VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
The Effects of High-Intensity Interval Training on Piano Learning
Keywords: acute exercise
cardiovascular exercise
consolidation
kinesiology
motor learning
piano

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) improves implicit motor sequence learning (1,2). However, little is known about the impact of HIIT on the learning of explicit ecologically valid motor skills. We hypothesized that healthy volunteers who performed HIIT after explicit piano melody training would exhibit better retention of the learned melody, and better transfer to a new melody, than those who performed low-intensity exercise. Participants with no musical training underwent a graded maximal exercise test to determine their cardiorespiratory fitness. Later, participants practiced a piano melody before completing high- or low-intensity exercise. Participants were tested on the piano melody one hour, one day, and one week after initial practice. Performance was quantified by pitch and rhythm accuracy. Contrary to the hypothesis, HIIT did not enhance retention of the piano melody. However, HIIT did promote modest transfer to a new sequence. We conclude that HIIT may enhance explicit task-general motor sequence consolidation mechanisms.
Standardization of Sonographic Prognostication of Prenatally Diagnosed Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia (CDH) Across the North American Fetal Therapy Network (NAFTNet)
Keywords: Congenital diaphragmatic hernia
Fetal medicine
Fetal therapy
Prenatal ultrasound
Quality improvement
Sonographic prognostication

Congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) is a potentially lethal condition, with antenatal prognostication relying heavily on sonographic lung area determination. Although critical for prenatal counselling, inter-observer variability has been demonstrated in lung area measurement. To understand this variability, current practice patterns were evaluated through surveys, interviews and human factors analysis with usability testing and inter-rater agreement was determined for the three published lung area measurement methods (i.e.: antero-posterior, longest and trace) across the North American Fetal Therapy Network (NAFTNet). When comparing lung area methods, the trace method demonstrated the highest inter-rater agreement. Human factors analysis identified variability in sonographic image selection criteria and lung area measurement technique. This data informed the development of a standardized protocol for antenatal sonographic assessment of CDH, which underwent iterative redesigns through consecutive Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles among physicians and sonographers to meet the needs of users with various expertise and ultimately standardize prenatal CDH prognostication across NAFTNet.
The Prion Protein is Embedded in a Molecular Environment that Modulates Transforming Growth Factor β and Integrin Signaling
Keywords: integrin
interactome
mass spectrometry
neurodegenerative disease
Prion protein
TGFB1

The prion protein (PrP) is known for its fundamental role in a group of neurodegenerative disorders, aptly called prion diseases. The function of the normal cellular prion protein (PrPC) as well as the underlying molecular mechanisms that lead to neurotoxicity in disease are still unresolved. The previously discovered evolutionary relationship between PrP and ZIP zinc transporters implicated PrPC in morphogenetic reprogramming events but also uncovered surprising differences when comparing signaling pathways downstream of PrPC in separate cellular paradigms. To extend this line of research, we combined CRISPR-Cas9-based genetic engineering to generate four relevant murine PrP-deficient cell models, with quantitative mass spectrometry-based analyses to compare the molecular environment of PrP in these models. Interestingly, a unified theme emerged from these studies that placed PrPC in a specialized membrane domain that modulates TGF beta and integrin signaling.
How Does Competition Affect the Clinical Decision-Making of Dentists in Ontario?
Keywords: Dental Public Health

Clinical decision-making is influenced by various factors, including patients’ disease risk and dentists’ age. We investigated these and other factors, including competition and their association with clinical decision-making. We gathered data through a cross-sectional survey of a random sample of general dentists in Ontario, Canada (n=3,201), which queried demographic, professional, and practice information. Competition was quantified as dentist geographic density via spatial analysis and through self-perceptions of competition. The outcome (treatment intensity or aggressiveness) was measured using clinical scenarios. One thousand and seventy-five dentists responded (33.6% response rate). Dentists who owned their practice, were
Development of a Novel Device for Non-invasive Leg Fluid Volume Measurements
Keywords: Bioelectrical Impedance
Dry Electrodes
Fluid Volume
Textile Electrodes

Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis is a non-invasive technique to measure fluid content of tissues. Based on Ohm’s law, tissue impedance is measured by injecting current into tissue and measuring the voltage. Since impedance is inversely proportional to fluid volume, this is used to estimate the fluid volume of the segment. BIA devices can be expensive and require gel electrodes, which are inconvenient and can irritate the skin. Furthermore, the typical method of measuring whole-body impedance is inaccurate due to the non-uniform current path across the body. Since fluid volume in the leg is representative of whole-body hydration, we propose a novel device that uses dry electrodes in a convenient sock format to measure fluid volume in the leg. Based on previous research of our lab, an integrated system was developed. Finally, in collaboration with an industrial partner producing smart textiles, the feasibility of dry electrodes for use in BIA was assessed.
Morphological Characterization of Para and Pro-Inflammatory Neutrophil Phenotypes Using Transmission Electron Microscopy
Keywords: Electron Microscopy
Inflammation
Neutrophils
Periodontitis

