VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
Developing a Custom Handheld Diagnostic Device for Noninvasive Detection of Oropharyngeal Dysphagia using High Resolution Cervical Auscultation Recordings
Keywords: cervical auscultation
diagnostics
dysphagia
hardware design
signal processing

Dysphagia (impaired swallowing) is a debilitating disease, causing malnutrition, pneumonia, and death. In recent years, many studies have shown the effectiveness of high-resolution cervical auscultation (HRCA) signals obtained during swallowing for diagnosis of dysphagia via machine learning algorithms. The aim of this study was to develop a custom handheld device for obtaining and processing HRCA signals, based on an existing benchtop system at the University of Pittsburgh. A custom printed circuit board was designed to acquire, process, and relay the sensor data to a computer via Python. Patient data was collected simultaneously through both the existing and newly developed systems. HRCA features were extracted from the data collected and statistically compared. It was found that 27 out of 36 HRCA features were not significantly different between the 2 systems, concluding that with some design iteration, the developed system could replace the existing system in dysphagia diagnosis research trials.
Exploring Narratives of Solidarity Between Palestinian and Indigenous Activists on Turtle Island
Keywords: Collective liberatory futures
Indigenous Studies
Palestine/ian Studies
Relationship building
Social Movements
Transnational solidarity

Palestinian and Indigenous anti-colonial movements have long understood that their struggles are inextricably linked. At the same time as Indigenous peoples are re-writing and re-righting history, there has been an increased interest in scholarly contributions that have made a compelling case for anti-colonial and anti-capitalist Indigenous resurgence and liberation rooted in transnational solidarity. Expanding upon this work in the fields of Indigenous and Palestine/ian Studies, this study engages grey literature materials to consider how Palestinian and Indigenous activists on Turtle Island (North America) define, build, and enact solidarity with one another. This analysis maps narratives of relationship building to contribute to a claiming back of our shared histories, and further our understanding of how Palestinian and Indigenous activists can deepen relations and imagine collective liberatory futures.
Racialized Diasporas in Taylor-Massey, Toronto: Sustainability-Programming Impacts on Neighbourhood Improvement Areas
Keywords: cultural studies
diaspora and transnationalism
environment and community
race/ethnicity
social networks
social sustainability

Taylor-Massey is a largely racialized immigrant neighbourhood that is designated as a Neighbourhood Improvement Area (NIA) by the City of Toronto. This indicates there are social inequities present in Taylor-Massey. This research asks how diasporic communities in Taylor-Massey are accessing, understanding, and taking up sustainability-related programming through community organizations such as Access Alliance Multicultural Health and Community Services. Interviews and participant observations guided by a qualitative approach were utilized to explore this research question. This thesis contributes insights into how culture, mediated through diasporic networks, plays a role in understandings of sustainable living. Findings further examine prominent internal and external barriers for Taylor-Massey residents that prevent them from achieving the sustainable practices they aspire to integrate into their everyday lives. Ultimately, these findings advance interdisciplinary understandings of the cultural dimensions and social dynamics of sustainability and contribute to the fields of sustainability and diaspora studies. Moreover, this study’s analysis is relevant for contextualizing systemic inequities in similar NIAs in the Greater Toronto Area.
Towards Efficient Data Analysis using Computational Notebooks
Keywords: Computational notebooks
Data analysis
Exploratory data analysis

