VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
Joint Three-flavour Oscillation Analysis of Muon Neutrino Disappearance and Electron Neutrino Appearance in the T2K Neutrino Beam
Keywords: neutrino
oscillation
OTR monitor
pion interactions
Super-Kamiokande
T2K

The Tokai to Kamioka (T2K) experiment is a long-baseline neutrino oscillation experiment based in Japan. An off-axis, high purity muon neutrino beam is produced at the Japan Proton Accelerator Research Complex by colliding a proton beam with a graphite target. The neutrinos are detected at a near detector complex (ND280), situated 280 m from the neutrino production target, and the Super-Kamiokande (SK) far detector at 295 km. This thesis first outlines current knowledge and challenges in the physics of neutrinos, then describes the T2K beam and detectors, including a novel optical transition radiation monitor for precisely measuring the proton beam in order to determine the neutrino beam direction. A framework for evaluating the uncertainties in neutrino interactions and pion hadronic interactions in ND280 and SK is presented. A new SK event reconstruction algorithm is described and the SK detector systematic errors are evaluated based on atmospheric neutrino and cosmic ray muon data. These developments are used in a Markov Chain Monte Carlo neutrino oscillation analysis of the T2K Run 1-4 data corresponding to 0.657 x 10^21 protons on target. The analysis simultaneously considers the 2013 ND280 muon neutrino samples, and SK single muon and single electron samples, producing a measurement of muon neutrino disappearance and muon neutrino to electron neutrino appearance. Estimates of the PMNS oscillation parameters and Bayesian credible intervals are determined. Recent measurements from reactor neutrino experiments are combined with the T2K data resulting in exclusion regions for the CP violating phase parameter.
Aboriginal Student Persistence and Success in Ontario Colleges
Keywords: Aboriginal
Aboriginal student enrollment
Aboriginal student success
College
Indigenous education
native education

This study relies on a mixed method research approach with a focus on qualitative research including open-ended, semi-structured interviews at Aboriginal Resource Centres in three colleges in Ontario. Interviews were conducted with 31 participants engaged with Aboriginal Resource Centres, including Aboriginal students, staff and Elders. Participants spoke about their interactions with the Ontario college system including their positive and negative experiences. The research process is also informed by an in-depth analysis of various studies and reports regarding Aboriginal peoples, education and enrolment statistics from the 24 Ontario colleges. The overall data analysis and interpretation includes insight from all of these data sources. The research is guided by a two-eyed seeing approach (Iwama, Marshall, Marshall, Barlett, 2009) that respects a combination of Western and Aboriginal worldviews; however, a concerted effort has been made to honour Indigenous paradigms thus, at times, this minimizes the inclusion of traditional Euro-centric views and methodology. Nevertheless, parallels were drawn between Euro-centric student development and engagement theories and Indigenous paradigms to provide insight into how postsecondary institutions can support Aboriginal students and create a safe and welcoming environment on campus for all Aboriginal peoples. An Ojibwe Anishinabe Elder recognized by her community provided guidance throughout the research process. She allies with students connecting them to traditional protocols and shares authentic Indigenous teachings. Further, to respect the place of Aboriginal voices, a collection of Elder reflections describes a vision for Aboriginal education, and specifically postsecondary education.The conclusions drawn from the study suggest that many colleges in Canada, and Ontario, are helping Aboriginal students obtain a postsecondary credential. Colleges are creating a supportive and welcoming environment and Aboriginal Resource Centres are helping students connect with their communities, institutions and Aboriginal cultures. In spite of this success, many Aboriginal students do not reach postsecondary education. Many Aboriginal students are not engaging with these centres and Aboriginal peoples continue to experience racism on campus. The findings indicate that true collaboration and meaningful consultation with Aboriginal communities is needed to "Indigenize" the campuses.
Differential Omission Rates: Exploring Factors that Influence Omission Rates in a Large-scale Pan-Canadian Assessment
Keywords: Factors affecting omission rates
Locus of Control
Omissions of selected response items

This study explored why students simply skip selected response questions when they do not know the answer, especially when there is no penalty for incorrectly guessing? This question was examined with respect to omissions in selected response items in the 2010 Pan-Canadian Assessment Program (PCAP) Mathematics Assessment. The goal of this study was to explore how student, teacher, school, and cultural factors affect the rates of omission and how these factors help to explain differential patterns of omissions among provinces and between French- and English-speaking students, which may, in turn, lead to corresponding differences in group achievement scores. Multilevel modeling (HLM) was used to examine factors that predicted whether a student would omit one or more items. This analysis provides a statistical description of omission rates as they vary over the parts of the test, for different item types, and compares French- and English-speaking students from each of the three provinces using both their test booklets and the background questionnaires. In addition to differences in students' omission behaviour among the provinces and, between linguistic populations, the study explores how instructional, cultural, and psychological variables may influence students' omission behaviour. There were differences in omission rates between French- and English-speaking students in New Brunswick, but no longer in Ontario or Québec. Two factors were identified as significant in explaining omissions: the students' test-taking strategy for selected response items and their level of confidence in the subject. A measure of students' Locus of Control was not a significant predictor for any population nor was risk tolerance.
Activity of Anticancer Drugs in Relation to the Tumour Microenvironment and Potential to Inhibit Repopulation and Enhance Therapeutic Outcome
Keywords: Anticancer Drugs
Drug Distribution
Hypoxia
Hypoxia-activated prodrugs
Repopulation
Tumour Microenvironment

