VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
Design and Development of Triboelectric Nanogenerators for Water Wave Energy Harvesting
Keywords: Energy Harvesting
Triboelectric Nanogenerator
Wave Energy

Mechanical energy harvesting from the motion of water waves is a very promising direction toward the replacement of batteries and fossil fuels with a clean and sustainable energy resource. Triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) has been introduced recently as a novel and potent technology for this purpose, and the use of TENG for water wave energy harvesting has been investigated to some extent. However, there are two main challenges in this path including: A) design of advanced TENG systems for effective wave energy harvesting, and B) development of novel methods and materials for improving the performance of TENG systems. This research addresses the two challenges in three directions including development and analysis of advanced structural designs for TENG-based wave energy harvesters, development of a surface modification technique for the TENG improvement, and development of advanced materials for high performance TENG systems. For the advanced structural design direction, initially a comprehensive analysis is carried out on the performance of a hybridized TENG and electromagnetic (EMG) wave energy harvester based on the duck-shaped structure. Then, a hybridized TENG-EMG wave energy harvester is developed and analyzed based on the heaving point absorber mechanism. Lastly, the heaving hybridized TENG-EMG is fabricated and experimentally evaluated to demonstrate the application of proposed design. For the surface modification direction, a novel and facile method is developed for improving the surface morphology of polymeric layers which are embedded into the TENG. This method is based the hot embossing of polymers on self-assembled micro particles which can effectively boost the output performance of TENG systems. For the advanced materials direction, highly porous polymeric aerogels namely polyimide and polyurethane aerogels are developed and synthesized to be used as the main contact materials in the TENG which can remarkably enhance the TENG electrical output characteristics. In overall, this research provides guidelines toward design and development of high performance TENG-based systems for wave energy harvesting.
Metformin as an Endogenous Repair Strategy to Activate Neural Precursor Cells and Improve Cognition Following Brain Injury
Keywords: cranial irradiation
hypoxia-ischemia
metformin
neural stem cell
neurogenesis

Neural stem and progenitor cells, collectively termed neural precursor cells (NPCs), reside in well-defined niches within the mammalian brain: the subventricular zone (SVZ) and the dentate gyrus (DG). NPCs give rise to new neurons throughout the lifespan and possess the ability to self-renew and give rise to all neural cell types. Exploiting this endogenous potential of NPCs is a promising target for repairing the brain after injury. Metformin, an FDA-approved drug used to treat type 2 diabetes, enhances the NPC pool and increases neurogenesis. Further, one week of metformin treatment improves motor recovery in a neonatal hypoxia-ischemia (H-I) model. Age and sex can affect the extent of damage and functional outcome following brain injury. Herein, we investigated the effect of these factors on the ability of metformin to expand the NPC pool and enhance neurogenesis. Our results show that metformin administration in uninjured animals led to age- and sex-dependent effects on NPC expansion and neurogenesis, and that these effects were mediated by niche-related hormones. The presence of estradiol led to a permissive environment with a resulting increase in the NPC pool following metformin treatment, while testosterone led to an inhibitory environment and lack of NPC pool expansion. We then investigated whether metformin treatment was effective at improving cognitive impairments in two models of childhood brain injury, H-I and cranial irradiation. Consistent with our results in uninjured mice, we found sex-dependent effects of metformin treatment following H-I injury, and sex- and brain region-dependent effects following cranial irradiation. These findings suggest that metformin represents a promising strategy for brain repair and highlights the importance of considering sex and age to optimize the translation of this approach.
Preclinical Modeling of Driver Alterations in Non-small Cell Lung Cancer
Keywords: Biomarker discovery
Drug screening
Lung cancer
Oncology
Organoids
Patient-derived xenografts

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the leading cause of cancer related mortality and accounts for more than 1.6 million deaths worldwide each year. In the past decade, therapeutic treatments for NSCLC have extended beyond surgery and standard chemotherapies. These advancements have largely focused on the identification of oncogenic drivers and assessment of their ability to predict response to targeted therapy. Despite these advancements, the lack of initial response to single agent treatment and acquired drug resistance are recurring issues that arise in NSCLC. Additionally, preclinical models such as cell lines have been widely used for drug testing and understanding disease pathogenesis. However, they have molecularly deviated from patient tumors and may not accurately reflect drug response in patients. Thus, there is an unmet need to develop clinically and biologically relevant models of NSCLC. These models may then be used to identify new therapeutic strategies to overcome acquired resistance and improve single agent therapy response with combination therapy targeting the major drivers of this disease. In this dissertation, I have modeled several oncogenic drivers of NSCLC to identify novel treatment strategies using patient-derived xenografts (PDX) and organoids. In the first study, I have determined absence of ALK protein by IHC as a primary resistance mechanism and MET amplification and BRAF mutation as secondary resistance mechanisms to ALK inhibitors in lung adenocarcinoma. In the second study, I have identified CDK4/6 inhibitors as promising agents to use in combination with PI3K inhibitors in PIK3CA mutant lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC). In the third study, I have developed a protocol for culturing NSCLC organoids and identified FGFR1 and MEK inhibitor combination as a potential therapeutic strategy in FGFR1 amplified LUSC. The findings outlined in this dissertation will not only describe additional preclinical models, but also therapeutic approaches to overcome acquired drug resistance and improve response to single agent therapy with potential drug combinations in NSCLC.
Biomarkers of Agitation in Patients with Alzheimer's disease
Keywords: agitation
Alzheimer's disease
biomarkers
cannabinoid
nabilone