Using computational notebooks (e.g., Jupyter Notebooks) to conduct Exploratory Data Analysis (EDA) presents certain challenges. When dealing with large and unfamiliar datasets, analysts need to identify the most important aspects of the data, apply appropriate EDA operations, and derive key insights. Additionally, as the analysis progresses and the notebook becomes long, it becomes difficult for analysts to keep track of their work by repetitively scrolling up and down the notebook. To address these challenges, this work focuses on leveraging existing data analysis works (i.e., notebooks on Kaggle) to improve analysts’ efficiency in analyzing unfamiliar large datasets and deriving insights. We proposed a framework of data analysis workflow, the \textit{Subset-Method-Insight} (SMI) framework, which formally models the EDA process in notebooks, especially on how the authors of these notebooks navigate through complex datasets and uncover valuable insights. Building upon the SMI framework, we present Tangerine, a JupyterLab extension that offers two main features: (1) tracking: visualizing the notebook into a tree-like structure to give the user a quick overview of their existing EDA process; (2) guiding: providing the user with recommendations about the subsequent data field(s) in the dataset to explore to guide the user through the EDA process. We evaluated Tangerine with real users, and results show that overall participants acknowledged the helpfulness of Tangerine in improving the efficiency of their EDA.
A Novel Association Between a Cytotoxic Helper T Cell Subtype and Peri-implantitis
Keywords: Microbiome
Peri-implantitis
T cell

Objectives: To assess the potential association between the cytotoxic CD4+CD28null helper T cell and peri-implantitis (locally and systemically). To characterize the unique microbiome of peri-implantitis. Materials and methods: This study assesses the tissue infiltration and peripheral blood concentrations of CD4+CD28null helper T cells (surface expression of CD markers; flow cytometry) in patients with peri-implantitis. The microbiome profile of peri-implantitis will be characterized (rRNA sequencing). Results: Significantly higher levels of CD4+/CD28null T cells (tissue and peripheral blood) and expression of cytolytic molecules perforin and granzyme were found in patients with peri-implantitis compared to healthy patients. The peri-implantitis biofilm exhibited a unique microbial composition, with a notable prevalence of the Prevotella species compared to the periodontitis biofilm. Conclusions: Peri-implant disease may be associated with senescent CD4+CD28null helper T cells locally and systemically. The prevalence of Prevotella appears to be increased within the biofilm of patients with peri-implantitis.
Optimizing and Streamlining the Study Abroad Process using Design Thinking Methodologies and UX Strategies
Keywords: Education
Global Citizenship
International
Learning Abroad
Scholarships
User Experience Design

This thesis aims to assess the user experience of learning abroad programs and the corresponding funding applications, with the goal of reducing barriers for financially disadvantaged students in accessing funding for such programs. Using a design thinking approach, the study focused on conducting interviews and contextual inquiries with 24 students from the University of Toronto, ten learning abroad administrative staff from various universities worldwide, and eight stakeholders representing the Canadian Government or their funding distributors. This project takes into consideration the viewpoints of these participants who may be involved in funding a student's learning abroad journey. Based on the findings, the thesis proposes recommendations to enhance the user experience, with the goal of supporting more students in their learning abroad endeavours. Ultimately, the final objective of this research is to increase access to learning abroad programs for all students, regardless of their socio-economic background.
Curating the Everyday: Taking Care in Exhibitions
Keywords: Affect
Care
Curation
Gallery
Historic House
Photography

While notions of care are fundamental in museum work, current museological care practices focus mainly on collections. In this thesis, I work to complicate existing care definitions by critically examining four case studies: Jason Lazarus’s Too Hard To Keep, The Glen Burnie Historic House renovation, The Family Camera Network project, and the exhibition, What Matters Most: Photographs of Black Life. Based on decolonial, Queer, feminist, and social justice ideals, my cumulative care definition is conceptualized as an entry point, not a prescriptive care model. My research questions are: How do personal and highly affective materials shape curatorial sensibilities towards care? And how has care been conceptualize operationalized, and received by exhibition participants and professionals in these case studies, and in what ways were these care practices made evident to audiences? By interviewing case study professionals, I gleaned their care definitions, while allowing me to examine the care practices I utilized in this research.
Movement in Museums: Towards an Embodied Dance Collection Practice
Keywords: collections
dance
embodied knowledge
intangible cultural heritage
museums
performance

