VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
Effects of Human Umbilical Cord Perivascular Cell-conditioned Media in Adult Zebrafish Model of Traumatic Brain Injury
Keywords: high intensity focused ultrasound
HUCPVC
Secretome
Traumatic Brain Injury
Zebrafish

The pathophysiological events of secondary brain injury contribute to the consequences of traumatic brain injury. The neuroprotective effect of mesenchymal cells has been extensively studied and evidence suggests that their effects are mostly mediated through their secretome. The secretome of human umbilical cord perivascular cells can potentially attenuate the downstream pathways associated with secondary brain injury. I hypothesized that conditioned media containing secretome of human umbilical cord perivascular cells can improve outcome after modelled traumatic brain injury. I demonstrated that the human umbilical cord perivascular cell-conditioned media can reduce GFAP expression and TUNEL+ cells in the brain 24-hours after modelled traumatic brain injury. Furthermore, improvements in locomotor activity and anxiety were also observed at 6- and 24-hours after modelled traumatic brain injury. These results suggest a potential therapeutic approach that targets numerous outcome parameters simultaneously.
Examining the Development of a Community of Practice in Paediatric Project ECHO®
Keywords: community of practice
continuing education
paediatrics

Paediatric Project ECHO® is an innovative, interactive educational model for healthcare providers (HCP) based on the community of practice (CoP) concept, that expands access to and capacity for providing evidence-informed care. This study examined the development of a CoP in Paediatric Project ECHO and barriers and facilitators to its development. A qualitative description design was undertaken with semi-structured, audio-taped interviews. Twenty-one HCPs participants were interviewed. Participants’ responses indicated evidence for CoP concepts including social interaction, knowledge sharing, knowledge creation, and identity building. The main barriers to CoP development were differences in participants’ perceptions of the program aims and challenges in making time to participate in the program. The main facilitator was the interactive program format. This is one of few studies to demonstrate how knowledge creation occurs in an intentionally created CoP. Further development and clarification of the CoP concept for the ECHO model is needed to enhance program delivery.
The Effect of Free Distribution of Essential Medicines on Adherence by Income Sources and Level
Keywords: Drug adherence
Drug care
Essential medicine
Income drug adherence
Pharmacare
Universal drug care

Introduction: Public policies aimed at improving medicine adherence are restricted to people with a low income or to social assistance recipients. Objective: To determine whether the free provision of essential medicines has a different effect on adherence for people with different income levels and sources. Methods: In this post-hoc subgroup analysis of results from the CLEAN Meds randomized control trial, binary logistic regression was used as the primary analysis to determine whether free medication provision has different effects at different income levels and sources. Results: Despite the evidence to suggest that the RCT intervention has a significant effect on adherence (p=0.02), there was no substantial difference in the effect of free medicine distribution for people with different income levels or sources (p=0.73). Conclusion: The results of this study do not support the idea that programs aimed at improving access to medicines mostly improve adherence for those of certain income groups.
A Preliminary Study of the Nociceptin Receptor System in Individuals with Psychosis
Keywords: nociceptin receptor
PET
psychosis

Psychosis is characterized by key positive symptoms and evidence potentially implicates the nociceptin receptor (NOPr) system in these processes. This pilot study investigates in vivo NOPr expression in individuals on the psychosis spectrum using the [11C]NOP-1A radioligand and positron emission tomography (PET). Evidence for dysregulation in dopamine, glutamate, and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis is presented, followed by evidence of NOPr involvement in each of these systems. This pilot study aimed to assess feasibility, including recruitment, study procedures, and timeline, and also sample size estimation. Eight individuals with psychosis and eight healthy control individuals successfully completed study procedures. Results demonstrate that a total of 25 individuals would be needed in each group to detect a 20% difference between groups with 80% power and an alpha of 0.05, and the methodology employed in this internal pilot study would be appropriate to conduct a study with a larger sample size in the future.
Design and Behaviour of a Composite Glass-Fibre-Reinforced Polymer and Ultra-High-Performance Fibre-Reinforced Concrete Box Girder
Keywords: Bridge Engineering
Classical Lamination Theory
Composite Box Girder
GFRP
Plate Stability
UHPFRC

