VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
The Politics of Accreditation: A Comparison of the Engineering Profession in Five Anglosphere Countries
Keywords: Accreditation
Engineering education
Higher education
Pluralism
Professional bodies
Sociology of professions

This study explores the politics shaping engineering accreditation in Canada, United States, United Kingdom, Australia and South Africa. Using pluralist political theory to analyze literature and relevant policy documents, this study shows important differences in the configuration of the engineering profession in different countries. These historical and organizational configurations shape the extent to which policy changes are centralized or decentralized, and influence the extent to which accreditation supports social closure for the profession. This ultimately shows the importance of analyzing local political factors that affect the implementation of international accreditation policies such as the Washington Accord. The findings lay the groundwork for future empirical studies to investigate the complex implementation dynamics at an institutional level in different national contexts, including the intermediary role of faculty networks and engineering education societies.
To Look or Not to Look During Vaccination: A Pilot Randomized Trial
Keywords: fear
looking preference
needle
pain
vaccination

Objective: To examine the impact of looking at the needle versus looking away from the needle on pain and fear during vaccination in adults. Methods: This was a pilot randomized, 2-group parallel trial with adults receiving influenza vaccinations. Participants were stratified and randomly assigned to either look at versus away from the needle. Participants self-reported their pain and fear during vaccination. Results: Of the 184 subjects who agreed to participate, 160 were enrolled; 66% were female. A 3-way ANOVA (looking allocation assignment x looking preference x sex) revealed significant main effects suggesting that being asked to look increases fear (p=0.025) and those who prefer to look away are more fearful (p
Scalable Collaborative Caching and Storage Platform for Data Analytics
Keywords: alluxio
analytics
cache
hadoop
spark
tiered storage

The emerging Big Data ecosystem has brought about dramatic proliferation of paradigms for analytics. In the race for the best performance, each new engine enforces tight coupling of analytics execution with caching and storage functionalities. This one-for-all approach has led to either oversimplifications where traditional functionality was dropped or more configuration options that created more confusion about optimal settings. We avoid user confusion by following an integrated multi-service approach where we assign responsibilities to decoupled services. In our solution, called Gluon, we build a collaborative cache tier that connects state-of-art analytics engines with a variety of storage systems. We use both open-source and proprietary technologies to implement our architecture. We show that Gluon caching can achieve 2.5x-3x speedup when compared to uncustomized Spark caching while displaying higher resource utilization efficiency. Finally, we show how Gluon can integrate traditional storage back-ends without significant performance loss when compared to vanilla analytics setups.
Glycosylation features mediating endothelial interactions of the Lyme disease pathogen Borrelia burgdorferi
Keywords: BBK32 adhesin
Borrelia burgdorferi
Glycosaminoglycans
Lyme disease
Pathogen-host interaction
Vascular adhesion

This thesis reports the types of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) important for the Lyme disease pathogen Borrelia burgdorferi interactions with endothelial cells under physiological shear stress. Contributions of specific GAG classes to bacterial interactions was assessed in flow chamber devices through competitive inhibition with soluble GAGs and depletion of GAGs with deglycosylation enzymes. A broad range of GAGs were found to mediate interactions of infectious B. burgdorferi with endothelial cells under shear stress. B. burgdorferi tethering interactions were dependent on all GAG types tested, while dragging interactions were mediated by a more restricted range of GAG types. Stationary adhesions were stimulated by highly charged exogenous GAGs but were not found to be GAG-dependent. BBK32 B. burgdorferi vascular adhesin-mediated tethering interactions were heparin-dependent, while BBK32-mediated dragging interactions were not GAG-dependent. Together, this data represents the shear-tolerant binding of B. burgdorferi with specific GAG classes and offers a potential molecular mechanism of pathogen-host interaction.
An Evaluation of the Effectiveness of an Adaptive Mobile System for Inspection-Related Tasks
Keywords: adaptive automation
adaptive mobile system
process industries