Traditional methods of preserving dance heritage, such as written records, filmed recordings,and collections of performance ephemera, fall short of capturing the embodied experience ofdance and fail to adequately safeguard movement itself. Drawing inspiration from intangiblecultural heritage practice and the work of Adrienne Kaeppler, this thesis asserts that the preservation of dance requires specialized care that prioritizes the experiential understanding of dancers. To explore this topic, the thesis offers a landscape survey of international dance heritage institutions and presents case studies of three exemplary institutions which model movement-oriented dance preservation practices: the Verdon Fosse Legacy Foundation, the Museo del Baile Flamenco, and Scenkonstmuseet. The research highlights the significance of embodied knowledge and interpersonal transmission in ensuring the continued vitality of dance and advocates for an expansion of collection strategies to incorporate community-oriented practice-based methods, as well as the adoption of heritage practices that prioritize dancers' firsthand expertise.
Homocysteine, Neuroimaging Biomarkers, and Blood-Based Biomarkers in Apolipoprotein E ε4 Carriers and Non-Carriers across Cerebrovascular and Neurodegenerative Diseases
Keywords: Alzheimer's Disease
Apolipoprotein E
Cerebrovascular Disease
Homocysteine
Neurodegeneration
Parkinson's Disease

The amino acid homocysteine (Hcy) is a risk factor for cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases. However, its relationship with the apolipoprotein E (APOE) ε4 allele on neurodegenerative outcomes is not well-characterized. Participants with neurodegenerative or cerebrovascular diseases were stratified by the presence of the APOE ε4 allele. Brain volumes and small vessel disease marker volumes were quantified with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Amyloid, tau, and neurodegenerative blood-based biomarkers were quantified with single molecule arrays, and Hcy was quantified with an immunoassay. Hcy was associated with lower brain parenchymal fraction (BPF) and higher neurofilament light chain (NfL) in APOE ε4 non-carriers, but not in carriers. Within each disease subgroup, BPF associations remained consistent except in Parkinson's disease, where Hcy was associated with BPF regardless of APOE ε4 carrier status. These results may provide insight into the role of Hcy in neurodegeneration in different diseases.
A Longitudinal Multidimensional Rehabilitation Program for Patients undergoing Allogeneic Blood and Marrow Transplantation (CaRE-4-alloBMT): A Phase II Feasibility Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial
Keywords: Cancer
Feasibility
Hematology
Rehabilitation
Stem cell transplant

Allogeneic blood and marrow transplantation (alloBMT) is a curative treatment for blood cancers associated with various treatment-related adverse events and morbidities for which rehabilitation programs are currently limited. A Phase II randomized controlled trial (RCT) was conducted to assess the feasibility, acceptability, and impact of CaRE-4-alloBMT: a longitudinal multidimensional cancer rehabilitation program for patients undergoing alloBMT. Feasibility of the intervention and methods were assessed. Acceptability was assessed through qualitative interviews. Secondary clinical outcomes were collected through questionnaires and physiological assessments. A total of 80 participants were recruited and randomized. Recruitment (72%) and retention (70%) rates, along with qualitative findings, support the feasibility of the intervention, however, adherence could be improved. Treatment effect sizes of 0.70, 95% CI [0.20, 1.21] (30-second sit-to-stand test), and 0.46, 95% CI [-0.17, 1.09] (SF-36) were observed in favour of the intervention. Results will be used to refine the program and inform a Phase III RCT.
Reactivity and Electrochemical Study of Peripherally Fluorinated Boron Subphthalocyanines
Keywords: Boron subphthalocyanine
Cyclic voltammetry
Differential pulse voltammetry
Electrochemistry

The need for more sustainable forms of electrochemical energy storage has arisen due to the environmental impacts of manufacturing traditional inorganic energy storage systems. Herein, boron subphthalocyanines (BsubPcs), a unique macrocyclic compound, are investigated as a promising solution, with a focus on peripherally fluorinated BsubPcs (F12BsubPc). F12BsubPcs containing different axial halogens were studied in terms of their reactivity to axial exchange reactions. It was found that peripheral fluorination of BsubPcs inhibited the axial exchange reaction when compared to their non-fluorinated counterparts, with the axial Br ligand (Br-F12BsubPc) being the most reactive and most appropriate precursor. Previous studies have shown that F12BsubPc monomers contain highly stable and reversible reduction potentials. The electrochemical differences of F12BsubPc monomers, dimers, and dendrimers were studied and showed that the addition of multiple F12BsubPcs onto a single molecule can slightly shift both reduction and oxidation potentials closer together, making both processes marginally easier. The conclusions outlined in this thesis can aid in the development of novel BsubPcs for use inelectrochemical energy storage.
A Mixed Methods Study of Dental Implant Treatment Outcome and Impact on Patients with Oligodontia from 1987 to 2022
Keywords: dental implant
mixed methods study
oligodontia

