VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
Exploring Athletes’ Perspectives on Power in Sexualized Experiences between Peers in Sport
Keywords: Peer-based Violence
Power
Sexual Experiences
Sexual Violence
Violence

The purpose of this study was to explore athletes’ perspectives on sources of athlete power and the influence of power on sexualized experiences with peers in sport. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with thirteen student-athletes from Canadian and U.S. university athletic organizations. Three main themes emerged from the research, including athletes’ disconnected understanding of the concept of power and athlete power, the interrelation between an athlete’s social status and sexualized encounters, and the influence of status on perceptions of appropriate and inappropriate sexual experiences within the athlete community. This research highlights the complexity of athlete-athlete sexual relationships and recommendations are posed for athlete education.
Cache Coherence for Approximate Computing
Keywords: Approximate Computing
Cache Coherence
Computer Architecture

Coherence induced cache misses are an important aspect limiting the scalability of shared memory parallel programs. Many coherence misses are avoidable, namely misses due to false sharing – when different threads write to different memory addresses that are contained within the same cache block causing unnecessary invalidations. Our work leverages the domain of approximate computing and the value similarity within store values present in multi-threaded error-tolerant applications. We introduce a novel cache coherence protocol for approximate computing which implements an approximate store instruction and coherence states to allow some incoherence within approximatable shared data to mitigate both coherence misses and coherence traffic within various sharing patterns. For applications within multi-threaded Phoenix and AxBench suites, we see dynamic energy improvements within the NoC and memory hierarchy up to 50.1% and speedup up to 37.3% with low output error for approximate applications that exhibit false sharing.
Numerical Study of the Transition from Regular to Mach Reflection on a Wedge and Semicylinder
Keywords: Mach Reflection
Oblique Shock Interaction
Regular Reflection
Shock Reflection
Shock Reflection Transition
Shock waves

The transition from regular (RR) to Mach reflection (MR) on wedges and semicylinders in inviscid, diatomic gases is examined herein via numerical methods. The objective of this work is to develop and demonstrate a systematic numerical post-processing methodology that can accurately determine the RR-MR transition for the oblique shock reflection problem on the semicylinder. In the case of a semicylinder, oblique shock reflection is a fully unsteady flow process. The proposed methodology exploits the continuous nature of the transition on the semicylinder and avoids the limitations present in standard image processing techniques commonly used in experimental approaches for determining the RR-MR transition. The numerical results obtained for the RR-MR transition on the semicylinder are compared to existing theoretical and numerically-determined boundaries for the transition on wedges. It is observed that the numerically-determined RR-MR transition on the semicylinder occurs at a slightly lower equivalent wedge angle than that of the wedge.
Mitigating Mortality of Wildlife in Rouge National Urban Park
Keywords: Antenna
Ecopassage
PIT-tag
Road mortality
Wildlife

Rouge National Urban Park is one of the largest urban parks in North America, encompassing natural and developed areas, resulting in high numbers of wildlife road mortalities. Ecopassages are a common method to mitigate wildlife road mortality to provide safe crossing. To determine the placement of an ecopassage in the park, six kilometers of road was surveyed for five field seasons to record wildlife road-kill. Landscape features, traffic volume, distance to railway, seasonal movement, and weather were shown to be related to wildlife road mortality. After the installation of an ecopassage, a common tool used to assess its efficacy is PIT-tagging freshwater turtles, and strategically placing antennae at the entrances of an ecopassage. By completing arena experiments, this study investigated how PIT-tag placement, antenna type, environmental conditions, turtle orientation, and tag orientation influenced detection success. Overall, pass-over antenna, external placements, and vertical tag orientation had significantly higher detection.
Ultrafine Particulate Pollution Exposure during the School Commute: GIS-based Modelling techniques for Estimating Dosage and Examining Environmental Inequality
Keywords: Air Pollution Exposure
Children
Commute
GIS
Modelling
Ultrafine Particulate Matter