Agitation is challenging to treat in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and has significant implications for patients and caregivers. A major source of difficulty in identifying safe and effective treatments for agitation is the lack of validated biomarkers. The goal of this work was to investigate biomarkers of agitation in patients with AD. Study 1: This study systematically reviewed 57 papers investigating biomarkers of agitation in AD. Studies 2-5: Blood samples were collected from 38 participants enrolled in a randomized, placebo-controlled trial investigating nabilone, a synthetic cannabinoid, for the treatment of agitation in AD. The cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between agitation and 24-S-hydroxycholesterol (cerebrocholesterol (Cchol) (study 2), lipid peroxidation markers of oxidative stress (OS) (study 3), and inflammatory cytokines (study 4) and a biosignature of response to nabilone (study 5) were investigated. These processes are altered in AD and may be associated with agitation and/or endocannabinoid signalling. Study 1: Of six classes of biomarkers identified, most were diagnostic in nature, substantiating the need for studies investigating the longitudinal associations between biomarkers and agitation in AD. Study 2: Cchol was associated with agitation severity cross-sectionally, and longitudinally. However, Cchol did not predict response to nabilone, and did not change over time with nabilone. Study 3: Baseline levels of the late-stage lipid-peroxidation marker, 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE) were associated with agitation severity cross-sectionally, and longitudinally. However changes in 4-HNE were not associated with changes in agitation severity in either phase. Study 4: The pro-inflammatory cytokine, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) was associated with agitation severity cross-sectionally. Lower baseline and decreases in TNF-α were associated with decreases in agitation severity in the nabilone phase only. Study 5: Inflammatory cytokines, and markers of OS predicted response to nabilone based on symptoms of verbal and physical agitation, respectively. Findings from the nabilone trial suggest that Cchol, 4-HNE and TNF-α may be useful markers of agitation severity. Additionally, response to nabilone may be influenced by the degree of OS and neuroinflammation a patient may have. As there are no validated biomarkers of agitation, identifying markers of agitation and response would assist in identifying patients who may benefit from treatment with nabilone.
Effects of Web-based Auditory Training on the Perception of Korean Sounds by Mandarin Learners of Korean
Keywords: identification task
Implicit and explicit attention
Korean
L2 perception
vowels and codas
Web-based perceptual training

This dissertation is concerned with the perceptual acquisition of Korean sounds by adult second language (L2) learners and suggests web-based auditory training as an effective learning tool to enhance L2 learners’ perceptual accuracy of Korean sounds. Experiment 1 explores the role of experience in the perception of Korean three-way laryngeal contrasts of stops and affricates by 44 native Mandarin listeners differing in Korean language experience. The results revealed that most Mandarin listeners did not reach the same level of perceptual accuracy as native Korean listeners; however, advanced learners perceived contrasts more accurately than beginner and intermediate learners. This indicates that the greater the adult learners’ experience in the L2, the better their perceptual accuracy of L2 contrasts. The goal of Experiment 2 is to examine whether L1 inventory size affects L2 perception by comparing 28 English and 28 Mandarin listeners’ identification accuracy for Korean vowels and codas. The results showed that English listeners, whose L1 has a rich vowel and coda inventory, outperformed Mandarin listeners, who have a small L1 vowel and coda inventory, suggesting that L1 inventory size has a significant effect on L2 perception. Experiment 3 investigates the effects of web-based auditory training and compares the efficacy of attention on the perception of Korean vowels and codas. For this study, 45 Mandarin listeners were randomly assigned to one of two training groups to receive either vowel- or coda-training, both exposed to identical stimuli, or to a control group to receive no training. Results demonstrated that both training groups outperformed the control group for the identification of target sounds, suggesting a beneficial effect of web-based training of L2 sounds. In addition, both the vowel- and coda-trained group yielded significant improvement in identifying Korean vowels; however, only the coda-trained group achieved a significant increase in coda identification accuracy. These findings indicate that attention type differentially affects perception depending on the target structure and highlights the benefits of explicit over implicit training for at least some L2 sound structures. Furthermore, learners were able to generalize knowledge to a novel phonetic context, providing evidence that robust learning has occurred during training.
The eHealth Trust Model: Understanding the Patient Privacy Perspective in a Digital Health Environment
Keywords: Digital health
eHealth
Health Information Exchange
Patient perspective
Privacy
Trust