Mobile devices have become increasingly prevalent in the process industries. Their implementation in the work environment is expected to improve task performance of operations and maintenance work by providing up-to-date information at the point of work. This research investigated the effectiveness of adaptive mobile systems in supporting inspection-related tasks. An Android prototype was designed and implemented with an event-based indoor positioning system. The prototype adapted the structural organization of a menu by 1) a spatial trigger, 2) a task trigger, or 3) a combined spatial - task trigger. Results showed that adaptive interfaces were superior to the static interface in terms of more efficient planning for inspection. Specifically, adaptive interfaces by spatial triggers, as opposed to task triggers, were found to be more beneficial. The combined spatial - task trigger did not yield better performance over single-trigger systems, whereas the incremental benefits of adaptive automation emerged at high information content.
Optoelectronic Characterization of Novel Photovoltaic Nanomaterials
Keywords: mobility
photovoltaic
quantum dot
time of flight
transient absorption

Solution-processed nanomaterials such as lead sulfide (PbS) colloidal quantum dots (CQDs) combine various manufacturing benefits and facile spectral tunability. However, the low mobility of CQD films limits its power conversion efficiency in photovoltaic cells. Here, I employ a novel femtosecond transient absorption (fs-TA) technique to determine the mobility of PbS CQD films that have undergone state of the art surface treatments. A significant mobility increase from 3 × 10−2 to 5 × 10−1 cm2 V−1 s−1 was determined for iodide passivated and novel perovskite-shelled PbS CQDs, respectively. I performed, for the first time, temperature-dependent ultrafast carrier dynamics in perovskite-shelled CQDs using fs-TA, and determined an activation energy of 14 meV required for carrier hopping. Complementary studies that used time-of-flight measurements to determine the mobility in solar cell configuration corroborated the fs-TA method. Taken together, these results indicate a promising avenue toward improved CQD solar cells.
Prognostic Associations of Plasma Hepcidin In Women With Early Breast Cancer
Keywords: Biomarker
Breast cancer
Hepcidin
Inflammation
Iron
Prognostic

Intra-tumor RNA expression of hepcidin has been linked to adverse metastasis-free survival in women with early breast cancer (BC), but the prognostic implications of this inflammatory marker and iron-regulating plasma peptide in the blood are unknown. Using an ELISA assay, hepcidin was measured in the banked blood of 518 women who were recruited from 1989-1996 for a prospective cohort study regarding diet and lifestyle factors in BC. Blood was obtained 4-12 weeks post-operatively, prior to treatment with chemotherapy or tamoxifen. Hepcidin was not associated with time to distant BC recurrence (primary outcome) nor time to death from any cause. However, a pre-planned interaction test of BMI was statistically significant (p
Consequences of NMDA Receptor Disruption for Prefrontal Cortical Neurophysiology
Keywords: Autism
GluN1 knockdown
NMDA receptors
Prefrontal Cortex
Schizophrenia

Cognitive deficits, indicative of prefrontal cortical disruption, are observed in several neurodevelopmental disorders. Converging evidence suggests these cognitive symptoms arise from abnormalities in N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor function. Indeed, deficits in working memory are observed in transgenic mice with reduced expression of the obligate GluN1 subunit of the NMDA receptor. Here, I examine the prefrontal cortex of GluN1 knockdown mice with a tripartite approach: (1) measuring basic electrophysiological properties, (2) probing the integrity of synaptic and extrasynaptic NMDA receptor responses, and (3) evoking network activity. Many aspects of cellular electrophysiology show surprisingly subtle deficits in the face of lifelong NMDA receptor knockdown, including synaptic currents themselves. Yet, responses to extrasynaptic NMDA stimulation are clearly disrupted, and electricallyâ evoked network activity is absent in GluN1 knockdown mice. As such network activity is thought to be essential for working memory, its disruption in GluN1 knockdown mice would contribute to their observed cognitive deficits.
COST-EFFECTIVENESS OF PULSE OXIMETRY SCREENING FOR CRITICAL CONGENITAL HEART DEFECTS IN ONTARIO
Keywords: Canada
Cost-effectiveness threshold
Incremental cost-effectiveness ratio
Utility