Objective: To assess the dental implant treatment outcome and impact on patients with oligodontia.Material and methods: This mixed methods study with a convergent parallel design investigated patients with oligodontia who received dental implant treatment from 1987 to 2007. Data analyses were conducted to determine the treatment outcome and its impact on implant recipients. Results: A total of 578 implants placed in 100 patients were included: the 5-year cumulative survival rate (CSR) was 88.7%±1.4%. A subset of 215 implants placed in 25 patients was reassessed in 2022; the 20-year CSR was 81.9%±2.7%. There was an increased hazard ratio (HR) for males, implants with machined surface and implants placed in the maxilla. Patient-reported outcomes indicated that multiple challenges were encountered during different treatment stages, but improved quality of life outweighed hardships. Conclusions: Dental implant treatment is predictable over the long term for patients with oligodontia.
Optimization of Catheter Placement for Transperineal Interstitial Gynecological Brachytherapy with Centroidal Voronoi Tessellation
Keywords: brachytherapy
centroidal Voronoi tessellation
cervical cancer
interstitial brachytherapy

Brachytherapy (BT) is an essential pillar in the treatment of locally advanced cervical cancer. One method of gynecological interstitial (IS) BT uses a Syed Neblett transperineal catheter-guiding template with an intrauterine applicator. Using pre-BT imaging to plan catheter positions can lead to suboptimal tumour coverage, and often unused catheters, which contribute to increased implantation time and risk of bleeds. Using images taken after placement of the Template and APPlicator (post-TAPP) with catheter placement optimization may result in fewer unused catheters and better or equivalent dosimetry.A processing pipeline including Centroidal Voronoi Tessellation (CVT)-based catheter optimization was used to retrospectively simulate optimized catheters on post-TAPP images in cervix IS BT cases. Treatment plans were then manually generated with the optimized and clinical catheters. Plan quality was evaluated via compliance with the EMBRACE-II dosimetric limits. This feasibility study supports the hypothesis that CVT optimization on post-TAPP imaging can achieve clinically acceptable dosimetry, while decreasing insertion of extraneous catheters and potentially decreasing implantation time by limiting the need for repeat imaging.
Mechanical Design, Assembly, and Test of Microsatellites with Optical Payloads for Earth and Astrophysical Observation
Keywords: mechanism
microsatellite
SFL
spacecraft
structure
vibration

Microsatellites enabled by new technologies offer reduced cost and development time compared to traditional approaches, providing new opportunities for space missions. This thesis presents contributions to two microsatellite missions - GHGSat and Aspera. Each GHGSat spacecraft carries an optical payload to detect atmospheric methane, enabling global methane monitoring. This thesis presents the assembly of multiple GHGSat spacecraft, analysis and testing of a new launch adapter, and then the environmental testing of the spacecraft. This work concludes with the successful launch of these spacecraft. The Aspera mission consists of a single microsatellite supporting a far-ultraviolet imager that will observe galaxies. This thesis presents a design to meet the contamination control requirements for the imager. First, requirements for the design are derived, and initial design trade-offs are evaluated. Next, work for each of the major design drivers is presented. Lastly, the design is updated using the results of qualification testing.
Deployment and Evaluation of a Motivational-Interviewing Chatbot for Moving Smokers Towards the Decision to Quit and Distillation of Large Foundational Language Models for Generating MI Reflections
Keywords: Artificial Intelligence
Chatbot
Clinical Application
Natural Language Processing
Smoking Cessation
Software

