no significant HRV differences based on level and/or severity of impairment, and the low frequency-to-high frequency ratio (LF:HF), may not be an applicable measure in traumatic chronic SCI.
Dynamical Evolution of Information and Energy in Causal Dispersive Media
Keywords: Detectable Information
Dispersion Engineering
Matter Wave Interaction
Signal Detection
Signal Velocity

Energy exchange between an electromagnetic pulse and dispersive media may result in complicated, yet interesting, phenomena in which the group velocity becomes abnormal (i.e. superluminal or negative). For such cases, signal velocity (velocity of detectable information) remains debatable. In this thesis, we present a systematic study that can be applied to pulse propagation in any dispersive medium in order to quantify the detectable information content and calculate its speed at different propagation distances while accounting for: pulse reshaping effects, noise generated in the medium, and the detector. Accordingly, we present an operational context within which the constraints of superluminal signaling and its potential applications are shown. Furthermore, we explain the fundamental limitations imposed by the cut-off medium length beyond which superluminal propagation can not be achieved. Such analysis explores the fundamental limitations and capabilities of a broad range of fast (and slow) light applications.
Indoor Environmental Measurements in the Hospital Microbiome Project: Estimation of Human Occupancy and Occupant Activity
Keywords: Built Environment
Carbon Dioxide Concentrations
Doorway Beam-Break Sensors
Healthcare Environments
Human Occupants
Indoor Microbiome

Human occupants have a profound influence on indoor environments, although there is limited information on means to cost-effectively assess occupant metrics in all types of buildings. Multiple methods to estimate occupancy and occupant activity (i.e., doorway movements) were investigated in ten single-patient rooms in a new hospital in Chicago, Illinois, as part of the Hospital Microbiome Project. The overarching goal was to determine occupant characteristics to inform an investigation of interactions between humans, microbial communities, and environmental parameters. A method that utilized data from non-directional doorway beam-break and CO2 concentration sensors produced the most accurate estimates of both occupant parameters. Estimates revealed that daily occupant activity varied less than occupancy, but also reached high levels in certain instances. The dual-sensor methodology investigated in this thesis provides a relatively inexpensive, non-invasive, accurate approach to estimate occupancy and occupant activity in an environment with rigorous privacy and security limitations.
Understanding Earthworm Sub-lethal Responses to Atrazine and Imidacloprid Using 1H NMR Metabolomics
Keywords: Eisenia fetida
Energy Disruption
Herbicide
Mode of Action
Neonicotinoid

Earthworms are exposed to a plethora of chemicals that persist in the soil. Traditional ecotoxicity tests are employed to assess contaminant toxicity to earthworms but they do not provide insight into the toxic mode of action at sub-lethal levels. 1H Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) metabolomics was applied to understand the mode of action of two widely used agrochemicals, atrazine and imidacloprid, in Eisenia fetida earthworms. Sub-lethal atrazine exposure via contact filter paper test indicated a depression in earthworm metabolism and inhibition in adenosine-5'-triphosphate (ATP) synthesis. On the other hand, sub-lethal imidacloprid exposure via 48 h contact filter paper tests and soil tests suggested that imidacloprid induces an up-regulation in gluconeogenesis. Furthermore, the metabolic response was observed to be more pronounced in the earthworms exposed to imidacloprid via contact filter paper tests in comparison to the earthworm response observed after the soil tests.
Development and Sensibility Evaluation of the Gait Outcomes Assessment List (GOAL) Module for Children with Lower Limb Anomalies
Keywords: Function
Outcome Evaluation
Paediatric
Questionnaire