Neutrophils play a crucial role in the immune response, leaving the circulation to participate in an inflammatory response to perceived pathogens. Yet in the oral cavity, they are constantly recruited into the gingival sulcus even in health, producing no apparent clinical inflammation. It has been demonstrated that in this homeostatic state the neutrophils present a “partially active” phenotype, termed para-inflammation. To further investigate this phenotype, we studied the morphology of neutrophils obtained in vivo under transmission electron microscopy (TEM), in health and Chronic Periodontitis (CP), in the blood and the oral cavity. To study and compare the changes induced by the commensal oral bacteria in vitro, blood neutrophils were also incubated separately with S. oralis cultures. Our hypothesis was that the neutrophils in the healthy oral cavity will present a morphology consistent with para-inflammation, in contrast to the naïve phenotype of blood neutrophils, and the fully active, pro-inflammatory oral neutrophils in CP.
Volunteering abroad: An uneven path towards critical praxis in international development
Keywords: Adult Education
Development volunteering
International Development
Marxist-feminism
Volunteer Abroad

Despite decades of effort, international development has failed to meaningfully address the problems it seeks to solve. Drawing on existing literature and a Marxist-feminist theoretical framework, I argue that this failure stems from an ideological approach to social change that obscures the social relations at the root of poverty and inequality. This perspective points to a need to better understand how practitioners learn to engage with international development. Accordingly, I focus my research on volunteer abroad programs as a site of learning. Through interviews with ten former volunteers, I explore how their praxis changed through their placement experience. Although the existing literature on these programs does not offer much hope that these programs can foster critical learning, my findings show that some critical learning is possible. This learning is largely self-directed, resulting in uneven movement towards critical consciousness and a praxis that contains elements of both reproduction and transformative change.
Effect of Age and Immigration Status on the Oral Health and Dental Care Utilization of the Canadian population
Keywords: Aging
Canada
Dental Public Health
Dental Utilization
Immigration
Oral Health Status

The study was done to understand the oral health and dental-services utilization of older immigrants in Canada when compared to non-immigrant seniors and is a secondary analysis of data from the 2008/09 Canadian Community Health Survey: Healthy Aging component on respondents aged 45 and over. The outcome variables were self-reported oral health and dentist visits. Results indicate household income and education are significant predictors for both immigrant and non-immigrant seniors. Significant predictors for immigrant seniors include age, sex, marital status, household income, level of education and physician visits, while for non-immigrant seniors, household income and level of education were significant. Approaches for improving the oral health of immigrant seniors include: oral health education, dental screening, and awareness-raising. Approaches for improving dental utilization among immigrant seniors include: making dental care part of Canada’s universal health-care system, improving accessibility and changing legislation to improve the availability and access to dental insurance.
Social Inclusion and Oral Health in Elderly Canadian Population
Keywords: Canadians
Elderly group
Oral health
Social inclusion
Social participation
Social support

Introduction: The distribution of age groups in Canada has significantly changed over time, with seniors making up an ever-growing segment of the Canadian population. Given this, factors like social inclusion—measured as social participation and social support—has been recognized to play a critical role in people’s health, specifically as people age. Also recognized is the importance of oral health to healthy aging. This study thus aims to examine and explore the association between social inclusion and self-reported oral health (SROH) in the elderly Canadian population age 65 years and above. Methods: Binary and multivariate logistic regression was used to assess the association between social inclusion and SROH. Results: Our study showed that low levels of social support and a low frequency of social participation increased the odds of reporting fair and poor oral health. Conclusion: This study revealed a negative association between social inclusion and SROH.
Stressful Experiences, Emotion Regulation, and Nonsuicidal Self-Injury Among University Students
Keywords: Emerging Adulthood
Emotion Regulation
Nonsuicidal Self-Injury
Stressful Experiences
University Students

Nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) is a widespread mental health concern among students in university (Swannell et al., 2014). Stressful experiences in university may lead to increased risk for NSSI by undermining an individual’s ability to cope with distress. However, longitudinal examinations of the link between stressful experiences in university and NSSI, and the mechanism driving the association, are lacking. The current study investigated the process through which stressful experiences may heighten risk for NSSI in a sample of 1132 undergraduate students (70% female, mage = 19.11). Participants reported on daily stressors in university, difficulties in emotion regulation, and NSSI each year for three consecutive years. Path analysis revealed a significant indirect effect from stressful experiences to NSSI through emotion regulation. This association was bidirectional; greater frequency of NSSI predicted increased risk for stressful experiences through emotion regulation. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
Multiscale Response of soft matter and their fiber reinforced composites for shock damping applications
Keywords: Fiber Reinforced
Multiscale
PDMS
Polydimethylsiloxane
Soft Matter