This thesis presents the design, fabrication, and experimental performance of an innovative composite box girder built using ultra-high-performance fibre-reinforced concrete (UHPFRC) and glass-fibre-reinforced polymer (GFRP). This girder incorporated the novel use of UHPFRC on the tensile side of the beam for increased flexural stiffness. A robust studded and textured surface developed specifically for use with UHPFRC was used to effectively bond the concrete and GFRP together. Under four-point bending the composite system showed a good agreement with theoretical predictions. The impact of shear stiffness on girder performance was highlighted, and vibration testing was utilized to estimate the dynamic properties of the system. Pertinent design details were addressed through the review and application of classical lamination theory and orthotropic stability expressions.
The Root of Harmonic Expectancy: A Priming Study
Keywords: Expectancy
Harmony
Music Perception
Priming
Spreading Activation
Tonality

The purpose of this study was to determine whether harmonic relations apply across both musical (notes to chords) and perceptual levels (audiovisual integration). The hypotheses predicted that the perceptual system can (1) interpret a single note to create a harmonic expectancy, and (2) interpret the visual image of piano notation to form a harmonic expectation. Experienced musicians participated in a musical in-tune/out-of-tune priming paradigm with auditory, visual, and audiovisual prime stimuli. The auditory chord target in each pair was either harmonically related or unrelated to the prime. Mean reaction time and error were recorded for each participant. There were significant interactions in all conditions except for music notation, indicating an expectancy for an auditory musical stimulus—a full chord or a single note—to be followed by a related in-tune chord target. These results provide novel evidence that a single root note facilitates spreading activation and creates a harmonic expectancy.
Wireless Charger for Electric Vehicles with Electromagnetic Coil Based Position Correction
Keywords: Electric Vehicles
Inductive Charging
Position Correction
Wireless Power Transfer

Wireless Power Transfer (WPT) is an enabling technology for the mass deployment of Electric Vehicles (EVs) as it minimizes driver intervention during the charging process. Major challenges of WPT systems include coil misalignment and large air-gap, as both degrade efficiency. To address these issues, a vertically-mounted compact dual-coil charging pad for reduced air-gap is presented in this thesis. A linear-slider-mounted transmitter pad allows for lateral self-alignment using two integrated electromagnetic coils. Due to parking accuracy, the vertically-mounted charging pads increase variation in the air-gap, which degrades the electromagnetic coil operation. A position-correcting control algorithm that detects the system impedance and resonant frequency is proposed for improved pad alignment. An experimental prototype achieves a peak DC-DC efficiency of 90.1%. The charging pads laterally align in 1.75s and correct misalignments as large as 240mm. The control algorithm is successfully demonstrated with the pads being corrected to within 10mm of perfect alignment.
A Three-phase Fully-integrated Battery Charger for Electric Vehicles Offering Galvanic Isolation
Keywords: Electric Vehicle
EV charging
Fast Battery charger
Induction Machine
Isolated integrated charging