Background: Pulse oximetry screening (POS) for critical congenital heart defects (CCHDs) is being increasingly adopted, but sparsely populated regions in Ontario present unique challenges. Objective: To estimate cost-effectiveness of POS for CCHD in Ontario, Canada. Methods: A cost-effectiveness analysis using a Markov model was conducted from a healthcare payer perspective over a life-time horizon. Outcome measures, discounted 1.5%, were quality-adjusted life months (QALMs), lifetime costs, and incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICER) [Î Cost / Î QALMs]. An ICER threshold of CAD$4,166.67 per QALM was used. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis was conducted within expected variable ranges. Results: POS is expected to lead to timely diagnosis of 51 CCHD cases annually. The estimated ICER of CAD$1,110.79 was well below the threshold. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis estimated a 93% chance of POS being cost-effective. Conclusion: Routine implementation of POS for CCHD in Ontario is expected to be cost-effective. Further validation of this model may be conducted following implementation.
Differentiating Autoimmune Hepatitis from Lupus-associated Hepatitis -- What is the Ontology of Non-Infectious, Non-Toxic, Non-Genetic Causes of Hepatitis: A Paradigm Shift in Making Clinical Diagnoses
Keywords: autoimmune hepatitis
classification
immune-mediated liver disease
lupus-associated hepatitis
pediatrics

The aim of this thesis is to determine the number of disease entities that can be objectively distinguished from a group of pediatric patients with non-toxic, non-genetic, non-infectious causes of elevated liver enzymes. We used a novel clustering technique called Similarity Network Fusion to objectively determine group allocation based on available patient data. This thesis first examined how different data types interact to determine patient groups outside of their working diagnosis and assess whether current classification systems and diagnostic criteria are accurate. Subsequent analyses using Multiple Regression Tree analysis, identified which variables drove the newly established groups. Various approaches and adjustments applied to analyzing the same patient data showed that our current classification of patients with elevated liver enzymes may be inaccurate. Future prospective studies are required to confirm our findings and subsequently assist in providing clinicians with a better understanding of their patientsâ disease and potentially, to predicting outcomes.
Microbial Community Structure and Dynamics of Artificial, Engineered Microalgal Biofilms
Keywords: Microalgal biofilms
Microbial Community dynamics
Photobioreactor

Microalgae can be grown as immobilized biofilms with a high potential for the production of biofuel and bioproducts. This thesis investigates the community structure and microbial community dynamics of engineered microalgal biofilms. Our research looked specifically at understanding how different concentrations (12% versus 0.04%) of CO2 may affect the diversity of the microbial community in engineered microalgal biofilm photobioreactors originally seeded with Scenedesmus obliquus. DNA was extracted from biofilm samples at specific intervals over a 26-day experiment and used for Sanger and Illumina MiSeq based sequencing of the 16S rRNA and 18S rRNA genes. It was determined that the communities detected on day 4 in both the 12% and 0.04% CO2 treatments was dominated by the seed species, S. obliquus, but by day 26, Leptolyngbya sp. was the dominant species. Therefore, further efforts will be needed to optimize growth conditions to favour species producing the most desirable biomass.
Retinopathy of Prematurity and Multiple Postnatal Infections in Preterm Neonates: Delays in White Matter Development with Poorer Neurodevelopmental Outcomes
Keywords: Infection
Neurodevelopment
Prematurity
Preterm
Retinopathy