Highly Adaptive properties of soft matter has made a topic of great interest in many fields of research. Some of which include mechanical, microfluidics, biomedical applications, and other applications. However, little is known about the multiscale dynamic mechanical response of these soft matter and their fiber reinforced composite structures. More specifically, little is known about the effects of multiscale structures and their effects on the dynamic mechanical response of these composite structures. In addition, the nonlinear and dissipative viscoelastic behavior of soft matter and its fiber reinforced composite structures makes it challenging for researchers and scientists to develop structures with a desired dynamic mechanical response. This is specifically true for researchers working in development of structures with improved shock damping response. Therefore this thesis will focus on developing and characterizing the multiscale dynamic mechanical response of novel soft matter and their fiber reinforced composites for improved shock damping response.
Fracturing the Prairies: An examination of small-scale, high-frequency energy development and cumulative effects management
Keywords: Cumulative effects
Environmental management
Hydraulic fracturing
Saskatchewan

Hydraulic fracturing is an innovative technology that has allowed for the exploitation of previously unextractable resources. The province of Saskatchewan has embraced this technology, allowing for its deployment in high-frequency with little regulation. Hydraulic fracturing is associated with many negative environmental, and human health effects, and its frequency can lead to cumulative impacts far greater than that of a single well-site. Further, the area in which Saskatchewan is employing hydraulic fracturing is an endangered landscape, inhabited by 38 federally-listed species at risk. This thesis examines the Saskatchewan case study and performs a comparative analysis of other sub-national Canadian jurisdictions’ regulatory approaches towards the technology. The analysis presents regional management frameworks as a ‘best practice’ and suggests the lack of public opposition as a reason Saskatchewan has taken a minimalist regulatory approach. Further, this thesis identifies adoptable frameworks and highlights how such a framework would benefit Saskatchewan without hindering the economy.
Neural Precursor Cell Galvanotaxis is Conserved Across Age and is Modulated by Resting Membrane Potential
Keywords: Aging Conditioned Media
Diazoxide
Galvanotaxis
Neural Stem Cell
Resting Membrane Potential
Stem Cell Niche

Neural stem and progenitors cells, together termed “neural precursor cells” (NPCs), line the subependyma of the mammalian brain. NPCs are multipotent and undergo a proliferative and migratory response in development as well as in response to injury, making them an attractive target for cell replacement therapeutics. NPCs respond to electric fields with increased migratory directedness and speed. This thesis focuses on characterizing the differences in galvanotactic migration over age. We have discovered that NPC galvanotaxis showed conserved migratory patterns in the presence or absence of niche factors over age. We demonstrate that resting membrane potential modulations, using the hyperpolarizing drug Diazoxide, induced increased migration. Moreover, NPC niche derived factors found within conditioned media is able to modify the NPC galvanotactic response. Our preliminary studies have identified IGF-1 as a potential modulator of membrane potential and NPC galvanotaxis. This work will inform the efficacy of neural repair strategies across age.
The Impact of Pre-transplant Dialysis Duration on Kidney Transplant Recipient Survival: An Instrumental Variable Approach
Keywords: dialysis
instrumental variable
kidney
kidney transplantation
post-transplant outcome
waiting time

Background: Dialysis prior to kidney transplantation may have a detrimental effect on post-transplant outcomes. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted in all deceased-donor kidney transplants performed in Ontario, Canada from April 1, 2002 to March 31, 2013. Patient blood type was chosen as an instrumental variable and a two-stage modelling procedure was conducted. Result: Among 4,728 patients, the risk of death increased non-linearly with dialysis time and was more prominent during the earlier years. Each dialysis year prior to 3 (3.05) years was associated with a 42% increase in the relative hazard of death. The relative hazard fell to 5% per additional dialysis year thereafter. Conclusions: Longer dialysis time leads to a non-linear increase in mortality risk after kidney transplantation. These findings highlight the urgency to develop strategies to shorten waiting times and optimize the management of wait-listed patients.
Thermal Design and Control for Stratospheric Balloon-borne Telescopes
Keywords: balloon
optimization
stratosphere
telescope
thermal
weak lensing