Integrated chargers leverage the drivetrain system existing on-board Electric Vehicles (EVs) to minimize dedicated charging circuitry and associated infrastructure cost, thus removing a major barrier to widespread deployment of EVs. This thesis proposes a fully-integrated charger system for EVs by utilizing a double-stator winding induction machine. The proposed charger uses three-phase AC-grid voltage to provide fast charging feature. Unlike the majority of integrated EV chargers, the proposed topology provides galvanic isolation between the grid and EV battery during the charging processes. The proposed integrated charger is able to regulate the active and reactive power exchange between the utility grid and EV, separately; thereby, it can charge EV battery with unity power factor operation. Moreover, this topology provides bidirectional power transferring capability to support G2V and V2G applications. The performance of the proposed integrated charger is verified through simulation and experimental results by using two wounded-rotor induction machines with inter-connected rotor windings.
Bacteriophage Moron JBD30-4 Affects type IV pilus and Flagellar Function in Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Keywords: Bacterial motility
Bacteriophages
Cystic Fibrosis
Infectious disease
Phage morons
Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Bacteriophages can influence the virulence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, an opportunistic pathogen causing significant morbidity and mortality in immunocompromised individuals. Morons, specific prophage genes not required for the phage life cycle, provide fitness advantages to bacteria under specific environmental conditions. JBD30-4 is a phage moron that inhibits P. aeruginosa twitching and swimming motility while remaining susceptible to phage infection. An interaction detected using the bacterial adenylate cyclase two-hybrid system suggests that JBD30-4 mediates this phenotype through an interaction with the type IV pilus response regulator PilH. Biochemical characterization of JBD30-4 revealed that the N-terminus of the protein is critical for function. Downregulation of flagella and type IV pili upon expression of JBD30-4 from a prophage, leading to a decrease in motility, may enable bacterial evasion from the host immune system during P. aeruginosa infection, promoting survival of the bacteria and the prophage genome contained within it.
Modeling for Social Network Privacy Design
Keywords: Goal-oriented modeling
Privacy
Social networking sites

Social networking sites (SNSs) are facing a challenge – to manage the privacy concerns expressed by users while satisfying the data harvesting demands from partners. To alleviate the privacy issues on SNS platforms, researchers have been proposing solutions from policy enforcement to technological enhancement. However, many proposals only focus on one or several specific privacy-related requirements while ignoring the others. For instance, purely technological solutions tend to sacrifice commercial feasibility or user acceptance. This gap suggests the need for a systematic and integrated approach to guiding the analysis towards social network privacy and to searching for viable solutions. This thesis applies goal-oriented modeling techniques in the information systems area to study SNS privacy. In particular, the i* modeling language, is explored and evaluated regarding its abilities to conceptualize actors and relationships, and to reason about design alternatives in the context of SNS privacy.
Developing an Advanced Hardware Testing System to Enable Rapid Spacecraft Manufacturing
Keywords: automation
hardware
satellites
space
spaceraft
testing

The use of small satellites in commercial constellations has attracted much attention in recent days. This necessitates the need to utilize innovative solutions to building multiple identical satellites both quickly and economically. An automated test system is developed for mass production and verification of hardware. It eases the repetitiveness in production verification tests, reduces human errors and increases reliability. The thesis addresses challenges in large-scale hardware testing with a particular focus on two primary areas: (i) specific process and challenges in building a spacecraft power subsystem; and (ii) testing hardware at a large-scale. The first part of this thesis presents the challenges affiliated with hardware production and validation tests. The second part presents the framework developed to generate and track hardware manufacturing information. The third part details the design and implementation of a system comprising of algorithms, instrumentation, and data acquisition units that interface with the device under test.
A Physics-constrained Three-dimensional Three-component Particle-based Velocimetry Method for Constant-density Flows
Keywords: Divergence-free polynomial basis functions
Fluid velocimetry
Optical flow motion estimation
Scalar image velocimetry

A physics-constrained method of inferring three-dimensional three-component (3D3C) velocity fields in constant-density flows from reconstructed 3D Mie-scattering fields of tracer particles is introduced. The proposed method is based on the representation of the estimated velocity field as a linear combination of divergence-free polynomial basis functions; the piecewise constant representation of the estimated velocity field that is inherent to tomographic particle image velocimetry (T-PIV) is replaced by a smooth representation that automatically satisfies conservation of mass. The appropriate linear combination is determined using a non-regularized motion estimation framework that is influenced by optical flow motion estimation. A detailed evaluation of the proposed method is provided in terms of accuracy and spatial resolution, treating 3D constant-density direct numerical simulation data as the ground truth. It is shown that the proposed method (i) yields as much as a twofold improvement in both accuracy and spatial resolution compared to an idealized implementation of T-PIV and (ii) achieves comparable accuracy and spatial resolution to an idealized estimate that corresponds to the theoretical one-vector-per-particle limit.
Evaluating Team Unbreakable: A Running Program to Improve Adolescent Mental Health
Keywords: Adolescent
Anxiety
Depression
Mental health
Physical activity
Program evaluation