Preterm birth is a common cause of neurodevelopmental disorders in childhood. Little is known about the outcome of infants with severe retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) and multiple infections in the postnatal period. This thesis describes their associations with abnormal brain development using multi-modal MR imaging and standardized outcome assessments. Those infants with severe ROP had delayed brain maturation of the posterior white matter and optic radiations, with poorer 18 month cognitive and motor outcomes. Compared to fewer episodes of infection, three or more postnatal infections was associated with delayed maturation of the posterior limb of the internal capsule (PLIC), corpus callosum and the optic radiations, with poorer 36 month motor outcomes. Our findings support that severe ROP and multiple postnatal infections in very preterm newborns are associated with decreased brain maturation and poorer neurodevelopmental outcomes, and that advancements in these disorders have the potential to improve outcomes.
A Low Volume Hybrid Step-Down DC-DC Converter For Battery Powered Portable Applications
Keywords: high-efficiency
power-electronics
power-management
small-area
step-down
switched-capacitor-buck

This thesis describes a hybrid step-down dc-dc converter, which, compared to conventional buck, provides a lower volume solution in battery-powered portable applications. The new architecture combines a switched-capacitor and conventional buck converter such that the size of the inductor is reduced. Moreover, the introduced topology improves efficiency by up to a 5% compared to a conventional buck. The results are verified with an experimental prototype. The thesis also compares the introduced topology with state of the art step-down topologies using an optimization tool that generates the highest efficiency solutions for a given volume constraint.
Metal Recovery from Steelmaking Slag
Keywords: Magnetic Separation
Metallurgy
Mineral Processing
Slag

An experimental study was carried out to recover metal values from a steelmaking slag through air oxidation and magnetic separation. The oxidation of slag was carried out in both solid and liquid states, attempting to optimize the conditions of each. The effects of oxidation time, temperature, slag basicity, and magnetic field strength on recovery and grade of the concentrate were investigated and optimized oxidation of iron mono-oxide (FeO) to magnetite (Fe3O4) and other spinel ferrites in RO phase was observed. Solid state oxidation achieved overall optimum results when roasted at 900 째C for 1 hour, and magnetically separated under 110 mT. Two products were collected. An iron-rich concentrate containing 28% Fe, 3.9% Mn and an iron-lean tailing containing 7% Fe and 0.4% Mn. In order to make the iron-rich product recyclable, its grade needs to be improved. It was demonstrated that this is possible by grinding the roasted slag to a smaller particle size. Liquid-state oxidation yielded poor results, likely due to rapid cooling of slag following its oxidation that did not allow growth and segregation of iron-bearing minerals. It was shown that slow cooling of such slag can improve the separation efficiency and grade.
Towards Robust Far-field Super-resolution Optical Imaging with Superoscillations
Keywords: imaging
superoscillation
superresolution

Superoscillation is the phenomenon where a wave locally oscillates faster than its largest frequency component. While previous proof of concept experiments demonstrated super-resolution imaging by using superoscillation to generate a waveform with a main beam narrower than the diffraction limit, such a superoscillation waveform is worse than conventional methods when imaging complex objects. In this work, a new kind of superoscillation, where the main beam is around the same width as the diffraction limit, but the side lobes are significantly lower, are studied. Super-resolved images of complex objects are obtained using this new superoscillation waveform.
Swimming Lessons—Developing a Water Pedagogy to Examine the Entangled, Material, and Intra-Active Enmeshments Between Water, Bodies, and Knowledges
Keywords: Experimental Pedagogy
Happenings
New Materialism
Research-creation
Swimming Pool
Water

Faced with the reality of an impending global water crisis, the Swimming Lessons project was developed as a research-creation event to encourage different ways of thinking and learning in and about water, from a posthuman, new materialist theoretical orientation. Taking the playful position that in order to think about water we should be wet, an â Aquatic Lecture Seriesâ was held at the Hart House Pool on the University of Toronto campus. By organizing an aquatic lecture series for students and faculty of the University of Toronto, this thesis hopes to develop a water pedagogy, which I consider a way of figuring a research-creation event that encourages a new way of thinking, teaching, and learning water across disciplines, and underwater. Further documentation of the Swimming Lessons events here: https://swimminglessonsweb.wordpress.com/
Death-related Distress in Advanced Cancer
Keywords: advanced cancer
death anxiety
demoralization
existential distress
palliative care
structural equation modeling