This research is broadly divided into experiments focusing on two primary objectives: (1) To develop modelling techniques for examining ultrafine particulate (UFP) dosage in the walk-to-school commute, and (2) use these models to examine spatial patterns in dosage from an environmental inequality perspective. The first objective was met through development of a GIS-based modelling workflow which yielded estimates of commute dosage that account for variations in ambient concentration, walking speed, and ventilation rate within a single commute route. The second objective was met by applying these models to estimate commute related UFP dosage across an entire population and conducting analysis within a standard environmental inequality framework combining spatial regression and cluster mapping. We identified associations and patterns of exposure-burdening on vulnerable population groups, which indicate evidence of UFP dosage disparities. However, a divergence from those found in the literature suggests a need for further research to validate these outcomes.
Continuous-time Pipelined Binary-search Flash ADC
Keywords: ADC
Binary
Continuous
Delay
Flash
Pipeline

A novel ADC architecture is introduced with a sampling rate comparable to flash converters, but with reduced input capacitance, power consumption and kickback. Broadband active delay circuits pass the input along with a clock through a continuous-time pipeline. The 5-bit prototype has a 2.5-bit first stage, 1.5-bit second stage, and 2-bit final stage allowing for digital correction of interstage errors. Consuming 47mW at 7GS/s in 28nm CMOS, the converter has 15fF differential input capacitance
Current and Emergent Suicidal Ideation in Schizophrenia: Effect of Stressful Life Events and Genome-Wide Methylation
Keywords: Epigenetics
Schizophrenia
Stress
Suicidal Ideation

Suicide is a serious problem, especially in patients with schizophrenia. In order to prevent suicide, it is imperative to identify those with suicidal ideation and emergent suicidal ideation. We tested the effect of childhood trauma and recent stress on current and emergent suicidal ideation. Furthermore, we identified differentially methylated probes and regions associated with current suicidal ideation, as well as methylation changes in individual sites associated with emergent suicidal ideation. We found that an increase in total stress and health-related stress were significant predictors of emergent suicidal ideation. We also report the most significant positions and regions associated with current and emergent suicidal ideation. The anticipated outcomes of these studies were to improve the understanding about risk factors for suicidal ideation, and the identification of methylation markers to monitor for suicidal ideation in psychosis.
Agricultural Technology in the Developing World: A Solar Udraft Aerator for Aquaculture and a Meta-analysis of the Adoption Literature
Keywords: Adoption
Agriculture
Aquaculture
Development
Evaluation
Technology

Agricultural technology can play an important role in the effort to eliminate food insecurity and global poverty. This thesis presents an evaluation of a technology at the design stage, and a meta-analysis of the factors that influence adoption of technologies at the dissemination stage. First, a case study of a project to design an aerator for aquaculture ponds in Bangladesh is discussed. The project is not found to be successful, but the evaluation methodology employed may be generalized to other agricultural technologies. The case study also yields observations about the value and role of laboratory, research station, and on-farm trials in agricultural technology development. Next, some considerations for the dissemination phase are discerned through a meta-analysis of 218 adoption studies. Barriers to adoption of various types of technology are identified and recommendations are made for adoption researchers and policy makers.
The Development of a Microsimulation Model to Evaluate the Cost-utility of Telemonitoring for Patients with Heart Failure in Ontario, Canada
Keywords: cost-effectiveness
cost-utility
heart failure
telemonitoring

Objective: To assess the cost-utility of telemonitoring compared to the current standard of care in the management of patients with heart failure over a 25-year time horizon from a public payer perspective. Methods: A microsimulation model was developed to analyze telemonitoring’s cost-utility by using data from the Medly Program Evaluation and literature. Scenario analyses were conducted in relation to HF severity and TM deployment models. A probabilistic sensitivity analysis (PSA) and one-way analyses were performed. Results: TM had an incremental cost of $16,478 and incremental Quality-Adjusted Life Year (QALY) of 0.671 resulting in ICER of $24,553/QALY. PSA showed 84.4% likelihood of cost-effectiveness under $50,000/QALY willingness-to-pay. Scenario analyses did not show significant changes to ICERs. Results were sensitive to the reduction of hospitalizations by TM. Conclusion: The model demonstrates that TM is cost-effective compared to current standard of care. This study could be repeated when more follow up data becomes available.
Targeting Casein Kinases in the Fungal Pathogen Candida albicans
Keywords: Candida albicans
Genetics
Kinase
Microbiology
Yck2