Tumours have a disorganized and convoluted vasculature. Tumour cells that reside close to patent blood vessels are nourished by oxygen and other nutrients and are rapidly proliferating while distally located cells slowly proliferating. Anticancer drugs must be delivered in adequate (toxic) concentrations to all tumour cells to be effective, and it is therefore important to study their distribution of activity in tumours. In order to assess the distribution of anticancer agents in tumours using immuno-histochemistry (IHC) and fluorescence imaging, drugs must be either inherently fluorescent or have antibodies that recognize their activity. As the vast majority of anticancer drugs fulfill neither of these criteria, the first objective of this thesis was to develop techniques to assess the pharmacodynamic activity of anticancer drugs in relation to distance from vasculature and hypoxic regions using biomarkers that could be recognized by antibodies using IHC. I found that GH2AX , a biomarker of DNA damage was activated in as little as 10 minutes following treatment. In addition, changes in biomarkers of apoptosis (cleaved caspase -3 or -6) and cell proliferation (Ki-67) could be used to determine drug activity at 24 hours following drug treatment. The second objective of this thesis addressed the ability of a novel hypoxia activated pro-drug, TH-302, used alone or with chemotherapy (doxorubicin or docetaxel) to modify the distribution of biomarkers in relation to blood vessels and regions of hypoxia. It was found that TH-302 increased DNA damage and apoptosis not only in hypoxic regions but also in vascularized areas and this effect was augmented through the addition of chemotherapy. TH-302 increased growth delay due to chemotherapy of human tumour xenografts, consistent with complementary effects of the drugs in different regions of the tumour microenvironment.The third objective of this thesis was to study changes in the tumour microenvironment after chemotherapy. I injected into tumour-bearing mice two markers of hypoxia, EF5 and pimonidazole, with a variable interval between injections. I studied the effects of chemotherapy alone on repopulation of hypoxic tumour cells and the ability of TH-302 to inhibit repopulation. It was found that (i) reoxygenation of previously hypoxic cells and repopulation of the tumour from them occurs after chemotherapy, and (ii) TH-302 was able to reduce tumour cell reoxygenation and repopulation. This supports the potential of TH-302 to increase therapeutic effects of chemotherapy. The work presented in this thesis highlights the importance of the tumour microenvironment and its ability to impact the distribution of anticancer drugs to cells.
Arvo Pärt's Serial and Tintinnabuli Works: A continuum of process
Keywords: analysis
Arvo Pärt
Como cierva sedienta
Credo
Passio
tintinnabuli

The music of Estonian composer Arvo Pärt has received wide recognition globally, making him one the world's most often performed living composers. In 1968, Pärt entered a self-imposed period of compositional silence and study. Before 1968 Pärt composed using an atonal, serial language. When he reemerged musically, in 1976, it was with an entirely new language he calls tintinnabuli. For good reason most scholarship acknowledges Pärt's years of silence as a great divide between two disparate periods of his writing. This study, however, makes an explicit link in the method of composition between his serial music and the triadic, tonal music of the his early years using the tintinnabuli language. It also reveals the extent to which his music has evolved since the codification of tintinnabuli procedures in the early 1980s. Once again, it is shown that Pärt's primary method of composition remains controlled by pre-compositional designs. Once set, these pre-compositional rules play out, predictably following their prescribed procedure. Recognizing this important parallel acknowledgesthat his music is not of disparate schools, but rather, is a continuum of compositional method. Complete musical analyses of important Pärt works, Credo (1968), Passio (1982) and Como cierva sedienta (1998), contained in this study reveal that although the musical language has entirely changed, the processes with which Pärt composes unite the work of a composer. Smaller, seminal works including Perpetuum mobile (1963), Solfegio (1964), Collage über B-A-C-H (1964), Cantus in memoriam Benjamin Britten (1977), Summa (1977), The Beatitudes (1989), Triodion (1998), Nunc dimittis (2000), and I am the true vine (1996) are also addressed in relation to the development of Pärt's oeuvre.
Promoting Interactions in Preschoolers with Autism Spectrum Disorder via Peer-mediated Intervention.
Keywords: autism spectrum disorder
peer-mediated intervention
preschoolers
single subject design
social interaction