Adolescents are disproportionally affected by mental illnesses like anxiety and depression. Physical activity is an accepted modality for improving adolescent mental health. One physical activity-based program is Team Unbreakable. Widely implemented, no formal evaluation has been conducted to date. Drawing on theoretical tenets of the mastery and social support hypotheses, the present study explored the program’s effectiveness and mechanisms of action through a quasi-experimental, mixed-methods design. Participants (nintervention=58; ncomparison=62; Mage=14.8 years) completed pre- and post-questionnaires on measures of anxiety and depression symptoms, mastery, and social connectedness. Individual interviews were conducted with participants (n=10) to capture program experiences. Repeated measures analysis of variance and mediation analysis indicated no significant effects on outcome variables. Inductive thematic analysis demonstrated that the program was evaluated favourably and theoretical tenets were noteworthy in the participants’ accounts. Findings suggest that mastery and social support are valuable program components, but further exploration of these mechanisms is necessary.
Investigating the Role of Crossmodal Phase Resetting in Audiovisual Binding
Keywords: cognitive neuroscience
crossmodal interactions
EEG
multisensory integration
neural oscillations
perceptual binding

The mechanisms allowing the brain to fuse paired auditory and visual stimuli into a unified percept, despite differences in their timing, remain largely unknown. Crossmodal phase resetting of ongoing oscillations by the leading stimulus may facilitate integration of the following stimulus by establishing a shared temporal structure within a network of primary and multisensory areas. EEG was recorded during a simultaneity judgment task to assess whether phase resetting (measured as intertrial coherence) differentiates ambiguous stimuli that are perceived as fused and those perceived as segregated. No differences in intertrial coherence were observed between fused and segregated trials, however differences in ERP amplitude tracked perception in auditory-leading trials. Source modelling of this difference identified a network previously implicated in the perception of intersensory asynchrony, comprising both unisensory and multisensory cortical regions. Additionally, a correlational relationship was identified between individual sensitivity to asynchrony and intertrial coherence elicited by nearly synchronous stimuli.
A Pilot Study of the Inflammatory Response in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma by Saliva Analysis
Keywords: Biomarker
Cytokines
Flow cytometry
Inflammation
Oral cancer
Saliva

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) often shows a pronounced inflammatory infiltrate. There is accumulating evidence that this inflammatory infiltrate plays an active role in tumor development and progression. We developed a protocol for collection and analysis of saliva and used it to characterize inflammatory cell and cytokine profile in the saliva of patients with OSCC. 37 patients with OSCC, 24 healthy patients, and 8 patients with periodontitis provided a saliva sample. Supernatants were analyzed using Luminex-based 30-Plex inflammatory panel. Cell pellets were fixed and analyzed using multichannel flow cytometry. The fluorescent markers included CD45, CD66b, CD3, CD4, CD8, CD25, CD56, CD68, CD138, Siglec8, PD1 and PDL1. OSCC group showed distinctive pattern of inflammation, with significantly higher neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), CD4/CD8 ratio and IL1b, IL6 and TNFa concentration levels. Late stage disease was associated with higher NLR and CD4/CD8 ratio with increased IL1b and IL6.
A Full-vectorial Theory of Third-order Nonlinear Optical Effects in Aluminum Gallium Arsenide Waveguides
Keywords: Integrated
Nonlinear
Optics