Fungal pathogens are a major public health burden. We previously screened a library of over 700 protein kinase inhibitors and identified compounds with potent antifungal activity in combination with the echinocandin antifungal drug caspofungin, against an echinocandin-resistant isolate of Candida albicans. My thesis aimed to validate the interaction of two of the top compounds, GW416484 and SB-400868, with their putative casein kinase targets, Yck2 and Hrr25. Genetic analysis suggested that GW461484 and related molecules targeted both Yck2 and Hrr25, whereas the SB-400868 scaffold specifically engaged with Yck2. Through use of in vitro kinase assays I confirmed that Yck2 activity is inhibited by both GW461484 and SB-400868 suggesting an important role of this family of kinases in governing echinocandin resistance. In collaboration with the Savchenko Lab, we solved the structure of C. albicans Yck2. Overall, this work reveals that targeting casein kinases may be an effective strategy to cripple drug-resistant C. albicans.
The Role of Macrophage Receptor with a Collegenous Structure (MARCO) in Atherosclerosis
Keywords: Atherosclerosis
Hypercholesterolemia
Lipid Uptake
Macrophage
Scavenger Receptor

Cardiovascular diseases account for a quarter of all deaths in Canada. A main contributor towards vascular disease is atherosclerosis, or a build-up of plaque in the arteries. During the inflammatory atherogenic response, macrophages can perpetuate inflammation through lipid accumulation. Macrophages ingest lipids through scavenger receptors (SRs) which have functions that potentially affect atherogenesis. Nevertheless, SRs remains controversial in atherosclerosis. My project assesses Macrophage Receptor with Collagenous Structure (MARCO) in experimental atherosclerosis. Consistent with our MARCO expression data, MARCO deficiency did not affect lipid uptake in bone marrow derived macrophages but was impaired in peritoneal macrophages. To assess how MARCO shapes disease, we used a Marco-/- Ldlr -/- and an AAV-PCSK9 injected Marco-/- mice. Both atherosclerosis models developed similar lesion sizes compared to controls. Inflammatory profiles also were similar while bone marrow transplant experiments suggest hematopoietic MARCO does not impact atherosclerosis. Despite binding lipids, MARCO seems to have no influence in atherosclerosis.
Using Milk-derived Exosomes To Repair Malnutrition-induced Gut Barrier Dysfunction In Mice
Keywords: Barrier
Exosomes
Intestine
Malnutrition
Mice
Milk

Malnutrition is linked to 45% of death below the age of 5 and intestinal dysfunction, including intestinal barrier breakdown and mucosal atrophy. Exosomes are minute extracellular vesicles that were shown to influence intestinal stem cell function, which could stimulate intestinal repair. This study aimed to investigate the effect of exosomes in malnutrition-induced mucosal atrophy and barrier dysfunction. C57BL/6J mice received a control or isocaloric protein deficient diet for 14 days to induce malnutrition. From day 10 to 14 they received daily oral gavage of milk-derived exosomes or PBS control. Malnourished mice demonstrated villus blunting, increased permeability as evidenced by significantly increased FITC levels and loss of Claudin-3 which were improved with exosomes. Small intestinal cellular proliferation was increased with exosomes (Ki67 staining) and associated with signs of increased leucine-rich repeat-containing G-protein coupled receptor 5 stem cell activity. Exosomes could be an attractive therapy to restore intestinal function in malnourished children.
Sharing Psychosocial Risk Assessment Information with Paediatric Oncology Healthcare Providers: Service Utilization and Related Factors
Keywords: Knowledge translation
Paediatric
Psychosocial intervention
Psychosocial screening
Psycyho-oncology