Abstract Background: Functional evaluation of children with lower limb anomalies (LLAs) is limited due to a lack of appropriate outcome measures for this population. Objective: To develop a module of the Gait Outcomes Assessment List (GOAL) questionnaire that is specific and sensible for use with children with LLAs. Methods: An iterative adaptation and sensibility evaluation of the GOAL was informed by field-testing this questionnaire with children and their parents, conducting cognitive interviews with children, and administering an e-Survey to healthcare professionals. Results: Twenty-five children, 20 parents, and 31 healthcare professionals evaluated the content and sensibility of the GOAL that ultimately led to 22 of the original 50 items being retained, 16 modified, and six new items added in the final questionnaire iteration (GOAL-LLA 2.0). Conclusion: This study supports the GOAL-LLA 2.0 as a promising new outcome measure for comprehensively evaluating the function and priorities of children with LLAs, for both research and clinical purposes.
At the Intersection of Politics and Science Fiction: Illuminating Concepts of Spatial Justice in Two Novels, Alif the Unseen and Ajwan
Keywords: Arab science fiction
science fiction

There is growing interest in genre science fiction in the Arab world, evident from the Middle East Film and Comic Con (MEFCC), and the increase in the number of Arab science fiction novels being published. However, scholars have paid little attention to this emerging literary field. This paper seeks to understand some of the politics in studying and writing about Arab science fiction in academia. This paper also provides an in-depth analysis of two Arab science fiction novels that can be read as forms of critical literature. These novels engage readers in the process of speculatively imagining how everyday spaces in society have the potential to act as foundations for resistance and emancipation. Using the metaphor of a spaceship to represent each text, this paper argues that there is a strong relationship between social justice and space in both novels, providing readers with a new understanding of spatial justice.
Resource Allocation in Backhaul Constrained Small Cell Networks
Keywords: backhaul
heterogeneous networks
resource allocation
small cell networks
wireless

Small cell networks have the potential to significantly increase data rates in existing cellular networks by increasing frequency reuse due to reduced transmit powers. Contrary to their large cell counterparts, small cell access points (APs) are connected to the core network via a backhaul link with limited capacity. In this thesis, we study the joint resource allocation problem of maximizing the weighted sum rate of users in small cell networks where APs are subject to finite backhaul capacity constraints. We develop a low-complexity iterative algorithm for the case of single antenna (SISO) and multiple antenna (MISO) APs that converges to a locally optimal solution of this non-convex problem. The key innovation is the efficient use of bisection search to satisfy both power and backhaul constraints resulting in decreased complexity. Distributed and semi-distributed variants of the algorithm are provided that allow trade-off between signaling overhead and performance.
Manipulating Antenna Radiation with Angle Holography
Keywords: Antenna
Holography

Holography discovered by Dennis Gabor in 1948 is traditionally used in optics to produce 3D holographic photos. Antenna engineers inspired by this idea have since brought forth holographic antennas to microwave frequencies. However these antenna systems are typically difficult to design and fabricate. In this work a new holographic antenna design is investigated. By analysing interference patterns we devised a method of using tilted radiating elements to represent holographic patterns. In contrast to traditional holographic antennas, our approach dubbed angle holography uses the radiators as both the holographic sampling and excitation source. By using rotations, the antennas are easy to design and fabricate. Arrays using single dipole, cross dipoles, single slot coupled patch, and cross slots coupled patch antennas were implemented. Simulations of conical beam, single beam steering, and beam focusing are demonstrated with single and dual polarization control. Lastly a fabricated prototype is tested confirming the simulated results.
Performance of Hydromedia Pervious Concrete Pavement Subjected to Urban Traffic Loads in Ontario
Keywords: Civil engineering
Low impact development
Permeable pavement
Stormwater

Flooding and poor surface water quality are common in dense urban areas, and the challenge of managing stormwater requires a new approach. This study evaluates the hydrologic and water quality performance of a zero exfiltration Hydromedia Pervious Concrete parking lot in St. Catharines, Ontario. Hydromedia is a type of permeable pavement, and is considered to be part of a low impact development approach. Hydromedia showed a much improved hydrologic response compared to conventional asphalt, with both volume and peak discharge reductions, as well as lag times to peak for every event observed. Residual concentrations in Hydromedia effluent were below relevant guidelines for the majority of pollutants, however high early age pH, and elevated levels of aluminum, chromium, and mercury were detected in the effluent. The LSSC is an excellent site for further research, and long term monitoring would help to evaluate the effectiveness of zero exfiltration systems in Ontario.