Patient privacy is an issue on the forefront of health information exchange (HIE) discussions as patient privacy concerns are often cited as an implementation barrier. While protecting patient privacy is crucial in healthcare, the limited evidence suggests that patient privacy needs may be overstated by the healthcare community. Through three interrelated studies, this dissertation argues that patient privacy perspectives are more nuanced than suggested in the patient privacy discourse. A greater understanding of their perspectives is required to ensure patient-centric privacy policy decisions are made about HIE. The first study in this dissertation is a systematic review that explores how patient privacy has been characterized in the empirical literature on HIE. The review highlights context-dependency of the patient privacy perspective and identifies knowledge and methodological gaps in the current evidence. In the second study, patients with mental health conditions were interviewed to understand their views on privacy, trust, personal health information (PHI) regulations, and HIE. The study found that privacy concerns varied among the patients; moreover, trust and perceived benefits were equally important factors in their decision to share their health data (i.e., PHI). The findings from these studies were used to develop the eHealth Trust Model (eHTM)—an evidence-based theory-grounded privacy framework. The proposed eHTM was then validated and improved through an eDelphi study, where a panel of privacy experts and patients provided feedback on the theoretical relevance and applicability of the model constructs. The final product of this dissertation is a content-validated eHTM, which provides an evidence-based, theory-grounded approach to conceptualizing the patient privacy perspective. The purpose of the eHTM is to guide future policy-oriented research that provides knowledge users with insights on how to implement innovative uses of PHI while meeting patient expectations of privacy.
The Puck Stops Here: An Inquiry into the Manufacture of Goalie Masks
Keywords: Goalie masks
Ice hockey
Sports equipment

The present inquiry seeks to document the changing landscapes of the manufacture of ice hockey equipment in Canada. This was once a burgeoning branch of industrial activity, but has more recently been heavily impacted by outsourcing and offshoring tendencies (especially from the early 1990s onwards). In little less than two decades, imposing manufacturing plants have been systematically shut down, thoroughly reducing Canada´s share in the production of the equipment needed for the practice of what is often deemed its national game. Today, estimates suggest that roughly ninety percent of the hockey gear consumed in Canada is manufactured in the Global South. This research unfolds in the aftermath of this geographical transformation, paying particular attention to the perspective of the small manufacturers of hockey equipment that are still based on Canadian soil. For six months, I carried out participant observations and interviews in a factory where goalie masks are produced. Drawing upon the findings that derive from my experience in this setting, as well as from attending mask shows and similar events, I try to bring into light the daily routine of the factory floor; the progressive steps in the assembly line; the relationships that the workers entertain with the game of hockey; and, most fundamentally, the uncertainties faced by small companies attempting to survive at the margins of a market dominated by major corporations. In addition, I discuss the specificities of goalie masks as sporting commodities, seeking to illustrate the residues of artisanship that, in some special cases, pervade the manufacture of these objects to this day – thus resisting the general drive towards standardization that characterizes the sports equipment industry more broadly. To conclude, I engender an exploratory analysis of the different meanings that goalie masks are invested with – including as a projection of a goaltender’s identity.
Regional and Cross-Network Brain Dynamics in Acute and Chronic Pain
Keywords: Chronic pain
fMRI