The increased risk for psychosocial morbidity in paediatric oncology patients and their families is widely recognized. Although routine screening has been proposed as an important standard of care, systematic screening is limited. Additional research is required to provide evidence for greater integration of risk screening into clinical practice. The present study investigated whether healthcare providers’ (HCPs) knowledge of family psychosocial risk translates to increased rates of psychosocial intervention. The number of psychosocial services documented when HCPs provide care as usual or are informed of risk as measured by the Psychosocial Assessment Tool was compared. Results showed no significant difference in the number of services received by families when HCPs were aware of risk or not, indicating that knowledge of high-risk families is not sufficient to impact rates of intervention. The intensity of the child’s cancer treatment was found to be the strongest predictor of the amount of psychosocial care provided.
Beyond Yield Alone: Functional Traits of Regionally Adapted Daucus carota (carrot) Varieties on Organic Farms
Keywords: Canada
Daucus carota (carrot)
functional traits
intraspecific
organic crops
phenotypic plasticity

While agronomic traits have been widely studied, crop functional trait expression and variation among regionally and broadly adapted seeds have not. I measured 14 above- and below-ground functional traits in six varieties of Daucus carota (carrot) grown at ten organic farms across Canada to test whether seed regionality corresponds to differential expression of functional traits. Environmental conditions at the farm level over varietal difference explained variation in trait expression. Leaf traits trade off in patterns predicted by the Leaf Economics Spectrum. Environmentally-patterned variation in trait expression differed between varieties. Regionally adapted varieties expressed higher resource acquisitive traits when grown outside their local region, and while hybrid varieties performed more consistently between sites, hybrids expressed higher resource acquisitive traits when grown in western regions. By testing trait tradeoffs between varieties, this research addresses a knowledge gap regarding the ecological consequences of crop functional trait expression, with implications for multiple end users.
Analysis of Protein Expression Differences in Cardiac Fibroblasts Isolated from 7-day Sham-operated and Infarcted Murine Hearts
Keywords: cardiac fibroblasts
cardiac fibrosis
cardiovascular
heart failure
proteomics

Myocardial infarction (MI) induces cardiac remodeling, activation of cardiac fibroblasts (CFs), reduced tissue compliance, and heart failure progression. To identify novel mediators of cardiac fibrosis, we conducted mass spectrometry on CFs isolated by pre-plating or fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACs) from 7-day sham and infarcted mouse hearts. Pre-plated CFs from infarcted and remote regions showed that CFs were enriched similarly in proteins associated with myofibroblast activation and profibrotic signaling, including cell-cell/matrix adhesion, protein folding, and collagen organization. Thus, MI causes more global effects on CF activation than were previously understood. Using a fibroblast reporter mouse (Col1α1-GFP/αSMA-dsRED), αSMA- and αSMA+ CFs were isolated by FACs from 7-day sham and infarcted hearts to examine potential differences in the response of these two CF populations to ischemic injury. Surprisingly, greater differences were observed in sham compared to infarcted hearts, suggesting that cardiac injury induced convergence of all CFs towards a more profibrotic phenotype.
To Sedum or Not to Sedum: Improving Extensive Green Roof Functioning Using Invasion Theory as a Management Tool
Keywords: Ecosystem function
Extensive green roofs
Invasion biology
Native plants
Roof cooling
Stormwater management

Green roofs have become increasingly popular to mitigate the negative impacts of urbanization and to restore key ecosystem functions in cities. In this thesis, I evaluate green roof functioning in two ways, using a meta-analysis of existing literature and a field-based manipulation experiment. The meta-analysis showed that Sedum survived better than non-Sedum, but there was no pattern of roof cooling and stormwater management. In the field, I conducted a factorial experiment using invasion theory as a management tool to increase native species diversity on extensive green roofs and evaluate green roof functioning. I hypothesized that resource addition via irrigation and disturbance treatments will enhance native species success and increase roof cooling and stormwater management. Results show plants aid in roof cooling and increase moisture retention, however evidence supporting diversity enhancing green roof functioning is lacking. Diversity effects on function theoretically require co-existence mechanisms, thus requiring observation over longer temporal scale.
Advanced Applications for Finite Element Analysis in Assessment of Concrete Structures in Nuclear Power Plants
Keywords: Abaqus
Reinforcement concrete
Structural engineering
VecTor4