Balloon-borne experiments present unique thermal design challenges. Radiation and conduction are the predominant heat transfer mechanisms, with convection effects being difficult to characterize at an altitude of 35-40 km. This greatly constrains the thermal design options and makes predicting flight thermal behaviour difficult. SuperBIT aims to study weak gravitational lensing using a 0.5 m modified Dall-Kirkham visible-to-near-UV telescope capable of achieving 0.02” stability. To achieve the theoretical resolution of 0.25”, mirror deformation gradients must be less than 15 nm and the thermal environment must be stable on hour-long time scales. The 2018 test flight served to collect data for post-flight characterization and to test the newly-developed heater control process. The post-flight characterization algorithm developed allows for parameter optimization, such as physical properties or applied heat loads, based on the temperature profile. An overview of the in-flight heater control performance, and extensive simulation results for the parameter-optimization-based thermal design are presented here.
Manipulating Phenotypic Plasticity to Improve Population Establishment of a Classical Biological Control Agent (the Psyllid, Aphalara itadori Shinji) for Invasive Knotweeds
Keywords: Aphalara itadori
Biocontrol
Japanese knotweed
Phenotypic plasticity

The psyllid Aphalara itadori was approved for release as a biocontrol agent for invasive knotweeds (Fallopia sp.) in Canada, but has had limited success establishing in the field. Establishing biocontrol agent populations in the field is a common problem and one unexplored possibility in improving establishment is the manipulation of an agent’s phenotype prior to release. We developed a series of laboratory bioassays to assess the psyllid’s fecundity and offspring fitness in response to host plants of varying quality. Results show an increase in fitness measures that appear unrelated to the host plant quality and more closely determined by temperature or humidity. This suggests phenotypic plastic responses in A. itadori populations are less sensitive to changes in their host and more sensitive to environmental variables. Determining which environmental factors drive changes in these fitness variables and rearing A. itadori in these conditions prior to release may improve population establishment.
Adsorption, Desorption, and Biodegradation of Benzotriazole in Bioretention Cells
Keywords: Adsorption
Benzotriazole
Biodegradation
Bioretention cell
Desorption

Benzotriazole, a common anti-corrosion additive in vehicle fluids and antifreeze liquids, is frequently detected in urban stormwater runoff with highest concentrations in colder seasons. Bioretention cells are capable of reducing stormwater contamination; however little is known about the fate of polar trace organic compounds such as benzotriazole in these urban green infrastructures. This work investigated the adsorption, desorption, and biodegradation potential of benzotriazole in bioretention cells. Comparison of two bioretention substrates, engineered soil and hardwood mulch, showed higher adsorption for the soil than the mulch. Benzotriazole adsorbs predominantly to organic matter, and polar functional groups in the soil organic matter may have a higher affinity for benzotriazole than the lignin in the mulch organic matter. Cold-climate environmental factors such as low temperatures and road salt concentrations yielded increased benzotriazole adsorption. The biodegradation study was inconclusive and further research is needed to understand the potential for benzotriazole degradation in bioretention cells.
Beyond the traditional simulation design for evaluating type 1 error: from ‘theoretical’ to ‘empirical’ null
Keywords: Interaction
Simulation
Type 1 error
Variance heterogeneity
Whole-genome association study

When evaluating a new statistical test, it’s important to check the type 1 error (T1E) control, often achieved by the `theoretical' design S0. In whole-genome association analyses, people scan through large numbers of genes (Gs) for the ones associated with an outcome(Y). Y comes from an unknown alternative and is not associated with the majority of Gs, This reality can be represented by two `empirical’ designs, where S1.1 simulates Y from G then evaluates its association with independently generated Gnew; while S1.2 evaluates the association between permutated Yperm and G. Using scale tests, location tests with single and multiple Gs as examples, we show that not all designs are equal. For certain statistics, T1E inflation can only be revealed under 1empirical’ designs and doesn’t diminish as sample size increases. This important observation calls for new practices for methods evaluation and interpretation of T1E control.
A Pseudomonas putida IclR-Type Transcriptional Regulator is Involved in Rhizosphere Related Interactions
Keywords: IclR
PGPR
Pseudomonas putida KT2440
rhizosphere interaction
soil bacteria
transcriptional regulators

Pseudomonas putida KT2440 is a ubiquitous plant growth promoting rhizobacteria that is known for its ability to degrade a wide range of aromatic hydrocarbons. Its genome has been fully sequenced, but despite extensive investigation into its metabolic capabilities, many of its genes remain uncharacterized. In this thesis, I will evaluate one of its uncharacterized IclR type transcriptional regulators (PP_2609). Based on previous research, I hypothesized that PP_2609 regulated the expression of the pp_2605-08 gene cluster and the genes in this cluster have related functions. Additionally, these genes are likely involved in rhizosphere related interactions. By using RT-PCRs, EMSAs, β-galactosidase assays, it was demonstrated that PP_2609 specifically binds to a promoter of the pp_2605-08 operon and suppresses its expression in a concentration-dependent manner. PP_2609 also binds the promoter with a greater affinity in the presence of A. thaliana root exudate, an interaction that enhances PP_2609’s repressive effect.