A full-vectorial theory of third-order nonlinear effects is used to derive expressions for the nonlinear coefficients (NLCs) of waveguide modes in high-confinement Aluminum Gallium Arsenide (AlGaAs) waveguides. The dependence of the NLCs on the cross-section and orientation of AlGaAs-on-insulator (AlGaAsOI) waveguides is investigated via simulation. The results of the full-vectorial theory are compared to those of various scalar theories used in previous studies of AlGaAs waveguides. It is found that the scalar theories tend to underestimate the NLCs for high-confinement AlGaAsOI waveguides. Two of the three investigated scalar theories do not accurately predict the waveguide geometries that optimize the NLCs. Examples of applications of the full-vectorial theory to wavelength conversion are demonstrated for AlGaAsOI and plasmonic slot waveguides.
Fire Containment Probability in Conifer Fuel Types in Ontario
Keywords: Fire Containment
Forestry
Wildfire

I undertook a study to identify if a relationship between forest stand age and fire containment probability, identified previously in Alberta, existed in Ontario. I developed a Time Since Fire (TSF) for Ontario, estimating the total years that had passed since a large fire occurred in an area to the time a new fire occurred in the perimeter of the historic burn. I studied fire containment probability in C-2 (boreal spruce) stands in Ontario in relation to the TSF. I built a simulation model to assess the viability of aggregating conifer fuels in Ontario. I built an aggregate conifer fuel type dataset for Ontario to test for relationships with fire containment probability and TSF. I identified a relationship between fire containment probability and TSF in Ontario: increasing TSF was found to negatively impact fire containment probability for fires occurring in fuels with a conifer component.
Machine-learning-accelerated Materials Discovery for Perovskites
Keywords: Machine learning
Materials discovery
Perovskites
Robotic crystallization
Single crystals

Reaching the full potential of optoelectronic materials is often hindered by the years of necessary trial-and-error. Perovskites are an example of materials having exceptional optoelectronic properties, but require improvement with respect to stability and toxicity as they approach commercialization. Exploring new types of perovskites is key to achieving these goals. In this thesis I develop an accelerated materials discovery pipeline aimed at discovering new perovskite materials. This pipeline incorporates image recognition that detects crystals via convolutional neural networks with 95% accuracy and uses parameter exploration to predict an optimal material with experimental data. With this framework, I discovered a new type of perovskite single crystal, (3-PLA)2PbCl4, that employs a new ligand, 3-PLA, offering avenues to higher efficiency and more stable devices. This work develops a framework for discovering and optimizing materials in a wide chemical space and provides the groundwork for identifying new materials that lie beyond known chemical spaces.
A Parametric Study of Jet Fuel Thermal Stability
Keywords: Carbon Deposition
Coking
Jet Fuel
Thermal Stability

Thermal stability and degradation of a commercial jet fuel were studied using an experimental rig developed recently. The apparatus consists of a fuel pre-heating section to simulate the usage of fuel as a coolant on aircraft, and a test section to simulate operating conditions found in aircraft injector fuel nozzles. Two independent diagnostic techniques, pressure drop measurements and carbon burn-off, were applied to assess carbon deposition produced within a test section. Parametric studies were performed to investigate the effect of test section inner diameter, test section material, and test section inlet temperature gradient on carbon deposition within the test section. It was determined that as the inner diameter of a test section increased, carbon deposition generally decreased. The axial location of maximum surface deposition moved downstream in a narrower test section. It was also found that solid carbon deposition decreased by increasing the test section inlet temperature gradient.
Bus Bridging Decision-Support Toolkit: Optimization Framework and Policy Analysis
Keywords: Optimization
Public Transit
Rail Disruptions
Shuttle Buses

Bus Bridging is the strategy most commonly applied in responding to rail service interruptions in North America and Europe. In determining the required number of buses and source routes, most transit agencies rely on ad-hoc approaches based on operational experience and constraints, which can lead to extensive delays and queue build-ups at affected stations. This thesis developed an optimization model, to determine the optimal number of shuttle buses and route allocation which minimize the overall subway and bus riders delay. The generated optimal solutions are sensitive to bus bay capacity constraints along the shuttle service corridor. The optimization model is integrated with a previously developed simulation tool that tracks the evolution of system queues and delays throughout the bus bridging process. A set of bus bridging policy guidelines were developed based on further analysis of the optimization model outputs using a Classification and Regression Tree (CART) model.