Motivational Interviewing (MI) is a validated therapeutic approach that has been shown to help ambivalent people struggling with addiction move toward change. MI has been applied to many behaviours, including smoking cessation. If conversational agents could effectively apply MI, they may provide a scalable way to help more people access this therapy. Previous attempts to provide MI therapy through text-based conversational agents have typically employ scripted responses to client statements, but such non-specific responses have been shown to reduce effectiveness. A key technique in MI is to ask open-ended questions and then provide a reflection of the response to evoke contemplation in the client. Recent advances in Natural Language Processing provide a new way to create responses that are specific to client's statements, using a Transformer-based Language Model. We present the design, evolution and impact assessment of a chatbot that makes use of generated reflections, whose goal is to guide ambivalent smokers toward the decision to quit. Through four trials of 349 participants, we show that the chatbot significantly increases participants' confidence to quit smoking one week after the conversation compared to before the conversation (\textit{P}=.001). As a key part of the chatbot is the language model that produces reflection, and it is difficult and sometimes impractical to run a clinical bot with a corporation's proprietary model, we explore methods of model distillation to train smaller, more practical language models to generate MI-adherent reflections. We present a method for distilling the specific tasks of generating MI reflections from a Large Foundational Language Model (GPT-4) into smaller models. We show that GPT-4 can generate MI-adherent reflections near 100\% success and use output generated from that model to fine-tune the much smaller GPT-2 family as form of knowledge distillation. We also use GPT-4 as a zero-shot evaluator to classify the quality distilled student model outputs and validate that classifier with a triple human-review. We show that the GPT-2 small achieves an 83\% success rate on a hold-out test set and the GPT-2 XL achieves 90\% success. In addition, our GPT-4 zero-shot prompt evaluator achieves significantly high inter-rater reliability (.61 Cohen-Kappa) with triple-human review.
Elucidating the Role of Leucine-Rich Repeat Kinase 2 in Crohn’s Disease Pathogenesis and Neutrophil Biology
Keywords: Citrobacter rodentium
Crohn's disease
LRRK2
mucosal immunology
neutrophils

Crohn’s disease (CD) is a debilitating chronic inflammatory bowel disease that can significantly reduce a person’s quality of life. Kinase domain gain-of-function variants of leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2), such as G2019S, are associated with an increased risk of CD and have been shown to enhance both myeloid cell trafficking and protection against intracellular infections, yet their role in disease pathogenesis remains elusive. Thus, we tested the hypothesis that LRRK2 kinase hyperactivity boosts enteric pathogen clearance in a selectively advantageous manner but simultaneously underlies the exacerbated inflammatory pathology characteristic of CD. We demonstrated that, in the context of C. rodentium-induced colitis, Lrrk2G2019S mice exhibited neither enhanced protection nor hyperinflammation relative to wild-type controls, and that neither the deficiency of Lrrk2 nor its G2019S mutation altered neutrophils’ capacity to degranulate in vitro or migrate in vivo. Future studies will aim to further investigate the role of LRRK2 in neutrophils using other models of inflammation.
Investigating Climate Characteristics And Their Influence On Heat Flow Through Temperate Region Lake Ice
Keywords: black ice
heat flow
heat flow through ice
lake ice
temperate region
white ice

This study uses in situ data to determine the heat flow through temperate region lake ice from 2017 to 2022. The study sites, MacDonald Lake and Clear Lake are located in Central Ontario and represent typical lakes in the region. Climate and ice observations were recorded weekly, while ice decay/growth was determined using a Shallow Water Ice Profiler and manual measurements. Results found that there was an increase in slushing events from 2018 to 2022. When slush was present on ice, the temperature gradient through the ice was nonexistent – resulting in an isothermal ice column and no heat flow. Ice thickness and temperatures at the ice-atmosphere interface were the main drivers of heat loss, most notably a maximum heat loss of 0.5 Wm-2, showing less heat loss than through Arctic ice. Finally, there was local-scale variation throughout climate and ice observations, driven by differing site conditions and snow redistribution.