Finite element analysis (FEA) software is widely adopted in the field of structural engineering. Although the capabilities of the existing software packages have been steadily improving, the demand for ever more intricate analyses have also been escalating. The standard tools provided by the FEA software packages are often insufficient for performing the complex analyses. Two case study projects are provided to demonstrate how the existing FEA software functionalities can be extended through programmatic means. The first project discusses the implementation of the numerical hybrid framework, which combine pieces of a model from separate FEA software into a single hybrid model for an integrated analysis. In the second project, FEA is carried out to study the containment structure’s thermal and mechanical strain behavior during the periodic Reactor Building Leak-Rate Tests. Thermal strain results from the FEA are subtracted from the sensor measurements, so the underlying mechanical strain can be independently examined.
From Forests to Formulas: Contextual Examination of Composers’ Sources, Materials, and Practices Involving Creative Insight
Keywords: composers
creative insight
information behaviour
information studies
musical composition

This thesis reports the findings of an exploratory, mixed-methods study of the information phenomena associated with musical composition. It employs a semi-structured interview and a survey among participants of the current musical composition community, the majority of which resided in the greater Toronto area. The guiding question is “What are the information activities and resources of composers as they strive to compose new music?” During research, the concept of creative insight, emerged as a necessary supplement to previous inquiries into composers' inspiration. The findings explore the varied sources of creative insight utilized by composers; differing uses of creative insight, Creative Insight Storage Units (CISUs), composers' record keeping devices; creative insight in embodied form; and the varying information needs of composers at different stages in their profession. The report closes with the introduction of a new model of creative information phenomena in musical composition, and questions for future research.
Minority Stress, Positive Sexual Minority Identity and Eudaimonic Well-being Experiences Among Sexual and Gender-diverse Communities
Keywords: eudaimonia
LGBTQ2
mental health
minority stress
resiliency
sexual minority health

Significant literature has documented the negative mental health experiences of LGBTQ2-identified people. More recently, research has begun to examine LGBTQ2 well-being and resiliency in the context of positive, eudaimonic well-being outcomes. Based in the minority stress model, the current study examines the relationship between minority stressors and eudaimonic well-being, and resiliency factors that may reduce the negative impact of such stressors on these eudaimonic outcomes. Such analyses were conducted through regression and mediation models. 300 participants who self-identified as LGBTQ2 were recruited through online spaces and responded to relevant questionnaires. Regression results indicated that higher scores on internalized homophobia and lower scores on outness were significantly predictive of eudaimonic well-being outcomes. Furthermore, both authenticity and community connectedness were shown to partially reduce the direct relationships between proximal minority stressors and eudaimonic well-being. Relevant implications for the minority stress model, and clinical and practical uses of findings are discussed as well.
Foul Tip Impacts to Catchers’ Masks American League East: A Study of Head Impacts to Catchers
Keywords: baseball
catcher
foul tip
head impact exposure
head impacts
MLB

Purpose: To observe and describe foul tip impacts (FTIs) experienced by MLB catchers and to examine if batting performance was affected by FTIs. Method: Retrospective data analysis was conducted to examine FTIs in games (n= 648) observed using MLB TV. Descriptive statistics, incidence of, and absolute risk for FTIs were calculated. Mixed effects models were used to explore the association between FTIs and catchers’ batting performance. Results: 172 FTIs ranged in speeds (76.7-100.3mph) with 74% reaching 90mph or greater. There were 17.52 FTIs per 10,000 pitches thrown and 17 games with >1 FTI. FTIs varied between catchers (range: 0-32 FTIs). Neither FTI frequency nor speed predicted catchers’ batting performance. Contribution: Described the characteristics and descriptive statistics of FTIs across four MLB teams. Catchers experienced many FTIs at speeds which caused concussion cited in previous research. These findings highlight the need for future research to explore the conditions surrounding FTIs and sports medical management practices.