Chronic pain is a major societal burden, affecting nearly 1 in 5 Canadians. Chronic pain patients demonstrate a great degree of variability in the way they perceive and cope with pain, experience symptoms, and respond to treatment. These individual differences may in part be due to the brain dynamics associated with the processing and modulation of nociceptive signals. Thus, the overall goal of this thesis was to understand the role of regional brain dynamics in acute and chronic pain. Towards this goal, I first established a link between regional BOLD signal variability and pain sensitivity and the effect of pain on cognitive performance in healthy individuals. I then examined frequency-specific regional BOLD signal variability abnormalities in chronic pain patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and related these abnormalities to pain intensity. Finally, I investigated the brain plasticity in regional and cross-network brain dynamics that subserve successful response to ketamine therapy in patients with refractory chronic neuropathic pain (NP). Healthy individuals and chronic pain patients (AS and NP) underwent a resting-state fMRI scan and completed a psychophysical session and a battery of questionnaires (e.g., assessing pain intensity etc.). The main findings of this thesis are: 1) Regional BOLD signal variability within the ascending nociceptive pathway and networks of the dynamic pain connectome are increased in healthy individuals who are less pain sensitive and have good cognitive performance during a pain-interference task; 2) Patients with AS exhibit elevated regional frequency-specific BOLD signal variability in the ascending nociceptive pathway and networks of the dynamic pain connectome; these abnormalities are related to chronic pain intensity; 3) Ketamine reduces regional BOLD signal variability within the default mode network (DMN); and 4) Effective ketamine-treatment outcome is associated with decreased static functional connectivity of the DMN with the salience network and with the sensorimotor network. Therefore, this thesis demonstrates that regional BOLD signal variability serves as a functional metric that underlies individual differences in acute pain, and the clinical symptoms and treatment outcomes in chronic pain. These findings provide novel insight into chronic pain etiology that serve to advance the knowledge base needed to develop new treatment options.
Automated Interconnect Synthesis and Optimization for FPGAs
Keywords: Automation
CAD
FPGA
HLS
Interconnect
NoC

One of the key challenges for the FPGA industry going forward is to make the task of designing hardware easier. A significant portion of that design task is the creation of the interconnect pathways between functional modules. Interconnect synthesis tools and Network-on-Chip architectures have been developed to solve this problem. They allow the designer to specify desired connectivity at an abstract logical level, and automate the physical details of the interconnect implementation. In this work, we introduce a new approach to automatically synthesizing interconnect, based on the composition of many simple hardware primitives that each perform an elementary routing, translation, storage, or delay function. This approach is embodied in a new design tool called GENIE, which produces RTL implementations of complete systems containing a designer’s functional modules connected with automatically-generated interconnect, whose generation is guided by an initial logical system specification. GENIE leverages its piecemeal approach to interconnect generation to offer more automation and optimization capabilities to the designer than are provided by existing tools. One such capability is the generation of interconnect for “fine-grained” applications in which the overall small size of the system, need for simple communication protocols, and tight latency requirements would incur too high of a performance or area penalty to make productive use of automation with existing methods. We also introduce a new type of user design specification called synchronization constraints that allow GENIE to build low-cost, backpressure-free interconnect for applications with fixed-latency modules and achieve correct cycle-level timing using a minimum amount of automatically-inserted delay elements. GENIE’s other optimization capabilities include automatic clock domain crossing insertion, interconnect pipelining, and a limited form of network topology generation guided by application performance requirements. Using both FPGA synthesis and RTL simulation of the generated systems, we evaluate GENIE and its features using two applications that serve as extensive and detailed case studies. We also compare GENIE against other system generation tools, NoC architectures, and hand-written RTL interconnect implementations, and are able to show equivalent or higher quality implementations with lower design effort.
Intersections of Ethics of Indigenous Health Research and Health Research Education
Keywords: Community Based Research
Health Education
Health Research
Indigenous Ethics
New Knowledge
Research Practices

Health research involving Indigenous peoples is regulated by guidelines based on the ethics of Indigenous health research, which establish routes to knowledge development in order to support and improve health for Indigenous communities. Despite these guidelines, health imbalances remain and continue to negatively impact Indigenous peoples. This thesis explores some of the barriers and strengths of ethical guidelines of Indigenous health research in Canada. Using a community-based approach, this research shifts the focus away from a study of Indigenous peoples themselves, to a study of the practices that health researchers employ when conducting health research involving Indigenous peoples. An online survey was developed and distributed via email and through social networks to health researchers who work in the field of Indigenous health research. The survey consisted of 22 questions using and a Likert scale (Likert, 1932) to explore perceptions of ethical guidelines in use by researchers who engage in Indigenous health research. After data quality control analysis, 228 respondents were considered valid and constituted the data set. Results suggest a general level of agreement (Somewhat Agree) with the value of the health ethical guidelines used by researchers. High agreement was found for basic items such as ethical guidelines being easy to access and the amount of information offered was appropriate. However, low agreement was found on items that rated the perceived characteristics of ethical guidelines: their clarity, and whether they reflected the current social context of Indigenous peoples; the inclusion of Indigenous paradigms inside ethical guidelines and whether the guidelines enhanced health researchers’ understanding of Indigenous worldviews. Results also describe some other characteristics of Indigenous health research, such as exploring who is researching what, when, and how with special attention to research methodologies, approaches and perceived engagement with Indigenous communities. A major implication of these results suggests the need for the inclusion of Indigenous research perspectives in health research and health research education much more broadly if they are to effectively support Indigenous healthier communities.