The purpose of this dissertation is to develop and examine the efficacy of a social skills intervention program that was delivered to preschoolers with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) via typically-developing peers. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.; DSM 5; American Psychiatric Association, 2013), one of the defining characteristics of ASD is a marked impairment in social interaction. Children with ASD often lack the ability to use social cues and frequently fail to develop peer relationships that are appropriate to their developmental level. In this model, a speech language pathologist and three early childhood educators trained typically- developing peers to engage children with ASD in play. Three preschool children with ASD and six peers participated in five social skills training sessions followed by 12 implementation sessions (six sessions for each peer). The peer intervention took place in early childhood classrooms during play sessions with blocks and play dough. A single-subject multiple baseline design across subjects was used to determine the effects of the intervention. All three children with ASD demonstrated significant gains in the number and length of their interactions with peers, and in their responses and initiations with peers. Gains were maintained over time. In addition, generalization of the skills learnt was measured by collecting data with an untrained peer. The results provided preliminary evidence supporting this model of intervention. Treatment fidelity and social validation measures are documented. Limitations are acknowledged, future research is suggested, and implications are drawn.Keywords: autism spectrum disorder, peer-mediated intervention, social interaction, preschoolers, single subject design.
Spatiotemporal Profiles of Electrical Rhythmic Activity in Human Extratemporal Lobe Epilepsy
Keywords: Coherence
Epilepsy

With the advent of new recording techniques, very fast brain activity (>80Hz) has become a new research focus in the area of seizure genesis. Initially identified in animals, high frequency oscillations (HFOs) have recently been recorded in epilepsy patients and proposed as possible novel biomarkers of epileptogenicity. Investigating the characteristics of HFOs-those that correlate with the clinical manifestation of seizures-may yield additional insights for delineating seizure onset zones (SOZs) and epileptogenic regions of the brain. To that end, this dissertation explores the spatial and temporal coherence patterns of HFOs (80-400 Hz) in the human brain under epileptic conditions, as the pathological activity observed during seizures is indicative of abnormal dynamic interactions between neuronal networks. The coherence of neuronal rhythms, although not a new idea, has not yet been explored in relation to HFOs, recently captured in the electroencephalogram (EEG) of epileptics. Similarly, the relationship between the spatiotemporal coherence patterns of slow and fast neuronal oscillations has yet to be explored. We retrospectively analyzed the intracranial EEG (iEEG) of patients undergoing pre-surgical evaluation of drug resistant extratemporal lobe epilepsy (ETLE). Wavelet phase coherence (WPC) analysis was applied to iEEG signals-sampled at 2000 Hz-to characterize the spatial and temporal relationships of low-frequency oscillations (LFOs;
The Linear Relationship Between the Difficulty Level Connoted by a Primed Goal and Task Performance
Keywords: Goal setting
Priming

A laboratory experiment was conducted to determine whether the linear relationship between goal difficulty and performance exists in the domain of subconscious goals. Specifically, the effect of primed goals that connote three levels of difficulty on subsequent performance was examined. Participants (n=122) were randomly assigned to one of four conditions where they were either primed with a photograph of a person lifting 20 pounds (easy goal), 200 pounds (moderately difficult goal), 400 pounds (difficult goal), or were not primed (control condition). Participants were asked to press as hard as they could on a digital weight scale. Participants who were primed with the difficult goal of a photograph of a person lifting 400 pounds pressed significantly harder on the scale than those who were primed with the easy goal of a photograph of a person lifting 20 pounds, the moderate goal of 200 pounds, and those who were not primed. The results of this study are discussed in terms of their theoretical and practical significance.
Changes in Cellular and Biomechanical Properties in the Rat Gastrocnemius Muscle Complex Following Injection of Platelet Rich Plasma and Traumeel®S Post Calcaneal Tenotomy
Keywords: Calcaneal tenotomy
Platelet rich plasma
Rat model
Traumeel S