Advanced cancer is associated with significant emotional and psychological distress. A substantial minority of patients report experiencing moderate-to-high levels of existential distress. These states are associated with poorer quality of life and less preparation for the end of life. The present study aimed to test a model of relationships among symptom burden, self-esteem and meaning, social relatedness, and death anxiety, based on Terror Management Theory, in patients with advanced cancer. This model had a poor fit in to our data. A post-hoc model of relationships among physical symptom burden, social relatedness, demoralization, and death anxiety was specified and had a good fit in our sample. Death anxiety in such individuals is associated with demoralization, a state that is more likely to occur in those with greater physical suffering and less social relatedness. Psychotherapeutic and palliative interventions targeting symptom burden, social relatedness, and demoralization may help alleviate distress in this population.
Effects of Hypertension and Type 2 Diabetes on Cerebrovascular and Cognitive Function in Older Adults
Keywords: cerebrovascular reactivity
cognitive aging
diabetes
hypertension
vascular risk factors

The present research examined the effects of hypertension and type 2 diabetes on cerebrovascular and cognitive function in order to better understand how these disorders may contribute to cognitive aging in older adults. Participants provided physiological and medical data, completed neuropsychological tests, and performed a breath hold task in an MRI. The results of group comparisons indicated three clusters across which older adults with comorbid hypertension and type 2 diabetes had lower cerebrovascular reactivity than older adults with hypertension alone. Older adults with comorbid hypertension and type 2 diabetes also had lower global cognitive function than older adults with hypertension alone or control participants. Finally, higher HbA1c predicted lower cerebrovascular reactivity, while both higher HbA1c and higher Framingham Risk Scores predicted lower global cognitive function. These findings underscore the importance of maintaining glucose control (HbA1c) and managing vascular risk factors (Framingham Risk Scores) in older adults.
Determination of Air Voids, Capillary, and Gel Porosity in Hardened Concrete using Mass-Based Saturation Techniques
Keywords: capillary
concrete
gel
porosity
SCM
vacuum

The pore size distribution of concrete has a significant effect on its properties and durability. Three types of pores were investigated in this project: capillary pores, gel pores, and air voids. The percentage of each type of porosity in eight concrete mixtures was determined using various saturation/mass-based techniques. This involved vacuum, pressure, and solvent saturation. The effect of slag, silica fume, and w/cm ratio on each type of porosity was investigated. Results of porosity obtained by saturation techniques were compared to results of ASTM C642: Standard Test Method for Density, Absorption, and Voids in Hardened Concrete, and results of air content obtained by saturation techniques were compared with microscopic air void analysis results. The overall results indicate greater saturation obtained by the test protocol followed in this project as compared to the standard test. The results also indicated the significant effect of mixture design on the gel and capillary porosity.
Comparative Assessment of Ceramic Media for Drinking Water Biofiltration
Keywords: adenosine triphosphate (ATP)
biofiltration
ceramic media
disinfection by-products (DBPs)
dissolved organic carbon (DOC)
manganese (Mn) and iron (Fe)

Biofiltration is an effective drinking water treatment step for the degradation of organic and inorganic constituents. A Lake Ontario pilot-scale study evaluated the performance of an engineered ceramic media as a potential biological media. Overall, the ceramic media was a good alternative to anthracite in terms of biological accumulation and organic carbon removal, especially in cold-water conditions. However, granular activated carbon was superior for dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and disinfection by-product formation potential (DBPFP) removal. A second biofiltration pilot-study at Lake Erie investigated the removal of inorganic and organic constituents across biological and conventionally operated anthracite filters. The biological filters and conventional treatment effectively removed manganese and iron. However, shifts in water chemistry and extreme turbidity events contributed to manganese leaching from the biological filters. No differences in DOC and DBPFP removals were observed.