The aim of this thesis was to design a rat calcaneal tenotomy model that could be used to investigate the effect of PRP and Traumeel®S on the microscopic and biochemical properties of healing tendon and muscle. For the first study, the rat calcaneal tenotomy model was developed to determine baseline values for the natural progression of repair tension over six weeks following tenotomy, as well as the concurrent changes in myofibre diameter, percentage of total collagen, transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-1) and basic-fibroblast growth factor (b-FGF) protein expression in the gastrocnemius-calcaneal tendon unit and developing neotendon. For the second study, the calcaneal tenotomy model was used to investigate the effect of post-tenotomy injections of PRP and/or Traumeel®S. Repair tension was measured in vivo using a Shimpo force gauge. Histological analysis included measurement of myofibre diameter with bright field microscopy, and percentage/thickness of collagen with polarizing microscopy. Western blot analysis was used to study the time course of TGF-1 and b-FGF protein expression. The results of this study indicate that predominantly PRP but also Traumeel®S can: (1) decrease mean repair tension at four and six weeks post tenotomy; (2) increase myofibre regeneration, measured by an earlier return to normal myofibre diameter; (3) stimulate neotendon regeneration, measured by an increase in the mean percentage of collagen and percentage of thick collagen fibres, and (4) increase TGF-1 and b-FGF protein expression within the gastrocnemius muscle and neotendon. Since TGF-1 and b-FGF play important stimulatory roles in tendon and muscle healing, this increase in growth factor expression within the muscle and neotendon following injection may have stimulated faster myofibre and neotendon regeneration. The tenotomy model and injection protocol developed in this thesis, and most importantly the results of this thesis, can be used as a foundation for future basic science and subsequent clinical studies.
Definitive Neural Stem Cell Clonally Generated from Pluripotent Stem Cells Promote Recovery following Spinal Cord Injury
Keywords: Embryonic Stem Cells
Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell
Myelination
Neural Stem Cell
Spinal Cord Injury

Advancements in medical management for spinal cord injury (SCI) have resulted in greatly improved survival rates following this devastating event; although medical interventions to regenerate the injured spinal cord and restore function remain limited. Neural stem cells (NSCs) from embryonic or fetal/adult tissues sources show considerable promise in regenerative strategies for traumatic SCI. However, there are limitations with their use related to availability, immunogenicity, immunological rejection and uncertainty of mechanism. To address these issues, our laboratory has investigated the use of NSCs derived from induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells generated using a non-viral and mutation-free approach. NSCs were generated from pluripotent cells using a free-floating neurospheres methodology previously used by our lab. To delineate the mechanism of action, specifically the role of exogenous myelination, NSCs derived from wildtype (wt) and non-myelinating Shiverer (shi) iPS cell lines were used in a mouse thoracic SCI model with sub-acute intraspinal transplantation. Behavioral, histological and electrophysiological outcomes were analyzed to assess the safety and efficacy of this treatment. Variable neural propensity in the iPS cell lines were identified and overcome by agonizing the NOTCH pathway, yielding a clinically relevant population of NSCs for transplantation. The wt- and shi-iPS-NSCs were validated and shown to be equivalent except in myelination capacity. Both iPS-NSC lines were transplanted following thoracic SCI, but only the wt-iPS-NSC treatment resulted in a functional benefit. Wt-iPS-NSC transplantation resulted in significantly improved hindlimb locomotor function, histological outcomes and action potential amplitudes compared to the non-myelinating and cell-free controls. This supports remyelination as the key process by which NSC treatment provides a benefit following thoracic SCI. This work addresses a significant knowledge gap in the field of regenerative medicine for SCI. It demonstrated that pluripotent cells, specifically iPS cells, can be used to generate clinical relevant NSCs for application in SCI. Even though NSCs have been shown to provide a diverse range of functions in the spinal cord, remyelination is the predominate mechanism of recovery following thoracic SCI. This work will have significant impact in shaping how iPS-NSCs will be potentially translated to a clinical setting.
A Mixed Methods Study: Examining the Relationship between Therapeutic Self-care and Adverse Events for Home Care Clients in Ontario, Canada
Keywords: Adverse Events
Gerontology
Home Care
Nursing
Patient Safety
Self-Care

The purpose of this mixed methods study was to examine the concept of therapeutic self-care in the context of home care, as well as its influence on the safety of home care clients and their informal caregivers. The quantitative approach used a retrospective cohort design and utilized secondary databases available for Ontario home care clients. Logistic regression analysis was used to examine the association between therapeutic self-care and adverse events. The qualitative approach utilized one-on-one interviews with the clients and their informal caregivers recruited from one home care agency in Ontario. Qualitative description was used to analyze data that generated themes about clients and their caregivers' perspectives of home care safety in relation to therapeutic self-care and informal caregiving. The quantitative results indicated that low therapeutic self-care ability was associated with an increase in the odds of clients experiencing: (1) unplanned hospital visits; (2) decline in activities of daily living; (3) falls; (4) unintended weight loss, and (5) non-compliance with medication. Analyses of the qualitative interview data revealed four over-arching themes: (1) Struggling through multiple aspects of safety challenges; (2) Managing therapeutic self-care by developing knowledge, competency and self-confidence; (3) Coping with informal caregiving through problem-solving, stress management and caregiver relief; (4) Seeking education, support and collaboration from home care.This mixed methods study advanced understanding of therapeutic self-care in the context of home care. The results provide a better understanding of the relationship between therapeutic self-care ability and the prevalence of adverse events experienced by home care clients. The qualitative findings provide insight into the safety problems related to therapeutic self-care and informal caregiving. This knowledge is vital to policy formulation related to the role of home care services in improving client's therapeutic self-care ability to reduce safety related risks and burden for home care recipients.